Covid inquiry will examine Boris Johnson’s Whatsapp messages during pandemic

The Covid-19 public inquiry is set to examine Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages during the pandemic response. © AP SEI128065331.jpg The inquiry has requested to see the former prime minister and other senior officials’ communications associated with ‘core-decision making’. Counsel for the inquiry, Hugo Keith KC, said thousands of documents had been requested to inform the inquiry, and gave the Cabinet Office as an example.’We have sought agendas, minutes and other documents associated with the core decision-making forum such as Cabinet meetings, Cobra meetings and ministerial implementation groups,’ he said.’We’ve asked for ministerial submissions, No 10 daily briefing documents, records of written and oral advice to ministers and details of internal communications including a WhatsApp group, which included the prime minister, No 10 and other senior officials.’ Uvalde Residents Are Now Running For City Council “Uvalde Strong” signs are everywhere, and for some in the Texas town struck by the mass shooting at Robb Elementary, which left 19 school children and two teachers dead back in May, the feelings are also strong that the status quo must be upended. Emotions are still raw at school board meetings, as parents are looking for new leadership. Angie Villescaz shared their pain, though she’s not directly affected by the shooting, the Uvalde native started a group she dubbed “Fierce Madres.” Newsy caught up with them as they wrote post-cards for voter outreach effort for Texas Democrats.  The group wants to change the local and state political map. One result: a member is now going to serve out the rest of city councilor Pete Arredondo’s term. You may recall Arredondo was Uvalde’s school district’s police chief. The district fired him back in August, he never assumed his council seat.  “Here I am, you know, I know that the desk that sits up there city council, is all men and I’m going to be the only mom,” said Eloisa Medina, the Uvalde city council member elect. Eloisa Medina ran unopposed. She and Villescaz said their political will was forged in the fire of community pain.  “There’s a lack of trust in law enforcement or the school district administration, right? Like, they’re scared. They’re scared to leave their children in the hands of ‘oh step back! You know, we’ve got this taken care of.’ They’ve seen where the families in Uvalde were lied to,” said Villescaz. A slow drip of information showed a bungled police response and an ever changing narrative has rocked Uvalde.  Fierce Madres volunteer Bobby Tafolla believes that if it wasn’t for the scrutiny from outside police agencies and the media, the truth would never have come to light. “They’ve done that to us forever. The the white man has spoken, and this is the way it’s going to be. But what happen to these people is that the whole United States was watching,” said Tafolla. The crime, re-opened old wounds of a racist past, which the people of Fierce Madres say resulted in historically low voter turnout among Hispanics, who are the demographic super majority.   Mid-term elections typically bring less voter interest. But in data obtained by Newsy, we found that nearly 17,500 people have registered to vote in Uvalde County for the next month. Thats slightly more than the number for the 2020 presidential election, when voter turnout in Uvalde County was at almost 60%.SEE MORE: Uvalde, Texas Schools Suspend Entire Police Force After OutrageAnother sign of an energized electorate, the number of volunteer deputy registrars, who are people who can officially register Texans to vote, increased more than five fold after May 24, from seven to 37.  “I think that this massacre has inspired a lot of people to look at their own local government and suggest that they want different things to be happening,” said Texas Sen. Roland Gutierrez.There are three right-in candidates vying for a spot on Uvalde’s County Commission. For Javier Cazares, it’s deeply personal, his daughter Jackie, was among the students who died. He’s campaigned with other aggrieved Uvalde parents for the Texas governor to call for a special session to change the state’s lax gun laws. The 43-year-old father has said he didn’t even vote in 2020. Now, he’s seeking elected office. His brother in law explains why.  “And I think that’s where Javier gets his energy. He said ‘I don’t want my child to die in vain,pass away in vain. I’m never going to get see her again. I’m going to try my best so that somebody else doesn’t have to go through this kind of pain again,'” said Jesse Rizo, Jackie Cazares’ uncle. Diana Olvedo Karau is vying for the same seat. She’s a retiree who moved back home to Uvalde in 2018 and has made herself a constant presence at school board and city council meetings.  “I think May 24 has helped people find their voice. And people are challenging the status quo,” said Karau.She’s a retiree who moved back home to Uvalde in 2018 and has made herself a constant presence at school board and city council meetings.”We need to take government back and help it work for us,” said Karau. The candidates we spoke with all lack political experience, but say they want to turn Uvalde’s pain into a positive purpose and build a movement. “So, there are people that are sitting there right now at their desk at work, or at home in the kitchen, and they’re thinking,’I want to step up, I just don’t know how to do it. You know, where do I sign up? How do I start my campaign? How do I start my, you know, fundraising?’ But The Independent Shocking 911 call A 911 operator in Ohio told a distraught woman to ‘quit crying’ after she called to report that she had been raped.. The Independent 12-year-old killed outside NE Houston home FOX 26 Reporter Sherman Desselle has the latest as police are investigating the death of a 12-year-old who was killed outside a home in northeast Houston. The Independent On Monday morning, as he opened the second stage of the statutory inquiry, he said the pandemic’s impact will be felt for ‘decades to come’. ‘The pandemic has led to financial and economic turmoil.’It has disrupted economies and education systems and put unprecedented pressure on national health systems. Jobs and businesses have been destroyed and livelihoods were taken away.’The disease has caused widespread and long-term physical and mental illness, grief and untold misery,’ he said.Module two of the inquiry will scrutinise political decisions and actions in relation to the pandemic, covering a period between early January 2020 until February 2022, when the remaining Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.Inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett will examine the effectiveness of mandatory lockdowns in controlling the spread of coronavirus, the inquiry was told.This will include ‘the relationship between the timeliness and the length of the lockdown, and the trajectory of the disease’, Mr Keith said.Around 200 scientists, including all those involved in the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) group and others in the Independent Sage group, have been asked to give evidence about the effectiveness of the pandemic response.The probe also heard that 39 individuals, groups and institutions have been granted core participant status for the second module.Mr Keith said questions would be asked about the role of the Sage group, including whether any lessons may be learned from the ‘structures in place in other countries for the provision of scientific advice to policymakers’.He added: ‘Was the system of government medical and scientific advisers effectively utilised? How effective was the decision-making system under which the prime minister and other ministers acted on the advice and recommendations of the relevant bodies and advisers? Did the system allow properly for timely political decision-making?’A further preliminary hearing for the module will take place in early 2023, with public hearings starting in the summer. These are scheduled to last for around eight weeks.From news to politics, travel to sport, culture to climate – The Independent has a host of free newsletters to suit your interests. To find the stories you want to read, and more, in your inbox, click here. Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Send MSN Feedback Please give an overall site rating: Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window