Bart Ehrman vs. James White Debate

Dr. Bart D. Ehrman debates Dr. James R. White on the question "Did the Bible Misquote Jesus?" This debate took place at the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Sheraton Airport Hotel on January 21, 2009. The discussion stems from Bart's book, "Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why." The book which made the New York Times Best Seller list, introduces lay readers to the field of textual criticism of the Bible. Ehrman discusses a number of textual variants that resulted from intentional or accidental manuscript changes during the scriptorium era. James White provides a detailed rebuttal to counter Bart's claims.

Albania Hit by Most Severe Earthquake in Decades | DW News

At least 13 people have been killed in Albania and hundreds more injured in the most powerful earthquake to hit the country in decades. The 6.4 magnitude quake struck 30 kilometers northwest of the capital Tirana, causing buildings to collapse and sending panicked residents out into the streets. It's the second earthquaketo have hit the country in the past two months.

Documentary: When the Moors Ruled in Europe

Spain's Islamic Legacy Source of Controversy | Focus on Europe

Andalusia has a rich Islamic past. Its Mosque of Cordoba is world-famous. But now that some Arab countries have donated money to restore such architectural treasures, Spain's right-wing populists are stoking fears.

In Search of the Spirit of Al-Andalus

With the Moorish architecture of Granada's Alhambra and Córdoba cathedral as a backdrop, Marcel Theroux meets a group of Spanish Muslims who are drawing on the area's Islamic legacy to a promote a new religious tolerance

Chuka Umunna Attacks PM for 'Following the Trump Playbook'

THE GUARDIAN: Boris Johnson epitomises new populist rightwing politics, says Lib Dem candidate

Chuka Umunna has warned that an election win for Boris Johnson would represent a further victory for populist rightwing nationalists such as Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán, saying the prime minister’s dishonesty and prejudice made him unfit for No 10.

Umunna, who speaks on foreign affairs for the Liberal Democrats, used a speech to liken Johnson to leaders also including Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying they shared “a certain type of politics – rightwing, conservative, nationalist and authoritarian”.

He also further acknowledged the Lib Dems’ position would be at least to prevent a Conservative majority, saying voters should bear in mind “the parliamentary arithmetic” of the next House of Commons over issues such as Brexit. » | Peter Walker, Political correspondent | Monday, November 25, 2019

Prince Charles Set for Angry Showdown with Prince Andrew over Ongoing Epstein Scandal

THE TELEGRAPH: The Prince of Wales will this week demand what is likely to be a heated showdown with his younger brother, over the continued fallout from the disastrous Newsnight interview.

The Prince, who returns from a 12-day tour to India, New Zealand and the Solomon Islands on Tuesday ), is expected to order the Duke of York to Clarence House to discuss the ongoing furore.

Sources have claimed the Prince of Wales is furious that his important visit to the South Pacific - which had been intended to highlight a number of environmental issues such as climate change and rising ocean levels - has been completely overshadowed by the row over the Duke's relationship with the paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. » | Martin Evans and Victoria Ward | Monday, November 25, 2019

Tony Blair Says Tories and Labour Engaged in ‘Populism Running Riot'

THE GUARDIAN: Former PM lambasts parties and says upcoming election is ‘weirdest of my lifetime’

Tony Blair has said neither Labour nor the Conservatives are seen as fit to win the general election, accusing both parties of peddling “fantasies”.

The former prime minister, one of the architects of New Labour who was speaking at a Reuters Newsmaker event in London, said Britain’s biggest parties were engaged in “populism running riot” and it would end in tears.

Blair has repeatedly called for Brexit to be reversed and said the right thing would have been to hold a second referendum followed by a general election.

He described the poll on 12 December as “the weirdest of my lifetime”, adding: “The truth is: the public aren’t convinced either main party deserve to win this election outright. They’re peddling two sets of fantasies and both, as majority governments, pose a risk it would be unwise for the country to take.”

Blair, who guided Labour to three election victories, said people “rightly” did not trust Boris Johnson with a “blank cheque”. He said though Labour were promising a revolution, “the problem with revolutions is never how they begin but how they end”. » | Haroon Siddique | Monday, November 25, 2019

Freedom From Religion Foundation Lecture

Juul Says Its Focus Was Smokers, but It Targeted Young Nonsmokers

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The company planted the seeds of a public health crisis by marketing to a generation with low smoking rates, and it ignored evidence that teenagers were using its products.

SAN FRANCISCO — In the face of mounting investigations, subpoenas and lawsuits, Juul Labs has insisted that it never marketed or knowingly sold its trendy e-cigarettes and flavored nicotine pods to teenagers.

As youth vaping soared and “juuling” became a high school craze, the company’s top executives have stood firm in their assertion that Juul’s mission has always been to give adult smokers a saferalternative to cigarettes, which play a role in the deaths of 480,000 people in the United States each year.

“We never wanted any non-nicotine user and certainly nobody underage to ever use Juul products,” James Monsees, a co-founder of the company, testified at a congressional hearing in July.

But in reality, the company was never just about helping adult smokers, according to interviews with former executives, employees and investors, along with reviews of legal filings and social media archives. » | Julie Creswell and Sheila Kaplan | Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Gospel Truth: Sometimes a Little Hazy

Terry Gross is the host and co-executive producer of Fresh Air, an interview format radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed throughout the United States by National Public Radio (NPR). She interviews Bart on March 4th, 2009 and centers the discussion to reflect on Bart's book "Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (and Why We Don't Know About Them)." The conversation addressed such questions as; what is the story of Jesus' birth? How did Judas die? What did Jesus say when he was crucified? The answers to those questions vary depending on which Gospel you read, says Bible scholar Bart Ehrman. He says that each Gospel writer had a different message — and that readers should not "smash the four Gospels into one big Gospel and think that [they] get the true understanding."

Netanyahu Indicted on Corruption Charges, But Won't Step Down

Is this the end of the 13-year Netanyahu era? What is Trump learning from Netanyahu’s unprecedented response to the charges against him?

Anti-Defamation League (ADL) International Leadership Award Presented to Sacha Baron Cohen at Never Is Now 2019

Sacha Baron Cohen: Facebook would have let Hitler buy ads for 'final solution' »

Plaid Cymru Says Wales Can Be Cradle of a Global Green Revolution

THE GUARDIAN: At manifesto launch, leader Adam Price compares vision to that of John F Kennedy during space race

The Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price, struck a defiant note at the launch of his party’s manifesto, claiming that an independent Wales could become the cradle of a global green revolution.

Price announced a range of ambitious policies including three power-generating tidal lagoons, a barrage and an offshore wind farm as well as new rail lines and metro networks.

Comparing his dreams to those of John F Kennedy at the time of the space race, Price said the plans were audacious but achievable if the people of Wales pulled together and freed themselves from the control of the Westminster government. » | Steven Morris | Friday, November 22, 2019

Duke of York Clings to Pitch@Palace Business Role

THE TELEGRAPH: Duke refuses to give up role where he can take cut of every deal

The Duke of York has refused to step aside from all public duties by staying at the helm of an initiative set up at Buckingham Palace that allows him to make money out of tech deals. The Duke, who founded Pitch@Palace, which matches investors with start-up tech companies, is expected to host an event at St James's Palace next month, although a planned trip to Bahrain was cancelled on Thursday night amid the furore. It comes as he resigned from his position as patron of the Outward Bound Trust as the catastrophic fallout his Newsnight interview continues. Royal sources said Pitch@Palace would move to his "private portfolio". Terms and conditions for Pitch@Palace Global Ltd reveal the company – of which the Duke is the "significant" controller – is entitled to a share of any investment deal for three years. Read on for the details. » | Chris Price | Friday, November 22, 2019

Exclusive: Bolsonaro Is Turning Back the Clock on Brazil, Says Lula da Silva

THE GUARDIAN: The former union leader and two-term president said his mission now was to “battle for democracy”

Brazil’s former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has vowed to spearhead opposition to the country’s far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, warning that his country is backsliding on years of hard fought progress.

“Bolsonaro has already made clear what he wants for Brazil: he wants to destroy all of the democratic and social conquests from the last decades,” he told the Guardian.

In his first interview for a foreign newspaper since he was released from prison two weeks ago, the two-term president said his mission now was to “battle for democracy”.

“The Worker’s party is preparing to come back and govern this country!” he said, slapping the table. But Lula made no clear indication he would run for president in the country’s next general elections.

“In 2022, I’ll be 77. The Catholic church – with 2,000 years of experience – retires its bishops at 75,” he said. » | Sam Cowie in São Paulo | Friday, November 22, 2019

Prince Andrew’s Friendship With Epstein Joins a List of Royal Scandals

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A highly scorned televised interview by the prince was only the latest upheaval to befall Britain’s royal family over the past century.

LONDON — The British monarchy has survived public crises before — religious schisms, revolutions, murderous kings — but this week the royal family scrambled to confront a relatively new opponent: the embarrassing televised interview.

The Duke of York, better known as Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, struggled to defend himself during a < ahref=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/17/world/europe/prince-andrew-epstein.html?module=inline target=_blank>50-minute interview with the BBC as he talked about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier accused of sex trafficking.

His interview, widely criticized in the British press as disastrous after it was broadcast last weekend, catapulted a long-simmering controversy into a full-blown scandal for the royal family, among the worst in its modern history.

Reacting to the backlash, the prince announced on Wednesday that he was indefinitely stepping away from public life, with permission from the queen. But over the past century, a number of scandals have rattled the British royal family. » | Megan Specia and Alan Yuhas | Thursday, November 21, 2019

Prince Andrew’s Behaviour Has Put the Very Future of the Monarchy in Doubt

THE GUARDIAN: The Queen has been a point of stability in a precarious world, but the prince’s misjudgments over Jeffrey Epstein have refocused scrutiny on the institution that produced him

The institution of the monarchy, said Boris Johnson, is beyond reproach. It was such an odd response to the scandal engulfing Prince Andrew – so stiff, so forelock-tugging, so initially lacking in sympathy towards the teenage girls abused by the prince’s late friend Jeffrey Epstein – that it stuck in the mind long after the televised leaders’ debate ended. Perhaps, I thought, he was simply afraid of offending the Queen any further after dragging her into a shabby, unlawful prorogation of parliament.

Yet now one wonders if Johnson had an inkling of what was coming, when he chose to defend not Prince Andrew personally but the institution from which the prince has essentially resigned. For it is the institution itself that is now in danger. » | Gaby Hinsliff | Thursday, November 21, 2019

The toxic prince: Andrew handed royal P45 after tipping point reached »

Farage Under Fire for Conspiracy Claims Linked to Antisemitism

THE GUARDIAN: Brexit party leader tells evangelical Christian TV channel of threat from ‘globalists’ and mass migration

Nigel Farage has faced renewed criticism for discussing tropes and conspiracy theories associated with the far right and antisemitism after it emerged he said migration would “imperil the future of our civilisation” and called Goldman Sachs “the enemy”.

In an interview earlier this year with a tiny UK evangelical Christian TV channel, Revelation TV, the Brexit party leader alleged that banks and multinational corporations were trying to created a dictatorial world government.

The discussion, uncovered by the group Hope Not Hate, saw Farage single out Goldman Sachs, the investment bank founded by Jewish immigrant to the US that is often the focus of antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Farage also repeatedly used phrases such as “globalists” and “new world order”, which regularly feature in antisemitic ideas.

Discussing the necessity of preventing migrants who cross the Mediterranean into Europe from entering the UK, Farage said: “If we allow it to continue, we will actually, through our compassion, imperil the future of our civilisation.” » | Peter Walker, Political correspondent | Thursday, November 21, 2019

What is Christianity? Ehrman-Harris Podcast

Professor Bart D. Ehrman is interviewed by Host Sam Harris on podcast called "Waking Up" on May 1st, 2018. In episode #125 of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris speaks to Bart Ehrman about his experience of being a born-again Christian, his academic training in New Testament scholarship, his loss of faith, the most convincing argument in defense of Christianity, the status of miracles, the composition of the New Testament, the resurrection of Jesus, the nature of heaven and hell, the book of Revelation, the End Times, self-contradictions in the Bible, the concept of a messiah, whether Jesus actually existed, Christianity as a cult of human sacrifice, the conversion of Constantine, and other topics. The interview mentions Bart's book "The Triumph of Christianity: How A Forbidden Religion Swept the World."

Israeli PM Netanyahu Indicted on Corruption Charges

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted on corruption charges, raising more uncertainty over who will ultimately lead a country mired in political chaos after two inconclusive elections this year.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced the decision in a statement on Thursday. The charges included bribery, breach of trust, and fraud. Netanyahu has vehemently denied all the allegations, calling the corruption investigation a "witch-hunt" and alleging it has been motivated by his enemies' desire to force him from office. He will make a statement at 20:30 GMT.


Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu »

Democratic Presidential Hopefuls Back Trump Impeachment Inquiry in Debate

Democratic presidential contenders backed the Donald Trump impeachment inquiry during the fifth televised debate on Wednesday, saying his efforts to press Ukraine to investigate the former vice-president Joe Biden was an example of his administration's corruption. The debate came hours after a senior US diplomat gave explosive testimony that directly implicated the president in a quid pro quo deal with Ukraine

Prince Andrew Departs from Public Life as He Prepares to Give Evidence to Epstein Investigation in US

THE TELEGRAPH: The Duke of York is preparing to give formal evidence to a US criminal investigation into the disgraced paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, The Telegraph can disclose.

In an unprecedented move, the Duke announced on Wednesday evening that he was stepping back from public life in the wake of a BBC interview over his friendship with Epstein that backfired in spectacular fashion.

A well-placed royal source said on Wednesday night that the Queen had summoned the Duke to Buckingham Palace to effectively sack her second-born son – said to be her favourite child – from official duties, ordering him to stand aside. The Prince of Wales, who is on a tour of New Zealand, was consulted by telephone.

City sponsors deserted the Duke’s flagship projects while major charities were planning to ditch him as their patron. A planned visit to flood victims in South Yorkshire were abandoned in the aftermath of his “excruciating” Newsnight performance.

Buckingham Palace is understood to be braced for US authorities to issue the Duke with a subpoena, requesting he gives testimony under oath over his friendship with Epstein. Sources have suggested the summons is “imminent”. » | Robert Mendick, chief reporter; Victoria Ward; Camilla Tominey, associate editor and Jamie Johnson | Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Royal Rivalry | Behind The Queen’s Coronation | Real Royalty

The Coronation in 1953 appeared to be a glittering triumph for the House of Windsor. But behind the scenes there was a three-cornered story of jealousy and rivalry at the highest level. The new Queen was caught in the middle.

While the new Queen largely sided with her mother over arrangements for the Coronation, she backed Philip over perhaps the most important decision to televise the ceremony inside Westminster Abbey. In doing so she set a precedent for television to be given access to the most intimate rituals.

Why Did Donald Trump Go to the Hospital?

Is Donald Trump going to the hospital to get away from his impeachment?

The French Brexit Song – Amanda Palmer, Sarah-Louise Young & Maxim Melton

Prince Andrew Latest: Lady Colin Campbell Dropped from Christmas Lights Switch On after 'Defending' Epstein

THE TELEGRAPH: Royal biographer Lady Colin Campbell has been sacked from turning on the Christmas lights in Prince Charles' home town - after ‘appearing to partially defend’ convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Lady C had been set to appear at the switch-on in Tetbury, Glos., on December 6, which is near Prince Charles' Highgrove House estate.

But the 70-year-old's appearance has now been pulled by furious organisers after she said 'soliciting sex was not the same as paedophilia'.

Appearing on ITV's Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, Lady C made the comment when discussing the scandal-hit Duke of York and disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.

She said: "You all seem to have forgotten that Jeffrey Epstein, the offence with which he was charged and for which he was imprisoned, was for soliciting prostitution from minors.

"That is not the same thing as paedophilia." » | Telegraph reporters | Wednesday, November 20, 2019


Lady Colin Campbell »

Prince Andrew to 'Step Back from Public Duties for the Foreseeable Future' over Epstein Relationship

THE TELEGRAPH: Prince Andrew is stepping back from public duties "for the foreseeable future", following his interview on the weekend about his friendship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

In his statement, Andrew said: "It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family's work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support.

"Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission."

The duke added: "I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. » | Jamie Johnson | Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Anand Giridharadas: ‘Winners Take All’ with Teddy Schleifer

Today's elites are some of the more socially concerned individuals in history. Yet, according to journalist and writer Anand Giridharadas, while their philanthropic missions may attempt to reform the root causes of unjust systems, many elite initiatives serve only to maintain the very power structures they claim they want to fix. So, who really benefits? To what extent are the elite working to create real progress and systemic change for people and communities? Giridharadas is joined onstage by Teddy Schleifer, Senior Reporter at Recode, for an in-depth discussion on elite leaders and how communities might work together to create a more participatory democracy.

Anand Giridharadas is the bestselling author of Winners Take All, The True American and India Calling as well as an editor-at-large for TIME, an on-air political analyst for MSNBC and a visiting scholar at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University. A former columnist and correspondent for the New York Times, he has written for the Atlantic, New Republic and New Yorker.

Son of Former German President Fatally Stabbed in Berlin

THE GUARDIAN: Man arrested after killing of Fritz von Weizsäcker during medical lecture

The son of Germany’s former president Richard von Weizsäcker has been stabbed to death in Berlin.

Fritz von Weizsäcker, a prominent doctor and the head of a private Berlin clinic, was attacked while giving a medical lecture on Tuesday night.

Police said a 57-year-old man was arrested at the scene and was being questioned. They said the man was not known to police and was not believed to have been a patient at the clinic, and the motive was unclear. He was due to appear before a judge on Wednesday. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Wednesday, November 20, 2019

A Conversation with Anand Giridharadas

Join Anand Giridharadas author of Winners Take All, in conversation with Belfer Center Executive Director Aditi Kumar on the perils of philanthropy and policy in the hands of the global elite.

Geiselnahme von Mekka: Wie die Salafisten vor 40 Jahren begannen, die Weltherrschaft anzustreben

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Vor 40 Jahren besetzten militante Islamisten die große Moschee in Mekka und nahmen hunderte Geiseln. Der islamistische Terror war geboren. Ein Interview mit dem Islamwissenschaftler Patrick Franke über die Folgen für Saudi-Arabien und die Welt.

Am 20. November 1979 stürmten islamistische Terroristen beim Morgengebet die große Moschee in Mekka und nahmen hunderte Menschen als Geiseln. Was passierte damals an einer der heiligsten Stätten des Islam?

Das Datum war speziell: Es war der erste Tag des Jahres 1400 nach islamischer Zeitrechnung, ein neues Jahrhundert brach also an. An diesen Tag knüpften sich gewisse Erwartungen, welche die Rebellengruppe ausnutzte. Angeführt wurde sie von dem fundamentalistischen sunnitischen Prediger Dschuhaiman al Utaibi. Während Hunderte seiner Anhänger die Moschee unter ihre Kontrolle brachten, ergriff er das Mikrofon und hielt eine Ansprache. Darin verkündete er, dass der Mahdi – eine Art Messias – in Form des Studenten Muhammad al Qahtani gekommen sei und die Welt in Gerechtigkeit führen werde. Gleichzeitig kritisierte er das saudische Königshaus für die Einführung bestimmter Neuerungen wie Fernsehen, Fußball, Arbeit von Frauen, königliche Auslandsreisen und die Präsenz von Ausländern in Saudi-Arabien. Dschuhaiman sah darin einen „Abfall vom Islam“ und forderte das Ende der königlichen Herrschaft. » | von Marie Illner | Mittwoch, 20. November 2019

Why Is the US Saying Illegal Israeli Settlements Are Okay? I Inside Story

It’s a dramatic shift in US policy, and goes against the position taken by international organisations and most other countries.

The US says it no longer views the illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank as “inconsistent with international law”... The Palestinians are furious and many observers say it makes Israeli-Palestinian peace even more elusive.

It’s another U-turn on policy by the US President in favour of Israel. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved the American embassy there. He also recognised Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights from Syria.

So what's the reason for this latest controversial move?

Presenter: Imran Khan | Guests: Gideon Levy, columnist at Haaretz News and author of 'The Punishment of Gaza’; Richard Falk, professor emeritus at Princeton University. Richard is the former UN special rapporteur for occupied Palestinian territories; Nour Odeh, political analyst and former spokesperson for the Palestinian Task Force on public diplomacy

Noura Erakat: US Recognition of Israeli Settlements Is “Entrenchment of an Apartheid Régime”

The Trump administration has announced it no longer views Israel settlements in the occupied West Bank to be a violation of international law, in another blow to possible Israel-Palestine peace negotiations. On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a reversal to the US position, putting the US at odds with the international community. A UN resolution in 2016 declared the settlements a “flagrant violation” of international law. Israel’s embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Pompeo’s announcement as a historic day for Israel, but Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned the US decision. Soon after Mike Pompeo announced the new US policy, the US Embassy in Israel issued a travel warning to Americans in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. From Washington DC, we speak with Noura Erakat, a Palestinian human rights attorney and legal scholar. She is an assistant professor at Rutgers University and the author of “Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine.”

Dangerous Indiscretions: The Decline of the House of Windsor | The Crown Documentary | Timeline

This in-depth documentary looks at the scandals that have blighted the credibility and popularity of the royal family through the ages, right up to the more recent controversies surrounding Diana, Fergie and Camilla.

The Royal Who Kept Hope Alive | Charlotte: A Royal At War | Real Royalty

This is the previously untold account of Charlotte of Luxembourg - a wife, mother of six children and head of state of the tiny duchy of Luxembourg. Charlotte became a Royal propagandist in pearls who inspired a nation through the power of radio, reaching her people in their darkest hour. The film reveals a powerful truth: ordinary people will endure hardship, imprisonment, even death, if they have someone to believe in, to keep their hopes alive. The feature length documentary combines vivid eyewitness testimony with dramatic reconstruction and unique, previously unseen, colour archive.

Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg »

KPMG Ends Its Backing for Prince Andrew's Mentorship Scheme

THE GUARDIAN: Accountancy firm not renewing sponsorship, it emerges, after much-criticised TV interview

The accountancy giant KPMG is not renewing its sponsorship of Prince Andrew’s entrepreneurial scheme Pitch@Palace, it has emerged, in the wake of his much-derided interview in which he defended his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York has been heavily criticised as having shown neither contrition nor sympathy for Epstein’s child victims in the BBC Newsnight interview and his suitability as patron to scores of charities and organisations has been called into question as a result.

On Monday, after it was reported by Sky News, Buckingham Palace confirmed that KPMG, a founding partner of Pitch@Palace, a mentorship scheme for budding entrepreneurs, was no longer involved, its contract having ended in October. » | Haroon Siddique and Anugraha Sundaravelu | Monday, November 18, 2019

US Says Israeli Settlements No Longer Considered Illegal in Dramatic Shift

THE GUARDIAN: US declaration marks rejection of 2016 UN resolution that settlements on the West Bank are a ‘flagrant violation’ of international law

The US has declared that Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land are not necessarily illegal, in a dramatic break with decades of international law, US policy and the established position of most US allies.

“Calling the establishment of civilian settlements inconsistent with international law has not advanced the cause of peace,” said Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state. “The hard truth is that there will never be a judicial resolution to the conflict, and arguments about who is right and who is wrong as a matter of international law will not bring peace.” » | Julian Borger in Washington | Monday, November 18, 2019

The Truth About Heart Disease & Cholesterol — Dwight Lundell

Mayor Pete Surges ahead in Iowa Polling | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Mayor Pete Buttigieg is up sixteen points and leads the Democratic field in Iowa, according to new numbers from CNN/Des Moines Register. The panel discusses. Aired on 11/18/19.

How Modern Families Increase Social Inequality | The Economist

Modern families with two working adults are richer than those with a single breadwinner, and can afford to take a different approach to parenting. This is exacerbating inequality between rich and poor families.

Joe: We Have a Right to Know the President's Health | Morning Joe | MSNBC

The president visited Walter Reed Medical Center on Saturday to undergo what he called 'phase one' of his annual physical. The Morning Joe panel discusses. Aired on 11/18/19.

Prince Andrew: Calls for Royal to Say Sorry and Speak to FBI

THE GUARDIAN: Critics say his defence of actions over Jeffrey Epstein was ‘not credible’ and victims were ‘almost completely ignored’ in interview

Prince Andrew is facing a transatlantic backlash over his extraordinary defence of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein after lawyers who represent 10 of the billionaire predator’s victims branded the royal unrepentant and implausible and demanded that he speak to the FBI.

After the royal’s defiant Newsnight interview on Saturday triggered a disbelieving reaction from the public and the media, the prince was under growing pressure from critics in the UK and US on Sunday who demanded an apology for his conduct and said that his defence of his actions was simply not credible.

Gloria Allred, who has worked on numerous high-profile sexual harassment cases and is now representing five of Epstein’s victims, told the Guardian: “The right and honourable action for Prince Andrew to take now is for him to volunteer to be interviewed by the FBI and prosecutors for the southern district of New York [who are continuing to investigate sex-trafficking allegations against Epstein despite his death in prison in August]. » | Edward Helmore in New York, Ben Quinn and Jim Waterson | Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Queen Mother: An Affectionate Tribute | The Crown Documentary | Timeline

As old as the century she lived in, the Queen Mother was a revered figure in British life. A symbol of courage in the Second World War and an enduring icon of stability, the Queen Mother maintained a level of loyalty and affection matched only by the Queen herself. This remarkable portrait digs beneath the surface and presents a balanced account of her life.

High-stakes Gamble on TV Interview over Epstein Backfires on Duke of York

THE OBSERVER: Decision to face questions on BBC programme draws critical reaction from woman at centre of allegations

If, as many royal observers have claimed, the Duke of York’s decision to submit himself to an Emily Maitlis grilling represented a colossal gamble by a man desperate to make the flow of negative headlines dry up, then it appears he has bet the house on red only for it to come up black.

Prince Andrew’s bizarre defence that he chose to stay at convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s home because it was “convenient” and “honourable” has gone down badly in the court of public opinion.

And now his defence of their relationship and his explanations for where he was on key dates when he is alleged to have had sex with women procured by Epstein has met similar derision. » | Jamie Doward | Saturday, November 16, 2019


Prince Andrew: fresh questions raised by his Epstein interview »

‘This Is Worse Than Nixon:’ Neal Katyal on the Impeachment Latest | All In | MSNBC

Neal Katyal talks to Chris Hayes about how the Trump impeachment compares to the history of American politics and the damning new behind-closed-door testimony. Aired on 11/15/19.

Misquoting Jesus in the Bible – Professor Bart D. Ehrman

Listen to the lecture here »