Music: Anthony Brancati — ‘Neo-Funk’
We see President Trump for what he is
Halie Soifer, executive director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, writes: Trump’s rhetoric matters. He is the President of the United States and he has — at best — been grossly irresponsible and utterly reckless with his words. At worst, he has inspired violence targeting minority groups in a manner reminiscent of the darkest moments in history. Whether Donald Trump himself is an anti-Semite, racist, neo-Nazi or white supremacist is almost irrelevant. Those who align with these movements feel…
Trump promotes mass murderer’s anti-Semitic conspiracy theory
The Hill reports: President Trump said Wednesday that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if billionaire philanthropist George Soros or someone else is funding the caravan of Central American migrants moving toward the U.S. “I wouldn’t be surprised,” Trump told reporters outside the White House when asked if “someone” is paying for the caravan. “George Soros?” a reporter interjected. “I don’t know who, but I wouldn’t be surprised,” Trump said. “A lot of people say yes.” The unfounded conspiracy theory that Soros,…
Young evangelicals speak out
Alexandria Beightol (one of six young evangelicals featured in the New York Times) writes: I was pulled out of Smith College in 2015 when I told my parents that I was rethinking the legitimacy of anti-gay theology. I thought, “God is going to have to forgive me. I am not going to die in this culture war.” I was Republican like them. Before, I supported whatever my church told me about candidates and issues. I never questioned or read outside…
U.S. archivists release Watergate report that could be possible ‘road map’ for Mueller
The Washington Post reports: U.S. archivists on Wednesday revealed one of the last great secrets of the Watergate investigation — the backbone of a long-sealed report used by special prosecutor Leon Jaworski to send Congress evidence in the legal case against President Richard M. Nixon. The release of the referral — delivered in 1974 as impeachment proceedings were being weighed — came after a former member of Nixon’s defense team and three prominent legal analysts filed separate lawsuits seeking its…
We are deeply concerned about the future of Europe and Germany
As nationalism threatens the European peace project, six leading German thinkers write in an open letter: After the 55 million deaths caused by WWII, after centuries of nationalist and imperialist wars left Europe in ruins, the peoples and the national governments across the continent finally realized that European unity was the only way to stop this madness. Immanuel Kant had had this vision 150 years earlier in his philosophical treatise “On Eternal Peace.” So, at long last, Europe’s leaders set…
Is Russia preparing to engage in some kind of hybrid warfare in Finland?
The New York Times reports: Retired to a tiny island in an archipelago between Finland and Sweden, Leo Gastgivar awoke early one morning to visit the outhouse in his bathrobe, only to notice two black speedboats packed with Finnish commandos in camouflage fatigues waiting in the bay near his front door. After an exchange of awkward greetings, Mr. Gastgivar went inside, collected a pair of binoculars and watched aghast as the commandos raced off toward the island of his nearest…
Saudi crown prince described slain journalist as a dangerous Islamist in call with White House
The Washington Post reports: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi as a dangerous Islamist days after his disappearance in a phone call with President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and national security adviser John Bolton, according to people familiar with the discussion. In the call, which occurred before the kingdom publicly acknowledged killing Khashoggi, the crown prince urged Kushner and Bolton to preserve the U.S.-Saudi alliance and said the journalist was a member of the Muslim…