Former Australian PM Tony Abbott Confirmed as UK Trade Adviser

THE GUARDIAN: Critics say Abbott’s views on women and homosexuality and the climate crisis make him unfit for role

Boris Johnson has appointed Tony Abbott as an official UK trade adviser, defying widespread condemnation of the former Australian prime minister’s record of misogyny and homophobia and his views on the climate emergency.

Abbott, whose consideration for the role prompted criticism from opposition parties, charities and LGBT and environmental activists, is among nine external advisers appointed to the Board of Trade. The board, revived by Theresa May, is intended to help shape post-Brexit trade policy.

Liz Truss, the international trade secretary, who declined to defend Abbott’s views when asked about them in a TV interview last week, said the advisers were “a diverse group of people who share Britain’s belief in free enterprise, democracy and high standards and rules-based trade”. » | Peter Walker and Kevin Rawlinson | Friday, September 4, 2020

'We're At the Point Where We Should Sanction Putin', Tory MP Says | LBC

Tom Tugendhat told LBC sanctions should be used "more actively" to help target individuals who have been "part of Putin's mafia regime".

Speaking to LBC's Iain Dale Tom Tugendhat, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and Conservative MP for Tonbridge and Malling, said it was time to start sanctioning President Putin.

Earlier President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has brushed off allegations that the Kremlin was involved in poisoning the Russian leader's most determined critic, Alexei Navalny. But Mr Tugendhat told LBC that he thinks the UK should be "stiffer with the sanctions" that are in place.

Referencing the Magnitsky Act the Tory MP said sanctions should be used "more actively" to help target individuals who have been "part of Putin's mafia regime".

Türkei vs. Griechenland: Riskiert Erdogan einen Krieg? | Auf den Punkt

Die türkische Außenpolitik unter Präsident Erdogan wird immer aggressiver. Jüngstes Beispiel der Gasstreit im östlichen Mittelmeer. Droht jetzt ein Krieg unter Natopartnern? Unsere Gäste: Maximilian Popp (Spiegel), Michael Thumann (Die Zeit), Yasemin Ergin (freie Journalistin).

Prof. Richard D Wolff on the Four Reasons Capitalism Is Imploding

Professor Richard D. Wolff discusses the "four basic problems that the United States and its Capitalist system have had for a very long time" and how "none of them have been solved", and how "none of them have even been approached for the serious fundamental problems that they are". Watch to hear Professor Wolff break down these four all-encompassing issues we face in America today and have faced in our history.

Angela Merkel: 'Unequivocal Proof' Alexei Navalny Was Poisoned with Novichok

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, said in a personal statement that testing by a special military laboratory had shown proof that the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a novichok nerve agent. 'It is now clear: Alexei Navalny is the victim of a crime,' Merkel said. 'He was meant to be silenced. This raises very difficult questions that only the Russian government can answer, and has to answer.' Alexei Navalny poisoned with novichok, says German government

Donald Trump’s Failed Leadership Threatens Everything Mark Cares about. For that reason, he's for Joe

"It's unbelievable what he's doing to save himself and to get re-elected. It's just all about him, not about country."

Donald Trump Denies Suffering 'Mini Strokes'

THE TELEGRAPH: VP Mike Pence was reportedly put on 'standby' over president's hospital visit in November

Donald Trump has denied having a series of “mini strokes” amid reports Mike Pence, vice president, was put on standby after he sought hospital treatment in November.

Mr Trump's denial comes amid new scrutiny of his unannounced weekend trip to Walter Reed last November, during which the White House said the president began “portions of his routine annual physical exam".

However, according to a forthcoming book by New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt, West Wing staffers were told to put Mr Pence on standby “to take over the powers of the presidency temporarily if Mr Trump had to undergo a procedure that would have required him to be anesthetized". » | Josie Ensor, US correspondent | Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Donald Trump: Ratings

Biden beats Trump in polls and ratings. Ouch.

Meet the New Yes Man on Trump's COVID Task Force: Dr Scott Atlas Wants US to Adopt Herd Immunity

As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States passes 6 million, with a death toll of over 183,000, the Trump administration is loosening coronavirus restrictions, fast-tracking vaccine approval and disregarding safety tests, and now one of Trump's top medical advisers is pushing for the country to adopt a controversial "herd immunity" strategy, raising alarm among public health officials. Washington Post health reporter Yasmeen Abutaleb says Dr. Scott Atlas is not an epidemiologist and was brought on specifically because he would back President Trump's position "about how the pandemic was going, that the threat was receding, that the country should reopen." We also speak with Yale epidemiologist Gregg Gonsalves, who argues the U.S. is already following an "implicit" herd immunity policy. "They realize it's politically toxic, so they don't want to use the phrase, but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck," he says.

Germany Shocked by Far-right Protesters Trying to Enter Parliament | DW News

German politicians from across the political spectrum have condemned a far-right attempt to storm the parliament building in Berlin. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called it "an intolerable attack on the heart of our democracy". Demonstrators against the government's pandemic policies, along with far-right groups and science deniers overwhelmed police to rush the entrance to the German parliament. The sight of black, white and red imperial German flags in front of the Reichstag was so shocking that science denial and conspiracy theories were forgotten.

Don Winslow Films: An Open Letter to Republicans - #OpenLetterToRepublicans

Jon Meacham on the DNC and the RNC: Patriotism vs Propaganda | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

Presidential historian and biographer Jon Meacham, who was a speaker at Biden's DNC, contrasts and compares that event to the four days of Trump's very different RNC. Aired on 08/28/2020.

Can Fascism Take Root in the US? | Think | NBC News

Is President Trump Fascist? | NYT Opinion

While calling President Trump a fascist may seem like an exaggeration, it might not be that far from the truth. Should we be worried? Jason Stanley has spent the past decade studying fascism, from Mussolini to Duterte. In this video op-ed, he argues that yes, we should be worried: If Americans are not vigilant, fascism could become a new reality in the United States.

Mary Trump Shares New Recordings of Trump’s Sister Criticizing Family | The ReidOut | MSNBC

In recordings shared by Mary Trump exclusively with The ReidOut, Maryanne Trump Barry, Donald Trump’s sister, is heard criticizing many members of the Trump family. Maryanne Trump Barry and Mary Trump discussed Ivanka Trump’s actions during the period that the Trump Administration initiated their child separation practices. Trump Barry also says the president 'is all over the line' when it comes to his treatment of DREAMers. Aired on 08/28/2020.

2020: The Next Great Depression (w/ Richard Wolff)

We are in the middle of the severest depression, ever. Unemployment is at an all-time high and many people will never work again. Should the government employ many of these unemployed people, as happened the in great depression 100 years ago? Or will they just ignore them?

Don Winslow Films - #ConsequencesForTrump

Voting Trump Out May Be the Best Way to Stop Police Violence (w/ Mark Pocan)

Donald Trump infamously told police to be rough and now another African American has been shot by the police, in protests since more have been killed by Blue Lives Matter supporter.... These killers are emboldened by Trump... Mark Pocan says getting rid of Trump is going to be the best way to get curb police violence.

New Zealand: 'From Hero to Martyr': Widow of 51st Christchurch Shooting Victim Addresses Gunman in Court

Hamimah Tuyan, the widow of the 51st and final victim of 2019's Christchurch shooting, addresses the gunman, Brenton Tarrant, in court, telling him his death elevated him from hero to martyr. Zekeriya Tuyan battled for 48 days after 18 surgeries before succumbing to his injuries. Tuyan's statements come after three days of family members of victims addressing Tarrant and the court

Richard Wolff on How American Capitalism Is Just Socialism for the Rich

Professor Richard D. Wolff discusses how "recent news reports have exposed a certain scandal surrounding the Payroll Protection Program that the government allowed, now that Capitalism crashed here in the United States; at the same time that the failures to prepare for, or to contain the Coronavirus, have engulfed our country."

Trump Is No Aberration: Veteran GOP Strategist Stuart Stevens Says Racism Is Party's "Original Sin"

As party loyalists gather for the Republican National Convention, a group of veteran Republican operatives who want to defeat President Trump have launched a $4 million advertising blitz targeting voters in swing states. The anti-Trump ads are funded by The Lincoln Project, a super PAC that can raise and spend an unlimited amount of money. We speak with longtime Republican political consultant Stuart Stevens, a senior adviser to The Lincoln Project who worked as a strategist on five Republican presidential campaigns, about Trump's takeover of the party and efforts by so-called "Never Trump" Republicans to prevent his reelection, and why he says "race is the original sin of the modern Republican Party."

Democracy Now!: Top US & World Headlines — August 25, 2020

UK Delays Zaghari-Ratcliffe Release for Fear of Offending Trump, Lawyers Claim

THE GUARDIAN: Government accused of waiting for US permission to pay money owed to Iran

The British government has deliberately delayed taking steps necessary to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – including payment of a £400m debt owed to Iran – for fear of offending the Trump administration, lawyers acting for the British-Iranian woman have alleged.

In a seven-page letter to the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, the lawyers accuse the government of procrastination and claim the UK’s approach to securing the release of dual nationals from Tehran jails has been far less effective than those of other countries – including the US. A BBC Panorama programme broadcast a similar charge on Monday night.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been under effective house arrest in Tehran since March when she was given temporary release from prison having served four years of a five-year sentence for alleged espionage. She was arrested in Tehran in April 2016. » | Patrick Wintour | Monday, August 24, 2020

Steve Bannon, Former Trump Adviser, Allegedly Stole Funds for Private Border Wall Plagued by Erosion

President Trump's former campaign CEO and White House adviser, Steve Bannon, is his sixth close associate to face criminal charges by the Department of Justice. Bannon and three others are accused of defrauding donors to We Build the Wall, a private effort to build a wall along the Mexican border, and redirecting funds to fund their own lavish lifestyles. We follow the money and look at how an investigation last month showed a private wall project the funds were used for is already eroding and could be in danger of falling into the river. We speak with Perla Trevizo and Lexi Churchill, two reporters at the ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigative unit.

Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Fights for His Life Following Suspected Poisoning

Russia's most prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny is in a coma after a suspected poisoning.

The 44-year-old was taken off a flight to Moscow by stretcher and is now on a ventilator, unconscious "in a grave condition" in intensive care in the city of Omsk, according to his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was "deeply concerned" about the reported poisoning, adding: "My thoughts are with him and his family."

Kamala Harris’ Full Speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention | 2020 DNC

Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris addressed Democrats on Aug. 19 during the third night of the Democratic National Convention. The coronavirus pandemic upended both parties’ traditional conventions. Instead of in-person events, the program each night features a number of speakers and musical performances virtually across the country.

Capitalism Is Just a Fancy Word for Unchecked Greed

According to new research published by the Economic Policy Institute, average CEO pay has continued to skyrocket while wages stagnate, and now CEOs make roughly 320 times the amount that the average worker makes. These gains for the ruling elite have far outpaced the gains in the stock market, allowing us to rule out "good stocks" as the sole cause. The cause CAN, however, be boiled down to unfettered greed, as Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins explains.


Won’t it soon be time for a revolution? – Mark

Steve Bannon, Former Trump Adviser Arrested for Fraud

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon was arrested on Thursday on charges that he and three others illicitly took money from donors in an online fundraising scheme "We Build The Wall".

The charges were contained in an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court.br />
Federal prosecutors alleged that Bannon and three others "orchestrated a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors" in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign that raised more than $25m to build a wall along the southern border of the United States.

Cigarette Smoking Makes Comeback During Coronavirus Pandemic

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Marlboro maker Altria says stimulus checks and e-cigarette restrictions are driving sales of traditional cigarettes

Americans are smoking more during the coronavirus pandemic because they are spending less on travel and entertainment and have more opportunities to light up. They are also switching back to traditional cigarettes from vaping devices in the wake of federal restrictions on e-cigarette flavors. Read more here (£/$) » | Jennifer Maloney | Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Former Trump Advisor Steve Bannon Indicted by Federal Prosecutors | Stephanie Ruhle | MSNBC

Former advisor to President Trump, Steve Bannon, and four others have been indicted for allegedly illegally funneling money from the “We Build The Wall” fund, NBC’s Tom Winter reports. Aired on 8/20/2020.

Barack Obama Condemns Trump in Powerful Democratic Convention Speech

The former president spoke at the Democratic national convention and cast Donald Trump as someone who will 'tear our democracy down if that what it takes to win' and urges Americans to get out and vote in November

Great speech! If the Americans elect Trump back into office for another term, they will deserve all they get! Trump is the worst president in my lifetime. He’s pathetic! – Mark

Michelle Obama: The Former First Lady's DNC Speech in Full

Former first lady Michelle Obama launched a blistering attack on Donald Trump and urged Americans to elect Democrat Joe Biden in November to end what she said had been chaos during the last four years.

In an impassioned speech capping the first night of the Democratic national convention, Obama said Trump 'has had enough time to prove that he can do the job' but that he had failed to meet the moment in a country reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, economic turmoil and racial injustice.

Why Is the Monarchy in Thailand Targeted? | Inside Story

They've been rallying almost daily for the past month - anti-government protesters led by students are attracting different sectors of Thai society.

Their main demand is a change of the entire political system.

That includes the resignation of former army general now Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha.

Some are calling for what has long been unthinkable; reform of the monarchy Any criticism of the royal family is an offence that can lead to a long prison sentence.

How likely is political change in Thailand?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Pravit Rojanaphruk - political reporter and columnist for Kaosod English news website; David Streckfuss - Thai historian and author of: 'Truth on Trial in Thailand; Defamation, Treason and Lèse-majesté; Jade Donavanik, Dean of the Graduate School of Law at Siam University and a former Adviser to the Constitution Drafting Committee in Thailand

Bernie Sanders Slams Trump at DNC: 'Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned. The President Golfs'

In his convention remarks, the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders strongly urged his supporters to vote for Joe Biden in the November election, warning that Trump represents a severe threat to US democracy. “Our great nation is now living in an unprecedented moment,” Sanders said, describing this election as the “most important in the modern history of this country”

'In Over His Head': Michelle Obama Delivers Rebuke of Trump in DNC Speech

The former first lady Michelle Obama has delivered a searing rebuke of Donald Trump, arguing the president is incapable of leading the country during this moment of crisis. “If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it,” Obama said. The pre-taped speech attracted widespread praise, with many Democrats saying Obama offered an eloquent and urgent call to action.

Read the article here »

"The Unraveling of America: Is This the End of the American Empire?" | Amanpour and Company

Amid a global pandemic, with a polarized political electorate, and with protesters crowding the streets, one wonders if the American Era might be coming to an end. Wade Davis certainly would argue that it is. In a recent article for "Rolling Stone," he wrote about COVID-19 as a factor in “the unraveling of America." Davis shares his thoughts with Hari Sreenivasan.

Sviatoslav Richter - Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Stanisław Wisłocki – Recorded 1959

Colin Powell Explains Why Trump Shouldn't Be Re-elected

Rod Stewart: I Don't Want to Talk About It

Velshi: Trump’s Anti-Science Attitude Is Getting Us Nowhere | MSNBC

The 11th Hour with Brian Williams – Highlights: August 13 | MSNBC

Bye Hannity

Enough conspiracy theories, incompetence and hate.

Unprecedented

“He is a f&*king moron.” - Rex Tillerson, Trump’s former Secretary of State

Dictator Trump

The President’s admiration of dictators and scorn of our allies is one the most dangerous threat to our democracies our country has ever faced. #DictatorTrump

Lying Trump

This is the promise everything, deliver nothing presidency.

Biblical Idiot

Trump says Biden hates the bible. Trump is a #biblicalidiot

White House News Conference: Trump the Delusional!