Saturday, October 03, 2020
German Re-unification: How Two Countries (Sort of) Became One | Unpacked
Bible Belt Atheist | Op-Docs | The New York Times
Macron Says Islam ‘In Crisis’, Prompting Backlash from Muslims
Germany’s Far Right Reunified, Too, Making It Much Stronger
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Thirty years after Germany came back together, the former East has become the stronghold of a once-marginalized movement that now sits in Parliament.
BERLIN — They called him the “Führer of Berlin.”
Ingo Hasselbach had been a clandestine neo-Nazi in communist East Berlin, but the fall of the Berlin Wall brought him out of the shadows. He connected with western extremists in the unified city, organized far-right workshops, fought street battles with leftists and celebrated Hitler’s birthday. He dreamed of a far-right party in the parliament of a reunified Germany.
Today, the far-right party Alternative for Germany, known by its German initials, AfD, is the main opposition in Parliament. Its leaders march side by side with far-right extremists in street protests. And its power base is the former communist East.
“Reunification was a huge boost for the far right,” said Mr. Hasselbach, who left the neo-Nazi scene years ago and now helps others to do the same. “The neo-Nazis were the first ones to be reunified. We laid the foundation for a party like the AfD. There are things we used to say that have become mainstream today.”
As it marks the 30th anniversary of reunification on Saturday, Germany can rightly celebrate being an economic powerhouse and thriving liberal democracy. But reunification has another, rarely mentioned legacy — of unifying, empowering and bringing into the open a far-right movement that has evolved into a disruptive political force and a terrorist threat, not least inside key state institutions like the military and police. » | Katrin Bennhold | Saturday, October 3, 2020
BERLIN — They called him the “Führer of Berlin.”
Ingo Hasselbach had been a clandestine neo-Nazi in communist East Berlin, but the fall of the Berlin Wall brought him out of the shadows. He connected with western extremists in the unified city, organized far-right workshops, fought street battles with leftists and celebrated Hitler’s birthday. He dreamed of a far-right party in the parliament of a reunified Germany.
Today, the far-right party Alternative for Germany, known by its German initials, AfD, is the main opposition in Parliament. Its leaders march side by side with far-right extremists in street protests. And its power base is the former communist East.
“Reunification was a huge boost for the far right,” said Mr. Hasselbach, who left the neo-Nazi scene years ago and now helps others to do the same. “The neo-Nazis were the first ones to be reunified. We laid the foundation for a party like the AfD. There are things we used to say that have become mainstream today.”
As it marks the 30th anniversary of reunification on Saturday, Germany can rightly celebrate being an economic powerhouse and thriving liberal democracy. But reunification has another, rarely mentioned legacy — of unifying, empowering and bringing into the open a far-right movement that has evolved into a disruptive political force and a terrorist threat, not least inside key state institutions like the military and police. » | Katrin Bennhold | Saturday, October 3, 2020
74 and Overweight, Trump Faces Extra Risks From ‘a Very Sneaky Virus’
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The president has boasted of his health and is sure to receive the best possible care, but he carries a number of risk factors as he begins his battle with Covid-19.
WASHINGTON — President Trump, like many men in their 70s, has mild heart disease. He takes a statin drug to treat high cholesterol and aspirin to prevent heart attacks. And at 244 pounds in a health summary released in June, he has crossed the line into obesity.
All of that, experts say, puts him at greater risk for a serious bout of Covid-19. So far, White House officials say Mr. Trump’s symptoms are mild — a low-grade fever, fatigue, nasal congestion and a cough — but it is far too soon to tell how the disease will progress.
“He is 74, he’s hefty and he’s male, and those three things together put him in a higher-risk group for a severe infection,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University, adding: “Although he is being watched meticulously and may well do fine for a few days, he is not out of the woods, because people can crash after that period of time. This is a very sneaky virus.” » | Sheryl Gay Stolberg | Friday, October 2, 2020
WASHINGTON — President Trump, like many men in their 70s, has mild heart disease. He takes a statin drug to treat high cholesterol and aspirin to prevent heart attacks. And at 244 pounds in a health summary released in June, he has crossed the line into obesity.
All of that, experts say, puts him at greater risk for a serious bout of Covid-19. So far, White House officials say Mr. Trump’s symptoms are mild — a low-grade fever, fatigue, nasal congestion and a cough — but it is far too soon to tell how the disease will progress.
“He is 74, he’s hefty and he’s male, and those three things together put him in a higher-risk group for a severe infection,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University, adding: “Although he is being watched meticulously and may well do fine for a few days, he is not out of the woods, because people can crash after that period of time. This is a very sneaky virus.” » | Sheryl Gay Stolberg | Friday, October 2, 2020
Trump’s Covid News Meets a Landscape Primed for Mistrust
THE NEW YORK TIMES: A president who rose to fame — in business, on TV and in politics — on an archipelago of exaggerations finds himself facing a public skeptical of his account of his own health.
Was it a hoax? Was it a lie? Was the president sicker than he claimed — or not sick at all? (What does “mild” mean, and how is it different from “moderate”?) Was there any way this alarming news was an ultra-cynical con?
Waking up on Friday to the stunning development that the president of the United States had tested positive for Covid-19 after months of downplaying the virus, some Americans had a similar reaction: Maybe it’s not true.
“I don’t believe it,” said Anthony Collier, a truck driver from Atlanta. “It’s like he’s trying to get sympathy.”
There is no evidence, of course, to support the view that Mr. Trump and his wife, Melania, are anything but ill. As updates on the president’s condition came in, followed by the news that he would be hospitalized, the chatter turned from skepticism that the president was sick to doubts that the White House was being forthright about his condition. Across social media, in interviews, in conversations, the questions poured in all day from people who have heard so many contradictory things over the last four years — a warp-speed whiplash of conflicting realities — that they no longer know what is true. » | Sarah Lyall and Reid J. Epstein | Friday, October 2, 2020
Was it a hoax? Was it a lie? Was the president sicker than he claimed — or not sick at all? (What does “mild” mean, and how is it different from “moderate”?) Was there any way this alarming news was an ultra-cynical con?
Waking up on Friday to the stunning development that the president of the United States had tested positive for Covid-19 after months of downplaying the virus, some Americans had a similar reaction: Maybe it’s not true.
“I don’t believe it,” said Anthony Collier, a truck driver from Atlanta. “It’s like he’s trying to get sympathy.”
There is no evidence, of course, to support the view that Mr. Trump and his wife, Melania, are anything but ill. As updates on the president’s condition came in, followed by the news that he would be hospitalized, the chatter turned from skepticism that the president was sick to doubts that the White House was being forthright about his condition. Across social media, in interviews, in conversations, the questions poured in all day from people who have heard so many contradictory things over the last four years — a warp-speed whiplash of conflicting realities — that they no longer know what is true. » | Sarah Lyall and Reid J. Epstein | Friday, October 2, 2020
Trump Hospitalized with Covid as More White House Cases Emerge | DW News
Trump Positive for Covid-19, Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, India Rape Cases
It was one A-M in Washington when the president of the United States confirmed he tested positive for Covid-19. Face masks were a topical issue in Tuesday's first presidential debate. Even if the other debates were cancelled, there were enough fireworks in Tuesday's 90 minute shoutfest in Cleveland to last a lifetime. In Portland, Oregon Wednesday, the arraingment of Alan Swinney, a member of the Proud Boys, on twelve charges including allegations he pointed a revolver at counterprotesters and fired a paintball gun and mace at them during a mid-August protest.
It's a three-decade old border dispute that's now escalated into what looks like all-out war between former Soviet republics Armenia and Azerbaijan. Trying to sift through the fog of war propaganda are journalists. Four injured Thursday including Le Monde's Raphael Yaghobzadeh and Allan Kaval.Turkey's president blasting Russia, France and the U-S, saying they've lost their credibility as longtime mediators in the conflict and putting Armenia in his crosshairs.
In India, outrage over two gang rapes and murders of young Dalit women Police Thursday in the country's largest state Uttar Pradesh reporting the gang rape and murder of a 22-year old while 500km away in Hatras district. There were angry protests after police officers cremated the body of a 19-year old victim without her family's permission. Rushed to hospital in New Delhi 200 kilometres away but died on Tuesday. And when he tried to go for a rally, police shoved to the ground Rahul Gandhi, the head of the opposition and prevented him from meeting with the family.
It's a three-decade old border dispute that's now escalated into what looks like all-out war between former Soviet republics Armenia and Azerbaijan. Trying to sift through the fog of war propaganda are journalists. Four injured Thursday including Le Monde's Raphael Yaghobzadeh and Allan Kaval.Turkey's president blasting Russia, France and the U-S, saying they've lost their credibility as longtime mediators in the conflict and putting Armenia in his crosshairs.
In India, outrage over two gang rapes and murders of young Dalit women Police Thursday in the country's largest state Uttar Pradesh reporting the gang rape and murder of a 22-year old while 500km away in Hatras district. There were angry protests after police officers cremated the body of a 19-year old victim without her family's permission. Rushed to hospital in New Delhi 200 kilometres away but died on Tuesday. And when he tried to go for a rally, police shoved to the ground Rahul Gandhi, the head of the opposition and prevented him from meeting with the family.
Friday, October 02, 2020
In Profane Rant, Melania Trump Takes Aim at Migrant Children and Critics
WASHINGTON — The first lady, Melania Trump, delivered a profanity-laced rant about Christmas decorations at the White House and mocked the plight of migrant children who were separated from their parents at the border in 2018 during a conversation secretly taped by a former aide and close confidante.
“I’m working like a — my ass off at Christmas stuff,” Mrs. Trump laments to the former aide, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who has just published a tell-all book, in a recording that was first broadcast on CNN on Thursday night. Mrs. Trump continued, “You know, who gives a fuck about Christmas stuff and decoration?”
Later in the conversation, which occurred in July 2018, the first lady complained about the criticism leveled at President Trump and his administration that summer for separating families in a crackdown on illegal immigration.
“I say that I’m working on Christmas planning for the Christmas, and they said, ‘Oh, what about the children?’ That they were separated.” She used another obscenity to express her exasperation, asking Ms. Winston Wolkoff, “Where they were saying anything when Obama did that?”
The audio recording puts the first lady’s frustrations on full display only weeks before Mr. Trump faces voters in his bid for a second term. » | Michael D. Shear | Thursday, October 1, 2020
Donald Trump: From Denial to Testing Positive
Jen Is a Longtime Republican Voter Who Is Voting against Trump for the Sake of the Country
The Murder of Jamal Khashoggi | DW Documentary
Did the Saudi state plan the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi? Was Khashoggi so much of a threat to the Saudi regime that it was prepared to commit a terrible crime to get rid of him?
This documentary reconstructs Jamal Khashoggi’s personal plans and movements in his final days. It also examines records, leaks and reports related to his assassination, as well as motivations that may have led Saudi Arabia to commit such a shocking crime.
The film’s key feature is exclusive testimony from Khashoggi’s close circle, including from his fiancée Hatice Cengiz. She tells of her emotional struggle in dealing with his death; hoping against hope he was still alive despite accounts of how he was killed; the struggle to discover his fate; and the pain of not knowing where his body is.
The documentary also uncovers how the Saudi government handed the incident, including the attempts it made to cover up the story. In London, Washington, Istanbul and Montreal, the film visits and speaks with Khashoggi’s friends, security experts, analysts and activists. The events surrounding Khashoggi's killing and the assassination itself are reconstructed in reenactments and with aerial photographs, graphics and animations, including archive footage. In the words of one official close to the case, UN Special Rapporteur Agnès Callamard: "There is credible evidence that requires further investigation into the involvement of senior Saudi officials in the crime, including the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself."
This documentary reconstructs Jamal Khashoggi’s personal plans and movements in his final days. It also examines records, leaks and reports related to his assassination, as well as motivations that may have led Saudi Arabia to commit such a shocking crime.
The film’s key feature is exclusive testimony from Khashoggi’s close circle, including from his fiancée Hatice Cengiz. She tells of her emotional struggle in dealing with his death; hoping against hope he was still alive despite accounts of how he was killed; the struggle to discover his fate; and the pain of not knowing where his body is.
The documentary also uncovers how the Saudi government handed the incident, including the attempts it made to cover up the story. In London, Washington, Istanbul and Montreal, the film visits and speaks with Khashoggi’s friends, security experts, analysts and activists. The events surrounding Khashoggi's killing and the assassination itself are reconstructed in reenactments and with aerial photographs, graphics and animations, including archive footage. In the words of one official close to the case, UN Special Rapporteur Agnès Callamard: "There is credible evidence that requires further investigation into the involvement of senior Saudi officials in the crime, including the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself."
Saudi Expats Launch Opposition Party on Anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi's Death
A group of intellectual Saudi Arabian expatriates have launched an opposition party on the second anniversary of the murder of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
The aim of the National Assembly party is to gather the support of people inside and outside Saudi Arabia for the formation of a representative government, which would be the first elected democratic institution inside the country since its birth 90 years ago.
Madawi al-Rasheed, a scholar and party co-founder, said the party’s leaders were “already being bombarded by threats, including threats of beheading, since we violated the taboo of uttering the words democracy and political party”.
Rasheed said the new non-sectarian party would try to show how claims by the powerful Saudi crown prince and heir to the throne, Mohammed bin Salman – that the country was modernising – were a sham, and that total obedience to the royal family was still demanded.
Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post, was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Friday, October 2, 2020
Trump Tests Positive for Coronavirus. What Now? | DW News
US President Donald Trump and the first lady tested positive for coronavirus Thursday. Trump tweeted that he and his wife Melania would begin their "recovery process immediately" and "get through this together."
The Trumps had entered quarantine earlier in the day after senior aide Hope Hicks had also tested positive. She spent a substantial amount of time in close proximity with Trump this week, including traveling with him to a campaign rally on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, citing an administration official. She also traveled with Trump several other days this week, including on board the presidential helicopter Marine One as well as on Air Force One. If Trump were unable to do his job — even due to a short illness — the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution allows the vice president becomes the president.
The Trumps had entered quarantine earlier in the day after senior aide Hope Hicks had also tested positive. She spent a substantial amount of time in close proximity with Trump this week, including traveling with him to a campaign rally on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, citing an administration official. She also traveled with Trump several other days this week, including on board the presidential helicopter Marine One as well as on Air Force One. If Trump were unable to do his job — even due to a short illness — the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution allows the vice president becomes the president.
Thursday, October 01, 2020
Sheikh Sabah al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait Obituary
The emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who has died aged 91, ruled his country for 14 years and acquired a reputation for being committed to peaceful dialogue and unity among other Gulf states known for their divisive quarrels in recent times. Discreet, mild-mannered and valuing his personal links with fellow monarchs, Sabah was known as “the dean of Arab diplomacy”.
Since 2017, however, when the younger, more assertive leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates boycotted their rival Qatar, he found it increasingly hard to play the role of regional mediator, but was still credited with having forestalled potentially disastrous military action. The war in Yemen, scene of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, was another nightmarish situation. » | Ian Black | Thursday, October 1, 2020
Kingdom of Silence: 2 Years after Khashoggi Murder, New Film Explores Deadly US-Saudi Alliance
Amazon, Jeff Bezos and Collecting Data | DW Documentary
No company stores more data than Amazon, the former online bookseller. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has become the richest man in the world. Every second Euro in online trading is spent at Amazon. Is the IT giant, with its unabated growth, about to turn our economic system upside down?
Amazon is a machine that can simultaneously observe, compare and analyze more than 300 million people worldwide. The company is not just a marketplace, market supervisor and provider of more and more services and consumer items - it also controls all the data streams in this market and uses them to its own benefit. Who suspects that a single click on an Amazon page will forward information to the company that fills a printed DIN-A-4 page? A conversation with Alexa, watching a streaming offer on Amazon-Prime, ordering vegetables via Amazon-Fresh - all this put together creates a whole library of information about every customer. The group collects everything - it just won’t reveal what conclusions it draws from it. What would be possible if data from other, new business areas were added? In the USA, Amazon is also active in the health and insurance sectors, and police officers are using its facial recognition software to search for wanted persons.
Amazon is a machine that can simultaneously observe, compare and analyze more than 300 million people worldwide. The company is not just a marketplace, market supervisor and provider of more and more services and consumer items - it also controls all the data streams in this market and uses them to its own benefit. Who suspects that a single click on an Amazon page will forward information to the company that fills a printed DIN-A-4 page? A conversation with Alexa, watching a streaming offer on Amazon-Prime, ordering vegetables via Amazon-Fresh - all this put together creates a whole library of information about every customer. The group collects everything - it just won’t reveal what conclusions it draws from it. What would be possible if data from other, new business areas were added? In the USA, Amazon is also active in the health and insurance sectors, and police officers are using its facial recognition software to search for wanted persons.
Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos (Full Film) | FRONTLINE
Democracy Now!: Top US & World Headlines — October 1, 2020
Brexit: Ireland Needs to Press for Reunification Vote, Says Sinn Féin
THE GUARDIAN: Party leader Mary Lou McDonald says Boris Johnson’s attitude to EU withdrawal agreement means her country cannot trust him
Ireland cannot trust an “erratic” and “dangerous” Boris Johnson on Brexit and needs to start pressuring Downing Street for a referendum on Irish unification, according to Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of Sinn Féin.
Johnson has forfeited credibility by unpicking the withdrawal agreement and cannot be believed when he says he wants a trade deal, said McDonald. “He’s the prime minister and perfidious Albion just got perfidiouser, if there’s such a word.”
If Britain did not “honour a bargain fairly struck” it would face a backlash from Ireland’s allies in the EU and US, where congressional leaders could sink Downing Street’s hopes of a US trade deal, said McDonald. “If there is damage in Ireland, if there’s a hardening of the border – well, then all bets are off.” » | Rory Carroll, Ireland correspondent | Thursday, October 1, 2020
Ireland cannot trust an “erratic” and “dangerous” Boris Johnson on Brexit and needs to start pressuring Downing Street for a referendum on Irish unification, according to Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of Sinn Féin.
Johnson has forfeited credibility by unpicking the withdrawal agreement and cannot be believed when he says he wants a trade deal, said McDonald. “He’s the prime minister and perfidious Albion just got perfidiouser, if there’s such a word.”
If Britain did not “honour a bargain fairly struck” it would face a backlash from Ireland’s allies in the EU and US, where congressional leaders could sink Downing Street’s hopes of a US trade deal, said McDonald. “If there is damage in Ireland, if there’s a hardening of the border – well, then all bets are off.” » | Rory Carroll, Ireland correspondent | Thursday, October 1, 2020
Brexit: EU Launches Legal Action against UK for Breaching Withdrawal Agreement
THE GUARDIAN: UK put on formal notice over internal market bill, which ministers admit breaks international law
The EU has launched legal action against Boris Johnson’s government over breaching the terms of the withdrawal agreement.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European commission president, announced that the UK had been put on formal notice over the internal market bill, which ministers admit breaks international law. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Thursday, October 1, 2020
The EU has launched legal action against Boris Johnson’s government over breaching the terms of the withdrawal agreement.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European commission president, announced that the UK had been put on formal notice over the internal market bill, which ministers admit breaks international law. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Thursday, October 1, 2020
'Evil': Three Ex-Trump Aides Join to Oust Trump after Debate Debacle | MSNBC
Mary Trump: Donald Trump’s Debate Attack on Biden Children Was ‘Horrifying’ | The Last Word | MSNBC
ADL CEO: Proud Boys Don't Belong in the Political Conversation | The 11th Hour | MSNBC
Opinion: Trump Calls on Extremists to ‘Stand By’
President Trump didn’t hurt Joe Biden in Tuesday’s debate, but he badly damaged our country.
Trump harmed the United States in three ways, reminding us that the biggest threat to America comes not from desperate migrants, not from “socialists” seeking universal health care and not from “anarchists” in the streets — but from the White House itself.
The first way in which Trump damaged the country was in his salute to violent extremists.
“Are you willing tonight to condemn white supremacists?” Chris Wallace, the Fox News anchor who moderated the debate, asked Trump. Trump initially dodged the question but finally asked petulantly, “Who do you want me to condemn?”
Biden suggested the Proud Boys, a militant group that is fervently pro-Trump.
“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,” Trump declared.
Stand by?
The Proud Boys, founded in 2016, are part of what the Southern Poverty Law Center calls “a fascistic right-wing political bloc.” The Anti-Defamation League compares it to a gang. The Proud Boys’ founder once said, “I cannot recommend violence enough,” and its members have brandished guns, committed criminal assaults and engaged in rioting. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram have banned Proud Boys. » | Nicholas Kristof. Opinion Columnist | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
The Trump-Biden Debate Revealed the Dangers of Britain's 'Special Relationship'
THE GUARDIAN: If the US no longer stands as an inspirational model for the world, where does that leave those who defer to it?
Ever since the pioneeringKennedy-Nixon encounter in 1960, the questions that political journalists pose after US presidential debates have been the same. Who performed best? Who had the better of this or that part of the argument? Who exceeded expectations or fell short? Who had the best lines and delivered the best zinger? And has any of it changed the election odds?
They are still being asked after the first televised match-up between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. With five weeks to go before the US votes, the questions still matter. But after Tuesday’s verbal roughhouse they also feel crowded out by other uncertainties that seem more epochal, more dystopian and more pressing, not least when seen from this side of the Atlantic.
It can seem overblown, but it now makes sense to ask if America is on the edge of becoming ungovernable, or if the rule of impartial law enforcement still commands respect. It is also possible, in ways that were not true in the past, to consider whether the US can be relied on internationally, and whether it is realistic to continue to regard it as an ally. But if it is not an ally, what follows from that? The answers are increasingly uncomfortable.
Perhaps most potently, it has to be asked whether America, with all its fabulous energy, wealth, liberty and ambition, still offers the inspirational model to the world that it did to so many, for so long. Or instead is today’s America, defined increasingly by its inequalities, violence, fundamentalism and racism, becoming a model to be rejected, to be guarded against and even, in some cases, to be resisted? » | Martin Kettle | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Ever since the pioneeringKennedy-Nixon encounter in 1960, the questions that political journalists pose after US presidential debates have been the same. Who performed best? Who had the better of this or that part of the argument? Who exceeded expectations or fell short? Who had the best lines and delivered the best zinger? And has any of it changed the election odds?
They are still being asked after the first televised match-up between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. With five weeks to go before the US votes, the questions still matter. But after Tuesday’s verbal roughhouse they also feel crowded out by other uncertainties that seem more epochal, more dystopian and more pressing, not least when seen from this side of the Atlantic.
It can seem overblown, but it now makes sense to ask if America is on the edge of becoming ungovernable, or if the rule of impartial law enforcement still commands respect. It is also possible, in ways that were not true in the past, to consider whether the US can be relied on internationally, and whether it is realistic to continue to regard it as an ally. But if it is not an ally, what follows from that? The answers are increasingly uncomfortable.
Perhaps most potently, it has to be asked whether America, with all its fabulous energy, wealth, liberty and ambition, still offers the inspirational model to the world that it did to so many, for so long. Or instead is today’s America, defined increasingly by its inequalities, violence, fundamentalism and racism, becoming a model to be rejected, to be guarded against and even, in some cases, to be resisted? » | Martin Kettle | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Germans Embrace Fresh Air to Ward Off Coronavirus
THE GUARDIAN: Angela Merkel says ventilation may be one of cheapest and most effective ways of containing virus
Ventilating rooms has been added to the German government’s formula for tackling coronavirus, in refreshing news for the country’s air hygiene experts who have been calling for it to become official for months.
The custom is something of a national obsession, with many Germans habitually opening windows twice a day, even in winter. Often the requirement is included as a legally binding clause in rental agreements, mainly to protect against mould and bad smells.
But while some people may dismiss the method as primitive, “it may be one of the cheapest and most effective ways” of containing the spread of the virus, Angela Merkel insisted on Tuesday.
The German chancellor explained that the government’s guidelines to tackle the virus, encapsulated in the acronym AHA, which stands for distancing, hygiene and face coverings, will be extended to become AHACL. The “C” stands for the government’s coronavirus warning app, and “L” for Lüften or airing a room.
“Regular impact ventilation in all private and public rooms can considerably reduce the danger of infection,” the government’s recommendation explains. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Ventilating rooms has been added to the German government’s formula for tackling coronavirus, in refreshing news for the country’s air hygiene experts who have been calling for it to become official for months.
The custom is something of a national obsession, with many Germans habitually opening windows twice a day, even in winter. Often the requirement is included as a legally binding clause in rental agreements, mainly to protect against mould and bad smells.
But while some people may dismiss the method as primitive, “it may be one of the cheapest and most effective ways” of containing the spread of the virus, Angela Merkel insisted on Tuesday.
The German chancellor explained that the government’s guidelines to tackle the virus, encapsulated in the acronym AHA, which stands for distancing, hygiene and face coverings, will be extended to become AHACL. The “C” stands for the government’s coronavirus warning app, and “L” for Lüften or airing a room.
“Regular impact ventilation in all private and public rooms can considerably reduce the danger of infection,” the government’s recommendation explains. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Religious Group Scrubs All References to Amy Coney Barrett from Its Website
A tiny religious organization tied to Amy Coney Barrett, Donald Trump’s supreme court nominee, sought to erase all mentions and photos of her from its website before she meets with lawmakers and faces questions at her Senate confirmation hearings.
Barrett, a federal appeals judge, has declined to publicly discuss her decades-long affiliation with People of Praise, a Christian group that opposes abortion and holds that men are divinely ordained as the “head” of the family and faith.
Former members have said the group’s leaders teach that wives must submit to the will of their husbands.
A spokesman for the organization has declined to say whether the judge and her husband, Jesse Barrett, are members.
But an analysis by the Associated Press shows that People of Praise erased numerous records from its website during the summer of 2017 that referred to Barrett and included photos of her and her family. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Coronavirus: Reviving Italy's Wine Windows
The Guardian View on the US Presidential Debate: A Bad Night for the World
THE GUARDIAN: The dismal spectacle reminded viewers what is at stake in November for the US – and the rest of us
One unmistakable winner emerged from Tuesday’s presidential debate: Xi Jinping. The loser was the American public – and anyone else unfortunate enough to have sat through the grim 90-minute spectacle.
Variously described by commentators as a trainwreck, dumpster fire, shitshow and the worst debate in presidential history, it reflected the state of the race and the nation after four years of Donald Trump. This is America in 2020: wracked by a pandemic that has killed 200,000 people and highlighted its deep structural failings on healthcare and inequality, as well as the parlous state of its politics – a realm of bitter divisions in which facts appear to be optional.
Mr Trump lied, he blustered, he harangued and, above all, he interrupted. Most frighteningly, when invited to condemn white supremacists, he instead told the far-right Proud Boys to “stand back – and stand by”. He did this both by instinct and because Joe Biden remains ahead in the polls, with a lead that may well have been cemented by their performances. His base may have seen him as dominant, but to non-believers he was merely domineering. » | Editorial | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
One unmistakable winner emerged from Tuesday’s presidential debate: Xi Jinping. The loser was the American public – and anyone else unfortunate enough to have sat through the grim 90-minute spectacle.
Variously described by commentators as a trainwreck, dumpster fire, shitshow and the worst debate in presidential history, it reflected the state of the race and the nation after four years of Donald Trump. This is America in 2020: wracked by a pandemic that has killed 200,000 people and highlighted its deep structural failings on healthcare and inequality, as well as the parlous state of its politics – a realm of bitter divisions in which facts appear to be optional.
Mr Trump lied, he blustered, he harangued and, above all, he interrupted. Most frighteningly, when invited to condemn white supremacists, he instead told the far-right Proud Boys to “stand back – and stand by”. He did this both by instinct and because Joe Biden remains ahead in the polls, with a lead that may well have been cemented by their performances. His base may have seen him as dominant, but to non-believers he was merely domineering. » | Editorial | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Half of Conservative Party Members Believe Islam Is Threat, Poll Finds
THE GUARDIAN: Survey finds six in 10 card-carrying Tories have negative attitude towards Muslims
Almost half of Conservative party members believe Islam “a threat to the British way of life,” according to a poll which has reignited concerns over Islamophobia within Britain’s ruling party.
It found that more than one-third of card-carrying Tories believed that Islamist terror attacks reflected a widespread hostility to Britain among the Muslim community, and nearly six in 10 thought “there are no-go areas in Britain where sharia law dominates and non-Muslims cannot enter.”
Attitudes hardened among those who had backed Boris Johnson in the 2019 leadership election, 44% of whom believed that Islamist terror reflected widespread hostility of British Muslims, and two-thirds of whom believed there were “no-go areas”.
Conservative members were far more likely to have negative attitudes towards Muslims than members of the public in general, 30% of whom said they thought Islam was a threat, according to the poll, which was commissioned by the antiracism organization Hope Not Hate. » | Damien Gayle | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Almost half of Conservative party members believe Islam “a threat to the British way of life,” according to a poll which has reignited concerns over Islamophobia within Britain’s ruling party.
It found that more than one-third of card-carrying Tories believed that Islamist terror attacks reflected a widespread hostility to Britain among the Muslim community, and nearly six in 10 thought “there are no-go areas in Britain where sharia law dominates and non-Muslims cannot enter.”
Attitudes hardened among those who had backed Boris Johnson in the 2019 leadership election, 44% of whom believed that Islamist terror reflected widespread hostility of British Muslims, and two-thirds of whom believed there were “no-go areas”.
Conservative members were far more likely to have negative attitudes towards Muslims than members of the public in general, 30% of whom said they thought Islam was a threat, according to the poll, which was commissioned by the antiracism organization Hope Not Hate. » | Damien Gayle | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Trump gegen Biden - wenn sich zwei alte Männer beschimpfen
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Das Fernsehduell wirft die bange Frage auf, wie es in den USA nach der Wahl am 3. November weitergeht. Der erste Bürgerkrieg der USA ist 155 Jahre her. Ein zweiter ist nicht mehr ausgeschlossen, kommentiert Holger Schmale.
Berlin – Zwei alte weiße Männer stehen in einem Fernsehstudio und beschimpfen einander anderthalb Stunden lang pausenlos. Das soll ein Höhepunkt eines Wahlkampfes sein, in dem es um die Zukunft einer der ältesten Demokratien, des wirtschaftlich und militärisch mächtigsten Landes der Welt mit 330 Millionen Bürgerinnen und Bürgern geht? Tatsächlich ist es ein neuer Tiefpunkt dessen, was man einmal politische Kultur genannt hat. Nicht Trump, nicht Biden ist der Verlierer dieses Spektakels. Es sind die Amerikaner.
Es ist aber noch mehr. Es kann einem wirklich angst und bange werden, was aus diesem Land nach der Wahl am 3. November werden wird. Man kann aus dem brachialen Auftreten Donald Trumps nur den Schluss ziehen, dass er die Wahl bereits verloren gegeben hat. Dafür sprechen alle Umfragen. Er hätte die Fernsehdebatte als Chance nutzen können, noch unentschlossene Wähler der Mitte mit Argumenten für sich zu gewinnen. Das wäre nötig gewesen, um die Umfragen zu beeinflussen. Er hat darauf verzichtet und allein seine hundertprozentigen Anhänger bedient. » | Holger Schmale | Mittwoch, 30. September 2020
Berlin – Zwei alte weiße Männer stehen in einem Fernsehstudio und beschimpfen einander anderthalb Stunden lang pausenlos. Das soll ein Höhepunkt eines Wahlkampfes sein, in dem es um die Zukunft einer der ältesten Demokratien, des wirtschaftlich und militärisch mächtigsten Landes der Welt mit 330 Millionen Bürgerinnen und Bürgern geht? Tatsächlich ist es ein neuer Tiefpunkt dessen, was man einmal politische Kultur genannt hat. Nicht Trump, nicht Biden ist der Verlierer dieses Spektakels. Es sind die Amerikaner.
Es ist aber noch mehr. Es kann einem wirklich angst und bange werden, was aus diesem Land nach der Wahl am 3. November werden wird. Man kann aus dem brachialen Auftreten Donald Trumps nur den Schluss ziehen, dass er die Wahl bereits verloren gegeben hat. Dafür sprechen alle Umfragen. Er hätte die Fernsehdebatte als Chance nutzen können, noch unentschlossene Wähler der Mitte mit Argumenten für sich zu gewinnen. Das wäre nötig gewesen, um die Umfragen zu beeinflussen. Er hat darauf verzichtet und allein seine hundertprozentigen Anhänger bedient. » | Holger Schmale | Mittwoch, 30. September 2020
Face-à-face Trump-Biden : un débat inquiétant pour la démocratie américaine
LE MONDE : Editorial. De l’affrontement brouillon entre Donald Trump et Joe Biden, mardi soir, on retiendra surtout la menace que le président persiste à laisser planer sur la validité du scrutin du 3 novembre. Un danger pour la démocratie.
Editorial du « Monde ». A cinq semaines de l’élection présidentielle américaine, le premier débat télévisé opposant le président républicain Donald Trump et l’ex-vice-président démocrate Joe Biden a confirmé, mardi 29 septembre, toutes les inquiétudes apparues depuis quatre ans sur la démocratie aux Etats-Unis.
Les moments les plus marquants de cet affrontement chaotique et brutal des deux candidats septuagénaires n’auront pas été les exclamations exaspérées de Joe Biden à l’égard d’un président qui ne cessait de l’interrompre et qu’il a traité de « clown », ni les attaques personnelles de ce dernier sur les affaires faites à l’étranger par l’un des fils de son adversaire. Ce que l’on retiendra surtout de ce débat, c’est l’avertissement lancé à la fin par Donald Trump sur le scrutin du 3 novembre : « Cela ne va pas bien se terminer. » » | ÉDITORIAL | mercredi 30 septembre 2020
Editorial du « Monde ». A cinq semaines de l’élection présidentielle américaine, le premier débat télévisé opposant le président républicain Donald Trump et l’ex-vice-président démocrate Joe Biden a confirmé, mardi 29 septembre, toutes les inquiétudes apparues depuis quatre ans sur la démocratie aux Etats-Unis.
Les moments les plus marquants de cet affrontement chaotique et brutal des deux candidats septuagénaires n’auront pas été les exclamations exaspérées de Joe Biden à l’égard d’un président qui ne cessait de l’interrompre et qu’il a traité de « clown », ni les attaques personnelles de ce dernier sur les affaires faites à l’étranger par l’un des fils de son adversaire. Ce que l’on retiendra surtout de ce débat, c’est l’avertissement lancé à la fin par Donald Trump sur le scrutin du 3 novembre : « Cela ne va pas bien se terminer. » » | ÉDITORIAL | mercredi 30 septembre 2020
Geneva to Raise Minimum Wage to £3,500 a Month
THE GUARDIAN: Voters back increase amid reports of growing poverty linked to Covid-19 pandemic
Geneva is to raise its minimum wage to almost £3,500 a month, reported to be the highest in the world, after locals approved the measure in a surprise vote result sparked by reports of growing coronavirus-linked poverty in the Swiss city.
The canton’s 500,000 voters passed the increase proposed by local unions and leftwing parties, after twice rejecting it in 2011 and 2014.
The minimum hourly wage will rise to just under £19.50 an hour, more than twice the rate in neighbouring France, with a guaranteed minimum monthly salary of 4,086 Swiss francs (£3,457) based on a 41-hour working week, or 49,000 Swiss francs (£41,430) a year, in one of the world’s most expensive cities to live. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Geneva is to raise its minimum wage to almost £3,500 a month, reported to be the highest in the world, after locals approved the measure in a surprise vote result sparked by reports of growing coronavirus-linked poverty in the Swiss city.
The canton’s 500,000 voters passed the increase proposed by local unions and leftwing parties, after twice rejecting it in 2011 and 2014.
The minimum hourly wage will rise to just under £19.50 an hour, more than twice the rate in neighbouring France, with a guaranteed minimum monthly salary of 4,086 Swiss francs (£3,457) based on a 41-hour working week, or 49,000 Swiss francs (£41,430) a year, in one of the world’s most expensive cities to live. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
America Is in Pain. The Presidential Debate Offered No Help
With more than 200,000 Americans dead from Covid-19, the economy in tatters, the west on fire, schools shuttered, police brutality against Black people still rampant, and millions of Americans grieving, scared and unable to recognize their lives, the first of three presidential debates on Tuesday night came at a time of pain, desperation, and anxiety for the American people. The debate itself reflected absolutely none of this anxiety. It was a display of vulgarity and egotism that insulted the Americans it was purportedly meant to persuade.
For more than 90 minutes, instead of substantive discussion of the multiple ongoing national emergencies that have warped their lives, viewers were shown three old white men – Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Fox News’ Chris Wallace, nominally the moderator – interrupting, shouting at and insulting one another. The coarseness, dishonesty, and grandstanding on display was a mockery of the dignity of the electoral process and a slap in the face to the Americans whose lives will be shaped by the actions of the next president. » | Moira Donegan | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Meacham: Trump Declared War on Decency, Democracy Last Night | Morning Joe | MSNBC
Why the US Presidential Debate Saw No Winner | DW News
US President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden have faced off in what's being being called the worst presidential debate ever. The chaotic, 95-minute, televised clash touched on on issues including the coronavirus, race relations and the economy. But the discussion descended into a series of interruptions and personal mud-slinging.
The first presidential debate capped an unedifying spectacle in which Trump papered over his policy blindspots, and Biden his age. In this era of polarization the debate managed to yield a consensus: there were no winners.
The first presidential debate capped an unedifying spectacle in which Trump papered over his policy blindspots, and Biden his age. In this era of polarization the debate managed to yield a consensus: there were no winners.
Is This the End of Democracy? (w/ Prof. Jason Stanley)
How close is the United States to fascism? How far away from democracy has Trump taken us? Professor Jason Stanley joins Thom Hartmann for the devastating answer!
There are ten elements of fascism. Where is the US on the scale today? The Republican party has become less willing to defending democracy, following the cult of the leader. This could lead to a stolen election in 2020.
Professor Jason Stanley joined Thom to discuss ow the US is heading towards becoming a fascist society and is walking into it with eyes closed.
Jason Stanley is the author of “How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them” and the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University.
There are ten elements of fascism. Where is the US on the scale today? The Republican party has become less willing to defending democracy, following the cult of the leader. This could lead to a stolen election in 2020.
Professor Jason Stanley joined Thom to discuss ow the US is heading towards becoming a fascist society and is walking into it with eyes closed.
Jason Stanley is the author of “How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them” and the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University.
'Trump Is a Clear and Present Danger' to US National Security: Clinton | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC
Trump Refuses to Denounce White Supremacy | US Presidential Debate Analysis
With just weeks to go until the November 3 election, Donald Trump and Joe Biden went head-to-head in a debate that sought to energize supporters and win over undecided voters. Interruptions, tense exchanges and insults dominated the debate, with moderator Chris Wallace struggling to get a word in. This first debate mainly focused on US domestic issues, with the COVID-19 pandemic, a Supreme Court vacancy, the economy, and racial justice topping the agenda.
Trump also refused to condemn far-right militia groups, including a group known as Proud Boys mentioned by the moderator. "Proud Boys, stand back, stand by, but I'll tell you what, somebody's got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem. This is a left-wing problem."
Trump also refused to condemn far-right militia groups, including a group known as Proud Boys mentioned by the moderator. "Proud Boys, stand back, stand by, but I'll tell you what, somebody's got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem. This is a left-wing problem."
With Cross Talk, Lies and Mockery, Trump Tramples Decorum in Debate With Biden
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Interrupting Joe Biden nearly every time he spoke, President Trump made little attempt to reassure swing voters about his leadership. Mr. Biden hit back: “This is so unpresidential.”
WASHINGTON — The first presidential debate between President Trump and Joseph R. Biden Jr. unraveled into an ugly melee Tuesday, as Mr. Trump hectored and interrupted Mr. Biden nearly every time he spoke and the former vice president denounced the president as a “clown” and told him to “shut up.”
In a chaotic, 90-minute back-and-forth, the two major party nominees expressed a level of acrid contempt for each other unheard-of in modern American politics.
Mr. Trump, trailing in the polls and urgently hoping to revive his campaign, was plainly attempting to be the aggressor. But he interjected so insistently that Mr. Biden could scarcely answer the questions posed to him, forcing the moderator, Chris Wallace of Fox News, to repeatedly urge the president to let his opponent speak.
“Will you shut up, man?” Mr. Biden demanded of Mr. Trump at one point in obvious exasperation. “This is so unpresidential.” » | Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns | Tuesday, September 29, 2020; Updated: Wednesday, September 30, 2020
WASHINGTON — The first presidential debate between President Trump and Joseph R. Biden Jr. unraveled into an ugly melee Tuesday, as Mr. Trump hectored and interrupted Mr. Biden nearly every time he spoke and the former vice president denounced the president as a “clown” and told him to “shut up.”
In a chaotic, 90-minute back-and-forth, the two major party nominees expressed a level of acrid contempt for each other unheard-of in modern American politics.
Mr. Trump, trailing in the polls and urgently hoping to revive his campaign, was plainly attempting to be the aggressor. But he interjected so insistently that Mr. Biden could scarcely answer the questions posed to him, forcing the moderator, Chris Wallace of Fox News, to repeatedly urge the president to let his opponent speak.
“Will you shut up, man?” Mr. Biden demanded of Mr. Trump at one point in obvious exasperation. “This is so unpresidential.” » | Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns | Tuesday, September 29, 2020; Updated: Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Proud Boys Celebrate Trump’s Mention of Them at the Debate
Asked whether he condemned white supremacists and military groups, Mr. Trump demurred and then said, “Proud Boys — stand back and stand by.”
Within minutes, members of the group were posting in private social media channels, calling the president’s comments “historic.” In one channel dedicated to the Proud Boys on Telegram, a private messaging app, group members called the president’s comment a tacit endorsement of their violent tactics.
In another message, a member commented that the group was already seeing a spike in “new recruits.”
Mr. Trump’s rival, Joseph R. Biden Jr., noted that the group was celebrating Mr. Trump’s remark, pointing in a retweet to some of the comments being made. When asked what Mr. Trump meant by “stand by,” Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the president’s campaign, said it was “very clear he wants them to knock it off.” The Proud Boys describe themselves as “a pro-Western fraternal organization for men.” The group has openly endorsed violence, and has recently been tied to several violent incidents at recent protests. » | Sheera Frenkel and Annie Karni | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
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