Friday, March 15, 2019

North Korea Threatens to Scuttle Talks With the U.S. and Resume Tests


THE NEW YORK TIMES: North Korea threatened on Friday to suspend negotiations with the Trump administration over the North’s nuclear arms program and said its leader, Kim Jong-un, would soon decide whether to resume nuclear and missile tests.

Addressing diplomats and foreign correspondents at a news conference in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui said that personal relations between Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump were “still good and the chemistry is mysteriously wonderful.”

But she said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, had created an “atmosphere of hostility and mistrust” that thwarted the top leaders’ negotiations in Hanoi, Vietnam, last month.

After the Hanoi meeting ended without a deal, the North Korean leader had serious doubts about the merits of continuing negotiations with Mr. Trump, Ms. Choe said. » | Choe Sang-Hun | Friday, March 15, 2019

Holocaust Survivor Frank Shurman Testimony


This testimony from Jewish Survivor Frank Shurman is from the archive of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute and is also featured in Echoes & Reflections: A Multimedia Curriculum on the Holocaust.

Irish PM Brings Partner to Meet Mike Pence and Delivers Pointed Remarks on Sexuality


THE GUARDIAN: Leo Varadkar spoke on the changes for Ireland and called out various forms of discrimination

The Irish prime minister, Leo Varadkar, who is gay, brought his partner to a meeting on Thursday with the US vice-president, Mike Pence, a conservative Christian once dubbed “the face of anti-LGBTQ hate in America”.

Varadkar, who is in Washington this week to reaffirm the longstanding shared history between the two countries, brought his partner, Matt Barrett, to a St Patrick’s Day breakfast at the vice-presidential residence at the Naval Observatory.

Varadkar tweeted that he and Barrett had received a “warm reception” at Pence’s home, but in pointed remarks to Pence and gathered media, he also called out various forms of discrimination.

“I lived in a country where if I’d tried to be myself at the time, it would have ended up breaking laws,” he said. “But today, that is all changed. I stand here, leader of my country, flawed and human, but judged by my political actions, and not by my sexual orientation, my skin tone, gender or religious beliefs.” » | Luke O’Neil | Thursday, March 14, 2019

Jacinda Ardern Says Christchurch Mosque Shootings Were Terrorist Attack


New Zealand's prime minister has issued 'the strongest possible condemnation of the ideology of the people who did this' after mass shootings at two mosques. The country's terrorism threat level has been raised and flights in and out of Christchurch were cancelled as intelligence agencies worked to secure the city. Mass shooting at two Christchurch mosques – video report.


THE GUARDIAN: What we know so far »

THE GUARDIAN: Far-right ideology detailed in Christchurch shooting 'manifesto' » | Lisa Martin | Friday, March 15, 2019

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Trump’s War Hawk Advisors Have Pushed Us Into A New Cold War


The Trump Administration has put us back into a new Cold War, thanks to his incompetent, war-hungry advisors. By pulling the US out of the INF treaty with Russia, this administration has launched a new arms race that could dwarf what we saw during the decades of the Cold War. The only people who come out on top of this are the defense contractors. Ring of Fire’s Mike Papantonio and Farron Cousins discuss this issue.

Tucker Carlson Reaches New Deplorable Level And Dave Rubin Fails On Fox News


Tucker Carlson added some more bigotry to his show. Dave Rubin becomes Fox News’ newest shill. Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks, breaks it down.

MPs to Vote on Second Referendum Amendment for First Time


THE GUARDIAN: Labour, Tory, SNP, Lib Dem and Plaid Cymru MPs also sign amendment to give Commons indicative votes

MPs will vote on a second referendum amendment for the first time as well as on a cross-party motion that would allow the Commons to take control of the Brexit process.

The Speaker unexpectedly selected a second referendum amendment from Sarah Wollaston for voting on Thursday night. Wollaston, who recently defected from the Conservatives to the Independent Group, has won support from the Lib Dems for her amendment.

It says that the UK’s exit from the European Union should be delayed for the purpose of “legislating for and conducting a public vote” in which staying in the EU is an option. » | Dan Sabbagh | Thursday, March 14, 2019

Holocaust Survivor Ernest Lobet Testimony


This testimony from Jewish Holocaust Survivor Ernest Lobet is from the archive of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute.


Wednesday, March 13, 2019

MPs Reject No-deal Brexit by Majority of 43 in Second Vote


THE GUARDIAN: Brexit delay possible after MPs vote against leaving European Union without a deal

MPs have inflicted a fresh defeat on Theresa May, rejecting the idea of Britain leaving the EU without a deal and clearing the way for Brexit to be delayed.

After the prime minister’s deal was heavily voted down for a second time on Tuesday, she announced a government motion ruling out a no-deal Brexit on 29 March – overturning her longstanding policy of refusing to rule it out.

May promised MPs a free vote, but the motion was carefully worded, with the final sentence stating that, “leaving without a deal remains the default in UK and EU law unless this house and the EU ratify an agreement”.

However, MPs voted by 312 to 308 to support a backbench amendment which struck out that last phrase so as to rule out a no-deal exit altogether. » | Heather Stewart, Political editor | Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Trump Autographs Bibles In Alabama Because Nothing Makes Sense Anymore


Donald Trump toured disaster areas in Alabama last Friday after a monster tornado destroyed a town and left more than 20 people dead. But the President didn’t waste too much time mourning those we had lost, as he then headed to a church where he signed bibles for phony religious Republicans. This is exactly the kind of thing that the bible warned us about, and this fake evangelicals don’t even realize it. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

Chris Hedges: US Record Suicides Prove Economic Decline


Chris Hedges, author and host of RT America’s “On Contact” joins Rick Sanchez to discuss the skyrocketing problem of suicide and self-destructive behavior and why we should only expect it to get worse.

I'm Not Afraid Of Anyone, Particularly President Trump: Elizabeth Warren | Morning Joe | MSNBC


Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., shares here thoughts on being a capitalist, why she isn't afraid of the president in a race, breaking up 'big tech' and why she believes in markets with rules and a 'cop on the beat'.

The West Should Cut Ties With Saudi Arabia


With friends like these, who needs enemies? Saudi Arabia is out of control. After the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, most likely on direct orders from the Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed Bin Salman, it’s time for the West to sever ties with this regime of criminal despots. The House of Saud assassinates journalists and imprisons dissidents. Its military indiscriminately bombs civilians in the cruel war against Yemen, which has led to a massive humanitarian catastrophe with an estimated 85,000 children dying of starvation. And that’s not to mention the Saudi regime’s oppression of women and religious minorities, or its troubling support for Islamist fundamentalism around the world. Saudi Arabia has long been accused of backing terrorist organisations and funding the extremist schools that provide them with recruits and influence. Saudi Arabia is a menace, and the West should end its alliance with this pernicious regime.

That’s the high-minded reasoning of the Saudi-bashers. But no matter how much we abhor the behaviour of the Saudi government, shouldn’t we consider our own interests before ending a hugely beneficial decades-old partnership? After all, as more pragmatically-minded people point out, Saudi Arabia is a crucial bulwark against the dangerous influence of Iran, which threatens the region with its expansionist ambitions. Saudi Arabia also provides the West with vital intelligence in the fight against groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS. And while we may not like the conservative form of Islam practised in the Kingdom, is that any of our business? If it is, shouldn’t we support its reform-minded Crown Prince? After all, he has lifted the ban on Saudi women driving, allowed cinemas to reopen for the first time in 35 years, and has promised to introduce a more moderate form of Islam to the Kingdom. Shouldn’t the West give him a chance?

The BBC’s star international correspondent Lyse Doucet chaired a line-up of Middle East experts. Who’s right and who’s wrong? Hear the arguments and decide for yourself.


Tucker Carlson's Racism Revealed


Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Auch Mays neuer Brexit-Deal wird abgeschmettert


FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Nächste große Pleite für Theresa May: Auch das nachgebesserte Austrittsabkommen mit der EU wird vom britischen Parlament mit großer Mehrheit abgelehnt. Wie geht es nun weiter?

Bei der Abstimmung über das Brexit-Abkommen mit der Europäischen Union am Dienstagabend im britischen Parlament hat Premierministerin Theresa Mayabermals eine Niederlage erlitten. Auch den mit Brüssel nachgebesserten Deal unterstützt die große Mehrheit der Abgeordneten nicht. Insgesamt stimmten 391 Parlamentarier gegen das Abkommen – und nur 242 dafür. Es ist bereits die zweite schwere Niederlage für den Deal, den May im vergangenen Jahr mit der EU vereinbart hatte. » | Quelle: sreu./dpa | Dienstag, 12. März 2019

Brexit : le Parlement britannique rejette à nouveau l'accord de May


LE FIGARO: Les députés britanniques ont rejeté mardi soir l’accord de Brexit négocié entre Londres et Bruxelles, par 391 voix contre 242, plongeant le Royaume-Uni dans l’incertitude à 17 jour de la date prévue du divorce. Le texte avait déjà été massivement rejeté en janvier. Après le vote de ce mardi, la première ministre Theresa May a répété que cet accord était «le seul et meilleur accord possible». En revanche, pour le chef de l'opposition travailliste, Jeremy Corbyn, cet accord "est mort". » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | Mardi 12 Mars 2019

MPs Ignore May's Pleas and Defeat Her Brexit Deal by 149 Votes


THE GUARDIAN: Despite late concessions in Strasbourg, PM’s plan voted down for second time

Theresa May has suffered a second humiliating defeat on her Brexit deal, as MPs rejected the last-minute reassurances she won from the EU27 on Monday, and voted it down by a majority of 149.

With just 17 days to go until the UK is due to leave the EU, MPs ignored the prime minister’s pleas to “get the deal done”, after the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) said it could not support the agreement.

With her voice cracked and fading, the prime minister had earlier pleaded with the House of Commons: “This is the moment and this is the time – time for us to come together, back this motion and get the deal done. Because only then can we can get on with what we need to do, what we were sent here to do.” » | Heather Stewart, Political editor | Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Holocaust Survivor Brian "Baruch" Bergman


This testimony from Jewish Holocaust Survivor Brian Bergman i is from USC Shoah Foundation's Visual History Archive®, an online portal that allows users to search through and view more than 55,000 video testimonies of survivors and witnesses of genocide.

Tucker Carlson's Sexist Rants Reveal an Ugly Truth


THE GUARDIAN: The Fox News host has shown us just how much misogyny continues to be tolerated – and encouraged – by men

Tucker Carlson, the Fox News commentator with a primetime show and a history of vitriolic racist rants, is in the news again after the media watchdog group Media Matters unearthed recordings of him from the mid-aughts, in which Carlson calls into a radio shock jock program to make a series of luridly sexist assertions and racist asides, palling around with a host who goes by the moniker “Bubba the Love Sponge”.

In the recordings, Carlson says women are “like dogs”, claiming: “They’re extremely primitive, they’re basic, they’re not that hard to understand.” He insists that women find misogynist degradation pleasurable and makes sexual, antagonistic comments about women he does and does not like. » | Moira Donegan | Tuesday, March 12, 2019