The Papers: 'King cuts off Andrew' and 'tax blow for care homes'

A range of stories are on the front of Saturday's papers including a new biography about the royals.

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Badenoch is favourite, but will she clinch Tory leadership crown?

BBC political editor Chris Mason gives the run down on how the Tory Party leadership result could play out.

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Why US Votes In November But Inaugurates New President In January

The United States has an electoral system and calendar unlike no other country. The nation votes in November but the new President is inaugurated in January. While many countries swiftly usher in new leaders, the US takes a more measured approach with an 11-week transition period. Although this duration may seem lengthy, it is, in fact, shorter than the four months that the Constitution originally permitted for the transfer of power from an incumbent president to their successor.

Historical context

Federal elections in the US are held on the first Tuesday in November. Initially, states had different election days, but in 1845, a law established a uniform election day nationwide. At the time, the US was predominantly agricultural, and early November proved advantageous for farmers. The harvest would be complete, yet the weather remained good for travel. Certain days were ruled out for voting. Sunday was universally recognised as a day of worship for devout Christians, while Wednesday served as a market day for farmers to sell their produce. In addition, reaching polling places often required travel, even up to a day for those living in rural areas without modern transport. With Sunday and Wednesday unavailable, Monday and Thursday were also eliminated as potential election days. As such, Tuesday emerged as the most suitable choice.

From four months to under three months

The challenges faced during the Great Depression prompted leaders to expedite the swearing-in process for newly elected presidents, reducing the lengthy four-month “lame duck” period to under three months. A “lame duck” refers to an elected official whose successor has already been chosen, leaving them politically weakened.

The 20th Amendment, ratified in 1933, officially moved the inauguration date to January 20, while presidential elections continue to occur in early November.

Logistical considerations

One of the main reasons for this gap is the need for a seamless transition of power. After the election, the president-elect and their team require time to prepare for governance. This includes assembling a cabinet, developing policies and addressing national issues. The time between the election and inauguration allows the incoming administration to lay the groundwork for their agenda.

The extended transition period can also be attributed to the Electoral College system, which determines the president weeks after the popular vote, as opposed to a parliamentary system where the winning party directly assumes power. While this delay means that presidents cannot take office immediately, the winner is granted access to transition funding and can receive essential briefings from the outgoing administration to facilitate a smooth handover.

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7 In 10 Families Have At Least 1 Person Suffering: Delhi Pollution Survey

The skyrocketing pollution in Delhi - which was reported to have the highest pollutant levels in the world the day after Diwali - is directly impacting people's health, with 69% of families in the capital and the National Capital Region (NCR) reporting at least one person suffering, a survey has revealed. 

AQI (Air Quality Index) on the night of Diwali on Thursday also reached 999, which is the highest recordable level, in several parts of Delhi and NCR. 

The survey, by LocalCircles, which received over 21,000 responses from residents of Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad and Ghaziabad, revealed that 69% of families have one or more members with sore throat or cough, 62% have at least one member feeling a burning sensation in their eyes due to rising levels of pollution and 46% have someone with a running nose or congestion. Several respondents reported more than one symptom.

Members with breathing difficulty or asthma were reported by 31%, headache by 31%, anxiety and or difficulty concentrating by 23% and difficulty sleeping by 15%. On the flip side, 31% also said no one in their families had any issues at all because of pollution. 

The last similar survey was conducted on October 19, days after GRAP (graded response action plan)-1 was imposed on Delhi and there has been a significant shift in at least one of the symptoms in two weeks. The percentage of people with sore throat and or cough went up from 36% at the time to 69% as of Friday. 

'Just Live With It'

Only 23% of respondents will use air purifiers to see them through this phase of very high pollution and an equal number said they will just live with it. 

15% stated that they plan to carry on with their routine activity and wear a mask when outdoors, the same number said they would do this while increasing consumption of immunity-boosting food or drinks, and the same percentage also said they plan to travel for some part of the month.

The percentage of families who said they will use air purifiers has, however, gone up from 18% to 23% in two weeks. 

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/Lm7u8Ho

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