Democracy Now!

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is headed to a record fifth term in office after narrowing defeating former military chief Benny Gantz. In a discussion with Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman, Noam Chomsky talks about how President Trump directly interfered with the Israel election by repeatedly helping Netanyahu, from moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem to recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights in defiance of international law.

Attorneys for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange are vowing to fight his possible extradition to the United States following his arrest in London, when British police forcibly removed Assange from the Ecuadorean Embassy, where he had taken asylum for almost seven years. On Thursday night, Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman spoke to Noam Chomsky about Assange's arrest, WikiLeaks and American power.

As President Trump pulls out of key nuclear agreements with Russia and moves to expand the U.S. nuclear arsenal, Noam Chomsky looks at how the threat of nuclear war remains one of the most pressing issues facing mankind. In a speech at the Old South Church in Boston, Chomsky also discusses the threat of climate change and the undermining of democracy across the globe.

On Thursday night, hundreds of people packed into the Old South Church in Boston to hear the world-renowned dissident and linguist Noam Chomsky speak. He looked back at the rise of fascism in the 20th century and the growing ultranationalist movements of today, from Brazil and the United States to Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Julian Assange's Lawyers Vow to Fight His Extradition to the United States, Ecuadorean Ex-President Criticizes Successor for Allowing Assange to Be Arrested, Trump Claims "I Know Nothing About WikiLeaks" Despite Praising Site Repeatedly in 2016, Sudanese Protesters Denounce Military Rule, Call for Civilian Government, Report: White House Pushed Plan to Send Migrants to Sanctuary Cities to Punish Dems, Official Who Compared Family Detention Centers to Summer Camps Set to Become Head of ICE, More Offshore Drilling Feared as Senate Confirms Ex-Oil Lobbyist to Head Interior, Report: Amazon, Netflix, IBM, Chevron Paid No Federal Taxes in 2018 Despite Billions in Profits, Sen. Elizabeth Warren Unveils "Real Corporate Profits Tax" to Force Big Companies to Pay Fair Share, BDS Movement Co-Founder Omar Barghouti Denied Entry to the United States, Video: Police Filmed Dragging Teen Down Flight of Stairs & Tasering Her at Chicago High School, Georgetown Students Vote to Create Slavery Reparations Fund, 31,000 Workers at Stop & Shop Launch Strike

After months of protest, the Sudanese military ousted President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday, ending his nearly 30 years of authoritarian rule. Tens of thousands of protesters marched in celebration on the streets of Sudan. The military has set up a transitional military council to rule the country for two years, according to a televised statement by Sudan's minister of defense. The news comes after months of protests demanding al-Bashir's resignation. Protesters have been staging a massive sit-in in the capital, Khartoum, since Saturday. Rights groups say at least 50 people have been killed in Sudanese protests since December. The government has been accused of jailing hundreds of activists and critics of the president, shutting down press outlets and barring foreign reporters from covering the protests. We speak with Marine Alneel, a Sudanese activist who was arrested for demonstrating against al-Bashir in January.

Earlier today, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested in London and is now facing charges in the U.S. for helping Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning hack a government computer. We reair part of our 2015 interview with Assange from inside the Ecuadorean Embassy, where he had sought asylum."See full archive of Democracy Now's interviews with Julian Assange":https://www.democracynow.org/appearances/julian_assange

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested in London. Earlier today, British police forcibly removed Assange from the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where he has been living since 2012. London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement that Assange was arrested on behalf of the United States authorities. The U.S. has charged Assange with helping Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning hack a government computer. The indictment was unsealed shortly after his arrest. We speak to Renata Ávila, a member of Assange's legal team, as well as British human rights attorney Geoffrey Robertson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald and former Justice Department attorney Jesselyn Radack.

British Police Arrest WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange, Sudan: Military Overthrows Pres. al-Bashir After Months of Protests, Dems Demand Evidence After AG Barr Tells Senators FBI Spied on Trump Campaign, ICE Acting Dir. Leaves Post in Ongoing Purge of Immigration Officials, Politico: Trump Considering Ex-Head of Hate Group for DHS Role, Dems Introduce Bill to Reverse Trump's Muslim & Anti-Refugee Bans, Israel: Netanyahu Declares Victory as Gov't Moves Further to Right, India: Elections Kick Off as Hindu Nationalist PM Modi Seeks 2nd Term, EU Leaders Extend Brexit Deadline to Oct. 31, Louisiana: Suspect Arrested over Fires at 3 Black Churches, House Dems Pass Net Neutrality Bill, But Senate Fate Remains Bleak, Bernie Sanders Unveils Revamped Medicare for All

As higher education faces an increasingly dire crisis of underfunding, we look at one of the consequences of this crisis: the growing threat to academic freedom. Academic and author Henry Reichman takes on this threat in a new book, out this week, titled "The Future of Academic Freedom." In it, he writes, "Academic capitalism—or, as many term it, 'corporatization'—has greatly impacted academic work and the ability of the faculty to unite in defense of professional norms, including academic freedom." Academic capitalism is just one of a number of topics Reichman tackles in the book, which starts by asking what academic freedom is, and expands to look at the loss of public funding for institutions of higher education and the harassment of faculty members for political speech.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be on the verge of securing a record fifth term in office as votes continue to be counted in Tuesday's election. Last night, Netanyahu and his top challenger, ex-military chief Benny Gantz, both claimed victory in the tight race. With most of the votes counted, Netanyahu's Likud party and Gantz's newly formed Blue and White party have both secured 35 seats in the Knesset, but Netanyahu has a clearer path to forming a coalition government with the help of his right-wing allies. Tuesday's election came just days after Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to annex Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank in defiance of international law, and more than a week after Netanyahu thanked President Trump for recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. Netanyahu ran for re-election despite facing possible criminal indictments in three corruption cases. We speak with Israeli journalist Haggai Matar and Palestinian attorney Diana Buttu.

Israel: Netanyahu on Track for 5th Term in Office, DHS "Purge" Continues with Deputy Sec. Claire Grady, Reports: WH Wants to Put Border Agents in Charge of Asylum Interviews, AG Barr to Congress: No Plans to Release Unredacted Mueller Report, Mnuchin Says Treasury Consulted with WH on Trump Tax Returns, Bipartisan Tax Bill Would Make Free IRS E-Filing System Illegal, Airbnb Reverses Ban on Listings for Illegal Israeli Settlements, NYC Declares Public Health Emergency over Measles Outbreak, BuzzFeed: GOP Told Drug Cos. Not to Comply with Congressional Request, Prosecutors Add Money Laundering Charges in School Admissions Scheme, Trump Exec. Orders Aim to Facilitate Approval on Pipeline Projects, Spring Temperatures in Alaska 20 Degrees Above Normal, Congress Holds White Nationalism Hearing; Online Commenters Unleash Flood of Hate Speech, New Zealand Bans Assault Weapons Weeks After Christchurch Massacre

As his administration intensifies anti-immigrant policies at the border, President Trump has reportedly put adviser Stephen Miller in charge of the administration's immigration policy. The Wall Street Journal reports Miller has backed the reinstatement of Trump's family separation policy and has been pushing officials at the Homeland Security and Justice Departments to "get in line" with a more hard-line immigration approach. This news comes as Trump told the Republican Jewish Coalition leadership Saturday, "Our country's full. What can you do? We can't handle any more. Our country is full." We speak with Stephen Miller's uncle, Dr. David Glosser, who says Trump's comments echo the rhetoric of Nazi Germany. Glosser is a retired neuropsychologist and former faculty member at Boston University School of Medicine and Jefferson Medical College. Last year, he wrote a piece for Politico magazine headlined "Stephen Miller Is an Immigration Hypocrite. I Know Because I'm His Uncle."

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has been forced out of her role at the helm of President Trump's immigration policy after reportedly resisting a move by the president to revive his family separation policy at the U.S. border. We look at Nielsen's legacy with Renée Feltz, a Democracy Now! correspondent and producer who has long reported on the criminalization of immigrants, family detention and the business of detention. Nielsen oversaw Trump's "zero tolerance" family separation policy last year and came under fire by Democrats for lying to Congress about the policy, as well as for withholding information on children who died in U.S. custody. At least two children died under Nielsen's leadership: 8-year-old Felipe Alonzo Gómez and 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquín.

President Trump is intensifying a crackdown on immigration as he purges the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security. On Sunday, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was forced out after reportedly resisting a move by Trump to revive his family separation policy at the U.S. southern border. Nielsen had overseen Trump's "zero tolerance" family separation policy last year and came under fire by Democrats for lying to Congress about the policy, as well as for withholding information on children who died in U.S. custody. On Monday, the White House announced Secret Service Director Randolph "Tex" Alles had also been removed from his position. Meanwhile, Trump has withdrawn the nomination of Ronald Vitiello to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement, indicating he wasn't "tough" enough for the role. Trump has named Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan acting DHS secretary. McAleenan reportedly was open to reinstating a form of family separation in which families would have to choose between being separated or being taken into long-term detention with their children. We speak with Erika Andiola, the chief advocacy officer for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services.

In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration has designated Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization, resulting in sweeping economic and travel restrictions on its members. This marks the first time the United States has formally labeled an arm of another country's military a terrorist group. The Pentagon and CIA opposed the decision, warning it could put U.S. troops at risk. Key backers of the move included national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who formally announced the new policy on Monday. The step is the latest in the White House's efforts to isolate Iran after the U.S. withdrew from the landmark Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on the country last year despite widespread international condemnation. We speak with Trita Parsi, the founder of the National Iranian American Council. His most recent book is titled "Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy." Parsi is an adjunct associate professor in the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University.

Secret Service Director Removed in WH "Purge" of Immigration Officials, Reports: Trump Trying to Reinstate Family Separations at Border, CA Judge Blocks Trump Administration's "Remain in Mexico" Policy, Iran Labels U.S. CENTCOM a Terror Group After IRCG Terror Designation, Israelis Head to Polls as Future of PM Netanyahu Remains Unclear, Libya: Tripoli Airport Closed as Fighting Near Capital Intensifies, Afghanistan: 4 Americans Killed Amid Spate of Violent Attacks, U.S. Revokes Visa of ICC Prosecutor Investigating War Crimes in Afghanistan, 3 FDNY Sept. 11 Rescue Workers Die as 9/11 Fund At Risk of Expiring, Defendants in College Admissions Scandal Plead Guilty to Fraud, Democratic Reps Eric Swalwell and Tim Ryan Join 2020 Race, Louisiana: Authorities Investigate Arsons at 3 Black Churches, Reports: Trump Defunds Obama-Era Conservation Program, New U.S. Lawsuit Alleges Boeing Ignored Software Flaws in 737 MAX, Blase Bonpane, Noted Human Rights Defender & Office of the Americas Dir., Dies

A group of peace activists have been jailed for over a year before trial for entering the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in Georgia last April to protest U.S. nuclear weapons. The action took place on April 4, 2018—the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's assassination. Armed with hammers, crime scene tape and baby bottles containing their own blood, seven anti-nuclear activists secretly entered Kings Bay—one of the largest nuclear submarine bases in the world—under the cover of night. Their goal was to symbolically disarm the six nuclear ballistic missile submarines kept there. Each submarine carries 20 Trident thermonuclear weapons. One year after this historic action, three of the Plowshares activists remain jailed in Georgia. The other four are out on $50,000 bond with electronic ankle monitors. All seven face up to 25 years in prison for their actions. On Thursday, global leaders, activists and scholars, including Nobel Peace Prize-winning South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Daniel Ellsberg and Noam Chomsky, released a petition addressed to U.S. Attorney General William Barr demanding all charges against the Kings Bay 7 be dropped immediately. Democracy Now! recently spoke with the four Plowshares activists who are out on bond: Martha Hennessy, Carmen Trotta, Patrick O'Neill and Clare Grady.

Commemorations—as well as protests—were held last week to mark the 70th anniversary of the formation of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. President Trump used the anniversary to push for NATO countries to increase military spending. During an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump demanded Germany and other NATO countries increase their military spending from 2 to 4 percent of GDP. The push for more military spending could benefit U.S. weapons manufacturers including Boeing. This comes as Acting Pentagon Chief Patrick Shanahan is under investigation for improperly advocating on behalf of Boeing, where he worked for 30 years. We speak with Joe Cirincione, president of the global security foundation Ploughshares Fund.

Kirstjen Nielsen Steps Down as DHS Secretary, Gov't: It May Take 2 Years to Reunite Separated Migrant Families, NY Man Arrested for Threatening to Murder Rep. Ilhan Omar, Trump Attacks Migrants, Rep. Omar in Speech to Conservative Jewish Group, Arizona: Man Dies in ICE Custody After Exhibiting Flu Symptoms, Yemen: Air Raid Kills At Least 13 Civilians, Incl. 7 Children in Sana'a, Netanyahu Says He Will Annex West Bank Settlements If Re-elected, Libya: 21 People Killed as Renegade Force Advances on Tripoli, Sudan: Security Forces Crack Down on Growing Popular Uprising, U.S. Labels Iran Revolutionary Guard as Terror Group, Motel 6 to Pay $12 Million for Giving ICE Personal Guest Info, Hampshire College President Steps Down After Months of Protests, American Airlines Cancels More Flights Due to Boeing 737 MAX Fixes, NYC: Activists Protest Whitney Museum Board Member, Maker of Tear Gas

As President Donald Trump pushes for more defense spending from NATO countries, we speak with Joe Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund, about how Trump's foreign policy benefits weapons manufacturers. During an Oval Office meeting Tuesday with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, President Trump demanded Germany and other NATO countries increase their military spending from 2 to 4% of GDP. But Cirincione says NATO's biggest problem is not insufficient funding. "The biggest problem NATO faces is the president of the United States, who keeps putting in doubt U.S. commitment to the alliance, who keeps putting in doubt whether the U.S. will come to the aid of NATO allies if they're attacked," he says. Cirincione also calls national security adviser John Bolton a "serial arms control killer."

A wrongful death case was filed against Boeing on the same day that a preliminary investigation into last month's Ethiopian Airlines crash revealed damning details about the aircraft manufacturer and raised new questions about whether it gave pilots proper instructions for navigating new software. The findings were released Thursday in Ethiopia, based on the analysis of a team of 18 investigators, less than a month after the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash killed all 157 people on board. The report found similarities in the technical issues experienced by pilots on both the Ethiopian Airlines flight and October's Indonesian Lion Air Flight 610, which also crashed just minutes after takeoff, killing all 189 people on board. Both flights were on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. On Thursday, the first American lawsuit related to the devastating crash was filed against Boeing on behalf of the family of 24-year-old Samya Stumo, who died on the flight. Samya was the grandniece of Ralph Nader, the longtime consumer advocate, corporate critic and former presidential candidate. We speak with Nader about his calls to ground all 737 MAX 8 aircraft and the legacy of his grandniece. We also speak with Paul Hudson, the president of Flyers Rights, the largest nonprofit airline passenger rights organization in the U.S.

The first American lawsuit has been filed against Boeing for its role in the Ethiopian Airlines crash that left 157 people dead last month. The family of 24-year-old Samya Stumo, who died in the crash, sued Boeing and filed a claim against the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday. They filed the suit in federal court in Chicago, where Boeing is headquartered. It reads in part, "Blinded by its greed, Boeing haphazardly rushed the 737 MAX 8 to market, with the knowledge and tacit approval of the United States Federal Aviation Administration ... Boeing's decision to put profits over safety ... and the regulators that enabled it, must be held accountable for their reckless actions." Samya Stumo's father, mother and brother spoke alongside their lawyer at a press conference announcing the lawsuit.

Congress Approves Resolution to End U.S. Support for War on Yemen, Report Blames Ethiopian Crash on Boeing 737 MAX Software Failure, Boeing CEO Apologizes for Crashes That Killed 346 People, Trump Threatens Mexico with Auto Tariffs over Migration, Migrants Say Mexico Is Denying Humanitarian Visas Under U.S. Pressure, 280 Arrested in Texas ICE Raid as Trump Heads to Border, Rogue Libyan General Advances on Tripoli, Mozambique Faces Food Emergency as Cholera Cases Mount, House Reauthorizes Violence Against Women Act Over NRA Objections, Trump to Nominate Herman Cain to Federal Reserve Board, Trump Pushed for Speedy Confirmation of IRS Chief Counsel Nominee, WikiLeaks: Assange May Be Expelled from Embassy Within Hours or Days, Chelsea Manning, Jailed for Resisting Grand Jury, Released from Solitary Confinement, Alabama's "Broken" Prisons Rife with Sexual Assault and Violence, New Mexico Decriminalizes Minor Marijuana Possession Cases, Johns Hopkins Sit-in Protest Challenges Armed Cops, ICE Contracts

Yellow vest protesters took to the streets of Paris on Saturday for the 20th straight week of anti-government demonstrations, in spite of the French authorities' crackdown on the movement. Last month, the French government deployed military forces and banned protesters from marching on the Champs-Élysées and in other areas, after clashes with the police, nearly 200 arrests and damage to businesses by some protesters. Police used tear gas and water cannons on crowds in Paris. More than 33,000 demonstrators nationwide joined the demonstrations Saturday, down from nearly 300,000 in November, according to government estimates. The weekly protests began last year when France announced plans to hike gas taxes, with demonstrators across France taking to the streets to protest President Emmanuel Macron's government. The demonstrators gained their name by wearing the yellow safety vests that French drivers are required to keep in their cars in case of emergency. Since then, in protests that have now lasted five months, the "yellow vests" have called out Macron's pro-business economic policies, demanding fair wages for working- and middle-class citizens, and heavier taxation on the wealthy. We go to Paris to speak with Alexis Poulin, the co-founder of the news website Le Monde Moderne.

After two decades in power, longtime President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned on Tuesday following weeks of protest. The move came shortly after military leaders called for him to step down. The 82-year-old president has been in power for 20 years and has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013. Algerians have gathered in mass protests for weeks demanding his resignation as well as an overhaul of the current political system, and more protests are scheduled Friday. We speak with Sihem Mellah-Sliker, an Algerian-born activist who moved to the U.S. in 2010 after winning the visa lottery. She founded the group SandByMe to promote Algerian and North African culture. She's in close touch with her family members and protest leaders in Algeria. Mellah-Sliker is currently an adviser to Democratic New York state Senator Andrew Gounardes and serves on the board of the New York Progressive Action Network.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party suffered major setbacks in local elections this weekend after dominating the country's political system since 2003. The AK Party lost control in both of Turkey's largest cities, Istanbul and Ankara, and is now disputing the results. Voters expressed frustration with Erdogan's autocratic rule and are also facing soaring inflation and rising unemployment. Now the results are being disputed, and recounts are underway. "Whoever is criticizing Erdogan right now is held accountable for either terrorism charges or libel against the president," says The New School professor Koray Caliskan, faculty fellow at the Heilbroner Center for Capitalism Studies at The New School who has been indicted 25 times in Turkey. "This is how he's silencing dissent."

Republican "Nuclear Option" Will Speed Confirmation of Trump's Judges, House Committee Authorizes Subpoena for Full Mueller Report, House Committee Asks IRS for Six Years of Trump's Tax Returns, Immigrant Activist Claudio Rojas Deported Ahead of Miami Film Premiere, Suspect in New Zealand Mosque Massacres to Face 50 Murder Charges, Australian Senator Censured over "Appalling" NZ Massacre Remarks, White Power Graffiti Found Near Site of Highlander Center Fire, Felony Charges Dropped Against African-American Victim of Dallas Attack, Blast at Texas Chemical Plant Kills 1, Injures 2, Trump Falsely Claims That Windmills Cause Cancer, Labor Secretary Acosta Grilled over Plea Deal for Sexual Abuser Jeffrey Epstein, Joe Biden Promises to Respect Personal Space After Inappropriate Touching Accusations, New Mexico Governor Signs Bill Replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day, Philippines Journalist Maria Ressa Pleads Not Guilty to "Politically Motivated" Charges

As President Trump continues his threats to close the U.S.-Mexico border to stop the flow of asylum seekers, we look at the response from Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the first four months of his presidency. In Mexico City, we speak with Humberto Beck, professor at El Colegio de México and co-editor of "The Future Is Today: Radical Ideas for Mexico." He says that while López Obrador doesn't want to openly confront Trump on stopping immigration, "he knows that sending back migrants to Central America is sending back these people to unlivable situations."

Chicago voters made history Tuesday when Lori Lightfoot won a landslide victory as both the city's first African-American woman mayor and openly gay mayor. This comes after a February runoff election that pitted her against Toni Preckwinkle, a former alderperson who is president of the Cook County Board. While Preckwinkle had been viewed as a highly formidable candidate, Lightfoot is a political outsider who has never held elected office. We are joined by Barbara Ransby, professor of African American studies, gender and women's studies and history at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Her article for The Nation is headlined "The Rising Black Left Movement Behind Chicago's Historic Elections."

The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed the director of White House personnel security after a whistleblower revealed senior Trump officials overturned 25 security clearance denials, despite "serious disqualifying issues." We speak with California Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna, who says, "Congressional oversight is not a choice—it's the law." We also speak to him about the latest congressional actions around Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

Chicago Elects First Woman and Openly Gay Mayor in Lori Lightfoot, Trump Delays Threat of U.S.-Mexico Border Closure, Trump Falsely Claims Father Is German-Born, Renews Attacks on NATO Members, House Dems to Subpoena Ex-WH Official over Security Clearance Reversals, House Dems to Subpoena Wilbur Ross over Census Citizenship Question, WaPo: Saudis Giving Money, Lavish Homes to Khashoggi Children, U.K.: Theresa May to Seek Brexit Extension, Cooperation with Opposition, DRC: Ebola Outbreak Infects Over 1,000, Kills 680, Algeria: President Bouteflika Resigns After Weeks of Mass Protests, Venezuela: Lawmakers Strip Guaidó of Parliamentary Immunity, Pittsburgh Approves New Gun Control Measures, California AG Appeals Overturning of High-Capacity Ammunition Ban, Report: DHS Disbanded Domestic Terrorism Unit Despite Rise of White Supremacism, U. of Kentucky Students End Protests as Diversity, Food Support Demands Met, 2019 Izzy Awards Honor Earth Island Journal, Laura Flanders, Aaron Maté & Dave Lindorff

As Trump attacks the Affordable Care Act, we look at the growing case for Medicare for all. More than 100 Democratic lawmakers co-sponsored a House bill last month to dramatically revamp healthcare in the United States by creating a Medicare-for-all system funded by the federal government. The bill would expand Medicare to include dental, vision and long-term care, while making the federally run health program available to all Americans. It would also eliminate health insurance premiums, copayments and deductibles. We speak with Dr. Adam Gaffney, president of Physicians for a National Health Program, which has endorsed the measure.

Just a week after President Trump's Justice Department supported a federal court ruling to wipe out the Affordable Care Act, Trump changed course in a series of tweets Monday and said he is willing to wait until after the 2020 presidential election for Congress to vote on a new healthcare plan. Trump has vowed to replace the ACA so that the Republican Party will be known as "the party of healthcare." We speak with Jamie Davis Smith, a mother of four, civil rights attorney and member of Little Lobbyists and Health Care Voter. Her daughter Claire has multiple severe disabilities. In a recent op-ed for The Washington Post, Davis Smith wrote, "If Trump ends Obamacare, keeping my daughter alive will wipe me out."

We look at the growing push for lawmakers to refuse money from corporate political action committees, as more than half of the Democrats newly elected to Congress have vowed not to accept such donations. We speak with Congressmember Nydia Velázquez of New York, a long-term legislator who has stopped taking corporate PAC donations. "In order to return trust [to] our democratic institutions, we need to ... allow for the voters to feel that their voices are heard and that they don't have to write a big check in order to gain access into our congressional offices," she says.

We look at the fight in Congress over disaster aid for Puerto Rico since it was ravaged by Hurricane Maria, one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history. On Monday, two competing disaster relief bills stalled in the Senate. A companion to a January package passed in the House failed after Republicans objected to the lack of relief funding for recent flooding in the Midwest. Another Senate bill supported by Republicans fell short of the 60 votes needed. It contained just $600 million for Puerto Rico's food stamp program, a number Democrats say is far too low as many Puerto Ricans are still recovering from the devastation of 2017's Hurricane Maria. Democrats also say aid should cover rebuilding and other forms of disaster relief. Trump responded Monday night on Twitter that "Puerto Rico got far more money than Texas & Florida combined, yet their government can't do anything right, the place is a mess - nothing works." We get response from New York Congressmember Nydia Velázquez, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993. She is the first Puerto Rican woman to be elected to Congress and is the former the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Whistleblower: WH Security Clearances Reversed Despite Serious Concerns, Senate Shoots Down Disaster Relief Bills as Fight over Puerto Rico Aid Intensifies, Trump: GOP Planning "Really Great" Healthcare Plan for After 2020 Election, U.K.: Lawmakers Shoot Down 4 Brexit Options as Impasse Continues, Algeria: Pres. Bouteflika to Resign as Protesters Call for Systemic Changes, West Bank: Israelis Shoot and Kill Palestinian Man During Raid, Brunei: U.N. Raises Alarm as LGBT Community Threatened by Death Penalty Law, SCOTUS Rules Against Man Who Says Lethal Injection Would Feel Like Torture, U.S.-Mexico Border Shutdown Could Cost Billions, AP: Trump May Name Kris Kobach as "Immigration Czar", Measles Cases Surge as States Consider Laws to Curb Outbreak, Second Woman Alleges Inappropriate Touching by Joe Biden, FAA: Fixes on Boeing 737 MAX Will Take More Time, Father of Murdered Student Samantha Josephson to Take on Ride-Share Safety

Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including three teenagers, at a mass demonstration Saturday on the first anniversary of the Great March of Return in Gaza. Israeli soldiers used live ammunition, tear gas and rubber bullets on the protesters. As tens of thousands of Palestinians came out to demand an end to the ongoing siege of Gaza and the right to return to their ancestral land, we speak with Ahmed Abu Artema, the Palestinian poet, journalist and peace activist who inspired the Great March of Return and helped organize it as a cry for help. Artema was frustrated by Israel's more than decade-long land, sea and air blockade of the Gaza Strip, upon which it has waged three wars in the past 10 years.

President Trump has announced the United States will cut off funding to the so-called Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador that are the primary source of a wave of migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, including caravans of families with children. He is also threatening to close the border with Mexico.
 This comes after Trump declared a national emergency to justify redirecting money earmarked for the military to pay for building a wall at the border. 
We speak with John Carlos Frey, award-winning investigative reporter and "PBS NewsHour" special correspondent who has reported extensively on immigration and recently traveled with the first migrant caravan from Central America to the U.S.-Mexico border.


With a deadline for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union fast approaching, the British Parliament will vote today on a series of options for Brexit after rejecting Prime Minister Theresa May's plan for the third time on Friday. The U.K.'s exit date for leaving the EU is April 12. Among the options on the table are remaining in the EU customs union, a soft Brexit and a second referendum—all ideas May has rejected in the past. We speak with professor Priya Gopal, a university lecturer in the Faculty of English at the University of Cambridge. She calls Britain's decision to leave the EU a "deeply neoliberal … free market, disaster-capitalist project."

Trump Announces Aid Cuts to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Trump Threatens to Close U.S.-Mexico Border, Outrage as Border Patrol Holds Asylum Seekers Underneath El Paso Bridge, Sepsis Was Cause of 7-Year-Old Guatemalan Girl's Death in U.S. Custody, Gov't Temporarily Extends Protected Immigration Status for Liberians, Judge Blocks Trump Order, Reinstates Arctic Drilling Ban, U.K.: Brexit Crisis Deepens as Lawmakers Fail to Back Deal, Gaza: Israeli Forces Kill 4 on Great March of Return Anniversary, Ukraine: Comedian Takes Hefty Lead in Presidential Vote Tally, Slovakia: Environmentalist Becomes First Female President, Turkey: President Erdogan Loses Ground in Local Elections, Mozambique: Cholera Cases on the Rise as Idai Recovery Continues, Ex-Nevada Assemblywoman Accuses Joe Biden of Inappropriate Touching, Georgia House Passes "Fetal Heartbeat" Law, Sends Bill to Gov. Kemp, Video Confirms CA Police Shot and Killed Rapper While Asleep in His Car, NY Will Not Pursue Officers Who Shot and Killed Saheed Vassell, NY to Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags, Hip-Hop Star Nipsey Hussle Shot and Killed Outside L.A. Store, Kenneth Gibson, Newark's First Black Mayor, Dies

Albert Woodfox is a former political prisoner who was held in solitary confinement for 43 years until he won his freedom just over three years ago. Now he is traveling the world and joins us in studio to discuss his new memoir, "Solitary: Unbroken by Four Decades in Solitary Confinement. My Story of Transformation and Hope." 

In it, he writes about his childhood and how his mother struggled to keep the family cared for, how as a teenager and young man he was in and out of jails and prisons, and how he became radicalized when he met members of the Black Panther Party and went on to establish the first chapter of the organization at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana, to address horrific conditions at the former cotton plantation. Not long after this, he and fellow prisoner Herman Wallace were accused in 1972 of stabbing prison guard Brent Miller. The two men always maintained their innocence, saying they were targeted because of their political activity. Woodfox, Wallace and and a third man, Robert King, became collectively known as the Angola 3. For decades Amnesty International and other groups campaigned for their release. "Solitary confinement ... is the most horrible and brutal nonphysical attack upon a human being," Woodfox says.

Who has the right to own photos of slaves? We speak with Tamara Lanier, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Papa Renty, the enslaved man whose image was captured in a 19th century photograph currently owned by Harvard University. She is suing the school, accusing it of unfairly profiting from the images. We also speak with her attorney, Benjamin Crump.

NY Sues Sackler Family, Purdue & Other Drug Cos. for Profiting from Opioid Crisis, Dems Press AG William Barr on 300+-Page Mueller Report, HUD Sues Facebook over Discriminatory Housing Ads, Puerto Rico Gov. Rosselló to Trump: "I'll Punch the Bully in the Mouth", Philippines: Rappler Founder Maria Ressa Arrested for 2nd Time, Venezuela: Gov't Bans Opposition Head Guaidó from Running for Office, Saudi Authorities Temporarily Release 3 Women Activists, Somalia: At Least 15 People Killed in al-Shabab Attack, Egyptian Activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah Freed After 5 Years in Prison, U.K.: Lawmakers to Vote on Key Text Two Weeks from Brexit Deadline, U.N. Issues Climate Warning, Tells Leaders to Have Concrete Plans, Trump Reverses Proposed Funding Cut for Special Olympics, Judge Strikes Trump Rule Allowing Employers to Circumvent Obamacare, Wells Fargo CEO Steps Down Amid Multiple Scandals, Maryland Passes $15 Minimum Wage Bill, Gaza: Protesters to Mark First Anniversary of Great March of Return

As avowed neo-Nazi James Alex Fields pleaded guilty Wednesday to 29 counts of hate crimes in a federal court for plowing his car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters in Charlottesville in August of 2017, we look at a new book that addresses the tragic event, as well as the rising number of race-based mass shootings, hate crimes and police shootings of unarmed men in the past several years. It also examines cases of discrimination against African Americans for simply sitting in coffee shops or trying to vacation in Airbnb-hosted homes. Professor Jennifer Eberhardt is the author of "Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do," about how implicit bias impacts everything from hate crimes to microaggressions in the workplace, school and community, and what we can do about it. Eberhardt is a professor of psychology at Stanford and a recipient of a 2014 MacArthur "genius" grant.

After two deadly crashes, the Senate holds its first hearing on how the Federal Aviation Administration lets the airline industry regulate itself. This comes as the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold confirmation hearings today on Trump's nominee to head the Interior Department, David Bernhardt, a former oil lobbyist. Meanwhile, a federal jury in California has just ordered Monsanto to pay over $80 million to a cancer survivor whose illness was found to have been partly caused by the herbicide Roundup. "When we see these regulatory issues, they're often abstract, and people maybe don't pay attention to them," says Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. "What they fail to realize is that, actually, failed regulation means people are going to die."

On Tuesday, Congressmember Sean Duffy of Wisconsin suggested the Green New Deal only served the wealthy. New York Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shot back with a passionate defense of the Green New Deal. We feature her full speech.

In a move Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called a "bluff vote," the Senate rejected the Green New Deal on Tuesday, after 43 Democrats voted "present" on the measure introduced by Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Four other Democrats joined all 53 Republican senators in voting against the Green New Deal. As Democrats blast McConnell's move to push the procedural vote, we speak to one of the lead policy writers for the Green New Deal, a proposal to transform the U.S. economy by funding renewable energy while ending U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. Rhiana Gunn-Wright is the policy director for the nonprofit New Consensus.

Boeing to Update Software Implicated in Crashes of 737 MAX Jets, Federal Judge Strikes Down Medicaid Work Requirements, Migrant Asylum Seekers in El Paso Detained in Open-Air Parking Lot, Trump Says Puerto Rico Received Too Much Aid After Hurricane Maria, Florida Police Identify Second Parkland Survivor Who Died by Suicide, Rep. Ilhan Omar Challenges Trump Admin Rule Easing Overseas Gun Sales, NRA Advised Far-Right Australian Party on Overturning Gun Controls, NRA Official Reached Out to Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theorist, Charlottesville Murderer James Alex Fields Pleads Guilty to Hate Crimes, Facebook to Ban White Nationalism, White Separatism, "This Is Not Mexico": Texas Official Blasts Judge for Speaking Spanish, New York County Bans Unvaccinated Children from Public Spaces, Jury Orders Monsanto to Pay Cancer Survivor $80 Million over Roundup, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Defends Plan to Cut Special Olympics Funding

As Oklahoma and Purdue Pharma reach a landmark settlement, we look at an underreported result of the opioid crisis: the underprescribing of opioids for patients who rely on them for pain management. This month, more than 300 doctors and medical researchers sent an open letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warning patients have been harmed by a lack of clarity in guidelines for prescribing opioids. The CDC revised the guidelines for primary care physicians in 2016 in order to improve safety and reduce risks associated with long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain. But many say the new guidelines caused confusion and led to the reduction or discontinuation of opioids for people who responsibly use the medication to manage pain related to cancer, multiple sclerosis, lupus and fibromyalgia. We speak with Terri Lewis, a social scientist, rehabilitation practitioner and clinical educator who is running a national survey of patients and physicians to calculate the impacts of changes in chronic pain treatment. We also speak with Barry Meier, the author of "Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America's Opioid Epidemic." He was the first journalist to shine a national spotlight on the abuse of OxyContin.