Boris Johnson Told to 'Stop Campaigning and Start Governing'

THE GUARDIAN: Ken Clarke criticises PM for having no detailed plans for Brexit or social care

Ken Clarke has warned Boris Johnson he must “stop campaigning and get on with governing”, condemning the prime minister for seemingly having no detailed plans for a final Brexit deal, or for other vital issues such as social care.

The veteran former Conservative MP, who stepped down from parliament at the election having been stripped of the Tory whip shortly beforehand, said Johnson should replace advisers such as Dominic Cummings with people who were able to govern.

Clarke said that while Johnson’s 80-strong majority meant he was able to run the country more or less as he chose, Clarke told BBC Radio 5 he had seen few signs yet of any coherent policy programme.

“Governing the country is more than going around saying, ‘Oooh, 2020 is going to be a golden year, and we’re going to be global Britain,’” he said. “At the moment we’ve got a stagnant, fragile economy, an angry, discontented population. It’s a very dangerous world out there in many, many ways.”

Clarke said Johnson’s policy vagueness was particularly acute on Brexit: “I could never get out of Boris – and nobody so far could get out of Boris – what he has in mind for the eventual deal. To say they’re generalities is an understatement. » | Peter Walker, Political correspondent | Sunday, December 22, 2019

Berlin Outraged after Donald Trump Hits Gas Pipeline Project with Sanctions

THE TELEGRAPH: Berlin has accused Washington of interfering in German internal affairs, after Donald Trump signed off on US sanctions against companies building a Russian natural gas pipeline to Germany.

"The Federal Government rejects such extraterritorial sanctions," Ulrike Demmer, a spokeswoman, said in Berlin on Saturday.

“They affect German and European companies and constitute an interference in our domestic affairs."

The US is an outspoken opponent of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will transport natural gas about 750 miles from Russia, through the Baltic Sea and into Germany.

The sanctions will hit any company working with Russia’s state-owned Gazprom to complete the project. » | James Crisp, Brussels correspondent | Saturday, December 21, 2019

Seth Andrews: The Mystery Letter

Seth Andrews shares a very personal story about his days as a fundamentalist Christian, his escape from indoctrination, and the beauty he discovered beyond the narrow walls of religious bigotry. It's an inspiring story about friendship, freedom, humanism, and humanity.

Seth Andrews: From Religion to Reason

Seth Andrews chronicles his personal story for a live Minneapolis audience, the event sponsored by Minnesota Atheists.

Christianity Today Editor Responds to Trump’s Attack

A leading Christian magazine founded by late evangelist Billy Graham published an op-ed calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office and urging evangelicals not to support him. The magazine's editor-in-chief Mark Galli joins CNN

Christianity Today Editor-In-Chief: Trump’s Character Is Troublesome | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBC

Christianity Today's editor-in-chief Mark Galli discussed his article in support of removing President Trump from office and called the president's character "blatantly and obviously troublesome." Aired on 12/20/19.

Trump Admin Lists Fictional Country of Wakanda As a Free Trade Partner

The Trump administration was busted earlier this week for having the fictional Marvel Comics country of Wakanda listed on the Department of Agriculture’s website as a free trade partner with the United States. The country, home of Black Panther, even included itemized lists of prices for goods coming and going through Wakanda, showing that this was far more than just a quick accident. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

Trump's Best Words: 2019 Edition | The Daily Show

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — December 20, 2019

Major Evangelical Magazine Calls for Trump's Removal | Morning Joe | MSNBC

The editor-in-chief of prominent evangelical magazine Christianity Today says the president must be removed from office. Aired on 12/20/19.

CHRISTIANITY TODAY: Trump Should Be Removed from Office »

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Christianity Today Calls for Trump’s Removal »

NAS Pensacola Tragedy Raises Questions Over Cozy US/Saudi Relationship

Via America’s Lawyer: Mike Papantonio and Trial Lawyer Magazine editor Farron Cousins talk about the recent mass shooting at a Pensacola Naval base, with the shooter identified as 21 year-old Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani of the Royal Saudi Air Force. While the FBI was quick to investigate the shooting as a possible act of terrorism, why does President Trump appear hesitant to link the Saudi national with any terror plot? With Saudi ties to 9/11, the war in Yemen, as well as the execution of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, DOES the U.S. government turn a blind eye to its biggest customer of military weaponry?

Lawrence: ‘Your Votes Made History Tonight’ | The Last Word | MSNBC

Lawrence O’Donnell explains how the millions of voters who gave Democrats control of the House of Representatives in last year's election made the Trump impeachment possible. Aired on 12/18/19.

Across America Thousands March to Support Trump's Impeachment

People turned out in over 600 communities all over the United States calling for President Donald Trump's impeachment. David Siever of MoveOn talks about what this means and what happens next.

More Than 700 Historians Call for Trump to Be Impeached as Key Vote Looms

THE GUARDIAN: ‘We … have concluded that Donald J Trump has violated his oath’ / Signatories include Ron Chernow and David Blight

More than 700 American historians have called for the impeachment and removal of Donald Trump.

“We are American historians devoted to studying our nation’s past,” began an open letter posted to Medium, “who have concluded that Donald J Trump has violated his oath to ‘faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States’ and to ‘preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States’.”

Two articles of impeachment will be voted on in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. They concern abuse of power, in Trump’s attempts to have Ukraine investigate his political rivals, and obstruction of Congress, in his refusal to allow key aides to testify in impeachment hearings.

Despite extensive evidence laid out in those House committee hearings, the president denies any wrongdoing. » | Martin Pengelly in New York | Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — December 17, 2019

‘Call Me by Your Name’ | Anatomy of a Scene

Luca Guadagnino narrates a sequence from his film featuring Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet.

Sufjan Stevens – Mystery of Love (From "Call Me By Your Name" Soundtrack) [Official Audio]

Sufjan Stevens – Futile Devices (OST Call Me By Your Name)

Der Brexit mag hart sein, aber er setzt einer grossen Lüge ein Ende

NZZamSonntag: Der Austritt der Briten aus der EU war kein unglücklicher Zufall, er war unausweichlich. Die britische Beziehung zur EU basierte auf einem Selbstbetrug. Nun können beide Seiten neu beginnen.

Die Entscheidung ist gefallen. Grossbritannien wird am 31. Januar nach fast 50 Jahren Mitgliedschaft aus der EU austreten. Boris Johnsons überwältigender Sieg bei den Parlamentswahlen lässt keinen anderen Schluss zu.

Der Traum vieler Brexit-Gegner, noch einmal über den Austritt abstimmen zu können und alles ungeschehen zu machen, ist zerplatzt. Sie können jetzt nur noch so tun, als wäre es um ein Haar anders gekommen: wenn Premierminister David Cameron das Referendum nicht so unprofessionell in die Wege geleitet hätte, wenn Jeremy Corbyn nicht ein so unfähiger Oppositionsführer gewesen wäre, wenn Boris Johnson damals doch der Kampagne der Brexit-Gegner beigetreten wäre.

Wenn, wenn, wenn. Dann hätte der Flügelschlag eines Schmetterlings vielleicht alles ändern können. Doch vielleicht wäre es ehrlich, aufzuzeigen, dass der Brexit unausweichlich – und die EU-Mitgliedschaft der Briten von Anfang an eine Lüge war. » | Gordana Mijuk | Samstag 14. Dezember 2019

«Wer sich als englisch identifiziert, hat sehr wahrscheinlich für den Brexit gestimmt. Wer sich als britisch versteht, war eher dagegen» : Der Brexit sei das Produkt des englischen Nationalismus, sagt der irische Autor Fintan O’Toole. Dieser verbreite sich im Land und treibe den Zerfall des Königreichs voran. »

“Dark Day for Everyone Who Believes in Justice”: UK Tories Defeat Labour in Landslide Election

The British Conservative Party has won a decisive majority in Thursday’s general election, winning seats in Labour Party strongholds and paving the way for Britain’s exit from the European Union by January 31. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is projected to have 364 seats in the House of Commons compared to Labour’s 203 seats. That would give the Conservatives about a 75-seat majority, the largest since Margaret Thatcher’s landslide in the 1987 election. Johnson’s message throughout the campaign was focused on “getting Brexit done,” reflecting public exhaustion with the issue that has paralyzed British politics ever since the 2016 referendum. His win comes despite his long record of racist and anti-Muslim statements, as well as accusations of sexual harassment. Following the election, Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn announced he will resign as party leader, though he will continue to sit as an MP. The Labour membership grew dramatically during Corbyn’s tenure, with the party adopting radical policies focused on ending austerity, reinvesting in the National Health Service and promoting social justice. We get response from George Monbiot, a columnist for The Guardian and author of “Out of the Wreckage: A New Politics for an Age of Crisis,” and Priya Gopal, university lecturer in the Faculty of English at the University of Cambridge and author of the new book “Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent.”