How Did Young Americans Respond to the Nazi Threat

While growing up in a time of racial segregation and the Great Depression, some young Americans looked beyond the struggles of their own nation to respond to the Nazi threat in Europe.

Why Yasmine Mohammed Left Islam

Yasmine Mohammed is a Canadian former Muslim and an outspoken critic of Islam, the hijab, and the oppression of women. She has written a book called ‘Unveiled’.

On Smoking: Mark Littlewood in Conversation with Simon Clark

On 16th May 2019, to mark the 40th anniversary of the smokers' group FOREST (Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco), Mark Littlewood, director-general of the Institute of Economic Affairs, spoke to Forest director Simon Clark.

How Americans Got Sold on Cigarettes

Mein Kampf: The Secrets of Adolf Hitler's Book of Evil | Free Documentary Nature

Today Adolf Hitler’s autobiography cum Nazi manifesto is still sold all over the world, under the counter, on the internet or simply at the bookshop. This 700 page book, published in 1925, was re-edited numerous times since the death of the author. How was it written? Was Hitler really the author? Were the war and the Holocaust truly inscribed in its pages? This documentary plunges deep into the secrets of Mein Kampf. A simple book of paradoxes: famous but unknown, fascinating and repulsive.

A Collapse Foretold: How Brazil’s Covid-19 Outbreak Overwhelmed Hospitals

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The virus has killed more than 300,000 people in Brazil, its spread aided by a highly contagious variant, political infighting and distrust of science.

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil — The patients began arriving at hospitals in Porto Alegre far sicker and younger than before. Funeral homes were experiencing a steady uptick in business, while exhausted doctors and nurses pleaded in February for a lockdown to save lives.

But Sebastião Melo, Porto Alegre’s mayor, argued there was a greater imperative.

“Put your life on the line so that we can save the economy,” Mr. Melo appealed to his constituents in late February.

Now Porto Alegre, a prosperous city in southern Brazil, is at the heart of an stunning breakdown of the country’s health care system — a crisis foretold.

More than a year into the pandemic, deaths in Brazil are at their peak and highly contagious variants of the coronavirus are sweeping the nation, enabled by political dysfunction, widespread complacency and conspiracy theories. The country, whose leader, President Jair Bolsonaro, has played down the threat of the virus, is now reporting more new cases and deaths per day than any other country in the world. » | Ernesto Londoño and Letícia Casado | Saturday, March 27, 2021

Yasmine Mohammed | Spirituality | Rubin Report

Dave Rubin of The Rubin Report talks to Yasmine Mohammed (Author and Activist) about Ex Muslims, being married to someone in Al Qaeda, Islamists, the Hijab, Linda Sarsour, Sharia Law and more.

Dominion Voting Sues Fox News for $1.6bn over Election Fraud Claims

BBC: Dominion Voting Systems has filed a $1.6bn (£1.2bn) defamation lawsuit against Fox News, arguing it promoted baseless claims of vote-rigging.

Conservatives and Trump campaigners had claimed last year that the US company had altered its voting machines to deny re-election to Donald Trump.

The false claim of a stolen election was promoted by Mr Trump and helped fuel the 6 January attack on Congress.

Fox News said it would fight the "baseless lawsuit in court"

. The lawsuit argues that Fox News, which hosted guests touting anti-Dominion conspiracy theories during the 2020 election, "recklessly disregarded the truth" because "the lies were good for Fox's business".

"Fox News Media is proud of our 2020 election coverage, which stands in the highest tradition of American journalism, and we will vigorously defend against this baseless lawsuit in court," the media company said in its response. » | Friday, March 26, 2021

France Claims UK Will Struggle to Source Second Covid Jabs

THE GUARDIAN: EU will not be blackmailed over Oxford/AstraZeneca doses, says foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian

Britain will struggle to source second Covid jabs for those who have already had their first dose but the EU will not be “blackmailed” into exporting vaccine to solve the problem, France’s foreign minister has claimed.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, a close political ally of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, claimed that the UK’s success had been built on driving forward with first jabs without having secured the second doses necessary for full vaccination.

The EU and the UK are locked in talks about the fate of Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs produced in a factory in the Netherlands.

In an interview with FranceInfo radio, Le Drian suggested that the EU should not have to lose out on the doses to help Britain with a problem of its own making. EU officials and top-rank politicians have repeatedly said they will block any export request by AstraZeneca.

“The UK is proud to have vaccinated many people with the first dose, but they will have a problem with the second dose,” Le Drian said. “And we are fully vaccinated with two doses, not one. Today we have the same number of fully vaccinated people in France and the United Kingdom. » | Daniel Boffey In Brussels | Friday, March 26, 2021

Markle for President?

BAHAMAS TRIBUNE – EDITORIAL: We are living in serious times. But what makes it worse is that certain persons who are in positions to influence public opinion are making a joke of our predicament – particularly in the United States, where it is now being suggested that Meghan Markle, who could not adapt to palace life in the UK, is now interested in running for president of the United States!

It is claimed that one of the reasons that she was not keen to give up her American citizenship when she married Prince Harry was that she wanted the option left open to her in case she could one day realise her dream to become the first female president of the United States! Just to think that she was not smart enough to get a thorough briefing before marrying Prince Harry as to what life would be like in the Palace and how much she would have to adapt to a new world – now she wants to aim for the stars? I refuse to believe that she could be this dumb. » | Editor, The Tribune | Monday, March 22, 2021

DOCU | You Don't Know Nicotine

Amidst radical changes in nicotine use globally, one filmmaker's journey through the confusion & fear leads to a startling discovery about Earth's most hated stimulant. Society may be changed forever.

Smokefree: A Better Britain?

Talking Liberties webinar, 10th March 2021: 'Smokefree: A Better Britain?', featuring Andrew Allison, campaigns director, The Freedom Association; Liz Barber, friend of Forest and confirmed smoker; Mark Oates, director, We Vape and the Snus Users Association; tobacco investment analyst Rae Maile; and Simon Hills, former associated editor of The Times Magazine and author 'Strictly No! How We're Being Overrun by the Nanny State'. Is a smoke free Britain achievable let alone desirable? Join the conversation. 73 minutes, including audience interaction.

Angela Merkel kippt Oster-Ruhe und entschuldigt sich

Es sei nur ihr Fehler gewesen, sagte die Kanzlerin Angela Merkel im Bundestag.

Dan Barker | God Does NOT Exist

Dan Barker gives his argument against the existence of God.

COVID-19: Germany Imposes Strict Lockdown over Easter | DW News

Germany is extending the current lockdown through to April 18, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Tuesday. The country will enter an even stricter lockdown from April 1 to April 5, over the Easter holiday period when shops, including grocery stores, will largely have to close. Merkel warned that Germany needed to "break the exponential growth of the third wave." Case numbers have reached levels that authorities say will overburden intensive care units.

Tuesday's announcement marks a reversal from earlier this month when state leaders agreed to begin a cautious reopening process.

Talks between leaders of Germany's 16 federal states and Merkel lasted until the early hours of the morning following a lengthy interruption.

What are the new measures?

As well as prolonging existing measures such as the closure of cultural, leisure and sporting facilities, tougher restrictions will apply over the Easter period.

- Churches will be asked to hold services marking the Christian festival online. - No more than five adults from two households will be able to meet over the five-day period. - Testing and vaccination centers can remain open. - Public gatherings will be prohibited. - Almost all shops will be shut during the five days. Only grocery stores may open on Saturday, April 3. - Anyone from Germany holidaying abroad will have to be tested before boarding a flight back to Germany. - The "emergency brake" will halt further re-openings and will apply to areas exceeding 100 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants over a seven-day period.

If an area has an incidence rate of over 100 for three consecutive days, harsher lockdown measures will once again apply.

Top Saudi Official Issued Death Threat against UN's Khashoggi Investigator

THE GUARDIAN: Senior official twice threatened to have Agnès Callamard ‘taken care of’ in meeting with UN colleagues in Geneva in January 2020

A senior Saudi official issued what was perceived to be a death threat against the independent United Nations investigator, Agnès Callamard, after her investigation into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In an interview with the Guardian, the outgoing special rapporteur for extrajudicial killings said that a UN colleague alerted her in January 2020 that a senior Saudi official had twice threatened in a meeting with other senior UN officials in Geneva that month to have Callamard “taken care of” if she was not reined in by the UN.

Asked how the comment was perceived by her Geneva-based colleagues, Callamard said: “A death threat. That was how it was understood.” » | Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington | Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Prince Harry Joins $1bn Silicon Valley Startup as Senior Executive

THE GUARDIAN: Duke of Sussex’s first formal role since ending royal duties involves ‘meaty role’ as chief impact officer at BetterUp

Prince Harry has been given a job by a $1bn (£730m) Silicon Valley startup which provides professional coaching, mental health advice and “immersive learning” as its chief impact officer.

The Duke of Sussex said he hoped to be able to “create impact in people’s lives” by working with BetterUp to provide “proactive coaching” for personal development, increased awareness and “an all-round better life”.

It is the Duke’s first formal position at a private company since he stepped down from being a working member of the royal family a year ago.

Harry and his wife, Meghan, have also signed multimillion-dollar deals to provide content for Spotify and Netflix.

As chief impact officer at BetterUp Prince Harry will be expected to help with product strategy decisions, charitable collaborations, and advise on topics related to mental health. Harry has already worked closely with mental health charities. » | Rupert Neate | Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Northern Ireland’s Brexit Act | DW Documentary (November 2020)

The coming months could be a real stress test for Northern Ireland. Though legally it has left the European Union, Northern Ireland will still be subject to many EU laws and regulations. Officially part of the UK but in many ways still in the EU.

What could this new role mean for a country that has struggled for decades to secure lasting peace, stability and economic success? The new situation could reignite old questions about Northern Ireland’s identity. There are currently no border controls on the island of Ireland. Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland which remains a member of the EU have a completely open border, with freedom of travel, trade and a shared electricity grid. And that is supposed to remain unchanged in spite of Brexit, in order not to jeopardize the Good Friday Agreement and the hard-fought peace that has been achieved on the island.

Northern Ireland will effectively remain in the European Single Market, with the customs border officially in the Irish Sea. This poses a huge challenge for port authorities and haulage companies, because that customs border will effectively split Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom. The port will be required to carry out customs checks for goods coming from Britain to Northern Ireland. Haulage contractors will have to fill out customs declarations although it’s actually domestic trade.

On the other hand, some companies - like one sports clothing manufacturer in Belfast - are happy to be able to continue trading closely with the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the EU, despite Brexit. But it’s clear, businesses will have to realign and many fear they will be forced to decide whether to trade with the EU or the rest of the UK.

And that turns Northern Ireland’s special status into a political issue. Could it drive a wedge between Northern Ireland and Britain, making closer ties with the Republic of Ireland seem more attractive? The Unionists, who attach great importance to Northern Ireland being part of the UK, are furious. They rejected all suggestion of a customs border in the Irish Sea right from the start, while the Republicans believe this process will inevitably work in their favor, leading ultimately to the reunification of Ireland. So how is all this affecting ordinary people in the cities of Belfast and Londonderry, who continue to live with the high barriers that separate predominately Unionist neighborhoods from Republican ones?

Rare Ancient Scroll Found in Israel Cave of Horror - BBC News

Fragments of a Biblical scroll and other relics have been found in what officials call an "historic discovery" in desert caves in Israel.

The dozens of pieces of parchment were written in Greek, with just the name of God appearing in Hebrew. The scroll is believed to have belonged to Jewish rebels who fled to the hills following a failed revolt against Roman rule in the 2nd Century.

They were found during an operation to prevent caves in the area being looted.

Covid: Germany Warns of 'Exponential' Rise in Coronavirus Cases

BBC: Coronavirus cases are rising exponentially in Germany, officials warn, as continental Europe braces for a third wave of infections.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was likely that the country would now need to apply an "emergency brake" and re-impose lockdown measures.

France, Poland and other nations are also reintroducing restrictions.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn has said that Europe lacks the vaccines needed to significantly reduce cases.

"We have to be honest about the situation - in Europe we don't have enough vaccines to stop a third wave through vaccinations alone," he told reporters. » | Friday, March 19, 2021