#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — July 17, 2018

Paul Jay on Trump-Putin and the Real Threats to Democracy

Whether the Kremlin meddled in the U.S. election or not, the hyper-focus on Russiagate overlooks bigger threats: Russian elites to the Russian people, and U.S. elites to the American people, says Paul Jay

Brexit: May Government Scrapes through Customs Bill Votes – BBC Newsnight

As the government narrowly avoids a defeat on its Customs Bill after agreeing to Brexiteers' demands to change its wording, Kirsty Wark is joined by chair of the Treasury select committee, Nicky Morgan, former Brexit Secretary David Davis, former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, and shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Peter Dowd.

The World Watches as Trump and Putin Meet in Helsinki

#democracynow : Summit in Helsinki – Trump & Putin

Can Trump, Israel, and Gulf Allies Get Putin to Turn on Iran?

Days after Netanyahu's visit to Moscow, Trump will meet with Putin in Helsinki. But despite talk of a "grand bargain" that enlists Russia in helping the US-Israel-Saudi-UAE front against Iran, don't expect it to happen, says professor and syndicated columnist Rami Khouri

Democratic National Convention (DNC) Chair: Trump Is Putin's Poodle

What's Behind Saudi Arabia's Arrest of Religious Leaders? | Inside Story

Saudi Arabia has arrested prominent preacher and scholar Safar Al-Hawali just days after he published a book criticising the ruling family.

Three of his sons - Abdul Rahman, Abdullah and Ibrahim - were also detained. Rights groups say Abdul Rahman and Abdullah were reportedly taken into custody while attending a family wedding on Wednesday. While Hawali and his son Ibrahim were arrested the following morning.

Hawali became known almost three decades ago as the leader of the Sahwa movement - which advocated for democracy in Saudi Arabia. He was previously detained for opposing the ruling family. Saudi Arabia, under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, has launched a crackdown against activists, religious figures and opponents in recent months. But how far will this go?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Ahmed Al-Burai - Lecturer at Aydin University; Rami Khouri - Senior Fellow at the American University of Beirut; Saeed Al-Shehabi - Columnist with Al-Quds Al Arabi newspaper

President's UK Visit 'An Opportunity for British People to Unite' Against Trump

President Trump's visit to the UK caused important upheavals both in British politics and society, when over 250,000 took to the streets against his visit. Thomas Barlow, of Real Media, talks about the visit's impact

Ed Miliband on Trump’s UK Visit and Brexit – BBC Newsnight

Former Trump Adviser Sebastian Gorka Lauds the President's UK Visit

Sebastian Gorka's interview with Channel 4 News, discussing Donald Trump holding Theresa May's hand and the President's interview with the Sun.

Meet the Activist Who Called Piers Morgan an “Idiot” for Criticizing Anti-Trump Protests in Britain

President Donald Trump said Friday that immigrants fleeing violence and seeking asylum in Europe are changing “the fabric of Europe. … And I don’t mean that in a positive way.” Trump’s xenophobic comments came during a shocking interview with the Rupert Murdoch-owned British tabloid The Sun. Massive protests have greeted President Trump during his two-day trip to Britain—including a 20-foot-long giant baby Trump blimp outside Parliament. We go to the streets of London to speak with Ash Sarkar, the anti-Trump coalition organizer who confronted Piers Morgan during a “Good Morning Britain” interview Thursday that went viral.

US - UK: What Now for the 'Special Relationship'? | Inside Story

In retrospect, British Prime Minister Theresa May might wonder whether this was really the best week for a visit from Donald Trump.

Arriving straight from a NATO summit that was predictably contentious, the US president has been greeted with massive protests on his first trip to London since taking office. And, as May struggles to hold her own government together, with the never-ending arguments about Brexit negotiations, threatening to tear her Conservative party apart. Only hours after arriving, Trump made the prime minister's life even more difficult, with scathing criticism of her in a newspaper interview. And he went out of his way to talk up one of her main rivals, Boris Johnson, who resigned earlier this week as Foreign Secretary.

Trump said May's in trouble because she ignored his advice on both Brexit and migration. And he thinks Johnson would make a great prime minister. Aside from being an epic breach of both diplomatic protocol and simple manners, Trump's interview brought other questions into sharp relief: Can May survive if Brexit no longer holds the promise of a separate trade agreement with the United States? Can NATO survive the additional strain of a rift between its two top military contributors? And, what about the so-called "special relationship" that supposedly links the British and American governments?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Ian Dunt - Editor, Politics.co.uk; Inderjeet Parmar - Professor of International Politics, City University of London; Robert Hunter - Former US Ambassador to NATO

Trump Arrives at Windsor Castle for Meeting with the Queen

Trump's UK Visit Day 1: Discussion – BBC Newsnight

President Trump's visit to the UK has divided opinion. So how should the UK approach the visit by a US president who isn't a traditional diplomat? Newsnight's Kirsty Wark is joined by a live panel to discuss.

#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — July 13, 2018

#bbcqt : Question Time – July 12, 2018

This week's Question Time, filmed in Dartford. Hot topics include the disastrous Chequers Brexit plan and Trump's visit to the UK. Last Question Time until September. All rights go to the BBC and Mentorn Scotland.

UK Tabloid Reporter: Trump Gave May a ‘Wrapped Hand Grenade’

Tabloid reporter Tom Newton Dunn says that President Donald Trump gave Prime Minister Theresa May a ‘wrapped hand grenade’ after he criticized the British Prime Minister in an interview with The Sun.

President Trump Trashes UK PM's Brexit Plan & Then Meets Her For Dinner | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

After a hectic showing at the NATO meeting, Trump arrives in the UK for a visit and immediately causes a stir with an interview criticizing UK PM Theresa May's Brexit plan. Our panel reacts.

President Trump Talks Baby Blimp, Criticizes British PM In New Interview | The Last Word | MSNBC

Trump confesses that the baby Trump blimp makes him feel unwelcome in London in an interview with The Sun. Pres. Trump also said Boris Johnson would make a great P.M. ahead of his meeting with current P.M. Theresa May. Eugene Robinson and Brian Klaas discuss the interview with Lawrence.

What Is Brexit? Government Sets Out Most Detailed Plan

Almost a week after Theresa May's showdown at Chequers that led to David Davis, Boris Johnson and various others you probably haven't heard of quitting, the government's Brexit white paper has been revealed, detailing Britain's negotiating position for life after we leave the EU.

Theresa May declared it "absolutely delivers on the Brexit we voted for." But many Tory Eurosceptics disagree and Labour attacked it as muddled and bad for Britain. Those divisions mean instead of clarity, many feel there's more uncertainty than ever, as we get closer to the no deal cliff edge in March.

Could Trump's SCOTUS Pick Shape History?

With Anthony Kennedy retirement as a Supreme Court justice, how will Trump’s Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh, shape history?

President Donald Trump Creates His Own Narrative At Press Conference | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Lawrence O'Donnell, Robert Costa and Doris Kearns Goodwin join Morning Joe for a discussion about President Trump's trip to the NATO summit in Brussels and his impromptu press conference on Thursday.

#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — July 12, 2018

President Donald Trump Practices 'Diplomatic Malpractice' At NATO Breakfast | Morning Joe | MSNBC

President Trump targeted Germany on Wednesday in reiterating his demand that NATO countries step up their defense spending so that they shoulder a greater share of the burden in protecting Europe from Russia.

'Trump Clearly Doesn't Respect Theresa May' – BBC Newsnight

Trump and May "clearly don't like each other", according to the New York Times's European economics correspondent Peter Goodman. After a tumultuous meeting with NATO members, President Trump's visit to the UK and his relationship with the prime minister will be scrutinised.

Trump's UK Visit Expected to Be Met with Large Protests

"He can come but I'm not interested in what he has to say" RT's Anastasia Churkina talks to Londoners as Donald J. Trump's UK visit is expected to be met with large protests.

Trump: I'm Not Captive To Russia, Germany Is!

Trump Escalates 'Diplomatic Trash Talk,' Says Germany Is 'Captive To Russia' | MTP Daily | MSNBC

The MTP Daily panel discusses Trump's divisive language at the NATO summit and how it affects relationships with European allies.

Even Fox News Executives Think Sean Hannity Has Gone Completely Nuts

According to new reports, the management at Fox News is growing increasingly unhappy with the performance of Sean Hannity, and they believe that he has turned into a conspiracy theory-spewing White House propagandist. Unfortunately, they won’t do a thing about it because he still pulls in the network’s best ratings, and those numbers will always trump honest reporting. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

#F24Debate : With Allies Like These... Trump Guns for Germany at NATO Summit

#democracynow : Mark Weisbrot: Trump’s Threats to Invade Venezuela Are Part of US Strategy of Régime Change

The Associated Press is reporting President Trump repeatedly asked senior White House advisers last year about the possibility of a U.S. invasion of Venezuela, in a bid to depose President Nicolás Maduro and his government. Trump reportedly brought up the U.S. invasions of Panama and Grenada in the 1980s. The AP reports Trump’s comment stunned then-National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who warned military action could backfire. But then, the next day, on August 11, Trump raised the issue publicly. We’re joined by Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research and president of Just Foreign Policy.

John Cleese on Brexit, Newspapers and Why He's Leaving the UK - BBC Newsnight

Kavanaugh's Staggering Hypocrisy

Stop Brexit

Russia and Saudi Arabia to Form an Alternative to OPEC?

The world is in a slow energy transition to renewables, which has made it difficult for OPEC to maintain price stability. This transition lies at the heart of Saudi Arabia and Russia's efforts to find new ways for stabilizing oil prices, says Prof. Timothy Mitchell

Ken Clarke MP on Brexit Chaos, Being a Tory Rebel and Answering Critics

Ken Clarke has been a Member of Parliament for almost five decades. As the longest serving MP, he talks to Krishnan about why Brexit is in such chaos, his long-standing Conservative views and why he thinks it’s important politicians talk honestly to the media.

Will Trump's Nominee for Supreme Court Pass the Senate Vote? | Inside Story

The latest political battlegound in the U.S. Senate is soon set to become Donald Trump's choice for Supreme Court judge.

The president's nomination of Republican loyalist Brett Kavanaugh is opposed by Democrats. They say Trump's trying to tilt the nine justices in the highest court in the land towards the conservative right.

Advocacy groups have already begun spending millions of dollars to persuade senators to make the right choice when they vote in the autumn. Their confirmation is expected to shape the Supreme Court for many years to come.

On Inside Story, an in-depth discussion on the rôle of the Supreme Court in the U.S. system.

Presenter: Laura Kyle | Guests: Sandy Levinson, professor of government at the University of Texas Law School; Kenneth Joast, author of the Superme Court Yearbook and legal affiars blog, Jost on Justice; Matthew Mack-o-veeyack, Republican consultant and former aide to President George W Bush

As Brexit Throws UK Government in Turmoil, 'We See Only the Shadows' of What is Really Happening

Prof. John Weeks talks about what is behind the Brexit maneuvering that has led to Boris Johnson's and David Davis's resignations from Theresa May's cabinet and how this will affect the process by which the UK plans to leave the European Union

Brexit Turmoil: Resignations Leave May Fighting for Survival

Tory Civil War amid Plot to Bring Down PM over Brexit Policy

Boris Johnson resigned from the Government hours after David Davis walked out over Theresa May's Brexit deal. How long can the Prime Minister hold on?

#F24Debate : Cabinet Crisis: Johnson, Davis Resign PM's Brexit Plan

Why the Far Right Believes Every Muslim—Including Me—Is a Liar

At a protest the night before Donald Trump’s inauguration last year, a woman accused me of “taqiyya” on the street. I didn’t know it at the time, but she was telling me I’m a liar because I’m Muslim.

#democracynow : Top US News & World Headlines — July 9, 2018

Theresa May Addresses Parliament after Davis, Johnson Quit

Schmidt und Giscard d’Estaing - Eine Männerfreundschaft

Brussels Protesters Demonstrate against Trump Visit

At least 2,000 people gathered in Brussels to protest against a visit President Trump