This Jan, at least one of Spurs' three important weaknesses should be resolved:

1: Lack of dynamism in Central Midfield barring Ndombele/Lo Celso (only one of them can play at a time.)

2: Aerial inferiority of the backline.

3: No consistent Goalscorers barring Kane x Son.

1: Midfield Control.

Since Spurs are a team that focuses more on clinical attacking transitions on the counter, there is no need for extremely technical midfielders.

To play the way Spurs do, it's enough for the midfielders to have decent technique but an outstanding workrate.

The issue comes with Sissoko not being able to distribute the ball during transitions.

His role is needed. Replacing him with Lo Celso specially when the backline isn't solid on its own is suicidal.

So a midfielder who can be that extra edge of support on both fronts is needed.

Solution at Central Midfield: Marcel Sabitzer

Alongside Konrad Laimer, Sabitzer formed a formidable pressing pivot.

Yes, you're all focusing on what he does from an attacking front, but defensively, his ability to relentlessly press throughout the game is what Spurs need a lot.

Your views on Sabitzer might be split. Some want him in simply because he contributes more than Lo Celso

In reality, the truth is, Sabitzer is needed because it gives another GOOD midfield option

Imagine when the choices would be Ndombele, Gio, Sabitzer, PEH, Skipp, maybe Winks

[1] These are trying times indeed

Before looking at what gov, the Opposition & civil society should be doing, we as citizens, need to realise we have a role to play

We really need to change our behaviour, if any gov measures are to be successful

it can't be business as usual

[2] The recklessness that characterised festive season celebrations are just unacceptable

It would seem like many people are still living in denial, yet the covid variant, or second wave, will have more devastating effects, compared to the first wave.

It's actually scary

[3] Dear citizens, in our individual capacities, let us avoid unnecessary gatherings, visits & travels

Lets sanitize, wear masks,& adhere to all regulations, to the best of our individual abilities

most importantly, let us demand the same, of those we can't avoid contact with

[4] Central gov can do more, beyond knee jerk reactions,which seem to be only linked to what SA is doing.

Please improve on effective & accurate information dissemination

Curfews & a hard-handed approach,seemingly oblivious to citizens' livelihoods & needs,won't be effective

[5] Its equally critical for gov, to clamp hard on political events, from whichever party

The public transport system needs to be attended to.
The monopolization hasn't worked, with those long queues, more so in this rainy season, being a breeding ground for more infections

#Washington #DC
Chants of “USA! USA! USA!” before a line of police officers; some in crowd control helmets.

For the new issue of @TheProspect, I sat with @RepMarieNewman, @RepCori, @RepBowman, and @RepMondaire to talk strategies/priorities for the next two years, how and where they plan to wield power. If you're into these left strategy debates, this is for you.

No two members of The Squad are the same—@AOC's approach is different than @IlhanMN's is different than @AyannaPressley's. The new squad, or the reinforcements, or whatever, will all bring their own quirks to governing different from how they campaigned.

The Democratic majority in the House is so small that these four alone could effectively decide whether things live or die. But with Pelosi's grip on the chamber they will have few opportunities to legislate. But they're also part of a newly empowered CPC.

Here's Marie Newman on the #ForcetheVote strategy, and what she makes of claims that progressives have abandoned their commitment to get Medicare for All done. There's a plan, she says, that doesn't suck.

Here's Cori Bush on her theory of the bully pulpit, and how she plans to use outside channels to get stuff done.

THREAD - Face Covering Regulations: How the UK government instructed supermarkets and major retailers to respond to exemptions. /1

Last year the heads of supermarkets and *major* retailers received a ‘secret’ Cabinet Office document about face covering exemptions /2

An important point to make here is that small independent businesses were NOT given the same details. And neither has the government ever shared it with the public. In fact, they REALLY do not want you to see it. /3

Although I’ve known of this document since September, I previously decided not share it for fear that it would make life even more difficult for people with genuine medical exemptions and disabilities /4

Yet, this week, the government has mounted a fear campaign that has caused widespread confusion and despair for people who are not able to wear a mask. Notably, those with hidden disabilities. It must now be made public /5

National Guard Gearing Up At Washington D.C. Capitol

#WashingtonDC

NEW from next week’s issue of @newyorker: Luke Mogelson, who has been reporting on MAGA protesters for months, provides a firsthand account of the Capitol invasion.

After this, we’re going to walk down, and I’ll be there with you,” Trump told the crowd. The people around me exchanged looks of astonishment and delight.

There was an eerie sense of inexorability, the throngs of Trump supporters advancing up the long lawn as if pulled by a current. Everyone seemed to understand what was about to happen.

There's a R1000 maintenance tweet doing the rounds. It's not it per se I want to talk about but the conversation on it does trigger a lot of things in me& life in SA generally. The issue of low or nonexistent incomes in many households tends to escape us.

We tend to view life only with our lenses of privilege or bias depending on our station in life. The reality for many rural &township households is extremely brutal in this country. There are still people who earn R1000 or less as a month's wage. They often do heavy manual labour

It took time for my grandparents to be convinced to go over R1000 in paying their live-in helper. That was some years ago. My grandfather had pension from eThekwini municipality &my grandmother is on SASSA.They were lucky to accumulate some savings, they run their household fully

But we are a very lucky few to have grandparents in their late 80s who are still this financially independent. Sure we do things at home but not the basics, including not having to build a house for them etc. This is almost out of the norm experience.

A lot of people in our country have salaries below R10 000 pm. They have to divide this between their needs (food&transport), some dependents and sending remittances back home so that their parents and other loved ones can put some bread on the table &complement some grants.

The Pennsylvania State Senate begins its new legislative session of the people's business with.....

An argument about masks and whether or not Senators on the floor should be required to wear them.

#WTAE

They're taking a vote now to require senators on the floor to wear masks for today's session.

They DID NOT call on Jim Brewster for this roll call.

Some

OK.

Democratic Senator Steve Santarsiero from Bucks County has requested a delay in swearing in Senators pending resolution of the judicial challenge to Brewster's win.

Critical of Ziccarelli's "specious" actions, and says she didn't go through proper procedure in courts.

"This happens not in a vacuum, it happens in the context of some very serious threats to our democracy today," Santarsiero said.

Brings up tomorrow's certification challenges expected in DC despite Joe Biden being elected and certified as the winner of Presidential election.

"They are not intending to seat Senator Brewster despite the fact that the people of the 45th district have spoken."

"This is the most serious issue that has come before us" in his time in the senate, Santarsiero said.

"All because one candidate is displeased with having lost."

@kuhawkster @jimfusillibooks @ProveItSo @RichardGrenell I work human trafficking on the front lines in Texas. He has been the most proactive President On human trafficking!
Go to the White House page and search human trafficking!

Dear @nsitharaman and @narendramodi, with having full faith in you & your government, I wish to draw your attention to certain facts. A thread

We haven’t come across or heard incident of corruption against your government which should be a normal practice but yet when compared with the previous UPA government, it is a commendable achievement

However the situation is not as good at the ground level. There has been lesser corruption because of use of systems driven techniques and lesser human intervention. But still there is rampant corruption in many departments & ministries, by bureaucrats & officers

Officers including IRS officers at Income Tax office both at investigation & assessments level, Enfircement Directorate dealing in FEMA, PMLA, IT. Customs offices, GST department again at all levels to name a few are highly corrupt

I and my office have been dealing with many of them on behalf of our clients and regularly come across several incidents of revenue officers asking for huge money and threatening to open old cases and harass clients on various counts

MAJOR FAILURE OF COVID RELATED SERVICES AT UK BORDERS

Nearly 2 million passengers entered UK June to September 2020.

Launched by the Home Secretary, run by 2 private firms, the Isolation Assurance Service only made contact with 3.5% (66,800) to ensure they were isolating🤦‍♀️

2/ The Government’s half-hearted, privatised approach to critical COVID-related services also extending to virus control at Britain’s borders by the IAS appears to have failed to ensure self-isolation by international travellers.
Source: Private 👁 4-17 Dec 2020

3/ When launching the IAS in June, Home Secretary Priti Patel said Public Health England (PHE) would “undertake checks and ensure that people understand and are following the rules”....

4/ .... Later announcements revealed that the IAS would “attempt to contact randomly sampled arriving passengers to ensure that they are self-isolating”.

5/Sitel, the US call centre firm that shares the poorly performing contact tracing contract with Serco 🤦‍♀️, makes these calls

PHE wouldn’t say how much Sitel’s work is worth, & Govt hasn’t published details of the contract

Sitel already gets £310m for its contact tracing work😱

Even those casually following immigration are likely aware of the active role Trump's attorneys general played.

This participation entailed unprecedented use of "referral & review"... a power with a problematic & twisted journey beyond Trump...

More in my report out today⬇️

Referral & review dates back to a time when the immigration bureaucracy was housed within the Justice Department.

The power helped the attorney general to manage this system - knitting adjudications, rulemaking, & other decisions into one coherent immigration policy framework.

That's not to say it wasn't without its issues!

Allowing the attorney general—the country’s chief law enforcement officer—to intercede in individual immigration cases has raised questions about the true independence of the immigration adjudication system.

Plus, the attorney general can issue referral & reviews without transparency or briefings, which has negative implications for the legal and policy soundness of the decisions and their acceptance.

But then! 2003 happens.

Under the government restructuring following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, most of the immigration system was moved out of the Justice Department.

The attorney general was left with the immigration court system and...referral & review.

A thread... for those who doubt @LLinWood

Tim Ballard EXPLAINS THE ISSUE Of Human Trafficking & How To PROTECT YOU...

🚨🚨🚨 BREAKING: Trump releases statement that extends national emergency due to human rights abuses and violations for 1 year until 12/20/21. This extends the national emergency declared on 12/20/17.

THREAD: Research Fellow @hu_rdman writes about the attack on Aden airport on Dec 30, 2020, when he and other colleagues narrowly escaped death at what should have been a celebratory occasion welcoming the arrival of the newly formed Yemeni government.

At the #Aden airport, "the crowd was divided in two: to the right were #STC supporters... and to the left were supporters of the #GoY. However, the groups soon mingled and exchanged greetings... I whispered to a colleague: “It seems Santa Claus has been generous this year."

But around 2:00 pm, the airport was hit by three explosions, & it took @hu_rdman awhile to realize what had happened. "Five minutes & just 20 meters saved us from certain death. A loud explosion rocked the airport lounge, where we were supposed to go to carry out live coverage."

The attack caused a frenzied chaos and people ran either toward the ICRC aircraft or ditch in the dirt. "I thought to myself that perhaps it was better to stop than run blindly with no direction, but with my family in mind I decided to keep on running."

Ten minutes passed without hearing any further explosions, and everyone began checking on friends via phone. We then returned to the scene of the explosions to help the injured and examine the damage.