Bill Belichick Declines Presidential Medal of Freedom From Donald Trump

On Monday, the New England Patriots coach responded to recent reports that Donald Trump planned to award him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom

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  • Coronavirus news: ‘Don’t blow it now,’ Hancock warns as four million now have vaccine

    Follow the latest updates

  • Teacher accused of 'having sex in field' with pupil, 15, 'told boy she would bring him down with her'

    Kandice Barber, 35, from Wendover, Buckinghamshire, is charged with causing or inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

  • Tax rises may not be needed to pay for Covid crisis, says Treasury minister

    Rishi Sunak looking for other ways to grow UK economy but has not totally ruled out ‘increasing corporation tax,’ Jesse Norman tells MPs

  • Interactive map shows how many people have had COVID in your area

    There are 'substantial' differences between regions across England, according to ONS data.

  • Tory rebels could block post-Brexit trade deal with China by backing Labour’s ‘genocide clause’

    Sir Iain Duncan Smith, leading the rebellion, says until now the UK has done ‘literally nothing’ other than ‘protest’

  • Actors scramble to apologise amid backlash against Amazon show for ‘insulting Hindu deities’

    Several politicians from the national ruling party have tweeted against the show, calling for it to be censored

  • As Trump prepares to give Biden the ultimate snub, militia groups send an ominous message

    The president is ready to deal a final blow to tradition, writes Griffin Connolly

  • Boris Johnson news – latest: MPs vote against universal credit cut as PM blames fish exporters over Brexit chaos

    Latest developments from Westminster

  • Two Airline Agents Injured in Bag Dispute Brawl at Detroit Airport

    Two Spirit Airlines agents were reported injured in a bag dispute at Detroit Metro Airport on January 17.The airline told local media that three passengers attacked its agents as Flight 646 from Detroit to Atlanta was boarding on Sunday evening.The scuffle broke out after a dispute between staff and the passengers about the size of their carry-on bags.Spirit Airlines told local media two passengers had been arrested and a third had been cited. Credit: @kaymiami1 via Storyful

  • Next week on Emmerdale: Al is busted by Debbie and Priya, plus Luke denies he's gay (spoilers)

    Ethan knows a secret about Luke, plus randy Al becomes a pariah.

  • Hollyoaks spoiler pictures show Mandy and Ella struggle over Jordan's death secret

    Mandy fears the truth will come out.From Digital Spy

  • Return to schools could be phased, deputy chief medical officer tells MPs

    The return to schools could be phased, the deputy chief medical officer has said, with children in some parts of the country going back sooner than their peers elsewhere. Dr Jenny Harries said not all schools will be able to open after the February half-term because Covid infection rates still needed to be "observed and reviewed" over the coming weeks. Dr Harries said that while it remains the "ambition" that schools open next month, the country has recently seen very high infection rates. The deputy chief medical officer was speaking to MPs at an education select committee hearing on the science behind school closures. Asked whether there will be a phased return to schools, she said it was "likely" that there will be "some sort of regional separation of interventions" following the national lockdown. Hinting that schools in London may open earlier than those elsewhere, she suggested there are "some glimmers of hope" that transmission rates in the capital are falling, adding that this pattern "may move across the country". Earlier this month, Boris Johnson announced that all primary and secondary schools must close until the February half-term at the earliest.

  • Coronation Street's Peter asks Carla for another chance next week

    Is it too late for them?

  • MyPillow dropped by retailers amid CEO’s support of baseless voter fraud claims

    Mike Lindell falsely claims President-elect Joe Biden did not ‘win the election’

  • COVID infection rates falling in nearly all areas of England

    Here is the latest data on infection rates in each part of England.

  • Don't hug your grandchildren yet, scientists warn amid fears vaccinated will abandon rules

    Grandparents who have received the Covid vaccine should not yet hug their families, a professor has warned, amid fears that those who have had the jab will abandon the lockdown rules. Professor Janet Lord, director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham, urged ongoing caution even as numbers of those vaccinated increased. Asked whether people who had received the jab could hug their children, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I would certainly advise not to do that at the moment because as you probably know with the vaccines they take several weeks before they are maximally effective. "It's really important that people stay on their guard even if they've had that first vaccination. "If people do relax what they're doing then it reduces the benefits of the vaccination." Responding to a survey about public compliance with coronavirus regulations after having received a vaccination, Prof Lord continued: "That's the worrying thing about the idea of a (coronavirus immunity) passport. "People might think (it is a) passport to freedom and even those who haven't been vaccinated will see those changing their behaviours and think, 'Well why should I bother if no one else is either?' "That's the real worry we've got at the moment." It comes as ministers were warned that millions of people are likely to begin ignoring Covid restrictions once they have been vaccinated. Government scientists are concerned that those who receive jabs are likely to relax their attitude towards social distancing and lockdown rules, according to papers seen by The Telegraph. Minutes of meetings held by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) cite a survey which says that 29 per cent of people will adhere to restrictions less strictly once they have had a vaccine, while 11 per cent will "probably no longer follow the rules". Papers released by Sage reveal concerns that changes in the behaviour of those who get the jab could more than "offset" the benefits of the vaccination programme over the next few months. Professor Janet Lord told the Today programme that she would be "happier" with so-called "vaccine passports" if more was known about the effects of the vaccination on virus transmission, but warned there may be other "practical issues". "What about the practicalities, do you have some sort of large badge on your jacket that says 'I'm vaccinated?"' she said. "It's people observing you, so if you're going around, you're no longer wearing a mask, you're hugging anyone you feel like hugging then it's the message that it gives psychologically and motivationally that could be the risk."

  • UK weather: Storm Christoph brings ‘danger to life’ flood warnings

    Weather warnings are in place for much of the UK with a risk of flooding for many

  • People unable to work from home could be moved up vaccine priority list, minister suggests

    Britons who cannot work from home should be considered for prioritisation in the queue for coronavirus jabs as the rollout is extended, the vaccines minister has said. Nadhim Zahawi proposed that public-facing employees more likely to come into contact with the virus, including shop workers, should be allowed to receive a dose earlier than those who can work remotely once the second phase of the vaccine programme begins. Phase one is targeted at nine priority groups which collectively include all adults over 50, the clinically extremely vulnerable and people with underlying health issues that put them at increased risk of serious disease and death. Deaths from coronavirus are forecast to drop by 99 per cent once this phase is complete.

  • Trump’s reported list of pardons condemned by US late-night hosts: ‘It’s a Pardonpalooza’

    Reports suggest outgoing US president will pardon more than 100 people

  • Pressure grows on Boris Johnson to agree plan to start easing lockdown restrictions by March 8

    Boris Johnson faces growing pressure from Tory MPs to set out an exit strategy from lockdown based on vaccine rollout forecasts and using March 8 as the target date to start easing the restrictions. Conservatives in the lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group (CRG) highlighted scientific suggestions that the most vulnerable Britons will achieve a significant level of immunity from the virus three weeks after receiving their first dose of the jab. Since the Government has pledged to vaccinate the 14 million most vulnerable Britons by February 15, ministers should prepare to ease the rules three weeks later on March 8, the MPs said. Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, reiterated this week that the mortality rate is expected to fall by 88 per cent once the most vulnerable cohort, which includes all adults over 70 and the clinically extremely vulnerable, has received an initial dose of the vaccine by the middle of next month.