Political news

• Secret data show Britain worse off under all Brexit scenarios

  29-01-2018 23:50 via ft.com
  Government analysis on economic impact set to strengthen hand of ‘soft Brexiters’
  
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• Theresa May declines to endorse China’s Belt and Road initiative

  29-01-2018 23:35 via ft.com
  UK prime minister heads to Beijing under a cloud
  
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• Theresa May on China trip to boost 'golden era' of trade ties

  29-01-2018 23:31 via bbc.co.uk
  The PM is also being pressed to raise the issue of human rights in Hong Kong.
  
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• May to take business leaders on China visit in search of deals

  29-01-2018 23:30 via theguardian.com
  Largest-ever trade delegation will go with prime minister, who aims to open new era in relationsTheresa May will attempt to reset her relationship with China in a vital three-day trip this week, leading the largest-ever UK trade delegation, comprising 50 business leaders.Beijing’s ambassador to London has claimed Brexit is a “strategic opportunity” to boost ties, saying “golden fruits” will be up for grabs when May touches down in China on Wednesday.Continue reading
  
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• Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle Suggests Haringey Council Leader Should Quit Over Public-Private Partnership Scheme

  29-01-2018 23:23
  A Labour MP has suggested that the leader of Haringey Council should quit the party if she fails to take note of local opposition to its public-private development scheme.Brighton Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle took to Twitter to hit back at Labour council leaders who had attacked the party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) for urging a pause in the controversial plans.Some 71 town hall chiefs wrote an open letter at the weekend denouncing the NEC’s intervention as “
  
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• Windsor Council Leader Survives Vote Of No Confidence After Homelessness Comments

  29-01-2018 23:22
  The Tory leader of Windsor council who called for police to remove rough sleepers ahead of the royal wedding has survived a “no confidence” vote by councillors.Simon Dudley said that beggars could present the town in a “sadly unfavourable light” when the world’s gaze is on Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in May.#Breaking Council leader Simon Dudley, who called on police to remove rough sleepers from Windsor ahead of the May wedding of Prince
  
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• Michael Gove Jokes He And Philip Hammond Are 'Highly Aligned' On Brexit As He Calls For 'Exciting Domestic Agenda'

  29-01-2018 22:02
  Michael Gove has joked he and Philip Hammond are “highly aligned” on Brexit and said Theresa May must embrace an “exciting domestic agenda”, amid turmoil within the Conservative Party over the prime minister’s leadership and her strategy for leaving the European Union.The environment secretary, who led the ‘Leave’ campaign at the referendum, stood in for the chancellor to give a speech at a drinks reception for Tory activists in Westminster on Monday eve
  
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• Brussels Insists UK Abides By EU Laws During Two-Year 'Transition' To Brexit

  29-01-2018 21:59
  The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator has insisted Britain will not be able to pick and choose aspects of the single market during a transition period.Michel Barnier stressed EU law would have to continue to apply in the UK during the transition, including any changes that were agreed during that period, as Britain would continue to enjoy the full economic benefits of EU membership.Speaking in Brussels after EU foreign ministers formally adopted the guidelines for negotiations on a transition a
  
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• Michael Gove Says He And Philip Hammond Are 'Highly Aligned' On Brexit As He Calls For 'Exciting Domestic Agenda'

  29-01-2018 21:48
  Michael Gove has joked he and Philip Hammond are “highly aligned” on Brexit and said Theresa May must embrace an “exciting domestic agenda”, amid turmoil within the Conservative Party over the prime minister’s leadership and her strategy for leaving the European Union.The environment secretary, who led the ‘Leave’ campaign at the referendum, stood in for the chancellor to give a speech at a drinks reception for Tory activists in Westminster on Monday eve
  
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• MPs could lose seats in new sexual harassment sanctions, say sources

  29-01-2018 21:20 via theguardian.com
  Proposals to tackle bullying and harassment at Westminster are ‘serious and heavyweight’ MPs could lose their seats if found to have engaged in sexual harassment or bullying under proposed new guidelines, the Guardian understands.The proposed sanctions, put together by a cross-party working group set up to formulate a new process for sexual harassment complaints, include the parliamentary commissioner for standards being granted powers to suspend MPs, which could lead to recall &ndas
  
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• Tory infighting a crying shame for the junior Brexit minister | John Crace

  29-01-2018 21:06 via theguardian.com
  It was left to the hapless Robin Walker to put a positive spin on the government’s difficultiesAfter spending much of the year briefing against one another behind the scenes, the Tory party broke cover in the Commons when Bill Cash tabled an urgent question on the government’s Brexit negotiation strategy. As the whole point of the government’s strategy is to have no fixed plan about anything, as there is no one plan on which more than a handful of MPs can agree, open warfare wa
  
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• Cost of British passport to increase

  29-01-2018 20:58 via bbc.co.uk
  From March, getting a new passport will cost £12.50 more, but apply online and it's only a £3 rise.
  
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• John Prescott’s Son David Fails In Bid To Become Labour MP For Mansfield

  29-01-2018 20:49
  David Prescott, son of former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, has failed in his latest bid to become a Labour MP - after grassroots group Momentum backed a rival candidate.Prescott, who works as an aide to Jeremy Corbyn, was not included on the shortlist for the key battleground seat of Mansfield, despite winning the unofficial support of some in the party leadership, several trade unions and two local branches.Instead, local party activist Sonya Ward, who won the strong support of Mansfiel
  
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• Firms’ gagging clauses could harm public interest, Labour warns

  29-01-2018 20:49 via theguardian.com
  Tom Watson calls on PM to act firmly to prevent misuse of non-disclosure agreements by businessesLabour has warned that gagging clauses imposed by businesses on departing staff could be used to inhibit discussion on issues in the public interest and called on Theresa May to act firmly to prevent their misuse. Last week Downing Street said that the prime minister was concerned about the use of non-disclosure agreements and said she would consider whether changes were needed. But on Monday, amid c
  
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• David Prescott fails to make Labour shortlist to fight key swing seat

  29-01-2018 20:49 via theguardian.com
  Son of former deputy prime minister John Prescott lost GMB union backing for Mansfield raceDavid Prescott, the son of the former deputy prime minister John Prescott and a key aide to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, has failed to be shortlisted to fight a vital swing seat.Prescott said he was “obviously disappointed” after he failed to reach the final stages after a tight race to be selected for Labour in Mansfield. Continue reading...
  
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• Personal Independence payments: All 1.6 million claims to be reviewed

  29-01-2018 20:32 via bbc.co.uk
  Around 1.6 million cases will be looked at, with 220,000 claimants expected to receive more money.
  
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• Government to review 1.6m disability benefit claims after U-turn

  29-01-2018 20:27 via theguardian.com
  Estimated 220,000 claimants will get backdated higher personal independence paymentsThe government is to review about 1.6m disability benefit claims made over the past four years as part of major U-turn that will see an estimated 220,000 claimants eventually receive backdated higher awards.The exercise, which could cost billions and take years, comes after the government agreed earlier this month not to challenge a high court ruling in December that said it had been “blatantly discriminato
  
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• EU presses Britain to move first in setting out Brexit goals

  29-01-2018 20:25 via ft.com
  May faces backlash as bloc says UK must accept its laws during transition with no say
  
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• Martin Rowson on yet another mess facing Theresa May – cartoon

  29-01-2018 20:21 via theguardian.com
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• The Pensions Regulator: a deficit of credibility

  29-01-2018 19:45 via theguardian.com
  The regulator may need more powers to intervene – but first it must use what capabilities it has“A tentative and apologetic approach that does not cut the mustard”: Frank Field’s description of the performance of the Pensions Regulator (TPR) at Carillion is merited. This line alone from the regulator’s response to MPs’ inquiries tells you why: “TPR has launched an investigation to determine if there is information that suggests we should use our anti-avo
  
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• Theresa May’s problem is that her failings go far beyond Brexit | Rafael Behr

  29-01-2018 19:43 via theguardian.com
  What is the government doing for schools, the NHS, the deficit? The little faith many Tory MPs have in their leader is sinkingThe “principle of unripe time” was first identified by the Cambridge classicist FM Cornford to explain why hard choices are postponed. Even those who see the need for action can be persuaded that the moment isn’t right. And since politics is an untidy business, there are always new reasons to wait. The scheming tree never yields a perfect fruit.Cornford&
  
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• The hypocrisy of the Davos set is finally being exposed | Zoe Williams

  29-01-2018 19:41 via theguardian.com
  The emperors of neoliberalism claim to be addressing inequality, but stay silent on fair wages. Now capitalism is having to face its contraditionsFinancial elites, huh? Can’t live with them, can’t stop obsessing about their snowsuits. Still rocking from the revelations elicited from Donald Trump by Piers Morgan on ITV at the weekend – that he has met Morgan before and definitely remembers him, that he is super successful in everything he does, and that he feels love for all peo
  
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• May faces new row over Brexit transition as Barnier stands firm

  29-01-2018 19:40 via theguardian.com
  EU’s chief negotiator insists UK would have to abide by new and existing laws for two yearsTheresa May faces a row over how the Brexit transition period will work after the EU said the UK would have to abide by all existing and new laws for a period of almost two years after leaving.Downing Street said there was “some distance” between what the UK and EU believe is acceptable for the transition period and signalled it would fight against having to submit to new laws.Continue re
  
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• A vacuum in the UK cabinet puts Brexit transition at risk

  29-01-2018 19:39 via ft.com
  Prevarication by the UK prime minister will only make matters worse
  
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• John Simpson Calls Out Piers Morgan's 'Spineless' Donald Trump Interview

  29-01-2018 19:31
  One of the UK’s most respected foreign correspondents has hit out at Piers Morgan’s interview with Donald Trump, labelling the interrogation of the US President as “spineless”.John Simpson, the BBC’s World Affairs Editor, suggested Trump was allowed to spout “self-evident tosh”, and signalled the head-to-head was “just showbiz” rather than a political interview.But Good Morning Britain host Morgan, who has suggested fellow journalists are jea
  
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• UK will not be able to block new EU laws during Brexit transition, says Barnier – as it happened

  29-01-2018 19:22 via theguardian.com
  Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happenNo 10 lobby briefing - SummaryBarnier’s press conference and Davis’s Lords hearing - Summary 6.17pm GMT Here are the main points from Michel Barnier’s press conference and David Davis’s evidence to the Lords EU committee.During transition the UK will continue to take part in the single market, to take part in the customs union. It will continue to have all the economic benefits therefore it must also
  
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• Ditching Theresa May will fail to alter the course of Brexit

  29-01-2018 19:17 via ft.com
  The structuralrealities of the exit exit talks weigh more than the individuals who conduct them
  
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• The Guardian view on the Brexit transition: wanted – a Labour alternative | Editorial

  29-01-2018 19:07 via theguardian.com
  Theresa May’s weakness fuels Conservative recklessness on Europe. Labour needs to set out a clear alternative on the transition period and beyondAt its core, Brexit is a formal process of laws, treaties, timetables and deadlines. But this formal process is a bit like a medieval castle surrounded by a shanty town of often raucous informal pressures from politics, the media, interest groups and civil society. This week there is a classic illustration of the dangerous disconnection between th
  
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• EU agrees Brexit 'transition' negotiation guidelines

  29-01-2018 18:53 via bbc.co.uk
  The EU wants the UK to continue to follow its rules but not be involved in making decisions.
  
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• Racism Claim Of High-Profile Scottish Labour Figure Sparks Investigation

  29-01-2018 18:52
  High-profile Scottish Labour figure Anas Sarwar was targeted for racist and Islamophobic abuse by party members, it has been claimed.Sarwar, Labour’s Holyrood health spokesman, has opened up about two disturbing incidents during his failed bid to become leader north of the border last year.He said one Labour councillor told him Scotland was not ready for a “brown, Muslim Paki”. Another Labour member told the MSP she could not support him as she saw a picture of his wife wearing
  
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• '25 people sharing a three-bed house'

  29-01-2018 18:48 via bbc.co.uk
  The mayor of Newham describes the "shocking" conditions faced by some in the private rented sector.
  
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• We Need To Talk About White Low-Income Pupils

  29-01-2018 18:47
  Cast your mind back 18 months ago to July 2016, to Theresa May’s first speech as Prime Minister.In setting out her priorities for government and personal mission to tackle our country’s deep seated social mobility problem – she highlighted one shocking stat: “If you’re a white, working-class boy, you’re less likely than anybody else in Britain to go to university.”And while last week’s GCSE data showed some small improvements in results for poorer
  
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• The Tories are ready to leap into the abyss to get rid of Theresa May | Katy Balls

  29-01-2018 18:29 via theguardian.com
  A leadership contest now could destroy the party, and yet a confidence vote looms“What I’d say to all my colleagues is the Conservative family – left, right and centre, because we’re a broad church – needs to come together in a spirit of mutual respect.” This is the kind of plea that is normally delivered to MPs behind closed doors. But in a sign of the dire state that the Tory party is in, David Lidington – Theresa May’s de facto deputy – wa
  
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• Government Promises Announcement 'Very Soon' On Contaminated Blood Inquiry

  29-01-2018 18:28
  Ministers have promised an announcement “very soon” on who will lead an inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal, which claimed the lives of 2,400 people.Regarded as one of the biggest peacetime disasters to hit the UK, Theresa May promised a full investigation into how thousands of NHS patients were given tainted blood infected with hepatitis and HIV in the 1970s and 1980s.Following the PM’s announcement in July last year and a lengthy public consultation, the government an
  
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• Toilets Have Become The New Battleground In The Gender Wars

  29-01-2018 18:18
  Toilets have become the new battleground in the gender wars, with claims that the presence of trans women makes cis-gendered women vulnerable in these and other same-sex spaces. What has yet to become widely apparent, though, is that the arguments being used by feminists and fascists alike threatens the safety and wellbeing of all LGBTQI+ people.As a disabled lesbian, my gender is often invisible in public toilets, since separate provision is usually made for men, women and disabled people. This
  
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• The Inside Track To Fashion’s Uneasy Relationship With Lilac

  29-01-2018 18:17
  Lilac. It’s a bit like marmite – love it or hate it.Tipped to be the colour of the summer, lilac was huge on the runways and will soon be all over fashion editorials, but will it make its way into your wardrobe?While for young designers and buyers the colour appears ripe for exploration, for the more seasoned fashion buyer it is more likely to bring on a cold sweat. And there’s a good reason for this uneasiness. Lilac products have historically been a key feature on sale rails,
  
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• Tory Civil War Over Brexit Spills Into Parliament As MPs Turn On Each Other

  29-01-2018 18:12
  The Tory civil war over Europe spilled into the Commons this afternoon, with backbenchers urging the Government to stand up to a small group of hard Brexiteers.After a weekend of attacks on the Government’s Brexit plans and the Chancellor by high-profile anti-EU MPs, Remain-backing Tories urged ministers to stand up to the “fringe” group in order to deliver a “sensible” outcome to negotiations.HuffPost UK has learned some MPs are so furious with the behaviour of the
  
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• PM urged to 'see off' hard Brexiteers as Tory divisions continue

  29-01-2018 18:06 via bbc.co.uk
  Ex-minister Anna Soubry warns the UK risks "sleepwalking into disaster" as Tory divisions continue.
  
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• To Save Generations Of Tomorrow, We Need To Change Political Decision-making Today

  29-01-2018 18:05
  When politicians make decisions, they’re expected to represent the interests of their local constituents: the lawyers of Leeds, the schoolchildren of Surrey, the creative-types of Cardiff. School has long taught us that this – how well governments represent such diverse interests – is how democracy works.But as university students coming to age in a world where threats like intelligent robot takeover, globally-spread pandemics, or unstoppable nuclear proliferation are no longer
  
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• German ambassador: second world war image of Britain has fed Euroscepticism

  29-01-2018 18:00 via theguardian.com
  Exclusive: Peter Ammon says some Brexiters were motivated by a sense of national identity built around UK standing aloneThe image of Britain standing alone in the second world war against German domination has fed Euroscepticism in the UK, but does little to solve the country’s contemporary problems, the outgoing German ambassador to London has told the Guardian.Dr Peter Ammon described the UK’s decision to leave the EU as “a tragedy” and a depressing moment, but also war
  
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• Baby Cold: Do You Need To Go To The Doctor When Your Baby Is Coughing And Sneezing?

  29-01-2018 17:47
  The question paediatrician Dr Keir Shiels gets asked most by parents whose baby has a cold is: “What could I have done to prevent this?”The answer, he reassures them, is nothing.Babies will pick up viruses from time to time and there’s nothing you can do to avoid it. Actually it is a natural part of their development as it helps their immune system to mature.Watch the video above to learn about the signs that your baby has a cold and things to watch out for - such as a fev
  
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• 31 Things Everyone With Housemates Experiences, As Told By The 'Celebrity Big Brother' Contestants

  29-01-2018 17:22
  As anyone who lives in a house share will know, it is a patchwork of passive aggression, enforced tolerance, covert food stealing and unlikely friendships - much like the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ house. Yes, the Borehamwood bungalow may be a place of hyper-reality, but it actually reveals a lot about what it is really like to co-habit with people you don’t know. Here are 31 experiences you will most certainly have had as a flat-sharer, as told by this year’s
  
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• Huq: History A Level 'is biased towards Conservatives'

  29-01-2018 17:17 via bbc.co.uk
  Labour MP Rupa Huq claims her old school's A level history syllabus is biased in favour of the Conservatives.
  
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• EU passes Brexit transition guidelines

  29-01-2018 17:05 via ft.com
  UK to have no say in decision making during two-year transition period
  
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• Britain First Leaders ‘Called Muslims Bastards And Rapists’ Court Hears

  29-01-2018 16:39
  A Muslim man has told a court that deputy leader of Britain First Jayda Fransen was “aggressive” towards him and accused her of calling Muslims “bastards” and “rapists”.Fransen, 31, is standing trial alongside the leader of the far-right group, Paul Golding, accused of religiously-aggravated harassment.The pair, both of Penge, south east London, appeared at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Monday, where they denied the allegations.Golding, 36, dress
  
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• 'Walk-On Girls' Should Be Banned Across All Sports, Says Women's Sport Trust

  29-01-2018 16:18
  The Women’s Sport Trust has called for the end of female models across the world of sport, following the landmark decision to ban “walk-on girls” in darts. On Saturday, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) confirmed women will no longer escort male players to the stage after talks with broadcasters.A leading voice campaigning for gender equality in sport, The Women’s Sport Trust, has now called on other sports to follow suit. In a statement given to HuffPost UK t
  
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• Houses of Parliament repairs and relocation of MPs and staff

  29-01-2018 16:18 via bbc.co.uk
  MPs can vote on whether they should move out of Parliament, after warnings the building is at risk of a serious fire if restoration works are not carried out.
  
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• Banksy Mural: Hull Window Cleaner Jason Fanthorpe Praised For Saving 'Work Of International Significance

  29-01-2018 16:16
  A window cleaner is the toast of Hull after “saving” a mural by Banksy which was painted over, much to the chagrin of locals.The stencilled artwork - depicting a child carrying a wooden sword with a pencil attached, under the text ‘Draw the raised bridge’ - was whitewashed on Sunday night leading to outraged residents demanding Hull City Council clarify why this “work of international significance wasn’t protected”.After noticing the graffiti mural on Sc
  
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• Tees Valley mayor on post-Brexit free port at Teesport

  29-01-2018 16:15 via bbc.co.uk
  Brexit could help Britain's businesses by allowing free ports, says the Tees Valley mayor who wants one on his patch.
  
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• Could Your Tube Commute Be Damaging Your Hearing? This Data Suggests It Could

  29-01-2018 15:56
  Most (if not all) Londoners will have encountered the ear-shattering noises made by Tube trains when they race through certain tunnels. And according to researchers, this incredibly loud noise could be damaging hearing.A study by the BBC found the noise level goes about 105 decibels on 10 tube journeys, with the Central, Northern and Jubilee lines being the worst offenders.Loudness of a sound is measured in decibels (dB) and experts agree that exposure to noise at or above 85 dB can damage
  
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