Michigan governor’s husband under fire for asking to take his boat out during lockdown

Whitmer said her husband made a ‘failed attempt at humor’ in asking if boat could be put in the water by Memorial Day weekend * Coronavirus – live US updates * Live global updatesMichigan’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, has come under fire this weekend as allegations have arisen that her own husband has been trying to flout her strict shutdown rules – in what she says was a “failed attempt at humor”.Affectionately nicknamed “Big Gretch”, Whitmer was thrust into the spotlight this year as her state battled one of the highest Covid-19 rates with one of the strictest lockdown policies in the country.But while Whitmer’s strict stay-at-home order has been effective at flattening the curve in Michigan, it has also drawn strong criticism from conservatives and progressives.Whitmer began to lift some of the restrictions over Memorial Day weekend, but she reminded Michiganders to take their personal responsibility seriously – and in particular, not to descend on to the waterfront in crowds over the weekend.“If you don’t live in these regions … think long and hard before you take a trip into them. A small spike could put the hospital system in dire straits pretty quickly. That’s precisely why we’re asking everyone to continue doing their part,” said Whitmer before she eased restrictions last Monday.But Whitmer’s husband, Marc Mallory, might have missed that message. According to a local marina owner, Mallory called asking if the facility could put his boat in the water by Memorial Day weekend.When Tad Dowker, the owner, said it would not be possible to dock his boat in time, Mallory identified himself as the governor’s husband and asked whether that might help him.In a Facebook post that has since been removed, Dowker said: “This morning, I was out working when the office called me, there was a gentleman on hold who wanted his boat in the water before the weekend. Being Memorial weekend and the fact that we started working three weeks late means there is no chance this is going to happen … Well our office personnel had explained this to the man and he replied, ‘I am the husband to the governor, will this make a difference?’”A spokesperson for Whitmer initially warned against rumors and misinformation when asked about the claims – although the representative did not deny them outright.But today Whitmer accepted that her husband had made the call, calling it “a failed attempt at humor”.“Knowing it wouldn’t make a difference, he jokingly asked if being married to me might move him up. He regrets it. I wish it wouldn’t have happened. And that’s really all we have to say about it,” Whitmer said during a press conference.

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Asian-American Students Suing Harvard Over Affirmative Action Win Justice Dept. Support - New York Times

New York Times Asian-American Students Suing Harvard Over Affirmative Action Win Justice Dept. Support New York Times The Johnston gate frames the entrance to Harvard Yard.CreditCreditHadley Green for The New York Times. By Katie Benner. Aug. 30, 2018. 阅读简体中文版閱讀繁體中文版. WASHINGTON — The Justice Department lent its support on Thursday to students ... Justice Department criticizes Harvard admissions in case alleging bias against Asian Americans Washington Post Justice Department Says Harvard Hurts Asian Americans' Admissions Prospects With 'Personal Rating' Wall Street Journal Harvard admissions 'may be infected with racial bias,' DOJ says The Boston Globe Inside Higher Ed - NPR - CNN - Forbes all 292 news articles » from Top Stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2oqpRnk

The US father-son duo accused of masterminding Ghosn's Japan escape

The American men accused of smuggling former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn out of Japan are a former US special forces operative who spent time in prison and his football-playing son. On the surface, Michael Taylor, 59, and Peter Taylor, 27, appeared to be living a quintessential American middle-class life in the small, wealthy town of Harvard, Massachusetts. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2AI9Qm5

Israel is the first country to warn its citizens not to travel abroad over coronavirus fears

Israel on Wednesday became the first country to officially warn its citizens to avoid any international travel amid fears over the coronavirus outbreak.Several airlines have canceled flights to China, where the respiratory virus originated, and governments have issued warnings about travel to certain countries, but no country has actively urged their citizens avoid traveling abroad at large until now. "If you don't genuinely have to fly — don't do so," Israel's health ministry said in a statement.Although the majority of cases remain in China, the virus has spread to several other countries. In response to criticism that the country was stoking panic and could cause both economic and diplomatic damage, the health ministry said they'd rather deal with the inconveniences now than be sorry later, The Times of Israel reports.The only confirmed Israeli cases so far involve people who were on a cruise ship that was quarantined in Japan, although South Korea — which ...

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