'On the Brink of Disaster': Europe's Covid Fight Takes a Turn for the Worse

THE GUARDIAN: As France imposes curfews, even countries that previously managed well are struggling badly

“It’s not a word I’ve heard in a long, long time,” an elderly Paris resident said, leaving her apartment in mask and gloves for an early expedition to the shops. “A curfew. That’s for wartime, isn’t it? But in a way I suppose that’s what this is.”

Europe’s second coronavirus wave took a dramatic turn for the worse this week, forcing governments across the continent to make tough choices as more than a dozen countries reported their highest ever number of new infections.

In France, 18 million people in nine big cities risk a fine from Saturday if they are not at home by 9pm. In the Czech Republic, schools have closed and medical students are being enlisted to help doctors. All Dutch bars and restaurants are shut.

Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland are among countries to have broken daily case records, prompting the World Health Organization to call for an “uncompromising” effort to stem the spread.

Unfortunately, that requires making all but impossible compromises. » | Jon Henley in Paris | Friday, October 16, 2020

Why Did Trump Warn Wall Street About Covid?

Trump keeps telling the American people that COVID-19 is not going to be a big deal, that it will go away when the weather heats up, that a vaccine was coming. Now we have proof that the Trump administration warned Wall Street about COVID-19, telling them something very different.

Terror Inquiry after Teacher Beheaded Near Paris

BBC: A teacher has been beheaded in a north-western suburb of Paris, with the attacker shot dead by police.

The victim is said to have shown controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to his students.

The attack occurred at about 17:00 local time (15:00 GMT) near a school. Anti-terror prosecutors are investigating.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the scene, calling the killing an "Islamist terrorist attack".

Mr Macron said he was murdered because he "taught freedom of expression". The victim has not been named. » | BBC | Friday, October 16, 2020

Healthy Eyes – New Therapies Maintain Sight | DW Documentary

Eye conditions are increasing massively worldwide. Older people often suffer from cataracts or glaucoma. But younger people are also suffering from vision loss - they are becoming increasingly short-sighted. Around the globe, doctors are fighting against the deterioration of eyesight.

The documentary shows how doctors are working worldwide to combat eye diseases, introduces new healing methods and techniques and shows the possibilities and the limitations of modern ophthalmology.

In the Augsburg clinic "Am Forsterpark," for example, cataracts are treated with a femtosecond laser. The procedure is usually performed on an outpatient basis and only takes a few minutes. After anesthesia, the doctor cuts a 3mm slit in the lens capsule. Through the opening, the cloudy lens is shattered with the laser and sucked out. An artificial lens with two tiny hooks is then placed in the eye.

Most people in poorer parts of the world have no access to such high-tech care. Some 89 percent of people with visual impairments live in developing countries. There, the risk of going blind is ten times higher than in Germany. Many patients cannot even afford the trip to the clinic. Ophthalmologists like Dr. Sylvain El-Khoury therefore travel to the rural areas of Rwanda, Africa, several times a year and operate on up to 500 patients per week under the most basic conditions in "eye camps."

The doctors are also making progress in the treatment of myopia. The excessive use of smartphones, tablets and computers has ever greater medical consequences. According to a study by the University of Mainz, more than half of high school and university graduates already suffer from myopia. Shortsightedness can be corrected with glasses and treated with eye drops. But often the visual weakness increases over the years and myopia becomes a gateway for other eye diseases. Researchers at the University of Mainz have found that myopia is often not genetically determined but is due to our lifestyle. Doctors are therefore calling for a new approach to mobile phones and laptops.

Dark Money & Barrett Nomination: The Link Between Big Polluters & the War on ACA, Roe & LGBT Rights

During confirmation hearings this week for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island opted not to ask the judge any questions. Instead, he gave a 30-minute presentation on how right-wing groups, including the Federalist Society and Judicial Crisis Network, use dark money to shape the nation's judiciary. We air excerpts from his presentation and get reaction from Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Steve Schmidt on Why Many Republican Voters Are Splitting from Trump | Deadline | MSNBC

A striking new ad from Republican voters makes the case that their party has fallen under Trump. Meanwhile, polling shows voters who disliked both nominees in 2016 are increasingly willing to support Joe Biden Aired on 07/08/2020.

Democracy Now!: Top US & World Headlines — October 16, 2020

Opinion: END OUR NATIONAL CRISIS

Corruption, Anger, Chaos, Incompetence, Lies, Decay
The Case Against Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s re-election campaign poses the greatest threat to American democracy since World War II.

Mr. Trump’s ruinous tenure already has gravely damaged the United States at home and around the world. He has abused the power of his office and denied the legitimacy of his political opponents, shattering the norms that have bound the nation together for generations. He has subsumed the public interest to the profitability of his business and political interests. He has shown a breathtaking disregard for the lives and liberties of Americans. He is a man unworthy of the office he holds.

The editorial board does not lightly indict a duly elected president. During Mr. Trump’s term, we have called out his racism and his xenophobia. We have critiqued his vandalism of the postwar consensus, a system of alliances and relationships around the globe that cost a great many lives to establish and maintain. We have, again and again, deplored his divisive rhetoric and his malicious attacks on fellow Americans. Yet when the Senate refused to convict the president for obvious abuses of power and obstruction, we counseled his political opponents to focus their outrage on defeating him at the ballot box.

Nov. 3 can be a turning point. This is an election about the country’s future, and what path its citizens wish to choose. » | BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD | Friday, October 16, 2020

Homosexualität in der Geschichte: Von der Antike bis heute

In der Antike gehört Homosexualität zum Alltag – und ist nicht strafbar. Mehr als ein Jahrtausend später im Mittelalter werden Homosexuelle verbrannt, die Nationalsozialisten unter Adolf Hitler verfolgen, misshandeln und töten homosexuelle Menschen. Wie sich der Umgang mit Homosexualität, vor allem der Kontext homosexueller Handlungen, im Laufe der Geschichte gewandelt hat, erfahrt Ihr in diesem Video mit MrWisssen2Go Mirko Drotschmann. Homosexualität als Begriff für gleichgeschlechtliche Liebe ist natürlich viel jünger als gleichgeschlechtliche sexuelle Handlungen und Liebe. Die gibt es vermutlich seit Beginn der Menschheitsgeschichte. Aus der Antike kennen wir einige Darstellungen solcher Handlungen. Die Praktiken sind weit verbreitet, haben aber eine andere Bedeutung als heute. Mirko erzählt Euch von antiken Vasen mit eindeutigen Bildern, homosexuellen Handlungen im Krieg, von Richard Löwenherz, der mit Philipp II. von Frankreich das Bett teilt, um seinen Vater zu verärgern. Dann geht es im Video über Homosexualität in der Geschichte um das christlich geprägte Mittelalter. Im Mittelalter werden Menschen für homosexuelle Praktiken bestraft. Vom Mittelalter und der Frühen Neuzeit an werden Homosexuelle bis weit ins 20. Jahrhundert kriminalisiert, stigmatisiert und verfolgt. Trauriger Höhepunkt ist die Verfolgung von Homosexuellen im Nationalsozialismus. Die Nazis richten eine eigene Behörde dafür ein, die „Reichszentrale zur Bekämpfung der Homosexualität und Abtreibung“. Auch nach dem sogenannten Dritten Reich werden homosexuelle Handlungen in der Bundesrepublik nach §175 des Strafgesetzbuches jahrzehntelang unter Strafe gestellt. 1994 wird der bereits abgemilderte Paragraph 175 in der Bundesrepublik komplett aufgehoben. In der DDR sind Homosexuelle seit 1988 rechtlich gleichgestellt. Mirko spricht auch über die LGBTQ+-Bewegung, die Stonewall-Aufstände in den USA, und damit einhergehende Veränderungen. In diesem Video versucht Mirko, die Geschichte des Umgangs mit Homosexualität nachzuzeichnen.


'Not married but willing to be!': men in love from the 1850s – in pictures »

Notre Dame Faculty Sign Open Letter Urging Judge Barrett to Halt Her Nomination | MSNBC

John Duffy, a Notre Dame English Professor of 22 years, joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss an open letter he drafted that was signed by nearly 100 of his colleagues urging Judge Amy Coney Barrett to halt her nomination process. He explains that "We are not asking her to withdraw. We are simply asking her to pause and to let the election play out and then to be guided by its results." Aired on 10/15/2020.

Khatia Buniatishvili: Schubert – 4 Impromptus, Op 90, D 899: No 3 in G-Flat Major

Full Interview: Senator Kamala Harris, Democratic VP Nominee, Talks with Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

Senator Kamala Harris, Democratic vice presidential nominee, talks with Rachel Maddow about the campaign, the coronavirus, the Supreme Court, and a certain fly. Aired on 10/14/2020.

US Election: What a Biden or Trump Victory Could Mean for Britain

THE GUARDIAN: It could be the most significant election for US foreign policy since 1940, with huge implications for the UK

The British government has a long history of misreading America – from Lord Palmerston expecting the Confederacy to survive the civil war, to Ernie Bevin being shocked that the US would not pay the UK’s postwar bills, to Tony Blair believing in 2003 that he could ride the US military tiger in Iraq and create a democracy.

Few serving or former British diplomats are confidently predicting the outcome of this November’s presidential election, or even whether an increasingly erratic Donald Trump will accept the result as legitimate. The collective delusion about the 2016 election hangs heavy.

Between now and polling day, two fears will stalk the Foreign Office. The first is of a late October surprise – a Trump military showstopper in the Middle East or the South China Sea, designed to convulse America. The betting is that caution will prevail. “Trump talks very tough, but he has a habit of not following through” said Peter Ricketts, the former UK national security adviser.

The second is of a November impasse – a constitutional crisis as Trump disputes the result. One former Foreign Office staff member said: “It is noticeable that Trump’s most consistent message this election is that it is rigged.” Kim Darroch, the former UK ambassador to Washington and an early Trump sceptic, notes all the preparations being made for a challenge in the supreme court.

All observers agree that if the US can reach a consensus on the outcome, it will be the most consequential election for American foreign policy since 1940. The implications, in turn, for the UK and for the kind of government Boris Johnson will lead are enormous. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Thursday, October 15, 2020

'He Knows': Trump Fixated on 'Likely' Loss to Biden, per Trump Insider | MSNBC

New reporting shows Trump’s inner circle worried he failed to handle Covid hitting the White House, bungled debates over a final stimulus package before the election, and 'blew' his chance to reset the campaign - raising broader questions of whether he is self-sabotaging. 'Art of the Deal' co-author Tony Schwartz discusses Trump’s penchant for hurting himself, how his approach has coarsened over the years, and the wider potential danger facing the U.S. if Trump loses and tries 'to bring us down with him' before leaving office, in this interview with MSNBC's Ari Melber.

Harris: ‘People Are Scared’ of Losing ACA ‘in the Middle of a Pandemic’ | MSNBC

Sen. Kamala Harris discussed the ACA in her opening statement at Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination hearing. Harris said, “People are scared of what will happen if The Affordable Care Act is destroyed.” Aired on 10/13/2020.

Wales to Ban Visitors from Covid Hotspots in England

THE GUARDIAN: First minister says he will act this week if UK government refuses to stop people travelling

People who live in Covid-19 hotspots in England are to be banned from travelling to Wales, the Welsh first minister has announced.

Mark Drakeford said he had asked for the “necessary work” to take place to allow devolved powers to be used to prevent people from travelling into Wales from “high prevalence” areas.

Drakeford claimed people in Wales were “anxious and fearful” and were “clamouring” for action to be taken. He said the Welsh government would act by the end of the week if the UK government continued to refuse to stop people travelling from English Covid hotspots.

He said: “Evidence from public health professionals suggests coronavirus is moving from east to west across the UK and across Wales.

“Much of Wales is now subject to local restriction measures because levels of the virus have risen and people living in those areas are not able to travel beyond their county boundary without a reasonable excuse. I am determined to keep Wales safe.” » | Steven Morris and Libby Brooks | Wednesday, October 14, 2020

VP Debate: Pence Can't Answer a Question

The Vice Presidential debate asked the candidates a lot of important, hard questions. Unforunately, Mike Pence dodged every single one of them.

"Them"

They've played down Coronavirus for you. But, when it affects them they start taking precautions.

"Unmasked"

Rebellion PAC's latest ad. They say vanity is a deadly sin. Trump wouldn't wear a mask because of how it might make him look.

The Dazzling Beauty of Elizabeth Taylor in Iran

In 1976, actress Elizabeth Taylor and then-aspiring photographer Firooz Zahedi journeyed across the world to Tehran. They dined with royalty, toured ancient sites, shopped in the Grand Bazaar, and perhaps most importantly, took a series of photographs that offer beautiful glimpses of Iran before the revolution and provide an intimate portrait of a 20th-century film icon. Though never intended for public view, Andy Warhol published the photos in Interview magazine shortly after Zahedi and Taylor returned from Iran, and in 2012 they were exhibited at LACMA. Zahedi and Taylor remained close friends and he continued to photograph her throughout the rest of her life. In this episode of Expert Voices, Firooz Zahedi shares the stories behind the captivating images of Elizabeth Taylor in Iran and describes how this remarkable experience influenced his now decades-long career as a celebrated photographer. Sotheby’s will offer one of these magnificent photographs, Elizabeth Taylor Dressed as an Odalisque II, in our 20th Century Art / Middle East sale. (30 April | London, 2019)