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 »

Young Turks Founder Cenk Uygur Announces Congressional Bid

TRUTH DIG: Cenk Uygur, host and founder of the online progressive news show The Young Turks, announced late Thursday that he is running for the California congressional seat left vacant by the recent resignation of Rep. Katie Hill.

“I’m going to represent those people in a way that they have not seen before. I will not be a standard politician. I will fight for them,” Uygur said in his announcement Thursday. “I’m going to fight to get money out of politics, and I’m going to call it like it is.”

“You know what campaign donations are from big corporations and lobbyists? Bribes,” Uygur added. “They’re bribes when Republicans take them, they’re also bribes when Democrats take them. I’m not going to take any of that, and I’m going to fight to get you guys higher wages and to get you healthcare that your family needs.” » | Jake Johnson / Common Dreams | Friday, November 15, 2019

Justin Bass vs Bart Ehrman | Did the Historical Jesus Claim to Be Divine?

On September 18th, 2015, Dr Justin Bass and Dr Bart Ehrman engaged in a debate on the topic, "Did the historical Jesus claim to be divine?" The debate took place at Collin College in Frisco, Texas.

Does Stephen Miller Remain in the White House? | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Many House Democrats are calling on WH senior adviser Stephen Miller to resign after a report surfaced that he promoted white nationalist ideas before the 2016 election. Aired on 11/15/19.

Protests across the Globe: Talking about a Revolution? | To the Point

From Hong Kong to Latin America, people all over the world are taking to the streets. The protests differ vastly in their demands - but what do they have in common? Our guests: Jannis Grimm (Protest Researcher), Rick Noack (Washington Post), Raghida Bahnam (freelance journalist)

Bart Ehrman Debates Peter J Williams, Are the Gospels Historically Reliable?

During the Summer of 2018, Bart D. Ehrman and Peter J. Williams joined as guests with moderator Justin Brierley on the "Unbelievable" show called "The Big Conversation," Season 2-Episode 3. The story of Jesus: Can we trust the historical reliability of the Gospels?

Arguably, no individual has influenced the course of history more than Jesus of Nazareth. Today, over 2000 years since he lived, his story still influences the lives of millions of people. Yet, in recent decades many have questioned whether the Gospel stories are a true reflection of the central figure of Christianity. So can we trust the accounts of his life, death and alleged resurrection? Leading New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman is well known for his critique of the historicity of the Gospels. He engages with leading Cambridge University Bible scholar Peter J. Williams who defends the reliability of the accounts.

UK Election: Parties Battle over NHS - as It Reports Worst Ever Waiting Times

The NHS was already high up the list of election issues - but the data released today has shown just how big a point of contention this will be as the election campaign runs on.

All the major parties took the opportunity to say they are the ones to be trusted on turning the NHS around. But with waiting times at their absolute worst, they all face a tough task convincing the electorate.

Prince Andrew to Be Quizzed on Epstein in Newsnight Special

THE GUARDIAN: BBC to broadcast ‘no holds barred’ interview with royal on Saturday night

Prince Andrew has agreed to speak publicly about his friendship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein for the first time, in a “no holds barred” interview with the BBC’s Newsnight programme to be broadcast on Saturday night.

The prince has been the subject of fierce speculation over his relationship with the financier, who was found dead in his New York jail cell three months ago.

Epstein’s accuser Virginia Giuffre claims Prince Andrew was “an abuser, a participant” in her exploitation as a teenager and says she was forced to have sex with him. » | Jim Waterson, Media editor | Friday, November 15, 2019

The Guardian View on Donald Trump’s Impeachment: A Grave and Necessary Process

THE GUARDIAN: If the US president tried to enlist Ukraine to investigate his rivals he broke his oath of office and threatened America’s security

There are multiple reasons why Donald Trump ought not to be the president of the United States. However, there are only two ways of removing him from the office he has occupied for the past three years. One is to vote him out at the ballot box, which Americans will have the opportunity to do in a year’s time. The other is for Congress to impeach him, a process that began on Capitol Hill in September, and which went into public session on Wednesday, when the first hearings were beamed around the US and the world.

Although much of Washington has talked of little else for weeks, the public hearings before the Democrat-controlled House intelligence committee sharply raise the visibility of the impeachment effort with the wider public. Presidential impeachment is rare and grave. This is only the fourth time it has happened in American history. But impeachment is also both a quasi-judicial process and an inescapably political one, as anyone who remembers the 1999 trial of Bill Clinton will understand. » | Editorial | Thursday, November 14, 2019

Boris Johnson Was Supposed to Be an Ace Campaigner. So Why Is He Stumbling?

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Exposed to hostile voices on the campaign trail, he has seemed at times unsure, tone deaf and gaffe prone. It could leave an opening for the underdog Labour Party.

LONDON — For months, Prime Minister Boris Johnson planned on calling a general election in Britain, figuring he could break the logjam in Parliament by taking his case for Brexit directly to the people. Instead, as he has floundered in the early stages of the campaign, Mr. Johnson has discovered that the people are taking their case to him.

“Where have you been?” asked a man angry at the government’s response to floods that have ravaged his Yorkshire town.

“You’ve got the cheek to come here,” a young woman chided him, saying that his promise of prosperity after Brexit was a “fairy tale.”

“I’m not very happy about talking to you, so if you don’t mind, I’ll just motor on with what I’m doing,” said another woman, filling sandbags.

In the voting this summer for Conservative Party leader — and, hence, prime minister — Mr. Johnson’s prime selling points were his personal popularity and skills as a campaigner. But in the early stages of the general election, exposed to hostile voices, he has seemed at times unsure, tone deaf and gaffe prone. » | Mark Landler and Stephen Castle | Thursday, November 14, 2019

Lord Heseltine on Brexit Day: 'We've Lost Power and Influence' – Newsnight (March 2017)

"It's the day in which Britain lost more power and influence than in any other day of my peacetime life.” Lord Heseltine speaks to Emily Maitlis on the day Article 50 was triggered - starting the process of the UK leaving the EU.

“This Is Unacceptable”: Ex-Congresswoman Who Voted to Impeach Nixon Says Trump Is a Rogue President

The public phase of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump began Wednesday, with testimonies from two witnesses: George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, and William Taylor, a former ambassador and the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine. The hearing brought forth new details about a previously unknown phone call in July between President Trump and Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union. Both Kent and Taylor expressed concern over the role President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani had in dictating U.S. policy on Ukraine. We speak with Elizabeth Holtzman, a former U.S. congressmember from New York who served on the House Judiciary Committee that voted to impeach Richard Nixon.

White Nationalists Are Running the White House

The Southern Poverty Law Center's Hatewatch report on the leaked emails of Trump senior policy adviser Stephen Miller shows the deep connections he has to racist white nationalists.

Kein britischer EU-Kommissar : Johnsons Signal

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Wahlkampf ist offenbar wichtiger als internationale Verpflichtungen. Boris Johnson zeigt der EU ein weiteres Mal, was er von ihr hält – keine guten Aussichten für die künftige Zusammenarbeit.

Boris Johnson hat gesprochen. Großbritannien werde bis zur Unterhauswahl keinen Kandidaten für die neue EU-Kommission benennen. Unabhängig davon, was dies für die Installierung des Teams um die gewählte Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen bedeutet, sendet der britische Premierminister damit ein unmissverständliches Zeichen.

In einer Hinsicht kann man den Wahlkämpfer Johnson ja verstehen. Er möchte nicht den Hauch eines Zweifels daran aufkommen lassen, dass er es gar nicht erwarten kann, sein Land endlich aus dem „Gefängnis“ namens Europäische Unionherauszuführen. Aber es wird eine Zeit „danach“ geben, egal wie die Wahl ausgeht. Und Johnson hat eben auch gesagt, dass die EU auch künftig ein wichtiger Partner Großbritanniens sein solle und werde. » | Ein Kommentar von Peter Sturm | Donnerstag, 14. November 2019

Donald Tusk Urges British Voters Not to 'Give Up' on Stopping Brexit

Outgoing European Council President Donald Tusk has urged British voters not to "give up" on stopping Brexit.

As campaigning ramps up ahead of next month's general election, he warned that leaving the EU would leave the UK a "second-rate player".

In a speech, he also said Brexit would likely mark the "real end of the British Empire".


Read the Telegraph article here »[£]

Hear! Hear! – Mark