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Wednesday, March 18, 2020
RAND PAUL OBSTRUCTIONIST OPPORTUNIST
Coronavirus Financial Package: Republican Senator Delays Vote With Futile Amendment
By Wesley Dockery IBT 03/18/20 AT 3:29 PM
The Senate has been on track to pass a financial package to help working Americans during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. However, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has proposed a futile amendment that would delay the passage of the bill.
The legislation already passed in the House of Representatives and would provide free coronavirus testing to citizens, along with strengthening unemployment insurance. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act had bipartisan support in the House and was endorsed by President Trump, although 40 Republicans voted against the bill.
Paul’s amendment would "require a social security number for purposes of the child tax credit, and to provide the President the authority to transfer funds as necessary, and to terminate United States military operations and reconstruction activities in Afghanistan."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., took up the amendment on Wednesday, but it has little to no chance of passing.
One top Democrat mocked the amendment.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the House bill "must pass the Senate today but unfortunately, first we must dispose of a Republican amendment that would make a condition of the bill to require the president to terminate military operations in Afghanistan. Yes you heard me right!" Schumer called the amendment "a colossal waste of time."
Congress is scrambling to assist American workers and industries impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. Some Republicans have been concerned about the cost of some of the proposed legislation, but McConnell has told his fellow Republicans to “gag and vote for it” because “these are not ordinary times” for the country.
The coronavirus could dramatically damage the U.S. economy, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warning of unemployment rates as high as 20%. The Trump administration reportedly wants to spend $500 billion in two rounds of payments to taxpayers in order to protect the economy amid the crisis. Another $50 billion would be set aside to help the hard-hit airline industry, while $150 billion would be set aside for “other distressed sectors.”
There are at least 7,324 cases of coronavirus in the United States, with the death toll reaching115.
Lykke Li Endorses Bernie Sanders in Style
BY RACHEL HAHN VOGUE March 6, 2020
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BY RACHEL HAHN VOGUE March 6, 2020
Photo: Courtesy of Lykke Li / @lykkeli
What do The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, and Lykke Li all have in common? They’ve all performed at campaign rallies and events in support of Bernie Sanders. Now Li is the latest celebrity to turn her political endorsement into a fashion statement. Li posted a photo to Instagram in which she is holding up a Bernie sign in a black striped Eytys dress and a pair of over-the-knee crocodile Ganni boots.
Li is not the first to turn a look while expressing support for Sanders—Emily Ratajkowski has also been known to wear her love for Sanders on her sleeve—but her support comes at an especially critical time in Sanders’s campaign after Vice President Joe Biden proved himself a force to be reckoned with this past Super Tuesday. The Swedish pop star’s preference for Sanders might not come as much of a surprise given her home country’s robust social welfare programs. In any case, Li reminds us that politics and fashion aren’t mutually exclusive.
What do The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, and Lykke Li all have in common? They’ve all performed at campaign rallies and events in support of Bernie Sanders. Now Li is the latest celebrity to turn her political endorsement into a fashion statement. Li posted a photo to Instagram in which she is holding up a Bernie sign in a black striped Eytys dress and a pair of over-the-knee crocodile Ganni boots.
Li is not the first to turn a look while expressing support for Sanders—Emily Ratajkowski has also been known to wear her love for Sanders on her sleeve—but her support comes at an especially critical time in Sanders’s campaign after Vice President Joe Biden proved himself a force to be reckoned with this past Super Tuesday. The Swedish pop star’s preference for Sanders might not come as much of a surprise given her home country’s robust social welfare programs. In any case, Li reminds us that politics and fashion aren’t mutually exclusive.
“We Don’t Want to Regress, We Want Progress”: Civil Rights Icon Claudette Colvin Looks Back on 65 Years of Activism
BY EMILY FARRA March 5, 2020 VOGUE
I don’t recall learning about Claudette Colvin in my grade school American History classes. In fact, even as an adult, I don’t think I’d heard her story until last fall when I picked up Jonathan Safran Foer’s book We Are the Weather. That book is about climate change—specifically the impact of the meat industry and factory farming—but the author brings up dozens of people and moments in time to give context to the complicated topic.
To illustrate how most of what we see in the media—and in our history books—is just one side of the story, and possibly a manipulated side of the story, he mentions Colvin. In 1955, she was the first woman of color to refuse to move to the back of the bus for a white person in Montgomery, Alabama, and was promptly arrested. It wasn’t until nearly nine months later that Rosa Parks did the same thing and became the face of the movement. Parks’s story springs to our minds when we think of American activism; she’s largely considered the “first” woman to be arrested for taking a stand, while hardly anyone even knows Colvin’s name.
There wasn’t bad blood between Colvin and Parks, though; the women worked together at the NAACP, where Parks was the secretary. Parks was respected throughout the community and also happened to be a grown woman of 42, whereas Colvin was just 15. At the time, everyone agreed that Parks seemed like a better fit to lead the movement; it was a lot more planned out than most of us would have thought. “They didn’t want a teenager to be the face,” Colvin explained on a recent call. “I think that’s different now. Teenagers are more outspoken, they have the internet, they have social media.” (Shortly after her arrest, Colvin also became pregnant, which made her an outcast and precipitated her move to New York; the upside was that she found civil rights in the city had evolved much faster than in the South.)
Colvin has been getting her due over the past few years, and today, she’ll address a crowd of women who may be hearing her name for the first time. At the Tory Burch Foundation’s second Embrace Ambition Summit, Colvin will share her story and reflect on the changes she’s seen in America in the last 65 years with Michele Norris, founder of The Race Card Project and the first African American woman to host NPR on the program All Things Considered. Ahead of their conversation, Colvin spoke to Vogue about the challenges women of color still have to overcome, plus the congresswoman she’s got her eye on for future elections.
Since your activism in the late ’50s and ’60s, have things changed as much as you would have hoped?
A lot has changed since I grew up, but there’s still a long way to go. I don’t think we can move forward with Donald Trump as the president. There’s a disconnect there. We don’t want to regress, we want progress.
Are there other women in politics who inspire you right now?
Latina women are coming up now more than ever before, like Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. I still think [sexism] is an issue today, though. I still believe men didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton because she is a women—there are men who don’t want a woman president.
Do you feel America still has a long way to go in terms of true equality? Why?
When our founding fathers drafted the Constitution and Bill of Rights, black people weren’t even considered human. So those rights were not afforded to us; not even to this day do we as a people enjoy full constitutional rights. As long as white people put people of color, African Americans and Latinos, in the same dispensable bag, and look at our children of color as insignificant and treat women of color as not as deserving of protection as white women, we will never achieve true equality.
What will it take for us to finally get there?
We used to say our children will be the change agent. But when you look at how privilege, prejudice, and racism have been handed down from generation to generation by the Caucasian race, I’ll be dead and gone before we get there. That’s how President Trump got elected. We had to fight to abolish slavery, and white people resisted Reconstruction, thus inventing Jim Crow laws. We fought for the right to vote and our civil rights, only to find out we didn’t liberate ourselves, we liberated white women. They benefited more from affirmative action than we did. So the only way to course-correct this country on racism and equality is for white women to stand up and speak up! They have the power to make real change because they raised these fathers, sons, brothers, nephews, and uncles who run this country and the world.
What do you feel are women’s biggest challenges today, particularly women of color?
As a single mother, I can say women of color have accomplished some things, but there is a lot that is still left undone. My time has passed and it was difficult, so I look at things through the eyes of my grandchildren. I see how their dark skin or the texture of their hair still plays a role in how they are treated on the job—even though they all are educated professionals. I see how society has used women of color to fill job slots and has left black men and men of color out, making sure our men have police records at a young age. There are still jobs identified as men’s jobs and women’s jobs. But there’s always a ceiling, not just for women, but for all people of color in all genres. So we have to use every resource, every opportunity, and not be afraid to be aggressive and intimidated to take advantage of these opportunities to achieve our goals in life.
I always tell young people to hold on to their dreams. And sometimes you have to stand up for what you think is right even if you have to stand alone.
How did the Tory Burch Foundation reach out to you about participating in the summit?
Broderick Johnson, with the March on Washington Film Festival in D.C. and whose stepmother is Michele Norris, gave the Tory Burch Foundation our contact information.
What are you looking forward to most?
The fact that I lived long enough to tell my story to young people, and especially young women.
BY EMILY FARRA March 5, 2020 VOGUE
I don’t recall learning about Claudette Colvin in my grade school American History classes. In fact, even as an adult, I don’t think I’d heard her story until last fall when I picked up Jonathan Safran Foer’s book We Are the Weather. That book is about climate change—specifically the impact of the meat industry and factory farming—but the author brings up dozens of people and moments in time to give context to the complicated topic.
To illustrate how most of what we see in the media—and in our history books—is just one side of the story, and possibly a manipulated side of the story, he mentions Colvin. In 1955, she was the first woman of color to refuse to move to the back of the bus for a white person in Montgomery, Alabama, and was promptly arrested. It wasn’t until nearly nine months later that Rosa Parks did the same thing and became the face of the movement. Parks’s story springs to our minds when we think of American activism; she’s largely considered the “first” woman to be arrested for taking a stand, while hardly anyone even knows Colvin’s name.
There wasn’t bad blood between Colvin and Parks, though; the women worked together at the NAACP, where Parks was the secretary. Parks was respected throughout the community and also happened to be a grown woman of 42, whereas Colvin was just 15. At the time, everyone agreed that Parks seemed like a better fit to lead the movement; it was a lot more planned out than most of us would have thought. “They didn’t want a teenager to be the face,” Colvin explained on a recent call. “I think that’s different now. Teenagers are more outspoken, they have the internet, they have social media.” (Shortly after her arrest, Colvin also became pregnant, which made her an outcast and precipitated her move to New York; the upside was that she found civil rights in the city had evolved much faster than in the South.)
Colvin has been getting her due over the past few years, and today, she’ll address a crowd of women who may be hearing her name for the first time. At the Tory Burch Foundation’s second Embrace Ambition Summit, Colvin will share her story and reflect on the changes she’s seen in America in the last 65 years with Michele Norris, founder of The Race Card Project and the first African American woman to host NPR on the program All Things Considered. Ahead of their conversation, Colvin spoke to Vogue about the challenges women of color still have to overcome, plus the congresswoman she’s got her eye on for future elections.
Since your activism in the late ’50s and ’60s, have things changed as much as you would have hoped?
A lot has changed since I grew up, but there’s still a long way to go. I don’t think we can move forward with Donald Trump as the president. There’s a disconnect there. We don’t want to regress, we want progress.
Are there other women in politics who inspire you right now?
Latina women are coming up now more than ever before, like Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. I still think [sexism] is an issue today, though. I still believe men didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton because she is a women—there are men who don’t want a woman president.
Do you feel America still has a long way to go in terms of true equality? Why?
When our founding fathers drafted the Constitution and Bill of Rights, black people weren’t even considered human. So those rights were not afforded to us; not even to this day do we as a people enjoy full constitutional rights. As long as white people put people of color, African Americans and Latinos, in the same dispensable bag, and look at our children of color as insignificant and treat women of color as not as deserving of protection as white women, we will never achieve true equality.
What will it take for us to finally get there?
We used to say our children will be the change agent. But when you look at how privilege, prejudice, and racism have been handed down from generation to generation by the Caucasian race, I’ll be dead and gone before we get there. That’s how President Trump got elected. We had to fight to abolish slavery, and white people resisted Reconstruction, thus inventing Jim Crow laws. We fought for the right to vote and our civil rights, only to find out we didn’t liberate ourselves, we liberated white women. They benefited more from affirmative action than we did. So the only way to course-correct this country on racism and equality is for white women to stand up and speak up! They have the power to make real change because they raised these fathers, sons, brothers, nephews, and uncles who run this country and the world.
What do you feel are women’s biggest challenges today, particularly women of color?
As a single mother, I can say women of color have accomplished some things, but there is a lot that is still left undone. My time has passed and it was difficult, so I look at things through the eyes of my grandchildren. I see how their dark skin or the texture of their hair still plays a role in how they are treated on the job—even though they all are educated professionals. I see how society has used women of color to fill job slots and has left black men and men of color out, making sure our men have police records at a young age. There are still jobs identified as men’s jobs and women’s jobs. But there’s always a ceiling, not just for women, but for all people of color in all genres. So we have to use every resource, every opportunity, and not be afraid to be aggressive and intimidated to take advantage of these opportunities to achieve our goals in life.
I always tell young people to hold on to their dreams. And sometimes you have to stand up for what you think is right even if you have to stand alone.
How did the Tory Burch Foundation reach out to you about participating in the summit?
Broderick Johnson, with the March on Washington Film Festival in D.C. and whose stepmother is Michele Norris, gave the Tory Burch Foundation our contact information.
What are you looking forward to most?
The fact that I lived long enough to tell my story to young people, and especially young women.
Claudette Colvin photographed in 1998 Photo: Getty
(You can watch the entire summit live through the livestream above.)
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When Life Gives You Lemons…BY ELIZABETH WELLINGTON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHILIPPE JARRIGEON March 4, 2020
There’s a local fable in the French Riviera that when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, Eve took a lemon with her and buried in the spot that would become Menton. Whether or not you believe the myth, citrus fruit is at the heart of this French seaside town, leaving it awash in golden hues.
Menton sits on the Italian border between the Alpes Maritimes and the Mediterranean, and its valley benefits from a unique microclimate that’s a few degrees warmer than the rest of the Côte d'Azur. Since the 15th century, the town’s residents have grown citrus trees. Although the region is home to 100 different varieties of fruit, from kumquats to grapefruit, Mentonnais take special pride in their three lemon varietals: Santa Theresa, Villafranca, and Eureka. These Menton lemons differ from other varieties because of their elliptical shape, lack of bitterness, richer color tones and high-oil rinds that yield a more noticeable scent.
The otherwise humble town wears its devotion to citrus on its streets, and in every restaurant. Visitors can expect to savor citrus jams at breakfast, take limoncello shots at the end of dinner, and walk the streets with lemon gelato in hand. Menton’s famed farmers even send their lemon oil to Grasse for perfume, and three-Michelin-star chef Mauro Colagreco, whose acclaimed restaurant Mirazur has brought Menton renewed fame, grows his own lemon trees in a small orchard.
This local obsession with lemons reaches its peak in the middle of February when the city debuts the annual Fête du Citron. The festival first began in 1928 as a way to entertain aristocratic visitors and evolved into a celebration of gigantic proportions. Every year, 400 people design, create and build ten 30-foot-tall sculptures of fruit with 140 tons of lemons and oranges. The result is surreal and singular. Beyond the visual display of vivid orange and yellow sculptures, the fruits tinge the air with the heady smell of citrus.
The town just completed its 87th festival with the theme des mondes fantastiques or “Fantastical Worlds.” Each of the ten towering sculptures serves as a tribute to a different celebration from around the world, including Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day, Mexico’s Día de los Muertos, Germany’s Oktoberfest. Over 200,000 people gathered to see the displays in Menton’s Jardins Biovès this year and to watch the Carnaval-style parades where they travel through town.
When still-life and fashion photographer Philippe Jarrigeon visited this year, he described the festival as of another time. Menton doesn’t have the glitz or glam of Cannes and St. Tropez—and that can be a good thing. He looked forward to seeing a more traditional experience in an otherwise quiet town. Plus, as a still life photographer, he had often captured fruit and flower arrangements; this festival took that theme to new heights. “It was charming,” he noted. “The scene reminded me of France in the 1950s or in an old film.” After initially surveying the scene, Jarrigeon had planned to head back down to Menton from Paris for one of the festival’s parades, but the celebrations ended early because of the health threat posed by the coronavirus.
Typically, the festival winds down in early March just as the town begins to plan the following year’s festivities. Of course, Menton usually sells the oranges and lemons at a steep discount just before spring. Even in a town where citrus is everywhere, there are still happy buyers. This year, it all ended too soon—but that means everyone’s already looking forward to the next colorful fête.
The artists decorate sculptures with lemons and
oranges as well as greenery and flowers for the
87th annual *Fête du Citron* in Menton.
Photographed by Philippe Jarrigeon
A sculpture representing Munich’s beloved Oktoberfest
and its iconic Ferris wheel.Photographed by Philippe Jarrigeon
An elephant sculpture. 400 people work over 20,000
hours to design the lemon and orange sculptures
from start to finish.Photographed by Philippe Jarrigeon
The clear blue sky behind the enormous elephant sculpture.
A close-up shot of the Ferris wheel made of citrus fruit, which served
as part of the Oktoberfest sculpture.Photographed by Philippe Jarrigeon
Winter light reflects on a tower made of citrus.
Photographed by Philippe Jarrigeon
Postcards of Menton and this year’s *Fête du Citron*
at a local shop. Photographed by Philippe Jarrigeon
A komodo dragon sculpture delights visitors with
its split tongue.Photographed by Philippe Jarrigeon
The sculptures are a key part of the festival’s parades, which also include dancers to honor each celebratory tradition from around the world.
Adorned in yellow and orange, this sculpture reflects the spirit of Rio’s de Janeiro’s Carnaval.Photographed by Philippe Jarrigeon
Dior and Givenchy to Use Perfume Facilities to Manufacture Hand Sanitizer for French Health Officials
Hanna Flanagan, People•March 16, 2020
Dior and Givenchy to Use Perfume Facilities to Manufacture Hand Sanitizer for French Health Officials
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.
Some of the world’s most influential brands owned by French luxury conglomerate LVMH are shifting focus from perfume production to hand sanitizer manufacturing as coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread throughout Europe.
LVMH announced on Sunday that facilities used to manufacture perfumes and cosmetics for its well-known brands, including Christian Dior, Givenchy and Guerlain, will begin to produce large quantities of hand sanitizer starting on Monday.
RELATED: Madrid Citizens Cheer and Applaud Healthcare Workers amid Spain’s Shutdown Due to Coronavirus
“Through this initiative, LVMH intends to help address the risk of a lack of product in France and enable a greater number of people to continue to take the right action to protect themselves from the spread of the virus,” the company said in a press release, according to CNN.
LVMH (which is head-quartered in Paris) said gels will be delivered to health officials and the European hospital system, Assistance Publique-Hospitaux de Paris, “free of charge.”
The corporation added that it will “continue to honour this commitment for as long as necessary, in connection with the French health authorities.”
RELATED: Coronavirus Fears Spread at Paris Fashion Week as Agnès B Cancels and Show-Goers Wear Masks
According to NBC, France has more than 5,400 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 127 deaths. The country joins Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and others where government officials have imposed strict restrictions on citizens in an effort to contain the virus — on Sunday, a government order to close restaurants, bars and cinemas in France went into effect.
“A lot of people have not understood that they need to stay at home, and this low level at which people have adhered means that we are not succeeding in curbing the outbreak of the epidemic,” France’s Director of General of Health Jerome Salomon told France Inter radio on Monday. “This morning, I appeal to all French people to mobilize in the fight.”
Hanna Flanagan, People•March 16, 2020
Dior and Givenchy to Use Perfume Facilities to Manufacture Hand Sanitizer for French Health Officials
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.
Some of the world’s most influential brands owned by French luxury conglomerate LVMH are shifting focus from perfume production to hand sanitizer manufacturing as coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread throughout Europe.
LVMH announced on Sunday that facilities used to manufacture perfumes and cosmetics for its well-known brands, including Christian Dior, Givenchy and Guerlain, will begin to produce large quantities of hand sanitizer starting on Monday.
RELATED: Madrid Citizens Cheer and Applaud Healthcare Workers amid Spain’s Shutdown Due to Coronavirus
“Through this initiative, LVMH intends to help address the risk of a lack of product in France and enable a greater number of people to continue to take the right action to protect themselves from the spread of the virus,” the company said in a press release, according to CNN.
LVMH (which is head-quartered in Paris) said gels will be delivered to health officials and the European hospital system, Assistance Publique-Hospitaux de Paris, “free of charge.”
The corporation added that it will “continue to honour this commitment for as long as necessary, in connection with the French health authorities.”
RELATED: Coronavirus Fears Spread at Paris Fashion Week as Agnès B Cancels and Show-Goers Wear Masks
According to NBC, France has more than 5,400 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 127 deaths. The country joins Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and others where government officials have imposed strict restrictions on citizens in an effort to contain the virus — on Sunday, a government order to close restaurants, bars and cinemas in France went into effect.
“A lot of people have not understood that they need to stay at home, and this low level at which people have adhered means that we are not succeeding in curbing the outbreak of the epidemic,” France’s Director of General of Health Jerome Salomon told France Inter radio on Monday. “This morning, I appeal to all French people to mobilize in the fight.”
AIR QUALITY APP
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Written by Yuqian Lim
Updated over a week ago
Updated over a week ago
Dramatic satellite footage shows 'notable drop' in air pollution over Italy after coronavirus lockdown restricts transport and industrial activity
Levels of nitrogen dioxide emissions were down across northern Italy in March
The ESA Copernicus Sentinel-5 satellite spotted the emission levels changing
ESA shared an animation showing the dramatic change from January to March
It coincided with the announcement of a lockdown in Italy due to coronavirus
By RYAN MORRISON FOR MAILONLINE UPDATED:16 March 2020
VIDEOS AT THE END OF ARTICLE
Dramatic footage from the European Space Agency Copernicus satellite reveals a 'notable drop' in air pollution over Italy after the coronavirus lockdown.
ESA shared an animation that showed a significant change in the pollution levels over Italy between January and March, particularly over Po Valley in the north.
In an attempt to reduce the spread of the deadly disease, Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced a lockdown of the entire country.
The animation is made with data from the a special instrument called Tropomi on the Copernicus Sentinel-5 satellite that maps traces of noxious gases in the atmosphere.
Graphic shows decline of air pollution since Italy lockdown
There are just under 125,000 cases of coronavirus around the world with over 4,500 deaths from the virus as the World Health Organisation says Europe is now the global epicentre
Italy closed schools, restaurants, bars, museums and other venues - as well as limited large gatherings - all of which reduced the number of polluting activities.
ESA's Claus Zehner, Sentinel-5P mission manager, said, 'The decline in nitrogen dioxide emissions over the Po Valley in northern Italy is particularly evident.
'Although there could be slight variations in the data due to cloud cover and changing weather, we are very confident that the reduction in emissions that we can see, coincides with the lockdown in Italy causing less traffic and industrial activities.'
Similar changes in pollution levels were noted by NASA researcher Santiago Gasso when studying other data from Copernicus.
He said: 'In one month, there is a clear decrease of NO2 levels (a pollution marker) in northern Italy according to the satellite sensor.'
‹ SLIDE ME ›
There was a notable drop in Nitrogen Dioxide over Italy between January and March. By March, in line with the lockdown in the Italy, the level of nitrogen dioxide (orange on the map) had started to drop
The satellite that captured the data is the first Copernicus mission dedicated to monitoring our atmosphere.
Its Tropomi instrument maps a range of trace gases such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, formaldehyde, sulphur dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide and aerosols.
All of these gases affect the air we breathe and therefore our health, says ESA.
The same ESA satellite also revealed a drop in air pollution over China with tiny particles slahed in the wake of coronavirus.
The country's government closed down much of its industrial activity and restricted air and car travel to limit the spread of the killer virus.
The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) observed a decrease of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) for February relative to the previous three years of between 20 and 30 per cent, Copernicus said in a statement.
PM2.5 is one of the most important air pollutants regarding health impacts according to the World Health Organization.
Nitrogen dioxide is a noxious gas which is released during fuel combustion and emitted by cars, power plants and industrial facilities.
It forms when fossil fuels such as coal, gas or diesel are burned at high temperatures and can cause a range of harmful effects on the lungs including increased inflammation of the airways and a greater risk of asthma attacks.
Satellite images compared this February's air quality with the same month from 2017 and 2019 and found a decrease in the amount of PM2.5 emissions in China of up to 30 per cent (pictured, the percentage difference as shown by the colour bar at the top)
Air quality researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Fei Liu said: 'This is the first time I have seen such a dramatic drop-off over such a wide area for a specific event.'
'Given the growing importance and need for the continuous monitoring of air quality, the upcoming Copernicus Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5 missions will monitor key air quality trace gases and aerosols,' the agency said.
'These missions will provide information on air quality, stratospheric ozone and solar radiation, as well as climate monitoring.'
Josef Aschbacher, ESA's Director of Earth Observation Programmes, says the Tropomi instrument on the Copernicus Sentinel satellite was used to capture the changing atmosphere over Italy.
'It's the most accurate instrument measuring air pollution from space,' he said.
'These measurements, globally available thanks to the free and open data policy, provide crucial information for citizens and decision makers.'
Smog has dropped in northern Italy over a three-week period - February 14 (top left), February 24 (top right), March 4 (bottom left) and March 8 (bottom right) - following a month of coronavirus restrictions. The orange shading shows a heavy concentration of air pollution
Medical staff checks the body temperature of a woman in front of the Molinette hospital in Turin as Italy clamps down on public events and travel to halt spread of the virus
Europe is now the 'epicentre' of coronavirus with more daily cases on the continent than China was suffering at the height of its outbreak, the World Health Organisation said today.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the stark assessment today as he bemoaned the 'tragic milestone' of 5,000 global deaths from Covid-19.
He added that Europe now has 'more reported virus cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China'.
In Italy, which is already in lockdown, Catholic churches in Rome have now been shut as the Vatican falls in line with the rest of the country.
Football fixtures across Europe have been taking place behind closed doors amid calls for the Euro 2020 tournament to be postponed.
Meanwhile, some European passengers were boarding the last flights to America this morning before Donald Trump's unexpected travel ban comes into force tonight.
Bulgaria's state of emergency involves the shutting of all shops - except food stores and pharmacies - shopping malls, casinos, bars and restaurants with immediate effect until March 29.
WHAT IS AIR POLLUTION?
Emissions
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the biggest contributors to global warming. After the gas is released into the atmosphere it stays there, making it difficult for heat to escape - and warming up the planet in the process.
It is primarily released from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, as well as cement production.
The average monthly concentration of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere, as of April 2019, is 413 parts per million (ppm). Before the Industrial Revolution, the concentration was just 280 ppm.
CO2 concentration has fluctuated over the last 800,000 years between 180 to 280ppm, but has been vastly accelerated by pollution caused by humans.
Nitrogen dioxide
The gas nitrogen dioxide (NO2) comes from burning fossil fuels, car exhaust emissions and the use of nitrogen-based fertilisers used in agriculture.
Although there is far less NO2 in the atmosphere than CO2, it is between 200 and 300 times more effective at trapping heat.
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) also primarily comes from fossil fuel burning, but can also be released from car exhausts.
SO2 can react with water, oxygen and other chemicals in the atmosphere to cause acid rain.
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an indirect greenhouse gas as it reacts with hydroxyl radicals, removing them. Hydroxyl radicals reduce the lifetime of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Particulates
What is particulate matter?
Particulate matter refers to tiny parts of solids or liquid materials in the air.
Some are visible, such as dust, whereas others cannot be seen by the naked eye.
Materials such as metals, microplastics, soil and chemicals can be in particulate matter.
Particulate matter (or PM) is described in micrometres. The two main ones mentioned in reports and studies are PM10 (less than 10 micrometres) and PM2.5 (less than 2.5 micrometres).
Air pollution comes from burning fossil fuels, cars, cement making and agriculture
Scientists measure the rate of particulates in the air by cubic metre.
Particulate matter is sent into the air by a number of processes including burning fossil fuels, driving cars and steel making.
Why are particulates dangerous?
Particulates are dangerous because those less than 10 micrometres in diameter can get deep into your lungs, or even pass into your bloodstream. Particulates are found in higher concentrations in urban areas, particularly along main roads.
Health impact
What sort of health problems can pollution cause?
According to the World Health Organization, a third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease can be linked to air pollution.
Some of the effects of air pollution on the body are not understood, but pollution may increase inflammation which narrows the arteries leading to heart attacks or strokes.
As well as this, almost one in 10 lung cancer cases in the UK are caused by air pollution.
Particulates find their way into the lungs and get lodged there, causing inflammation and damage. As well as this, some chemicals in particulates that make their way into the body can cause cancer.
Deaths from pollution
Around seven million people die prematurely because of air pollution every year. Pollution can cause a number of issues including asthma attacks, strokes, various cancers and cardiovascular problems.
Asthma triggers
Air pollution can cause problems for asthma sufferers for a number of reasons. Pollutants in traffic fumes can irritate the airways, and particulates can get into your lungs and throat and make these areas inflamed.
Problems in pregnancy
Women exposed to air pollution before getting pregnant are nearly 20 per cent more likely to have babies with birth defects, research suggested in January 2018.
Living within 3.1 miles (5km) of a highly-polluted area one month before conceiving makes women more likely to give birth to babies with defects such as cleft palates or lips, a study by University of Cincinnati found.
For every 0.01mg/m3 increase in fine air particles, birth defects rise by 19 per cent, the research adds.
Previous research suggests this causes birth defects as a result of women suffering inflammation and 'internal stress'.
What is being done to tackle air pollution?
Paris agreement on climate change
The Paris Agreement, which was first signed in 2015, is an international agreement to control and limit climate change.
It hopes to hold the increase in the global average temperature to below 2°C (3.6ºF) 'and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C (2.7°F)'.
Carbon neutral by 2050
The UK government has announced plans to make the country carbon neutral by 2050.
They plan to do this by planting more trees and by installing 'carbon capture' technology at the source of the pollution.
Some critics are worried that this first option will be used by the government to export its carbon offsetting to other countries.
International carbon credits let nations continue emitting carbon while paying for trees to be planted elsewhere, balancing out their emissions.
No new petrol or diesel vehicles by 2040
In 2017, the UK government announced the sale of new petrol and diesel cars would be banned by 2040.
From around 2020, town halls will be allowed to levy extra charges on diesel drivers using the UK's 81 most polluted routes if air quality fails to improve.
However, MPs on the climate change committee have urged the government to bring the ban forward to 2030, as by then they will have an equivalent range and price.
The Paris Agreement, which was first signed in 2015, is an international agreement to control and limit climate change. Pictured: air pollution over Paris in 2019.
Norway's electric car subsidies
The speedy electrification of Norway's automotive fleet is attributed mainly to generous state subsidies. Electric cars are almost entirely exempt from the heavy taxes imposed on petrol and diesel cars, which makes them competitively priced.
A VW Golf with a standard combustion engine costs nearly 334,000 kroner (34,500 euros, $38,600), while its electric cousin the e-Golf costs 326,000 kroner thanks to a lower tax quotient.
Criticisms of inaction on climate change
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has said there is a 'shocking' lack of Government preparation for the risks to the country from climate change.
The committee assessed 33 areas where the risks of climate change had to be addressed – from flood resilience of properties to impacts on farmland and supply chains – and found no real progress in any of them.
The UK is not prepared for 2°C of warming, the level at which countries have pledged to curb temperature rises, let alone a 4°C rise, which is possible if greenhouse gases are not cut globally, the committee said.
It added that cities need more green spaces to stop the urban 'heat island' effect, and to prevent floods by soaking up heavy rainfall.
Pressure grows on Trump to invoke Defense Production Act for coronavirus response
Jon Ward Senior Political Correspondent,Yahoo News•March 17, 20
WASHINGTON — President Trump said Tuesday he was not prepared to invoke the authorities that would allow the government to ensure that the private sector can ramp up production of emergency medical supplies, despite a growing chorus of voices urging him to do so.
“We’ll make that decision pretty quickly if we need it,” Trump said at a midday White House press conference, when asked about invoking those authorities, known as the Defense Production Act. “We hope we don’t need it. It’s a big step.”
Medical experts have cited the possibility that hospitals and medical providers will be overwhelmed by coronavirus patients in the coming weeks. The U.S. medical system does not have enough hospital beds, respirator masks for medical workers and ventilators to assist sick patients with breathing to meet the number of cases expected to emerge over the next few weeks.
The number of cases in the United States, over 5,300 by Tuesday afternoon, is on the same trajectory as in many other countries, including Italy, which now has more than 30,000 cases.
The Defense Production Act (DPA) was enacted during the Cold War to allow the president to cajole — and even coerce — industry into producing products deemed necessary for national defense. In this case, the DPA would allow the U.S. government “to incentivize a company who already makes [emergency medical supplies] to make more of them,” said Jeff Bialos, a veteran Washington attorney who served as deputy undersecretary of defense for industrial affairs in the Clinton White House.
Bialos, whose post in the Clinton administration intersected with the government’s DPA powers, told Yahoo News that in his view, the current health emergency justifies the use of the DPA powers. “I have little doubt they could do it,” he said.
Yet even with the DPA, it would typically take industry time to ramp up production. Dov Zakheim, the Pentagon’s comptroller under President George W. Bush, told Yahoo News that Trump should already have invoked the DPA.
“We’re behind the eight ball, because we’ve been reactive. Here’s an opportunity to be proactive — if you even want to call it proactive at this point,” Zakheim said in an interview.
The White House was reported to be considering invoking the DPA almost three weeks ago, in late February. But at the time, Trump was dismissing the coronavirus threat. “Because of all we’ve done, the risk to the American people remains very low,” Trump said then, adding that there were only 15 cases in the country, and promising that “the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero.”
On Tuesday, Trump confirmed the White House had discussed the DPA “over two weeks ago.” But he justified his decision thus far not to use its powers, by telling the press that some states still do not have many verified cases of coronavirus.
“Some states have two people, three people, no people — again, in the case of West Virginia,” Trump said, referring to the number of cases.
But the low number of known coronavirus cases in states like West Virginia is probably due to the fact that the state has not conducted enough tests to know who has it. The state has only 500 test kits and has conducted only 84 tests, according to Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V.
Trump is “being reactive. He’s saying we don’t need it yet,” Zakheim said. “There’s enough doctors out there saying we do need it right now.”
The DPA would allow the federal government to offer loans and loan guarantees to companies that currently manufacture emergency medical supplies, enabling them to dramatically increase their production of those items.
The U.S. medical system has about 30 million N95 respirators for medical workers to wear while caring for the sick. One estimate is that the actual need in a worst-case scenario would be 300 million masks. The manufacturer 3M, which makes them, is already increasing its production.
There are about 160,000 ventilators, which assist sick patients with their breathing, but as many as 740,000 could be needed, according to one study.
A group of 57 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to the president last Friday, urging him to invoke the DPA immediately.
“During World War II, our country adapted to the demands of the time to produce mass quantities of bombers, tanks, and many small items needed to save democracy and freedom in the world,” said the letter, which was written by Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich. “We know what the demands of this time are, and we must act now to meet these demands. We urge you to invoke the Defense Production Act without delay.”
But comparisons to World War II manufacturing are “just not realistic in a short timeframe,” Bialos cautioned. “Industrial processes are complicated and can’t be changed on a dime,” he said.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Tuesday that the Pentagon will give 5 million respirator masks and 2,000 specialized ventilators to domestic health systems in the United States.
Esper also said the Pentagon is looking at setting up field hospitals, perhaps near civilian hospitals and with the goal of taking non-coronavirus trauma patients to relieve hospitals of that load.
But Esper acknowledged that the real solution of increasing medical supply inventory will have to come from private-sector companies.
“When you look at the numbers of people that are projected that may need ventilators, 2,000 doesn't put much of a dent into it. We can offer what we have,” Esper said. “The private sector, the manufacturing side, whoever makes medical machines of this type, how do you prime that pump to get the production up?”
Jon Ward Senior Political Correspondent,Yahoo News•March 17, 20
WASHINGTON — President Trump said Tuesday he was not prepared to invoke the authorities that would allow the government to ensure that the private sector can ramp up production of emergency medical supplies, despite a growing chorus of voices urging him to do so.
“We’ll make that decision pretty quickly if we need it,” Trump said at a midday White House press conference, when asked about invoking those authorities, known as the Defense Production Act. “We hope we don’t need it. It’s a big step.”
Medical experts have cited the possibility that hospitals and medical providers will be overwhelmed by coronavirus patients in the coming weeks. The U.S. medical system does not have enough hospital beds, respirator masks for medical workers and ventilators to assist sick patients with breathing to meet the number of cases expected to emerge over the next few weeks.
The number of cases in the United States, over 5,300 by Tuesday afternoon, is on the same trajectory as in many other countries, including Italy, which now has more than 30,000 cases.
The Defense Production Act (DPA) was enacted during the Cold War to allow the president to cajole — and even coerce — industry into producing products deemed necessary for national defense. In this case, the DPA would allow the U.S. government “to incentivize a company who already makes [emergency medical supplies] to make more of them,” said Jeff Bialos, a veteran Washington attorney who served as deputy undersecretary of defense for industrial affairs in the Clinton White House.
Bialos, whose post in the Clinton administration intersected with the government’s DPA powers, told Yahoo News that in his view, the current health emergency justifies the use of the DPA powers. “I have little doubt they could do it,” he said.
Yet even with the DPA, it would typically take industry time to ramp up production. Dov Zakheim, the Pentagon’s comptroller under President George W. Bush, told Yahoo News that Trump should already have invoked the DPA.
“We’re behind the eight ball, because we’ve been reactive. Here’s an opportunity to be proactive — if you even want to call it proactive at this point,” Zakheim said in an interview.
The White House was reported to be considering invoking the DPA almost three weeks ago, in late February. But at the time, Trump was dismissing the coronavirus threat. “Because of all we’ve done, the risk to the American people remains very low,” Trump said then, adding that there were only 15 cases in the country, and promising that “the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero.”
On Tuesday, Trump confirmed the White House had discussed the DPA “over two weeks ago.” But he justified his decision thus far not to use its powers, by telling the press that some states still do not have many verified cases of coronavirus.
“Some states have two people, three people, no people — again, in the case of West Virginia,” Trump said, referring to the number of cases.
But the low number of known coronavirus cases in states like West Virginia is probably due to the fact that the state has not conducted enough tests to know who has it. The state has only 500 test kits and has conducted only 84 tests, according to Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V.
Trump is “being reactive. He’s saying we don’t need it yet,” Zakheim said. “There’s enough doctors out there saying we do need it right now.”
The DPA would allow the federal government to offer loans and loan guarantees to companies that currently manufacture emergency medical supplies, enabling them to dramatically increase their production of those items.
The U.S. medical system has about 30 million N95 respirators for medical workers to wear while caring for the sick. One estimate is that the actual need in a worst-case scenario would be 300 million masks. The manufacturer 3M, which makes them, is already increasing its production.
There are about 160,000 ventilators, which assist sick patients with their breathing, but as many as 740,000 could be needed, according to one study.
A group of 57 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to the president last Friday, urging him to invoke the DPA immediately.
“During World War II, our country adapted to the demands of the time to produce mass quantities of bombers, tanks, and many small items needed to save democracy and freedom in the world,” said the letter, which was written by Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich. “We know what the demands of this time are, and we must act now to meet these demands. We urge you to invoke the Defense Production Act without delay.”
But comparisons to World War II manufacturing are “just not realistic in a short timeframe,” Bialos cautioned. “Industrial processes are complicated and can’t be changed on a dime,” he said.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Tuesday that the Pentagon will give 5 million respirator masks and 2,000 specialized ventilators to domestic health systems in the United States.
Esper also said the Pentagon is looking at setting up field hospitals, perhaps near civilian hospitals and with the goal of taking non-coronavirus trauma patients to relieve hospitals of that load.
But Esper acknowledged that the real solution of increasing medical supply inventory will have to come from private-sector companies.
“When you look at the numbers of people that are projected that may need ventilators, 2,000 doesn't put much of a dent into it. We can offer what we have,” Esper said. “The private sector, the manufacturing side, whoever makes medical machines of this type, how do you prime that pump to get the production up?”
Potentially harmful pollutants derived from plastics can accumulate in the bodies of seabirds, research has indicated.
For a study published in the journal Current Biology, a team of scientists led by Shouta Nakayama from Hokkaido University fed plastic pellets to young streaked shearwater chicks living in a cliff colony on Awashima Island, Japan. [ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION ON WILD ANIMALS IS JUST WRONG]
They found this resulted in the accumulation of chemical additives in the liver and fatty tissues of the seabirds in quantities up to 120,000 times higher than the amount they would receive from their natural diet.
The team also monitored six seabird species living in the wild in Hawaii, finding similar results in those animals that ingested relatively high quantities of plastic. According to the team, these results suggest that the consumption of plastic debris can be a "major pathway of chemical pollutants into seabirds."
"These findings provide direct evidence of seabird exposure to plastic additives and emphasize the role of marine debris ingestion as a source of chemical pollution in marine organisms," the authors wrote in the study.
Plastic debris is widespread in the marine environment around the world. A 2015 study found that every year, eight million tonnes of the material makes its way into the planet's oceans.
With so much plastic entering the oceans, the number of species that ingest plastic debris is increasing, as environmentalists raise concerns about the impact this will have on marine animals.
Among these animals, seabirds are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution as they have high rates of ingestion, often mistaking the material for food. One study found that since the 1960s, between 45 and 78 percent of all seabird species have been documented eating plastics.
Meanwhile, a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggested that by 2050, 99 percent of all seabird species will be ingesting plastic.
Plastic consumption can lead to blockages and injury in the digestive tract—which can sometimes be fatal—but it can also expose the animals to hazardous chemicals. This is because plastics often have chemicals added to them during the manufacturing process, while toxic substances which are already present in seawater can also become attached to the material.
For a study published in the journal Current Biology, a team of scientists led by Shouta Nakayama from Hokkaido University fed plastic pellets to young streaked shearwater chicks living in a cliff colony on Awashima Island, Japan. [ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION ON WILD ANIMALS IS JUST WRONG]
They found this resulted in the accumulation of chemical additives in the liver and fatty tissues of the seabirds in quantities up to 120,000 times higher than the amount they would receive from their natural diet.
The team also monitored six seabird species living in the wild in Hawaii, finding similar results in those animals that ingested relatively high quantities of plastic. According to the team, these results suggest that the consumption of plastic debris can be a "major pathway of chemical pollutants into seabirds."
"These findings provide direct evidence of seabird exposure to plastic additives and emphasize the role of marine debris ingestion as a source of chemical pollution in marine organisms," the authors wrote in the study.
Plastic debris is widespread in the marine environment around the world. A 2015 study found that every year, eight million tonnes of the material makes its way into the planet's oceans.
With so much plastic entering the oceans, the number of species that ingest plastic debris is increasing, as environmentalists raise concerns about the impact this will have on marine animals.
Among these animals, seabirds are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution as they have high rates of ingestion, often mistaking the material for food. One study found that since the 1960s, between 45 and 78 percent of all seabird species have been documented eating plastics.
Meanwhile, a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggested that by 2050, 99 percent of all seabird species will be ingesting plastic.
Plastic consumption can lead to blockages and injury in the digestive tract—which can sometimes be fatal—but it can also expose the animals to hazardous chemicals. This is because plastics often have chemicals added to them during the manufacturing process, while toxic substances which are already present in seawater can also become attached to the material.
A seagull struggles to take flight covered by a plastic bag, on the seashore at Caleta Portales beach in Valparaiso, Chile on July 17, 2018.CLAUDIO REYES/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
"The many toxic chemicals present and their adverse effects on those organisms that ingest plastics raise concerns about individual health and population-level impacts," the authors wrote in the study.
Previous studies on wild seabirds have indicated that plastic-derived chemicals may be able to accumulate in their body tissue. However, all of this evidence was indirect and it was not clear whether the plastic was the source of the pollutants. The researchers conducted the latest study in order to obtain direct evidence for the transfer and accumulation of plastic additives in the tissue of seabirds.
While the latest study indicates that these chemicals can accumulate in seabirds, at present it is not clear what the health impacts are on marine animals, so more research is needed in this area.
"This study demonstrates that plastics do lead to raised levels of contaminants in seabird chicks, Samantha Patrick from the University of Liverpool, who was not involved in the study, told the BBC. "This is an important step forward in our understanding of how plastics affect marine species."
Seabirds around the world in peril, with around half of known species experiencing—or thought to be experiencing—population declines, while 28 percent are considered globally threatened, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
"The many toxic chemicals present and their adverse effects on those organisms that ingest plastics raise concerns about individual health and population-level impacts," the authors wrote in the study.
Previous studies on wild seabirds have indicated that plastic-derived chemicals may be able to accumulate in their body tissue. However, all of this evidence was indirect and it was not clear whether the plastic was the source of the pollutants. The researchers conducted the latest study in order to obtain direct evidence for the transfer and accumulation of plastic additives in the tissue of seabirds.
While the latest study indicates that these chemicals can accumulate in seabirds, at present it is not clear what the health impacts are on marine animals, so more research is needed in this area.
"This study demonstrates that plastics do lead to raised levels of contaminants in seabird chicks, Samantha Patrick from the University of Liverpool, who was not involved in the study, told the BBC. "This is an important step forward in our understanding of how plastics affect marine species."
Seabirds around the world in peril, with around half of known species experiencing—or thought to be experiencing—population declines, while 28 percent are considered globally threatened, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Marianne Faithfull on Her Chloé Cameo—and the Biopic of Her Life That Starts Filming Later This Year
BY LUKE LEITCH March 5, 2020
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BY LUKE LEITCH March 5, 2020
Marianne Faithfull and Lucy Boynton at ChloéPhoto: Dominique Charriau / Getty Images
“In the 1960s, and until very recently, you could not be beautiful and clever at the same time… if you were pretty, you were obviously just a bimbo. A dolly bird. A sex object. Blah blah blah. And that was obviously why Mick liked me, at least that’s what they thought. But it wasn’t.”
Marianne Faithfull is holding court in her Paris hotel room not long after her surprise appearance at Natacha Ramsay-Levi’s Chloé show. In a fashion week rich in righteous feminist foment (most explicity at Christian Dior, most implicitly at Alexander McQueen), the direction chosen by Ramsay-Levi was palpably the most affecting. The Chloé show and collection aimed to tell a “multitude of female stories” partly through the breadth of Ramsay-Levi’s work, and partly via the creative voices of a chorus of female collaborators.
Alongside the artists Rita Ackermann and Marion Verboom, Faithfull was a comrade in that Chloé cohort. As she explains, her contribution to the show—providing vocals over the composition of French musician Jackson Fourgeaud (aka Jackson and His Computerband)—began entirely by chance. “It was really strange. I bumped into Jackson and Natacha quite a long time ago now, on the Eurostar. We started chatting, and we became friends. And I didn’t really know much about them. I guess they knew a bit more about me. Jackson, you go on and explain what happened next.”
“In the 1960s, and until very recently, you could not be beautiful and clever at the same time… if you were pretty, you were obviously just a bimbo. A dolly bird. A sex object. Blah blah blah. And that was obviously why Mick liked me, at least that’s what they thought. But it wasn’t.”
Marianne Faithfull is holding court in her Paris hotel room not long after her surprise appearance at Natacha Ramsay-Levi’s Chloé show. In a fashion week rich in righteous feminist foment (most explicity at Christian Dior, most implicitly at Alexander McQueen), the direction chosen by Ramsay-Levi was palpably the most affecting. The Chloé show and collection aimed to tell a “multitude of female stories” partly through the breadth of Ramsay-Levi’s work, and partly via the creative voices of a chorus of female collaborators.
Alongside the artists Rita Ackermann and Marion Verboom, Faithfull was a comrade in that Chloé cohort. As she explains, her contribution to the show—providing vocals over the composition of French musician Jackson Fourgeaud (aka Jackson and His Computerband)—began entirely by chance. “It was really strange. I bumped into Jackson and Natacha quite a long time ago now, on the Eurostar. We started chatting, and we became friends. And I didn’t really know much about them. I guess they knew a bit more about me. Jackson, you go on and explain what happened next.”
Fourgeaud (wearing a handsome padded olive Chloe greatcoat) said: “That was about a year and a half ago. Then when we were working on the music for this show we thought of Marianne and that maybe this was the moment to try and work together.”
Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull, 1967 Photo: Getty Images
The result was Faithfull’s readings, full of both pathos and passion, of a selection of poetry chosen by her and Ramsay-Levi. These included verse by Louisa May Alcott, Byron, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Christina Rossetti, and William Butler Yeats. As Fourgeaud observes: “all the poems sort of talk about dancing and music. And weirdly, they go into different territories too; you have politics, in some of them you have sensuality, some of them you have death…”
“It was a really nice selection,” adds Faithfull. By another serendipitous coincidence her work with Chloé is closely related to her next planned recording: an album of recited Romantic poetry co-produced with Warren Ellis of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Faithfull’s own life story reads like an epic, in which she is buffeted by fate and prejudice but eventually surmounts it after many tribulations. It is a tale she told in her 1994 autobiography, Faithfull, and which after years in development will this October go into production as a movie starring Lucy Boynton (who is also co-producing) and directed by Ian Bonhôte (McQueen).
“I never thought the biopic would happen,” says Faithfull: “we sold the rights to various different directors, some of them rather good actually, but all they ever wanted to do was sensationalized rubbish. Yeah: so I didn’t let anybody do it. And now that it’s happening I am quite stunned. Then I met Lucy on the show and I liked her very much—and she’s so beautiful.”
Between 1964, when she was first spotted at a Rolling Stones party by the band’s manager (who later recalled her as “an angel with big tits” and “a face that can sell”) and 1972, when she was living homeless and heroin-addicted on the streets of London (she would later say making herself as unattractive as possible was a way to deflect the male gaze) Faithfull’s life as chart-topping musician, movie star, and “muse” was played out in public via the tabloid press of a profoundly prurient age. She kindly recounts some of the key stories (including of a notorious drugs bust alongside the Rolling Stones whose front-page moment seemed like a darkly comic twist of destiny when you consider that her great-great uncle was the author of Venus In Furs), but asks me not to repeat them here. They are all in the book, after all, and will very likely be in the movie too.
Faithfull unapologetically carved her own romantic destiny, but unlike the men around her who did the same she was castigated for it. “I lost my good name. And I only just got it back. Keith’s (Richards) book was a great help, in fact: He is very kind about me. And it is very simple, when he mentions me it is as a fellow musician.”
The result was Faithfull’s readings, full of both pathos and passion, of a selection of poetry chosen by her and Ramsay-Levi. These included verse by Louisa May Alcott, Byron, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Christina Rossetti, and William Butler Yeats. As Fourgeaud observes: “all the poems sort of talk about dancing and music. And weirdly, they go into different territories too; you have politics, in some of them you have sensuality, some of them you have death…”
“It was a really nice selection,” adds Faithfull. By another serendipitous coincidence her work with Chloé is closely related to her next planned recording: an album of recited Romantic poetry co-produced with Warren Ellis of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Faithfull’s own life story reads like an epic, in which she is buffeted by fate and prejudice but eventually surmounts it after many tribulations. It is a tale she told in her 1994 autobiography, Faithfull, and which after years in development will this October go into production as a movie starring Lucy Boynton (who is also co-producing) and directed by Ian Bonhôte (McQueen).
“I never thought the biopic would happen,” says Faithfull: “we sold the rights to various different directors, some of them rather good actually, but all they ever wanted to do was sensationalized rubbish. Yeah: so I didn’t let anybody do it. And now that it’s happening I am quite stunned. Then I met Lucy on the show and I liked her very much—and she’s so beautiful.”
Between 1964, when she was first spotted at a Rolling Stones party by the band’s manager (who later recalled her as “an angel with big tits” and “a face that can sell”) and 1972, when she was living homeless and heroin-addicted on the streets of London (she would later say making herself as unattractive as possible was a way to deflect the male gaze) Faithfull’s life as chart-topping musician, movie star, and “muse” was played out in public via the tabloid press of a profoundly prurient age. She kindly recounts some of the key stories (including of a notorious drugs bust alongside the Rolling Stones whose front-page moment seemed like a darkly comic twist of destiny when you consider that her great-great uncle was the author of Venus In Furs), but asks me not to repeat them here. They are all in the book, after all, and will very likely be in the movie too.
Faithfull unapologetically carved her own romantic destiny, but unlike the men around her who did the same she was castigated for it. “I lost my good name. And I only just got it back. Keith’s (Richards) book was a great help, in fact: He is very kind about me. And it is very simple, when he mentions me it is as a fellow musician.”
Singer Marianne Faithfull, 1967
Photo: Getty Images
To be valorized for your looks but also simultaneously trivialized because of them, says Faithfull: “was awful and kind of made me wish I didn’t have those looks at all. Now I do appreciate whatever looks I have left, but the effect that that had on me then was that I just put myself down. I always knew I wasn’t a bimbo and a sex object.”
Faithfull is a veteran from an age which saw itself as progressive but which now seems antediluvian in its attitude to women: “Free love” was a narrative that sounded win-win but left only the males unburdened by judgment. Still both beautiful and clever, it is fascinating to hear Faithfull’s war stories from that long-gone frontline in sexual politics. As for Chloé’s harnessing of her talents, well, we’d be quite happy to have a recording of that performance, too.
Chloé
To be valorized for your looks but also simultaneously trivialized because of them, says Faithfull: “was awful and kind of made me wish I didn’t have those looks at all. Now I do appreciate whatever looks I have left, but the effect that that had on me then was that I just put myself down. I always knew I wasn’t a bimbo and a sex object.”
Faithfull is a veteran from an age which saw itself as progressive but which now seems antediluvian in its attitude to women: “Free love” was a narrative that sounded win-win but left only the males unburdened by judgment. Still both beautiful and clever, it is fascinating to hear Faithfull’s war stories from that long-gone frontline in sexual politics. As for Chloé’s harnessing of her talents, well, we’d be quite happy to have a recording of that performance, too.
Chloé
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