Black guitarist who has played with Dave Matthews and John Mayer slams American Airlines after flight attendant suspected he had kidnapped his biracial children and called police who were waiting for him when he arrived in LA

• Guitarist David Ryan Harris says cops and an American Airlines flight attendant suggested that one of his kids didn’t belong to him following a recent flight

By Paul Farrell For Dailymail.Com

Published: 09:15 EDT, 27 September 2023 | Updated: 10:13 EDT, 27 September 2023

To British firearms officers, it could be a tempting recruitment offer from police in Australia: ‘We’ve got your backs, mate.’

The authorities Down Under yesterday stepped up their pitch to hire UK officers – pledging they wouldn’t drag them through years of hell if they shot someone.

The message will not be lost amid the current furore over a Met policeman charged with the murder of Chris Kaba, who was shot in south London last year.

Western Australia is pursuing an audacious bid to ‘steal’ hundreds of police officers by luring them from Britain to work in the sunshine.

It can be revealed that more than 1,400 applied to make the move after the huge recruitment drive was launched in February promoting the area’s wine regions, coral reefs and culinary scene.

Are you a UK police officer who has moved to Australia? Please email your story, with photos, to rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk 

And as the first cohort of 23 Brits was sworn in this week – in a ceremony under ‘magnificent clear blue skies’ – the message from Aussie police chiefs was clear: ‘We protect our officers.’

Western Australia’s minister for police Paul Papalia told the Mail: ‘It’s very topical because yesterday we had a fatal shooting by police in Kalgoorlie. 

‘Without speaking in advance of the full investigation, I can tell you that our police officers behaved incredibly well. I’ve seen the body-worn camera footage. 

‘They acted entirely in accordance with their protocols, responsibly and properly. Sadly, they’ve had to shoot someone for their own protection. They did it absolutely correctly.’

Mr Papalia said that within an hour of the fatal shooting – of a 58-year-old man who had charged at officers with a gun – the commissioner of police and a local senator had publicly backed the officers.

Anna Miller, a 38-year-old recruited from West Yorkshire Police, said moving to Australia had made her feel ‘supported and appreciated’.

Speaking from Perth, Western Australia, where she moved with her family seven weeks ago, she told the Mail: ‘The biggest thing we like here is the appreciation for the police. I did not feel at all appreciated in the UK. In Australia, the community support their cops and they trust them.

‘The feeling among myself and colleagues [in the UK] was that officers weren’t backed… it feels a little bit, as police officers, they will happily throw you under a bus to present a [more positive] picture to the public. 

‘Don’t get me wrong, I had some fantastic supervisors, but I think policing as a whole, I don’t think they feel supported.’

Ms Miller worked at West Yorkshire Police for 15 years. She moved to Australia with her husband Andrew and their children Isabelle, seven, Tom, six, and Emma, three, for ‘an adventure’, saying: ‘It gives us the outdoor active lifestyle we wanted. 

‘It’s fantastic. There is so much to do on your doorstep – we went kayaking and saw seals, there is snorkelling, fantastic cycle paths and the Australian people are so chilled, friendly and have an enthusiasm for life.’

Ben Woods, a 33-year-old sergeant from Sussex Police, added: ‘My colleagues were naturally sad to see me go, but are now sick of my social media – “can you stop posting beautiful beaches, and posting views with koalas”.’

He said: ‘[Perth] is one of the cleanest, tidiest cities I’ve ever been to. The sunrises and sunsets are just phenomenal. The crime rates are clearly lower, there’s no graffiti, no gangs of kids – it feels like a nice safe place to be.’

The pair were sworn in as constables of the Western Australia Police Force on Monday, giving their allegiance to King Charles III, in a ceremony with an aboriginal theme. 

Mr Woods said: ‘An aboriginal lady came in and read scripture welcoming us, giving us strength and good spirits.’ 

Peppermint leaves were lit to create aromatic smoke, and Ms Miller said: ‘The smoke and the ceremony was around wishing us well, good luck and keeping us safe. It was lovely.’

All police officers in Western Australia are armed, meaning most UK recruits will need firearms training. 

Ms Miller said: ‘I don’t have a strong feeling. It’s just a piece of kit that officers have. I’ll learn how to use it.’

The police minster told the Mail: ‘We protect our officers. They’ve all got tasers, Glocks [pistols] and body armour.’

Mr Papalia said: ‘I’m intent on stealing your best people. Unashamedly. You guys have been taking our best for decades, it’s a rite of passage for Australians to go to the UK.

‘We’re aiming for 150 police officers this month, and 150 every year thereafter for five years. They come from a variety of forces. I’ve met all of them. They’re a good crowd. 

‘They all love policing and had their expectations met when doing swearing in – the skies in Perth were magnificent clear blue skies. Everything they had hoped for.

‘Western Australia is a great place to live and work. Compared to the UK, we have higher wages, a lower cost of living and the perfect climate for year-round adventure.

‘The response has been extremely positive, meaning WA Police can handpick the best of the best.’

In a nod to the ‘Ten Pound Poms’ scheme introduced after the Second World War, Western Australia’s shameless ambition is to grab 31,000 British workers, with police joining doctors, nurses and construction workers. 

They can ‘have it all’, with energy bills almost half in Australia, allowing the savings to be spent on 183 pints of beer, 110 roast dinners or 500 jars of Marmite, boasted Mr Papalia.

The British Medical Association revealed before Christmas that a third of junior doctors are planning to leave the UK – with the majority choosing Australia or New Zealand.

The NHS is battling shortfalls of 12,000 hospital doctors and more than 50,000 nurses and midwives.

An Australian delegation arrived in the UK on February 25 and held jobs fairs in London, Edinburgh and Bristol. 

The scheme also targeted those in other professions hit by labour shortages including miners, plumbers, mechanics and builders.

Almost 25,000 applications to get documents needed to secure a job overseas were made to UK healthcare regulators in 2022. The vast majority represent NHS workers. 

The toll, uncovered by a MailOnline investigation, dwarfs the 10,000 figure seen before Covid struck. 

Senior leaders in the health service warned ‘the exodus is only just beginning’ and said the stats should ‘stun ministers into action’. 

Disgruntled NHS medics say the pandemic has shone a light on how poorly they are valued in the UK, a factor that helped launched a wave of strike action across the UK to boost their pay. 

Australia has also launched a wave of ‘cheeky’ tactics touting the merits of a move Down Under, such as deploying mobile billboards to NHS strike picket lines to recruit disenfranchised medics. 

Yet some medics who’ve made the move Down Under have complained that it’s not exactly the dream some are selling.  

British health staff wanting to apply for a job overseas need to get documents from their UK regulator as part of the application.

These prove to their potential employers they don’t have any marks on their record, their training is up to date, and they can be trusted with patients. 

Figures obtained by MailOnline reveal nearly 7,000 doctors applied for documents to support an application to work abroad from the British medical regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC), in 2022.

This was up from 6,100 in 2019. 

Separate figures for 2023, which only go up until May, suggest this year will see an even bigger exodus, with almost 3,500 applying for their documents so far. 

For nurses and midwives, the figures are even starker. 

Nearly 16,000 similar applications were made in 2022/23 — compared to just under 5,500 in 2018, according to the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). 

Pristine beaches and sunny weather appear to have convinced many to seek a job in Australia.

Australia topped the charts for total applications in both professional groups. 

Nearly 9,000 doctors have applied to work Down Under in the last five years. A third of these were made in 2022/23.

And Australian efforts to lure medics Down Under appear to be paying off. 

Data from the Australian Medical Council, the Aussie equivalent of the GMC, show almost 1,000 British medics signed up in 2021/22, the latest data available, up 16 per cent on the year before, and the biggest number of any nation. 

This is equivalent to roughly half the UK medics who applied to work Down Under getting a job there. 

For nurses and midwives, 11,000 applications were made to Australia since 2017/18.

But the number has accelerated in recent years, with 4,000 making an application in the last financial year alone. 

Are you a UK police officer who has moved to Australia? Please email your story, with photos, to rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk 

Brazen thieves have been caught on video running from Footlocker, Apple and Lululemon with arms full of merchandise as Philadelphia police struggle to grab the looters. 

Videos shared on social media shows police officers attempting to grab lotters, some of who are wearing Halloween masks, as they run from a Lululemon store carrying goods.

Numerous bikes and piles of merchandise can be seen piled up on the sidewalk outside the clothing store on Walnut Street in the heart of the city. 

ABC reported that police had detained individuals ranged from teenagers to young adults, and recovered one weapon from the scene. 

It has also been reported that there have been numerous shots fired during the looting in the downtown area.

Thieves also descended on a nearby Foot Locker store and Apple Store, with CBS News reporting that the security guard at the footwear store was assaulted. 

In another video of the store being ransacked, a large number of thieves can be seen rifling through the store.

Footage from the Apple store shows the aftermath of the looting, with iPhones and other electronic goods seemingly ripped from their display stands. 

What appears to be staff members can be seen standing around looking bemused.

Fox News reporter Steve Keeley also shared footage showing the fallout of the looting. 

Officers can be seen placing handcuffs on one man, as they guard the exterior of the store. 

Numerous people can be heard shouting in the background as he is led to the rear of a police van. 

Another shot of looters outside the Lululemon store shows a large number of thieves making their escape. 

Numerous officers quickly arrive on the scene and can be seen pinning several men down. 

A police officer also told NBC Philadelphia that over 100 juveniles had looted the Lululemon store.  

CBS3 said that multiple police commanders confirmed to them that the looting had no connection to earlier BLM demonstrations.

Protests had started round the city earlier in the day over the dismissal of charges against police officer Eddie Irizarry who was involved in a fatal shooting.  

Hugh E. Dillon also shared a video showing the police response to his social media page. 

Dillon wrote: ‘Stay out of center city: Kids looted Apple Store , Lululemon and Chestnut street I hear footlocker has been broken into.

‘The police are doing an incredible effort on bikes and in cars corralling the kids blocked by Block. They are pulling cars over a lot of kids are in cars. 

‘They stop and a whole bunch of them get out and then they start trying to break in the stores. But the police are on top of it.’ 

Security guard at a nearby Wendy’s, Hakeem Russel told NBC that the store next to the fast food restaurant had been broken into, with a guard assaulted. 

Russel told the outlet: ‘A couple a kids decided they wanted to take full advantage of the unjust shooting that’s happened. 

‘It’s definitely been unrest around here since the verdict.’

Another video shows what appears to be a liquor store in the city, with one woman filming the scene shouting: ‘Everybody must eat, everybody must eat.’

Officers have now blocked off several streets in the area with crime scene tape due to the robberies. 

ABC reported that police had detained individuals ranged from teenagers to young adults, and recovered one weapon.  

DailyMail.com has approached the Philadelphia Police Department for comment on the situation. 

Just three weeks ago, the Philadelphia Police Commissioner resigned from her post as the Democratic run city dealt with a wave of homicides and lawlessness. 

Danielle Outlaw, 48, who has been Philly’s top cop since February 2020, officially left the department on September 22. 

Outlaw’s new role will be the Deputy Chief Security Officer at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where she will oversee the airports, bridges, tunnels and other transportation infrastructure in the New York City area.

Before she took office, Philadelphia saw less than 400 homicides each year since 2007. Both 2021 and 2022 have seen more than 500 homicides across the city.

Latest figures, which are up until last Sunday, show how there has been 302 homicides in the city so far this year. 

There has also been 402 reported rapes, 58,759 cases of property crime, 3,701 cases of aggravated assaults and 1,314 shooting victims. 

 

A suspect who is at the centre of a murder investigation after a man was allegedly stabbed to death in Portugal is a British drainage engineer, MailOnline can reveal.

Josh James Menkens is alleged to have been one of the organisers of a mini-festival known as the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party last weekend near a remote commune known as Libelinha Venture in central Portugal.

The festival, which was hosted at an off-grid property, descended into chaos after the body of a 35-year-old British man was found in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The victim is alleged to have been stabbed to death after getting into a row with his attacker while playing the Blue Whale suicide game – an online challenge linked to a series of deaths worldwide. 

Menkens, who is 27, was pictured today being taken from a courthouse in the city of Leiria, an hour’s drive away from the commune after being quizzed by a judge investigating the case.

His head covered by a coat, Menkens was hustled into an unmarked police car as a man believed to be his father shouted, ‘Your mother loves you son, we all love you.’

Police sources confirmed that Menkens has been named as an ‘arguido’ (suspect) in the case and will reappear before the judge tomorrow for further questioning.

It comes after a suspected murder case which shattered the tranquility of the forest valleys in Pedrogao Grande in the centre of the country.

The rambling Libelinha Venture, which includes 24-acres of wide open woodland, hills and shrubbery, is run by new-age privately educated British businessman Xavier Hancock and his Spanish partner Arantxa Atauri.

It is believed to have been hosting a festival for British and Dutch visitors called the ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’, when the body of a 35-year-old British man was found less then a mile away on Sunday, September 24.

Police sources said the suspect and victim had been at a party at the couple’s ‘off-grid living community’ before moving onto woodland outside the commune. 

In 2017, it was bought by eccentric British businessman Xavier Hancock, who attended the £15,000-a-year St Edward’s school, and transformed into a peaceful oasis of communal calm outfitted by the sites distinctive white teepees.

For potential visitors, Hancock, who set up the commune with his Spanish partner Arantxa Atauri, promises the chance to ‘reconnect’ with nature ‘during a journey towards self sustainability’.

Hancock, who is believed to have hosted the 27-year-old suspect and the victim at the commune prior to the incident, has said he is fully co-operating with police investigations while they probe the circumstances around the death. 

There is no suggestion whatsoever that Hancock or Arantxa are in any way involved in the crime.

Police confirmed yesterday they were initially told the British man’s death was linked to an argument that started while he and his friends were playing the Blue Whale suicide challenge.

The online game has been linked to numerous deaths around the world and consists of initially innocuous tasks before introducing elements of self-harm.

But sources close to the investigation subsequently insisted they had found no evidence there was a Blue Whale link to the death.

Correio da Manha claimed today the suspect had only mentioned the game ‘after having confessed to the crime’ as a way of ‘explaining the situation that led to the macabre death.’

The alarm was raised around 6.30am on Sunday and the suspect reportedly admitted stabbing his alleged victim before taking police to the remote woodland spot where his body was.

The knife investigators believe was used to kill him was found alongside the body, left in a small clearing in woodland close to the village of Figueiro dos Vinhos about a 15-minute drive from the town of Pedrogao Grande in central Portugal.

Footage published by Portuguese daily Correio da Manha showed police lifting the dead man’s body on a stretcher after it was covered with a sheet and putting it into the back of a nearby van.

A waiting Red Cross ambulance took it to Coimbra after officers reached the nearest tarmacked road.

A post-mortem is thought to have taken place yesterday in the university city of Coimbra, although the results have not been made public.

Well-placed sources said both the 35-year-old victim and suspected murderer had been part of a larger group of around six British people who had been living in the ‘off-grid living community’ and were due to fly back to the UK in about a week’s time. 

One well-placed source said the suspect and other Brits questioned by police on Sunday as witnesses had been at a party at a campsite inside the community grounds before leaving to go to nearby woodland outside it where the stabbing occurred.

Another police source said: ‘A group of about half a dozen people the suspect and dead man were part of were staying at a campsite near to the place where the victim’s body was found.

‘It appears they had attended a party there earlier that night before leaving to head for the woodland where the stabbing happened.’

The group are understood to have been planning to fly back to the UK in about a week’s time.

Respected Portuguese broadcaster SIC said the group often held parties and played the Blue Whale game – but there were contradictory reports in local media about whether the group of Britons had been playing at the time of the murder.

The lethal Blue Whale ‘game’ involves 50 tasks in as many days, aimed at ‘creating psychologically traumatising situations’, ending with suicide.

Participants join a ‘group’ where the tasks are set by a group ‘administrator’ and can range from watching horror movies to waking at strange hours, and eventually progresses to self harming.

On the 50th day, the controlling manipulators behind the game, which originated in Russia in 2015, reportedly instruct the participants, who are usually teenagers, to kill themselves.

The game, which reportedly started in Russia, has caused numerous deaths around the world, including Ukraine, India and the United States.

First reports about its victims appeared in Russia in 2016, and in 2020 police in Britain issued a warning to parents to be mindful of their children’s online activities, urging them to talk about the dangers they can face.

At the time, Northants Police said: ‘We are aware of a disturbing social media challenge circulating called the ‘Blue Whale Challenge’ which encourages teenagers to take part in a series of 50 challenges that culminate in committing suicide.

‘This challenge first appeared in 2016 and tasks are given online or through text messages, instant messages or posts on Instagram and Twitter.

‘Please talk to your children about the dangers and tell them not to open any messages or challenges of this kind.’

Reno, Nevada, has been named the happiest place to live in America, chosen as an reformative and affordable ‘modern boomtown’ with fair weather and creative outlets year round.

The city was chosen by Outside, based on factors including overall well-being, public land and affordability, and climate change and inclusivity. 

Millions of surveys were scoured to assess the best urban areas in the US for well-being, before the researchers looked at house and rental prices and general walkability.

Reno was ultimately judged the best in class, undertaking massive transformations to become more inclusive and accessible, attracting major companies like Amazon and Tesla without losing sight of its local arts and crafts culture.

Reno placed above Wilmington, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Charlottesville, Hood River, Minneapolis, Glenwood Springs, Harrisburg and Plano to clinch the top spot among regions with a population between 5,000 and 500,000.

Reno, Nevada

Population: 273,448

Median house price: $550,000

Percentage parkland: 5%

Outside described Reno as a ‘modern boomtown’, bustling with green, open spaces, climbing gyms and a summer arts festival as part of a local revival. 

The outlet noted ‘ample public land and mountain vibe’ in its decision to award the city the top spot in the rankings.

With a new bike trail attracting cyclists, and nearby Lake Tahoe welcoming in skiers, the city has enough adventure for locals and tourists year-round, making it a go-to destination inclusive of all.

Wilmington, Delaware

Population: 71,569

Median house price: $255,000

Percentage parkland: 6.8%

Well-connected Wilmington neighbors Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore and Washington D.C., offering walkability and community to residents.

Delaware’s largest city is built at the meeting point of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, and has had its riverfront revitalized in recent years.

Wilmington boasts nearly 70 parks, including the 178-acre Brandywine Park and the Alapocas Run, a 415-acre space filled with hiking and biking trails.

Outside reports that the city has an inclusive local culture, with LGBTQ+ community leader Dinea Elliott Collins saying: ‘When I travel to other parts of the country, I realize how safe and comfortable I feel in Wilmington.’ 

New Orleans, Louisiana 

Population: 369,749

Median house price: $360,000

Percentage parkland: 23%

Some 80 per cent of residents in New Orleans live within a ten-minute walk of a park, making the city one of the most attractive for residents who enjoy outdoor spaces.

Culturally, the city has many attractions bringing visitors each year – from the colonial-era French Quarter to St Charles Avenue and Magazine Street’s rows of antique shops.

New Orleans remains one of the country’s most-visited cities for its deep and complex history, preserving its past in a number of significant museums.

In 2016, the city was also ranked the best in the US for live music, cocktail hour and cheap eats – but last for safety.

Outside references the city’s culture and cuisine, friendliness towards LQBTQ+ people and ‘underrated’ green spaces in awarding it third place. 

Cincinnati, Ohio   

Population: 309,513

Median house price: $272,750

Percentage parkland: 17 per cent

In the late 1800s, Cincy was dubbed the ‘Paris of America’, due to ambitious architectural projects that still line the streets of its urban center.

Developed as a river town for shipping, the city remains an industralized hub with a large economy attractive to large employers and a quaint market pavilion for merchants to sell local produce.

It also remains one of the greenest, with 88 per cent of residents living ten-minutes from a park – and a temperate climate ensuring beautiful year-round vistas to be found in the city’s 365 parks and recreation areas.

Benefitting from large-scale immigration from Germany in the 1840s, the city also benefits from a rich brewing tradition and has more than 80 organizations still making local beer – surely pushing it up the rankings for happiest places to live.

Charlottesville, Virginia

Population: 45,373

Median house price: $456,000

Percentage parkland: 10 per cent

The independent city of Charlottesville is much smaller than most of its competitors but boasts the same balance of work opportunities and scenic getaways shared by the country’s happiest.

Outside notes the city’s local University of Virginia has given Charlottesville a ‘vibrant startup culture’, with high rates of graduates and low unemployment. 

The city’s commercial district, The Corner, also provides Charlottesville with a number of college bars and restaurants, as well as a considerable nightlife scene.

Around the city, a 20-mile trail offers hikers and bikers a picturesque loop lined with places beautiful riverside spaces, and a number of breweries are ‘scattered throughout the surrounding countryside’, according to Outside.

Hood River, Oregon

Population: 8,352

Median house price: $656,750

Percentage parkland: 4

The small town of Hood River is noted for its rich outdoors activities, leading with a ‘vast network’ of trails and spaces to surf the Columbia River.

The town is only an hour east of Portland and remains connected to local hubs, but retains an independent presence and rich local food scene helped by its rural farms. 

While rents are a little higher than in other happy cities, Hood River has taken steps to build new developments for residents on lower incomes.

The city is also taking strides towards reflecting ambitions of racial and social equity in policymaking.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Population: 425,096

Median house price: $340,000

Percentage parkland: 15 per cent

Minneapolis scored 97 on Outside’s ranking for cyclists, and was this year voted number one in People for Bikes’ annual large-city ratings. 

With 180 parks, the city offers residents lush scenery joined together by an expansive network of cycle paths and trails.

The city is also noted for its investment into low-income neighborhoods and its ‘excellent’ hospitals.

Outside notes that the murder of George Floyd in 2020 ‘revealed serious problems with law enforcement’ in the city.

The police department has reportedly undergone a number of reforms in the years since.

Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Population: 10,264

Median house price: $726,720

Percentage parkland: 2

The resort city of Glenwood Springs placed eighth on Outside’s list of the top 15 happiest places to live in the US, credited for its hot springs and easy access to outdoor sports activities.

The town is situated in the Rocky Mountains at the meeting point of the Roaring Fork River and the Colorado River, creating stunning vistas. 

Since the 1980s, coordinated investment has transformed the town’s geography to better accommodate hikers and cyclists, building modern trails and reducing congestion in the center.

The region’s newfound popularity has, however, pushed up housing costs – which officials are looking to tackle with new affordable housing projects. 

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Population: 50,183

Median house price: $176,000

Percentage parkland: 8

The Pennsylvania capital has long been a desirable destination for young families with affordable housing and vibrant cultural outlets.

In 2010, the city was ranked the second best place in the country to raise a family, after Des Moines, Iowa.

Since then, Harrisburg has attracted steady growth in the number of bars, concerts and events – in turn building a significant music and entertainment scene in recent years.

Again, the city benefits from local mountains, cycling trails and spaces to kayak for those keen on soaking up the local environment. 

Plano, Texas

Population: 289,547

Median house price: $540,000

Percentage parkland: 3

Plano, Texas, ranked tenth in Outside’s list of the happiest places to live in the US.

The city is one of the larger nominations, the 72nd most populous city in the country, and remains one of the fastest growing.

Steadily, Plano has attracted grown into a significant business hub and the headquarters of many major corporations.

Still, the city itself enjoys 85 parks and public pools – and preserves access to two nature preserves around the town, spanning some 1,000+ acres in total.

Plano now boasts a lively music and entertainment scene, a host of restaurants – and a farmers’ market. 

Anchorage, Alaska 

Population: 287,145

Median house price: $400,000

Percentage parkland: 80

Alaska’s largest city is 80 per cent parkland, despite hosting nearly 300,000 people, and spans 1,706 square miles – making it the fourth-largest by area in the United States.

Surprisingly, though, the city remains highly walkable and accessible to cyclists – relying on a trail network covering more than 500 miles. 

According to the Anchorage Park Foundation, 95 per cent of residents say the trails make the city a great place.

Others cite the wildlife and fantastic views, as well as the city’s investment in preserving and celebrating local history and languages.

Madison, Wisconsin

Population: 272,903

Median house price: $395,000

Percentage parkland: 14

Between two lakes, Madison enjoys vast landscapes and more than 280 parks, increasingly accessible as the city invests in new tracks and trails.

In winter, residents can also enjoy the city’s sports scene – including ice skating, hockey, ice fishing and cross-country skiing.

One of the most accessible cities by bike, residents can quickly zip between the city’s 18 conservation parks and a bustling city, known for its museums and galleries.

Madison is the fastest-growing city in the state, featuring a lively technology sector and exciting opportunities in health start ups.

Frederick, Maryland 

Population: 82,175

Median house price: $435,000

Percentage parkland: 7.8

Frederick is just an hour from Baltimore and Washington D.C., and is one of the more walkable cities on the list.

Nearly 90 per cent of residents live within ten minutes of a park – and sprawling public lands make the city ideal for hikers.

Frederick is home to a number of antique shops and themed events, preserving its unique culture – while continuing to invest in new arts and entertainment outlets.

Saint Petersburg, Florida

Population: 261,256

Median house price: $430,000

Percentage parkland: 14

With 244 miles of shoreline, St Petersburg is ideal for beachgoers and fishers.

As well as celebrating a number of professional sports teams, the city is also home to quieter activities, like the Salvador Dali Museum, a number of libraries and the Chihuly Collection.

Residents can enjoy the city’s breadth of historical districts, all with unique draws and cultural artefacts.

St Petersburg may not be the most walkable city on the list, but remains attractive to cyclists and rollerbladers. 

Tacoma, Washington

Population: 221,776

Median house price: $472,500

Percentage parkland: 7

Tacoma is a little smaller than St Petersburg but still enjoys 46 miles of coastline and beaches.

The city is home to 120 parks and remains fairly accessible by foot and by bike, connecting large forests and outdoor spaces with the cultural hubs in the city.

Nearby, Tacoma also has access to Mount Rainier – and is only 90 minutes from the slopes at Crystal Mountain.

Cleaning up Commencement Bay and the Dune Peninsula in recent years have opened up the city’s natural spaces for visitors to enjoy. 

Mutant super rats are plaguing Britain’s restaurants, pubs and homes with experts revealing to MailOnline that rodents are becoming less susceptible to pesticides and more wary of control methods.

In the past week, video footage has emerged revealing the true extent of the terrifying rat invasions taking place in parts of the country.

It comes as piles of rubbish have overflown the streets amid a series of bin strikes. 

Reports of a rodent infestation outside a block of flats in Liverpool left tenants ‘petrified’ to leave their homes, fearing they cannot step out the door without a rat scampering over their foot. 

Meanwhile customers tucking into their food at a McDonald’s store were left screaming when a rat emerged from the seating area before scurrying across the fast food chain’s floor. And at a pub in Exeter, a large rodent was seen tucking into leftovers that had been sat on an outdoor table. The rat is seen sticking its face into a bowl before nibbling on what appears to be discarded bones from a meat dish.

Pest control experts told MailOnline that sightings have been on the rise, particularly in urban areas where the animals have access to strewn food from takeaways and piles of rubbish bins along the street. 

Paul Blackhurst, of Rentokil Pest Control, said: ‘Rats are opportunistic pests that are drawn to places teeming with available food sources. 

‘With unlimited access to leftover food from takeaways and rubbish bins, along with water and shelter, some urban areas have become home to what are often referred to as ‘super-rats’. 

‘Despite their namesake, these rats are not going to save the world. Rather, through genetic mutations, combined with neophobic behaviours, they have become less susceptible to some forms of common rodenticide and wary of methods used to control them.’

His comments come as young professionals and students living in a block of flats on Vine Street in Liverpool’s city centre have come face to face with the creatures.

Eve Bradley and Eireann Dobbins moved into their new home five months ago. They only realised there were rats living outside of the building after they had settled in. 

Frightening footage shows rats scurrying around the entrance of the flat. Ms Bradley, 22,  told the Liverpool Echo: ‘You can’t leave your flat when it does start to go dark without them running across your feet.

‘It’s getting dark earlier – they’re going to start coming out earlier and earlier.

‘One of the girls I live with, the rat was inside the lift with her. She didn’t see it until she was in the lift going down.’

The frightened woman, originally from Derry in Northern Ireland, said the ongoing issue has caused them ‘so much distress’. 

A spokesman for the accommodation provider Urban Sleep said the issue of rats is a ‘city-wide issue’ that it has been ‘proactively managing’ on its site for some time. Urban Sleep said it is now speaking with Liverpool City Council about next steps. 

Earlier this year, another resident was left shocked to find dozens of rats living inside a bin in London. 

A video shows some of the rats peering up at the camera while others appear to be jumping to get out of the huge council bin.  

And diners eating at a McDonald’s branch panicked when a seemingly large rat leaped across the restaurant floor.

As people screamed, children could be seen turning around to catch a glimpse of the rodent while two McDonald’s staff members appeared to coax it away with a broom. 

Customers tucking into their burgers and queuing to order their meals are seen staring at the rodent in disbelief while parents lift their children off the ground. It is unknown which branch the footage was filmed in.

The author of the clip wrote: ‘I had to crop the video because I was screaming too much.’ 

Earlier this month, another McDonald’s in Notting Hill, London, saw a rat invade its restaurant.

The giant rat, which customers said was ‘the size of a foot’ was caught brazenly running through the store, with diners left both laughing and screaming in shock.

The appalling footage showed the rodent scampering across the floor before hiding behind an oblivious diner’s chair, as others warned ‘there’s a rat, there’s a rat’.

Shocked diners crowded round the rodent, taking photos and videos on their phone.

Luke Scott had been wandering into the store when he presumed a robbery was taking place because of the loud shouts of terror.

Mr Scott, 47, who lives locally in the area said:  ‘I walked in and went to the self-service machines to try and get a milkshake, but the milkshake machine wasn’t working.

‘I was about to turn and leave, and then somebody shouted loudly. I thought it might be a robbery.

‘I looked around and a couple of people were jumping up and then somebody shouted “rat, rat”.

‘I just saw it run across the floor. I felt like people wouldn’t believe it unless they saw it, so I started filming.’

As it tried to escape, the rat got caught in between people’s feet and a customer’s bag, leading to the restaurant to be evacuated.

He added: ‘The rat seemed fairly unafraid by the commotion. Everyone got their phones out and started crowding around. It seemed fairly relaxed; it wasn’t manic. It seemed quite confident.

‘Regardless of the tail, the body of the rodent was huge. It was about the size of my foot.’

In May another so-called super rat was seen scavenging on takeaway scraps left in a bin outside McDonald’s in Toryglen, Glasgow.

Grim footage, captured by two disgusted customers, showed the fat rodent feasting on the rubbish before scuttling away into nearby bushes.  MailOnline has contacted McDonald’s for comment. 

In another incident, shocking video from a pub in Exeter shows a rat enjoying a nibble on one of the tables, to the horror of a patron.

Mark Baker, who filmed the footage, was at the Mill on the Exe two weeks ago when he saw a rat eating from a plate at one of the pub’s outdoor tables.

The video showed him approaching the rat, which was as large as a pint glass, before it jumped into the plants beside the table and scurried off.

St Austell Brewery said that it had apologised to Mr Baker and that it was taking action to ‘manage the situation’.

A spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that Environmental Health are aware of this matter and are carrying out regular visits to monitor and assist with the situation, which is impacting riverside properties from the Weir down to the Quay, including the Mill on the Exe.’

‘We are working closely with Environmental Health and continuing to act on all advice. Last week, during their most recent visit to the area, they confirmed they were happy with the extensive measures we have put in place to help manage the situation that is affecting our external areas.’

Pest experts have said that rats – who eat just about anything – are increasingly resistant to poisons and are getting better at finding hidden spots to breed and nest.

Mr Blackhurst insisted more needs to be done to prevent further rat infestations.

He added: ‘This is why it is important for pest controllers to adopt innovative measures in order to help prevent infestations from occurring and to deal with them effectively when they do.

‘Effective, long-term control is only achievable through first understanding population changes and challenges, and then implementing bespoke solutions that combat them and that is why seeking professional, expert help is recommended for rodent infestations.’

His comments come after reports an infestation of rats outside a block of flats in Liverpool is making tenants ‘petrified’ to leave their homes. 

Steve Belmain, professor of ecology at the University of Greenwich said earlier this year that he could ‘easily imagine’ a plague of up to 300million rats being present in the UK.

Mr Belmain said: ‘Rats can certainly gnaw through concrete and metal, most normally soft metals such as tin, aluminium, copper and lead, but I have seen gnaw marks on steel, various hard plastics such as waste pipes and terracotta pipes – as well as concrete walls.’

The pests are so flexible they can push themselves through the U-bend of a toilet to gain access to people’s homes.

The largest rat caught and recorded in the UK was 21 inches long, which is the size of a small dog.

Experts fear that vermin such as rats and house mice carry diseases that are harmful to humans, with rat’s urine carrying diseases that may be linked to salmonella and leptospirosis outbreaks.

Recent figures show 78 per cent of rats and 95 per cent of house mice have genes that make them immune to poisons, which have been used as an exterminator since the 1950s.

Dee Ward-Thompson, the British Pest Control Association’s technical manager, said: ‘This rise in resistance could be due to a number of factors. 

‘However, it is most likely the spread has been accelerated by the application of rodenticides, by amateurs such as home and business owners doing it themselves or employing an unqualified individual to try to resolve the problem.’

By Jack Bezants For Dailymail.Com

Published: 22:55 EDT, 25 September 2023 | Updated: 23:32 EDT, 25 September 2023

Jeremy Kyle has revealed he’s set to become a father for the sixth time as his wife Victoria is pregnant with their second child.

The broadcaster, 58, shared the news that he’s set to welcome a daughter in the coming months, after he and Victoria, 39, welcomed their son Oliver, in 2020.

Speaking to The Sun, Jeremy said he and Victoria, who he married in 2021, are ‘over the moon’ to be welcoming another child early next year, adding his family will be ‘complete.’

It comes as Jeremy prepares to join forces with former Coronation Street star Nicola Thorpe to front a brand new TalkTV breakfast show, starting next month.

He said: ‘Vic says I need to set up a side business by bottling it because I’m 58 and I’ve only got one testicle, but everyone knows that anyway.

‘The other kids are really happy, although my eldest Harriet thinks I need sectioning.

‘I personally think it’s my late parents having a laugh from up above, to be honest.’

Jeremy, who is also a grandfather, previously overcame a battle with testicular cancer in 2012, and has since strongly advocated for men’s health issues.

As well as son Oliver, Jeremy is father to daughters Harriet, 32, Alice, 18, Ava, 17, and son Henry, 13, who he shares with ex-wife Carla Germaine.

Back in October, Jeremy said he would miss Vicky and Oliver as he threw himself into work for his new live show on TalkTV.

The TV star made his television comeback with a brand new live show on TalkTV – three years after his daytime programme was axed following the death of guest Steve Dymond.

When asked what he would miss about returning to work, he said of his loved ones: ‘Not being there at bathtime! No, I’m kidding. I would love to be there every night. Oliver and Victoria have changed my life.

‘Oliver’s two and a half and completely rules the roost, to be perfectly honest. He’s changed me completely. He shouts, “Daddy!” when he sees me on screen now.

‘My kids, my grandkids, my family, my wife saved me. Harriet is an amazing mum with two toddlers. Alice is about to go to university; Henry is about to go to boarding school; Ava has just got eight GCSEs. It’s amazing, she’s severely dyslexic. It’s incredible what she’s done, amazing. I’m so proud.

‘But I’ve always wanted to go back to live television. It’s the best of what I’ve always loved doing.’

The presenter’s eponymous Jeremy Kyle Show was suspended indefinitely in May 2019 following the death of Steve Dymond, one week after a programme featuring him was filmed.

He returned to television screens in April for the first time in three years, as he helped launch new channel TalkTV along with Sharon Osbourne.

Dymond is suspected to have died from suicide seven days after filming for the Jeremy Kyle Show.

He had taken a lie detector test after being accused of cheating on his ex-fiancee Jane Callaghan, of Gosport, Hampshire.

The confrontational talk show, which was hugely popular and had been a regular fixture since 2005 in the daytime TV schedule, was axed for good following calls for it to be cancelled from MPs and members of the public.

After the show was pulled, MPs launched an inquiry into reality TV – and ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said the broadcaster had been ‘looking at’ cancelling it prior to it being removed from the schedules.

A newborn has been nicknamed ‘baby hulk’ after a rare condition caused her arms and chest to become ultra swole.

Armani Milby, from Campbellsville, Kentucky, has a severe form of lymphangioma, a condition that causes benign tumors to grow in the lymphatic vessels, tube-like structures that carry fluid around the body.

The swelling has caused her upper torso and arms to become disproportionately bulky compared to the rest of her body.

Armani’s mother Chelsey, 33, gave her daughter the affectionate nickname ‘mini Hulk’ when she was born because she looked ‘like a mini bodybuilder’.

Armani spent the first three months of her life in the hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she received specialist treatment to drain excess fluid from her arms.

She is now scheduled to undergo surgery to remove the excess lymph vessels to help reduce her arms and chest to a normal size.

She will also need further surgery to remove any excess skin left on her body.

Now that some fluid has been drained from her arms, however, her mother has switched to calling her ‘squishy’.

‘Now she’s squishy,’ Ms Milby said, ‘I just call her my little squishy baby. She’s doing very well.’

Her daughter’s condition, which can be caused by genetics or hormone problems, was diagnosed at week 17 of pregnancy.

Armani weighed 12lbs when she was born and made her mother look so large when she was pregnant that strangers would ask if she was having triplets.

Doctors gave Armani a ‘zero percent’ chance of survival, Ms Milby said, but the infant cried as soon as she was born via C-section at 33 weeks and has been fighting ever since.

Ms Milby, who has two other children, said she was left in tears after the news— saying she didn’t understand why her baby had the condition. 

Lymphangioma is when fluid-filled bumps, or cysts, form under the skin because the lymph vessels overgrow and stop draining fluid from the body.

The condition is rare, affecting about one in 4,000 children, and is normally diagnosed at birth or within the first few years of childhood.

Swelling is common in the head and neck area — because these areas have a relatively high concentration of lymph vessels compared to other parts of the body.

But they can also appear in other places like the chest and arms. Of those diagnosed with the condition in the womb, doctors say only 22 percent survive.

In surgery, doctors will cut out the abnormal lymphatic tissue in order to boost fluid drainage from the body and to stop the liquid from collecting.

Patients may also receive a procedure called Sclerotherapy — where a special medication is injected into the body that causes irritation and scarring to the abnormal lymphatic tissue, leading it to shrink and collapse.

Ms Milby said: ‘I had never, ever, heard of the diagnosis before and honestly, I had looked into it, and I didn’t really like the results with some of the pictures.

‘When I found out, to be honest, I was devastated, I was heartbroken. I didn’t understand what happened, what went wrong, because I had two other healthy babies, and I cried every day. Every day, I asked God why.’

But describing her daughter now, she said: ‘She has a lot of extra skin. It’ll all go away, and she’ll be the normal-looking baby. She’ll just have significant scarring from the surgeries and everything.

‘She got lucky. She’s not deformed or anything like that. I’ve actually seen some cases where they have and God bless them kids, they’re fighters.

‘She’s happy. She hardly ever cries unless she wants to be held. We’re trying to do everything for this baby and give her the best life possible.

‘She finally rolled over and she’s trying to say “momma”, I’m pretty sure, she’s getting really close.

‘She’s doing wonderful. She literally is my miracle baby, and we just love her so much.’

Describing the pregnancy, Ms Milby said: ‘My body was shutting down. Something was telling me it was time to get her out. I was almost 200 pounds, and my health was getting really bad.

‘I suffered every day; I could never sleep. I was extremely sick.

‘That’s why I had them take her at 33 weeks because my body was shutting down and it was getting harder every day to live life and actually breathe because I was so uncomfortable as I had to keep getting fluid drained out of my stomach.

‘To everyone’s surprise, she came out crying and everybody in the room was emotional. No one knew what was going to happen. It’s a very magical story.’

For her father, Blake, who was not allowed in the delivery room, the process was hard. 

He said: ‘I remember sitting outside in the hallway, they took me back there for the delivery and while they’re in there giving her an epidural, I was out there pacing the hall, just praying.

The operation was far from easy for Ms Milby, who suffered a panic attack soon after they started, but she said it was all worth it when she saw her baby’s face.

She said: ‘They had to give me something to calm me down because I was having a panic attack. I was screaming and crying.

‘I was just a wreck, it was horrible.

‘In the back of our minds, we were both wondering what was going to happen. However, she just shocked us all and proved everyone wrong.

‘When I actually saw her, I cried even more because I had never seen anything like that but I didn’t care what she looked like, I loved her anyway.

‘I had never seen anyone look like that before so I was just shocked to be honest, but grateful at the same time.’

After being born, Armani and her family were moved more than 100 miles away to Cincinnati for three months to be admitted to a specialist hospital where the baby began to make her recovery.

Ms Milby said: ‘I battled postpartum depression really bad, and I had to push that away to try to be the strongest person I could be for her and for my other two kids.

‘It’s been a rollercoaster ride. It really has been a rollercoaster ride and every day, I struggle a little bit.’

Armani is scheduled for surgery later this year where doctors will remove extra lymphatic vessels and over the coming years, she will need to undergo surgery to remove the extra skin.

Drone footage taken from points on Britain’s faltering High Speed Rail 2 project has revealed the enormous scars ripped into the countryside across the route with as ministers due to make a decision on the northern leg this week.

If all had gone to plan, Britain would be just two and a half years away from high-speed trains whizzing between London and Birmingham, cutting travel times by around 30 minutes.

Construction workers should now be putting the finishing touches to the network but instead, completion has been pushed from 2026 to 2029-33 and the budget has risen from £37.5billion to £98billion. 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reportedly so spooked by an £8billion jump in costs to complete the line to Birmingham that he is set to axe the Manchester leg which has been labelled a ‘gross act of vandalism’ and an ‘act of economic self-harm’ by former chancellor George Osborne. 

In an article for the Times newspaper with Tory grandee Lord Heseltine, the former Chancellor warned the Prime Minister about damaging Britain’s reputation and protecting his own legacy.

He wrote: ‘Governments are remembered for what they build and create. Make this mistake, and yours may only be known for what it cancelled and curtailed.’

Citing Boris Johnson‘s winning message in the 2019 election, they added: ‘How could ever again claim to be levelling up when you cancel the biggest levelling-up project in the country?’

Last week, the Mail sent a drone along the entire length of HS2. Photographs show many major points are still construction sites in their early stages.

Phil Marsh, who has worked in railway administration for 50 years, said: ‘These pictures show what a massive infrastructure project HS2 is and how dreadful it looks at the moment. There are earthworks, concrete mixers and haul roads on a vast magnitude, which creates a huge environmental and societal impact on our densely compacted country.’

Costs have spiralled, Mr Marsh said, due to the number of changes made. ‘Every time specifications are slightly altered, insiders tell me that contractors are basically sticking another million pounds in their back pockets.

‘If all this is for 30 minutes off the journey from London to Birmingham, it would be a complete waste of money.’

About one mile east of Lichfield and 15 miles north of Birmingham Curzon Street Station, HS2 veers northward.

Construction work is being carried out beneath the West Coast Main Line and amid Staffordshire farmland.

‘This is what is considered a ‘mission critical’ spot as any disruption to the West Coast Main Line might have cost millions,’ said Phil Marsh.

‘It looks fine, but the tracks still need to be laid.’

The Chiltern Tunnel ends to the west of Chesham and north of High Wycombe.

This is where the high-speed trains are due to travel above ground for a short distance before plunging into the 0.9-mile Wendover Tunnel.

‘This end of the tunnel through the Chilterns hasn’t been cut through yet so it’s just a wall of earth,’ said Christian Wolmar, who hosts the railway podcast Calling All Stations.

‘The twin tunnel-boring machines, Florence and Cecilia, still have about two miles to go.’

This one-mile tunnel travels beneath an ancient woodland and was completed in November last year – but at the cost of felling four ancient woods in nearby South Cubbington.

Work is still being carried out to handle 500,000 tons of mudstone at an on-site slurry treatment plant.

‘The hard work has been done with the major construction complete,’ said rail administrator Phil Marsh. ‘But there are the railway communications, drainage and signalling systems still to do.’

Covering ten miles, this will be the longest of the 500 tunnels dug for the HS2 line.

The underpass begins in the south near the M25 and then head north-west between the towns of Beaconsfield and Amersham. Railway podcast host Christian Wolmar said: ‘The tunnel is only about three-quarters finished.

‘Denham is a mess – an enormous building site with a car park for 1,000 cars and a concrete factory works for mixing concrete and making tunnel supports.’