David Cay Johnston: As Jeff Sessions Scandal Brews, We Need a Public Probe of Trump’s Ties to Russia

Democracy Now!

Published on Mar 2, 2017

http://democracynow.org – The Trump administration is facing a new scandal as the Justice Department has acknowledged Attorney General Jeff Sessions met twice last year with Russia’s ambassador to the United States. This contradicts sworn testimony Sessions gave to Congress. During his confirmation hearing in January, then-Senator Sessions was asked by Minnesota Senator Al Franken whether he knew of contacts between Trump campaign officials and Russia’s government. Sessions replied, “I did not have communications with the Russians.” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday accused Sessions of “apparent perjury” and said in a statement, “Sessions is not fit to serve as the top law enforcement officer of our country and must resign.” Earlier today, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz called on Sessions to recuse himself from a Justice Department probe into alleged ties between Trump campaign officials and Russia’s government. We speak to David Cay Johnston, the author of “The Making of Donald Trump.”

Billionaire Wilbur Ross Confirmed Despite Questions over Ties to Russian Oligarchs Close to Putin

Democracy Now!

Published on Mar 2, 2017

http://democracynow.org – The New York Times reports that the Obama administration scrambled during its final days in office to preserve evidence of Russia’s collusion with the Trump campaign. Citing unnamed former officials, the Times says Obama’s aides left a “trail of evidence” across different government agencies to prevent the incoming Trump administration from covering up or destroying evidence. We speak to James Henry about his latest piece, “Wilbur Ross Comes to D.C. With an Unexamined History of Russian Connections.”

Rising sea threatens Nile delta

Al Jazeera English

Uploaded on Mar 21, 2010

For centuries, the Nile delta has been Egypt’s bread-basket, a major source of sustenance for most of the country’s 80 million people.
But today the delta – located on Egypt’s northern coast, where the Nile river meets the Mediterranean sea, is facing rising sea levels that are drying out swaths of farmland.
Some are calling it an economic disaster that could eventually lead to widespread hunger in Egypt.
Al Jazeera’s Barnaby Phillips reports from the Nile Delta under growing threats.

Over 21 million affected in four West African Countries

CGTN Africa

Published on Mar 2, 2017

Over 15 UN top envoys are set to travel to the Lake Chad Region. The aim is to draw attention to the crisis that has affected over 21 million people in four countries. A collusion of famine, Boko Haram insurgency, climate change and poor governance is affecting the citizens of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. According to British Ambassador Mathew Rycroft, the visit is aimed at shining a spotlight on the ravaging crisis. It is hoped that the visit will prioritise the Lake Chad Region in humanitarian matters.

STUART HALL – Race, Gender, Class in the Media

Al Jazeera English

Published on Mar 2, 2017

Jamaican-British cultural historian Stuart Hall gives us the tools to understand how representation is always imbued with ideology – and how to subvert it.

ROLAND BARTHES – How to Read the Signs in the News

Al Jazeera English

Published on Mar 2, 2017

French philosopher Roland Barthes would have seen the TV screen as a cultural text – there to be read, interpreted, decoded.

NOAM CHOMSKY – The 5 Filters of the Mass Media Machine

Al Jazeera English

Published on Mar 2, 2017

According to American linguist and political activist, Noam Chomsky, media operate through 5 filters: ownership, advertising, the media elite, flak and the common enemy.

Pentagon concerned about terrorists getting their hands on drones

Trump faces stiff resistance to proposed foreign aid cuts

Cholera on the rise in famine-hit South Sudan