The former US president’s limpid memoir is a blast until he reaches the White House
BL PREMIUM
26 November 2020 – 05:00 Edward Luce
Barack Obama’s presidential memoir can be split into two narrative styles. The first chronicles his almost cinematic life story up to his January 2009 inauguration. The rest is devoted to the first two-and-a-half years of his presidency. Though they are in the same memoir they read at times like different books.
Obama’s limpid prose, which shot him to fame in the mid-1990s with his precocious autobiography, Dreams From My Father, is alive and well in the way he describes his pre-presidential days, including his historic 2008 campaign. It is easy to see why Penguin Random House gave him and Michelle Obama a combined $65m — an advance to which none of his predecessors have come close…
(Photo: University of Notre Dame)Amy Coney Barrett
When the U.S. Supreme Court barred restrictions on religious services in New York that Governor Andrew Cuomo had imposed to combat the novel coronavirus, numerous religious organizations cheered it as setting down a marker in the United States.
The vote was 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the court’s three liberal members in dissent, The New York Times reported.
The ruling stirred debate on the notion of the “wall of separation” between Church and State due to often-quoted words of U.S. founding father Thomas Jefferson in a letter he once wrote to a group of Baptists on the constituion’s First Amendment’s opening clauses.
“Separation of Church and State” is paraphrased from Jefferson and therefore used in looking at the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S Constitution, according to Wikipedia.
It reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
The latest U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling went against earlier ones concerning churches in California and Nevada.
In those cases, decided in May and July, the court allowed the states’ governors to restrict attendance at religious services, The Washington Post reported.
AMY CONEY BARRET
The order was the first in which the court’s newest member, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, played a decisive role.
The ruling of the court was at odds with earlier ones for California and Nevada.
In those cases, in May and July, the court allowed the states’ governors to restrict attendance at religious services.
The Times pointed out the Supreme Court’s membership has changed since then, with Justice Barrett succeeding Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, seen as a liberal judge, who died in September.
The vote in the earlier cases was also 5 to 4, but in the opposite direction, with Chief Justice Roberts joining Justice Ginsburg and the other three members of what was then the court’s four-member liberal wing.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called that ruling in the dispute over COVID-19 restrictions, “irrelevant” and not “final” while arguing that the decision is really more of a statement on the court’s new conservative bent, Christian Today reported.
“They wanted to make a statement that it’s a different court. That’s the statement they’re making, I understand that. And that’s to be expected,” Cuomo said, alluding to the impact of the recent addition of Justice Barrett on the bench without calling her by name.
“We know who we appointed to the court. We know their ideology. It’s irrelevant from a practical impact because the zone that they were talking about has already been moved.
“It expired last week. I think this was really just an opportunity for the court to express its philosophy and politics,” he said.
Henry Olsen, a Washington Post columnist and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center wrote in the newspaper that the “decision rightly reversed this noxious notion.”
The court held that Cuomo’s regulation, which capped attendance at houses of worship in areas in the most restrictive ‘red’ and ‘orange’ regions of the state to 10 or 25 people regardless of the edifice’s capacity, to be a clear constitutional violation. ”
Olsen noted, “Houses of worship, however, were arbitrarily capped at minuscule numbers in both regions. The court drily noted that there was no reason the smaller number of permitted worshippers was necessary to protect public health.”
He wrote, “This reversal was possible only because of Barrett. Without the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, there were only three liberals to join the chief justice in support of the governor’s order.”
He said Barrett joined the four conservatives who had dissented in this summer’s cases to form the majority in this one.
“Liberals have often marveled at how religious conservatives could so fervently back a decidedly imperfect man in President Trump. This case, in which all three of Trump’s appointees formed the majority’s backbone, shows why they did.”
The court’s order addressed two applications: one filed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, the other by two synagogues, an Orthodox Jewish organization and two individuals.
The applications both said Cuomo’s restrictions violated constitutional protections for the free exercise of religion, and the one from the synagogues added that the New York governor had “singled out a particular religion for blame and retribution for an uptick in a society-wide pandemic.”
CATHOLICS OPPOSE CUOMO
The Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, which covers Brooklyn and Queens, argued houses of worship were being unfairly singled out by the governor’s executive order, Crux News reported.
The diocese had argued it had previously operated safely by capping attendance at 25 percent of a building’s capacity and taking other measures.
“We are extremely grateful that the Supreme Court has acted so swiftly and decisively to protect one of our most fundamental constitutional rights — the free exercise of religion,” said Randy Mastro, an attorney for the diocese, in a statement.
Avi Schick, an attorney for Agudath Israel of America, wrote in an email: “This is an historic victory. This landmark decision will ensure that religious practices and religious institutions will be protected from government edicts that do not treat religion with the respect demanded by the Constitution.”
The UK has called for fresh thinking from the European Union and hit out at “risible” proposals on fishing quotas amid mounting tensions as both sides enter what could be the final week of post-Brexit trade negotiations.
There was anger on the UK side after reports emerged the EU could accept just a 15-18 per cent cut in its share of fishing rights in UK waters, emphasising how far away from a deal the talks are.
The UK, led by chief negotiator Lord Frost, is understood to believe that the potential benefits of a no-deal Brexit are underappreciated, despite dire warnings of the effect on businesses and the economy.
A source close to the negotiations said the UK was not going to “sell out” its sovereignty.
They said: “Over the coming days we will continue to negotiate with creativity and intensity. We hope that the EU will come with some fresh thinking because what we’ve seen so far doesn’t cut it. They must understand that we are not going to sell out our sovereignty.”
A government source added: “These figures (on fishing) are risible, and the EU side know full well that we would never accept this. There seems to be a failure from the Commission to internalise the scale of change needed as we become an independent nation.”
However, it is understood that a potential path has emerged that could pave the way for agreement on one of the other main sticking points, the level playing field.
Face-to-face Brexit negotiations have resumed in London, with just over a month before the transition period ends on 31 December.
But there is thought to be growing scepticism among other EU states about the prospects of a deal.
Home Secretary Priti Patel suggested UK ministers were still prepared to walk away even at this late hour.
The government was committed to ensuring the Brexit talks were “conclusive”, she said.
“But at the same time we are preparing in the way in which our country would expect us to prepare for the end of transition.”
Earlier, French MEP Pierre Karleskind, who chairs the European Parliament’s fisheries committee, defended the fishing proposal.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “You asked for your companies to access the common market of the European Union, and we ask our fishermen to access your waters…it is reciprocity.”
On Friday Lord Frost said that any deal must respect the UK’s sovereignty.
“That is not just a word – it has practical consequences. That includes: controlling our borders; deciding ourselves on a robust and principled subsidy control system; and controlling our fishing waters.”
Boris Johnson also underlined his commitment to reaching a Brexit deal that respects the sovereignty of the UK in a call with Irish prime minister Micheal Martin.
The UK government is understood to believe a crunch point in the talks, when it will become clear if a deal can be struck or not, may come within days.
Chaos is predicted at British ports whether or not a deal is struck.
However, a no-deal is expected to do more damage to the British economy.
Britain is demanding the European Union brings “fresh thinking” to post-Brexit trade deal talks and concedes on fishing rights ahead of what Downing Street said could be the last week of negotiations.
The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier has been in London this weekend for talks with his UK counterpart Lord (David) Frost, but Downing Street said there remains a lot to do at a late hour.
Progress is understood to have been made across many areas, yet significant gaps are said to remain on the EU’s access to UK fishing waters when the transition period ends on December 31.
Reports last week suggested that Mr Barnier recently said the EU could accept a 15-18% cut in its share of fishing rights in UK waters, but British officials were said to have immediately rejected the offer.
A Government source said: “These figures are risible, and the EU side know full well that we would never accept this.
“There seems to be a failure from the Commission to internalise the scale of change needed as we become an independent nation.”
The Government has repeatedly said it is prepared to leave the transition period without a deal if the EU fails to move, and talks have been deadlocked for months over fishing rights and other issues.
They include the governance of any deal and the “level playing field” conditions aimed at preventing unfair competition by cutting standards or increasing state subsidies.
???? After technical discussions this weekend, negotiations continue online today with @DavidGHFrost and our teams. Time is short. Fundamental divergences still remain, but we are continuing to work hard for a deal.
But ahead of what Number 10 said could be the final week of talks, a source close to the negotiations said: “Over the coming days we will continue to negotiate with creativity and intensity.
“We hope that the EU will come with some fresh thinking because what we’ve seen so far doesn’t cut it. They must understand that we are not going to sell out our sovereignty.”
Mr Barnier arrived in London on Friday night telling reporters that he would continue to work with “patience and determination” to reach an agreement.
Face-to-face negotiations were paused earlier this month after one of the EU team tested positive for coronavirus, but in-person discussions resumed on Saturday morning.
“This is a criminal act and runs counter to the principle of respect for human rights the EU stands for,” said the statement, attributed to an EEAS spokesperson.
“In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever for all parties to remain calm and exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid escalation which cannot be in anyone’s interest.”
State TV confirmed the killing a short time later, and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif quickly alleged that Israel was involved.
“Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today,” Zarif tweeted. “This cowardice — with serious indications of Israeli role — shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators.”
Syria also accused Israel of involvement, with Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad claiming the act would fuel tensions in the region.
Israel responded only with a statement from the minister for Settlement Affairs, Tzachi Hanegbi, saying he had “no clue” who was behind the killing, according to Al Jazeera.
The European Union’s top negotiator Michel Barnier, has suggested that UK-EU talks on a Brexit withdrawal deal are approaching a crunch moment, saying that “we are not far from the take-it-or-leave-it moment,” according to The Daily Mail.
The EU diplomat arrived in London on the evening of Friday, 27 November, in a rushed bid to hash out a deal on future trade relations between the UK and the EU before Britain’s transition period finishes at the end of 2020. The UK is on the same trading terms with Brussels since it left the bloc in January 2019 as part of the agreed transition period.
Adding urgency to the talks, this is the first time that Mr Barnier has been able to meet with the UK’s Brexit negotiator, Lord David Frost, after he went into self-isolation following a member of his team catching Covid-19.
The window for reaching an agreement between both sides is fast closing.
A failure to do so by January 1, when the UK’s Brexit transition period officially ends, will mean that the UK leaves on no-deal terms, and will likely deliver serious economic consequences to both sides. In a Friday tweet, Mr Barnier noted that the “same significant divergences persist,” particularly on the issues of fishing and fair trade rules.
David Frost said he will continue to push for a deal while the possibility for one remains. However, he cautioned that the agreement must respect UK national sovereignty, including the UK’s right to exercise control over its own immigration policies and fishing waters.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that it was largely up to the European side to make significant steps toward a deal, saying that the UK was prepared to move forward even in the event that discussions collapse.
The “likelihood of a deal is very much determined by our friends and partners in the EU,” BoJo has been quoted as telling reporters.
The main bone of contention holding up the progression of talks is Brussels’ demand that it continue to be allowed access to a large share of Britain’s fishing waters. Boris Johnson has reportedly said that he wants to see EU access to fish catches in British waters cut by 80% while the EU has said it will only accept a 15-18% cut. Another sticking point is that Brussels has said that it wants to be able to apply trade penalties to either side if one violates agreed trading standards. Boris Johnson however, has said that his government refuses to be bound by rules made in Brussels.
The pressure to wrap talks up only continues to mount as the days pass. There is some concern among those hoping for a deal that, even if one were to be reached that was pleasing to both sides, it would be difficult for the EU parliament to get it ratified in time due to the tight deadline. Therefore, proposals have been made to push it through the legislative process in Brussels. One would be for the deal to be written only in English, however France has dismissed this as “sacrificing legal certainty.” Another proposal would reportedly see the EU parliament hold an emergency session between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. Reportedly, a decision is yet to be made on which proposal shall be pursued.
Michel Barnier has told MEPs he is prepared for a further four days of make-or-break Brexit negotiations, with growing scepticism among EU member states about the utility of further talks.
Having spent a week in isolation after a member of the bloc’s team tested positive for coronavirus, Barnier and his staff resumed face-to-face negotiations in London on Saturday morning.
Barnier told MEPs in a private meeting on Friday that he would work through the weekend and then “maybe one or two more days” in a last-ditch attempt to bridge the large gaps between the sides.
EU sources said there was a growing feeling that the lack of progress and the need to prepare businesses for the repercussions of a no-deal British departure from the EU made it unwise for negotiations to continue beyond then.
With just 34 days before the end of the transition period, Barnier has been advised by officials in the European parliament that arranging for sufficient scrutiny and a consent vote by MEPs before the end of the year would be difficult without a deal by Wednesday.
Priti Patel, the UK home secretary, said on Saturday: “As a government, we’re very clear in our commitment to make sure that those talks continue so that we can get to a conclusive end.
“But at the same time we are preparing in the way in which our country would expect us to prepare for the end of transition – and from the Home Office and every aspect of government we are continuing while those negotiations carry on.”
An extraordinary sitting of the EU chamber has been pencilled in for 28 December, as first revealed by the Guardian. A final result would be announced at 6.30pm, central European time.
There is some doubt over whether the EU would be willing to take the blame for a no-deal exit by walking away if this week fails to provide a breakthrough.
There is the “worst-case” option of the deal being provisionally applied and a vote being held by the European parliament after the end of the year, if further time appears useful, but that is not currently being considered.
The European parliament has insisted, with Barnier’s backing, that it will have the “last word” on the trade and security treaty.
The negotiations remain stuck on the level of access that will be granted to European fishing fleets in UK waters, and the means by which either side will be able to hit back if the other seeks to gain a competitive advantage by diverging on environmental, labour or social standards.
Barnier expressed his dismay to EU ambassadors on Friday that the UK was still claiming that the EU-Canada trade deal offered precedent for its negotiating demands.
He described progress on “level playing field” provisions as “ephemeral”, with one week’s progress constantly at risk of being undone by the next.
In the political declaration on the future relationship, both sides committed to “uphold the common high standards” in the UK and the EU “at the end of the transition period in the areas of state aid, competition, social and employment standards, environment, the climate crisis and relevant tax matters”.
Timeline
From Brefusal to Brexit: a history of Britain in the EU
Show
Brefusal
The French president, Charles de Gaulle, vetoes Britain’s entry to EEC, accusing the UK of a “deep-seated hostility” towards the European project.
Brentry
With Sir Edward Heath having signed the accession treaty the previous year, the UK enters the EEC in an official ceremony complete with a torch-lit rally, dickie-bowed officials and a procession of political leaders, including former prime ministers Harold Macmillan and Alec Douglas-Home.
Referendum
The UK decides to stay in the common market after 67% voted “yes”. Margaret Thatcher, later to be leader of the Conservative party, campaigned to remain.
‘Give us our money back’
Margaret Thatcher negotiated what became known as the UK rebate with other EU members after the “iron lady” marched into the former French royal palace at Fontainebleau to demand “our own money back” claiming for every £2 contributed we get only £1 back” despite being one of the “three poorer” members of the community.
It was a move that sowed the seeds of Tory Euroscepticism that was to later cause the Brexit schism in the party.
The Bruges speech
Thatcher served notice on the EU community in a defining moment in EU politics in which she questioned the expansionist plans of Jacques Delors, who had remarked that 80% of all decisions on economic and social policy would be made by the European Community within 10 years with a European government in “embryo”. That was a bridge too far for Thatcher.
The cold war ends
Collapse of Berlin wall and fall of communism in eastern Europe, which would later lead to expansion of EU.
‘No, no, no’
Divisions between the UK and the EU deepened with Thatcher telling the Commons in an infamous speech it was ‘no, no, no’ to what she saw as Delors’ continued power grab. Rupert Murdoch’s Sun newspaper ratchets up its opposition to Europe with a two-fingered “Up yours Delors” front page.
Black Wednesday
A collapse in the pound forced prime minister John Major and the then chancellor Norman Lamont to pull the UK out of the Exchange Rate Mechanism.
The single market
On 1 January, customs checks and duties were removed across the bloc. Thatcher hailed the vision of “a single market without barriers – visible or invisible – giving you direct and unhindered access to the purchasing power of over 300 million of the world’s wealthiest and most prosperous people”.
Maastricht treaty
Tory rebels vote against the treaty that paved the way for the creation of the European Union. John Major won the vote the following day in a pyrrhic victory.
Repairing the relationship
Tony Blair patches up the relationship. Signs up to social charter and workers’ rights.
Ukip
Nigel Farage elected an MEP and immediately goes on the offensive in Brussels. “Our interests are best served by not being a member of this club,” he said in his maiden speech. “The level playing field is about as level as the decks of the Titanic after it hit an iceberg.”
The euro
Chancellor Gordon Brown decides the UK will not join the euro.
EU enlarges to to include eight countries of the former eastern bloc including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
EU expands again, allowing Romania and Bulgaria into the club.
Migrant crisis
Anti-immigration hysteria seems to take hold with references to “cockroches” by Katie Hopkins in the Sun and tabloid headlines such as “How many more can we take?” and “Calais crisis: send in the dogs”.
David Cameron returns from Brussels with an EU reform package – but it isn’t enough to appease the Eurosceptic wing of his own party
Brexit referendum
The UK votes to leave the European Union, triggering David Cameron’s resignation and paving the way for Theresa May to become prime minister
Britain leaves the EU
After years of parliamentary impasse during Theresa May’s attempt to get a deal agreed, the UK leaves the EU.
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p class=”css-38z03z”>The UK has agreed to non-regression on standards but it does not want EU law to be the baseline. That would introduce EU concepts and the European court of justice into the treaty. The two sides are therefore locked in talks about how to define their current common high standards.
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p class=”css-38z03z”>The EU is also seeking a “ratchet clause” to ensure that as either side develops its standards over time, the other side faces consequences should it choose not to follow with equivalent regulations.
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p class=”css-38z03z”>The negotiators are working on a model where if one side raises standards, the other must consider adopting them. The EU then wants an independent panel to judge if one side’s refusal to move in tandem is creating a competitive advantage. They would then set a remedy. But the UK is resisting anything that amounts to Brussels having the right of prior approval on domestic legislation.
The scale of the difference between the two sides on fisheries was laid bare after Barnier told MEPs on Friday that the UK was seeking to repatriate 80% of the EU’s current catch in British seas, described as an “outsized” volume.
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p class=”css-38z03z”>The EU has so far only offered to return between 15% to 18%, an offer described by British negotiators as “derisory”.
“The EU should definitively apply sanctions, and not only discuss them in the corridors, with clear Council Conclusions during the EU Summit on 10-11 December”, Papadimoulis said, adding that “it is highly likely, if there is no concrete reaction by the EU, that Turkey will continue its aggressive tactics”.
The lawmaker opined that sanctions on Turkey were long due, given that Erdogan has remained unresponsive to all previous warnings by Brussels and continued the policy of “unilateral provocations, against EU member-states, mainly Greece and Cyprus, in violation of international law and territorial rights and jeopardising regional peace and stability.”
Specifying what sort of sanctions he believes would be most efficient, Papadimoulis listed restrictions on energy, trade, specific persons, companies and banks, adding that “even an arms embargo should be on the table.”
The European Parliament vice president thinks that Erdogan has sought to divide-and-rule the EU, exploiting the differences among member states, while pursuing his own agendas with the Islamic world, the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.
Papadimoulis’ opinion is that sanctions would be a way for the EU to send a “crystal clear message” that it stands in unity with member states and, at the same time, that Turkey would be welcomed if it reverses to a constructive regional policy, respect for human rights and necessary reforms.
Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean have been brewing for many months around Turkey’s exploration for gas in waters that Cyprus and Greece claim as their exclusive economic zones. The situation was exacerbated this summer, as Turkey sent the Oruc Reis ship, accompanied by a fleet of military vessels, to drill in what Greece considers its continental shelf.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Turkey’s capital of Ankara has opened an investigation into the interception and inspection of Turkish ship Roseline A carried out by the European Union (EU)’s Operation IRINI.
The prosecution office announced in a statement on Friday that although there was no permission to search the cargo vessel in open waters on 22 November, it was inspected in violation of international regulations.
The prosecution indicated that it had opened an investigation into the incident.
The IRINI command centre stated on Monday that its forces searched a Turkish cargo ship in the Mediterranean without Ankara’s permission.
“On 27 November 2020 in Absard, Iran, an Iranian government official and several civilians were killed in a series of violent attacks. This is a criminal act and runs counter to the principle of respect for human rights the EU stands for,” Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union said in a statement.
“The High Representative expresses his condolences to the family members of the individuals who were killed while wishing a prompt recovery to any other individuals who may have been injured,” the statement read.
“In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever for all parties to remain calm and exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid escalation which cannot be in anyone’s interest,” it added.
Fakhrizadeh was targeted on Friday in a multi-pronged attack involving at least one explosion and small fire by a number of assailants in Absard city of Damavand County, Tehran province.
According to the Public Relations Office of the Ministry of Defense, the prominent physicist, who headed its Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), was sent to hospital immediately but was martyred due to the wounds he had sustained in the terrorist assault.
During the conflict, the security team protecting Iranian scientist were also injured and transferred to hospital.
