Democracy Now!

Trump Calls Off Secret Afghanistan Meeting, Putting Fate of Possible Peace Deal in Question, Bahama Grapples with Hurricane Dorian's Devastation as U.S. Turns Away Asylum Seekers, FBI Investigates Shooting of Undocumented Man by ICE Agent in Tennessee, Trump Admin Failing to Provide Legal Aid for Migrant Children, 8.5-Month-Pregnant Asylum Seeker Kicked Out of U.S. Under "Remain in Mexico" Policy, U.S. Air Force & House Dems Investigate Spending at Trump's Scottish Turnberry Resort, Heating of Pacific Ocean Threatens Marine Life, Endangered Species, Israeli Military Fatally Shoots Two Palestinian Teens in Gaza, Salvadoran Rape Survivor Faces New Trial for Having Stillborn, After Recent Acquittal, Russia and Ukraine Swap Dozens of Prisoners in Sign of Thawing Relations, Russian Pro-Kremlin Party Loses Strength in Local Elections, Colombia At Risk of Election-Related Violence as 2 More Indigenous Leaders Killed, Former South Carolina Gov. and Rep. Mark Sanford Enters 2020 GOP Race, Trump Will Be Able to Nominate 2 More Conservative Judges to 11th Circuit, Two More Black Transgender Murders Bring 2019 Total Death Count to At Least 18, Progressive News Site ThinkProgress Shuts Down After Failing to Secure Funding

Lisa Fithian is a longtime organizer and nonviolent direct action trainer since the 1970s. She has shut down the CIA. She has occupied Wall Street, disrupted the World Trade Organization and stood her ground in Tahrir Square. She has walked in solidarity with the tribal leaders at Standing Rock and defended communities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. She joined us at the Democracy Now! studio to talk about her new book, which was published this week, titled "Shut It Down: Stories from a Fierce, Loving Resistance." Fithian is currently on a book tour and doing a new workshop called "Escalating Resistance: Mass Rebellion Training."

Zimbabwe's first post-independence leader, Robert Mugabe, has died at the age of 95. In 1963, he helped found the Zimbabwe African National Union in an effort to liberate the country from decades of white-minority rule. He was jailed from 1963 to 1974. Once freed, Mugabe became a leader of the liberation movement which successfully led to the formation of an independent Zimbabwe in 1979. He became Zimbabwe's first prime minister in 1980, but he would continue ruling the country for the next 37 years. While Mugabe has been hailed as one of the most significant anti-colonial leaders of the 20th century, he was widely criticized for how he led Zimbabwe and for his refusal to hand over power until he was ousted in a coup in 2017. His death was announced by his successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa. To talk more about the legacy of Robert Mugabe, we speak with Horace Campbell, professor of African American studies and political science at Syracuse University.

Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas as a Category 5 storm over the weekend, lingering for days and leaving nearly unimaginable destruction in its path. The airport on Grand Bahama Island has been completely decimated, and entire neighborhoods have been razed. Hundreds, if not thousands, remain missing. We speak with University of Miami assistant professor Erica Moiah James about the climate change-fueled hurricane and how the people in the Bahamas are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

As Hurricane Dorian lashes North Carolina and continues its path north, the death toll in the Bahamas has risen to 30 people. The actual number is expected to be far higher, with hundreds, if not thousands, still missing in the island nation. We speak to Susan Mangicaro, senior adviser for emergency response at the International Medical Corps, about ongoing rescue efforts in the Bahamas.

Hurricane Dorian Death Toll in Bahamas Rises to 30, Likely Far Higher, Trump Personally Altered Map to Promote False Hurricane Threat to Alabama, Brazilian Archbishops Denounce Amazon Fires, Brazil's President Taunts U.N. Human Rights Chief over Her Family's Torture by Pinochet, Taliban Suicide Blast Kills 12 in Afghan Capital, Including Two NATO Soldiers, Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwean Liberation Fighter Turned Dictator, Dies at 95, Mike Pence Stayed in Trump Golf Resort 180+ Miles from Talks with Irish Leaders, Brother of British PM Boris Johnson Quits Parliament over Brexit, Federal Judge Rules Federal Terrorism Watchlist Unconstitutional, Trump Admin Calls for Privatization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Ex-Interior Department Official Who Backed Alaska Drilling Joins Oil Company, San Francisco Supervisors Declare NRA a Terrorist Organization, 12 Arrested in Massachusetts Protest of Amazon's Ties to ICE

Nearly 2 million people in the northeast state of Assam are at risk of being rendered stateless in India after the government published its National Register of Citizens list Saturday. The highly contested register was first created in 1951 and lists people who are able to prove they came to the state by March 24, 1971 — the day before neighboring Bangladesh, then East Pakistan, declared independence from Pakistan. The Indian government says the list helps identify Bangladeshi migrants who are not legal residents. Critics have denounced the register as an attempt to deport millions of Muslims. Residents suspected of being foreigners can be rounded up and sent to prison camps. Assam residents were in shock after the NRC was published. Assam residents who do not appear on the list have 120 days to appeal their exclusion before so-called foreigner tribunals. We speak with award-winning Indian author and journalist Siddhartha Deb, who was born in northeast India. "It's become this incredible exercise in disenfranchisement," he says. "The process has been riven with confusion, with arbitrariness for the past few years."

Ten Democratic presidential hopefuls took to the stage in New York City Wednesday night for a climate town hall hosted by CNN. The event was held less than two weeks after the Democratic National Committee rejected a resolution that would have allowed candidates to participate in a debate focused on the climate crisis. For months, the Sunrise Movement and other environmental groups pushed the DNC to hold a climate debate, but the party refused. We host a roundtable with former EPA official Mustafa Ali, journalist Kate Aronoff and Sunrise Movement digital director Mattias Lehman.

While 2020 hopefuls Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders often aligned on climate policy at CNN's climate crisis town hall Wednesday evening, the candidates diverged on the question of nationalizing public utilities. Bernie is for the proposal, while Warren is against. We speak with journalist Kate Aronoff.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is facing scrutiny after being questioned about his relationship with the fossil fuel industry at CNN's town hall on the climate crisis Wednesday. An audience member asked Biden about his plans to attend a fundraiser hosted by fossil fuel executive Andrew Goldman the day after the town hall, despite taking a pledge to reject oil and gas money. Biden initially denied Goldman's ties to the fossil fuel industry, despite Goldman co-founding a natural gas company called Western LNG. When pressed by Anderson Cooper, Biden said he would look into the matter further. We host a roundtable with Mustafa Ali, former head of the environmental justice program at the Environmental Protection Agency; journalist Kate Aronoff; and Mattias Lehman, digital director at Sunrise Movement.

2020 Dem Candidates Talk Fracking, Green New Deal, Nuclear Energy & More at Climate Crisis Town Hall, Brexit Battle Heats Up as Lawmakers Vote to Block "No-Deal" Scenario, Trump Shows Doctored Hurricane Map as Dorian Hits U.S. Coast After Ravaging Bahamas, Report: FBI Tracking Immigration Activists Who Oppose Trump Policies, Aid Groups Uncover More Human Remains at Arizona-Mexico Border, State Dept. Official Offered Millions to Captain of Iranian Oil Tanker to Divert Vessel, Mexico: Main Suspect in 2014 Ayotzinapa Student Disappearance Acquitted, Denmark Bans PFAS from Food Packaging, Germany Announces Glyphosate Ban, Trump Admin Rolls Back Rules on Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs, Second Vaping-Related Death Identified in Oregon as Michigan Bans Flavored E-Cigarettes, Google Fined $170 Million After YouTube Illegally Collected Personal Data of Children, Odessa Gunman Obtained Gun Through Private Sale, Chanel Miller Reveals Identity Years After Rape by Brock Turner Sparked National Outcry, Immanuel Wallerstein, Noted Sociologist & World Systems Analyst, Dies at 88

Journalist and pro-democracy activist Omoyele Sowore is entering his second month in jail for calling for peaceful nationwide protests against the government. Sowore called his movement "Revolution Now" and mobilized activists to take to the streets August 5. But just two days before the protests were set to begin, Sowore was arrested by the state and accused of attempting to take over the government. He's been imprisoned for more than a month now as human rights groups continue to call for his immediate release. We speak with his wife Opeyemi Sowore and Nani Jansen Reventlow, one of the attorneys representing Omoyele Sowore.

American journalist and indigenous and environmental rights activist Brandon Lee remains in critical condition in the Philippines more than four weeks after being shot multiple times outside his home in the northern region of the country in early August. Lee was shot at least four times in the back and face on August 6 in what his family and advocates say was an attempt by the Philippines government to kill him. Brandon Lee is a Chinese American born and raised in San Francisco, but he has spent the last decade in the Philippines, where he has a wife and young daughter. He is a correspondent for the weekly newspaper Northern Dispatch and an activist with local peasant, indigenous rights and environmental organizations. Lee's editor at Northern Dispatch told the Committee to Protect Journalists that he has been targeted for this work since 2015, facing relentless surveillance from President Rodrigo Duterte's government. We speak with San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney, who led a fact-finding delegation to the Philippines last week to investigate the attack, and Filipina activist Raquel Redondiez, a friend of Brandon Lee.

It is a scene of utter devastation after the Category 5 Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahamas. Residents of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas are now bracing for the storm, which has been downgraded to Category 2. The official death in the Bahamas is at seven but is expected to rise. On the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama, as many as 13,000 homes have been destroyed or heavily damaged. Rescue efforts have been hampered by widespread flooding. Some reports say 70 to 80% of the affected areas remains underwater, including the Grand Bahama International Airport. The Bahamas Red Cross and other relief groups are scrambling to help survivors. From Freeport in Grand Bahama, we speak to Crystal deGregory, professor at Kentucky State University's Atwood Institute for Race, Education, and the Democratic Ideal, and Sam Teicher, the founder and chief reef officer for Coral Vita, which is based in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

13,000 Homes Destroyed, At Least 7 Dead as Hurricane Dorian Devastates Bahamas, Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam Withdraws Extradition Bill After Months of Protest, Boris Johnson Faces Crushing Blow to Brexit Plan as MPs Rebel Against No-Deal Exit from EU, Walmart Will Stop Selling Assault Weapon Ammunition Following Spate of Deadly Mass Shootings, 14-Year-Old Alabama Teen Shoots and Kills 5 Family Members, Trump Admin Diverts $3.6 Billion from Defense Budget to Build Border Wall, Trump Admin Partially Backtracks on Plan to Deport Immigrants with Serious Health Conditions, Guatemalan Presidential Runner-Up and Ex-First Lady Sandra Torres Arrested, Italy Reaches Agreement to Form New Government, Trump Congratulates Poland on 80th Anniversary of Nazi Invasion, Elizabeth Warren and Other 2020 Hopefuls Release Climate Change Plans, Court Rules North Carolina GOP Engaged in "Extreme Partisan Gerrymandering" to Redraw Voting Map, Founder of LGBT "Conversion Therapy" Program Comes Out as Gay, Apologizes for Harmful Practice

Following another weekend of mass protests in Hong Kong, this marks 13 weeks of protesters calling for greater political freedom and the scrapping of a controversial extradition bill with China. For the past two days, thousands of students have boycotted the beginning of classes. On Sunday, protesters returned to Hong Kong's airport, where they barricaded roads in an attempt to shut down the airport again. On Saturday, police fired tear gas and water cannons during a chaotic night of street demonstrations. Some masked protesters were seen throwing Molotov cocktails at the police. Earlier today, Carrie Lam denied she ever offered to resign. From Hong Kong, we speak with Martin Lee, the founding chair of the Democratic Party of Hong Kong.

Hurricane Dorian is continuing to wreak havoc in the Bahamas, where massive storms and flooding have killed five people and left many stranded on the Grand Bahama and Abaco Islands over the weekend. The Category 3 storm pummeled the islands throughout Monday with up to 180-mile-per-hour winds and continued to be stalled in the region Tuesday. Hurricane Dorian is one of the strongest recorded storms to ever strike the Atlantic, and is expected to continue a destructive path toward Florida and then onward to the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. It made landfall as a Category 5 storm in the Bahamas Sunday. We speak to two guests: Christian Campbell, a Bahamian poet, scholar and essayist, and Tiphanie Yanique, an award-winning poet and novelist from the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Thomas.

A gunman killed seven people and injured 22 others on Saturday, including a 17-month-old girl. Police have identified the shooter as 36-year-old Seth Ator. He went on the rampage just hours after being fired from his trucking job. The deadly string of events began when a Midland police officer pulled over Ator for failing to use his signal. Police say Ator then opened fire using an AR-15-style weapon before speeding away. He then began shooting at random residents and motorists. The rampage ended 20 miles away when the gunman died in a shootout with police outside a movie theater in Odessa. Meanwhile, eight new laws easing gun restrictions went into effect in Texas on Sunday. It is now easier to carry guns in Texas churches, schools and apartment buildings. We speak to Ed Scruggs, president of the board of directors and spokesperson for Texas Gun Sense.

Gunman Kills 7 People, Injures 22 in West Texas as State Enacts New Pro-Gun Legislation, Federal Court Rules Victims of 2015 Charleston Mass Shooting Can Sue U.S. Gov't, Hurricane Dorian Pummels Bahamas, Killing 5 People, Kabul Bomb Attack Kills At Least 16 as U.S. Announces Draft Peace Plan with Taliban, 2 Million People in Assam Face Statelessness, Imprisonment After India Publishes Citizens Register, Hong Kong Protesters Take to Streets as Chinese Media Ramps Up Threatening Rhetoric, U.K. PM Boris Johnson Threatens Snap Election as Labour Hopes to Force Brexit Extension, Far-Right Party Makes Gains But Fails to Overtake Major Parties in German Regional Elections, U.N. Says Western Countries May Be Complicit in Yemen War Crimes Days After Air Raid Kills 100 Prisoners, Hezbollah and Israel Exchange Cross-Border Fire in Lebanon, Colombia: Ex-FARC Rebels Killed in Bombing Raid, Colombian Mayoral Candidate Killed While Campaigning, At Least 25 Feared Dead After SoCal Boat Fire, Palestinian Student Turned Away by Immigration Allowed Entry to Start Freshman Year at Harvard

Democracy Now! travels to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona to follow the humanitarian activist Scott Warren into the Sonoran Desert as he accompanies other No More Deaths volunteers as they leave water and food for migrants making the treacherous journey north. Warren is currently facing up to 10 years in prison for his humanitarian work in the Sonoran Desert, where the bodies and bones of more than 3,000 people — nearly all migrants — have been found since 2001. We also speak to the Tucson-based artist Alvaro Enciso, creator of the project Where Dreams Die. He has built and installed over 900 crosses across the treacherous Sonoran Desert to mark where migrants have died.

U.S. Border Patrol agents have killed 97 people since 2003, including at least six Mexicans on Mexican soil. Democracy Now! traveled to the borderlands of Arizona earlier this month to cover one of these killings: the death of José Antonio Elena Rodríguez, who was gunned down by a Border Patrol agent in 2012. We met with Richard Boren of the Border Patrol Victims Network in Nogales, Arizona, at exactly the spot where agent Lonnie Swartz pointed his gun through the border wall to shoot and kill José Antonio. At this site, Richard Boren displayed a banner with images of José Antonio and other victims of Border Patrol and told us their stories.

This fall, the Supreme Court will decide whether the parents of Sergio Hernández Güereca, a 15-year-old Mexican teen killed by a Border Patrol agent in 2010, can sue the American agent in a U.S. federal court. It's been nearly 10 years since Border Patrol agent Jesus Mesa Jr. shot across the El Paso-Juárez border and struck Hernández Güereca in the head. The central question in the case is whether a Mexican citizen killed on Mexican soil by a U.S. border agent is protected by the U.S. Constitution — allowing for the family members of victims to file civil lawsuits. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Hernández Güereca's case, the decision will likely impact other cross-border killing cases, including that of 16-year-old José Antonio Elena Rodríguez, who was shot and killed by Border Patrol agent Lonnie Swartz on the Mexico side of the border in 2012. We speak with Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project, who represents José Antonio Elena Rodríguez's family in the civil lawsuit.

Nearly seven years ago, 16-year-old José Antonio Elena Rodríguez was killed in Nogales, Mexico, by U.S. Border Patrol agent Lonnie Swartz, who fired his gun from the U.S. side of the border. The teenager — who was unarmed — died face-down on the sidewalk just a couple of blocks from his home. Border Patrol has for years been plagued with hundreds of allegations of abuse and unnecessary use of deadly force, including the cross-border killings of at least six people on Mexican soil. Most cases are not investigated, and border agents are rarely criminally charged for using violent force. After nearly five years of legal delays, José Antonio's mother, Araceli Rodríguez, and his grandmother, Taide Elena, brought Lonnie Swartz to trial for second-degree murder in 2017. A Tucson jury acquitted him and were deadlocked on manslaughter charges. In a second trial in November 2018, Swartz was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter. During Democracy Now!'s trip to the borderlands, we spoke with José Antonio's family, including both Araceli Rodríguez and Taide Elena, at the exact spot where he was gunned down by Swartz. Araceli Rodríguez says, "He was murdered, and there has been no justice. He was killed, and the world is the same. He was murdered, and Border Patrol agent Lonnie Swartz is still free."

On Tuesday, the Trump administration reportedly ended its "medical deferred action" program, which allows immigrants with serious health problems to stay in the U.S. for up to two years beyond the terms of their visas to receive critical treatment. Just one day later, it announced that some children born to U.S. servicemembers and government employees stationed overseas will no longer automatically receive citizenship. The policy changes come days after the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to allow the Trump administration to implement its rule banning almost all migrants from seeking asylum in the United States. Amid these crackdowns, border wall construction began this week on federally protected lands in the remote Arizona desert, and many immigrant families remain separated due to Trump's "zero tolerance" policy, which was supposed to have ended more than a year ago. We speak with Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project.

Florida Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Hurricane Dorian, Justice Department: Comey Violated FBI Rules But Will Not Face Charges, Former FARC Rebels to Take Up Arms Again in Colombia, Report: Indian Forces Are Beating and Torturing Kashmiris in Detention, UAE Accused of Bombing Saudi-Backed Forces in Yemen, Prominent Pro-Democracy Activists Arrested Ahead of Saturday's Protest, Scottish Judge Refused to Block Boris Johnson's Plan to Suspend Parliament, Ebola Death Toll Tops 2,000 in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Environmental Groups Threaten to Sue Trump over Methane Rules, NAACP Calls for Alabama Gov. to Resign for Wearing Blackface in College Skit, Ex-NYPD Detectives Accused of Raping Handcuffed Teen Avoid Jail Term, Trump Launches U.S. Space Command, Triggering Fears of New Arms Race, Kings Bay Plowshares Head to Trial After Judge Refuses to Dismiss Charges

The legendary peace activist Frances Crowe died this week at the age of 100 in Northampton, Massachusetts. Over the past seven decades, Frances had been arrested countless times while protesting war, nuclear weapons, nuclear power and the construction of new pipelines. She is survived by her two sons, a daughter and an international community of peace activists. We revisit a 2005 interview of Frances Crowe by Amy Goodman and recognize her lifetime of advocacy.

The United Kingdom is in uproar after Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked the queen to prorogue, or suspend, Parliament from mid-September to mid-October, leaving little time for lawmakers to avoid a disastrous no-deal Brexit when the country exits the European Union on October 31. Thousands took to the streets in London and across the country Wednesday to protest the move. We speak with Ash Sarkar, senior editor at Novara Media, who describes Johnson's latest move as unprecedented, calling it "the most shameless and brazen attack on the British democratic process" in decades. "The unspoken rule of the British constitution is that you don't ask the queen to get involved in political matters. ... Boris Johnson has thrown that unspoken rule completely out of the window," she says.

Following weeks of anticipation, Swedish climate justice activist Greta Thunberg arrived on the shores of Lower Manhattan Wednesday afternoon after a 15-day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in an emissions-free yacht. She was welcomed on land by hundreds of supporters at the North Cove Marina. As Thunberg's yacht sailed over the horizon and past the Statue of Liberty, youth climate activists chanted "The sea levels are rising, and so are we!" and "We are unstoppable! Another world is possible!" The 16-year-old climate activist is kickstarting a months-long tour of the Americas. For her first action, she will be joining New York students climate-striking outside the U.N. Friday morning. She will then take to the streets for a massive climate march in New York City on September 20, followed by two U.N. climate summits here. In December, she will attend the COP25 climate summit in Santiago, Chile. We hear highlights of Greta's first speech and news conference upon arriving in New York City and speak to her father Svante, as well as New York youth climate activists Alexandria Villaseñor and Xiye Bastida.

EPA to Roll Back Methane Regulations in Blow to Limiting Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Trump Moves to Allow Logging in World's Largest Intact Temperate Rainforest, Hurricane Dorian Gains Strength, Threatens Bahamas & Florida, Swedish Youth Climate Justice Activist Greta Thunberg Arrives in NYC After 15-Day Boat Trip, Gillibrand Drops Out of 2020 Race as Just 10 Dems Qualify for Sept. Debate, Thousands Protest "Coup" in U.K. as Boris Johnson Suspends Parliament Ahead of Brexit, New Coalition Government May Be Formed in Italy, Italian Humanitarian Ship Rescues 100 Migrants Off Coast of Libya, Separatists & Government-Backed Forces Battle for Control of Yemeni Capital, U.S. General: It's "Premature" to Talk About Withdrawing from Afghanistan, Chinese Military Rotates Thousands of Troops into Hong Kong, Report: Indonesian Police Kill Six West Papuan Protesters, Death Toll of Murdered Colombian Social Leaders Surpasses 700, Trump to Strip Automatic Citizenship for Some Children Born to U.S. Troops Stationed Overseas, Trump Widens His Attack on the Media: "Fox Isn't Working for Us Anymore", Denver Woman Sues After Being Forced to Deliver Child Alone in Dirty Jail Cell, Alabama Man to Be Freed After 36 Years in Prison for Stealing $50 from a Bakery, Apple Apologizes After Admitting Contractors Listened In on Siri Conversations, Calls Grow for Nigeria to Release Imprisoned Journalist Omoyele Sowore

Tensions are mounting across the Middle East following a series of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Lebanese President Michel Aoun likened the recent Israeli attacks to a "declaration of war." Israeli drones bombed targets in Lebanon on both Monday and Tuesday. Meanwhile, some Iraqi lawmakers are calling on the United States to fully withdraw its troops following a series of Israeli air raids conducted by Israel. Israel has only claimed responsibility for an attack on Syria Saturday, which they said targeted an Iranian-operated base that was preparing to launch a drone assault on Israel. We speak with Rami Khouri, senior public policy fellow, adjunct professor of journalism and journalist-in-residence at the American University of Beirut, as well as a columnist at The New Arab. "What's happened over the last few days is a convergence of a trend that has been going on for about 50, 60 years in the Middle East, with Israel asserting its philosophy that it must always be militarily stronger than any combination of foes around it," says Khouri.

In Brazil, fires continue to rage in the Amazon, and new drone footage shows the smoke and flames gathering strength. A vast plume of smoke has spread across South America and the Atlantic Ocean and is visible from space. The fires are also destroying large swaths of land in Bolivia. The fires are unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. So far this year, there have been nearly 73,000 fires in Brazil, with over half of them in the Amazon region — an 83% increase from the same period last year. Far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has worked to deregulate and open up the Amazon for agribusiness, logging and mining since he came into office in January, and indigenous peoples in the country say they are on the frontlines of the destruction. We speak with Maria Luísa Mendonça, director of the Network for Social Justice and Human Rights in Brazil.

At least 40 refugees and migrants are feared dead off of the coast of Libya after a boat carrying dozens of people en route to Europe capsized Tuesday morning in the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Libyan coast guard, some 65 migrants and refugees, mostly from Sudan, were rescued with the help of local fishermen. With Tuesday's tragedy, the number of migrants and refugees who have lost their lives this year in the Mediterranean en route to Europe is up to 900. Meanwhile, far-right European leaders like Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini continue to criminalize refugees and migrants, as well as humanitarian aid workers who often lead search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean. We speak with Charlie Yaxley, spokesperson for the U.N. Refugee Agency.

Trump to Divert FEMA and Other Federal Funds to Pay for Contested Immigration Plans, Puerto Rico Braces for Tropical Storm as Trump Attacks Island on Twitter, Trump Ordered Aides to Speed Up Border Wall Construction, Promising Pardons for Illegal Acts, Trump Ends Program Allowing Sick Immigrants to Stay in U.S. to Receive Medical Care, 40 Feared Dead After Migrant Boat Sinks Off Libyan Coast, Gaza on Alert After Bombs Kill 3 Hamas Police Officers, U.K.: Queen Agrees to Suspend Parliament, Raising Specter of No-Deal Brexit, 16 Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's Sexual Abuse Testify in NYC Court, AG William Barr Planning to Throw $30,000 Party at Trump Int'l Hotel, Judge Blocks Missouri 8-Week Abortion Plan, Purdue Pharma and Sackler Family Try to Settle Thousands of Opioid Lawsuits for $10-$12 Billion, Bernie Sanders Unveils Plans to Protect Independent Media & Expand Labor Rights, Palestinian Harvard Freshman Denied Entry to U.S., Climate Activist Greta Thunberg to Arrive in NYC After 2 Weeks at Sea, Legendary Peace Activist Frances Crowe Dies at 100

Billionaire conservative donor David Koch died Friday at the age of 79 from prostate cancer. David Koch — who was worth some $42 billion — and his brother Charles poured massive amounts of money into funding climate change denial through conservative think tanks and politicians. The Koch brothers founded the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity in 2004, which is credited with turning the "tea party" into a full-fledged political movement. They also backed "right-to-work" efforts, which aim to weaken labor rights and quash union membership. The brothers made their fortune running Koch Industries, the second-largest privately held company in the United States. We speak with the business journalist Christopher Leonard, who just last week published a major new book examining the business dealings of the Koch brothers. It's titled "Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America."

In a landmark ruling, an Oklahoma judge has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million for contributing to the state's opioid crisis. It marks the first time a drug company has been held responsible for the opioid crisis, though it fell far short of the $17 billion judgment sought by the state. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 400,000 people died from an overdose involving opioids from 1999 to 2017, including from prescription and illicit opioids. Court documents say more than 6,000 people have died of painkiller overdoses in Oklahoma alone. The Oklahoma ruling sets the stage for the more than 40 states that are currently pursuing similar claims against drug makers and distributors. A massive federal lawsuit brought by almost 2,000 cities, counties and Native American tribes is scheduled to begin in October. We speak with Julia Lurie, senior reporter at Mother Jones, who has covered the opioid crisis for years.

Oklahoma Wins Case Against Johnson & Johnson as Court Finds Pharma Giant Fueled State's Opioid Crisis, Brazil Rejects G7 Amazon Aid Amid Mounting Environmental Disaster, Prosecutors Investigate After Gov't Ignored Warnings About Planned Amazon Fires, Trump Dismisses Wind Power Again at G7 as WH Walks Back Comments on Kim Jong-un, Lebanon Says Air Attacks Over Weekend Amount to "Declaration of War" from Israel, U.N. Says Floods in Sudan a "Humanitarian Emergency" as Death Toll Tops 60 People, Iran Sentences Journalist and Activist Marzieh Amiri to 10 Years & 148 Lashes, 19 States and D.C. Sue to Block Trump's Termination of Flores Agreement, Judge Allows More Witnesses to Testify Against Harvey Weinstein, 30 Women to Testify Against Jeffrey Epstein, Tropical Storm Dorian Picks Up Speed as It Hurtles Toward Puerto Rico, U.S. and France Agree on Terms of French "Digital Tax" on Tech Giants, Protesters Draw Attention to Newark Water Crisis Outside of MTV's Video Music Awards, RBG Accepts Honorary Degree from SUNY at 1st Public Appearance Since Cancer Treatment, Indonesia Announces Plan to Move Capital to Borneo as Jakarta Sinks into Sea

In Kashmir, residents have entered their fourth week of a severe lockdown after India revoked the special status of the Indian-controlled part of the Muslim-majority territory. On August 5, India imposed a curfew and cut off all communications to the region. More than 4,000 people, including many political leaders, have been detained, while local residents report facing increasing shortages of food and medicine. Over the weekend, India blocked a delegation of Indian opposition politicians from visiting Kashmir, including Rahul Gandhi, the former president of the Indian National Congress. India's actions have led to a spike in tensions with its nuclear-armed rival Pakistan, which also claims control of Kashmir. We recently spoke with Kavita Krishnan in New Delhi, India, who has just returned from a fact-finding mission to Kashmir. She serves as the secretary of the All India Progressive Women's Association and is a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation.

Following a mysterious nuclear accident in Russia that left seven dead, we look back at the 1986 nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. It sent a cloud of radioactive fallout into Russia, Belarus and over a large portion of Europe, but the death toll from Chernobyl remains unknown. Chernobyl is considered the worst nuclear accident in history, but Kate Brown, an MIT professor of science, technology and society, says much of what we understand about the disaster is inaccurate. Her new book, "Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future," chronicles the devastating and underreported impact of radiation on tens of thousands in the Soviet Union that went unreported for decades. Brown says, "After about five years of research, I realized that much of what we know about Chernobyl is just either incomplete or fully incorrect."

Questions are swirling over a mysterious nuclear accident in northern Russia on August 8. Seven people, including five nuclear scientists, died in an explosion, which caused a radiation spike in the surrounding area — and possibly as far as Scandinavia. U.S. experts suspect the explosion was caused during a test of a nuclear-powered cruise missile. Russia initially denied a radiation leak, but earlier today its state weather agency confirmed radioactive isotopes have been found in test samples in the city of Severodvinsk near the military test range. Norway's nuclear test ban monitor now believes two explosions likely occurred on August 8, with the second one being the likely source of radiation. Russia's handling of the nuclear accident has drawn some comparisons to the Soviet Union's cover-up of the 1986 nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, which is considered the worst nuclear accident in history. We speak with Kate Brown, a professor of science, technology and society at MIT specializing in environmental and nuclear history. Her new book is "Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future."

World Leaders Pledge Amazon Help as Trump Sends Mixed Signals About China at G7 Summit, Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif Makes Surprise Appearance at G7 to Hold Talks with European Officials, Protesters Call Out G7 Leaders over Corporate Ties, Climate Inaction and Inequality, Wildfires Continue to Consume Amazon as Public Outrage Grows, Police Deploy Water Cannons, Fire a Live Warning Shot at Hong Kong Protesters, Attacks in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq Add to Mounting Tensions in Middle East, EU Countries Say They Will Relocate Migrants Stranded on Ship After 2-Week Standoff, 200,000 Rohingya Refugees March for "Genocide Day" 2 Years After Expulsion from Burma, Reports: Trump Suggested Using Nukes to Stop Hurricanes, Former Republican Congressmember Joe Walsh Announces 2020 Run Against Trump, DNC Kills Effort for 2020 Climate Debate, First Vaping-Related Death Reported in Illinois, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Goes Through Radiation Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer, Billionaire Conservative Donor David Koch, Who Funded Climate Change Denial and Anti-Labor Efforts, Dies

The United Nations is calling for the protection of the Amazon amid fears that thousands of fires raging across Brazil and some parts of Bolivia are rapidly destroying the world's largest rainforest and paving the way for a climate catastrophe. The fires have spread a vast plume of smoke across South America and the Atlantic Ocean that's visible from space. They're unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. Indigenous people in Brazil have accused far-right President Jair Bolsonaro of encouraging the destruction. Bolsonaro has worked to deregulate and open up the Amazon for agribusiness, logging and mining since he came into office in January. We speak with Andrew Miller, advocacy director at Amazon Watch.

Fallout from the Trump administration's decision to pull out of the landmark 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is mounting. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to prepare for what he called a "symmetrical response" after the U.S. tested what it said was a nonnuclear cruise missile earlier this week. The U.S. launch was the first test of its kind since the Trump administration withdrew from the INF. We speak to Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon about U.S. nuclear policy, as well as the Green New Deal, President Trump's wish to buy Greenland and more.

The Trump administration is moving to indefinitely detain migrant children and their families, reversing decades of U.S. policy. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to issue a new rule today to withdraw from a 1997 federal court settlement known as the Flores agreement, which put a 20-day limit on migrant family detentions. We speak with Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, who made headlines last year when he was barred from entering an old Walmart where the government was detaining about 1,500 immigrant children in Brownsville, Texas.

U.N. Calls for Protection of the Amazon as Rainforest Burns at Record Pace, Indigenous Communities Say Brazil's President Is Encouraging Destruction of Forests, Bernie Sanders Unveils Ambitious Green New Deal to Avert Climate Catastrophe, Democratic Leaders Reject Resolution Calling for Candidate Climate Debate, French Authorities to Crack Down on Protest as 13,000 Police Mobilize for G7 Summit, Syrian Forces Encircle Last Major Rebel-Held Stronghold in Hama Province, U.N.: Burmese Troops Had "Genocidal Intent" in Targeting Rohingya for Sexual Violence, Indonesia Deploys Troops to Quell Independence Protests in West Papua, Russian Opposition Leader Freed from Jail 30 Days After Promoting Pro-Democracy Protests, North Korea Calls U.S. Secretary of State "Poisonous" as Denuclearization Talks Stall, Russian President Orders "Symmetrical Response" After U.S. Tests New Cruise Missile, French President Calls for Global Tax on Tech Giants , Justice Department Emailed Employees Link to White Nationalist Website, Sarah Sanders to Join Fox News; Sean Spicer to Join "Dancing with the Stars", Labor Leader Dolores Huerta Among 8 Arrested at Protest Demanding Raise for Home Care Workers, Thousands of Accountants Join Latest Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Protests, Activists Demand Parole Reform as They Mark Passing of NY's Longest-Serving Woman Prisoner

Following this week's historic Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa, we speak with Mark Trahant, editor of Indian Country Today and moderator of the Native American voter forum; Christine Nobiss, director of Seeding Sovereignty's SHIFT project; and Mark Charles, independent candidate for president, Native American activist and writer. They respond to the candidates' proposals to tackle issues affecting the Native American community, including the chronic murder and disappearance of Native American girls and women, land sovereignty, and generational trauma caused by colonialism.

This week 10 Democratic candidates and one independent in the 2020 presidential race, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, addressed indigenous communities at the first-ever Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa. During the two-day event, candidates individually answered questions from a panel of tribal leaders and Native American youth and elders on issues including treaty rights, voter suppression, and murdered and missing indigenous women.

Trump Administration Proposes Jailing Migrant Families Indefinitely, Federal Budget Deficit to Top $1 Trillion in 2020, Satellite Data Show Brazilian Amazon Burning at Record Pace, Brazilian President Bolsonaro Blames Environmentalists for Amazon Fires, Wildfires Rage in Alaska, Canary Islands, Siberia and Greenland, Gov. Jay Inslee, Champion of Climate Fight, Drops 2020 Presidential Bid, Activists Disrupt Event Honoring House Speaker Pelosi to Demand Trump's Impeachment, Abdalla Hamdok Sworn In as Sudan's Prime Minister, Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Mark Anniversary of Subway Attack, Mexico's Zapatistas Expand Autonomous Indigenous Zones in Chiapas, Trump Calls Danish Prime Minister "Nasty" over Refusal to Discuss Greenland Sale, Trump Doubles Down on Calling Jews Who Vote for Democrats "Disloyal", California School Won't Say If Students Who Made Nazi Salutes Were Disciplined, Long Beach Police Find Arsenal in Home of Man Threatening Mass Murder, Survivors of Parkland High School Massacre Unveil Plan to Curb Gun Violence, WaPo: Eight Prison Officials Knew Jeffrey Epstein Was Not to Be Left Alone in Jail Cell, Texas Executes Man Who Proclaimed His Innocence

This is Part 2 of our conversation with two New York state legislators, Senator Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, who helped pass the Child Victims Act in New York. The state law, which went into effect last week, extends the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse and includes a "lookback period," giving survivors of any age a year to take legal action even if their cases had expired under the old statute of limitations. Over 500 lawsuits have already been filed. Both Biaggi and Niou are sexual abuse survivors, and they have spoken about the importance of the Child Victims Act in personal terms. Watch Part 1 by "clicking here":https://www.democracynow.org/2019/8/15/new_york_child_victims_act.

More than 3,000 human remains have been found in the Sonoran Desert, most of them of migrants fleeing their home countries to embark on an uncertain and perilous journey to the United States. On a recent visit to the Arizona borderlands, Democracy Now! accompanied Tucson-based artist Alvaro Enciso into the desert at the site where he placed four unique markers to honor four immigrants killed in a car accident years ago as they fled from Border Patrol. In the past five years, Enciso, who is originally from Colombia, has built and installed over 900 crosses across the treacherous Sonoran Desert in Arizona as part of his ongoing project Where Dreams Die. Rather than religious symbols, Enciso views his crosses as markings that visibilize deaths that are often ignored. This is part of Democracy Now!'s ongoing series, "Death and Resistance at the U.S.-Mexico Border."

Amazon Wildfires Spark Fears of Environmental Disaster as São Paulo Goes Dark from Smoke, Trump Expected to End Flores Agreement, Slashing Protections for Child Migrants, CBP Will Not Vaccinate Jailed Migrants as Doctors Say At Least 3 Detained Children Died from Flu, Lawsuits Allege "Torture" in Migrant Jails and Child Abuse in Foster Care, Italy in Turmoil as Prime Minister Resigns, Migrants Disembark from Rescue Ship in Italy After Being Stranded at Sea for 3 Weeks, Trump Cancels Denmark Visit over Refusal to Discuss Selling Greenland, Trump Attacks Tlaib & Omar, Says Jews Are "Disloyal" If They Vote Democrat, Bernie Sanders Says He Would Rescind Medals for Soldiers Who Took Part in Wounded Knee Massacre, Trump Backtracks on Gun Control Despite Calling for Background Checks After Dayton & El Paso Shootings, 2 Proud Boys Members Convicted of Assaulting Anti-Fascist Protesters in New York, Trump Considers Tax Cuts as Economists Warn of Possible Recession, States Sue to Block Trump Rule That Would Block Green Cards for Immigrants Using Public Services