#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — July 17, 2018

Paul Jay on Trump-Putin and the Real Threats to Democracy

Whether the Kremlin meddled in the U.S. election or not, the hyper-focus on Russiagate overlooks bigger threats: Russian elites to the Russian people, and U.S. elites to the American people, says Paul Jay

Brexit: May Government Scrapes through Customs Bill Votes – BBC Newsnight

As the government narrowly avoids a defeat on its Customs Bill after agreeing to Brexiteers' demands to change its wording, Kirsty Wark is joined by chair of the Treasury select committee, Nicky Morgan, former Brexit Secretary David Davis, former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, and shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Peter Dowd.

The World Watches as Trump and Putin Meet in Helsinki

#democracynow : Summit in Helsinki – Trump & Putin

Can Trump, Israel, and Gulf Allies Get Putin to Turn on Iran?

Days after Netanyahu's visit to Moscow, Trump will meet with Putin in Helsinki. But despite talk of a "grand bargain" that enlists Russia in helping the US-Israel-Saudi-UAE front against Iran, don't expect it to happen, says professor and syndicated columnist Rami Khouri

Democratic National Convention (DNC) Chair: Trump Is Putin's Poodle

What's Behind Saudi Arabia's Arrest of Religious Leaders? | Inside Story

Saudi Arabia has arrested prominent preacher and scholar Safar Al-Hawali just days after he published a book criticising the ruling family.

Three of his sons - Abdul Rahman, Abdullah and Ibrahim - were also detained. Rights groups say Abdul Rahman and Abdullah were reportedly taken into custody while attending a family wedding on Wednesday. While Hawali and his son Ibrahim were arrested the following morning.

Hawali became known almost three decades ago as the leader of the Sahwa movement - which advocated for democracy in Saudi Arabia. He was previously detained for opposing the ruling family. Saudi Arabia, under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, has launched a crackdown against activists, religious figures and opponents in recent months. But how far will this go?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Ahmed Al-Burai - Lecturer at Aydin University; Rami Khouri - Senior Fellow at the American University of Beirut; Saeed Al-Shehabi - Columnist with Al-Quds Al Arabi newspaper

President's UK Visit 'An Opportunity for British People to Unite' Against Trump

President Trump's visit to the UK caused important upheavals both in British politics and society, when over 250,000 took to the streets against his visit. Thomas Barlow, of Real Media, talks about the visit's impact

Ed Miliband on Trump’s UK Visit and Brexit – BBC Newsnight

Former Trump Adviser Sebastian Gorka Lauds the President's UK Visit

Sebastian Gorka's interview with Channel 4 News, discussing Donald Trump holding Theresa May's hand and the President's interview with the Sun.

Meet the Activist Who Called Piers Morgan an “Idiot” for Criticizing Anti-Trump Protests in Britain

President Donald Trump said Friday that immigrants fleeing violence and seeking asylum in Europe are changing “the fabric of Europe. … And I don’t mean that in a positive way.” Trump’s xenophobic comments came during a shocking interview with the Rupert Murdoch-owned British tabloid The Sun. Massive protests have greeted President Trump during his two-day trip to Britain—including a 20-foot-long giant baby Trump blimp outside Parliament. We go to the streets of London to speak with Ash Sarkar, the anti-Trump coalition organizer who confronted Piers Morgan during a “Good Morning Britain” interview Thursday that went viral.

US - UK: What Now for the 'Special Relationship'? | Inside Story

In retrospect, British Prime Minister Theresa May might wonder whether this was really the best week for a visit from Donald Trump.

Arriving straight from a NATO summit that was predictably contentious, the US president has been greeted with massive protests on his first trip to London since taking office. And, as May struggles to hold her own government together, with the never-ending arguments about Brexit negotiations, threatening to tear her Conservative party apart. Only hours after arriving, Trump made the prime minister's life even more difficult, with scathing criticism of her in a newspaper interview. And he went out of his way to talk up one of her main rivals, Boris Johnson, who resigned earlier this week as Foreign Secretary.

Trump said May's in trouble because she ignored his advice on both Brexit and migration. And he thinks Johnson would make a great prime minister. Aside from being an epic breach of both diplomatic protocol and simple manners, Trump's interview brought other questions into sharp relief: Can May survive if Brexit no longer holds the promise of a separate trade agreement with the United States? Can NATO survive the additional strain of a rift between its two top military contributors? And, what about the so-called "special relationship" that supposedly links the British and American governments?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Ian Dunt - Editor, Politics.co.uk; Inderjeet Parmar - Professor of International Politics, City University of London; Robert Hunter - Former US Ambassador to NATO

Trump Arrives at Windsor Castle for Meeting with the Queen

Trump's UK Visit Day 1: Discussion – BBC Newsnight

President Trump's visit to the UK has divided opinion. So how should the UK approach the visit by a US president who isn't a traditional diplomat? Newsnight's Kirsty Wark is joined by a live panel to discuss.

#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — July 13, 2018

#bbcqt : Question Time – July 12, 2018

This week's Question Time, filmed in Dartford. Hot topics include the disastrous Chequers Brexit plan and Trump's visit to the UK. Last Question Time until September. All rights go to the BBC and Mentorn Scotland.

UK Tabloid Reporter: Trump Gave May a ‘Wrapped Hand Grenade’

Tabloid reporter Tom Newton Dunn says that President Donald Trump gave Prime Minister Theresa May a ‘wrapped hand grenade’ after he criticized the British Prime Minister in an interview with The Sun.

President Trump Trashes UK PM's Brexit Plan & Then Meets Her For Dinner | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

After a hectic showing at the NATO meeting, Trump arrives in the UK for a visit and immediately causes a stir with an interview criticizing UK PM Theresa May's Brexit plan. Our panel reacts.

President Trump Talks Baby Blimp, Criticizes British PM In New Interview | The Last Word | MSNBC

Trump confesses that the baby Trump blimp makes him feel unwelcome in London in an interview with The Sun. Pres. Trump also said Boris Johnson would make a great P.M. ahead of his meeting with current P.M. Theresa May. Eugene Robinson and Brian Klaas discuss the interview with Lawrence.

What Is Brexit? Government Sets Out Most Detailed Plan

Almost a week after Theresa May's showdown at Chequers that led to David Davis, Boris Johnson and various others you probably haven't heard of quitting, the government's Brexit white paper has been revealed, detailing Britain's negotiating position for life after we leave the EU.

Theresa May declared it "absolutely delivers on the Brexit we voted for." But many Tory Eurosceptics disagree and Labour attacked it as muddled and bad for Britain. Those divisions mean instead of clarity, many feel there's more uncertainty than ever, as we get closer to the no deal cliff edge in March.

Could Trump's SCOTUS Pick Shape History?

With Anthony Kennedy retirement as a Supreme Court justice, how will Trump’s Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh, shape history?

President Donald Trump Creates His Own Narrative At Press Conference | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Lawrence O'Donnell, Robert Costa and Doris Kearns Goodwin join Morning Joe for a discussion about President Trump's trip to the NATO summit in Brussels and his impromptu press conference on Thursday.

#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — July 12, 2018

President Donald Trump Practices 'Diplomatic Malpractice' At NATO Breakfast | Morning Joe | MSNBC

President Trump targeted Germany on Wednesday in reiterating his demand that NATO countries step up their defense spending so that they shoulder a greater share of the burden in protecting Europe from Russia.

'Trump Clearly Doesn't Respect Theresa May' – BBC Newsnight

Trump and May "clearly don't like each other", according to the New York Times's European economics correspondent Peter Goodman. After a tumultuous meeting with NATO members, President Trump's visit to the UK and his relationship with the prime minister will be scrutinised.

Trump's UK Visit Expected to Be Met with Large Protests

"He can come but I'm not interested in what he has to say" RT's Anastasia Churkina talks to Londoners as Donald J. Trump's UK visit is expected to be met with large protests.

Trump: I'm Not Captive To Russia, Germany Is!

Trump Escalates 'Diplomatic Trash Talk,' Says Germany Is 'Captive To Russia' | MTP Daily | MSNBC

The MTP Daily panel discusses Trump's divisive language at the NATO summit and how it affects relationships with European allies.

Even Fox News Executives Think Sean Hannity Has Gone Completely Nuts

According to new reports, the management at Fox News is growing increasingly unhappy with the performance of Sean Hannity, and they believe that he has turned into a conspiracy theory-spewing White House propagandist. Unfortunately, they won’t do a thing about it because he still pulls in the network’s best ratings, and those numbers will always trump honest reporting. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

#F24Debate : With Allies Like These... Trump Guns for Germany at NATO Summit

#democracynow : Mark Weisbrot: Trump’s Threats to Invade Venezuela Are Part of US Strategy of Régime Change

The Associated Press is reporting President Trump repeatedly asked senior White House advisers last year about the possibility of a U.S. invasion of Venezuela, in a bid to depose President Nicolás Maduro and his government. Trump reportedly brought up the U.S. invasions of Panama and Grenada in the 1980s. The AP reports Trump’s comment stunned then-National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who warned military action could backfire. But then, the next day, on August 11, Trump raised the issue publicly. We’re joined by Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research and president of Just Foreign Policy.

John Cleese on Brexit, Newspapers and Why He's Leaving the UK - BBC Newsnight

Kavanaugh's Staggering Hypocrisy

Stop Brexit

Russia and Saudi Arabia to Form an Alternative to OPEC?

The world is in a slow energy transition to renewables, which has made it difficult for OPEC to maintain price stability. This transition lies at the heart of Saudi Arabia and Russia's efforts to find new ways for stabilizing oil prices, says Prof. Timothy Mitchell

Ken Clarke MP on Brexit Chaos, Being a Tory Rebel and Answering Critics

Ken Clarke has been a Member of Parliament for almost five decades. As the longest serving MP, he talks to Krishnan about why Brexit is in such chaos, his long-standing Conservative views and why he thinks it’s important politicians talk honestly to the media.

Will Trump's Nominee for Supreme Court Pass the Senate Vote? | Inside Story

The latest political battlegound in the U.S. Senate is soon set to become Donald Trump's choice for Supreme Court judge.

The president's nomination of Republican loyalist Brett Kavanaugh is opposed by Democrats. They say Trump's trying to tilt the nine justices in the highest court in the land towards the conservative right.

Advocacy groups have already begun spending millions of dollars to persuade senators to make the right choice when they vote in the autumn. Their confirmation is expected to shape the Supreme Court for many years to come.

On Inside Story, an in-depth discussion on the rôle of the Supreme Court in the U.S. system.

Presenter: Laura Kyle | Guests: Sandy Levinson, professor of government at the University of Texas Law School; Kenneth Joast, author of the Superme Court Yearbook and legal affiars blog, Jost on Justice; Matthew Mack-o-veeyack, Republican consultant and former aide to President George W Bush

As Brexit Throws UK Government in Turmoil, 'We See Only the Shadows' of What is Really Happening

Prof. John Weeks talks about what is behind the Brexit maneuvering that has led to Boris Johnson's and David Davis's resignations from Theresa May's cabinet and how this will affect the process by which the UK plans to leave the European Union

Brexit Turmoil: Resignations Leave May Fighting for Survival

Tory Civil War amid Plot to Bring Down PM over Brexit Policy

Boris Johnson resigned from the Government hours after David Davis walked out over Theresa May's Brexit deal. How long can the Prime Minister hold on?

#F24Debate : Cabinet Crisis: Johnson, Davis Resign PM's Brexit Plan

Why the Far Right Believes Every Muslim—Including Me—Is a Liar

At a protest the night before Donald Trump’s inauguration last year, a woman accused me of “taqiyya” on the street. I didn’t know it at the time, but she was telling me I’m a liar because I’m Muslim.

#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — July 9, 2018

Theresa May Addresses Parliament after Davis, Johnson Quit

Schmidt und Giscard d’Estaing - Eine Männerfreundschaft

Brussels Protesters Demonstrate against Trump Visit

At least 2,000 people gathered in Brussels to protest against a visit President Trump

Trump’s Latest Airing of Grievances Includes New Jabs, More Praise for Putin | Deadline | MSNBC

Trump Says That People Who Criticize Him Are a Threat to This Country (America)

During a disgusting softball interview with Fox News recently, Donald Trump made the absurd claim that his critics are dangerous for this country. Trump is attempting to incite violence once again by claiming that those who don’t blindly follow him are a threat. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America

Nancy MacLean, Author of must read Democracy in Chains joins the Thom Hartmann Program to the deep history of the radical right's stealth plan for America.

Remembering Ed Schultz

Ed Schultz, host of ‘News with Ed’ on RT America, passed away on July 5 at his home in Washington, DC. The veteran radio and television broadcaster was 64. RT America’s Anya Parampil is joined by Ed’s RT colleagues for a tribute, including Larry King, Lionel, Mitch Ceasar, Ashlee Banks, Steve Christakos, Dan Cohen and Ed’s longtime producer, Brent Jabbour.

For decades Ed was a prominent sports and political radio commentator and personality in the upper Midwest. After several years as one of the most watched anchormen on MSNBC, Ed moved to RT America in January of 2016. The News with Ed Schultz aired weeknights, Monday – Thursday at 8PM Eastern. Ed’s broadcast was the flagship show at RT.

#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — July 6, 2018

#bbcqt : Question Time – July 5, 2018

This week's Question Time, filmed in King's Lynn, with the main focus of debate being dominated by Brexit, and the concept of party before country. All rights go to the BBC and Mentorn Scotland.

Guy Verhofstadt: Biggest Waste of EU Resources Is Nigel Farage's Salary

May Meets Merkel ahead of Showdown Brexit Talks

To Brexit or Not to Brexit: Uncut Interviews with Tony Blair and Nigel Farage

Vote Leave ‘Broke Electoral Law’ - Whistleblowers Respond

Whistleblowers Shahmir Sanni and Chris Wylie respond to Vote Leave's alleged overspending ahead of an Electoral Commission report expected to find the official Leave campaign guilty of breaking electoral law. Earlier Vote Leave's former chief Matthew Elliott spoke to Channel 4 News and denied the allegations.

Trump Grants Himself King-like Powers With FART Act

The Trump administration has put together a draft of new rules. The draft of the new rules are collected under what they’ve called the United States Fair and Reciprocal Tariff Act – in other words, Trump wants to enact the FART Act to grant himself new powers over trade and tariffs that rebuke both US and international laws. Trump is drunk with power, and it only seems fitting that his FART Act exposes it. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

Special Report: America's Healthcare - The Great Divide

The US is the only advanced economy without guaranteed healthcare, but even those who work face a huge divide in care.

#F24Debate: Power Grab? Protests in Poland as Government Forces Out Judges

President Donald Trump Lambasts Leaders of NATO Allies | Morning Joe | MSNBC

President Trump has written letters to the leaders of NATO allies including Germany, Belgium, Norway and Canada and warning the United States is losing patience, according to New York Times reporting. The panel discusses.

What If NATO Members Ignore Trump's Call on Spending? | Inside Story

Leaked letters are said to show the U.S. President's increasing frustration with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Donald Trump accuses allies in the military alliance of failing to adequately pay for their protection.

The New York Times says Trump wrote to NATO members, including the leaders of Belgium, Canada and Germany. In his letter to Chancellor Angela Merkel, he warned that what he called Germany's continued under-spending on defence undermines the security of the alliance.

Will NATO members heed Trump's call? And is the North Atlantic alliance still relevant?

Presenter: Elizabeth Puranam | Guests: Peter Galbraith - Former U.S. Ambassador to Croatia & former UN envoy to Afghanistan; Marko Nihkelson - Estonian Member of Parliament & head of the Estonian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly; Fabrice Pothier - Former Director of Policy Planning at NATO

Sickening Troublemaker Farage on Fox Business Stirring Trouble for Angela Merkel, the EU

Nigel Farage, European Parliament member, on Europe’s migrant crisis, Angela Merkel and Brexit.

Trump Regretting North Korea Deal

Trump is backpedaling on the North Korea deal he was so proud of. Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian, the hosts of The Young Turks, break it down.

#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — July 3, 2018

Europe Migration Crisis: Austria's Kurz Building Bridges? | Al Jazeera English

On Sunday, Austria takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union for the next six months. It means Chancellor Sebastian Kurz will temporarily lead an institution struggling to find a united front on migration. Kurz is pro-European but has taken a tough line on immigration in the past. So what direction will the bloc take with Austria at the helm? Al Jazeera's Dominic Kane reports from Oberndorf bei Salzburg.

French Muslims Apprehensive and Alienated

Obama Speechwriter on Trump's "Healthy Regard for Dictators"

Ben Rhodes played a key role in crafting both the Iran deal and the historic thawing in relations between the US and Cuba - and was by Obama's side on all but one of his overseas trips. Here he gives his views on the world after Obama.

Rhodes was deputy foreign policy advisor and speechwriter for the Obama administration, joining the Obama campaign as a speechwriter when he was just 29 years old. Rhodes stayed on for the full eight years of his term, tasked with the role of interpreting and explaining Obama's vision for the world.

In a new book, he reveals that after the election of Donald Trump, Obama wondered whether his presidency came too early, for a world that wasn't ready.

Conservatives’ Civil War over Brexit?

"Pipe down" and "Put a sock in it" - the playground insults from senior Tories were flying on Twitter today in response to arch-Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg's warning that the Prime Minister must deliver the Brexit she promised or risk the collapse of her government.

It feels as though an out-and-out civil war is in full swing within the party as battle lines are drawn in the run-up to Friday's crucial meeting at Chequers, where Theresa May will thrash out the government's Brexit policy with her cabinet. Two Conservative MPs, leading Brexiteer John Redwood, and Simon Hoare, who earlier today tweeted that Jacob Rees-Mogg's warning to the Prime Minister was "blackmail" and "hectoring nonsense", give their views.

Fascism in Italy: The Hipster Fascists Trying to Bring Mussolini Back into the Mainstream

In this short documentary we meet the small, fascist party that runs a youth hostel, a medical centre and a food bank - but only if you're Italian.

#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — July 2, 2018

Italy's Salvini Calls for European Anti-refugee Alliance

Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has called for the formation of a Europe-wide anti-refugee alliance. Addressing the annual gathering of his League Party, Salvini said he is thinking of a European alliance which unites all the free movements that want to defend their borders.

The World This Week – EU Migrant Divide; Trump's Supreme Court; Mexico Elections; World Cup: #LetHerWork

Trump Pursues Israel ‘Peace Plan’ to Break off Gaza, Without Input from Palestinians

While US President Trump reportedly hopes to use Gulf funding to pressure Egypt to take over Gaza, splitting it from the West Bank, expert Phyllis Bennis warns no Israel peace deal is possible when "there is no Palestinian voice" involved.

Antisemitism Pushing France's Jews to Consider Israel Move

A wave of hate crime against Jews is forcing many to take extra security measures. Some are even considering what had once been unimaginable to them -- moving to Israel.

Nicola Sturgeon: UK Lacks Realism in Brexit Negotiations | DW English

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon discussed the ongoing Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU during an interview with DW. She said the Tories' accusations that the SNP was "weaponizing" Brexit to undermine negotiations were "nonsense."

How Brexit Has Reduced Northern Ireland to Culture Wars

Exclusive: Sergey Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, on Skripals, Trump 'Kompromat' (compromising material) Claims and Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Exclusive Channel 4 News interview with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He accuses Britain of 'extermination of the evidence' in the Skripal poisoning and of 'all kinds of tricks' to change the rules of the OPCW.

#antisemitism : Anti-Semitism Incidents Fuel Migrant Debate in Germany

After a spate of antisemitic attacks Germany's 100,000 strong Jewish community is becoming increasingly anxious about a new wave of hate crime. There are fears that it may be linked to an upsurge in migration from Muslim countries hostile to Israel.

Trump to Macron: Why Don't You Leave the European Union?

In a story for the Washington Post, CNN political analyst Josh Rogin reports that during a private conversation, President Trump suggested to French President Emmanuel Macron that France leave the European Union.

#bbcqt : Question Time – June 28, 2018

This week's Question Time, filmed in Exeter, where panellists focus on key issues such as Heathrow expansion and Brexit. All rights go to the BBC and Mentorn Scotland.

Sophie Pedder: Emmanuel Macron - the President Who Has "Changed the Face of Parliament"

Sole Survivor Of Holocaust Finds More Than Uncanny Parallels to his Past in Trump

Are the comparisons being made between the Trump administration and Nazi Germany hyperbolic, Dr. Henry Oster, Sole Survivor of the Holocaust from Cologne Germany, doesn't think so.

The Kindness of the Hangman »

#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — June 28, 2018

Angela Merkel Under Fire in Bavaria - BBC Newsnight

Gabriel Gatehouse reports from Bavaria where German Chancellor Angela Merkel has come under fire over her refugee policy.

Donald "Roach Restaurant" Trump Attacks "Dirty" Red Hen

Trump is legendary for his projection, even among Republicans. Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks, breaks it down.

Saudi Women Hit the Road as Kingdom Overturns Ban on Female Driving

A Brief History of Fat, and Why We Hate It

Fat is a complex organ, as essential as the heart or liver. Why do we hate it? Produced by the Science Communication Lab.

#democracynow: Top US News & World Headlines — June 27, 2018

Lawmaker: I Won't Delete Retweet of Nazi Sympathizer

CNN's Chris Cuomo questions Rep. Steve King (R-IA) about retweeting a message from a self-described Nazi sympathizer who has expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Steve King »

”Dave Rubin Is a Clueless Fraud”

Dave Rubin is one clueless guy! Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian, hosts of The Young Turks, break it down.

#F24Debate: The Migration Crisis: An Unholy Rift

Keith Ellison: Court Tailored to Trump's Ugly Philosophy

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), the first Muslim elected to Congress, reacts to the Supreme Court's decision to uphold President Trump's travel ban, saying Trump has "his Supreme Court tailor-made to his ugly philosophy."

US ‘Isolated’ as Iran Moves Closer to EU & Russia – Professor

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned Iran will ‘face the wrath of the world’ if it pursues nuclear weapons. Meanwhile the top diplomats of Germany, United Kingdom, Russia and France are scrambling to rebuild the nuclear deal the United States abandoned in May. Dan Kovalik, professor of international human rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, joins Manila Chan to discuss.

Obama Adviser to Democrats: Don’t Follow Trump to the Bottom

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod discusses Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) call to confront Trump officials.

#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — June 26, 2018

How Mitt Romney Plans to Take on Trump

CNN's Dana Bash reports on Mitt Romney's complex approach to President Trump as he runs for senate in Utah, saying he is ready to speak out against Trump if he disagrees, but recognizes it's Trump's Republican Party.

Dan Rather: Trump Not a Descendant of Some God

Journalist Dan Rather says Trump's call to take away due process for undocumented immigrants is contrary to American ideals and classic authoritarianism.

Sanders Speaks about Being Asked to Leave Restaurant

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders addresses being asked to leave a Virginia restaurant, saying "calls for harassment and the push for any Trump supporter to avoid the public is unacceptable."

'One Man Rule' for Turkey after Erdogan's Election Win?

Turkey has become a "one-man regime" - the words of President Erdogan's main rival after losing yesterday's election by ten million votes. The Turkish leader wins another five years in office, in what is seen as the country's most important poll in decades.