do you know robert e. leeent right now? >> robert e. lee fought against a more perfect union. right? remember that. >> there's no question. >> for everything that we hold dear. look, there's no defending -- there is no defending robert e. lee or his legacy or what have you. >> you should tell some people that. >> it's just dumb. history is about -- as you say, in large part about who is telling the story, right? if you tell the story, chances you're going to tell the story that makes the people who look like you look good. >> let me also -- >> i've got to ask you this because i want to get it in. the former president put out a statement condemning the removal of the statue p he says our culture, our history and our heritage are being destroyed, the country is suffering an embarrassment because we don't have the genius of a robert e. lee. exactly what culture and history is he talking about? >> i mean, i don't know. listen, robert e. lee was a racist and he was a loser. donald trump is a racist and a loser. >>

because it represents so much oppression, because — represents so much oppression, because who robert e leeo robert e lee represents. i'm white, you know, represents. i'm white, you know. i'm _ represents. i'm white, you know, i'm not _ represents. i'm white, you know, i'm not directly - represents. i'm white, you - know, i'm not directly offended by it_ know, i'm not directly offended by it but — know, i'm not directly offended by it but they _ know, i'm not directly offended by it but they imagine - know, i'm not directly offended by it but they imagine it's - know, i'm not directly offended by it but they imagine it's got l by it but they imagine it's got to be — by it but they imagine it's got to be hard _ by it but they imagine it's got to be hard for— by it but they imagine it's got to be hard for black - by it but they imagine it's got to be hard for black people i by it but they imagine it's got| to be hard for black people to have — to be hard for black people to have to — to be hard for black people to have to go _ to be hard for black people to have to go by _ to be hard for blac

this statue of robert e. lee, the largest confederate statue that was still standing in the u.s. il war, but today it came down. a heavy duty crane lifted the 12-ton confederate general and his horse from its pedestal, cut into huge pieces for storage at a secure location. for many in the crowd, this day could have come sooner. >> it's hatred, and i do not like hatred, period. >> reporter: getting to this point was a monumental battle. the controversy surrounding it was amplified by the black lives matter protests last year. and while confederate monuments in other parts of the u.s. came down, including in nearby charlottesville, in richrichmon once the capital of the confederacy, it took all three branches of government speaking with the same voice to overcome legal obstacles to removal. >> yes, that statue has been there for a long time, but it was wrong then, and it is wrong now. >> reporter: the legislature passed a provision supporting the removal, and finally, last week the virginia supreme court threw out a challenge from some residents in the district and the descendants o

still to come, we hear from a relative of confederate general robert e. leeatue has been taken down in the u.s. state of virginia. ♪ >> mp's in britain have voted in favor of a tax rise to fund national health and social care services which have been put under strain during the pandemic. prime minister boris johnson said his plan deal with catastrophic costs based those who need care. but to fulfill one promise he made on social care, he had to break another. here is our political correspondent. peter: he said it was his guarantee that no taxes would rise on his watch. i suppose he's get out of ja free is the pandemic. because this government in the u.k., much like governments around the world, had to spend billions of pounds keeping the economy afloat through lengthy and repeated lockdowns. so yeah, he will say that an continue to make that argument. he said in the house of commons today that he needs a government that is prepared to make difficult choices. the question is whether voters can now trust the tory party going into elections because this isn't th

but sort of saying if only we had more robert e. leet would save us from joe biden is not the way to put another republican in the white house. >> can i just say how robert e. lee which side he would have been fighting on. honestly, he didn't fight for the united states in the civil war, as a matter of historical fact there. scott, in terms of the biden presidency right now, the president and the white house has asked a number of trump appointees who sat on military advisory boards to the military academies to step down or they would be removed. we have the faces up there. they include political figures like kellyanne conway and sean spicer and david urban but also former generals like hr mcmaster and jack king. as of last night, i think, they were removed from these boards if they did not resign. what do you think of this? >> yeah. i thought it was petty frankly by joe biden to do this. these boards of visitors for these military academies are pretty plum political appointments that presidents often hand out to people who didn't quite

robert e. lee was removed from his perch in richmond yesterday. the geography of robert e. d ignorance. the myth of the heroic general lee is a fiction of a person who never existed. he was a slave holder who led a war in defense of human bondage. he wasn't even an american general. he resigned from the u.s. army as a colonel and only got his elevated rank from the traitors who seceded and invaded the united states. it's no wonder the president having digs him having been a fraud himself with that whole successful businessman schtick. he called lee the greatest strategist of them all saying except for gettysburg he would have won the war. except for biden's margin of 7 million votes last november trump would still be in government housing pounding ivermectin and diet coke. and except for a crushing defeat where lee lost his army and turning the tide in the war, except for that, human bondage would have continued for god knows how much longer in america, just as ole robert e. lee intended. joining me now, steve schmidt. steve, welcome back. i haven't seen you in too long. i'v

donald trump, who has issued a statement in the last hour, condemning the removal of this statue of robert e lee robert e lee was a genius, a great strategist, and a unifying force as far as this country is concerned, and he said that the removal of the statue was an example of how american culture and american history was being rewritten by what he called the radical left in this country. now, it is true that robert e lee supported the country remaining intact, and he was following the secessionist lead, but it is also true that he was opposed to racial equality as far as african americans are concerned, many military historians have criticised his tactics, and if nothing else, he is seen as the embodiment, if you like, of the movement that gave way to white supremacy in many parts of the south of this country.— south of this country. david willis, there, _ south of this country. david willis, there, on _ south of this country. david willis, there, on that - south of this country. david j willis, there, on that story, thank you forjoining us on newsday. if you want to get in touch with me i'm o

when they're general of the confederate army, robert e. lee surrendered. the first things those forces did was in richmond, put up this massive 12 ton, 21 foot bronze factual of robert e. lee on a horse. and unmistakable message to all the black people in virginia, about who was going to be in control in the city and the rest of the state. and in statues and monuments like the started to go up all across the south. but not just the south though. this chart published by the southern poverty law center shows two who's spikes in the construction of confederate monuments in the early 1900s. then again in the 19 fifties and sixties. that first period of construction took place in southern states were enacting jim crow lost ten centrally reimpose the apartheid rule that reconstruction had try to abolish. and the second paired was join the modern civil rights movement, nearly 100 years after reconstruction. and during that movement, with bloodshed and courageous action of people like the late john lewis and many, many others, the country got the voting rights act

if only we had robert e. leetroops in afghanistan that would have ended in total victory many years ago. there's no way to even begin on that one. >> is he supposed to do in afghanistan what he couldn't do in virginia where he was from? >> yes. i suppose that's the lesson if there's any sense to be found there. but this is the point. the guy carrying the confederate flag through the capitol, that's not an accident. you know, what the confederacy was about, existential violent battle about whether the country would be a multi-racial democracy or white man's republic. there was a portion that said if it can't be a white man's republic, we don't want the country. that's the attitude that still is rearing its head today. >> yeah. this is fundamental. i think that we like to think, as we euphomized the confederacy into something that's totally misunderstood. they were in the cross hairs of some very serious currents of american history. this is what lincoln and douglass were arguing about in 1858. this is what chief j

the statue of robert e. lee, a general, the confederate army during the civil war, was taken down from its pedestal in the city of richmond. its removal was at the center of a legal vinyl in the states supreme court. the islands fisher, who's live for us in richmond in virginia island. this is more than just being at the center of a legal of angle. just talk us through what led up to this while the code that gathered here to see the removal is that you started to filter away the fact she's been on the plan for 131 years, but the removal just less than an hour. you can see, no, the planes is vacated and don't to the left. there is the statue of robert e lee himself. it was the biggest monument to the confederate army. here in richmond, richmond in virginia. of course. what's the capital for the confederacy? the insurrection against the idea that the united states would ban slavery. and robert e lee was the lead general, and he stood there for 131 years. now the call. what is removal have lasted for almost as long

you could have a robert e. leetue and have it mean something different than a glorification of the confederacy. you could have a statue and leave it alone and say, you know what? we want it to be here as a reminder of our nation's history. you could do that. i think people ought to be a little bit careful about overinvesting in any particular, you know, campaign. there are lots of things that we need to fight against. >> i get your point. just a couple of points here, though. i know there's lots of things we need to fight, and i've heard statues are not the most important thing, but it's one. i mean we can walk and chew gum at the same time. i understand what you're saying. if you look at it with the graffiti and the statue, it's become a different piece of art. but wouldn't it be better served in a museum where there can be some explanation about this statue and about what it meant? >> listen, again, i'm not fighting the people who have made this change. i am applauding them. i'm simply saying that, you know, fran

robert e. lee in front of general longstreet the enemy held the position from which if he could be driven it was thought our artillery could be used to advantage in assaulting the more elevated ground beyond. guess what? robert e. lee wanted that position for artillery i would say imagine that robert e lee being out guest by dummel dan sickles, right? i do have a friend who always says well, you know, even a blind squirrel can get a nut sometimes so there's that possibility too, but all joking aside. it's very clear from robert e. lee's reports that he valued this position for artillery very much, you know kind of the chancellorsville fear that sickles had in the first place. so so, you know in a couple prominent historians have kind of said no lead didn't do that sickles made that up, you know? no that's not true. and i'm not i'm not gonna name his story. it's good. i don't do that. i'm a nice guy, but some prominent historians have written it's sickles manufactured the confederates interest and t

robert lee lee was a civil war general who was leading forces intend on maintaining slavery —— robert eoved a focal point for protests, particularly since the death of george floyd in minneapolis last year. his death sparked the black lives matter protest. the democratic governor said after a week of the death of george floyd, this particular statue should come down. it's taken more than a year, and there have been court challenges on the part of local residents and a descendent of the family that transferred ownership of statue. indeed, only last thursday, ruled that the statue could and should be removed. . ,. ., , , removed. fascinating stuff. apologies _ removed. fascinating stuff. apologies for _ removed. fascinating stuff. apologies for that, - removed. fascinating stuff. apologies for that, you - removed. fascinating stuff. apologies for that, you are | removed. fascinating stuff. i apologies for that, you are in washington. there has to be a movement, people thing is part of american history. the debate over the statues has been going down since before the death of george floyd.

when he returns to new orleans yes robert e. lee at his side and they are given a giant party in the french quarter and his family renames a plantation after the battle of compare us one of the ones you really have proven himself that. in the mexican-american war is over this is one of the bright shining lights of the united states army and throughout the 1840s and 18 50's he posted to louisiana. think about that for a minute all you grant people. robert e. lee would send them all over the country. overgaard gets to hang out in louisiana with friends and family and everybody he knows. this has to be one of the most rest jobs any officer had an 18 50's. even then he has no room to complain. in the 18 50's you see a lot of blower guards strengths and weaknesses so let me gives him strength. this man is a superb engineer. he's highly intelligent one of the smartest generals north and south. he fluent in several different languages and also inventor. he is better versed in military history than most of his contemporaries. his own maxims

are you amazed that robert e. lee, in defense of slavery, is an issue? trump is going to trump. he does it because he believes there is an audience for this, right? and that people eat it up. >> exactly. what i remember looking at the pictures you just showed of them taking down the statue, i remember the protests last summer where there were thousands of americans in the streets protesting against that statue still being there, protesting against racial in justice after the death of george floyd. and i also got reminded the polls showed the majority of americans supported removing those statues. but as you said, this fell along partisan lines. majority of democrats supported removing the statue, majority of republicans opposed removing it. that's the time we're in and the former president, i should say, knows that. >> errol, you can sense a trump, sort of energized perhaps in recent weeks, cheering, in effect, the fall of afghanistan as an opportunity to criticize biden, the return of the delta variant, et cetera. is

we are suffering because we don't have the genius of a robert e. lee. he also said in a statement, except for gettysburg, lee would have won the war. all of this is just rife with civil war revisionism. if only we had robert e. lee to command our troops in afghanistan, this disaster would have been ended in a complete and total victory many years ago. where do you start? it's just baffling, and it's brainlessness and just craziness. >> and it's dangerousness because people listen to him and, shockingly, as you say, 63% of republicans want him to be leader of their party. he seems to forget the fact that for four years he was commander in chief and did nothing but weaken our position in afghanistan, first of all. secondly, he clearly knows absolutely nothing about american history. robert e. lee was very far from being a brilliant general. and beside whiches, robert e. lee was a traitor to this country who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of americans which sounds very familiar so maybe that's why donald identifies with him so much.

and says this, and i quote, if only we had robert e. leeve ended in a complete and total victory. what an embarrassment because we don't have the genius of a robert e. lee. i'd be remiss not to point out that trump was president for four years and did not successfully withdraw troops during his time in office. robert e. lee led a rebellion against the u.s. government. >> he doesn't care. this is where he would like to be in terms of the conversation. he doesn't want to -- talking about policies. he wants to talk about this kind of stuff. but listen, i think patriotism comes in a lot of forms. i'm not going to sort of -- it's hard to judge people on their patriotism. it's very clear that love of country is not lying to your constituents and voters about what covid is and how they can get rid of it, or telling your constituents to go and march on the capitol and literally break democracy. and it's certainly not looking back with nostalgia at one of our darkest moments, and celebrating someone who we all consider today to have been a traitor a

and that's why there was a giant statue of robert e. leea horse looming over the old capital of the confederacy in richmond for 130 years because white supremacists and confederacy apologists tried to recast him as some, sort of, noble hero, even though it was known, at the time, by actual civil war heroes, that lee was a traitor who disgraced himself. ulysses s. grant said the cause lee fought for was, "i believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse." and grant's the guy who beat lee. how the hell did lee end up with a giant statue and not grant if anything, there should have been a giant statue in richmond, of grant kicking lee in the balls. even better, it could be a clock that tolls on the hour [ clock tolling [ laughter ] not sure if 1:00 was the funniest of our options. [ laughter ] well, yesterday, finally, after 130 years, that wretched monument to an evil cause was finally taken down with the crowd gathering to celebrate as lee was hauled away. >> the nation's largest confed

president trump is a super fan of robert e. lee. i mean, he really likes robert e.int is that in this statement he's doing something bigger than that, and that is getting back to his stoking of racial tension. >> that's exactly right, like he did with confederate statues throughout. he's trying to stoke that kind of racial politics in the conservative movement, and he's also trying to draw the attention of the media towards these sorts of questions and initially it looks like he succeeded in both, but we're seeing him return to the public stage with the same kinds of arguments that he's used all the way back to his announcement of running the first time and to charlottesville. >> let me read a bit of the former president's statement on the removal of that statue in richmond help. writes here of the late general. if only we had robert e. lee to command our troops in afghanistan. that disaster would have ended in a complete and total victory many years ago. he goes on to say, except for gettysburg, lee would have won the war. many things here. first, let's start with

a statue of confederate general robert e lee is taken down in virginia's state capital after a year—longtle. the world health organisation urges wealthy countries to halt covid booster programmes — as vaccination targets in the global south aren't met. and desperation in lebanon — a special report from beirut as essentials including petrol, medicines and drinking water are running out fast. hello and welcome to bbc news. a man alleged to be the sole surviving gunman from the islamist gang which murdered 130 people in paris six years ago has told a court he is a fighter for the islamic state group. salah abdeslam is one of 20 defendants in what is the biggest terror trial in modern french history. the prosecution says they were all involved in the shootings and bombings of november 2015, which targeted locations including bars, restaurants and the bataclan concert hall. from paris, our correspondent lucy williamson reports. the sirens sounded again in paris today for the men accused of terrorising this city six years ago. sounds that once accompanied that fear and panic, now accompanying

we recognize robert e. leeur greatest american christians and one of our greatest american gentleman. how did we get from there to here? >> there is partial insanity going in american politics now. there is sanity by fdr and his approach to the american culture of history. paying homage to lee also the democratics parties southern strategy. i was part of democratic party. that's why each chose gartner from texas at his running mate in 1932, why he chose truman in 1944 because it was to stitch up enough of the base with the democratic party so they could stay in power and keep power. so his words are true but there was also a political use to them so we have to be careful about not laying too much praise on fdr. >> laura: but we have lee's house over arlington national cemetery. his role at west point. short of distant hurrying, which i guess they want to do as well, confederate soldier bodies and burning them on a funeral pyre. i am from connecticut. i am a connecticut yankee, but do you do have to ask where th

donald trump is their god, their lord and savior came out today and said robert e. lee statue came down if only we had a fighter like robert e. lee. do we have the photo of him surrendering, a complete and total surrender to ulysses s. grant. >> there it is. >> loser. loser. surrendered because he lost. but they lose like they're winning and we win like we're losing. i'm talking about. >> exactly it. >> i want to see a fight like them texas people who said, i'm leaving the state. i want to see a fight like what bishop barbara and them are doing. this is my question, too. this is what we lack. is we lose, we win like we're losing. these people lose and say they're winning. >> right. well, what makes them dangerous is that because they are still ideologically driven to this particular goal of this maximalist white nationalist country, they will fight as if and i think many times believe that the country is on their side. this actually creates an opening for progressive people. right. if you govern like you are or not even govern, because they're not in power right now. if

but robert e. lee we put in the next category because robert e. ng robert e. lee, yes, he fought in the south but he was only following virginia and if virginia had gone with the union he would have gone with the union, he was a gentleman warrior, the greatest general in u.s. history. they taught lee at west point and even west point generals we'd have on the show would talk about robert e. lee. and i remember seeing an atlanta journal constitutional article that said the two most admired people in the south were martin luther king and robert e. lee, talking about the split. i will tell you there are still a lot of progressive democrats, especially in the state of virginia, who still have warm feelings about robert e. lee, i'm just explaining the region. and this has taken much longer and i would put myself at the top of that list. along with everybody else. that there was a blind spot with lee especially. but we were talking about this and you told me the most incredible story about your education. >> eighth grade, magnolia high school, one of my

when the 12 tom bronze figure of robert e. lee was removed from its pedestal 4 years of resistance and a long court battle in the state of virginia and fisher as well. the weight of history lifted from this part of america for more than 100 years general robert e. lee has looked out over richmond in virginia. reminder, this was the heart of the confederacy, the capital, the center of the insurrection. he led to present slavery. it continued domination of the skyline. a painful reminder there to step in the right direction that there is going to be the kind of high $1.03 of this symbol of life supremacy. why nationally? now it's going to be important i suppose, that act with that same energy to make decisions in terms of legislation. it took little time to remove this to the crowd that gathered didn't hide their satisfaction at other confederate statutes and listen, have been you have gone 160 across the country in the last year here in richmond. this was the tallest, the last, the most symbolic cause to remove. it grew louder last

james gannon, a relative of robert e lee and freelance journalist.o go on public display. london's natural history museum has sent local workmen to lift the crater, a square metre of tarmac that was impacted by the incident in february, in the town of winchcombe. the museum hopes the exhibit will inspire visiting children to take a keen interest in science at school. the space rock, long—since removed, has been described scientifically as the most valuable to ever fall on the uk. that's it from us at newsday. thanks for watching. to stay with bbc news. hello there. our short spell of hot weather is coming to an end now. this picture was taken earlier in the night in sussex. this picture was taken during the day on wednesday in the scottish borders — where temperatures reached 29 celsius, making it the hottest september day in scotland since 1906. we had temperatures widely 29 celsius in england, into parts of wales, as well. the top temperature was recorded at heathrow airport, at 30 celsius. it's very warm overnight, as well, these are the temperatu

not more than a century, the statue of confederate general robert e. lee in virginia, is removed and dismantled, ah, pet. or there's been mixed reaction from around the world to the makeup of afghanistan's new interim government. a ton about his drawn from his old guard to fill the top post. with some senior figures in feature on global watch list. and as charlotte bennett reports from couple afghans of notice, the lack of female and ethnic representation on a telephone can take government to know and an amorous resurrected security was increased. the senior leaders surveyed cobble the new domain outside. what was the u. s. embassy telephone members discussed whose been appointed and to which rogues, the leader, hybrid toler, arkansas, was crowned the mere 33 cabinet appointments with her son who have the leadership council received the top job of acting prime minister surgeon, had connie is now the acting interior minister despite being on the us terra watch list with a $10000000.00 balance on his head and will your crew, the son of taliban found the mull

he said if only we had robert e. leeo command our troops in afghanistan that disaster would have ended in a complete and total victory many years ago. what an embarrassment we're suffering because we don't have the genius of robert e. lee. you know, i want to ask you about that because as someone on the board of visitors for west point, you're well aware that west point is trying to figure out what to do with all of its stuff that's named after robert e. lee, lee bare ricks that you or while you were at west point one of your fellow cadets may have actually stayed in as a dorm. you know, what do you say when you hear the former president saying things like this? >> so, we serve at the current pleasure of the current president which is why he's able to terminate in the way that he did. so my focus is ensuring that we're representing those values and those ethics when we come to the board of visitors and making sure again those decisions that you're talking about are outside of the purview of the advisory board. we're ther

his comment was, if only we had robert e. lee to command our troops in afghanistan. a complete and total victory many years ago. what an embarrassment because we don't have the gene ruius of a robert e. lee. for facts, i should point out, trump made the deal to pull u.s. forces out with the taliban. what's your reaction to praising general lee who lost a war that was in defense of slavery. >> number one, he lost. number two, he is not talking about grant. he is not speaking about a man who vanquished american culture. robert e. lee was a traitor to the american nation. perhaps trump sees something similar to him when he stood with putin and suggested a person trying to undermine american democracy was a hero and the people who work for his intelligence gathering agencies were the fall guys. a man whose sense of priorities are mixed up. there's no question here, praising robert who seceded from the nation in virginia of the what nine or ten generals, seven or eight, he was the only one to secede, ran a slave plantation for a couple of years. here was a man who was inve

released a statement last night condemning the removal in richmond, virginia of the statue of robert e. leeenius, adding if he only had robert e. lee to command our troops in afghanistan. a breathtaking comment. we don't know if we are showing the statements or tweets, i wanted your reaction. >> yeah, i understand the desire not to want to give light to such a statement but the reality is, there are a lot of people that still follow and support the former president who are listening to these remarks, including people who may show up in washington, d.c. next week. of course, robert e. lee fought against the united states. this is a basic fact anybody that attended even the most rudimentary history course should know, and we know these statues were erected not immediately after the death of robert e. lee like the other confederate statues, but mostly in the 20th century to be terroristic figures for black and brown folks, a symbol that the south could rise again as it did before, and it is within the principles of american society they should be taken down. it is good to see that happen in vi

let me focus -- let me start -- we can start anywhere, but let me start with robert e. lee. t schools doesn't remember very well his history. he said last night robert e. lee is considered by many generals to be a greatest strategists of them all. general lee lost. >> this feels like news perg tory. these are the greatest hits, things we reported about during the donald trump presidency. he knows, speaks to the people that support him the loudest. and so he's just, again, going through the hits. and that is yielding probably support and buzz for his ultimate goal which is either returns to the presidency or keeping his power over the republican party. >> there's also a connection here with the lee statement. he is defending a military officer who actually wasn't a part of the u.s. military who fought the u.s. government, who was technically a traitor and fought on the side that was trying to secede from the country, and em battle the u.s. and a traitor to the country, which is in line with the fact that modern-day republican party and trump himself is defending people who rio

there were cheers in richmond when the figure of robert e lee was removed from its pedestal. >> the weightf history lifted from this part of america. for more than 100 years, general robert e. lee has loomed over richmond, virginia. this was the center of the insurrection he led to preserve slavery. it's continued domination of the skyline, a reminder. >> it's a step in the right direction. there will not be this idolatry of this symbol of white supremacy, white nationalists on. now it is going to be important to act upon -- to act with that same energy. >> it took little time to remove the statue. the crowd didn't hide their dissatisfaction -- didn't hide their satisfaction. >> ♪ na na na na goodbye ♪ >> here in richmond, this was the tallest, the last, the most symbolic. calls to remove it grew louder last year after the murder of george floyd and the nationwide racial justice protest that followed. there was a legal fight. the court ruled it could come down. >> it was a long time coming. it's a healing process necessary to embrace diversity and let people know that our lights are on. >>

the memorial to robert e lee in the city of richmond in virginia became a focal point during last year'slack lives matter protests. people really don't know how going to prison for something you didn't do, a crime you didn't commit, especially for a long, long time... ..what it does to a person. i was accused of killing a white man in a drug deal gone bad. this is a case they're going to be teaching in law school 100 years from now. what could dontae have become? it was a travesty ofjustice. it took 26 years to make it partially right. i was exonerated on august 22nd, 2019. a lot of people think the ultimate goal is just getting exonerated and getting out of prison, getting your freedom back. it's a lot more than that. sometimes i wake up just crying. i just cry. people think that when you get exonerated, the fight is over. it'sjust beginning, really. i haven't been pardoned. governor roy cooper, for some reason, hasn't pardoned me. he's asking for the state of north carolina to acknowledge the wrong and give him what is due under the constitution. they buried this man alive! | you're lo

the memorial to robert e lee in the city of richmond in virginia became a focal point during last year'slack lives matter protests. now on bbc news, justice delayed. people really don't know how going to prison for something you didn't do, a crime you didn't commit, especially for a long, long time... ..what it does to a person. i was accused of killing a white man in a drug deal gone bad. this is a case they're going to be teaching in law school 100 years from now. what could dontae have become? it was a travesty ofjustice. it took 26 years to make it partially right. i was exonerated on august 22nd, 2019. a lot of people think the ultimate goal is just getting exonerated and getting out of prison, getting your freedom back. it's a lot more than that. sometimes i wake up just crying. i just cry. people think that when you get exonerated, the fight is over. it'sjust beginning, really. i haven't been pardoned. governor roy cooper, for some reason, hasn't pardoned me. he's asking for the state of north carolina to acknowledge the wrong and give him what is due under the constitution. they

trump says, in part, robert e. leeca, period. he waged a war that tore this nation apart because he wanted to maintain a system that made the south and america by extension, rich off the literal blood, sweat and tears of enslaved black people toiling on labor camps otherwise known as plantations. there is nothing noble about robert e. lee or the evil way of life he fought to maintain. he lost, and if you're among those clinging to the myth of the lost cause, you're lost. trump says, quote, our culture is being destroyed, and our history and heritage are being extinguished by the radical left. let's be clear. the "our culture, our history and heritage," trump is talking about only applies to white people and specifically to straight, white, cisgender men. and trump forgetting he negotiated the deal with the taliban that reduced troop levels, released 5,000 taliban prisoners and set a may 1 withdrawal deadline, decried the situation out of kabul. what an embarrassment we are suffering because we don't have the genius of

i�*m oppression because of who robert e lee represents-— lee represents.ut imagine it's| lee represents. i'm not directly i offended by it, but imagine it's got to be _ offended by it, but imagine it's got to be hard — offended by it, but imagine it's got to be hard for— offended by it, but imagine it's got to be hard for black _ offended by it, but imagine it's got to be hard for black people - offended by it, but imagine it's got to be hard for black people to - to be hard for black people to have to be hard for black people to have to go _ to be hard for black people to have to go by— to be hard for black people to have to go by those _ to be hard for black people to have to go by those statues _ to be hard for black people to have to go by those statues in— to be hard for black people to have to go by those statues in a - to be hard for black people to have to go by those statues in a public. to go by those statues in a public space _ to go by those statues in a public space in— to go by those statues in a public space in a — to go by those statues in

than a century the largest remaining confederate statue in america, honoring civil war general robert e. lee taken down >> we were ecstatic, you know we all screamed at the top of our lungs. >> reporter: ten days after the murder of george floyd last year and amid calls for racial justice across the country, virginia's governor ralph northam ordered the statue be removed. >> to have these statues that were really put up for the purpose of refighting the civil war. they shouldn't be there. they're divisive. >> reporter: but the action was stalled in court battles for more than a year. last week, the virginia supreme court unanimously cleared the way. so your view of the statue changed over time >> yes, absolutely. >> reporter: how come? >> first i thought well, this is richmond history, for whatever that's worth and then i felt like it's time. it needs to go. >> reporter: the mayor calls today a defining moment >> it is a symbol. it's an inanimate object of bronze and granite. but symbols matter. >> reporter: but some say the statue was a tribute to history >> it's still a part of our history

right let's be, clear when a statue of robert e. lee comes down, only 130 years after was put up, and after 160 years after the war that this man fought against this country so as to maintain white supremacy and enslavement, we can take it as a victory. but we have to be realistic because if germany, that, say 130 years after the fall of nazism, that would be 2075, where to finally take down a statue of general rumble, the germans would be celebrating. but the germans would've had a statue of rubble. i don't want to rain on the narrative that you are offering. you are absolutely. right look, the vast majority of people in this country do not buy into this overtly hostile, bigoted white nationalism. what we know is that hitler was imprisoned for a while before he came to power and the history of white rage is a cyclical one. so we want to at least acknowledge that the majority don't buy into that. but acknowledge also that it is never taking a majority to push authoritarian or to tele-therrien, fascist white supremacist politics. it take

the removal of a robert e. lee statue and what it means to the people of richmond, virginia. >>> also leaning and sinking and now a special hearing. our investigative unit is tracking new calls for accountability for san francisco's troubled millennium tower. >>> and i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. another hot day inland, 102 in concord. we'll talk about cooling tomorrow and the possibility of thunderstorms coming up in about eight minutes. california, did you know our homes share power? but when we try to stay cool in a heat wave our supply is pushed to the limit. but you have the power to keep us up and running! “i do?” yup, we all do! with flex alerts. they notify us when to shift our energy use if our power supply is stretched. so from pre-cooling our homes, to using less energy from 4-9pm, together, let's flex our power to save our power. sign up for flex alerts today. >>> a statue of general robert e. lee that towered over richmond, virginia for more than a century was taken down today. the crowd erupte

if only we had robert e. lee to command our troops in afghanistan." trump added. general robert e. e was a staunch defender of slavery who led the confederate army to its defeat in 1865. the civil war killed an estimated 750,000 people. in mexico, 17 patients at a public hospital in hidalgo state died this week after torrential rains caused a river to burst its banks, flooding the area and leaving the medical crews without power. most of the victims were covid-19 patients who had to be evacuated through flood waters. in brazil, a record drought fueled by the climate crisis is drastically reducing crop yields and deepening an energy crisis for a country that gets more than half its electricity from hydroelectric power plants. officials say water levels are at their lowest level in over 90 years of records. >> the water crisis is a direct consequence of the climate crisis. caused by deforestation. amy: a pacific typhoon became one of the most rapidly intensifying storms ever observed. it is now the equivalent of a category five hurricane and it is threatening the philippines as it tra

the memorial to robert e lee in the city of richmond in virginia became a focal point during last year'slack lives matter protests. now on bbc news, hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk, i'm stephen sackur — today on the shores of italy's lake como at the ambrosetti forum, where some of europe's leading politicians have gathered to talk politics and economics. the global covid pandemic and intensifying superpower rivalries all present the eu with some very difficult questions. my guest today is spain's first deputy prime minister, nadia calvino. is europe too divided, too inward—looking to shape the 21st century? deputy prime minister nadia calvino, welcome to hardtalk. it's a pleasure to be here. i think i have to start by talking afghanistan. the us—led withdrawal from the country — it looked chaotic, it was very difficult. what lessons do you think the european union must learn from what happened? well, for months we've been listening to the defence minister in spain warning us about the situation in afghanistan, but i think to all of us, it was a shock. frankly, it was quite unexpected, you

mind you, robert e. leehite house is overseeing the legal aspects of the afghan resettlement mission. two people knowledgeable of the move tell nbc news that lee will serve the president. the former special envoy for closing guantanamo bay will be tasked with providing legal counsel for tens of thousands of afghans resettling in the united states. he'll serve as the national security council lead. this was first reported by axios. >>> taliban leaders will reportedly allow close to 200 americans and other foreign citizens to fly out of afghanistan today. officials tell "the wall street journal" that the group will be flown to qatar before being relocated elsewhere this. will mark the first departure of u.s. citizens since the mill tai mission in afghanistan officially ended on august 31st. it's unclear, however, if these americans are among those who were stranded on charter flights as afghan stands earlier this week. >>> former president trump is looking to score political points against president biden in t

robert e. lee was the key general through so many of the huge battles.to come down. let me set the scene for you as the work continues to get the statue down. a small crowd has gathered and over here it is pretty clear. some of the people were among the protesters who were out here protesting the robert e. lee statue. just a little while ago, i saw the governor of virginia who would have been over my right shoulder there, he's gone now. he is one of the people who really set this whole thing into motion after the protests essentially. what he did was, he wanted this statue to come down despite the history, despite the fact that it's been here 131 years. and that set into motion a legal fight that went on until just the past couple weeks where the supreme court of virginia cleared the way for the statue to come down. so those probably are the most important things you have to say about this. the other thing, i think it's important, it came out in all of the court action that this statue was pretty much put up as part of lost-cause ideology, which a lot mu

you talk about robert lee and slavery in a, in another wonderful essay that i'll tell our readers about called this is america . a promissory note, not yet paid. you talk about robert e lee, but we now just saw in charlottesville, just very recently, the great statue of robert lee taken down. also in richmond, virginia, the statue that dominated the, you know, the main boulevard. taken down and chopped up and shipped off so they can figure out what to do about it in your peace. you quote james baldwin, who is, who has an optimism about the future. but he says, we can have, you know, essentially rose tinted glasses looking at things we need to see things how they are. so i guess, as we're talking about essentially, america unraveling in good ways and having that discussion. what are you seeing by way of, of, i won't call it a bounce back because i'm not sure that's what we deserve or want. but essentially, a more informed, more enlightened, less dysfunctional or domestic context in america. and maybe unraveling the american empire with the rest of the world is a healthy thing. mean, so how do you see the potential next steps? well, that's a very interesting point you