Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Lionel Richie – Do It To Me


Pathetic, Incoherent, Chaotic: Europe's Verdict on Brexit Shambles


THE GUARDIAN: UK’s reputation for diplomacy, pragmatism and self-restraint has all but gone, say politicians and officials across EU

When he started out as a young civil servant, said Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, a German MP from the liberal Free Democratic party, Britain was “always held up as a model of good diplomacy, of pragmatism and of self-restraint”.

That was then. Now, with the UK’s scheduled exit barely a week away and still no clarity in sight, “No one would sign up to that view,” Lambsdorff said. “Now, the UK is seen as neither pragmatic, self-restrained, nor a model.”

For politicians, diplomats and officials across the continent, the past two-and-a-half years of Britain’s fraught, seemingly interminable and increasingly shambolic departure from the EU have proved an eye-opener.

Some have responded with humour. Nathalie Loiseau, France’s Europeminister, said recently that if she had one, she would call her cat Brexit: “It wakes me up miaowing because it wants to go out. When I open the door, its sits there, undecided. Then it looks daggers at me when I put it out.”

Others have found it harder to laugh. To the shock of many, Brexit has revealed a country they long looked up to locked in a narrative of its own exceptionalism, talking mainly to itself, incoherent, entitled, incapable of compromise (with itself or its neighbours), wholly unrealistic, and startlingly ignorant of the workings of an organisation it has belonged to for nearly 50 years. » | Jon Henley and Guardian correspondents | Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Why Americans Choose Islam with Bob Waalkes Who Accepts Islam on The Deen Show


What's Your Source? How to Tell Right from Wrong in the Age of Social Media


As fake news rises and its dangers become more clear than ever after the Christchurch terror attack, join François Picard for a debate on social media and its distribution of misinformation. Along with guests: Derek Thomson, Nathalie Terrades, Jackson Webster and Christoph Scott

Tony Blair: 'This Government Is in a State of Dysfunction' – BBC Newsnight


Science and the Swastika : Hitler's Biological Soldiers


Scott Morrison Responds to Turkish President's Gallipoli Comments


Ahead of issuing a dressing-down to the Turkish ambassador, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison was highly critical of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's accusation of Islamophobia in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack. He said it was the job of politicians to take the heat out of such situations and no to to inflame them

Christchurch Shooting: Gun Owners Begin to Hand In Their Weapons


THE GUARDIAN: Dozens of firearms have been handed in to stations around New Zealand after appeal from Jacinda Ardern

New Zealanders have begun handing in their firearms to police in the wake of Friday’s mass shooting in Christchurch which resulted in the deaths of at least 50 people.

New Zealand police said that, as of Tuesday night, at least 37 firearms had been handed in to police officers around the country.

The prime minister is expected to announce changes to gun laws in the coming days, including measures such as a ban on semi-automatic rifles, a plan that was flagged by her attorney general, David Parker, one day after the massacre.

She emerged from a long cabinet meeting on Monday, Jacinda Ardern said her team would take the rest of the week to work out the details after agreeing to make changes “in principle”, adding: “These aren’t simple areas of law. So that’s simply what we’ll be taking the time to get right.” » | Kate Lyons | Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Christchurch Mosque Attacks: Burials Begin as Ardern Urges Students to Reject Hate


THE GUARDIAN: New Zealand prime minister returns to city where 50 were killed as foreign minister heads to Turkey

Burials for the 50 people killed the New Zealand terrorist attack have begun in Christchurch as the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, returned to the city to pay her respects and comfort those affected by the killings.

On Wednesday, father and son Khaled and Hamza Mustafa, who arrived in New Zealand as refugees from Syria, were the first victims to be buried. The prime minister told reporters: “I cannot tell you how gutting it is to know that a family came here for safety and for refuge, and they should have been safe here.”

Earlier, police said they planned to release most of the bodies back to their families by Wednesday night, with Ardern promising to work with authorities to see if the coronial process could be sped up in future to comply with Islamic burial rites. » | Calla Wahlquist and Eleanor Ainge Roy in Christchurch | Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Labour Formally Adopts Definition of Islamophobia


THE GUARDIAN: All-party parliamentary group definition says Islamophobia is ‘rooted in racism’

The Labour party has formally adopted a definition of Islamophobia, arguing that it is vital to tackling the rise of far-right racism.

A party spokesperson said its national executive committee had adopted the working definition produced by the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims “to help tackle Islamophobia, build a common understanding of its causes and consequences, and express solidarity with Muslim communities”.

The definition reads: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” » | Frances Perraudin | Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Jared Kushner: Power Hungry and Intent on Enriching Himself?


They were once considered a moderating influence on Donald Trump's Presidency. A new book, though, portrays Mr Trump's daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka and Jared Kushner, as a power-hungry couple, concerned primarily with enriching themselves.

The White House has dismissed it as "fiction". But there are long-standing concerns in the US over Mr Kushner's business dealings and the level of influence he has over foreign policy.

Kushner has been caught up in investigations by the Mueller Inquiry and Congress. We report from Baltimore.


'All Options Are On The table,' Morrison Warns over Erdoğan's Gallipoli Threat


THE GUARDIAN: Australian PM denounces Turkish president for saying anyone who came to Gallipoli with anti-Muslim sentiments would be sent back in coffins

The Australian prime minister has reacted furiously to comments by the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, invoking Gallipoli to denounce anti-Islamic sentiment, warning that “all options are on the table” due to the offensive remarks.

Scott Morrison said Australia will review its travel advisory for Turkey, a threat that could see Australians directed not to travel to Turkey for Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli, attended by thousands every year on 25 April.

In inflammatory comments on Monday, Erdoğan suggested that anyone who comes to Turkey with anti-Muslim sentiments would be sent back in coffins, “like their grandfathers were” during the Gallipoli campaign. » | Paul Karp | Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Tory MPs Vow to Quit Party If Boris Johnson Becomes Leader


THE GUARDIAN: With many MPs convinced that PM’s days are numbered some are saying they will not stay in party run by ‘Brexit ultras’

Conservative MPs are orchestrating against a potential leadership campaign by Boris Johnson, with several talking of resigning the whip if he were to become party leader.

With Tories convinced that Theresa May’s days in No 10 are numbered, MPs are feverishly discussing who will seek to replace her, how organised the teams are and whether a general election would be necessary.

Johnson is the current favourite of Brexit-backing Tory activists, who will pick the leader out of a final two candidates. However, the former London mayor would first have to clear the hurdle of convincing Conservative MPs to put him on the final list of two.

One minister said she would leave the party if Johnson and his supporters, such as Jacob Rees-Mogg, took over the Conservatives. » | Rowena Mason, Deputy political editor | Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Donald Trump Jr and John Bolton Berate UK Leaders over Brexit


THE GUARDIAN: President’s son and US national security adviser in apparent coordinated intervention

Donald Trump Jr and the US national security adviser, John Bolton, spoke out over Brexit on Tuesday in what appeared to be a coordinated intervention by the White House into British domestic politics.

Both the US president’s son and Bolton attacked British political leadership after Theresa May said she would ask the EU for a delay to the UK’s exit from the European Union; in line with parliament’s wish.

In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Trump Jr said May should have listened to his father’s advice over Brexit, saying that a “process that should have taken only a few short months has become a years-long stalemate, leaving the British people in limbo”. According to the prime minister, Trump advised her to “sue the EU – not go into negotiations”. » | Kevin Rawlinson | Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Barnier Says EU Must Weigh Cost and Benefit of Any Brexit Delay


Michel Barnier has warned the UK government that a prolonged extension may only make sense if it increases the chances of a deal being ratified by British parliament. The EU’s chief negotiator said the bloc’s heads of state and government would want to be convinced of the usefulness of extra time, given the costs involved. Barnier added that the British government and parliament must decide quickly on how to move forward


Price of Brexit delay could be referendum or election, says Barnier »

Nazi Medical Crimes | DW Documentary


The Allied occupation of Strasbourg on November 23, 1944, spelled the end of the Reich University.

Most professors had fled, but Johannes Stein, Dean of the Medical Faculty, stayed on. What did he know about the crimes of the National Socialists? Most professors had already fled, only a few had stayed on. One of them was Johannes Stein, Dean of the Medical Faculty and grandfather of Kirsten Esch, the author of this film. This documentary is her coming to terms with her own family history. During the Third Reich, this university was seen as a prestige project of National Socialism. Intended as a spiritual bulwark of German culture in occupied Alsace, it was meant to spread Nazi ideology westwards and even eclipse the Sorbonne in Paris. The faculties were staffed with what were purportedly the best minds in Germany, including the Third Reich’s leading lawyer Ernst Rudolf Huber, and the physicist and later peace researcher Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker. In her film, the author looks at her grandfather’s role as Dean of the Medical Faculty. What did he know about the crimes committed there? Did he ever visit the nearby Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp, where August Hirt conducted unspeakable "experiments" on human beings? But Kirsten Esch also looks at the Reich University as a place of resistance, and talks about the local students who, led by Alphonse Adam, opposed the compulsory conscription of Alsatian men to the German Wehrmacht. For their resistance, many were sentenced to death.


Blackwater's Erik Prince: Iraq, Privatising Wars, and Trump | Head to Head


Why Trudeau's Popularity Has Taken a Nosedive


Justin Trudeau became Canadian prime minister on a platform of being nice and a clever social media campaign. The FT's Ravi Mattu explains why maintaining his carefully constructed image was always going to be difficult

Fareed on Brexit: Britain Suddenly Looks Like a Banana Republic


CNN's Fareed Zakaria reviews the historical path that led to Brexit, as well as the potential consequences it could have on Britain and the West.

Yasir Amin Survived the Christchurch Shooting


Yasir Amin survived the Christchurch shootings. He and his father were on their way to Friday prayers when they came across the gunman.

Yasir did not see the man who shot his father and said all he could "remember is a big gun".

As the car drove away, Yasir called an ambulance. He had no idea of the carnage just metres away from him inside the mosque.

Yasir wanted to stay by his father's bedside at the hospital, but was given another grim task: identifying the bodies of other victims at the morgue.

One of the nine people he identified was his best friend, Nahim Rashid.


Monday, March 18, 2019

Persecution of Homosexuals in Germany: During and After the Holocaust – Geoffrey Giles


Geoffrey Giles, a scholar of groundbreaking research and writings on the Allied occupation of Germany, speaks about the persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany and in post-war, occupied Germany.

Constitutional Chaos after Third Vote on Brexit Deal Blocked


THE GUARDIAN: PM likely to have to request long article 50 extension after Bercow intervenes

Theresa May’s government has been plunged into constitutional chaos after the Speaker blocked the prime minister from asking MPs to vote on her Brexit deal for a third time unless it had fundamentally changed.

With 11 days to go until Britain is due to leave the EU, May was forced to pull her plans for another meaningful vote because John Bercow said she could not ask MPs to pass the same deal, after they rejected it twice by huge margins. EU officials meanwhile were considering offering her a new date for a delayed Brexit to resolve the crisis.

Quoting from the guide to parliamentary procedure, Erskine May, Bercow said the question “may not be brought forward again during the same session” and that it was a “strong and longstanding convention” dating back to 1604. It must be “not different in terms of wording, but different in terms of substance”, he said, suggesting there must be a change in what the EU is offering. » | Jessica Elgot, Rowena Mason and Daniel Boffeyin Brussels | Monday, March 18, 2019

Bertram Schaffner on Helping Gay Soldiers during WWII


WWII Veteran Bertram Schaffner, a gay man himself, talks about how he dealt with the military's anti-gay policy while evaluating draftees.

Trump Backs Jeanine Pirro after Fall-out over Comments on Islam


President Trump is defending Fox News host Jeanine Pirro after her show was off the air Saturday night. The scheduling change came one week after she was criticized for doubting Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar's patriotism.

Maajid Nawaz – "Far-right Terrorism Is the Fastest Growing Threat in the West" – CNN


Quilliam International's founder, Maajid Nawaz, on CNN with Anderson Cooper discussing the New Zealand Mosque terror attacks. Maajid explains how It's "important that instead of responding to these sorts of incidents with more hate and more anger, that all of us make every effort to hold our societies together and challenge extremism from any direction that we see it."

President Donald Trump Gives Lukewarm Condemnation Of White Nationalists | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBC


The death toll is rising after the massacre in New Zealand with 50 people now dead. Stephanie Ruhle is joined by NBC’s Geoff Bennett to discuss the White House’s response to the horrific attack and New York Times Contributing Opinion Writer Wajahat Ali to discuss the president’s lukewarm condemnation of white nationalists in the wake of the shooting.

Meghan McCain: Trump 'Will Never Be a Great Man'


Meghan McCain continued her fierce pushback against President Donald Trump, who over the weekend revived his long-running feud with her father, the late Sen. John McCain. "Listen, he spends his weekend obsessing over great men because he knows it, and I know it, and all of you know it: he will never be a great man," McCain said on ABC's "The View," where she is a co-host.

Face To Face | Carl Gustav Jung (1959) HQ


John Freeman interviews Professor Jung at his home in Switzerland. (Theme music: excerpt from Les Francs-Juges by Berlioz)


Full Interview here »

Dr Ali Ataie – Secret of Names of Prophets


Is Tucker Carlson a White Supremacist? | March 13, 2019 Act 1 | Full Frontal on TBS


A number of deeply upsetting comments from Tucker Carlson were recently unearthed, but he's different now: before he was saying them on the radio and now he's saying them on TV!

Donald Trump Jr. Is Being Prepped To Run For President


Did the Anti-Muslim Rhetoric among Australian Politicians Fuel the New Zealand Terror Attacks?


Did the anti-Muslim rhetoric among Australian politicians spur on terrorist Brenton Tarrant, the Australian national who killed at least 50 people in the Christchurch terror attacks?

Three Dead in Shooting in Dutch City of Utrecht: Mayor | Al Jazeera English


Three people are dead and nine wounded after a gunman opened fire in a tram in the central Dutch city of Utrecht says the city's mayor Jan von Zanen.

Dutch authorities have raised the threat level to its highest, and Prime Minister Mark Rutte said all efforts were focusing on the "suspect or suspects" responsible.

Al Jazeera's Fleur Launspach reports from Utrecht.


Former Neo-Nazi: President Trump May Be Complicit in Growing Threat of White Supremacy


President Donald Trump is refusing to acknowledge the global rise of white nationalism in the wake of the hate-fueled New Zealand massacre that left 50 Muslim worshipers dead on Friday. Police have arrested and charged 28-year-old white supremacist Brenton Tarrant with the killings. Before the attacks, Tarrant published a manifesto in which he praised Trump as “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose” and described immigrants as “invaders.” On the same day, Trump claimed there was an “invasion” occurring on the southern border, signing his first presidential veto rejecting a resolution reversing his declaration of a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border. We speak with Christian Picciolini, the founder of Free Radicals Project, a nonprofit helping people disengage from hate and violent extremism. He was a leading neo-Nazi skinhead and far-right extremist in the 1980s and '90s. He is the author of “White American Youth: My Descent into America's Most Violent Hate Movement—and How I Got Out.” We also speak with Khaled Beydoun, a law professor at the University of Arkansas and author of “American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear.”

State-Sponsored Islamophobia & Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Embolden Right-Wing Terrorists


Fifty people are dead, and millions around the globe are mourning, following the massacre at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday. The terrorist attack unfolded during Friday prayer, when a lone gunman and avid white supremacist opened fire on worshipers while live-streaming the attack on Facebook. It was the deadliest shooting in the country’s modern history. The youngest of the dead is 3-year-old Mucad Ibrahim. Police have arrested and charged a 28-year-old Australian white supremacist named Brenton Tarrant with the killings. Tarrant published a manifesto praising President Donald Trump as “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose.” Trump has refused to acknowledge the global rise of white nationalism in the wake of the attack. We speak with Khaled Beydoun, a law professor at the University of Arkansas and the author of “American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear.” He says, “There’s an underbelly of anti-Muslim animus that facilitates the emergence of the very brazen Islamophobia we see today, weaponized by people like President Trump or by terrorists on the ground in places like New Zealand who commit massacres like we saw on Friday.”

Utrecht Shooting: A Gunman Opened Fire at Several Locations - BBC News


A gunman has opened fire inside a tram and at several other locations in the Dutch city of Utrecht, authorities say.

Dutch anti-terrorism co-ordinator Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg said all efforts were now focused on catching the gunman. He also said there could be more than one perpetrator.

The threat level has been temporarily raised to its highest point in the province of Utrecht.

Heavily armed police are reportedly gathered outside a house on a street near the 24 Oktoberplein junction, where the tram attack took place, with reports they are preparing to launch a raid.


Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Sentenced to 38 Years and 148 Lashes


Nasrin Sotoudeh defended political prisoners and worked to abolish Iran's death penalty. Human rights groups are worried her sentence could signal increased repression of peace activism in Iran under a judiciary with a history of human rights violations

Are Trump Supporters the Most Gullible People on Earth?


Back before most of us were born, President Harry Truman called out the GOP for lying to the American people, saying they were using “the best propaganda money can buy.” Today the GOP is using the exact same tactics. Meet the New GOP Scam, same as the old GOP scam.

Saudi Crown Prince Allegedly Stripped of Some Authority


THE GUARDIAN: Series of Mohammed bin Salman no-shows at high-profile meetings fed claims of rift with king

The heir to the Saudi throne has not attended a series of high-profile ministerial and diplomatic meetings in Saudi Arabia over the last fortnight and is alleged to have been stripped of some of his financial and economic authority, the Guardian has been told.

The move to restrict, if only temporarily, the responsibilities of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is understood to have been revealed to a group of senior ministers earlier last week by his father, King Salman.

The king is said to have asked Bin Salman to be at this cabinet meeting, but he failed to attend.

While the move has not been declared publicly, the Guardian has been told that one of the king’s trusted advisers, Musaed al-Aiban, who was educated at Harvard and recently named as national security adviser, will informally oversee investment decisions on the king’s behalf.

The Saudi embassy in Washington has declined multiple requests for comment since the Guardian approached it on Tuesday. » | Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington, and Nick Hopkins in London | Monday, March 18, 2019

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Islamophobia Inc | Al Jazeera Investigations


Across the United States, there has been a growth in organizations that portray Islam as a threat.

Over two years, the number of groups that make up what’s become known as the Islamophobia industry has more than tripled.

This investigation reveals the tactics these groups use to instigate a fear of Islam, including how they manipulate social media to create a false narrative that Muslims are trying to take over the country.

Anti-Muslim messages proliferate social media with bought-in followers, fake accounts and robotic amplifiers.

The investigation also shows how these organizations try to suppress the rise of a Muslim political voice in America. It uncovers the “dark money” that has fuelled the rapid growth of Islamophobia Inc. - tens of millions of dollars which is funnelled through secretive, anonymous donor funds.

We unveil the donors of the dark money and ask; what do they ultimately hope to achieve?


New Zealand Mosque Attacks: Social Media Comes Under Attack | Al Jazeera English


Since Friday's attacks at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, social media platforms have been criticised for failing to stop the suspect's shooting video, and hate-filled manifesto, from going viral. Why was it so difficult for the social media giants, with all their resources and latest technology, to contain the spread of videos of New Zealand mosque attacks? Al Jazeera's Mereana Hond reports.

Why Is Islamophobia Increasing in Western Countries? | Inside Story


New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calls it a ‘terrorist attack.’ She was sent a 74-page so-called "manifesto" against Muslims and immigrants by a suspected gunman just minutes before he began firing indiscriminately at the first of two mosques in Christchurch.

In the "manifesto" the suspect describes U.S. President Donald Trump as a symbol of renewed white identity.

When Trump asked Ardern what he could do to help, she told him to show "sympathy and love for all Muslim communities."

So what's driving the hatred and prejudice against Muslims in Western countries? And is it linked to white supremacy?

Presenter: Hazem Sika | Guests: Tasneem Chopra, chair of the Australian Muslim Women's Centre for Human Rights; Rodger Shanahan, research fellow at the Lowy Institute; Matthew Goodwin, professor at the University of Kent and former member of the UK government's Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group.


Philby's Choice. Unknown Life of the World's Most Talented Spy


Gilet Jaunes: Yellow Vest Protesters Fight Police, Ransack Shops and Set Fire to Bank in Paris


THE INDEPENDENT: Interior minister condemns 'ultra violent' group as city is ransacked

Yellow vest protesters hurled stones at police officers, ransacked shops along the Champs-Elysees and set fire to a bank, as Paris saw its 18th consecutive weekend of protests.

Police fired tear gas and water cannons at the anti-government demonstrators after the protests turned violent.

Firefighters rescued two people from a burning bank, with 11 people suffering minor injuries in the blaze.

Two news stands on the avenue also caught fire, as bonfires burned in the streets. By late afternoon police officers had arrested around 120 protesters.

A number of demonstrators ransacked the high-end Fouquet's restaurant and clashed with riot police in front of the Arc de Triomphe. » | Zamira Rahim | Sunday, March 17, 2019


Saturday, March 16, 2019

Holocaust Survivor Anton Mason Testimony


Opinion: Dissecting the Dreams of Brexit Britain


THE NEW YORK TIMES: I've traveled England trying to understand what drives the Brexit psyche.

The June 2016 Brexit referendum left Britain a divided nation. That much we know. But the referendum didn’t create division. It exposed something that was already there, latent. This was hard to see if you attended to people’s conventional political views about taxation or public spending; even the issue of immigration, by itself, wasn’t “it.” Nor was it to be found in something as vague as “feelings” or “emotions.” It lay elsewhere, in the realm of the individual political psyche, that blending of personal, family and nonacademic history, casually informed reasoning, clan prejudice, tribal loyalty and ancestor worship that forms the imaginative framework in which, as we represent it to ourselves, our lives relate to events in the wider world. Read on and comment » | James Meek | Mr. Meek is the author, most recently, of “Dreams of Leaving and Remaining.” | Friday, March 15, 2019

Friday, March 15, 2019

The Guardian View on the Christchurch Attacks: Extremism’s Rising Danger


THE GUARDIAN: The far right seeks to divide. Responsible politicians ought, especially in times of grief and anger, to bring people together

New Zealand is best known for its breathtaking wilderness, found in distant but secure islands at the edge of the world. On Friday that changed. Forty-nine people were killed in shootings at two mosques in central Christchurch in a suspected terrorist attack during the congregational prayer. The horrific events have left the country in mourning and shock. Muslims make up less than 1% of New Zealand’s population and the faith’s most prominent adherent is a rugby player. This was a stupefying amount of lethal force in a country that saw only 35 homicides in all of 2017. New Zealand as a nation will collectively have to deal with a trauma that no parent, no relative, no friend should ever endure. » | Editorial | Friday, March 15, 2019

Could Brexit Be Delayed? - Inside Story


'Brexit means Brexit' - or maybe it doesn't after all.

Britain's Prime Minister has repeated her slogan many times, insisting that Britain will leave the European Union on March the 29th. But with just two weeks to go, MPs have voted to delay the divorce until June.

The leaders of ALL EU countries now need to decide whether that can happen. And despite the biggest vote defeat in British parliamentary history, Theresa May says she'll try one more time next week to persuade MPs to back her withdrawal deal.

Will the European Union delay Brexit?

Presenter: Hazem Sika | Guests: Catherine McBride - Senior Economist, International Trade and Competition Unit at the Institute of Economic Affairs, London; Donnacha O'Beachain - Associate Professor, School of Law and Government, Dublin City University; Jon Worth - European Union Affairs blogger and visiting lecturer, College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium


North Korea Threatens to Scuttle Talks With the U.S. and Resume Tests


THE NEW YORK TIMES: North Korea threatened on Friday to suspend negotiations with the Trump administration over the North’s nuclear arms program and said its leader, Kim Jong-un, would soon decide whether to resume nuclear and missile tests.

Addressing diplomats and foreign correspondents at a news conference in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui said that personal relations between Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump were “still good and the chemistry is mysteriously wonderful.”

But she said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, had created an “atmosphere of hostility and mistrust” that thwarted the top leaders’ negotiations in Hanoi, Vietnam, last month.

After the Hanoi meeting ended without a deal, the North Korean leader had serious doubts about the merits of continuing negotiations with Mr. Trump, Ms. Choe said. » | Choe Sang-Hun | Friday, March 15, 2019

Holocaust Survivor Frank Shurman Testimony


This testimony from Jewish Survivor Frank Shurman is from the archive of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute and is also featured in Echoes & Reflections: A Multimedia Curriculum on the Holocaust.

Irish PM Brings Partner to Meet Mike Pence and Delivers Pointed Remarks on Sexuality


THE GUARDIAN: Leo Varadkar spoke on the changes for Ireland and called out various forms of discrimination

The Irish prime minister, Leo Varadkar, who is gay, brought his partner to a meeting on Thursday with the US vice-president, Mike Pence, a conservative Christian once dubbed “the face of anti-LGBTQ hate in America”.

Varadkar, who is in Washington this week to reaffirm the longstanding shared history between the two countries, brought his partner, Matt Barrett, to a St Patrick’s Day breakfast at the vice-presidential residence at the Naval Observatory.

Varadkar tweeted that he and Barrett had received a “warm reception” at Pence’s home, but in pointed remarks to Pence and gathered media, he also called out various forms of discrimination.

“I lived in a country where if I’d tried to be myself at the time, it would have ended up breaking laws,” he said. “But today, that is all changed. I stand here, leader of my country, flawed and human, but judged by my political actions, and not by my sexual orientation, my skin tone, gender or religious beliefs.” » | Luke O’Neil | Thursday, March 14, 2019

Jacinda Ardern Says Christchurch Mosque Shootings Were Terrorist Attack


New Zealand's prime minister has issued 'the strongest possible condemnation of the ideology of the people who did this' after mass shootings at two mosques. The country's terrorism threat level has been raised and flights in and out of Christchurch were cancelled as intelligence agencies worked to secure the city. Mass shooting at two Christchurch mosques – video report.


THE GUARDIAN: What we know so far »

THE GUARDIAN: Far-right ideology detailed in Christchurch shooting 'manifesto' » | Lisa Martin | Friday, March 15, 2019

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Trump’s War Hawk Advisors Have Pushed Us Into A New Cold War


The Trump Administration has put us back into a new Cold War, thanks to his incompetent, war-hungry advisors. By pulling the US out of the INF treaty with Russia, this administration has launched a new arms race that could dwarf what we saw during the decades of the Cold War. The only people who come out on top of this are the defense contractors. Ring of Fire’s Mike Papantonio and Farron Cousins discuss this issue.

Tucker Carlson Reaches New Deplorable Level And Dave Rubin Fails On Fox News


Tucker Carlson added some more bigotry to his show. Dave Rubin becomes Fox News’ newest shill. Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks, breaks it down.

MPs to Vote on Second Referendum Amendment for First Time


THE GUARDIAN: Labour, Tory, SNP, Lib Dem and Plaid Cymru MPs also sign amendment to give Commons indicative votes

MPs will vote on a second referendum amendment for the first time as well as on a cross-party motion that would allow the Commons to take control of the Brexit process.

The Speaker unexpectedly selected a second referendum amendment from Sarah Wollaston for voting on Thursday night. Wollaston, who recently defected from the Conservatives to the Independent Group, has won support from the Lib Dems for her amendment.

It says that the UK’s exit from the European Union should be delayed for the purpose of “legislating for and conducting a public vote” in which staying in the EU is an option. » | Dan Sabbagh | Thursday, March 14, 2019

Holocaust Survivor Ernest Lobet Testimony


This testimony from Jewish Holocaust Survivor Ernest Lobet is from the archive of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute.


Wednesday, March 13, 2019

MPs Reject No-deal Brexit by Majority of 43 in Second Vote


THE GUARDIAN: Brexit delay possible after MPs vote against leaving European Union without a deal

MPs have inflicted a fresh defeat on Theresa May, rejecting the idea of Britain leaving the EU without a deal and clearing the way for Brexit to be delayed.

After the prime minister’s deal was heavily voted down for a second time on Tuesday, she announced a government motion ruling out a no-deal Brexit on 29 March – overturning her longstanding policy of refusing to rule it out.

May promised MPs a free vote, but the motion was carefully worded, with the final sentence stating that, “leaving without a deal remains the default in UK and EU law unless this house and the EU ratify an agreement”.

However, MPs voted by 312 to 308 to support a backbench amendment which struck out that last phrase so as to rule out a no-deal exit altogether. » | Heather Stewart, Political editor | Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Trump Autographs Bibles In Alabama Because Nothing Makes Sense Anymore


Donald Trump toured disaster areas in Alabama last Friday after a monster tornado destroyed a town and left more than 20 people dead. But the President didn’t waste too much time mourning those we had lost, as he then headed to a church where he signed bibles for phony religious Republicans. This is exactly the kind of thing that the bible warned us about, and this fake evangelicals don’t even realize it. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

Chris Hedges: US Record Suicides Prove Economic Decline


Chris Hedges, author and host of RT America’s “On Contact” joins Rick Sanchez to discuss the skyrocketing problem of suicide and self-destructive behavior and why we should only expect it to get worse.

I'm Not Afraid Of Anyone, Particularly President Trump: Elizabeth Warren | Morning Joe | MSNBC


Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., shares here thoughts on being a capitalist, why she isn't afraid of the president in a race, breaking up 'big tech' and why she believes in markets with rules and a 'cop on the beat'.

The West Should Cut Ties With Saudi Arabia


With friends like these, who needs enemies? Saudi Arabia is out of control. After the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, most likely on direct orders from the Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed Bin Salman, it’s time for the West to sever ties with this regime of criminal despots. The House of Saud assassinates journalists and imprisons dissidents. Its military indiscriminately bombs civilians in the cruel war against Yemen, which has led to a massive humanitarian catastrophe with an estimated 85,000 children dying of starvation. And that’s not to mention the Saudi regime’s oppression of women and religious minorities, or its troubling support for Islamist fundamentalism around the world. Saudi Arabia has long been accused of backing terrorist organisations and funding the extremist schools that provide them with recruits and influence. Saudi Arabia is a menace, and the West should end its alliance with this pernicious regime.

That’s the high-minded reasoning of the Saudi-bashers. But no matter how much we abhor the behaviour of the Saudi government, shouldn’t we consider our own interests before ending a hugely beneficial decades-old partnership? After all, as more pragmatically-minded people point out, Saudi Arabia is a crucial bulwark against the dangerous influence of Iran, which threatens the region with its expansionist ambitions. Saudi Arabia also provides the West with vital intelligence in the fight against groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS. And while we may not like the conservative form of Islam practised in the Kingdom, is that any of our business? If it is, shouldn’t we support its reform-minded Crown Prince? After all, he has lifted the ban on Saudi women driving, allowed cinemas to reopen for the first time in 35 years, and has promised to introduce a more moderate form of Islam to the Kingdom. Shouldn’t the West give him a chance?

The BBC’s star international correspondent Lyse Doucet chaired a line-up of Middle East experts. Who’s right and who’s wrong? Hear the arguments and decide for yourself.


Tucker Carlson's Racism Revealed


Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Auch Mays neuer Brexit-Deal wird abgeschmettert


FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Nächste große Pleite für Theresa May: Auch das nachgebesserte Austrittsabkommen mit der EU wird vom britischen Parlament mit großer Mehrheit abgelehnt. Wie geht es nun weiter?

Bei der Abstimmung über das Brexit-Abkommen mit der Europäischen Union am Dienstagabend im britischen Parlament hat Premierministerin Theresa Mayabermals eine Niederlage erlitten. Auch den mit Brüssel nachgebesserten Deal unterstützt die große Mehrheit der Abgeordneten nicht. Insgesamt stimmten 391 Parlamentarier gegen das Abkommen – und nur 242 dafür. Es ist bereits die zweite schwere Niederlage für den Deal, den May im vergangenen Jahr mit der EU vereinbart hatte. » | Quelle: sreu./dpa | Dienstag, 12. März 2019

Brexit : le Parlement britannique rejette à nouveau l'accord de May


LE FIGARO: Les députés britanniques ont rejeté mardi soir l’accord de Brexit négocié entre Londres et Bruxelles, par 391 voix contre 242, plongeant le Royaume-Uni dans l’incertitude à 17 jour de la date prévue du divorce. Le texte avait déjà été massivement rejeté en janvier. Après le vote de ce mardi, la première ministre Theresa May a répété que cet accord était «le seul et meilleur accord possible». En revanche, pour le chef de l'opposition travailliste, Jeremy Corbyn, cet accord "est mort". » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | Mardi 12 Mars 2019

MPs Ignore May's Pleas and Defeat Her Brexit Deal by 149 Votes


THE GUARDIAN: Despite late concessions in Strasbourg, PM’s plan voted down for second time

Theresa May has suffered a second humiliating defeat on her Brexit deal, as MPs rejected the last-minute reassurances she won from the EU27 on Monday, and voted it down by a majority of 149.

With just 17 days to go until the UK is due to leave the EU, MPs ignored the prime minister’s pleas to “get the deal done”, after the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) said it could not support the agreement.

With her voice cracked and fading, the prime minister had earlier pleaded with the House of Commons: “This is the moment and this is the time – time for us to come together, back this motion and get the deal done. Because only then can we can get on with what we need to do, what we were sent here to do.” » | Heather Stewart, Political editor | Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Holocaust Survivor Brian "Baruch" Bergman


This testimony from Jewish Holocaust Survivor Brian Bergman i is from USC Shoah Foundation's Visual History Archive®, an online portal that allows users to search through and view more than 55,000 video testimonies of survivors and witnesses of genocide.

Tucker Carlson's Sexist Rants Reveal an Ugly Truth


THE GUARDIAN: The Fox News host has shown us just how much misogyny continues to be tolerated – and encouraged – by men

Tucker Carlson, the Fox News commentator with a primetime show and a history of vitriolic racist rants, is in the news again after the media watchdog group Media Matters unearthed recordings of him from the mid-aughts, in which Carlson calls into a radio shock jock program to make a series of luridly sexist assertions and racist asides, palling around with a host who goes by the moniker “Bubba the Love Sponge”.

In the recordings, Carlson says women are “like dogs”, claiming: “They’re extremely primitive, they’re basic, they’re not that hard to understand.” He insists that women find misogynist degradation pleasurable and makes sexual, antagonistic comments about women he does and does not like. » | Moira Donegan | Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Sunday, March 10, 2019

A Conversation with Tova Friedman – Holocaust Survivor


Tova Friedman gives a detailed account of her experience during WWII. Including her time in Poland and the Auschwitz Concentration Camp.

Saturday, March 09, 2019

Niklas Frank: "Die Deutschen müssten wissen, wohin es führt" | DW Deutsch


Niklas Frank ist der Sohn jenes Mannes, der als Hitlers Generalgouverneur im besetzten Polen verantwortlich war für die NS-Vernichtungslager im Land. Niklas Frank hat seine Vergangenheit schonungslos aufgearbeitet - die Deutschen aber hätten es nicht, sagt er im DW-Interview.

Niklas Frank on the German People


A rare honest appraisal of the German People by a son of one its cruelest Nazi murderers. Niklas Frank is the son of Hans Frank, the German Governor-General of occupied Poland during World War II. He spoke about his father and the German nation on the SBS Insight Program broadcast on 4 August 2015.

Shamima Begum: IS Teen's Baby Death 'Tragedy' – BBC Newsnight


The son of Shamima Begum - who fled London to join the Islamic State group - has died in a Syrian refugee camp. Dal Babu, a former Metropolitan Police chief superintendent and friend of the Begum family joins Katie Razzall in the studio, alongside the Daily Mail's Larisa Brown, who met Shamima and her son in the camp last month. The UK Home Office declined to speak to Newsnight.

Friday, March 08, 2019

Shamima Begum: Baby Son Dies in Syrian Refugee Camp


THE GUARDIAN: Three-week-old infant is the third child the teenager from east London has lost

The newborn son of Shamima Begum has died and been buried in a Syrian refugee camp, three separate sources have confirmed to the Guardian.

The baby boy, named Jarrah, was buried on Friday, three weeks after the east London teenager turned Islamic State devotee gave birth.

The sources include a Kurdish intelligence official who said the infant had been hospitalised in al-Roj camp in north-eastern Syria with breathing difficulties several times in the past week. A friend of Begum said that “the baby turned blue and was cold” before being rushed to a clinic inside the camp. Jarrah is understood to have been buried along with two other children who were burned in a fire on Thursday night. » | Martin Chulov in Beirut and Mohammed Rasool | Friday, March 8, 2019

HARDtalk Niklas Frank Son of Hans Frank, Governor of Nazi Occupied Poland 1939 – 45


HARDtalk is in rural northern Germany to meet Niklas Frank, a journalist and writer but also the son of Hans Frank, the brutal Nazi Governor of Poland from 1939 to 1945. He was convicted of war crimes and executed after the Nuremberg trials for the major role he played in the deaths of millions of Jews and Poles during the Second World War. Niklas Frank tells Stephen Sackur how he's coped with the crimes of his father and why he will not let his fellow Germans forget the worst aspects of the Nazi era.

Nazi Leader's Son: 'Don't Trust Us' Germans – BBC News


Germany could return to authoritarianism if the economic conditions were to seriously worsen in the country, the son of Hans Frank the governor general of Nazi occupied Poland during World War Two, has told BBC Hardtalk. "As long as our economy is great, and as long as we make money everything is very democratic," said Niklas Frank, but "if we have five to 10 years heavy economic problems the swamp is a lake, and is a sea and will swallow again, everything," he added. Niklas Frank said he "despises" his father for the crimes he committed while he was governor-general of Poland from 1939 to 1945, and tours Germany giving speeches about his father and the legacy of the Nazi era. Hans Frank was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg trials and executed in 1946.

The Hitler Family


German Academics and Authors Call for End to 'Gender Nonsense'


THE GUARDIAN: Open letter hits back at demand for more gender-neutral nouns

A group of German authors, comedians and academics have added fuel to the flames of an increasingly bad-tempered culture war over language bias by calling for a fightback against “ridiculous linguistic constructions” designed to make German more gender-neutral.

In an open letter published by the Dortmund-based German Language Association, signatories including the philosopher Rüdiger Safranski, novelist Peter Schneider, comedian Dieter Hallervorden and the former head of the country’s domestic intelligence Hans-Georg Maassen, hit back against calls for more gender-neutral generic nouns.

In German, where nouns have either a male, female or neuter gender, words for mixed groups of people are traditionally based on the masculine form. If you are talking about a group of teachers, for example, you would say die Lehrer, not die Lehrerinnen. » | Philip Oltermann | Friday, March 8, 2019

Former Chief of Staff John Kelly: We Don't Need a Wall from Sea to Sea


At an appearance at Duke University on Wednesday, President Trump's former chief of staff and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said he doesn't believe we need a wall along the Mexican border from "sea to shining sea." Bob Cusack, editor-in-chief of The Hill, joined CBSN to discuss the day's political news.

Occupation – The German Tragedy


Theodor Morell Documentary - Biography of the Life of Hitler's Doctor Theodor Morell


Biographical Documentary on the life of Hitler's Doctor Theodor Morell. A documentary on the life of Dr. Theodor Morell. From his upbringing, to him being appointed the Fuhrer Adolf Hitler's doctor and administering him with powerful combinations of medications.

Andrew Bacevich: The US-Saudi Relationship Is a Principal Source of Instability in the Middle East


We look at a number of recent developments in U.S.-Saudi relations, a day after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a confirmation hearing for retired four-star general John Abizaid to become U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia. On Monday, the Trump administration gave a private briefing to senators on the investigation into the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October. Senators slammed the briefing for providing no new information. Meanwhile, The New York Times has revealed new details about the jailing and torture of a doctor with U.S. citizenship in Saudi Arabia. Walid Fitaihi is a Harvard-trained doctor who has been jailed without charge since 2017. We speak with Andrew Bacevich, a retired colonel and Vietnam War veteran, author and professor emeritus of international relations and history at Boston University, and William Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy.

EU Rebukes Saudi Arabia over Human Rights at UN Forum l Al Jazeera English


As many as 36 countries, including all the European Union members, have signed a statement criticising Saudi Arabia's human rights record. It calls on the kingdom to cooperate with a United Nations-led investigation into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and to release the detained activists. Al Jazeera's Nadim Baba reports from Brussels.

Paul Manafort Sentenced to 47 Months in Prison


President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been sentenced to 47 months in prison.

Paul Manafort Is Sentenced to Less Than 4 Years in 1 of 2 Cases Against Him


THE NEW YORK TIMES: ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Paul Manafort, the political consultant and Trump presidential campaign chairman whose lucrative work in Ukraine and ties to well-connected Russians made him a target of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, was sentenced on Thursday to nearly four years in prison in the financial fraud case that left his grand lifestyle and power-broker reputation in ruins.

The sentence in the highest-profile criminal case mounted by the special counsel’s office was far lighter than the 19- to 24-year prison term recommended under sentencing guidelines. Judge T. S. Ellis III of the United States District Court in Alexandria, Va., said that although Mr. Manafort’s crimes were “very serious,” following the guidelines would have resulted in an unduly harsh punishment. » | Sharon LaFraniere | Thursday, March 7, 2019

Manafort Has Been Sentenced. Who Is He?


Thursday, March 07, 2019

Donald Trump Faces Litany of Investigations into Business Practices | Al Jazeera English


As the probe into US President Donald Trump's alleged collusion with Russia in the 2016 election continues to heat up, he faces multiple investigations on several fronts. His aides will have to answer questions over the alleged misuse of campaign funds, taking money from a foreign state and whether he's profited personally while in office, among other matters. Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports from Washington, DC.

Inside the Unprecedented Partnership between Fox News and the Trump White House


President Trump has long acknowledged top-rated Fox News as his favorite media outlet, and the network relishes its role as a conservative voice. But its increasingly close relationship with the administration is drawing criticism. William Brangham talks to the New Yorker's Jane Mayer about an unprecedented “feedback loop” and whether the president has made policy decisions to help Fox succeed.

Michael Cohen Has New Evidence Against President Donald Trump | Hardball | MSNBC


Michael Cohen appeared before the House Intelligence Committee for a second time. Multiple reports indicate that Cohen showed up with new evidence to back his allegation that the President's lawyers edited his false statement to Congress in 2017.

Wednesday, March 06, 2019

Private Jet Sales Are Soaring Thanks To Republicans’ Tax Cuts


Cohen Lawyer: ‘Literally No Way to Dispute’ That Trump Committed a Crime | The Last Word | MSNBC


Lanny Davis, one of Michael Cohen's lawyers, tells Lawrence that the hush money payments made to Michael Cohen are irrefutable evidence that Trump has committed crimes.

Senator Slams Administration After Jamal Khashoggi Meeting | Morning Joe | MSNBC


Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., weighs in on a closed-door meeting between Senators and Trump WH officials on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Food Fight: Doubts Grow over Post-Brexit Standards


THE GUARDIAN: Soil Association raises concerns over chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef

Chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef are already infecting the debate over a post-Brexit trade deal, with one of the US’s most senior diplomats dismissing the European Union’s “museum of agriculture” approach to food safety.

The US ambassador, Woody Johnson, claimed fears over US food standards leading to lower quality food were “myths” and part of a “smear campaign” to cast American farming in the worst possible light.

The environment secretary, Michael Gove, has pledged that food standards will be the same if not better after the UK leaves the EU, but campaigners are concerned that welfare and environmental protections could be jettisoned in the rush to strike a US trade deal.

On Wednesday, the leading Brexit supporter George Eustice, who resigned from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs last week, wrote in the Guardian that the UK should not countenance signing any deal that would reduce food standards as it could “give free trade a bad name”. He called US agriculture “quite backward”. » | Lisa O'Carroll, Brexit correspondent | Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

Fears Grow of Rift between Saudi King and Crown Prince


THE GUARDIAN: King Salman said to have been angered by recent moves by Prince Mohammed against him

There are growing signs of a potentially destabilising rift between the king of Saudi Arabia and his heir, the Guardian has been told.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are understood to have disagreed over a number of important policy issues in recent weeks, including the war in Yemen.

The unease is said to have been building since the murder in Turkey of the dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which the CIA has reportedly concluded was ordered by Prince Mohammed. However, these tensions increased dramatically in late February when the king, 83, visited Egypt and was warned by his advisers he was at risk of a potential move against him, according to a detailed account from a source.

His entourage was so alarmed at the possible threat to his authority that a new security team, comprised of more than 30 hand-picked loyalists from the interior ministry, was flown to Egypt to replace the existing team. » | Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington and Nick Hopkins in London | Tuesday, March 5, 2019

EU Faces Nationalist ‘Nightmare’ in Next Five Years, Says Verhofstadt


THE GUARDIAN: Leader of liberal MEPs says elections in May are ‘last chance’ to fight populism

The European Union risks a populist-nationalist “nightmare” by the middle of the next decade unless centrists can win greater public backing for the European cause, the liberal leader Guy Verhofstadt has said.

Elections this May could herald a big shake-up of the European parliament. The duopoly of centre-right and centre-left is expected to lose its majority for the first time in 40 years of direct elections although Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche (La REM) is expected to win seats for the first time, boosting liberal forces.

Verhofstadt, the leader of the European parliament’s Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) since 2009, said pro-European centrists had “a last chance” after the vote to wrest back ground from nationalists and populists before the next electoral contest in 2024.

In an interview with the Guardian and five continental papers, the former Belgian prime minister said the EU needed an overhaul – managing the eurozone, migration and common defence – if it was to gain greater public support.

“Nothing is eternal. Nothing. Not all political institutions are eternal. To reform is a duty that we have … and if if we fail, then the tragedy, the nightmare will become reality,” he said. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Tuesday, March 5, 2019

“How to Hide an Empire”: Daniel Immerwahr on the History of the Greater United States


“How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States.” That’s the title of a new book examining a part of the U.S. that is often overlooked: the nation’s overseas territories from Puerto Rico to Guam, former territories like the Philippines, and its hundreds of military bases scattered across the globe. We speak with the book’s author, Daniel Immerwahr, who writes, “At various times, the inhabitants of the U.S. Empire have been shot, shelled, starved, interned, dispossessed, tortured and experimented on. What they haven’t been, by and large, is seen.” Immerwahr is an associate professor of history at Northwestern University.

Incestuous Relationship Between Fox News And Trump Has Been Exposed


The New Yorker has published an amazing article by Jane Mayer that lays out the disgusting and potentially illegal relationship between Donald Trump and Fox News. The article is filled with amazing revelations showing just how much influence Fox has over the White House, and Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins lays out some of the most damning pieces from the report.

Donald Tusk Claims Anti-European Forces Meddled in Brexit Vote


THE GUARDIAN: European council president echoes Emmanuel Macron’s warning of malign influences

Donald Tusk has claimed external powers meddled in the Brexit vote as he called for EU member states to do more to protect the upcoming European elections.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels with the Armenian prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, the European council president said he agreed with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who used an editorial in the Guardian and other newspapers to call on European countries to be alert to malign influences.

“There are external anti-European forces, which are seeking – openly or secretly – to influence the democratic choices of Europeans, as was the case with Brexit and a number of election campaigns across Europe. And it may again be the case with the European elections in May,” said Tusk, a former prime minister of Poland and vociferous critic of Vladimir Putin.

Tusk’s intervention echoed fears Russia sought to foment anti-EU sentiment during the 2016 EU referendum campaign in the UK. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Lawrence's Last Word: Bulls**t | The Last Word | MSNBC


Why Trump deliberately said bulls**t to his audience at CPAC.

Monday, March 04, 2019

Dear Europe, Brexit Is a Lesson for All of Us: It’s Time for Renewal


THE GUARDIAN: We can’t let nationalists exploit public anger. I want an ambitious project that lets the people really take back control

Citizens of Europe, if I am taking the liberty of addressing you directly, it is not only in the name of the history and values that unite us, but because time is of the essence. A few weeks from now the European elections will be decisive for the future of our continent.

Never since the second world war has Europe been so essential. Yet never has Europe been in such danger. Brexit stands as the symbol of that. It symbolises the crisis of a Europe that has failed to respond to its peoples’ need for protection from the major shocks of the modern world. It also symbolises the European trap. The trap lies not in being part of the European Union; the trap is in the lie and the irresponsibility that can destroy it. Who told the British people the truth about their post-Brexit future? Who spoke to them about losing access to the EU market? Who mentioned the risks to peace in Ireland of restoring the border? Retreating into nationalism offers nothing; it is rejection without an alternative. And this is the trap that threatens the whole of Europe: the anger mongers, backed by fake news, promise anything and everything. » | Emmanuel Macron | Monday, March 4, 2019

Sanders on Venezuela - Does His Critique of US Policy Go Far Enough?


At the CNN town hall, Sanders opposed U.S. intervention in Venezuela, refused to call Maduro a dictator, or recognize Guaidó, but he didn’t call for an end to sanctions - with Jacqueline Luqman, Eugene Puryear, Norman Solomon and host Paul Jay