Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Nahtoderfahrungen | Was passiert, wenn wir sterben? | Reportage | SRF DOK

Menschen mit Nahtoderfahrungen berichten darüber, wie es ist, mit einem Fuss im Jenseits stehen. Was passiert, wenn wir sterben? Sie reden darüber, wieso sie keine Angst mehr haben vor dem Tod. Und wie ihre Nahtoderfahrung ihr weiteres Leben verändert hat.

Andrea Pfeifer war 26 Jahre alt, als sie im Urlaub eine Lebensmittelvergiftung bekam, an der sie beinahe gestorben wäre. Was sie erlebte, als sie mit einem Fuss im Jenseits stand, behielt sie für sich. «Ich habe es ganz lange niemandem erzählt, weil man automatisch in eine Schiene reingedrängt wird: In eine spirituelle oder religiöse Schiene, wo ich überhaupt nicht hingehöre.» Heute kann sie von dem erzählen, was in jener Nacht passiert ist: «Es gab einen Moment, als etwas in meinem Körper zum Stillstand gekommen ist. Als wäre ich ein Uhrwerk: Plötzlich rastete es ein. Da wusste ich: Jetzt ist es gar nicht mehr gut.» Dann habe sie eine Bewegung wahrgenommen. «Ich habe den Kopf gedreht. Es sass jemand neben meinem Bett: ein junger Mann. Aber er war ganz etherisch, ausgefüllt mit Licht.»

Rund fünf Prozent der Menschen machen im Laufe ihres Lebens eine sogenannte Nahtoderfahrung. Aber nur wenige reden darüber – oft aus Angst, nicht ernst genommen zu werden. Bei jenen, die davon erzählen, lassen viele wiederkehrende Elemente identifizieren: Sie erleben bewusstes Sein ohne physischen Körper, berichten von einem Tunnel, von Licht, von tiefen Gefühlen des Friedens und der Liebe – und von Lichtwesen oder verstorbenen Angehörigen, mit denen sie kommunizieren konnten. Viele Schulmedizinerinnen und -mediziner sind indes überzeugt, dass es ganz simple Erklärungen gebe für solche Erfahrungen: etwa Sauerstoffmangel, zu viel Kohlendioxid oder chemische Reaktionen im Gehirn. Andrea Pfeifer kann darüber nur lächeln: «Was ich erlebt habe, ist so viel grösser als alles, was wir uns vorstellen können: Ich bin in einer Ekstase explodiert und zu Licht geworden. Es war pures Glück.»

Viele sagen, die Nahtoderfahrung habe sie verändert. «Ich habe den Eindruck, ich wurde intuitiver», erzählt die promovierte Historikerin Magdalen Bless, «ich hatte plötzlich Vorahnungen, die ich mir nicht erklären konnte.» Dem Hauswart Marcel Gasser geht es ähnlich: «Plötzlich habe ich Bauchweh. Oder Krämpfe. Mir wird schlecht. Dann ist etwas. Oder es kommt etwas.» Bei Ramón Gartmann, der als sogenannter «Lebenscoach» sein Geld verdient, gehen die Veränderungen noch weiter: «Wenn ich jemanden ansehe, sehe ich verschiedene Schichten von Energien um die Person herum.» Allen gemeinsam ist, dass das Ende des Lebens für sie den Schrecken verloren hat. «Ich freue mich auf den Tod, auch wenn ich ihn noch nicht will», sagt Magdalen Bless. «Der Tod ist ein grossartiger Übergang, in dem sich die Rätsel des Universums entschlüsseln.»



Dieser Dokumentarfilm ist zum Teil in Deutsch aber zum großen Teil in Schwyzertüütsch. – Mark

De Blasio: City of New York Severing All Contracts with Trump Organization | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Mayor Bill de Blasio, D-NY, joins Morning Joe to discuss why New York City is severing all contracts with the Trump Organization and what it means. Aired on 1/13/2021.

George Conway: Trump Is Leaving in Complete Disgrace | Morning Joe | MSNBC

A growing number of Republican lawmakers publicly endorsed impeaching President Donald Trump ahead of a Wednesday vote in the House. Attorney George Conway says support for Trump is collapsing and he compares and contrasts Trump with Richard Nixon. Aired on 1/13/2021.

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Mike Pompeo Claims without Evidence That Iran Is Al-Qaida's New 'Home Base'

THE GUARDIAN: Move seems designed to restrict Biden administration’s options as secretary of state confirms killing of al-Qaida leader in August

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has claimed, without providing evidence, that al-Qaida leaders have established a new “home base” in the Iran, in what appeared to be his latest effort to raise the political cost of the next administration reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.

Speaking with just eight days left in office, Pompeo alleged that Iran was “the new Afghanistan”, telling a news conference in Washington: “Unlike in Afghanistan, when al-Qaida was hiding in the mountains, al-Qaida today is operating under the hard shell of the Iranian regime’s protection.” » | Julian Borger in Washington | Tuesday, January 12, 2021

This assertion appears to be manifestly absurd! Al-Qaeda is a Sunni terrorist group. Iran is Shia. Sunnis and Shiites hate each other with a vengeance. This alone makes Pompeo’s assertion highly unlikely to be true. Pompeo is playing to people’s ignorance. He, in his position, should know better than this. The man needs to go back to school! – ©Mark Alexander

The Guardian View on Covid's Widening Gaps: The Rich Are Getting Richer

THE GUARDIAN: Rishi Sunak ought to make it clear that it is the real economy that needs rescuing, not the City

For speculators, the cryptocurrency party was just starting. At the beginning of last year one bitcoin was worth £5,614 before almost reaching £30,000 at the end of last week. On Monday, Britain’s financial watchdog took the punch bowl away, by warning bitcoin investors that they could lose all their money. While it may sober up a few of the partygoers many will find solace in their bank balances. Anyone who bought cryptoassets at the beginning of the year was sitting potentially on a 400% gain, an extraordinary return in a year when a health crisis has morphed into an economic one.

Thanks to the government’s actions, owners of assets have had a very good pandemic. Shares in London are back to where they were in late February last year. House prices in 2020 rose by 6%, helped by the chancellor’s temporary stamp duty holiday. Economic euphoria needs a drug. It turns out that the dealer with the best supply of credit is the government. Its central bank has flooded the financial system with cash meant to be loaned to chase a positive rate of return. In Britain’s distorted economy investors, even in the midst of Covid, prefer to make outlandish short-term capital gains rather than income from productive investment. » | Editorial | Monday, January 11, 2021

Monday, January 11, 2021

Ex-Melania Trump Adviser: First Lady Is President's Enabler

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, author and former senior adviser to first lady Melania Trump, speaks to CNN's Brianna Keilar about her article in The Daily Beast where she writes that Melania and the President "lack character, and have no moral compass."

Turkish Televangelist Sentenced to 1,075 Years for Sex Crimes

THE GUARDIAN: Adnan Oktar was detained in 2018 along with more than 200 other suspects in his group

A Turkish court has sentenced a Muslim televangelist who surrounded himself with scantily clad women he called “kittens” to more than 1,000 years in jail for sex crimes

. Adnan Oktar preached creationism and conservative values while women in revealing outfits – many of whom appeared to have had plastic surgery – danced around him to upbeat music in the TV studio.

The bearded 64-year-old was detained in 2018 along with more than 200 other suspects as part of a crackdown on his group by the financial crimes unit of the Istanbul police.

He was sentenced to 1,075 years for crimes including sexual assault, sexual abuse of minors, fraud and attempted political and military espionage, the private NTV broadcaster reported. » | AFP in Istanbul | Monday, January 11, 2021

Republicans Beg Democrats Not to Impeach Trump Again

Republicans are now claiming that impeaching Donald Trump for a second time would just be too darn divisive at a time when the country just needs to heal. The real reason they are against impeachment is because it is going to put them in the tough position of having to publicly stand up to the President, or publicly admit (with their vote) that they are secretly ok with everything he has done. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins discusses this.

Governor Schwarzenegger's Message Following This Week's Attack on the Capitol

This is my message to my fellow Americans and my friends around the world after January 6, 2021.

Trump Impeachment: Democrats Formally Charge President with Inciting Insurrection

THE GUARDIAN: Trump set to become the first president to be impeached twice / Pelosi: Trump a ‘deranged, unhinged, dangerous president’

Donald Trump is set to become the first US president to be impeached twice, after Democrats in the House of Representatives formally charged him with one count of “incitement of insurrection”, over the Capitol Hill riot.

Five people died in the attack last week, which Trump prompted when he told supporters to “fight like hell” in his attempt to overturn election defeat by Joe Biden.

On Monday, as security officials scrambled to ensure that the inauguration next week would not be marred by violence attached to protests planned for the day, Democrats in the House moved swiftly.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who in an interview on Sunday called Trump “a deranged, unhinged, dangerous president”, initiated a plan in two parts.

An initial resolution called on Vice-President Mike Pence to support removing Trump under the 25th amendment. » | Tom McCarthy, national affairs correspondent | Monday, January 11, 2021

Dutch Officials Seize Ham Sandwiches from British Drivers

THE GUARDIAN: Personal imports of meat and dairy products banned from EU since Brexit transition ended

Dutch TV news has aired footage of customs officers confiscating ham sandwiches from drivers arriving by ferry from the UK under post-Brexit rules banning personal imports of meat and dairy products into the EU.

Officials wearing high-visibility jackets are shown explaining to startled car and lorry drivers at the Hook of Holland ferry terminal that since Brexit, “you are no longer allowed to bring certain foods to Europe, like meat, fruit, vegetables, fish, that kind of stuff.”

To a bemused driver with several sandwiches wrapped in tin foil who asked if he could maybe surrender the meat and keep just the bread, one customs officer replied: “No, everything will be confiscated. Welcome to Brexit, sir, I’m sorry.” » | Jon Henley, Europe correspondent | Monday, January 11, 2021

So Brexiteers can't have their cake and eat it too after all! Who would have 'thunk' it! Unfortunately, sensible Brits will now have to pay for the shortsightedness of these people who are stuck in the twentieth century. Fossils and fools all! – ©Mark

Nach Gewalt am Kapitol: Melania Trump „enttäuscht und entmutigt“

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Melania Trump hat ihr Schweigen seit dem Gewaltausbruch am Kapitol gebrochen. Gewalt sei niemals zulässig, sagt sie. Und: „Es war die Ehre meines Lebens, als Ihre First Lady zu dienen.“

Amerikas First Lady Melania Trump hat ihr Schweigen seit dem Gewaltausbruch von Anhängern des abgewählten Präsidenten Donald Trump am Kapitol gebrochen. „Ich bin enttäuscht und entmutigt über das, was letzte Woche passiert ist“, erklärte sie am Montag in einer ausführlichen Mitteilung. „Es ist erbaulich zu sehen, dass so viele eine Leidenschaft und Begeisterung für die Teilnahme an einer Wahl gefunden haben, aber wir dürfen nicht zulassen, dass Leidenschaft in Gewalt umschlägt. Unser Weg nach vorne besteht darin, unsere Gemeinsamkeiten zu finden und die freundlichen und starken Menschen zu sein, von denen ich weiß, dass wir es r />
sind.“

Melania Trump drückte den Angehörigen der Toten im Zusammenhang der gewalttätigen Erstürmung des Kapitols ihr Mitgefühl aus, wobei sie zuerst die gestorbenen Teilnehmer nannte und dann die beiden Polizisten, von denen einer außerhalb des Dienstes starb. » | Quelle: dpa | Montag, 11. Januar 2021

Melania Trump pays tribute to dead of Capitol attack but casts herself as victim »

How White Evangelicals Sold Their Soul to Donald Trump to Bring About Armageddon (2018)

Frank Schaeffer, former Evangelical explains how white evangelicals in the United States put faith before country, before human rights, in making a "Devil's Bargain" to support Donald Trump despite his less than Christian actions, for a handful of policy and power goals, namely moving the United States embassy into deputed Jerusalem, all of this to bring about the end of days foretold in the book of Revelations, Armageddon!

Nancy Pelosi: The 2021 60 Minutes Interview

Days after her own office was ransacked by Trump supporters, the speaker of the House talks to Lesley Stahl about what she experienced that day and more.

US Democrats Move Forward with Second Impeachment of President Trump | DW News

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Sunday that she was ready to begin the second impeachment proceedings against US President Donald Trump if his cabinet fails to remove him from office under the 25th Amendment. The Democratic lawmaker said that the House will try to pass legislation on Monday urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and "declare the president incapable of executing the duties of his office." If that fails — which is considered the most likely outcome — Pelosi said that the House would move ahead with impeachment proceedings, although she did not say when that would be. "In protecting our Constitution and our Democracy, we will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat to both,'' the House speaker said.

Trump, who is scheduled to leave office on January 20, has received sharp criticism following the violence in and around the US Capitol building on Wednesday. Trump has been accused of inciting the violence, by addressing a large rally on the National Mall in front of the US Capitol, saying he would join them when they "walk down to the Capitol" earlier that day. Since losing the Nov. 3 election, Trump has falsely claimed he was the victim of widespread fraud. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told American broadcaster CBS in an interview that will air Sunday that "the person that's running the executive branch is a deranged, unhinged, dangerous president of the United States." Trump was previously impeached under two articles: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in regards to allegations that Trump sought to discredit then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden in the lead up to the 2020 US presidential election. The articles were written up in 2019 and the trial was held in January 2020.

The Republican-controlled Senate did not find him guilty of either article. A two-thirds majority is required for a conviction.


Sunday, January 10, 2021

Trump Got Crushed Worse Than Any President in 100 Years

According to the numbers, the last time a political party lost the White House, the House, and the Senate in a single term was in 1932, meaning that the Republican Party being ruled by Donald Trump was the biggest political loser in the past 100 years. This isn't surprising in the least, as the Party hasn't had a new idea in 40 years, and the public is quickly catching onto that. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins discusses this.

Trump Fear of Prison Could Push Him Toward Resignation and a Pence Pardon | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

Rachel Maddow points out that of the myriad ways that Donald Trump could be made to leave office early before he can do any more damage to the United States, one he may actually pursue on his own is resignation if he sees it as a way to avoid criminal prosecution. Aired on 1/9/2021.

Capehart to Trump: If You Want to Make America Great Again, Leave | MSNBC

Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and more Republicans are called out, in the wake of the Capitol insurrection by a pro-Trump mob, by Jonathan Capehart in his weekly analysis, ‘The Bye Line.’»

Schwarzenegger Rebukes Trump and Compares Capitol Riot to Kristallnacht

THE GUARDIAN: Ex-Republican governor of California compares breach to night in 1938 when Nazi thugs attacked Jewish Germans and their property

Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a stinging rebuke of Donald Trump on Sunday, comparing the riot at the US Capitol which the president incited to Kristallnacht, the night in November 1938 when Nazi thugs attacked Jewish Germans and their property, a harbinger of horrors to come.

He also compared American democracy to a weapon he wielded onscreen as Conan the Barbarian nearly 40 years ago, saying: “Our democracy is like the steel of this sword. The more it is tempered, the stronger it becomes.”

In a video posted to social media and scored to rousing classical music, the 73-year-old former Republican governor of California said he “would like to say a few words to my fellow Americans and to our friends around the world about the events of recent days”.

“I grew up in Austria and was very aware of Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass,” he said. “It was a night of rampage against the Jews carried out [by] the Nazi equivalent of the Proud Boys [a quasi-fascist group of Trump supporters].” » | Martin Pengelly | Sunday, January 10, 2021

Saturday, January 09, 2021

Le couvre-feu avancé à 18 heures dans les Bouches-du-Rhône

LE POINT: Le Premier ministre Jean Castex a annoncé que huit nouveaux départements étaient concernés par le couvre-feu avancé à 18 heures à partir de dimanche.

Alors que le Covid-19 circule très activement dans certains territoires, notamment dans le Grand Est, en Bourgogne-Franche-Comté et dans la région Sud, Jean Castex a annoncé que huit nouveaux départements basculeront dimanche 10 janvier sur un couvre-feu avancé à 18 heures. À cette heure, la mesure a été confirmée pour les Bouches-du-Rhône ainsi que pour le Bas-Rhin et pour le département voisin du Haut-Rhin, où le taux d'incidence atteint 229 pour 100 000 habitants et 251 pour les personnes de plus de 65 ans, précise la préfecture. » | LePoint.fr (avec AFP) | Publié : vendredi 8 janvier 2021 ; modifié : samedi 9 janvier 2021

Bouches-du-Rhône »

What Began the Rise of Fascism in Europe? | Titans of the 20th Century | Timeline

Winston Churchill struggles to resume a political career; Gandhi begins the fight that will bring his people their freedom; Major Dwight D. Eisenhower serves as Gen. Douglas MacArthur's chief of staff; Ho Chi Minh in Paris; Mussolini grabs power.

Kampfansage aus Nordkorea: Kim Jong-un: «USA bleiben unser grösster Feind»

TAGES ANZEIGER: Nordkoreas Machthaber Kim Jong Un hält staatlichen Medien zufolge an seiner feindlichen Politik gegenüber den USA fest.

Vor dem Regierungswechsel in den USA fordert Nordkoreas Machthaber Kim Jong. Un mit neuen Kampfansagen den künftigen amerikanischen Präsidenten Joe Biden heraus.

Beim achten Kongress der herrschenden Arbeiterpartei in Pjöngjang bezeichnete Kim die Supermacht USA als «grössten Feind» und kündigte den Ausbau des Atomwaffenarsenals seines Landes an. «Die aussenpolitischen Aktivitäten müssen sich darauf konzentrieren, die USA zu unterwerfen», zitierten ihn die Staatsmedien am Samstag. Den USA warf er erneut eine feindselige Politik vor. » | sda/oli | Samstag, 9. Januar 2021

Nach dem Sturm auf das Capitol: Auf Trump wartet ein zweites Impeachment

TAGES ANZEIGER: Die Demokraten scheinen fest entschlossen zu sein, Donald Trump aus dem Amt zu entfernen. Künftige Kandidaturen könnten ihm so verwehrt bleiben. Dafür müssten aber auch die Republikaner mitmachen.

Nancy Pelosi, die mächtige demokratische Sprecherin des Abgeordnetenhauses, Nummer drei in der politischen Rangfolge nach dem Präsidenten und dessen Vize, scheint fest entschlossen zu sein, Donald Trump für den Sturm auf das Capitol am Mittwoch zur Rechenschaft zu ziehen. Am Freitag sprach Pelosi eine Drohung aus, die kaum zurückzunehmen sein wird: Wenn Trump nicht «unverzüglich» zurücktrete oder sein Vize Mike Pence nicht ebenso unverzüglich ein Amtsenthebungsverfahren nach Zusatzartikel 25 der Verfassung einleite, dann werde der Kongress ein zweites Amtsenthebungsverfahren gegen Trump beginnen. » | Thorsten Denkler, New York | Samstag, 9. Januar 2021

Extended Conversation with Vicky Ward on “Kushner, Inc.” (2019)

Web-only extended interview with investigative journalist Vicky Ward, author of “Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.”

Rep. Adam Schiff: 'We Can Move Swiftly ... to Impeach This Man' | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

Rep. Adam Schiff, who was the lead impeachment manager for Donald Trump's first impeachment, emphasizes the determination of the Democratic caucus to protect the United States from further damage by removing Trump from office. Aired on 1/9/2021.

Pelosi Calls Trump “Deranged, Unhinged, Dangerous” and Says He Should Be Prosecuted

Lesley Stahl interviewed the speaker of the House for a story airing Sunday night on 60 Minutes.

Lawrence: “We Learned Nothing New about Donald Trump This Week” | The Last Word | MSNBC

Donald Trump’s message to American Nazis this week was “we love you.” Aired on 1/9/2021.

Fmr. Top Pence Aide: 'It Is a Party of Extremism Right Now' | Zerlina. | The Choice

Olivia Troye, former top aide to Vice President Mike Pence, joins Zerlina Maxwell to discuss the consequences of the Capitol riots and the future of the Republican Party.

These Are the Legal Probes Facing Trump When He Leaves Office

CNN correspondent Randi Kaye looks into the legal probes President Donald Trump faces after he leaves the White House.

Friday, January 08, 2021

Keilar: After Everything, Ted Cruz Has the Gall to Say This

CNN's Brianna Keilar rolls the tape on all the times President Trump has embraced violence and the way Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has tried to rewrite his past support of Trump since the riot at the Capitol.

House Democrats Plan to Impeach Trump, Again

House Democrats are currently planning to introduce articles of impeachment against President Trump as soon as Monday, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. That could set up a vote in the House early to the middle of next week. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has not explicitly said when this will go to the floor. This would be the second time the House has unveiled articles of impeachment against President Trump. In December 2019, the House impeached Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate acquitted him on both charges last February.

Kasparov: Impeachment Now Is the Best Protection against a Future Trump | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Garry Kasparov, Richard Haass and Neal Katyal join Morning Joe to discuss this week's riot at the D.C. Capitol, preventing the next demagogic president and the DOJ being open to pursuing charges against Trump for Wednesday's riot. Aired on 01/08/2021.

The Failure of the First Queen Speech | Elizabeth: Our Queen | Channel 5

In the late 1950s technology was changing throughout the world. Queen Elizabeth II wanted to change people's perception of the monarchy through television. In 1957 Queen Elizabeth II made her first-ever Queen speech at Christmas on the BBC. Watch Elizabeth: Our Queen and see how the first-ever televised Queen speech had a bad reaction from the viewers.

Pelosi Says House Will Move to Impeach Trump If He Doesn’t Resign Immediately

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said on Friday that the House would move to impeach President Trump over his role in inciting a violent mob attack on the Capitol if he did not resign “immediately,” appealing to Republicans to join the push to force him from office.

In a letter to members of the House, the speaker invoked the resignation of Richard M. Nixon amid the Watergate scandal, when Republicans prevailed upon the president to resign and avoid the ignominy of an impeachment, calling Mr. Trump’s actions a “horrific assault on our democracy.” » | Nicholas Fandos and Luke Broadwater | Friday, January 8, 2021

Trump Announces He Will Not Attend Biden's Inauguration | Hallie Jackson | MSNBC

President Trump has announced via tweet that he will not be attending the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports on the significance of this decision. Aired on 1/8/2021.

The White House Slips Deeper into Crisis in the Final Days of the Trump Presidency

THE NEW YORK TIMES: What was already shaping up as a volatile final stretch to the Trump presidency took on an air of national emergency as the White House emptied out and some Republicans joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a cascade of Democrats calling for Mr. Trump to be removed from office without waiting the 13 days until the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.

The prospect of actually short-circuiting Mr. Trump’s tenure in its last days appeared remote. Vice President Mike Pence privately ruled out invoking the disability clause of the 25th Amendment to sideline the president, as many had urged that he and the cabinet do, according to officials. » | Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman | Friday, January 8, 2021

Trump Enablers Resign after Capitol Violence | The Mehdi Hasan Show

Pod Save America Co-Host Tommy Vietor joins Mehdi Hasan to break down how GOP hacks are trying to dodge accountability for buoying Trump.

Capitol Attack Leads Democrats to Demand That Trump Leave Office

THE HEW YORK TIMES: The White House was propelled deeper into crisis as officials resigned in protest and prominent Republicans broke with the president after he incited a mob that assaulted Congress.

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s administration plunged deeper into crisis on Thursday as more officials resigned in protest, prominent Republicans broke with him and Democratic congressional leaders threatened to impeach him for encouraging a mob that stormed the Capitol a day earlier.

What was already shaping up as a volatile final stretch to the Trump presidency took on an air of national emergency as the White House emptied out and some Republicans joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a cascade of Democrats calling for Mr. Trump to be removed from office without waiting the 13 days until the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. » | Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman | Published: Thursday, January 7, 2021; Updated: Friday, January 8, 2021

Thursday, January 07, 2021

These Trump Supporters Say They're Proud of Chaos at Capitol

CNN's Donie O'Sullivan and Elle Reeve talk Trump supporters to get their reaction to the dangerous chaos caused by riots at the US Capitol.

USA : Mob Rule! Definitely NOT America’s Finest Hour!

America shaken after pro-Trump mob storms US Capitol building


Pro-Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building in Washington DC on Wednesday, breaking into the debating chambers and clashing with armed police. Four people died during the unrest, three from medical emergencies and one woman was shot dead in circumstances that are unclear. The siege came on the day the electoral college votes confirming Joe Biden's victory were to be affirmed by members of the House and Senate. The chaos erupted after Trump addressed thousands of protesters near the White House, repeating false claims the election had been stolen.


Invoke the 25th Amendment NOW! – Mark Alexander

Washington Attorney General: Time to Invoke 25th Amendment | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Attorney General for the District of Columbia Karl Racine says it is time to invoke the 25th Amendment because President Trump is 'unfit for office.' Aired on 01/07/2021.

“Americans Are Now Getting a Mild Taste of Their Own Medicine” of Disrupting Democracy Elsewhere

World leaders reacted in horror over the storming of the U.S. Capitol, with the U.N. secretary-general calling on political leaders to demand their followers refrain from violence. Leaders of the U.K., New Zealand, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, France, Germany, NATO and the European Council called for a peaceful transfer of power to Joe Biden. Investigative journalist Allan Nairn looks at what steps Trump may take next, and says despite protestations from President-elect Joe Biden and others that the insurrection was “not who we are,” the U.S. has a long track record of disrupting democratic processes elsewhere. “What has shaken the U.S. population so badly, this assault on the Capitol yesterday, is really nothing by comparison to what U.S. operations have done in Latin America, in Asia, in Africa, in the Middle East, to other democratic movements and elected governments over the years,” says Nairn.

America’s Friends and Foes Express Horror as Capitol Attack ‘Shakes the World’

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Global leaders watched live as a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, and many saw it as a warning to global democracies, placing the blame squarely on President Trump.

BERLIN — As an angry mob stormed the heart of the world’s most powerful democracy, the rest of the world watched the once-unimaginable scenes unfolding in Washington with dismay and disbelief — and deep concern about what the turmoil could mean as authoritarian forces gain strength around the globe.

Many of those following live broadcasts of armed rioters forcing their way into the Capitol saw it as a stark and disturbing warning for all the world’s democracies: If this can happen in the United States, it can happen anywhere.

“We currently witness an attack on the very fundaments of democratic structures and institutions,” said Peter Beyer, the German government’s coordinator for trans-Atlantic affairs. “This is not merely a U.S. national issue, but it shakes the world, at least all democracies.”

One by one, officials around the globe responded with the sort of statements previously issued by the United States State Department when political violence consumed other countries. » | Katrin Bennhold and Steven Lee Myers | Published: Wednesday, January 6, 2021; Updated: Thursday, January 7, 2021

Gen. Colin Powell: This Was a 'National Disgrace,' But We'll Get Through It | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says Wednesday was a 'national disgrace, but we'll come through it.' Secy. Powell questions the lack of organized security at the U.S. Capitol and he says that Congress must be ready to step in should Trump attempt something similar before he leaves office. Aired on 01/07/2021.

Merkel gibt Trump Mitschuld an den Unruhen in Washington

Die Bundeskanzlerin hat den noch amtierenden US-Präsidenten Donald Trump für die Ausschreitungen am Kapitol mitverantwortlich gemacht. Trump habe mit seiner fehlenden Akzeptanz des Wahlsieges von Joe Biden die Situation begünstigt.

Facebook Bans Trump Indefinitely

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Facebook will block President Trump on its platforms, including Instagram, at least until the end of his term, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on Thursday.

“The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden,” Mr. Zuckerberg wrote. »

Violences au Capitole : jour de honte aux Etats-Unis

LE MONDE: L’envahissement du Congrès, mercredi 6 janvier, par une foule de partisans extrémistes chauffés à blanc par Donald Trump est l’aboutissement d’une présidence tumultueuse qui a fini par fracturer le pays.

Editorial du « Monde ». Elu il y a quatre ans sur la promesse de « rendre sa grandeur à l’Amérique », le président Donald Trump achève son mandat en la couvrant de honte. L’histoire retiendra que la démocratie américaine a été défiée, et un moment suspendue, mercredi 6 janvier, par une foule de partisans extrémistes que le président lui-même avait incitée à marcher sur le Capitole pour empêcher son adversaire démocrate, Joe Biden, d’être officiellement déclaré vainqueur de l’élection du 3 novembre 2020.

Ce jour noir pour les Etats-Unis est l’aboutissement d’une présidence tumultueuse qui a fini par diviser le pays en deux parties, celle qui respecte l’ordre constitutionnel et les décisions de justice, et celle qui vit dans un univers parallèle. Cet univers, nourri de théories complotistes, est celui d’une réalité alternative dans laquelle Donald Trump n’a pas perdu l’élection par une différence de 7 millions de suffrages populaires et le vote de 302 voix au collège électoral contre 232, mais veut croire qu’elle lui a été volée par une fraude massive et orchestrée. » | ÉDITORIAL | jeudi 7 janvier 2021

Democracy Now! Top US & World Headlines — January 7, 2021

Opinion: Impeach and Convict. Right Now.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Trump is too dangerous to leave in office for even another minute.

It wasn’t hard to see, when it began, that it would end exactly the way it has. Donald Trump is America’s willful arsonist, the man who lit the match under the fabric of our constitutional republic.

The duty of the House of Representatives and the Senate, once they certify Joe Biden’s election, is to reconvene, Wednesday night if possible, to impeach the president and then remove him from office and bar him from ever holding office again.

To allow Trump to serve out his term, however brief it may be, puts the nation’s safety at risk, leaves our reputation as a democracy in tatters and evades the inescapable truth that the assault on Congress was an act of violent sedition aided and abetted by a lawless, immoral and terrifying president.

From the moment Trump became the G.O.P. front-runner in 2015, it was obvious who he was and where, if given the chance, he would take America. He was a malignant narcissist in his person. A fraudster in his businesses. A bully in his relationships. And a demagogue in his politics. » | Bret Stephens, Opinion Columnist | Wednesday, January 6, 2021

How Has the World Reacted to Trump Supporters Storming US Capitol? | DW News

Leaders around the world watched in disbelief as the chaos unfolded in Washington, where supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol.

Many have condemned the violence and called for democracy to be respected. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron gave their reactions, and DW spoke to people on the street in Germany.

Around the world, there was disbelief at the scenes that unfolded in the Capitol:

- Germany's Bild newspaper talked of a "coup attempt" - and a "moment of great shame"

- In Britain, The Daily Telegraph minced no words: "Democracy under siege"

- The picture of Trump supporters storming the Capitol dominated the United Arab Emirates' Gulf News daily.

- The Nigerian Tribune offered this blistering verdict: "Trump supporters defile democracy."

- China compared the storming of the Capitol with pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.


Chaos at the Capitol | Live | The Choice on Peacock

Zerlina Maxwell, Joshua Johnson, and Mehdi Hasan cover the storming of the U.S. Capitol. Zerlina. airs 6 p.m. ET weeknights on Peacock: Incisive and timely coverage of politics and current events, through in-depth conversations that unpack the latest developments in this era's breakneck news cycle and draw back the curtain on their real-world consequences.

'Trump Blows Up US Democracy': The World Watches on in Horror

THE GUARDIAN: Leaders from nations around the world condemn ‘shocking scenes’ unfolding at US Capitol

World leaders from Dublin to Ottawa reacted with shock and disquiet to the turmoil in Washington DC on Wednesday, with the head of Nato deploring what he called “shocking scenes”.

“The outcome of this democratic election must be respected,” Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato secretary general and former Norwegian prime minister, tweeted on Wednesday evening after US president-elect Joe Biden condemned “this godawful display” and warned: “The world is watching.”

The Irish taoiseach Micheál Martin tweeted: “The Irish people have a deep connection with the United States of America, built up over many generations. I know that many, like me, will be watching the scenes unfolding in Washington DC with great concern and dismay.” » | Tom Phillips | Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Wednesday, January 06, 2021

Nach Polterrede des amtierenden Präsidenten: Trump-Anhänger stürmen das US-Kapitol in Washington

TAGES ANZEIGER: Vor der Bestätigung der Ergebnisse der Präsidentenwahl im Kongress und nach einer Rede von Trump ist es vor dem Kapitol in Washington zu Ausschreitungen gekommen. Die Sitzung ist unterbrochen.
» | Vincenzo Capodici | Mittwoch, 6. Januar 2021

Lockdown Catch-22: Weight Gain Can Increase Covid Severity | COVID-19 Special

Staying at home during a lockdown - with lots of time to eat and not move at the same time. No wonder many people all over the world have gained weight during the pandemic. And while it's a stretch from too much comfort eating to downright gluttony, too much body fat is bad for our health. In fact, those additional pounds can increase our risk of severe illness from Covid-19. Excess weight has always been a health risk. In times of the coronavirus pandemic, it could be lethal.

Tuesday, January 05, 2021

Strict Covid Restrictions Could Last Months, Boris Johnson Signals

THE GUARDIAN: PM says lifting lockdown is subject to ‘lots of caveats’ as figures show 1m people in England have Covid

Britain could face harsh restrictions for many months to come, Boris Johnson and his chief scientists warned as figures suggested more than 1 million people in England are infected with coronavirus, or one in every 50.

The prime minister said the plan to emerge from a newly-imposed national lockdown in mid-February was subject to “lots of caveats, lot of ifs”. He refused to guarantee that children would be fully back at school before the summer, calling this a “fundamental hope”. » | Jessica Elgot and Peter Walker | Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Cooper on Trump Call: It's Like Speaking to a Child

CNN's Anderson Cooper examines the call between President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which the President urged Raffensperger to "find" votes to overturn the election results.

Monday, January 04, 2021

WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Extradition Blocked by British Judge | DW News

A British judge has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the United States to face espionage charges. The judge said extradition would be "oppressive" to his mental health. Supporters celebrated the verdict outside the courthouse in central London. Assange would have faced up to 175 years in prison if convicted of violating the US Espionage Act. In 2010, he released thousands of classified US military files online. The Australian was first arrested in Britain ten years ago, and sought asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy for seven years. His lawyers have consistently argued that Assange was acting as a journalist and is entitled to freedom of speech protections.

The Guardian View on Trump's Strategy: Overturn Result, Cheat Democracy

THE GUARDIAN: The US president is seeking to bring down a system that defeated him

This week, Donald Trump will undermine democracy in the US by supporting the claim that Democrat Joe Biden did not fairly win last November’s presidential election. A peaceful handover of power in a democracy requires losing candidates and their followers to admit defeat. But Mr Trump has manufactured a controversy purely to maintain power and to overturn a legitimate election.

US courts have repeatedly thrown out Mr Trump’s evidence-free cases. This has not stopped the president’s accomplices in Congress. They, backed by Mr Trump’s vice-president, on Wednesday plan to challenge Mr Biden’s win to force a debate and votes in Congress. Some scholars point to a historical precedent as offering a slim, perhaps vanishing, chance that the nightmare will continue. Mr Trump will not let an opportunity pass to relitigate an election he lost. » | Editorial | Sunday, January 3, 2021

Trump Phone Call: Georgia Officials Shut Down Election Fraud Claims

Astonishing new evidence of a desperate President Donald Trump caught on tape trying to steal the election exposes the depth of his corruption and makes his Republican Capitol Hill allies complicit in his bid to thwart the will of voters.

In a fresh abuse of power, Trump tried to bully a top Georgia GOP official into finding votes to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's win in the state. The staggering telephone call, audio of which was obtained by CNN and first reported by The Washington Post, amounted to the most serious threat yet posed by his authoritarian instincts to American democracy.

Even before the latest outrage, this week already marked a watershed moment for Biden's coming presidency, a ruptured Republican Party and the integrity of the US political system.


Sunday, January 03, 2021

The Observer View on How the West Should Deal with Rising China

THE GUARDIAN: Xi Jinping’s expansionist policies abroad and dictatorship at home make pressing the need for new geopolitical strategy

How to deal with China is the biggest geopolitical challenge facing Britain and the western democracies in 2021 – and one to which they have, as yet, supplied no coherent answer. China’s influence is growing rapidly around the world. It is predicted to overtake the US as the biggest economy by 2028. Its politicians, diplomats and military chiefs exhibit the bullish assertiveness of a new imperial superpower. This, they believe, is China’s moment.

At the same time, China is increasingly distrusted and disliked. A recent Pew global attitudes survey found negative views to be at an all-time high in Germany, South Korea and other advanced economies. Nearly three-quarters of Americans and Britons view China unfavourably, up from 35% and 16% respectively in 2002. Trust in China’s president, Xi Jinping, “to do the right thing in world affairs” has plummeted.

China’s overweening ambition and this concomitant rise in hostility are both relatively new. In Britain’s case, it is only five years since David Cameron hailed the dawn of a “golden era”. Back then, it seemed China’s strength, measured in hi-tech, investment and trade, could be safely harnessed to the UK’s advantage. Such collaboration, it was fondly believed, would ultimately hasten China’s transition from one-party state to democracy. » | Observer editorial | Sunday, January 3, 2021

Britain Opens Door to Mix-and-Match Vaccinations, Worrying Experts

THE NEW YORK TIMES: If a second dose of one vaccine isn’t available, another may be substituted, according to the guidelines.

Amid a sputtering vaccine rollout and fears of a new and potentially more transmissible variant of the coronavirus, Britain has quietly updated its vaccination playbook to allow for a mix-and-match vaccine regimen. If a second dose of the vaccine a patient originally received isn’t available, or if the manufacturer of the first shot isn’t known, another vaccine may be substituted, health officials said.

The new guidance contradicts guidelines in the United States, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that the authorized Covid-19 vaccines “are not interchangeable,” and that “the safety and efficacy of a mixed-product series have not been evaluated. Both doses of the series should be completed with the same product.”

Some scientists say Britain is gambling with its new guidance. “There are no data on this idea whatsoever,” said John Moore, a vaccine expert at Cornell University. Officials in Britain “seem to have abandoned science completely now and are just trying to guess their way out of a mess.” » | Katherine J. Wu | Friday, January 1, 2021

‘Global Britain’ Is Willing to Trade Away Everything. Including Scruples

THE GUARDIAN: The UK’s new deal with Turkey ignores appalling human rights abuses and should have been scrutinised by parliament

The UK’s new trade agreement with Turkey, signed last week, ignores the Turkish government’s continuing human rights abuses, boosts its dangerous president, and undermines ministerial pledges that “global Britain” will uphold international laws and values. The deal took effect on 1 January without even rudimentary parliamentary scrutiny. Here, stripped of lies and bombast, is the dawning reality of Boris Johnson’s scruple-free post-Brexit world.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s “strongman” leader, is pleased as punch. He’s the new, biggest fan of Britain’s international trade secretary, Liz Truss, whose shabby work this is. Erdoğan hailed the deal as the start of a “new era” and a landmark for Turkey. After years of disastrous economic mismanagement and fierce rows with the US and EU over Turkish policy towards Russia, Syria, Libya, Greece and Cyprus, Erdoğan badly needed a win. Hapless Truss delivered.

The fact that Johnson used the spectre of Turkish migrants to frighten Leave voters in 2016 appears forgotten now. His government has created a favourable bilateral trade framework, and promised bespoke “upgrades”, to a leader who frequently mocks the EU and faces possible European trade sanctions. How does that square with Johnson’s vow to be “the best friend and ally the EU could have”? The level playing field is already tipping. » | Simon Tisdall | Sunday, January 3, 2021

Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell's Homes Vandalised

BBC: Vandals in the US have attacked the homes of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell.

Fake blood and a severed pig's head were reportedly left outside Democrat Ms Pelosi's California house, which was also daubed with graffiti.

The words "where's my money" and some expletives were scrawled on on Republican Mr McConnell's house in Kentucky.

It comes amid a political battle over a coronavirus stimulus package. » | Saturday, January 2, 2021

Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi homes vandalised in Covid protests »

Saturday, January 02, 2021

Opinion: The Wreckage Betsy DeVos Leaves Behind

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Education Department lies in ruins right when it’s needed most.

The departing education secretary, Betsy DeVos, will be remembered as perhaps the most disastrous leader in the Education Department’s history. Her lack of vision has been apparent in a variety of contexts, but never more so than this fall when she told districts that were seeking guidance on how to operate during the coronavirus pandemic that it was not her responsibility to track school district infection rates or keep track of school reopening plans. This telling remark implies a vision of the Education Department as a mere bystander in a crisis that disrupted the lives of more than 50 million schoolchildren. » | The Editorial Board | Saturday, January 2, 2021

An Embattled Public Servant in a Fractured France

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Nicolas Cadène sees the failings of France’s secular model even as he upholds it.

PARIS — France is in theory a nondiscriminatory society where the state upholds strict religious neutrality and people are free to believe, or not, in any God they wish. It is a nation, in its self image, that through education dissolves differences of faith and ethnicity in a shared commitment to the rights and responsibilities of French citizenship.

This model, known as laïcité, often inadequately translated as secularism, is embraced by a majority of French people. They or their forebears became French in this way. No politician here would utter the words “In God we trust.” The Roman Catholic Church was removed more than a century ago from French public life. The country’s lay model supplants any deity.

But, in a country with an uneasy relationship to Islam, laïcité is also contested as the shield behind which France discriminates against its large Muslim population and avoids confronting its prejudices. As a result, the job of Nicolas Cadène, a mildly disheveled official with a mop of brown hair and multiple law degrees, has become a focus of controversy. » | Roger Cohen | Friday, January 1, 2021

Lire en français »

Opinion: Britain Has Lost Itself

THE NEW YORK TIMES: My grandparents, who fled Nazi Germany for Britain, would be heartbroken to see the country today.

At long last, it happened.

Shortly before midnight on Thursday, Britain completed its exit from the European Union, replacing a close 47-year long relationship with the continent with something far more distant. Now it will have to live through difficult years of separation that will sap its political vibrancy and diminish its role on the world stage. Though a trade deal was belatedly agreed, the economic fallout may be dire, too.

Yet for many, it’s also a deeply personal moment. My grandparents, who escaped Nazi Germany on the eve of World War II, found a home in Britain — to them, it was a beacon of light and hope. But they would be heartbroken to see it today. Inward, polarized and absurdly self-aggrandizing, Britain has lost itself. In sorrow, I mourn the passing of the country that was my family’s salvation. » | Peter Gumbel* | Friday, January 1, 2021


* Mr. Gumbel is the author of “Citizens of Everywhere.”

Friday, January 01, 2021

Brexit In Effect: UK's Access to Single Market Ends

As millions around the world welcome a new year, Britain is marking the end of an era, officially ending its decades-long relationship with the European Union. The United Kingdom is no longer a member of the single market or customs union, and its new trade deal with the EU is now in effect. Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons reports from London on how the changes will affect people and businesses.

Brexit : les Britanniques orphelins d’Erasmus

LE MONDE: Editorial. La décision de Boris Johnson de quitter le programme européen d’échanges universitaires est regrettable, autant pour les jeunes du Royaume-Uni que pour ceux de l’Union européenne.

Editorial du « Monde ». C’est l’une des nombreuses fausses promesses de Boris Johnson. Interpellé il y a un an par un député écossais dans la fièvre d’un débat sur le Brexit à la Chambre des communes, le premier ministre britannique garantissait que, non,« Erasmus n’était pas menacé ». La réalité s’impose aujourd’hui aux étudiants du Royaume-Uni avec « l’accord de commerce et de coopération » agréé le 24 décembre par Londres et Bruxelles : Erasmus, pour eux, c’est fini. Ils n’en bénéficieront plus pour aller étudier à l’étranger, pas plus que les universités britanniques n’en bénéficieront pour accueillir les étudiants de l’Union européenne. » | Éditorial | samedi 30 décembre 2020

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Brexit: Seven Things Changing on 1 January

BBC: From 1 January, the free movement of people and goods and services between the UK and the EU will end. This means significant differences to how people live, work and travel.

Here are some of the most important things that are changing. » | Paul Kerley | Thursday, December 31, 2020

Stanley Johnson Confirms Application for French Passport on Eve of Brexit

THE GUARDIAN: Prime minister’s father campaigned to remain in the EU in 2016 while his son led the leave movement

Boris Johnson’s father Stanley has confirmed that he is applying for a French passport on the eve of Britain’s Brexit transition period coming to an end.

In an interview with the French radio station RTL, he said: “It’s not a question of becoming French. If I understand correctly I am French! My mother was born in France, her mother was completely French as was her grandfather. “For me it’s a question of obtaining what I already have and I am very happy about that.”

Johnson, 80, served as an MEP 40 years ago, and was one of the first UK civil servants to work in Brussels after Britain joined the European Union, then the European Economic Community, in 1973. He went on to work for the European commission. » | Harry Taylor | Thursday, December 31, 2020

The UK is good enough for the plebs, but only the European Union is good enough for the privileged few! This is sick and disgusting! We'll be told next that BoJo, his son, has secretly applied for French citizenship so as not to lose his EU rights! – ©Mark

View from the EU: Britain 'Taken over by Gamblers, Liars, Clowns and Their Cheerleaders'

THE GUARDIAN: European commentators weigh in on what Britain’s departure from the EU means

Britain faces an uncertain future as it finally pulls clear of the EU’s orbit, continental commentators have predicted, its reputation for pragmatism and probity shredded by a Brexit process most see as profoundly populist and dangerously dishonest.

“For us, the UK has always been seen as like-minded: economically progressive, politically stable, respect for the rule of law – a beacon of western liberal democracy,” said Rem Korteweg, of the Clingendael Institute thinktank in the Netherlands.

“I’m afraid that’s been seriously hit by the past four years. The Dutch have seen a country in a deep identity crisis; it’s been like watching a close friend go through a really, really difficult time. Brexit is an exercise in emotion, not rationality; in choosing your own facts. And it’s not clear how it will end.” » | Jon Henley, Europe correspondent | Thursday, December 31, 2020

BoJo – Coco’s Brother


The Clown Test: If it looks like a clown, behaves like a clown, and talks like a clown, then it probably is a clown. – ©Mark

The Guardian View on the Brexit Debate: No Scrutiny, No Choice

THE GUARDIAN: A truncated parliamentary session, less than 48 hours before the end of the transition period, was too little, too late

In a damning assessment of Wednesday’s token debate on Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal, the Hansard Society’s senior researcher dismissed it as “a farce.” As one of the most depressing and shambolic periods in British political history reaches a denouement, perhaps that should have come as no surprise.

MPs were allotted five hours to discuss the 1,246-page treaty, agreed last week, which completes Britain’s departure from the European Union. Such a derisory level of scrutiny, said Hansard’s Brigid Fowler, was “an abdication of parliament’s constitutional responsibilities.” Exuding insouciance, the leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, quickly revealed the government’s contempt for such notions. The risibly short session, he told MPs, was merely the “icing on the Christmas cake that the prime minister delivered for the nation”. So much, then, for the restoration of parliamentary sovereignty, the lodestar that supposedly guided the Brexit project. In the absence of any alternative, bar a disastrous no-deal exit on New Year’s Day, the European Union (future relationship) bill was rushed through by a majority of 448. Cognisant of its myriad flaws, Mr Johnson had good grounds for wanting it to be waved through on the fly. » | Editorial | Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Two Kingdoms in the Third Reich - Professor Alec Ryrie

Nazism was not a Christian movement in any meaningful sense https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-an...

German Protestants of the 1920s and 1930s shared many Nazi assumptions and voted disproportionately for the Nazi party, partly in the hope that they might use it for their own ends. One result was the German Christian movement, which tried to create a dejudaised Christianity which the Nazi state would accept with a place in the coming Aryan utopia. Many moderate, sensible Christians in Germany, even in the supposedly anti-Nazi 'Confessing Church', collaborated with the regime in other ways. This lecture will explore how so many Christians came to support Nazism, and how some managed to oppose it.


'Delusional': Watch Rev. Sharpton React to Trump’s Nobel Prize Fraud | The Beat with Ari Melber

Trump continues to foster chaos in his final days in office, releasing an odd video where he falsely suggests he won the Nobel Prize. Reverend Al Sharpton reacts to the video and slams Trump for suggesting he saved many lives during the pandemic. (This interview is from MSNBC’s “The Beat with Ari Melber", a news show covering politics, law and culture airing nightly at 6pm ET on MSNBC. http://www.thebeatwithari.com). Aired on 12/29/2020.


Is Cancer Caused by Sugar?

If you or someone you know has had cancer, this episode is going to matter to you. And since the odds are now that 1 in 3 adults in the US will get cancer, this really is a topic that matters to all of us.

The school of thought around cancer used to be focused only on the genetic component. But we now know that our environment—the air we breathe, the food we eat, even our relationships—have an enormous cellular impact on our ability to prevent and treat cancer.

I’m excited to sit down with Dr. Jason Fung on this episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy to talk about his amazing work in the field of cancer research and why this environmental component should give us all hope.

Dr. Fung is a physician, author, and researcher. His groundbreaking science-based books about diabetes and obesity, The Diabetes Code, The Obesity Code, and The Complete Guide to Fasting have sold over one million copies and challenged the conventional wisdom that diabetics should be treated with insulin. Dr. Fung is also the co-founder of The Fasting Method, a program to help people lose weight and reverse type 2 diabetes naturally with fasting. His latest book, The Cancer Code: A Revolutionary New Understanding of a Medical Mystery, was just released.

This episode is brought to you by Bioptimizers, Thrive Market, Apeel.


Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Earthquake Hits Croatia with 6.4 Magnitude | DW News

A powerful earthquake has struck Croatia near the capital Zagreb. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre says the magnitude 6.4 event struck 46 kilometers southeast of Zagreb. According to official reports, it caused widespread damage, collapsing roofs, building façades and entire buildings. The tremors also prompted the precautionary shutdown of a nuclear power plant in neighbouring Slovenia. That region was hit by a slightly weaker tremor.

Monday, December 28, 2020

The Guardian View on Britain’s Global Role: Shrinking around Brexit

THE GUARDIAN: In a world of superpower rivalry, the UK must urgently rebuild the strategic alliances that were sabotaged by its departure from the EU

Boris Johnson has a range of political skills, but international diplomacy is not among them. His greatest asset is a campaigning charisma with limited cultural range. The dishevelled look and irreverent bombast are an act aimed at a domestic audience. It translates poorly abroad. In the global arena, reluctance to look serious forfeits respect sooner than it wins affection.

That is one reason why Mr Johnson did not acquit himself well as foreign secretary in Theresa May’s government. Another was that he hates serving anyone but himself. As prime minister, he has not sharpened up his act, but he is at least free to pursue his own agenda. What does that mean in foreign policy terms? There is Brexit, of course. But that has been a parochial matter in UK politics – perversely so, given that the country’s orientation in the world is at stake. The domestic debate has consistently lacked global perspective. The remain side failed to communicate the cost of surrendering a seat at European summits. The view that EU membership amplified British power was drowned out by the rhetoric of regaining mythic sovereignty. » | Editorial | Monday, December 28, 2020

My opinion: As a one-time dyed-in-the-wool Conservative voter, I say this: Never again will I vote Tory! I wavered after the shabby way they treated Margaret Thatcher; but now, after this Brexit fiasco, NEVER AGAIN! It is to be hoped that the Tories go the way of the Whigs: into oblivion! Leaving the European Union has been a suicidal act. No self-respecting, economics-understanding, UK-loving voter could ever have voted for Brexit. Brexit has taken our rights as one-time European citizens away from us. And for what? Some spurious, nebulous concept of sovereignty – a concept most people probably don’t understand anyway. Make no mistake: the one-per-centers wanted Brexit because they will enrich themselves still further at our expense; the rest voted for Brexit out of ignorance because of the lies they were fed. But they have been fooled. The result: We, the people, have to put up with our European rights being taken away! Further, as a nation, we will be impoverished. – ©Mark Alexander

Game of Thrones Video Game Tycoon Dies in Suspected Poisoning

THE GUARDIAN: Police in China detain colleague of Yoozoo Games founder Lin Qi on suspicion of involvement in death

Shanghai police have detained a man in relation to the suspected poisoning death of the wealthy founder of a video games company

. Lin Qi, 39, died on Christmas Day, eight days after he was taken to hospital with “acute symptoms of illness”, according to his company, Yoozoo Games Co, known for the Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming strategy game and as the producer of a forthcoming Netflix adaptation of the science fiction hit The Three-Body Problem. » | Helen Davidson in Taipei | Monday, December 28, 2020

Saudi Rights Activist Loujain al-Hathloul Sentenced to Almost Six Years in Jail

THE GUARDIAN: Court suspends some of sentence and backdates start of term, meaning she only has three months left to serve

Loujain al-Hathloul, the Saudi women’s right activist detained three years ago by the Saudi government, has been sentenced to five years and eight months in jail after being found guilty of spying with foreign parties and conspiring against the kingdom.

But the court suspended 2 years and 10 months of her sentence and backdated the start of her jail term to May 2018, meaning she only has three months left to serve.

Although human rights campaigners will say she should never have been detained for so long without charge, the prospect of serving only a further three months in jail will help defuse a potentially damaging early confrontation with the Biden administration that would have occurred if she had been locked up for a further 20 years, as seemed possible at one point. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Monday, December 28, 2020

Sunday, December 27, 2020

'You Have a President Who Is Increasingly Out of Touch While Americans Are Dying' | MSNBC

President Trump is golfing at his private club in Florida over the Christmas weekend while a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill sits on his desk that would provide millions of Americans with desperately needed financial assistance. MSNBC’s host of “American Voices” Alicia Menendez speaks with Rolling Stone Washington Bureau Chief Andy Kroll, Politico White House Correspondent Tyler Pager, and MSNBC Political Analyst, host of “Zerlina,” and the author of “The End of White Politics” Zerlina Maxwell about what this roadblock means for vulnerable Americans.

SNP Confirms It Will Vote against 'Extreme Tory Brexit' Deal

THE GUARDIAN: Party says PM’s plan, to be voted on next week, reinforces the case for Scottish independence

The Scottish National party has confirmed its MPs will vote against what it called “Boris Johnson’s extreme Tory Brexit” next week, saying the newly agreed deal reinforced the case for Scottish independence.

The expected decision, made following a meeting of the SNP’s Westminster parliamentary group, guarantees at least some formal opposition when the deal is put to the Commons on Wednesday.

The SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, said: “Boris Johnson’s extreme Tory Brexit is an unforgivable act of economic vandalism and gross stupidity, which will cause lasting damage to the economy and leave the UK much worse off at the worst possible time – during a pandemic and economic recession. » | Peter Walker, Political correspondent | Sunday, December 27, 2020

The Observer View on the Brexit Trade Deal

THE OBSERVER: A deal that makes us poorer, reduces global influence and imperils the nation’s integrity

Any deal is better than no deal. But the agreement that Boris Johnson struck with the European Union on Christmas Eve is no political triumph, no diplomatic feat. It will one day surely be regarded as one of the greatest-ever deceits inflicted on the British electorate. We were told that a free trade agreement with the EU would be “one of the easiest in human history” to get, that we were “going to get a great deal”. We were told that a free trade agreement would give us “the exact same benefits” of EU membership without any of the obligations or financial costs.

Yet the deal Johnson has reached will inflict all the costs he denied it ever would. It will take some weeks to fully digest the many pages of legal text. But it is already clear that this deal will have enduring consequences for Britain in the coming decades: for the wellbeing and resilience of communities across a highly unequal nation; for the potential for the UK to be an influence for good in an increasingly unstable world; and perhaps even for the very integrity of our nation. Johnson’s act of national harm could not come at a worse time. It will set in train significant economic damage during a global pandemic that has left the NHS and economy reeling. » | Observer Editorial | Sunday, December 27, 2020

Brexit: Big changes to our lives, and livelihoods, and on their way from 1 January when the transition period ends »

Splendid Isolation … Or Just a Bit-part Player? Europe Reacts to British ‘Victory’

THE OBSERVER: As Brussels officials scrutinise the detail, political pundits from Berlin to Madrid see a poor outlook for the UK

Questions about how the full details of the Brexit deal would be received, and warnings of the negotiations that will continue after its implementation, tempered widespread relief in Europe that a last-ditch agreement had been reached.

Many commentators also wondered how Britain would negotiate the reality of life outside the European Union after years of unsettled argument even within the pro-Brexit camp about the country’s strategic direction.

Le Monde said the country was now facing a dilemma from over half a century ago. “The United Kingdom finds itself once again facing a question that was never resolved after 1945: its place in the world,” wrote Philippe Bernard. “Its [sic] like Back to the Future, from the 1950s.

“While Germany and France launched themselves into building Europe, the British refused to join this project, too limited for their ambitions and initiated by two countries they considered, unlike themselves, losers of the war.” » | Emma Graham-Harrison | Sunday, December 27, 2020

Margaret Thatcher said plan for the euro was 'a rush of blood', archives reveal »

This Brexit disaster has been brewing in the Conservative party for 30 years »

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Who Was the Real Jesus Christ (Biblical Documentary) | Timeline

After the death of Jesus, his followers split into two factions. They held radically different views about their leader – his identity, his message and his vision of the future. One of those factions flourished under the guiding genius of St Paul – and eventually wrote its version of the story in the Gospels of the New Testament. The other faction withered and died away, leaving behind no written records. But what if the losers in this power struggle had written their version of the story? The Real Jesus Christ reconstructs that lost biography of Jesus: an alternative version of his life as it would have been told by those who lost the battle for the succession, but who knew him better than anyone else – his closest followers and his family.

Friday, December 25, 2020

Don Winslow Films — Everybody Is Turning on Trump


#EverybodyIsTurningOnTrump

Brexit Going Forward: Who Are the Winners and Losers? | DW News

No one really thought the UK would vote to leave the EU. But they did and it up-ended politics in Britain and the EU.

When it takes effect it will change many aspects of life for people on both sides of the English Channel. Leaving the European Union. Leaving all the restrictions, duties, and the benefits of being part of a greater whole. Leaving behind freedom of movement, simple trade, and hundreds of common rules covering everything from human rights to light-bulb specifications.

DW Correspondents Birgit Maass in London and Georg Matthes in Brussels have had front-row seats at the Brexit process from the very beginning. They have not only reported from the endless summits and negotiations, but also traveled through the UK and Europe, and even beyond. They met people whose lives will be affected – in some ways that could have been predicted – and in some ways that couldn’t.

As Birgit and Georg look towards the future, they pick out those people whose fates show us what’s going to happen in a Brexit world. The fishing communities who set sail from different coasts looking to make a living from the same waters, and how bitter the fight has become for them. The British farmers who will see their income slashed, and what that’ll mean, depending on how big their farms are. The people who made their lives in Britain but are no longer welcome. And of course those on both sides of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.


The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 2020

“In the United Kingdom and around the world, people have risen magnificently to the challenges of the year, and I am so proud and moved by this quiet, indomitable spirit.”

In her 2020 broadcast, The Queen reflects on acts of kindness and heroism during this extraordinary year.


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Anand Giridharadas joins Mehdi Hasan to detail how America's richest few have grown their wealth amid the pandemic, often at the expense of the poor and middle class.

The Wrecking of America by Donald J. Trump (w/ Ralph Nader)

Ralph Nader joined Thom to discuss the state of the US after four years of Donald Trump as president. From Trump pushing out Bill Barr, through to the fanatics he has appointed up to 20 January 2021.

U.S. Will Require Negative Covid-19 Test for All Travelers From U.K.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The new rule, which takes effect on Monday, will apply to Americans as well as foreign nationals.

The United States will require all airline passengers arriving from Britain to test negative for the coronavirus within 72 hours of their departure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.

The move comes as a new highly transmissible variant of the virus, which first appeared in Britain, has led more than 50 countries to seal their borders to travelers from there or to impose restrictions on their arrival.

The new rule, which takes effect on Monday, will apply to Americans as well as foreign citizens, and will require passengers to show proof of a negative result on a genetic test, known as a P.C.R., or an antigen test. » | Russell Goldman and Isabella Kwai | Thursday, December 24, 2020