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Johnson to submit defence dossier to MPs investigating 'partygate'

Boris Johnson will submit a written dossier of evidence to MPs as he attempts to clear his name over allegations he misled the British parliament over the 'partygate' scandal.

The former prime minister will provide the statement to the Privileges Committee as he battles to save his political career.

Mr Johnson will appear before the panel on Wednesday in a televised session, and it is expected he will submit his written evidence before then.

In an interim report, the Privileges Committee said the evidence strongly suggested breaches of coronavirus rules in No 10 should had been "obvious" to Mr Johnson.

They are examining evidence around at least four occasions when he may have deliberately misled MPs with his assurances that rules were followed.

Allies of Mr Johnson said he would provide a "detailed and compelling" account to the committee before his appearance, showing that he "did not knowingly mislead" politicians.

The Sunday Times reported he will point to a series of previously undisclosed WhatsApp messages from senior civil servants and members of his No 10 team showing that he had relied upon their advice when he made his statements to the parliament.

He will also publish messages which show that other senior figures in Downing Street believed the gatherings were covered by the "workplace exemption" in the lockdown rules.

The committee's investigation is being chaired by Labour's Harriet Harman, although the seven-strong panel has a Tory majority.

The committee will publish its findings on whether Mr Johnson committed a contempt of parliament and would make a recommendation on any punishment, but the ultimate decision would fall to the full House of Commons.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he would not seek to

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Josh Shapiro - Isaiah Thomas - Leaders stump for funding to address ongoing asbestos problem in Philadelphia public schools - fox29.com - city Philadelphia - city Harrisburg
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Leaders stump for funding to address ongoing asbestos problem in Philadelphia public schools
PHILADELPHIA - State and local leaders gathered Monday to address a growing asbestos problem that's caused Philadelphia public schools to abruptly close and forced students to learn remotely. Simon Gratz middle school reopened Monday after the discovery of asbestos, a cancer-causing material, caused the campus that also houses Simon Gratz High School to close last week. Simon Gratz High School, meanwhile - where the asbestos was found during a district inspection - remained close, but officials say it could reopen on Tuesday.Earlier this month, students at Building 21 in the city's West Oak Lane section were displaced when asbestos was discovered in the stairwells and auditorium. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESThe remediation work forced students to briefly learn virtually and the School District of Philadelphia's plan to relocate students to Strawberry Mansion High School was met with backlash. The asbestos problem in Philadelphia public schools made headlines before the coronavirus pandemic; many of the school buildings are decades old and in dire need of structural upgrades. Philadelphia Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, chairperson of the education committee, called asbestos in schools "one of the most pressing issues we face as a municipality right now." Leaders lauded newly-elected Gov.
Taco Bell pulling beloved item from menu, bringing back two fan favorites - fox29.com - Britain - city London, Britain
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Taco Bell pulling beloved item from menu, bringing back two fan favorites
Fast food chain Taco Bell is set to remove a popular item from its menu to free up space to bring back two other items beloved by customers.Starting on April 19, Taco Bell customers will no longer be able to purchase the Quesarito, which has been a menu staple since it debuted in 2014, The Takeout reported.The Quesarito, which has only been available through the Taco Bell app or online over the last few months, features a burrito wrapped in a cheese quesadilla and was surrounded by a considerable amount of buzz when it was introduced.The Takeout reported that the item is being removed from menus in order to bring back two popular menu items, the Bacon Club Chalupa and the Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito.Sign for the fast food brand Taco Bell on 18th May 2022 in London, United Kingdom. (photo by Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images) The Bacon Club Chalupa contains ingredients similar to a club sandwich and has been on and off the menu since 1999.The Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito was offered during the holiday season last year and contains a double serving of steak, rice, cheese, nacho cheese sauce, sour cream, tortilla strips, and is grilled with a layer of cheese on the exterior.TACO BELL OPENS FIRST RESTAURANT WITH HIGH-TECH DRIVE-THRU EXPERIENCETaco Bell is continuing to innovate with tastes and flavors less familiar to other regions, while infusing familiarity and authenticity in every item.
Robert Smith - Students will learn remotely after asbestos discovered in West Oak Lane's Building 21 school - fox29.com - state Pennsylvania - Jordan
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Students will learn remotely after asbestos discovered in West Oak Lane's Building 21 school
PHILADELPHIA - Students at a Philadelphia high school were abruptly moved to remote learning when the presence of asbestos was found in the building during a Tuesday night inspection. The Building 21 School in the city's West Oak Lane section will remain closed for the rest of the week after asbestos was found in stairwells and the auditorium. The School District of Philadelphia says it's working to clear the hazardous material, but they did not offer a timetable about when the job will be complete.Before the coronavirus pandemic, a dozen Philadelphia schools closed between 2019 and 2020 due to the presence of asbestos. District teachers say it's a health hazard that must be addressed. MORE LOCAL HEADLINES"You come in here, and you try to teach the kids, but you've got to worry about your own health, and their health, and there ain't nothing being done," Robert Smith said. Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan says a lack of funding for school maintenance has caused problems like asbestos to keep reoccurring. "Our buildings have been neglected because of the lack of budget to keep them in good repair, this unfortunately happened," Jordan said.A recent court decision in Pennsylvania called state funding of Philadelphia school unconstitutional, but Senator Vincent Hughes has crafted a bill that he believes will provide appropriate funding."It provides $1B to fix up toxic and broken schools, it provides $2.15B – the largest increase in equity and adequacy funding in Pennylvania's history – to make our schools in compliance with the state's constitution," Senator Hughes said. He was optimistic that he could get newly-elected Pennsylvania Gov.
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