Democracy Now!

As government ministers from around the globe gather in Katowice, Poland, for the final days of the 24th U.N. climate summit, we speak with 15-year-old activist Greta Thunberg, who denounced politicians here last week for their inaction on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. She has garnered global attention for carrying out a weekly school strike against climate change in her home country of Sweden. "We need to change ourselves now, because tomorrow it might be too late," says Thunberg. We are also joined by her father, Svante Thunberg, a Swedish actor.

Democracy Now! is broadcasting from the U.N. climate summit in Katowice, Poland, this week, where world leaders gathered to negotiate climate solutions were confronted last week by a teenage climate activist who says they are not doing enough to turn back the clock and prevent catastrophic climate change. Fifteen-year-old Greta Thunberg stunned the world last week when she denounced world leaders for inaction and told them: "change is coming whether they like it or not. The people will rise to the challenge. And since our leaders are behaving like children, we will have to take the responsibility they should have taken long ago." She has made international headlines since launching a school strike against climate change in her home country of Sweden earlier this year. Every Friday, she protests outside the parliament building in Stockholm instead of attending school, and her actions have inspired thousands of students across the globe to do the same. Before we speak with Thunberg in person, we play an excerpt of her speech that went viral. "I like school, and I like learning," said Greta, who plans to end her strike when Sweden starts cutting carbon emissions by 15 percent a year. "But why should we be studying for a future that soon may be no more? This is more important than school, I think."

U.K.: Prime Minister May to Hold Emergency Talks with EU over Brexit, France: President Macron Offers Concessions to Protesters in TV Address, EPA Proposes Rollback of Water Protection Laws, Youth Climate Activists Flood Congress, Demanding "Green New Deal", COP24: Activists Take Over Trump Administration's Pro-Fossil Fuels Event, The Intercept: Shell Oil Helped Draft Paris Agreement, U.S. Rejects U.N. Migration Deal Backed by 164 Countries, U.K.: "Stansted 15" Activists Convicted of Terrorism for Preventing Deportation, California: Faith Leaders Arrested at Gathering to Support Migrants, Yemen Peace Talks Take Place as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens, SCOTUS Rejects States' Appeal Seeking Defunding of Planned Parenthood, Russian Gun Activist Pleads Guilty to Conspiring as a Foreign Agent, Pioneering Russian Human Rights Activist Lyudmila Alexeyeva Dies at 91, William Blum, Independent Journalist and Anti-Imperialist Historian, Dies at 85

Just minutes before we began our Monday broadcast, Democracy Now! spoke to protesters at the U.N. climate summit in Katowice, Poland, as they interrupted a Trump administration event promoting coal and other fossil fuels. We speak with Diné climate activist Leona Morgan.

This year's U.N. climate summit is in Katowice, Poland, and the Polish government is using the summit to promote coal, with several state-owned Polish coal companies sponsoring parts of the talks. Democracy Now! visited the Guido coal mine near Katowice, which has been turned into a mining museum, to speak with Polish environmental lawyer Bartosz Kwiatkowski. He is the director of the Frank Bold Foundation, which is involved in numerous lawsuits challenging the expansion of coal mining in Poland.

This week Democracy Now! is broadcasting from the U.N. climate summit in Katowice, Poland, where the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait have blocked language "welcoming" October's landmark IPCC climate report that warned of the catastrophic effects of a global temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius, beyond which global crises could unfold at a rapid pace. The four countries rejected using the word "welcome," insisting that members instead "note" the findings of the widely cited U.N. report. We begin our coverage with voices of some of the thousands of climate activists from around the world who marched in Katowice on Saturday, calling for world leaders to do more to keep rising greenhouse gas emissions in check. We also speak with a member of the European Parliament who confronted undercover Polish officials who were monitoring the protest.

Federal prosecutors have accused President Trump of committing a federal crime by directing illegal hush money to two women during the presidential election. The accusation was revealed Friday in filings made public by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, including a damning sentencing memo for Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen, who has admitted to paying adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal during the campaign in order to prevent them from speaking to the media about their alleged affairs with Trump. The sentencing memo was made public along with two new sentencing memos from special counsel Robert Mueller: one for Cohen and another for Trump's former campaign chair Paul Manafort. "We keep talking about whether you can indict a sitting president," says independent journalist Marcy Wheeler, editor of EmptyWheel.net. "There's still a debate about that, but, really critically, you can indict a corporation. You can indict Trump Organization."

Sentencing Memo for Cohen Implicates Trump in Federal Crimes, Trump's Chief-of-Staff Kelly to Leave Post by End of Year, NYT: Kushner Helped Crown Prince "Weather the Storm" After Khashoggi Murder, Trump Nominates William Barr as Next Attorney General, Brexit Vote Halted as EU Court Says U.K. Has Power to Reverse Course, France: Fourth Week of Mass Protests as Movement Spills over Border, COP24: U.S., Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait Block Adoption of U.N. Climate Report, Protesters Take to the Streets as COP24 Heads into Second Week, Colombia: Indigenous Governor Killed Amid Mounting Violence, Charlottesville: Jury Convicts Neo-Nazi of Murder at "Unite the Right" Rally, U.S. Plans to Charge Arrested Huawei CFO with Fraud, Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Nadia Murad & Dr. Denis Mukwege

The far right is rising in Europe, most recently in Spain, where the anti-immigrant, anti-abortion Vox party won multiple seats in a regional parliamentary election in Andalusia on Sunday. It was the first successful election for the far right in Spain since the country returned to democracy in the 1970s after the death of fascist military dictator Francisco Franco. We speak with economist and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, who is launching a movement with Senator Bernie Sanders and others to fight right-wing forces around the globe.

As the oil and gas pipeline boom crosses the United States and Canada, indigenous activists say the influx of male workers in Native communities has corresponded with a spike in the kidnapping and murder of indigenous women. We speak with Winona LaDuke, Ojibwe environmental leader and executive director of the group Honor the Earth. She lives and works on the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota.

While world leaders converge in Poland for the U.N. climate change summit, we look at the indigenous-led fight against destructive oil pipelines and the revolutionary potential of the Green New Deal with Winona LaDuke, Ojibwe environmental leader and executive director of the group Honor the Earth. She lives and works on the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota.

Yemen: U.N. Declares Famine as Warring Parties Meet in Sweden, North Carolina Democrat Withdraws Concession over Apparent Vote Fraud, U.S. and Canada Won't Explain Reasons for Chinese Executive's Arrest, Greenland Ice Sheet Melting at Fastest Pace in Centuries, Trump Rollback of Sage Grouse Protection to Open Millions of Acres to Drilling, BuzzFeed: Facebook Impostor Helped Organize Migrant Caravan, Robert Mueller to Submit Sentencing Guidelines for Manafort, Cohen, Trump Nominates Former Fox News Host Heather Nauert as U.N. Ambassador, Trump Considers Bringing Back William Barr as Attorney General, Trump Campaign Apparently Coordinated Illegally with NRA in TV Ads, France Braces for More "Yellow Vest" Protests, Kevin Hart Withdraws as Oscars Host Over Homophobic Tweets, Chicago Charter School Teachers Strike, World-Renowned Linguist and Political Dissident Noam Chomsky Turns 90

A far-right, anti-immigrant, anti-abortion political party in Spain has made gains in regional elections, prompting protests in the streets. Members of Spain's younger generation are too young to remember the brutal 40-year military dictatorship under General Francisco Franco. But a remarkable new documentary titled "The Silence of Others," or "El Silencio de Otros," hopes to remind Spaniards of the country's fascist past, lest history repeat itself. The film follows several survivors of the Franco regime in their pursuit of justice. We speak with Spanish filmmaker Almudena Carracedo, who, along with Robert Bahar, wrote, produced and directed "The Silence of Others."

The United Nations and human rights groups have accused China's government of setting up massive anti-Muslim "re-education" camps in the northwest Xinjiang province to disappear, jail and brainwash Uyghur Muslims. Some estimates put the population in the camps at up to 2 million. After months of denials, China acknowledged their existence in October, saying they are part of efforts to counter extremism. But Uyghurs say it's a form of collective punishment—and that they live under a high-tech surveillance state designed to eradicate Islam. We speak to Rushan Abbas, a Uyghur-American activist based in Washington, D.C. After she spoke out against China's repression of the Uyghurs earlier this year, her aunt and sister disappeared and have not been heard from since.

Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rise to Record High in 2018, WHO Says Meeting Paris Climate Goal Would Save Millions of Lives, Quebec Youth Sue Canada, Citing Gross Negligence on Climate Change, Barclays Customers Demand Divestment from Tar Sands Pipelines, George H.W. Bush Remembered at Washington National Cathedral, Canada Arrests Huawei Executive for Extradition to U.S., Trump Praises Chinese Death Penalty for Drug Dealers, Wisconsin Republicans Complete Legislative Power Grab, Michigan Republicans Move to Limit Power of Incoming Democratic Leaders, NYT: Paul Manafort Discussed Deal to Seize Julian Assange, Saudi-Paid Lobbyists Put Up U.S. Veterans at Trump's D.C. Hotel, Mikhail Gorbachev and George Shultz: Don't Abandon INF Nuclear Treaty, Turkey Seeks to Arrest Can Dündar, Winner of 2016 Right Livelihood Award, USA Gymnastics Files for Bankruptcy over Larry Nassar Scandal

As the media memorializes George H.W. Bush, we look at the lasting impact of his 1991 invasion of Iraq and the propaganda campaign that encouraged it. Although the Gulf War technically ended in February of 1991, the U.S. war on Iraq would continue for decades, first in the form of devastating sanctions and then in the 2003 invasion launched by George W. Bush. Thousands of U.S. troops and contractors remain in Iraq. A largely forgotten aspect of Bush Sr.'s war on Iraq is the vast domestic propaganda effort before the invasion began. We look at the way U.S. media facilitated the war on Iraq with journalist John "Rick" MacArthur, president and publisher of Harper's Magazine and the author of the book "Second Front: Censorship and Propaganda in the 1991 Gulf War."

Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin are orchestrating an unprecedented power grab to weaken incoming Democratic Governor Tony Evers before he takes office. In an extraordinary move that some are calling a "legislative coup," Republican legislators worked throughout Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning to pass a sweeping package of lame-duck bills to give power to the Republican-controlled Legislature before Republican Governor Scott Walker leaves office in January. The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate passed a measure to limit the power of the Democratic governor and attorney general-elect and restrict early voting periods. Earlier Wednesday morning, the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly passed a bill enacting a Medicaid work requirement and limiting the incoming governor's ability to change state laws requiring able-bodied adults without children to work in order to receive public benefits. We speak with Ruth Conniff, editor-at-large of the Wisconsin-based magazine The Progressive.

Senators Say Crown Prince Is Guilty in Khashoggi Murder After CIA Briefing, Mueller Not Seeking Jail Time for Flynn, Cites "Substantial Assistance", Politico: NRCC Emails Hacked in 2018 Midterms, Georgia Voters Elect Republican Secretary of State, Congressmembers Call for Labor Sec. Acosta Probe over Epstein Plea Deal, DOJ Senior Official Allowed to Get Away with Sexual Assault, Federal Gov. Shuts Down for Nat'l Day of Mourning, Somalia: U.S. Reopens Permanent Diplomatic Presence, Pompeo Gives Russia 60 Days to Comply with Nuclear Treaty, West Bank: Israeli Forces Kill Disabled Palestinian in Overnight Raid, Morocco Begins U.N.-Brokered Talks over Occupation of Western Sahara, Libya: 15 Migrants Die After Boat Goes Adrift, Trump Organization Subpoenaed in Emoluments Clause Lawsuit, Missouri: Springfield Police Chief Apologizes to Rape Survivors, NYPD to Deploy Fleet of Drones, CBS Board Member Knew of Les Moonves Sexual Assault Allegations, Texas: Asylum Seeker and 4-Year-Old Child Reunited After 8 Months, UNC Students Protest Plan to House Confederate Statue in $5 Million Building

Mexico's new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, was sworn in this weekend amid fanfare as tens of thousands gathered in the capital to celebrate the country's first leftist president in decades. In his inaugural speech, AMLO addressed security and vowed to end corruption and impunity. We speak with Greg Grandin, prize-winning author and professor of Latin American history at New York University. He says, "The crisis on the border that has been prompted by the Trump administration, but also has deep structural roots, will play out with this hope that AMLO represents. The Latin American left has been defeated everywhere else. AMLO is isolated. Brazil, Colombia, Argentina — these are all major countries that are ruled by right-wing governments."

George H.W. Bush was the only president in U.S. history to serve as CIA director, a role that would come to define his career and politics. He once described the intelligence agency as "part of my heartbeat." Bush Sr. was at the helm of the CIA from January 1976 to January 1977. We speak with Ariel Dorfman, best-selling author, playwright, poet and activist, who teaches at Duke University. In 1973, he served as a cultural adviser to Chilean President Salvador Allende's chief of staff. He says George H.W. Bush was "presiding over the CIA when Pinochet, the dictator of Chile, had concentration camps open. They were torturing people. They were executing people. They were persecuting people. And they were killing people overseas." We also speak with Greg Grandin, prize-winning author and professor of Latin American history at New York University, and José Luis Morín, professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

As the media lauds George H.W. Bush's legacy, we look at his role in the Iran-Contra scandal. Bush Sr. was vice president when the Reagan administration conspired to deceive and defy Congress with its illegal arms sale to Iran in exchange for securing the release of American hostages in Lebanon. The proceeds from the sale were used to illegally fund the Nicaraguan Contras. In 1992, when Bush Sr. was president, he pardoned several Iran-Contra defendants, including Caspar Weinberger, Robert McFarlane and Elliott Abrams. We speak with Greg Grandin, prize-winning author and professor of Latin American history at New York University.

Last month, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called on Washington to pay reparations to Panama over George H.W. Bush's illegal invasion there in 1989. We speak with international human rights attorney José Luis Morín, who has been working since 1990 to secure reparations for Panama. He is a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and chairperson of the Latin American and Latina/o Studies Department.

The death of George H.W. Bush has dominated the U.S. news for days, but little attention has been paid to the defining event of Bush's first year in office: the invasion of Panama. On December 19, 1989, Bush Sr. sent tens of thousands of troops into Panama, ostensibly to execute an arrest warrant against its leader, Manuel Noriega, on charges of drug trafficking. General Noriega was once a close ally to Washington and on the CIA payroll. In a nationally televised address, Bush claimed the invasion was needed to defend democracy in Panama. During the attack, the U.S. unleashed a force of 24,000 troops equipped with highly sophisticated weaponry and aircraft against a country with an army smaller than the New York City Police Department. An estimated 3,000 Panamanians died in the attack. We speak with historian Greg Grandin, prize-winning author and professor of Latin American history at New York University, on the lasting impact of the Panama invasion.

Wisconsin: Protesters Take to the Capitol to Oppose GOP Power Grab, North Carolina Investigating Election Fraud in Congressional Race, Trump Praises Stone for Refusal to Testify in Mueller Probe, CIA Director Haspel to Brief Top Senators on Khashoggi Murder, Spain: Far-Right Vox Party Makes Gains in Regional Elections, France: Fuel Tax Hikes Suspended Amid Growing Unrest, Qatar Withdraws from OPEC, Mexico's AMLO Creates Truth Commission over 2014 Student Disappearance, Philippines: Indicted Rappler Editor Posts Bail, Vows to Keep Reporting, Reports: U.S Admiral in Middle East Died by Suicide, Texas: Calls Grow to Halt Executions by Lethal Injection, St. Louis: 4 Officers Indicted in Attack of Undercover Black Officer, Autopsy Reveals Police Shot Man in Back 3 Times in Wrongful Alabama Mall Killing, Nexstar Acquires Tribune Media to Become Largest Local TV Provider, Indigenous Activists in Canada Block Construction of Major Pipeline

Hundreds of international progressive leaders gathered in Burlington, Vermont, last weekend for an event hosted by The Sanders Institute. While there, Amy Goodman sat down with independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders to discuss his efforts to pass a Green New Deal, raise the minimum wage and protect Social Security. He also spoke about last week's historic Senate vote to advance a resolution he co-sponsored to end military support for the Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen.

George H.W. Bush died on the eve of World AIDS Day, an irony not lost on many HIV/AIDS activists who remember the 41st president of the United States for his lack of action in the 1990s as the HIV/AIDS crisis raged on. Bush said little about the crisis during his years as vice president under Ronald Reagan, who didn't even mention AIDS until the penultimate year of his presidency. Despite promises to do more after he was elected president, George H.W. Bush refused to address and fund programs around HIV/AIDS education and prevention, as well as drug treatment. We speak with Steven Thrasher, journalist and doctoral candidate in American studies at New York University. He was recently appointed Daniel H. Renberg chair of media coverage in sexual and gender minorities at Northwestern University. His recent article for The Nation is titled "It's a Disgrace to Celebrate George H.W. Bush on World AIDS Day."

George H.W. Bush died in Houston on Friday night at the age of 94. Bush was elected the 41st president of the United States in 1988, becoming the first and only former CIA director to lead the country. He served as Ronald Reagan's vice president from 1981 to 1989. Since Bush's death, the media has honored the former president by focusing on his years of service and his call as president for a kinder, gentler America. But the headlines have largely glossed over and ignored other parts of Bush's legacy. We look at the 1991 Gulf War, Bush's pardoning of six Reagan officials involved in the Iran-Contra scandal and how a racist election ad helped him become president. We speak with Intercept columnist Mehdi Hasan. His latest piece is titled "The Ignored Legacy of George H.W. Bush: War Crimes, Racism, and Obstruction of Justice."

George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States, Dies at 94, Mexico: AMLO Sworn In as President, Vows to Create New National Guard, China and U.S. Agree to Temporary Trade Truce, Trump Plans to Cancel NAFTA, Pushes for New USMCA Deal, France: Hundreds of Thousands Continue to Protest Fuel Hikes, Khashoggi WhatsApp Messages May Have Been Intercepted by Saudis, Leaders Urge Decisive Action as COP24 Kicks Off in Poland, Officer Who Killed Unarmed Black Man in His Own Apartment Indicted for Murder, Wisconsin GOP Tries to Force Through Bills Limiting Power of Elected Democrats, Three Women Accuse deGrasse Tyson of Sexual Misconduct, Including Rape, Politico: DHS Requesting Cabinet Departments Send Civilian Forces to Border, NYC: Students Protest CUNY Board Chair's Support for Amazon HQ

Hundreds of international progressive leaders have traveled to Burlington, Vermont, for a gathering hosted by The Sanders Institute. Last night, former presidential candidate and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders kicked the event off with a keynote speech on healthcare, raising the minimum wage and his bipartisan resolution to end military support for the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led bombing of Yemen. He was introduced by Harvard professor Cornel West.

As Democrats prepare to take control of the House, pressure is growing on the Democratic leadership to embrace Medicare for all. Nearly 50 newly Democratic members of Congress campaigned for Medicare for all. In the last year, 123 incumbent House Democrats also co-sponsored Medicare-for-all legislation, double the number who supported a Medicare-for-all bill in the previous legislative session. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical, insurance and hospital companies are paying close attention. As The Intercept's Lee Fang reports, over the summer the groups formed a partnership to fight the growing support for expanding Medicare. We speak to three proponents of Medicare for all who have assembled in Burlington, Vermont, for a gathering of The Sanders Institute: Kelly Coogan-Gehr of National Nurses United, British anesthesiologist Dr. Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini and organizer Jo Beardsmore.

Former Trump Lawyer Cohen Pleads Guilty to Lying to Cover for Trump, Trump Cancels G20 Meeting with Putin, Deutsche Bank Raided in Money Laundering Probe, Migrant Caravan Organizes for Fair Treatment as Members Start Hunger Strike, Reports: Tear Gas Used at Border Supplied by Co. Owned by Political Donor, U.S., Mexico and Canada Sign Trade Deal, Honduras: Court Convicts 7 Men for Murder of Activist Berta Cáceres, Body Search Ends in Paradise as Rains Batter Region, Zinke Promotes Logging While Visiting Wildfire-Devastated Area, Report: Health Effects of Smoke Exposure Last Months After Wildfires, CNN Fires Contributor for Defending Palestinian Rights, Philippines: News Site Rappler Indicted in Ongoing Crackdown, NYT: Facebook's Sandberg Asked for Intel on Soros After Public Criticism, News Outlet Mic Lays Off Workers After Being Sold, Sen. Scott Opposes Vote-Suppressing Farr, Ending Judicial Nomination, Police Arrest Suspect of Alabama Mall Shooting a Week After Wrongful Killing, Australia: Students Walk Out to Demand Climate Action, Community Leaders Hold G20 Counter-Event "The People's Summit"

We look at the link between climate change and meat consumption on the heels of a series of damning reports that say if humans don't act now to halt climate change, the results will be catastrophic. A new study by the World Meteorological Organization shows the past four years have been the hottest on record. On Tuesday, the United Nations reported that carbon emissions reached record highs in 2017 and are on the rise for the first time in four years. Radical reductions are necessary to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, the level that would prevent the worst effects of catastrophic climate change. Livestock for meat and dairy products worldwide is responsible for almost 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it the second largest source of emissions after the fossil fuels industry. We speak with British author and journalist George Monbiot, who argues that the fate of the planet depends on the way we choose to eat.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could face prosecution in Argentina for alleged complicity in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the Saudi-led humanitarian crisis in Yemen. On Wednesday, an Argentine prosecutor reportedly accepted a request by Human Rights Watch to prosecute the crown prince, just hours after he landed in Argentina ahead of the G20 summit. Argentina recognizes universal jurisdiction for war crimes and torture, which means it is able to press charges against the crown prince while he is in the country. We speak with Reed Brody, counsel and spokesperson for Human Rights Watch, and Shireen Al-Adeimi, Yemeni scholar, activist, and an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University.

The Senate voted Wednesday to advance a resolution to end military support for the Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen. This marks the first time in U.S. history that the Senate has voted to advance a bill to withdraw military forces from an unauthorized war using the War Powers Resolution Act. Wednesday's vote sets the stage for a possible final vote on the measure within days, and has been seen as a rebuke of President Trump's handling of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Just hours before the vote, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis held a closed-door briefing with U.S. senators, urging them to vote against the resolution. Administration officials warned senators not to compromise ties with Saudi Arabia over the killing of Khashoggi and said U.S. involvement in the war in Yemen is necessary to counter Iran’s influence in the Middle East. We speak with Shireen Al-Adeimi, Yemeni scholar, activist, and an assistant professor at Michigan State University.

Senate Votes to Advance Resolution to End War in Yemen, White House Blocks CIA Director From Briefing Senate on Khashoggi Murder, Senate Blocks Vote to Protect Special Counsel Mueller's Probe, Trump: A Pardon for Ex-Campaign Chair Manafort is "Not Off The Table", Tension Escalates Between Russia & Ukraine, Senate Advances Judicial Nominee Who Worked to Suppress Black Votes, House Dems Nominate Rep. Pelosi for House Speaker, Afghanistan: U.S. Airstrikes Kill at Least 30 Civilians, U.N. Report: Malnutrition On the Rise Worldwide, Public Outrage After Right-Wing Sinclair Airs Anti-Immigrant Piece, Senate Delays Vote on Controversial ICE Head Nominee, Report: Labor Sec. Acosta Helped Shield Billionaire Who Sexually Abused Dozens of Girls, Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found at Office of Holocaust Scholar in NYC, Overdoses Main Cause of Life Expectancy Decline in U.S., EU Seeks to Lead on Climate Change, Work Toward Carbon-Neutral Future, Brazil Withdraws as Host of 2019 UN Climate Change Conference, Climate Activists Scale Polish Power Plant Ahead of COP24

As the Trump administration continues to defend firing tear gas into crowds of asylum seekers, we look at the history of tear gas, which is banned in warfare but legal for federal authorities and police to turn on civilians. Border authorities' use of tear gas has spiked under the Trump administration, with the agency's own data revealing it has deployed tear gas over two dozen times this year alone. Customs and Border Protection told Newsweek Tuesday it began using tear gas under the Obama administration in 2010. The agency's use of tear gas has now reached a seven-year record high. We speak with Stuart Schrader, lecturer in sociology at Johns Hopkins University. He has studied how tear gas went from a weapon of war used in Vietnam to being deployed by law enforcement at home. His forthcoming book is titled "Badges Without Borders: How Global Counterinsurgency Transformed American Policing."

Eight men are on trial in Honduras for the murder of environmentalist Berta Cáceres, who was gunned down in her home in La Esperanza in 2016. A verdict is expected this week. The assassination of Cáceres came a year after she won the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work protecting indigenous communities and her campaign against a massive hydroelectric dam project. We speak with Dana Frank, professor emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her new book is titled, "The Long Honduran Night: Resistance, Terror, and the United States in the Aftermath of the Coup."

As the United States continues to face criticism for tear gassing asylum seekers on the U.S.-Mexico border, we look at the crisis in Honduras and why so many Hondurans are fleeing their homeland. Honduras has become one of the most violent countries in the world because of the devastating drug war and a political crisis that stems in part from a U.S.-backed 2009 coup. We speak with Dana Frank, professor emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her new book is titled, "The Long Honduran Night: Resistance, Terror, and the United States in the Aftermath of the Coup."

The brother of Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández has been arrested in the United States for drug trafficking and weapons offenses. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman accused Tony Hernández of being "involved in all stages of the trafficking through Honduras of multi-ton loads of cocaine that were destined for the U.S." Hernandez is also accused of providing heavily armed security for cocaine shipments transported within Honduras, including by members of the Honduran National Police and drug traffickers. We speak with Dana Frank, professor emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her new book is titled, "The Long Honduran Night: Resistance , Terror, and the United States in the Aftermath of the Coup."

U.N. Report Warns World Falling Far Behind on Paris Climate Goals, Mexico Agrees to U.S. Demand to Hold Asylum Seekers While Claims Are Decided, Trump Administration Defends Tear Gas Use at U.S.-Mexico Border, Border Patrol Fired Tear Gas Dozens of Times Under President Obama, U.S. Waived Background Checks for Staff at Jail for Migrant Children, Mississippi: GOP's Cindy Hyde-Smith, Who Posed as Confederate Soldier, Wins Senate Seat, Ukraine's President Warns of "Full-Fledged War" with Russia, Trump "Not Even a Little Bit Happy" with Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Trump Says "We’re Not Necessarily Such Believers" in Climate Change, White House Bars CIA Chief from Briefing Senators on Khashoggi Murder, Senate to Vote on Ending U.S. Support for Saudi-Led War in Yemen, Argentina: Thousands Protest Austerity Measures on Eve of G20 Summit, Outgoing Mexican President to Present Jared Kushner with Award, Syrian Journalist Raed Fares, Who Faced Threats by Government and Rebels, Killed in Idlib, NYT: President Trump Briefed on What Manafort Told Mueller Probe, WikiLeaks Denies Guardian Report that Manafort Met Julian Assange, Fox News Admits It Allowed Former EPA Chief to Control Interviews, Louisiana Court to Hear Challenge to Bayou Bridge Oil Pipeline, NASA Probe Will Measure Marsquakes to Study Martian Interior

A major new Marshall Project investigation looks at the the mental health crisis in U.S. prisons by diving deep into the story of Karl Taylor, a prisoner who died at a maximum-security prison in the Catskills of New York after an altercation with prison guards in 2015. Karl Taylor was serving out a minimum 27-year sentence for a rape conviction when his life came to a sudden end at the Sullivan Correctional Facility in April of 2015. The African-American prisoner had been diagnosed with delusional disorder and paranoid personality disorder when he was taken into custody in 1995. By April of 2015, Taylor was housed in a special unit at Sullivan for prisoners classified as mentally ill. He had spent nearly ten years in solitary confinement. That’s when he got into what would turn out to be a fatal altercation with a prison guard. We speak with investigative reporter Tom Robbins, author of “Why Is Karl Taylor Dead?”

President Trump is urging Mexico to deport the thousands of Central American migrants who are at or approaching the U.S. border in an attempt to seek asylum, days after U.S. border authorities fired tear gas into a crowd of asylum seekers as some tried to push their way through the heavily militarized border near San Diego. Trump tweeted, "Mexico should move the flag waving Migrants, many of whom are stone cold criminals, back to their countries. Do it by plane, do it by bus, do it anyway you want, but they are NOT coming into the U.S.A. We will close the Border permanently if need be. Congress, fund the WALL!" This comes just days before Andrés Manuel López Obrador is sworn in as Mexico's new president. López Obrador's incoming government has denied it made any deal with the Trump administration to force asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their U.S. asylum claims are processed. We speak with John Carlos Frey, Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and PBS NewsHour special correspondent. He recently returned from reporting trips in Guatemala, Mexico City and Tijuana, where he was documenting the migrant caravan.

Last week, a jury found Border Patrol agent Lonnie Swartz not guilty of involuntary manslaughter for shooting and killing 16-year-old José Antonio Elena Rodríguez through the U.S.-Mexico border fence in 2012. The jury hung on whether to bring a charge of voluntary manslaughter, leaving it unclear whether prosecutors would seek to try Swartz a third time. A previous jury acquitted Swartz on murder charges but deadlocked on lesser manslaughter charges. Authorities claim José Elena Rodríguez was throwing rocks at agents over the border fence before Swartz opened fire. But medical examiners say José was shot as many as 11 times, with all but one of the bullets striking from behind, leading them to conclude the teen was shot in the back as he lay on the ground. We speak with John Carlos Frey, Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and PBS NewsHour special correspondent. He has reported extensively on the killing of José Antonio Elena Rodríguez.

The Mexican government is demanding a full investigation after U.S. border authorities fired tear gas Sunday into a crowd of Central American asylum seekers as they tried to push their way through the heavily militarized border near San Diego. Among those attacked were mothers and small children, who were left gagging and screaming as tear gas spread. The migrants are mostly from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, and are fleeing widespread violence, poverty and mass unemployment. The Border Patrol’s use of tear gas has been widely condemned. Trump is now urging Mexico to deport the thousands of Central American migrants who are at or approaching the U.S. border in an attempt to seek asylum. We go to San Diego to speak with Pedro Rios, the director of the American Friends Service Committee’s U.S./Mexico Border Program. He witnessed U.S. border agents using tear gas on Central American migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday.

Trump Defends Tear Gassing of Migrants, Blames Parents and "Grabbers", GM To Cut 15,000 Jobs Across North America, Trump Denies Findings of National Climate Report, Turkey Searches Saudi-Owned Villas for Jamal Khashoggi's Body, Saudi Crown Prince May Meet with Erdogan as G20 Host Argentina Mulls Criminal Charges, Report: Kushner Urged Administration to Inflate Saudi Arms Deals, CNN: U.S. "Slams Brakes" on U.N. Yemen Ceasefire Resolution, Afghanistan: IED Kills 3 U.S. Soldiers, Ukraine Declares Martial Law over Russian Naval Attack, Mueller Says Paul Manafort Lied in Russia Inquiry After Plea Deal, Rep. Mia Love Blasts Trump in Concession Speech, Democrat Pulls Ahead in California House Race, Mississippi: Nooses Found Outside Capitol Ahead of Senate Election, CDC Confirms 116 Cases of Rare Disease That Can Paralyze Children, Autopsy Reveals Trans Asylum-Seeker in ICE Custody Was Assaulted Before Death, Asylum-Seeker Held in Tacoma, WA ICE Jail Dies After 86-Day Fast, Activists Protest New York's $3 Billion Subsidy for Amazon "HQ2"

On the heels of yet another alarming climate change report—this time released by a White House that openly denies global warming—we speak with 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben and public health scholar Kristie Ebi about President Trump's environmental policies, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal and what it will take to fight the growing threat of climate change.

The White House released an alarming climate change report on Black Friday, attempting to bury a 1,656-page government assessment that directly contradicts President Trump's history of climate change denial. The damning report, known as the National Climate Assessment, says that the consequences of climate change will leave no part of the U.S. untouched and that the warming climate will increase wildfires, crumble infrastructure, worsen air quality, destroy crops and lead to more frequent disease outbreaks. It also finds that global warming could shrink the U.S. economy by as much as 10 percent by the end of the century. The findings are a sharp rebuke to the Trump administration's insistence that environmental regulations hurt jobs and hinder economic growth. We speak with Kristie Ebi, a professor of global health at the University of Washington in Seattle and the lead author of the report's chapter on the human health impacts of climate change.

U.S. border patrol officers fired tear gas into a crowd of desperate Central American asylum-seekers Sunday in Tijuana, Mexico as some tried to push their way through the heavily militarized border with the United States. Mothers and small children were left gagging and screaming as the tear gas spread. The migrants are from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, and are fleeing widespread violence, poverty and mass unemployment. We speak with Rev. Dr. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign and president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach.

Mississippi voters will head to the polls Tuesday in the state's hotly contested runoff senate election, as incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith faces off against Democrat Mike Espy. In a state that Donald Trump won by 20 percentage points two years ago, Espy is attempting to become Mississippi's first African-American senator since Reconstruction. His opponent, incumbent Sen. Hyde-Smith, attended and graduated from an all-white segregationist high school and recently posed for photos with a Confederate Army cap and other Confederate artifacts. Earlier this month, a viral video showed Hyde-Smith praising a campaign supporter, saying, "If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row." Mississippi was once considered the lynching capital of the United States. We speak with Rev. Dr. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign and president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach. He recently traveled to Mississippi to get out the vote.

U.S. Border Patrol Fires Tear Gas at Families Seeking Asylum, Border Patrol Officer Who Shot Teen Acquitted of Manslaughter Charge, North Carolina: ICE Arrests Immigrant Who Left Church Sanctuary, White House Tries to Bury Climate Report With Devastating Conclusions, California: Camp Fire 100% Contained as Death Toll Climbs to 85, Russia Seizes Three Ukrainian Ships Near Crimean Peninsula, President Trump Contradicts CIA Findings on Jamal Khashoggi Murder, Yemen: U.N. Urges Warring Parties to Enter Peace Talks, UAE Pardons UK Academic of Spying After Months of Imprisonment, EU Approves Brexit Deal, France: Police Clamp Down on Paris Fuel Protesters as Unrest Deepens, Demonstrators March Worldwide to End Violence Against Women, Pakistan: Radical Cleric and At Least 1,000 Supporters Arrested, Pakistan: Separatist Group Attacks Chinese Consulate, Killing Four, Afghanistan: ISIS Bombing Kills 27 Soldiers at Army Base Mosque, Alabama: Police Kill Legally Armed Black Man at an Upscale Mall, Charlottesville: Trial to Begin for Neo-Nazi Charged with Murder, Ray Hill, Pioneering Radio Host and LGBT Activist, Dies at 78