'On the Brink of Disaster': Europe's Covid Fight Takes a Turn for the Worse

THE GUARDIAN: As France imposes curfews, even countries that previously managed well are struggling badly

“It’s not a word I’ve heard in a long, long time,” an elderly Paris resident said, leaving her apartment in mask and gloves for an early expedition to the shops. “A curfew. That’s for wartime, isn’t it? But in a way I suppose that’s what this is.”

Europe’s second coronavirus wave took a dramatic turn for the worse this week, forcing governments across the continent to make tough choices as more than a dozen countries reported their highest ever number of new infections.

In France, 18 million people in nine big cities risk a fine from Saturday if they are not at home by 9pm. In the Czech Republic, schools have closed and medical students are being enlisted to help doctors. All Dutch bars and restaurants are shut.

Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland are among countries to have broken daily case records, prompting the World Health Organization to call for an “uncompromising” effort to stem the spread.

Unfortunately, that requires making all but impossible compromises. » | Jon Henley in Paris | Friday, October 16, 2020

Why Did Trump Warn Wall Street About Covid?

Trump keeps telling the American people that COVID-19 is not going to be a big deal, that it will go away when the weather heats up, that a vaccine was coming. Now we have proof that the Trump administration warned Wall Street about COVID-19, telling them something very different.

Terror Inquiry after Teacher Beheaded Near Paris

BBC: A teacher has been beheaded in a north-western suburb of Paris, with the attacker shot dead by police.

The victim is said to have shown controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to his students.

The attack occurred at about 17:00 local time (15:00 GMT) near a school. Anti-terror prosecutors are investigating.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the scene, calling the killing an "Islamist terrorist attack".

Mr Macron said he was murdered because he "taught freedom of expression". The victim has not been named. » | BBC | Friday, October 16, 2020

Healthy Eyes – New Therapies Maintain Sight | DW Documentary

Eye conditions are increasing massively worldwide. Older people often suffer from cataracts or glaucoma. But younger people are also suffering from vision loss - they are becoming increasingly short-sighted. Around the globe, doctors are fighting against the deterioration of eyesight.

The documentary shows how doctors are working worldwide to combat eye diseases, introduces new healing methods and techniques and shows the possibilities and the limitations of modern ophthalmology.

In the Augsburg clinic "Am Forsterpark," for example, cataracts are treated with a femtosecond laser. The procedure is usually performed on an outpatient basis and only takes a few minutes. After anesthesia, the doctor cuts a 3mm slit in the lens capsule. Through the opening, the cloudy lens is shattered with the laser and sucked out. An artificial lens with two tiny hooks is then placed in the eye.

Most people in poorer parts of the world have no access to such high-tech care. Some 89 percent of people with visual impairments live in developing countries. There, the risk of going blind is ten times higher than in Germany. Many patients cannot even afford the trip to the clinic. Ophthalmologists like Dr. Sylvain El-Khoury therefore travel to the rural areas of Rwanda, Africa, several times a year and operate on up to 500 patients per week under the most basic conditions in "eye camps."

The doctors are also making progress in the treatment of myopia. The excessive use of smartphones, tablets and computers has ever greater medical consequences. According to a study by the University of Mainz, more than half of high school and university graduates already suffer from myopia. Shortsightedness can be corrected with glasses and treated with eye drops. But often the visual weakness increases over the years and myopia becomes a gateway for other eye diseases. Researchers at the University of Mainz have found that myopia is often not genetically determined but is due to our lifestyle. Doctors are therefore calling for a new approach to mobile phones and laptops.

Dark Money & Barrett Nomination: The Link Between Big Polluters & the War on ACA, Roe & LGBT Rights

During confirmation hearings this week for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island opted not to ask the judge any questions. Instead, he gave a 30-minute presentation on how right-wing groups, including the Federalist Society and Judicial Crisis Network, use dark money to shape the nation's judiciary. We air excerpts from his presentation and get reaction from Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Steve Schmidt on Why Many Republican Voters Are Splitting from Trump | Deadline | MSNBC

A striking new ad from Republican voters makes the case that their party has fallen under Trump. Meanwhile, polling shows voters who disliked both nominees in 2016 are increasingly willing to support Joe Biden Aired on 07/08/2020.

Democracy Now!: Top US & World Headlines — October 16, 2020

Opinion: END OUR NATIONAL CRISIS

Corruption, Anger, Chaos, Incompetence, Lies, Decay
The Case Against Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s re-election campaign poses the greatest threat to American democracy since World War II.

Mr. Trump’s ruinous tenure already has gravely damaged the United States at home and around the world. He has abused the power of his office and denied the legitimacy of his political opponents, shattering the norms that have bound the nation together for generations. He has subsumed the public interest to the profitability of his business and political interests. He has shown a breathtaking disregard for the lives and liberties of Americans. He is a man unworthy of the office he holds.

The editorial board does not lightly indict a duly elected president. During Mr. Trump’s term, we have called out his racism and his xenophobia. We have critiqued his vandalism of the postwar consensus, a system of alliances and relationships around the globe that cost a great many lives to establish and maintain. We have, again and again, deplored his divisive rhetoric and his malicious attacks on fellow Americans. Yet when the Senate refused to convict the president for obvious abuses of power and obstruction, we counseled his political opponents to focus their outrage on defeating him at the ballot box.

Nov. 3 can be a turning point. This is an election about the country’s future, and what path its citizens wish to choose. » | BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD | Friday, October 16, 2020

Homosexualität in der Geschichte: Von der Antike bis heute

In der Antike gehört Homosexualität zum Alltag – und ist nicht strafbar. Mehr als ein Jahrtausend später im Mittelalter werden Homosexuelle verbrannt, die Nationalsozialisten unter Adolf Hitler verfolgen, misshandeln und töten homosexuelle Menschen. Wie sich der Umgang mit Homosexualität, vor allem der Kontext homosexueller Handlungen, im Laufe der Geschichte gewandelt hat, erfahrt Ihr in diesem Video mit MrWisssen2Go Mirko Drotschmann. Homosexualität als Begriff für gleichgeschlechtliche Liebe ist natürlich viel jünger als gleichgeschlechtliche sexuelle Handlungen und Liebe. Die gibt es vermutlich seit Beginn der Menschheitsgeschichte. Aus der Antike kennen wir einige Darstellungen solcher Handlungen. Die Praktiken sind weit verbreitet, haben aber eine andere Bedeutung als heute. Mirko erzählt Euch von antiken Vasen mit eindeutigen Bildern, homosexuellen Handlungen im Krieg, von Richard Löwenherz, der mit Philipp II. von Frankreich das Bett teilt, um seinen Vater zu verärgern. Dann geht es im Video über Homosexualität in der Geschichte um das christlich geprägte Mittelalter. Im Mittelalter werden Menschen für homosexuelle Praktiken bestraft. Vom Mittelalter und der Frühen Neuzeit an werden Homosexuelle bis weit ins 20. Jahrhundert kriminalisiert, stigmatisiert und verfolgt. Trauriger Höhepunkt ist die Verfolgung von Homosexuellen im Nationalsozialismus. Die Nazis richten eine eigene Behörde dafür ein, die „Reichszentrale zur Bekämpfung der Homosexualität und Abtreibung“. Auch nach dem sogenannten Dritten Reich werden homosexuelle Handlungen in der Bundesrepublik nach §175 des Strafgesetzbuches jahrzehntelang unter Strafe gestellt. 1994 wird der bereits abgemilderte Paragraph 175 in der Bundesrepublik komplett aufgehoben. In der DDR sind Homosexuelle seit 1988 rechtlich gleichgestellt. Mirko spricht auch über die LGBTQ+-Bewegung, die Stonewall-Aufstände in den USA, und damit einhergehende Veränderungen. In diesem Video versucht Mirko, die Geschichte des Umgangs mit Homosexualität nachzuzeichnen.


'Not married but willing to be!': men in love from the 1850s – in pictures »

Notre Dame Faculty Sign Open Letter Urging Judge Barrett to Halt Her Nomination | MSNBC

John Duffy, a Notre Dame English Professor of 22 years, joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss an open letter he drafted that was signed by nearly 100 of his colleagues urging Judge Amy Coney Barrett to halt her nomination process. He explains that "We are not asking her to withdraw. We are simply asking her to pause and to let the election play out and then to be guided by its results." Aired on 10/15/2020.

Khatia Buniatishvili: Schubert – 4 Impromptus, Op 90, D 899: No 3 in G-Flat Major

Full Interview: Senator Kamala Harris, Democratic VP Nominee, Talks with Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

Senator Kamala Harris, Democratic vice presidential nominee, talks with Rachel Maddow about the campaign, the coronavirus, the Supreme Court, and a certain fly. Aired on 10/14/2020.

US Election: What a Biden or Trump Victory Could Mean for Britain

THE GUARDIAN: It could be the most significant election for US foreign policy since 1940, with huge implications for the UK

The British government has a long history of misreading America – from Lord Palmerston expecting the Confederacy to survive the civil war, to Ernie Bevin being shocked that the US would not pay the UK’s postwar bills, to Tony Blair believing in 2003 that he could ride the US military tiger in Iraq and create a democracy.

Few serving or former British diplomats are confidently predicting the outcome of this November’s presidential election, or even whether an increasingly erratic Donald Trump will accept the result as legitimate. The collective delusion about the 2016 election hangs heavy.

Between now and polling day, two fears will stalk the Foreign Office. The first is of a late October surprise – a Trump military showstopper in the Middle East or the South China Sea, designed to convulse America. The betting is that caution will prevail. “Trump talks very tough, but he has a habit of not following through” said Peter Ricketts, the former UK national security adviser.

The second is of a November impasse – a constitutional crisis as Trump disputes the result. One former Foreign Office staff member said: “It is noticeable that Trump’s most consistent message this election is that it is rigged.” Kim Darroch, the former UK ambassador to Washington and an early Trump sceptic, notes all the preparations being made for a challenge in the supreme court.

All observers agree that if the US can reach a consensus on the outcome, it will be the most consequential election for American foreign policy since 1940. The implications, in turn, for the UK and for the kind of government Boris Johnson will lead are enormous. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Thursday, October 15, 2020

'He Knows': Trump Fixated on 'Likely' Loss to Biden, per Trump Insider | MSNBC

New reporting shows Trump’s inner circle worried he failed to handle Covid hitting the White House, bungled debates over a final stimulus package before the election, and 'blew' his chance to reset the campaign - raising broader questions of whether he is self-sabotaging. 'Art of the Deal' co-author Tony Schwartz discusses Trump’s penchant for hurting himself, how his approach has coarsened over the years, and the wider potential danger facing the U.S. if Trump loses and tries 'to bring us down with him' before leaving office, in this interview with MSNBC's Ari Melber.

Harris: ‘People Are Scared’ of Losing ACA ‘in the Middle of a Pandemic’ | MSNBC

Sen. Kamala Harris discussed the ACA in her opening statement at Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination hearing. Harris said, “People are scared of what will happen if The Affordable Care Act is destroyed.” Aired on 10/13/2020.

Wales to Ban Visitors from Covid Hotspots in England

THE GUARDIAN: First minister says he will act this week if UK government refuses to stop people travelling

People who live in Covid-19 hotspots in England are to be banned from travelling to Wales, the Welsh first minister has announced.

Mark Drakeford said he had asked for the “necessary work” to take place to allow devolved powers to be used to prevent people from travelling into Wales from “high prevalence” areas.

Drakeford claimed people in Wales were “anxious and fearful” and were “clamouring” for action to be taken. He said the Welsh government would act by the end of the week if the UK government continued to refuse to stop people travelling from English Covid hotspots.

He said: “Evidence from public health professionals suggests coronavirus is moving from east to west across the UK and across Wales.

“Much of Wales is now subject to local restriction measures because levels of the virus have risen and people living in those areas are not able to travel beyond their county boundary without a reasonable excuse. I am determined to keep Wales safe.” » | Steven Morris and Libby Brooks | Wednesday, October 14, 2020

VP Debate: Pence Can't Answer a Question

The Vice Presidential debate asked the candidates a lot of important, hard questions. Unforunately, Mike Pence dodged every single one of them.

"Them"

They've played down Coronavirus for you. But, when it affects them they start taking precautions.

"Unmasked"

Rebellion PAC's latest ad. They say vanity is a deadly sin. Trump wouldn't wear a mask because of how it might make him look.

The Dazzling Beauty of Elizabeth Taylor in Iran

In 1976, actress Elizabeth Taylor and then-aspiring photographer Firooz Zahedi journeyed across the world to Tehran. They dined with royalty, toured ancient sites, shopped in the Grand Bazaar, and perhaps most importantly, took a series of photographs that offer beautiful glimpses of Iran before the revolution and provide an intimate portrait of a 20th-century film icon. Though never intended for public view, Andy Warhol published the photos in Interview magazine shortly after Zahedi and Taylor returned from Iran, and in 2012 they were exhibited at LACMA. Zahedi and Taylor remained close friends and he continued to photograph her throughout the rest of her life. In this episode of Expert Voices, Firooz Zahedi shares the stories behind the captivating images of Elizabeth Taylor in Iran and describes how this remarkable experience influenced his now decades-long career as a celebrated photographer. Sotheby’s will offer one of these magnificent photographs, Elizabeth Taylor Dressed as an Odalisque II, in our 20th Century Art / Middle East sale. (30 April | London, 2019)

Belgian Ex-King’s Love Child Wins Right to Royal Title

TATLER: Delphine will now be addressed as ‘Her Royal Highness’ and her two children will also have the title Princess and Prince

Delphine Boël, the Belgian King’s love-child, has won the right to call herself a princess after a seven-year legal battle to prove the former King Albert II, 86, is her father.

Boël, 52, was told she could use the royal title as well as the surname of the former monarch in a ruling by the Brussels Court of Appeal on Thursday 1 October. Boël’s lawyers confirmed that the aristocrat would take King Albert II’s name and be known as Delphine Saxe-Cobourg and Princess of Belgium.

Ms Boël, who works as an artist, has been reported to be Albert's illegitimate daughter since 1997. She will now be addressed as ‘Her Royal Highness’, and her two children Joséphine and Oscar will also have the title Princess and Prince. » | Rebecca Cope | Friday, October 2, 2020

Trump's ‘Hair’ Falls Off

The Secret Princess: King's Love Child in Court Battle for Recognition | 60 Minutes Australia

60 MINUTES reporter Liam Bartlett used to consider the British Royal family to be the masters – and mistresses – of scandal. Now he thinks they may have to hand over their crown to the Belgian Royal family, who have sensationally been ordered to acknowledge and recognise a brand-new princess. However, this decree is not a reason for official celebration on the streets of Brussels because, rather embarrassingly, the new royal is the 52-year-old love child of the former King, Albert II. Back in the 1960s when he was a prince, the supposedly happily married and deeply religious Albert took a long-term lover. Delphine Boel was the surprise consequence of the illicit affair. For most of her life she dutifully kept mum about her lineage, until a bitter falling out with her father changed her mind.

Chyna

China made Trump roll over like a dog.

Il Donald

THE ATLANTIC: The president knows what Mussolini knew: Some audiences crave images that offer false reassurance and over-the-top displays of power.

For reasons that need no elucidation, I spent a few hours this morning watching Benito Mussolini, the dictator of Italy from 1925 to 1945, performing in the old newsreel clips that now float around the internet. It wasn’t the verbal content I was after, just the imagery. The staged entrances. The gesticulation, the posturing, the arms raised in salute. The beautiful backdrops, the flags hanging from the ancient stone buildings of Rome, Palermo, Verona, Milan.

Il Duce—“the Leader,” the name called out by the crowds in the videos—was a short, balding, unattractive man. But he prepared himself carefully for public appearances, showing a camera awareness ahead of its time. Sometimes he wore suits, but he also wore a wide variety of military uniforms. Presumably to hide his missing hair, he often wore hats—simple berets or more elaborate, ceremonial head coverings, decorated with rooster feathers, animal fur, or national insignia.

He also had a sense of what other kinds of imagery would attract attention. Once, he stripped off his shirt and stacked hay with peasants. He wrestled, playfully, with a young lion. He presided, regally, over the elaborate marriage of his daughter to an Italian aristocrat, Galeazzo Ciano, in a grand society wedding at Saint Peter’s Basilica. Later, he made his son-in-law foreign minister. Later still, in 1944, he had Ciano shot. » \ Anne Applebaum, Staff Writer at The Atlantic | Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Fox & Fiends

Fox News consistently reports lies and reports unverified information as fact. Their “coverage” of Covid19 has revealed just how low they are willing to go to remain in Trump’s good graces.

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak Lay Out Plans for New Lockdown

The Prime Minister has announced a new three-tier strategy for local lockdowns in an address to the nation.

Europe's Coronavirus Surge: Governments Struggling to Contain Sike in Infections

Today we are examining the current situation in France & in neighbouring countries with regards to COVID-19. This as the number of new cases across the continent continues to rise at an alarming rate, prompting governments to implement fresh containment measures.

Le bilan économique de Donald Trump anéanti par le Covid-19

LE MONDE: Editorial. Alors que, fin 2019, les taux de chômage et de pauvreté étaient au plus bas aux Etats-Unis, la crise liée à la pandémie a tout changé. L’économie américaine a besoin d’un plan d’aide, qui est, pour l’heure, bloqué par l’opposition entre républicains et démocrates.

Editorial du « Monde ». Donald Trump fait mine de se réjouir du rebond économique des Etats-Unis : en septembre, la première économie du monde avait recréé 11,4 millions d’emplois, la moitié des 22 millions détruits en mars-avril, lorsque éclata la crise du Covid-19. En réalité, ce chiffre est une catastrophe pour le président sortant : jamais le taux de chômage (7,9 %) n’avait été si élevé à la veille d’une élection présidentielle américaine depuis la deuxième guerre mondiale. Donald Trump a perdu l’un de ses arguments de campagne les plus forts, son bilan économique. » | ÉDITORIAL | lundi 12 octobre 2020

People in Gaza Sifting through Rubbish for Food, UN Head Says

THE GUARDIAN: Palestinians across Middle East suffering unprecedented poverty, says Philippe Lazzarini

People in Gaza are searching through rubbish to find food as Palestinians battle unprecedented levels of poverty, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has said.

Across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza and elsewhere, Palestinian refugees are suffering at new depths because of the pandemic, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency chief, Philippe Lazzarini. “There is despair and hopelessness,” he said in an interview.

“In Gaza, people are going through the garbage,” Lazzarini said, referring to reports from UNRWA staff in the enclave. “More people are fighting to provide one or two meals a day to their families.” » | Oliver Holmes, Jerusalem correspondent | Monday, October 12, 2020

Velshi: Vice President Pence Missed the Easiest Hypothetical Debate Question Ever | MSNBC

MSNBC’s Ali Velshi says any politician who won’t promise to accept the election results doesn’t deserve your vote.

Meghan: 'I'm Told I Was the Most Trolled Person in the World'

THE GUARDIAN: Duchess of Sussex speaks of ‘almost unsurvivable’ online abuse she has experienced

The Duchess of Sussex has revealed she was told last year that she was the “most trolled person in the entire world” in a podcast in which she opened up about the “almost unsurvivable” online abuse she has experienced.

Meghan and her husband, the Duke of Sussex, joined three Californian high school students during an episode of their podcast, Teenager Therapy, and discussed topics including mental health stigma, self-care and online abuse.

The duchess said the Covid-19 pandemic, which has closed schools around the world, has meant more time online for many.

She told hosts Gael, Kayla, and Thomas: “Yes, it’s a great way to connect, but it also ends up being a place where there’s a lot of disconnection, you know, I can speak personally to. » | Jamie Grierson and agencies | Sunday, October 11, 2020

Is Trump Putting His Supporters at Risk for Covid? | DW News

White House doctor Sean Conley has said that President Donald Trump is no longer at risk of transmitting the coronavirus. But the statement did not say the president had tested negative for COVID-19. Trump has resumed his election campaign, addressing hundreds of jubilant supporters at the White House. It was his first public event since contracting the virus - and the president declared that he is 'feeling great.' He told the cheering crowd that the pandemic which has killed more than 210 thousand Americans will disappear soon.

Lessons from the Golden Era of Andalusia [ الاندلس ] | Al Jazeera World

Saadane Benbabaali is an Algerian academic whose ancestors came from what is now the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. He has retired from teaching literature and Arabic at Paris University III. But for 15 years, Benbabaali has led groups of students on annual trips to Andalusia to share his passion and knowledge about the region and its rich history.

He believes that the period of Arab Muslim rule over the Iberian Peninsula was arguably the only time in European history when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived relatively peacefully together, producing a common culture and harmonious society.

He also thinks that the period and place have powerful lessons for what he sees as today's fractured world. … [Cont’d: https://youtu.be/GGotnIfQaQg ]

UK Is at 'Tipping Point' of Covid Crisis, Says Senior Health Official

THE GUARDIAN: Jonathan Van-Tam says UK must act quickly to avoid history ‘repeating itself’

The UK is at a “tipping point” in the Covid-19 crisis and must act swiftly to avoid history “repeating itself”, the deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, has said.

In a stark warning highlighting “the worst is yet to come if we don’t all act now”, Van-Tam said the country was “at a tipping point similar to where we were in March” and that the approach of winter made the situation even more grave.

“Winter in the NHS is always a difficult period, and that is why in the first wave our strategy was ‘contain, delay, research and mitigate’ to push the first wave into spring,” he said. “This time it is different as we are now are going into the colder, darker winter months. We are in the middle of a severe pandemic and the seasons are against us. Basically, we are running into a headwind.” » | Natalie Grover | Sunday, October 11, 2020

‘Everyone Is Fighting’ – How Downing Street Lost Its Grip on a Divided Nation

THE OBSERVER: As public trust falls, No 10 insists on dictating a national response to coronavirus; local leaders believe that they can do better

When he addressed the nation on 23 March to announce a national lockdown, Boris Johnson knew he had most of the British people with him. “Each and every one of us is now obliged to join together to halt the spread of this disease,” the prime minister said in his TV broadcast. “We will beat the coronavirus and we will beat it together.”

Six and a half months on, as he prepares to announce the introduction of more restrictions and a new three-tier system across the country – at what ministers say is a “critical” moment – hospitals are filling up and death rates are rising once more.

Unlike March, however, calls for the British people to unite behind a response directed from No 10 no longer command the attention or respect they did then. The many changes in rules and regulations have left people confused and choosing to rely on their own instincts as much as on what politicians tell them. » | Toby Helm, Political editor | Sunday, October 11, 2020

Portugal's Islamic/Moorish Influence

In this documentary, we uncover the influence that 500 years of Muslim occupation had on Portugal and Portuguese culture. We visit some important sights and hear from Portuguese people regarding their views on this significant part of their history. Despite being overlooked at times, the Islamic occupation, known as its Moorish past, has had a huge impact on Portugal.

While in Spain, the seven centuries of Muslim rule is very well-known, in Portugal it typically goes unnoticed. Despite being overlooked at times, the Islamic occupation, known as its Moorish past, has had a huge impact on Portugal.

The Muslims invaded present-day Portugal in the year 711 and established their capital in what is modern day "Silves". A significant part of this documentary takes us to Silves, which is still one of the best places in Portugal to see the influence of the Muslim period. Silves was the main access route to the inland areas of the Algarve, and the Silves castle, which was built by the Almoravid Arabs in the 11th century, is the best preserved and most significant castle in the region. One of Portugal's main tourist attractions are its the beautiful beaches in the Algarve region. The name Algarve itself is derived from the Arabic word "al-Gharb", meaning the West. Portugal was the most Western part of the Muslim Empire and it was officially referred to as al-Gharb al-Andalus, meaning West of Al-Andalus. Nowadays Al-Andalus is often referred to as Muslim Spain, or Islamic Iberia.

It is not just the physical monuments which make Portugal’s Muslim past evident, but you can also find it in the country’s language and culture, even though the entire Reconquest centred around getting rid of Islamic influence altogether. Some Arabic words have permanently entered the Portuguese language, words for sugar, rice, olive oil, lettuce, village, the West and many others. Even Portugal’s most popular holiday spot, Albufeira, gets its name from Arabic, having then been called (Albuhayra) which means the lake in Arabic. The journey also takes us to Sintra, among other places, where the massive Moorish Castle stands. It was built by Muslims between the 9th and 10th centuries, the castle was vital in order to protect its population.

The southernmost region of Portugal was finally conquered by Christians and taken away from the Muslims in 1249, and in 1255 the capital shifted to Lisbon. Neighbouring Spain would not complete its Reconquista until 1492.

Spain Becomes Cannabis Hub as Criminals Fill Tourism Void

THE OBSERVER: With high profit margins and low risk of long jail time, Catalonia is now the marijuana capital of Europe, police warn

The decor is nightclub chic meets Turkish opium den. The lighting, soft pink and electric blue. And, were it not for the sweet waft of marijuana, it could be the lobby of a Las Vegas boutique hotel. In fact, it’s one of Barcelona’s 156 cannabis clubs, known as asociaciónes.

The idea was a quiet place where you could buy and smoke marijuana, often grown by members, and only on the premises, but many are now businesses and, police say, fronts for drug mafias. With the collapse of tourism, the cannabis business is one of very few thriving in Catalonia, but beyond the low lights and chilled vibe of the associations, darker forces are in play. An internal report by the Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan police, claims “Catalonia is the epicentre of Europe’s illegal marijuana market” and has become a net exporter of cannabis to other European countries. » | Stephen Burgen in Barcelona | Sunday, October 11, 2020

Republicans Express Fears Donald Trump Will Lose Presidential Election

THE GUARDIAN: Ted Cruz says he’s afraid of ‘bloodbath of Watergate proportions’ as John Cornyn slams Trump for ‘creating confusion’ over Covid

Ted Cruz fears an election “bloodbath”. His fellow top Republican senator Thom Tillis is talking in terms of a Joe Biden presidency. And even Mitch McConnell, the fiercely loyal Senate majority leader, won’t go near the White House over Donald Trump’s handling of coronavirus protocols.

Individually, they could arguably be seen as off-the-cuff comments from Trump’s allies attempting to rally support for the US president just days ahead of a general election that opinion polls increasingly show him losing.

But collectively, along with pronouncements from several other Republicans appearing to distance themselves from Trump, his administration and its policies, it reflects growing concern inside the Republican party’s top tier that 3 November could be a blowout win for Joe Biden and the Democrats.

“I think it could be a terrible election. I think we could lose the White House and both houses of Congress, that it could be a bloodbath of Watergate proportions,” Cruz, the junior senator for Texas and former vocal critic of Trump, said in an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Friday. » | Richard Luscombe | Sunday, October 11, 2020

Berliner Barbetreiber klagen gegen Sperrstunde

Wegen der hohen Corona-Infektionsfälle wird ab diesem Wochenende in Berlin eine Sperrstunde eingeführt. Knapp zehn Bars haben einen Eilantrag beim Berliner Verwaltungsgericht eingereicht, um gegen die Verordnung zu protestieren. © AFP

Bernie Sanders: Our Healthcare System Is 'Dysfunctional, Cruel and Wasteful’ | MSNBC

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont discusses Trump’s taxpayer-funded treatment for COVID and why the United States’ lack of universal healthcare is actually the “radical” exception worldwide

Donald Trump's Guide to American History | NowThis

President Donald Trump claims to have a high IQ and is among the smartest presidents ever, so let's go through his American history lessons and see how incorrect they are.

In US news and current events today, President Donald J. Trump has claimed to be the smartest, most intelligent president in US history, though his knowledge of the country's past leaves somewhat to be desired. From his defense of Andrew Jackson, complete misunderstanding of the Confederacy and why the Confederate Army was fighting in the Civil War history, and numerous other inaccuracies about world history and U.S. history, this President Trump history lesson will no doubt leave you dumber about the state of history. For President Trump, smart is a state of mind, and while many have cast doubts on the President's intelligence, we'll let this Trump history lesson speak for itself.

Fmr. CIA Director Brennan on Why He Will Not ‘Relent in His Criticism’ of Trump | Deadline | MSNBC

Former Director of the CIA John Brennan explains the threat to national security that Trump poses as president and warns that Trump has “taken the pages out” of the playbooks of many authoritarian leaders he has observed. Aired on 10/07/2020

Trump Falsely Claims He's Cured and Plans New Campaign Events | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

Trump is planning a White House 'Law & Order' event on Saturday and an in-person rally in Florida on Monday as the plans for the next Biden-Trump debate fall apart. Aired on 10/09/2020.

There's a Social Pandemic Poisoning Europe: Hatred of Muslims

THE GUARDIAN: If anti-Muslim prejudice is not targeted, steps to counter racism in Europe in the wake of BLM protests will be meaningless

Rarely does the EU act so swiftly. Less than four months since the killing of George Floyd in police custody and the Black Lives Matter campaign that spilled into Europe and galvanised continent-wide protests, the EU is appointing its first ever anti-racism coordinator. This brilliant idea will make little sense, however, if anti-Muslim hatred is not part of their portfolio. Because instead of building a “truly anti-racist union”, as the president of the European commission, Ursula von der Leyen, would wish, we have so far built an anti-Muslim one.

Prejudice against Muslims exists in every corner of Europe. Not only do we collectively devalue and discriminate against Europeans who follow Islam, but the incidence of violence against Muslims is increasing.

We have known since the refugee and migration crisis of 2015 and the jihadist terrorist attacks in France, Spain and Germany that Muslims suffer from an exceptionally bad reputation in our societies. In 2019, research conducted for the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Religion Monitor yet again confirmed widespread mistrust towards Muslims across Europe. In Germany and Switzerland, every second respondent said they perceived Islam as a threat. In the UK, two in five share this perception. In Spain and France, about 60% think Islam is incompatible with the “west”. In Austria, one in three doesn’t want to have Muslim neighbours.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) confirms these findings in its most recent paper on the rise and meaning of hate crimes against Muslims. So does Europe’s police coordinating body Europol: in 2019, far-right terrorism soared.

What is more surprising is how quickly anti-Muslim racism has turned violent. » | Patrycja Sasnal and Yasemin El Menouar | Monday, September 28, 2020

As Virus Surges in Europe, Resistance to New Restrictions Also Grows

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Public health officials say “pandemic fatigue” presents a real challenge to countries trying to enforce new measures meant to slow the virus while avoiding national lockdowns.

LONDON — France has placed cities on “maximum alert” and ordered many to close all bars, gyms and sports centers on Saturday. Italy and Poland have made masks compulsory in public. The Czech Republic has declared a state of emergency, and German officials fear new outbreaks could soon grow beyond the control of their vaunted testing and tracing.

Across Europe and beyond, Covid-19 has come roaring back, and, as happened last spring, officials are invoking restrictions to try and suppress it. But this time is different.

Still reeling from the economic, emotional and physical toll of nationwide lockdowns that brought the Continent to a virtual standstill, government officials are finding that the public might not be so compliant the second time around.

In some places new restrictions are accepted, albeit grudgingly, because the alternative — new nationwide lockdowns — would only be worse. But there is widening skepticism that the public would even go along with such a drastic step. » | Marc Santora and Isabella Kwai | Friday, October 9, 2020

We All Deserve the Health Care Trump Received at Walter Reed

Mr. Trump, guess what? The Walter Reed Hospital that you were at, where you claimed you got excellent, high-quality care, that is a 100% government-funded, government-run, dare I say, “socialist,” facility.

Trump Boasts He Is 'Perfect Physical Specimen' and Claims to Be 'Immune' to Covid

INDEPENDENT: 'When you catch it, you get better and then you're immune,' the president falsely claimed

Donald Trump made a series of claims regarding his health after he was hospitalised for three days due to the coronavirus, and the claims included calling himself the “perfect physical specimen”.

The president went on a phone call with Fox Business on Thursday morning when he was asked if other Americans would have access to the coronavirus treatments he received while at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for three days.

“Yeah they’re going to get it,” he said about the treatments, adding: “I’m back because I am perfect physical specimen and I'm extremely young, and so I am lucky in that way.”

Mr Trump went on to state other aspects of his health that he claims helped him fight the novel virus, including having no “heart problems” and no “diabetes”. » | Danielle Zoellner | Thursday, October 8, 2020

Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor - IV. Adagietto. Sehr langsam

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

Jewish Community Fears Rise of Anti-Semitic Violence in Germany | DW News

One year after an attack on a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle, the head of Germany's domestic security service, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), has warned that Germany is experiencing a "steep rise" in anti-Semitism.

On October 9, 2019, an armed 27-year-old man attempted to shoot his way into a packed synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism. A well-secured door prevented him from carrying out an attack inside. The man then killed two bystanders before fleeing and later being taken into custody. Last week, a man dressed in military fatigues attacked a Jewish man outside a synagogue in Hamburg.

DW talks to Marina Weisband, member of the German Green Party and also a member of the Jewish community in Berlin.

Trump Insider Cohen Exposes Plan to Jail Rivals in 2020 | The Beat with Ari Melber | MSNBC

Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen joins MSNBC's Ari Melber to discuss Trump's refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power and asserts he's "reckless with power." Cohen also discusses rival lawyer Michael Avenatti in this special interview.

Trump Unmoored Calls for Indictment of His Political Opponents | Morning Joe | MSNBC

The president on Thursday called for AG Barr to indict Joe Biden for the 'greatest political crime in the history of our country.' Trump also called for the indict of former President Obama. The Morning Joe panel discusses. Aired on 10/09/2020

John Brennan Reacts to Trump's Call to Have Biden Jailed | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

Trump and his campaign have unleashed new attacks on Biden and other Democrats accusing them of a 'treasonous plot' with the president saying Biden should be jailed less than one month before Election Day. Aired on 10/08/2020.

Donald Trump Has No Understanding of What Service Is': Gold Star Father | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

Gold Star father Khizr Khan, whose son, U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan, was killed in Iraq, reacts to Donald Trump's suggestion that he was infected with the coronavirus by Gold Star families at a White House event. Aired on 10/08/2020

'Flood the Streets': Scientist Reveals the White House Note That Made Him Speak Out

Rick Bright, the ousted director of the office involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine, explains to CNN's Jake Tapper why he is speaking out against the Trump administration.

Anderson Cooper: Is Trump Kidding Himself about Covid-19 Status?

CNN's Anderson Cooper discusses President Trump misleading the public about the coronavirus pandemic while he's still battling the infection.

'Unspeakable': Mary Trump Slams Uncle Donald for COVID Deaths | The Beat with Ari Melber | MSNBC

Mary Trump speaks to MSNBC’s Ari Melber about her uncle, Pres. Donald Trump, breaking his own guidelines and risking other people’s lives – and candidly criticizes his longstanding difficulty “processing information," caring about others even in his own family, or telling the truth.

Trump Lashes Out at His Cabinet With Calls to Indict Political Rivals

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The pressure on his top administration officials to take action came as President Trump bristled at the restraints of his illness.

WASHINGTON — President Trump berated his own cabinet officers on Thursday for not prosecuting or implicating his political enemies, lashing out even as he announced that he hoped to return to the campaign trail on Saturday just nine days after he tested positive for the coronavirus.

In his first extended public comments since learning he had the virus last week, Mr. Trump went on the offensive not only against his challenger, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., but the Democratic running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, whom he called “a monster” and a “communist.” He balked at participating in his debate next Thursday with Mr. Biden if held remotely as the organizers decided to do out of health concerns.

But Mr. Trump secured a statement from the White House physician clearing him to return to public activities on Saturday and then promptly said he would try to hold a campaign rally in Florida that day, two days earlier than the doctor had originally said was needed to determine whether he was truly out of danger. The president again dismissed the virus, saying, “when you catch it, you get better,” ignoring the more than 212,000 people in the United States who did not get better and died from it. » | Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman | Thursday, October 8, 2020

Don Winslow Films: #TrumpIsPatientZero

Pelosi Questions Trump's Mental State and Says Congress Will Discuss Rules for Removal

THE GUARDIAN: House speaker says Democrats will consider constitution’s 25th amendment as president faces ‘disassociation from reality’

Nancy Pelosi, the US House speaker, has warned that Donald Trump is suffering from “disassociation from reality” and said Congress will on Friday discuss the constitutional potential to remove him from office.

The president, under treatment for coronavirus at the White House, has unleashed a barrage of erratic and self-contradictory tweets and declarations in recent days that have left staff scrambling and raised concerns over his stability.

In a zigzagging interview on the Fox Business channel on Thursday, his first since being hospitalised, Trump, 74, boasted: “I’m back because I am a perfect physical specimen and I’m extremely young. And so I’m lucky in that way.”

Pelosi, who is negotiating a Covid-19 economic stimulus plan, responded at her weekly press conference: “The plan isn’t for the president to say that he’s a perfect physical specimen. Specimen, maybe I can agree with that ... And young, he said he was young.”

Trump “is, shall we say, in an altered state right now” and “the disassociation from reality would be funny if it weren’t so deadly,” the 80-year-old speaker added while wearing a mask. » | David Smith in Washington | Thursday, October 8, 2020

Queer Cowboys: Bucking a Macho American Institution through Photos

Ahead of the American elections, photographer and filmmaker Luke Gilford brings us his ode to queer rodeo in a book entitled "National Anthem", which he started around the time Donald Trump was elected. His first monograph challenges the patriarchal, Christian, whiteness of rural America, "the land of the free and the home of the brave". Growing up in Colorado as the son of a pro bull rider, Gilford spent his formative years around the rodeo. In 2016, he discovered queer rodeo at a Pride event. The meeting resulted in the book, "National Anthem: America's Queer Rodeo", published by Damiani.

America's Love Affair with Guns | DW Documentary

More and more Americans are taking a stand against a widespread gun craze in the country - especially since a rampage at a Florida school left 27 dead. But they face stiff resistance from a powerful weapons lobby, above all the National Rifle Association.

Since it was founded in 1871, the National Rifle Association has gone from a shooting club to a fighter for the unrestricted right to carry firearms - a political heavyweight that influences legislation and elections through donations to parties and members of Congress and the Senate - and practically co-governs in Washington. The NRA invokes the Second Amendment of 1787, which guarantees American citizens the right to defend themselves. However, at the time of the Founding Fathers, muskets were the only common firearm. Today there are about 300 million pistols and rifles in circulation in the United States, many of them rapid-fire devices.

The most popular weapon is the AR-15, a semi-automatic assault rifle that any 18-year-old can buy in most states - without a police clearance certificate or aptitude test. As we show, even children of pre-school age are being trained to handle this weapon. It was frequently used by the perpetrators of school massacres of recent years.

The issue of gun laws divides American society. As the survivors of the 2018 Parkland rampage and other young activists call for stricter legislation and control, the gun lobby and its supporters invoke their mantra: "To stop a bad guy with a gun, you need a good guy with a gun."

In the past, all attempts to tighten US weapons laws have failed. Will the growing resistance of a generation of rampage victims finally succeed in putting a stop to America's gun madness?

4 Key Takeaways from the Harris-Pence VP Debate | Robert Reich

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich breaks down four key takeaways from last night's Vice Presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris.

This debate didn’t have the fireworks of the first presidential debate, but Pence’s lies were just as egregious as Trump’s.

The only honest thing about Pence last night was the fly on his head.

From the moment he was tapped to be Donald Trump’s second-in-command, Mike Pence has served a single purpose: To put a placid face on the disastrous, cruel policies of his boss. And that’s exactly what he did last night. Pence lied just like his boss, he flouted the debate rules like his boss, he evaded hard questions like his boss.

From refusing to condemn white supremacy to doubling down on dangerous conspiracies, Pence showed us he is just a slick version of Trump -- and just as dangerous as the liar-in-chief.

Trumps mysteriöse Heilung: Entscheidet Corona die US-Wahl? | Auf den Punkt

Der coronakranke Donald Trump entlässt sich spektakulär selbst aus dem Krankenhaus und verspricht danach schnelle Heilung und Impfungen für alle. Entscheidet Corona die US-Wahl? Unsere Gäste: Rachel Tausendfreund (German Marshall Fund), Malte Lehming (Der Tagesspiegel), Julia Fischer (Wissenschaftsjournalistin)

Trump's Mysterious Recovery: Will Covid Decide the US Election? | To The Point

After testing positive for Covid-19, Donald Trump is back in the White House, promising vaccines and a cure to the virus free for all. Will the virus now decide the upcoming election? Our guests: Rachel Tausendfreund (German Marshall Fund), William Glucroft (DW), Julia Fischer (science journalist).

Democracy Now! : Top US & World Headlines — October 8, 2020

The Full 2020 Vice Presidential Debate

Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., went head to head Oct. 7 in the first and only vice presidential debate of the 2020 presidential election. The incumbent and his Democratic challenger shared the stage at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City with moderator Susan Page of USA Today.

America's Great Divide: Steve Schmidt Interview | FRONTLINE

Steve Schmidt served as a political strategist for George W. Bush and the John McCain presidential campaign. He is a political analyst for MSNBC and NBC News. Schmidt's candid, full interview was conducted with FRONTLINE during the making of the two-part January 2020 documentary series “America's Great Divide: From Obama to Trump.”

McConnell Hits Out at Guardian and Other Media over Amy Coney Barrett Scrutiny

THE GUARDIAN: Senate majority leader says reports of Barrett’s background in a Christian faith group ‘insult millions of American believers’

Top Republican Mitch McConnell lashed out on Wednesday at reports about Amy Coney Barrett’s background in a strict religious group which the Senate majority leader claimed “demean the [supreme court] confirmation process, disrespect the constitution and insult millions of American believers”.

Among McConnell’s targets was a Guardian report which said Barrett “lived in the home of one of the founders of the People of Praise while she was a law student, raising new questions about the supreme court nominee’s involvement with the secretive Christian faith group that has been criticized for dominating the lives of its members and subjugating women”.

Barrett is an Indiana-based appeals court judge whose strict Catholic views are the subject of concern among progressives, particularly over the fate of Roe v Wade, the 1973 supreme court ruling which made abortion legal across the US. » | Martin Pengelly in New York | Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Mary Trump: My Uncle Is Responsible for 210,000 Deaths and Is Now "Willfully Getting People Sick"

As President Trump compares the deadly COVID-19 outbreak to the flu despite being hospitalized for the virus, we speak to his only niece, Mary Trump, about his increasingly erratic behavior in the final weeks of the election season and how his family views illness as a weakness. "To be treated for something is to admit that you need the treatment, and I don't see him having any self-awareness," she says. "Clearly the people closest to him don't care about his well-being. If they did, he'd still be at Walter Reed." She also warns that the "worst-case scenario" would be for President Trump to overcome his illness relatively quickly, because it would convince him to continue ignoring the pandemic. Mary Trump is a clinical psychologist. In July, she overcame Trump's legal threats and published the now best-selling book, "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man."

A Gay Mormon Love Story: Elder | Op-Docs | The New York Times

This short documentary tells the story of a gay Mormon’s love affair while he served on a mission in Italy. Produced by: Genéa Gaudet

France24 Debate: Trump and Covid: What Next in US Presidential Race?

First the US president caught Covid, then he was hospitalized and then...He went for a car ride? Donald Trump says he HAs "learned a lot" about Covid over the past days. We ask our panel about it and whether his illness will once and for all end the argument over social distancing. The US president had made flouting the science political, part of the culture war with out-of-touch elites as he framed it. Last week, he poked fun at his Democratic rival for president for wearing a mask. Will the dramatic twist in the homestretch of a US campaign unlike any other change attitudes and save the lives of those who might be more careful?

Trump Senior Advisor Stephen Miller Tests Positive for Coronavirus | The ReidOut | MSNBC

NBC News reports that White House Senior Advisor Stephen Miller has tested positive for coronavirus. Aired on 10/06/2020

Voters for Trump Ad – SNL (2016)

Americans (Taran Killam, Vanessa Bayer, Bobby Moynihan, Aidy Bryant, Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney) offer insight into why they'll be voting for Donald Trump.

Anand Giridharadas: ‘Trump Is the Head of the Snake But Our Whole Culture Needs a Reckoning’ | MSNBC

Anand Giridharadas joins Lawrence O’Donnell to put into perspective how the historic events of the past week are “all the same story of a masquerade of strength” by a president who knows he’s losing the election and how Trump’s illness reflects America’s culture of masculinity: “He has this disease because he’s more afraid of not being seen as a man than dying.” Aired on 10/05/2020.

Brennan: Health Crisis Could Lead to National Security Issues | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Former CIA Director John Brennan weighs in on the president's return to the White House and his concerns over the president's health and what it could mean for national security. Aired on 10/06/2020.

Trump's Ridiculous Covid Stunt Sets the Country Back Even Further

Donald Trump's claims that Americans shouldn't cower in fear of the Coronavirus will absolutely cause people to get this virus who otherwise would not have done so. He is being reckless and careless, and Republicans are cheering him on every step of the way. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins explains what's happening.

Michelle Obama Criticizes Trump in New Campaign Video

Former first lady Michelle Obama is making her closing message to Americans in a campaign video released less than one month before Election Day, imploring voters to "vote for Joe Biden like your lives depend on it."

Activist Who Lost Father to Covid Says Trump’s White House Photo Op Was Like “Sci-Fi Horror Film”

As the highest-profile coronavirus patient in the world returns to the White House while still infectious and a danger to others, we speak with activist Kristin Urquiza, whose father died from Covid-19 earlier this year. She says President Trump’s minimizing of the disease is a slap in the face to families who have lost loved ones. “I was appalled,” says Urquiza. “Every single person out there who’s lost a loved one to COVID, who has seen up close and personal what this virus can do, felt the same way.” Urquiza, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August about her father, is co-founder of Marked by Covid, a project elevating the stories of Americans who have died in the pandemic.

“Don’t Be Afraid of Covid”: Trump Removes Mask & Fuels Misinformation Effort after Hospital Release

Shocking medical experts, President Trump has returned to the White House while still infectious with the coronavirus and after more than a dozen people in Trump’s orbit have already tested positive for Covid-19. Emergency room physician Dr. Dara Kass says she was “horrified” by President Trump’s dismissive attitude toward a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States. “I had this virus,” says Dr. Kass. “I never left my bedroom without an N95 mask on my face, because I was petrified of giving it to my friends and family.”

Infected White House Journalist: They're Not Taking It Seriously

The New York Times White House correspondent Michael Shear tested positive for Covid-19. He says the White House has not reached out to him for contact tracing efforts.

Coronavirus : Donald Trump annonce qu'il sortira de l'hôpital dans quelques heures

LE FIGARO: Le président américain a annoncé la nouvelle sur Twitter. «N'ayez pas peur du Covid», a-t-il ajouté.

Donald Trump a annoncé sur Twitter qu'il quitterait l'hôpital à 18H30 (00H30 à Paris). Testé positif au Covid-19 en fin de semaine dernière, il avait été hospitalisé samedi 3 octobre. » | Par Le Figaro | lundi 5 octobre 2020

Même le Covid-19 ne peut pas changer Donald Trump» [€]

How to Become a Forever-Trumper

To become a Muslim, one has to take the shahada, or testimony of faith. This testimony of faith is stated in Arabic and in the language of the convert. It goes like this: I testify that the is no god but Allah and I testify that Prophet Muhammad is the final Messenger of Allah.

To become a Forever-Trumper, the testimony of faith would read something like this: I testify that there is no god but Mammon and I testify that President Trump is Mammon’s final messenger.

There are five pillars of the Islamic faith. They are as follows:

1. The statement of faith, or the shahada. 2. Salah, or prayer, offered five times a day in the direction of Mecca. 3. Zakat, or alms, the obligatory portion of a Muslim’s surplus wealth. 4. Sawm, otherwise known as fasting in Ramadan, and also at other times throughout the year. 5. Completing the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in a lifetime for all able-bodied men and women as long as they can afford it.

The five pillars of Trumpism are as follows:

1. The statement of faith, namely that ‘there is no god but Mammon and that Trump is Mammon’s final messenger’. 2. Worshipping five times a day at the altar of Trump, in the direction of Mar-a-Lago. 3. Alms for the 1%. 4. Keeping a sound diet of burgers and Coke. 5. Performing the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago at least once in a lifetime for all able-bodied males, staying in a Trump-owned hotel along the way and in the vicinity of Mar-a-Lago while performing the pilgrimage.

Doing these things will give you the key to Trump’s paradise, ensure eternal salvation for the Forever-Trumper, and ensure the continued enrichment of the messenger’s family here on earth.

© Mark Alexander

Please feel free to share this link on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany Tests Positive for Covid-19 | Craig Melvin | MSNBC

The White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, released a statement on Twitter that she has tested positive for Covid-19 after “testing negatively consistently” since Thursday. Her statement notes she had “no knowledge” of Hope Hicks’ diagnosis prior to holding the White House briefing. Aired on 10/05/2020.

As Trump Seeks to Project Strength, Doctors Disclose Alarming Episodes

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The president made a surprise outing from his hospital bed in an effort to show his improvement, but the murky and shifting narrative of his illness was rewritten again with grim new details.

WASHINGTON — President Trump sought to dispel any perception of weakness on Sunday with a surprise and seemingly risky outing from his hospital bed to greet supporters even as his doctors once again rewrote the official narrative of his illness by acknowledging two alarming episodes they had previously not disclosed.

The doctors said that Mr. Trump’s blood oxygen level dropped twice in the two days after he was diagnosed with the coronavirus, requiring medical intervention, and that he had been put on steroids, suggesting his condition might be more serious than initially described. But they insisted that his situation had improved enough since then that he could be released from the hospital as early as Monday. » | Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman | Sunday, October 4, 2020; Updated: Monday, October 5, 2020

Ana Kasparian: This Is America

Fashion Designer Kenzo Takada Dies after Catching Covid-19 Aged 81

THE GUARDIAN: Takada was the first Japanese designer to make a mark on the Paris fashion scene

The Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada has died in Paris after contracting Covid-19, a spokesperson has announced. He was 81.

Takada, known best by his first name, was the first designer from Japan to break into the city’s exclusive fashion milieu in the 1970s.

His prêt-à-porter designs with their trademark profusion of bright colours, flowers and jungle prints were a far cry from the traditional Parisian mode of the time, when chic salon presentations were largely prim and proper affairs.

Kenzo, who died at the American hospital on Sunday, was famous not only for his clothes, but went on to create a global brand of perfume and skin products. At the time of his death he was acting honorary president of the Asian Couture Federation. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Sunday, October 4, 2020

Melania Trump Caught on Tape Trashing Immigrants and Christmas

The country was reminded yesterday that Melania Trump is just as vile and nasty as the rest of the Trump family. CNN aired audio recordings of Melania that were recorded by her friend where Melania can be heard complaining about the fact that she had to do the Christmas decorations for the White House, and then she went into a profane tirade when speaking about the children locked up along our southern border. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins explains what's happening.

Trump Releases Hospital Video as Covid Misinformation Spikes | DW News

US President Donald Trump has spoken out for the first time from the hospital where's being treated for COVID-19. He released a video message on Twitter, adding that the coming days will be the real test of his fight against the coronavirus. Earlier, the president's doctor also said he was doing well. But follow up questions shifted to focus on the timing of Trump's infection and diagnosis.

A White House Long in Denial Confronts Reality

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The infections were a byproduct, former aides said, of the reckless and top-down culture of fear that Trump created at the White House and throughout his administration.

WASHINGTON — As America locked down this spring during the worst pandemic in a century, inside the Trump White House there was the usual defiance.

The tight quarters of the West Wing were packed and busy. Almost no one wore masks. The rare officials who did, like Matthew Pottinger, the deputy national security adviser, were ridiculed by colleagues as alarmist.

President Trump at times told staff wearing masks in meetings to “get that thing off,” an administration official said. Everyone knew that Mr. Trump viewed masks as a sign of weakness, officials said, and that his message was clear. “You were looked down upon when you would walk by with a mask,” said Olivia Troye, a top aide on the coronavirus task force who resigned in August and has endorsed former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

In public, some of the president’s favorite targets were mask-wearing White House correspondents. “Would you take it off, I can hardly hear you,” Mr. Trump told Jeff Mason of Reuters in May, then mocked Mr. Mason for wanting “to be politically correct” when he refused. » | Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman | Saturday, October 3, 2020

Germany Marks 30th Anniversary of Re-unification | DW News

Germany is marked 30 years of the country's reunification on Germany's national holiday. The country's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier gave the keynote speech at the official ceremony in Potsdam, near Berlin in an event that was significantly scaled down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

German Re-unification: How Two Countries (Sort of) Became One | Unpacked

30 years ago, Germany's reunification meant dealing with the fundamental rivalry of the 20th century: capitalism versus communism. The triumphant advance of capitalism was the defining element of the transformation and integration of the new federal states. But did the connection to the Federal Republic really bring the promised 'blooming landscapes'? Or did some things even changed for the worse? Thirty years after reunification, there is still a lot to do.

Bible Belt Atheist | Op-Docs | The New York Times

In this short documentary, a former Pentecostal preacher starts a secular congregation in the heart of the Bible Belt.

Macron Says Islam ‘In Crisis’, Prompting Backlash from Muslims

French President Emmanuel Macron has called "radical Islam" the biggest threat to French society. He also claimed, "Islam was in crisis around the world". Macron has outlined proposals for a new anti-separatism law aimed at improving integration and combatting religious divisions in the country. Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler reports.

Germany’s Far Right Reunified, Too, Making It Much Stronger

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Thirty years after Germany came back together, the former East has become the stronghold of a once-marginalized movement that now sits in Parliament.

BERLIN — They called him the “Führer of Berlin.”

Ingo Hasselbach had been a clandestine neo-Nazi in communist East Berlin, but the fall of the Berlin Wall brought him out of the shadows. He connected with western extremists in the unified city, organized far-right workshops, fought street battles with leftists and celebrated Hitler’s birthday. He dreamed of a far-right party in the parliament of a reunified Germany.

Today, the far-right party Alternative for Germany, known by its German initials, AfD, is the main opposition in Parliament. Its leaders march side by side with far-right extremists in street protests. And its power base is the former communist East.

“Reunification was a huge boost for the far right,” said Mr. Hasselbach, who left the neo-Nazi scene years ago and now helps others to do the same. “The neo-Nazis were the first ones to be reunified. We laid the foundation for a party like the AfD. There are things we used to say that have become mainstream today.”

As it marks the 30th anniversary of reunification on Saturday, Germany can rightly celebrate being an economic powerhouse and thriving liberal democracy. But reunification has another, rarely mentioned legacy — of unifying, empowering and bringing into the open a far-right movement that has evolved into a disruptive political force and a terrorist threat, not least inside key state institutions like the military and police. » | Katrin Bennhold | Saturday, October 3, 2020

74 and Overweight, Trump Faces Extra Risks From ‘a Very Sneaky Virus’

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The president has boasted of his health and is sure to receive the best possible care, but he carries a number of risk factors as he begins his battle with Covid-19.

WASHINGTON — President Trump, like many men in their 70s, has mild heart disease. He takes a statin drug to treat high cholesterol and aspirin to prevent heart attacks. And at 244 pounds in a health summary released in June, he has crossed the line into obesity.

All of that, experts say, puts him at greater risk for a serious bout of Covid-19. So far, White House officials say Mr. Trump’s symptoms are mild — a low-grade fever, fatigue, nasal congestion and a cough — but it is far too soon to tell how the disease will progress.

“He is 74, he’s hefty and he’s male, and those three things together put him in a higher-risk group for a severe infection,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University, adding: “Although he is being watched meticulously and may well do fine for a few days, he is not out of the woods, because people can crash after that period of time. This is a very sneaky virus.” » | Sheryl Gay Stolberg | Friday, October 2, 2020

Trump’s Covid News Meets a Landscape Primed for Mistrust

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A president who rose to fame — in business, on TV and in politics — on an archipelago of exaggerations finds himself facing a public skeptical of his account of his own health.

Was it a hoax? Was it a lie? Was the president sicker than he claimed — or not sick at all? (What does “mild” mean, and how is it different from “moderate”?) Was there any way this alarming news was an ultra-cynical con?

Waking up on Friday to the stunning development that the president of the United States had tested positive for Covid-19 after months of downplaying the virus, some Americans had a similar reaction: Maybe it’s not true.

“I don’t believe it,” said Anthony Collier, a truck driver from Atlanta. “It’s like he’s trying to get sympathy.”

There is no evidence, of course, to support the view that Mr. Trump and his wife, Melania, are anything but ill. As updates on the president’s condition came in, followed by the news that he would be hospitalized, the chatter turned from skepticism that the president was sick to doubts that the White House was being forthright about his condition. Across social media, in interviews, in conversations, the questions poured in all day from people who have heard so many contradictory things over the last four years — a warp-speed whiplash of conflicting realities — that they no longer know what is true. » | Sarah Lyall and Reid J. Epstein | Friday, October 2, 2020

Trump Hospitalized with Covid as More White House Cases Emerge | DW News

US President Donald Trump is being treated at a military hospital after testing positive for COVID-19. He's expected to remain at Walter Reed Medical Center for several days. Trump's doctor says he is taking the anti-viral drug Remdesivir. Earlier White House officials said the hospitalization was only a "precautionary measure" and Trump would continue his presidential duties.

Trump Positive for Covid-19, Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, India Rape Cases

It was one A-M in Washington when the president of the United States confirmed he tested positive for Covid-19. Face masks were a topical issue in Tuesday's first presidential debate. Even if the other debates were cancelled, there were enough fireworks in Tuesday's 90 minute shoutfest in Cleveland to last a lifetime. In Portland, Oregon Wednesday, the arraingment of Alan Swinney, a member of the Proud Boys, on twelve charges including allegations he pointed a revolver at counterprotesters and fired a paintball gun and mace at them during a mid-August protest.

It's a three-decade old border dispute that's now escalated into what looks like all-out war between former Soviet republics Armenia and Azerbaijan. Trying to sift through the fog of war propaganda are journalists. Four injured Thursday including Le Monde's Raphael Yaghobzadeh and Allan Kaval.Turkey's president blasting Russia, France and the U-S, saying they've lost their credibility as longtime mediators in the conflict and putting Armenia in his crosshairs.

In India, outrage over two gang rapes and murders of young Dalit women Police Thursday in the country's largest state Uttar Pradesh reporting the gang rape and murder of a 22-year old while 500km away in Hatras district. There were angry protests after police officers cremated the body of a 19-year old victim without her family's permission. Rushed to hospital in New Delhi 200 kilometres away but died on Tuesday. And when he tried to go for a rally, police shoved to the ground Rahul Gandhi, the head of the opposition and prevented him from meeting with the family.

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor: No. 4, Adagietto - Sehr langsam (Remastered)