"I know Vice President Biden and his wife and am grateful to have called his son Beau, who also served in the National Guard, a friend. Although I may not agree with the Vice President on every issue, I know that he has a good heart and is motivated by his love for our country and the American people."On Friday, she said in the video:
"I make a special appeal to social media companies and media outlets. Please deal with the misinformation and disinformation that's on your shows. It has to stop."Biden made the comment as he announced a series of new measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, including plans for free masks, more free tests, and additional deployments of military medical teams to help hospitals cope with rising patient loads. He didn't specify what constitutes misinformation or disinformation in the pandemic age.
Last night the Queen's ex-press secretary Dickie Arbiter said: "I believe this is the end of Andrew. I don't believe there is a way back.
"It was clear the Queen was waiting for the judge's ruling.
"It is the right decision and an inevitable one. It would have been difficult for the Queen. She is a mother but also Head of State."
Andrew's options:
1. Face Virginia Giuffre in court, "tough it out" and fight to clear his name.
But experts say that strategy is extremely high-risk, pitting a senior royal against a victim of alleged sex abuse in the US court system.
Even if Andrew was determined to challenge Ms Giuffre's claims — which he firmly denies — the reputational damage could still be immense.
He would very likely be cross-examined via video-link about some extremely personal matters — including his sexual tastes.
2. Settle and offer Virginia Giuffre a lot of money to walk away.
Paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was a close pal of Andrew, paid Giuffre £370,000 for a "non-prosecution agreement".
Andrew would almost certainly have to pay up to £10million to secure a "no liability" deal.
Even then, there is no guarantee of new deeply damaging material not being made public as negotiations drag on.
Effectively paying off an Epstein victim also means his reputation will never recover.
3. Refuse to engage in the case against him.
His accuser would be almost certain to win a judgment by default and damages and costs stretching into millions.
The reputational cost would be far worse to Andrew — as well as provoking the fury of the UK's most powerful ally.
Andrew is still the subject of a US "mutual legal assistance" request to the UK — filed when it sought to question him in its Epstein probe.
It has been gathering dust but Andrew could now put the Home Office in a tricky position.
Comment: It seems that both China and Russia see that the West is becoming increasingly desperate, and dangerous, and that the time to make serious moves to neutralise them as best they can has arrived:
- Pepe Escobar: Exit Nord Stream 2, enter Power of Siberia 2
- Russian decree unlocks the stranglehold of the Ukrainian economic sanctions on Donbass region
- Pepe Escobar: This is how the US does 'dialogue'
And check out SOTT radio's: NewsReal: Why You Should Question Media Reports About China 'Causing Covid' And 'Invading Taiwan'