News
RFK Jr Apologises To Family Over Super Bowl Ad
Robert F Kennedy Jr. has apologised to his family after a Super Bowl commercial resembling one that aired during his uncle John F Kennedy’s campaign in 1960.
Mr. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine crusader, is running for president as an independent.
The advertisement played right before the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday.
It featured photos of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mixed into the original 1960 ad and a catchy melody that repeated the Kennedy surname fifteen times in 30 seconds.
RFK Jr Apologizes To Family Over Super Bowl Ad
The American Values 2024 Political Action Committee, a Super Pac, was in charge of creating the advertisement.
Super PACs can raise and spend limitless funds in favour of political candidates but cannot coordinate with campaigns.
Tony Lyons, co-founder of American Values 2024, said the spot cost $7 million (£5.5 million). Tim
Mellon, an American Values 2024 Pac donor, has given the group $15 million. Mr Mellon is also a major contributor to Trump-supporting political action committees.
One of Mr Kennedy’s cousins questioned the advertisement and the candidate’s anti-vaccine stance.
“My cousin’s Super Bowl ad featured our uncle’s and my mother’s faces. In a post on X, Bobby Shriver, the son of President Kennedy’s sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver, said, “She would be appalled by his deadly health care views.” “Respect for science, vaccines, & health care equity were in her DNA.”
RFK Jr Apologizes To Family Over Super Bowl Ad
In reaction, RFK Jr. wrote, “I’m extremely sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family distress. The ad was prepared and broadcast by the American Values Super PAC, with no involvement or consent from my campaign. FEC regulations forbid Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I adore you all. “God bless you.
However, the advertisement stayed at the top of the candidate’s X feed on Monday morning. Stefanie Spear, campaign spokesperson, told CBS News that the RFK Jr campaign was “pleasantly surprised and grateful to the American Values Pac for running an ad during the Super Bowl”.
The original ad attempted to show John F. Kennedy as a combination of youth and experience. President Kennedy, a Democrat, was the youngest president ever elected, and in 1960, he faced a seasoned Republican politician, incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon.
The original featured a catchy song with phrases repeated in the most recent Super Bowl ad: “Do you want a man for president who is seasoned through and through? “A man who is old enough to know but young enough to do?”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is 70, almost three decades older than his uncle in 1960. However, he is younger than 77-year-old Donald Trump and 81-year-old Joe Biden, and people have expressed anxiety about the two contenders’ ages.
Despite his name recognition, Mr Kennedy is well behind Mr Biden and Mr Trump in polls. According to research, his support hovers around 10%.
Kyle Kondik, a political analyst at the University of Virginia’s Centre for Politics, stated that the advertisement used a theme similar to many other Super Bowl commercials: nostalgia.
“And remaking a political ad from the 1960s is about as nostalgic as you can get,” he said.
“For any third-party candidate, getting attention is part of the game, and this is a big political story today,” he said. “He’s also taking advantage of the fact that he’s an independent in a year when the public appears to dislike the two major party candidates… His surname is what he has going for him.
RFK Jr Apologizes To Family Over Super Bowl Ad
Polls are split on whether Mr Kennedy’s entry into the race will syphon more support away from Mr
Biden or Mr Trump – or attract voters who would not have voted for either major party.
On Friday, Democratic Party leadership filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, accusing the RFK Jr campaign of working too closely with American Values 2024 to get Mr Kennedy on the ballot in all 50 states.
In a statement issued Sunday, a Democratic Party spokeswoman described Mr Kennedy as “nothing more than a Trump stalking horse in this race”.
SOURCE – (BBC)
News
Britain Must Be Ready for War in 3 Years, Warns New Army Chief
The new head of the Army has stated that Britain must be prepared to fight a war within three years.
Gen Sir Roland Walker has issued a warning about a variety of risks in what he calls a “increasingly volatile” environment.
However, he stated that war was not inevitable and that the Army had “just enough time” to prepare to prevent conflict.
He stated that the Army’s fighting capacity would be doubled by 2027 and tripled by the end of the decade.
Gen Walker warned that the Britain was under threat from a “axis of upheaval” in his first speech as Prime Minister on Tuesday.
Among the primary concerns confronting the Britain in the next years, as noted by the general in a briefing, is an enraged Russia, which may seek vengeance on the West for helping Ukraine, regardless of who wins the war.
He stated: “It doesn’t matter how it finishes. I believe Russia will emerge from it weaker objectively – or completely – but still very, very dangerous and seeking some form of retaliation for what we have done to assist Ukraine.”
Britain’s Government Defence Review and Military Challenges
He also warned that China was determined to retake Taiwan, and Iran was likely to seek nuclear weapons.
He stated that the threats they posed may become particularly acute in the next three years, and that these countries had formed a “mutual transactional relationship” since the war in Ukraine, sharing weaponry and technology.
However, he stated that the path to conflict was not “inexorable” if the UK re-established credible land troops to assist its deterrent strategy for avoiding war.
In his speech, he described his force of slightly over 70,000 regular troops as a “medium-sized army” and made no direct call for additional resources or men.
However, he pushed the British Army to adapt swiftly, focussing on technology such as artificial intelligence and weaponry rather than numbers.
His ultimate goal is for the Army to be capable of destroying an opponent three times its size.
This would entail firing quicker and farther, he said, aided by lessons learnt from the Ukraine war.
The general’s speech at the Royal United Services Institute land warfare conference comes only one week after the government began a “root and branch” defence review to “take a fresh look” at the challenges facing the armed services.
Defence Secretary John Healey launched the assessment, describing the existing status of the armed forces as “hollowed-out” and stating that “procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue”.
According to the most recent Ministry of Defence (MoD) numbers from April 2024, the Britain’s regular Army forces total 75,325 troops (excluding Gurkhas and volunteers).
That figure has been declining in recent years, as recruiting has failed to match retention. The previous Conservative administration lowered the planned headcount from 82,000 to 72,500 by 2025.
Members of the NATO military alliance have agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence by 2024, but several countries are unlikely to fulfil this goal.
The Britain presently spends 2.3% of its GDP on defence. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously stated that the defence review will include a “roadmap” for increasing this to 2.5%, however he has yet to provide a date for this promise.
Source: BBC
News
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
PARIS — Katie Ledecky is looking for clean Olympic races. On Wednesday, Hope had pretty much reached her limit.
The American swimmer hopes to add to her six gold medals as she competes in the 400, 800, and 1,500 meters at the Paris Games. Her program starts with the heavy 400 on Saturday, featuring Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
The 27-year-old Katie is competing in her fourth Summer Olympics, but the first since a doping scandal involving almost two dozen Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned chemical before the Tokyo Games — yet were permitted to compete with no consequences. The controversy has raised serious worries regarding the effectiveness of anti-doping initiatives.
Katie Ledecky | Vogue Image
“I hope everyone here is going to be competing clean this week,” Ledecky claimed. “But what truly counts is, were they training cleanly? Hopefully this has been the case. Hopefully, there has been worldwide testing.”
The International Olympic Committee has expressed concern over the ongoing US investigation into possible doping by Chinese swimmers. While awarding the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, the IOC urged Utah officials to do whatever they could to stop the FBI investigation.
“I think everyone’s heard what the athletes think,” Katie added. “They seek transparency. They want more answers to the remaining questions. At this point, we are here to race. We are going to race whoever is in the lane next to us.
“We are not paid to conduct the tests, so we trust those who follow their regulations. That applies both today and in the future.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
SOURCE | AP
News
London Heatwave Alert: High Temperatures Set to Soar to 29C Next Week
As the summer holidays begin, London may experience an official heatwave with temperatures reaching up to 29 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office predicts a long period of sunny and dry weather for London after a soggy spring and summer.
After a cloudy day on Saturday, temperatures are expected to reach 27C on Sunday, with lots of sunlight.
On Monday and Tuesday, temperatures are forecast to peak at 29 degrees Celsius. Monday is forecast to offer more sunlight, while Tuesday may see some gloomy weather.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the high 20s next week, with lows of approximately 18C.
According to the Met Office, a heatwave is “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity.”
In the United Kingdom, a heatwave is proclaimed when daily temperatures meet or surpass a certain level for at least three consecutive days.
In London, the heatwave threshold is 28 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office reported that the UK is experiencing hotter and wetter weather on average due to climate change.
The UK experienced its warmest May and April on record this year, despite damp and dismal conditions in many areas.
According to the Met Office’s State Of The UK Climate 2023 report published on Thursday, the UK experienced historic levels of extreme weather last year.
In the United Kingdom, 2023 was the second warmest year on record, bringing storms, flooding, strong heatwaves, and rising sea levels; only 2022 was warmer.
It was 0.8°C higher than the average from 1991 to 2020, and 1.66°C higher than the 1961 to 1990 average.
However, 2023 will be a “cool year” in comparison to 2100, based on the planet’s warming trajectory.
The government’s plan to adapt to the hazards presented by climate change is currently being challenged in the High Court by campaigners who allege the Tory administration’s July 2023 National Adaptation Programme (NAP) fails to adequately address 61 concerns.
Source: The Standard
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