‘It’s Dehumanizing’: Texas Valedictorian Goes Off Script to Attack Abortion Ban

THE GUARDIAN: Paxton Smith criticizes near-total ban that makes no exception for rape or incest

The valedictorian at a Texas high school went off script while delivering her graduation speech, criticising the state’s extreme abortion ban in an address that has since been widely shared on social media.

School administrators had signed off on Paxton Smith’s pre-written speech on how TV and media have shaped her worldview. But, when it came time to address the graduating class of Lake Highlands high school, she pivoted.

“In light of recent events, it feels wrong to talk about anything but what is currently affecting me and millions of other women in this state,” she said, her voice shaking as she began. » | Maanvi Singh | Thursday, June 3, 2021

Opinion: France Is Becoming More Like America. It’s Terrible.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: PARIS — It’s become a familiar refrain in French political life. From President Emmanuel Macron and his cabinet to the far-right opposition, from print columnists to talking heads, “Americanization” is increasingly held responsible for a whole set of social ills ailing the nation.

For some of these critics, it’s the reason so many young people — adopting the view of Black Lives Matter activists — believe police violence is a problem. For others, it explains why the quality of academic research is in decline, as fanciful ideas concocted on American college campuses like intersectionality and post-colonialism supposedly flourish. To others still, it’s why people can’t speak their mind anymore, suffocated by the threats of “ cancel culture.”

Perhaps the most common gripe is that ideas and practices imported from the United States are making the French obsessed with ethnic , religious and sexual difference at the expense of their shared identity as citizens of the universal Republic.

They’re not wrong: French politics are, in fact, becoming Americanized. But the problem is not left-wing theories or censorious scolds. It is instead the rise of an insular, nationalistic, right-wing discourse driven by a belligerent style of press coverage. Distinctively French in content, the form this discourse takes — grievance-wallowing hosts conjuring embittered conversations about national decline, immigration and religion — follows America’s lead. As in the United States, the result is a degraded political landscape that empowers the far right, dragging mainstream politicians into its orbit. » | Cole Stangler * | Wednesday, June 2, 2021

* Mr. Stangler is a journalist based in France who writes extensively about the country’s politics and culture.

Finding the Cure for Dementia | 60 Minutes Australia

Listet Fehler und Versäumnisse der Medizingeschichte auf | Dr. Gerd Reuther | Radiologe | SWR1 Leute

„Ich bin aus dem Medizinbetrieb ausgestiegen, weil meine Zweifel zunehmend gewachsen sind und ich kein Erfüllungsgehilfe mehr für schlechte Medizin sein wollte!“ Gerd Reuther hat 30 Jahre in verschiedenen Kliniken als Radiologe gearbeitet, um sich dann aus einem System zu verabschieden, das er für grundlegend renovierungsbedürftig hält. Das geht für ihn bei sinnlosen und überflüssigen Operationen los und endet bei einer dramatischen Über-Medikamentierung der Patienten. In seinem neuen Buch „Heilung Nebensache" blickt Reuther kritisch auf 2500 Jahre Europäische Medizingeschichte zurück. Moderation: Wolfgang Heim
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Das Geschäft mit der Krankheit: Das solltest Du wissen, bevor Du zum Arzt gehst - Dr. Gerd Reuther

Der Radiologe Dr. med. Gerd Reuther erklärt im Gespräch mit Sabine Linek, warum Menschen in Gefahr sind, wenn sie sich in medizinische Behandlung begeben. Jährlich sterben in deutschen Kliniken rund 18.800 Menschen durch Behandlungsfehler. Das sind etwa fünfmal so viele Todesfälle wie im Straßenverkehr. Doch Dr. Gerd Reuther, geht noch weiter: Die Dunkelziffer der Todesopfer von Ärzten dürfte sogar noch deutlich höher liegen. Seine Recherchen hat der Arzt in dem vielbeachteten SPIEGEL-Bestseller „Der betrogene Patient“ zusammengefasst und gibt hier im Gespräch wichtige Ratschläge.

Was dieser Spezialist über Medikamente zu sagen hat sollte gar nicht verpaßt sein! Er spricht über Vieles Klartext. Was er über Medikamente für hohen Blutdruck, Blutverdünnungsmittel, Beta Blocker, und vieles Andere zu sagen hat ist maßgebend und ist zudem ein Augenöffner! – ©Mark

USA: Conspiracy Theories Pose a Real Threat

Mehdi explains the nonsense and dangerous conspiracy theories Trump's allies and former White House officials have been pushing. Then, Rep. Adam Smith joins to discuss just how dangerous they could be to the future of the republic.

A Professor Gives the Most Well-researched Analysis of the 1950s

The speaker is a University of Texas at Austin Prof. Steven Mintz, being interviewed in 1990 about families in the 1950s by David Hoffman. The filmmaker. Prof. Mintz is America's leading historian on the history of the American family. He is the author of 14 books on this subject.

Amazon US Customers Have One Week to Opt Out of Mass Wireless Sharing

THE GUARDIAN: Critics raise transparency fears over plan to turn all smart home devices into ‘mesh network’

Amazon customers have one week to opt out of a plan that would turn every Echo speaker and Ring security camera in the US into a shared wireless network, as part of the company’s plan to fix connection problems for its smart home devices.

The proposal, called Amazon Sidewalk, involves the company’s devices being used as a springboard to build city-wide “mesh networks” that help simplify the process of setting up new devices, keep them online even if they’re out of range of home wifi, and extend the range of tracking devices such as those made by Tile. » | Alex Hern, Technology editor | Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Homosexuality: It's about Survival - Not Sex | James O'Keefe | TEDxTallaght

This passionate talk from Dr. James O'Keefe MD gives us a deeply personal and fascinating insight into why homosexuality is indeed a necessary and extraordinarily useful cog in nature's wheel of perfection.

James H O'Keefe MD, is a Board Certified Cardiologist and Director of both the Charles & Barbara Duboc Cardio Health & Wellness Center and the Preventive Cardiology service at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute. He is also Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His postgraduate training included a cardiology fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr O’Keefe is board-certified in Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology, and Cardiac CT Imaging. He is consistently ranked among the ‘Top Doctor’ lists regionally and nationally as one of America’s Top Rated Physicians in Cardiology. He has been named as one of USA Today’s Most Influential Doctors. Dr O’Keefe has contributed more than 300 articles to the medical literature and has authored best-selling cardiovascular books for health professionals including: The Complete Guide to ECGs (which is used for Cardiology Board Certification), Dyslipidemia Essentials, and Diabetes Essential.

Seven European Countries Begin Issuing a Digital Covid Certificate for Travel

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A digital Covid certificate system that will facilitate travel within the European Union became operational in seven countries on Tuesday — ahead of schedule — previewing what could become a standard for post-pandemic global mobility.

The document, known as a digital green certificate, records whether people have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, recovered from the virus or tested negative within 72 hours. Travelers can move freely if at least one of those three criteria is met.

Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia and Poland made the certificates available to their citizens as of Tuesday and are accepting them for visitors. The European Commission, the bloc’s administrative branch, said the system would be used in all 27 E.U. countries as of July 1. » | Matina Stevis-Gridneff | Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Ein sehr interessantes Gespräch über die Gesundheit! Rechnet nach 30 Jahren als Arzt mit seinem Berufsstand ab | Gerd Reuther | Radiologe | SWR1 Leute

Ein langes und glückliches Leben in Gesundheit steht auf der Wunschliste der meisten Menschen ganz oben. Doch wer den Therapieempfehlungen der Mediziner rückhaltlos vertraut, schadet sich häufiger, als er sich nützt. Das sagt Dr. med. Gerd Reuther, Facharzt mit Lehrbefugnis für Radiologie, der nach 30 Jahren als Arzt seinen Berufsstand schonungslos seziert. Er deckt auf, dass die Medizin häufig nicht auf das langfristige Wohlergehen der Kranken abzielt, sondern in erster Linie die Kasse der Kliniken und Praxen füllen soll. Eine bessere Medizin müsste mit einer anderen Vergütung medizinischer Dienstleistung beginnen und Geld dürfte nicht mehr über Leben und Tod bestimmen - so seine Forderung. Moderation: Nicole Köster

BJ Thomas Obituary

THE GUARDIAN: Singer who enjoyed huge success with Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, written for the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

In 1969, BJ Thomas, who has died of complications from lung cancer aged 78, spent four weeks at the top of the US chart with Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, from the soundtrack of the popular film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It is the song he will always be synonymous with, but he nearly didn’t get to sing it. » | Adam Sweeting | Monday, May 21, 2021


'Hooked on a Feeling' singer B.J. Thomas dies at 78 »

Macron and Merkel Demand Explanations over US-Denmark Spy Claim

"This is not acceptable between allies, even less so between European allies and partners," Macron said

India Covid Variant Spreading across England, Data Shows

THE GUARDIAN: Scientists say geographical spread ‘entirely predictable’ and window of opportunity has been missed

The coronavirus variant of concern first detected in India is continuing to spread across England, with cases emerging beyond “hotspot” areas, data suggests.

The variant, known as B.1.617.2, is thought to be driving a rise in Covid cases in parts of the UK and is believed to be both more transmissible than the variant first detected in Kent, which previously dominated, and somewhat more resistant to Covid vaccines, particularly after just one dose.

At present up to three-quarters of new Covid cases in the UK are thought to be caused by the India variant. There have also been signs of a slight rise in hospitalisations.

The situation has led some scientists to warn that the country is now in the early stages of a third wave of coronavirus which, despite the vaccination programme, modelling suggests could lead to a rise in hospitalisations and deaths, and that full easing of restrictions in England on 21 June should be reconsidered. » | Nicola Davis, Science correspondent | Monday, May 31, 2021

Israeli Opposition Parties Unite in Bid to Oust Netanyahu | DW News

Political opponents of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are joining forces - with little in common besides a desire to oust him.

A former Netanyahu aide and right-wing hardliner, Naftali Bennett, says he's looking to form a diverse minority government and avoid another round of elections in Israel and put an end to the Netanyahu era.

Netanyahu has been on the defensive for some time. Israel's longest serving prime minister has been able to brush off public outrage over corruption charges. But after failing to form a majority government after the fourth election in two years, Netanyahu's hold on power had become tenuous.

Former TV Host Yair Lapid is determined to pull together parties from the far right to the left, including Arab-Israeli parties. The commitment by Bennett, who leads the right-wing, pro-settler Yamina party, is crucial to the proposed alliance.

Netanyahu responded by painting the broad coalition as a threat to national security. But he knows that the biggest threat posed by the new government is to current prime minister himself.

Trump Org Was ‘Rotten to Its Core’ Says Deputy Assistant AG

Harry Litman, former deputy assistant attorney general, explains the charges under the New York law, “little RICO”, that Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance could be considering against Donald Trump’s businesses.

‘Chronic Corruption’ & Neoliberal Capitalism’s Role in Boris Johnson’s Britain’s COVID Disaster

We speak to Prof. Guy Standing. He discusses his new book ‘The Corruption of Capitalism’, the shocking revelations made by Dominic Cummings about disastrous Coronavirus pandemic mismanagement by the Boris Johnson government, arguable neglect and chronic corruption, the revolving door between big finance and politics in the UK, the financial sector’s tremendous control and influence over the British economy, the mainstream media being a part of the rentier economy system, how big financial companies groom people to go into politics to ensure favourable policy, why work doesn’t pay in the UK and how the economy directs most wealth to the capitalist class, why the furlough scheme was fundamentally unfair, the prospect of economic catastrophe coming out of the pandemic for the working class killing more people than Coronavirus in the UK, mass privatisation of public services due to neoliberal economic doctrine and much more!

China's Competition for Living Space | DW Documentary

More than 60 percent of China's population of 1.4 billion currently lives in cities. Within a decade, the share of urban dwellers is expected to increase to 75 percent. Construction is booming and competition for residential land is fierce.

But the right to live in a city in China is conditional. Authorities want their modern cities to be peopled with well-educated, highly-qualified or politically well-connected residents. As a result, certain standards have to be met to be eligible for a modern, urban home. Only members of China's political classes and the financially successful have a hope of qualifying. Yet more than half of the people who live in cities are so-called "migrant workers." They come from rural communities and have no official rights to settle in cities. They are there to work. With no proper rights, they are merely tolerated while they serve as merchants, servants, waitstaff, cleaners, construction workers and tradespeople. But while they are indispensible to daily life in the cities, they are unable to afford their exorbitant rents. This documentary looks at how and where these workers live, and asks whether middle and working class Chinese even figure in the official vision of shiny, high-tech cities. The filmmakers also look at what happens to those who oppose official plans, or stand in the way of the building boom.