Democracy Now!

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.

A group of more than 500 cities, counties and Native American tribes have filed a lawsuit against members of the Sackler family for their role in creating "the worst drug crisis in American history" by lying about the dangers of the opioid painkiller OxyContin and deceitful marketing of the drug. The lawsuit differs from others that target drug companies, because it names eight members of the Sackler family, which founded and owns Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin. We speak with attorney Brendan Johnson, partner with the law firm Robins Kaplan and chair of its American Indian Law and Policy Group, about the federal lawsuit he filed on behalf of three Native American tribes from the Dakotas against major opioid manufacturers and distributors. We are also joined by Stacy Bohlen, CEO of the National Indian Health Board and a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

As Oklahoma and Purdue Pharma reach a $270 million agreement in a lawsuit claiming the company knowingly helped create the opioid crisis responsible for nearly 50,000 deaths per year in the United States, we look at how the opioid crisis affects communities of color with Abdullah Shihipar, a graduate student of public health at Brown University who wrote an op-ed about his research for The New York Times headlined "The Opioid Crisis Isn't White."

The state of Oklahoma has reached a $270 million agreement with Purdue Pharma—the makers of OxyContin—settling a lawsuit that claimed the company contributed to the deaths of thousands of Oklahoma residents by downplaying the risk of opioid addiction and overstating the drug's benefits. The state says more Oklahomans have died from opioids over the last decade than have been killed in vehicle accidents. More than $100 million from the settlement will fund a new addiction treatment and research center at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa. "It's really just the first move in what is a very complicated legal chess game," says Barry Meier, author of "Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America's Opioid Epidemic." Meier was the first journalist to shine a national spotlight on the abuse of OxyContin. He asks, "Is this money going to be used wisely in terms of treating addiction?"

OxyContin Maker Reaches $270 Million Settlement with Oklahoma, House Fails to Override Trump Veto on National Emergency Declaration, Senate Votes Down Green New Deal as Democrats Decry "Stunt Vote", Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rose to All-Time High in 2018, U.N. Secretary-General: Cyclone Idai Latest Warning Sign on Climate, Charity Condemns Saudi-Led Airstrike on Yemen Hospital That Killed 7, Study: 17,729 Yemeni Civilians Killed or Injured by U.S.-Backed Strikes, Israeli Warplanes Strike Gaza Despite Reports of Ceasefire, Brazil's Bolsonaro to Commemorate 1964 Coup That Led to Dictatorship, Europe Approves Copyright Laws as Critics Warn of Online Censorship, Interior Nominee Killed Study on Pesticides and Endangered Species, Betsy DeVos Won't Say Whether Schools Should Ban LGBTQ Discrimination, Trump Administration to Expand "Global Gag Rule" on Abortions, Federal Judge Strikes Down NC Law Banning Abortions at 20 Weeks, Joe Biden Says He Regrets Role in Treatment of Anita Hill in 1991, Prosecutors Drop Charges Against "Empire" Actor Jussie Smollett

The father of a 6-year-old girl who was killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School was found dead by apparent suicide Monday. Jeremy Richman was a neuroscientist who, after the death of his daughter Avielle, founded the Avielle Foundation to support brain science research, with the ultimate goal of preventing violence and building compassion. The news of his death came just days after two students who survived last year's shooting massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, died by suicide. An unnamed student died Saturday, according to local authorities, and 19-year-old Sydney Aiello died last weekend. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. We speak with Kelly Posner Gerstenhaber, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, founder and director of The Columbia Lighthouse Project. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Israel has bombed Gaza for a third day in a row and mobilized dozens of tanks, raising fears that Israel could launch another invasion. The latest Israeli airstrikes came earlier this morning, after Hamas announced it had reached an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Israel. Tension has been escalating for days in Gaza. On Friday, Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians taking part in the weekly Great March of Return protests. Sixty-two other Palestinians were injured. On Sunday, Israeli air raids struck parts of Gaza, including a refugee camp. Then, on Monday, militants inside Gaza launched a series of homemade rockets toward Israel. One rocket hit a house north of Tel Aviv, injuring seven members of a British-Israeli family. Israel blamed Hamas for the rocket attack and retaliated by launching heavy airstrikes in Gaza City targeting the office of Hamas's political leader and the group's military intelligence headquarters. Seven Palestinians were reportedly injured in the strikes. We speak with Budour Hassan, a Palestinian writer and project coordinator for the Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights, and Jehad Abusalim, scholar and policy analyst from Gaza. He runs the Gaza Unlocked campaign for the United States for the American Friends Service Committee.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington on Monday to meet with President Trump, who signed an order officially recognizing Israel's control of the Golan Heights in defiance of international law. We speak with Budour Hassan, a Palestinian writer and project coordinator for the Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights, and Jehad Abusalim, scholar and policy analyst from Gaza. He runs the Gaza Unlocked campaign for the United States for the American Friends Service Committee.

Israel Continues Airstrikes in Gaza Amid Fragile Truce, U.S. Officially Recognizes Golan Heights as Israeli Territory, Trump Suggests Probes into "Traitors" in Wake of Mueller Report, Pentagon Authorizes Diversion of $1 Billion to Build Border Wall, Father of 6-Year-Old Sandy Hook Victim Dies by Suicide, Parkland Survivors Urge Senators to Pass Background Check Act, DOJ Backs Full Repeal of Affordable Care Act, Mexico: Radio Reporter Killed Amid Spate of Journalist Murders, Venezuela: New Power Outage Hits Residents Amid Political Turmoil, Suspects in College Admissions Scam Plead Not Guilty, Green New Deal Goes to Senate Floor, Dems Call Out GOP "Stunt", Michael Avenatti Charged with Extortion and Fraud, SoCal Mosque Vandalized, Graffiti Cites NZ Christchurch Massacre, Mexican President Calls on Spain, Pope to Apologize for Colonial Past

As congressional Democrats call on the Justice Department to release the full Mueller report, we speak to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists who have closely followed the probes into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election: Glenn Greenwald, a founding editor of The Intercept and a leading critic of the media coverage of alleged Russian collusion, and David Cay Johnston, formerly of The New York Times, now founder and editor of DCReport.org, who has written critically about Donald Trump for decades. His most recent book is "It's Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America."

There was no collusion. That was the key finding of special counsel Robert Mueller's long-awaited report into whether President Trump and members of his campaign conspired with the Russian government to win the 2016 election. While the full report on Mueller's 22-month investigation has not yet been made public, Attorney General William Barr sent a four-page letter to congressional leaders on Sunday laying out his interpretation of Mueller's findings. Barr wrote that the report concluded Russia meddled in the 2016 election but that "the Special Counsel's investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts." Mueller also examined whether Trump could be criminally charged for obstructing justice, but he did not come to a definitive conclusion. Barr quoted a passage from the Mueller report saying that "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him." In his letter Barr - who became attorney general just last month - announced that he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had concluded there is not enough sufficient evidence to “establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense.”

Special Counsel Finds No Collusion btw. Trump & Russia; Dems Call for Release of Report, Cyclone Idai Death Toll Rises as Officials Warn of Health Risks, Brexit: 1 Million Take to Streets to Call for 2nd Referendum, France: Protesters Take to Streets for 19th Week Amid Gov't Clampdown, Thailand: No Clear Election Winner as Pro-Military Party Takes Lead, Gaza: Israeli Forces Kill 3 Palestinian Protesters Over Weekend, Netanyahu Cuts U.S. Trip Short After Rockets Hit Israeli Home, Somalia: At Least 15 Killed in Gun Battle at Gov't Bldg, Mali: 134 People Killed Amid Mounting Ethnic Tensions, Afghanistan: 14 Civilians Killed After Week of Attacks, SDF Announces Last Islamic State Enclave Has Been Defeated, PA: Ex-Cop Who Shot and Killed Unarmed Teen Antwon Rose Acquitted, Trump Cancels Unannounced North Korea Sanctions, 2 Survivors of Parkland Massacre Die by Suicide, Chelsea Manning Reportedly Being Held in Solitary Confinement, 500+ Cities, Counties & Tribes Sue Sackler Family over Opioid Crisis

As Nebraska and the U.S. Midwest recover from devastating climate change-fueled floods, we speak with Lakota historian Nick Estes on how two centuries of indigenous resistance created the movement proclaiming "Water is life." Estes's new book is titled "Our History Is the Future." He is a co-founder of the indigenous resistance group The Red Nation and a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe.

Cyclone Idai, the worst weather disaster in the history of the Southern Hemisphere, has caused extensive flooding and left tens of thousand homeless and more than 400 dead in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Officials say the death toll is over 400, and the number is expected to rise. More than 400,000 people could be displaced in Mozambique, and the country’s president says as many as 1,000 people may have been killed there alone. The storm dropped more than two feet of rain in parts of southeastern Africa—nearly a year’s worth of rain in just a few days—an extreme weather event that climate scientists say is consistent with models of climate change. We get an update from Dipti Bhatnagar, who is usually based in Maputo, Mozambique, where she is climate justice and energy coordinator at Friends of the Earth International. She joins us now from Penang, Malaysia.

Just weeks before major elections in Israel that could determine the future of embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump declares the U.S. will recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, in defiance of international law and decades of U.S. policy. The announcement comes as he is set to host Netanyahu at the White House next week amid the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, where Vice President Mike Pence will speak, along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, among others. A growing number of Democrats—including at least eight presidential candidates—say they will skip the summit. We get reaction from Palestinian human rights attorney Noura Erakat, author of the new book "Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine."

Trump Tweets Support for Israeli Claim Over Occupied Golan Heights, Democratic Presidential Candidates Plan to Skip AIPAC Conference, House Oversight Chair: Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump Broke Federal Records Laws, Josh Kushner Wooed Saudi Investors Ahead of Jared's Trip to Riyadh, New Zealand Marks One Week Since Mosque Attacks with Call to Prayer, Pipe Bomber Cesar Sayoc, Who Targeted Trump Critics, Pleads Guilty, Boeing Jets That Crashed in Ethiopia, Indonesia Lacked Optional Safety Features, Iraq: 92 Dead in Mosul After Ferry Capsizes in Tigris River, China: Pesticide Plant Explosion Kills 47, Texas: Deer Park Residents Shelter in Place After Chemical Fire, Report: 70 Percent of U.S. Produce Contains Pesticide Residue, Facebook Says Passwords of Hundreds of Millions Were Exposed, EU Grants Britain a Short Extension on Brexit Plans, Wisconsin Judge Halts Lame-Duck Republican Power Grab, Joe Biden Could Open 2020 Run with Stacey Abrams as Running Mate, Billionaire Donor Michael Steinhardt Accused of Sexual Harassment, Alabama Prison Cuts Off Water to Cells of Hunger-Striking Prisoners

House Democrats are continuing to probe how President Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner received a top-secret security clearance despite concerns from the CIA. The New York Times recently reported Trump ordered then-Chief of Staff John Kelly to grant Kushner the clearance despite the judgment of intelligence officials. Kushner failed to report over 100 foreign contacts on his initial application for clearance, which was denied by the FBI after a background check into his financial history and contacts with foreign investors. Kushner later revised his application three times, and was ultimately granted permanent security clearance last May. We speak with Vicky Ward, the author of a new book uncovering details about how Kushner has continued to let the financial dealings of his family impact the policy decisions he promoted overseas. In one case, this almost led to a war in the Middle East between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The book is called "Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump."

Ongoing protests are roiling Haiti, as demonstrators take to the streets to demand President Jovenel Moïse's resignation due to government corruption and mismanagement of the country's oil fund. The protests began in July, but Moïse is facing further scrutiny after five heavily armed Americans were arrested last month near Haiti's central bank in Port-au-Prince with a cache of weapons, claiming to be on a "government mission." The mercenaries were quickly sent back to the United States without facing criminal charges in Haiti, sparking outrage and mounting demands that the government explain why the men had been at the central bank in the first place. An explosive new investigation by Haiti Liberté and The Intercept has found that the mercenaries were at the central bank on a mission ordered directly by the embattled Haitian president. Their goal was to escort a presidential aide to the Haitian central bank as he transferred $80 million from the government's oil account to another account controlled by Moïse. This news comes as Haiti's Parliament has thrown out Prime Minister Jean Henry Céant in a no-confidence vote. We speak with Kim Ives, an editor of Haiti Liberté and co-author of the new joint investigation with The Intercept.

Amnesty International is accusing the United States of covering up civilian casualties in its secretive air war in Somalia targeting the militant group al-Shabab. The U.S. has carried out over 100 strikes in Somalia since 2017. For years the Pentagon has claimed no civilians were being killed in the airstrikes, but the new Amnesty report found that at least 14 civilians were killed, and eight more were injured, in just five airstrikes. The overall civilian death toll is likely to be far higher. We speak with Brian Castner, Amnesty International's senior crisis adviser on arms and military operations. He helped write Amnesty's report, titled "The Hidden US War in Somalia."

New Zealand Outlaws Military-Style Weapons After Mosque Attacks, "Major Humanitarian Emergency" After Cyclone Pounds Southeast Africa, Three U.S. States Declare Emergencies as Missouri River Swells, Judge Halts Wyoming Oil and Gas Drilling, Citing Climate Change, Radovan Karadzic Sentenced to Life in Prison over Bosnian Genocide, Trump Administration Official Under Fire for Islamophobic Comments, Trump Travel Ban Prohibits Dozens from Attending U.N. Women's Forum, Trump Claims Mueller Report Should Be Made Public, Trump Assails Husband of White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway, Pentagon Watchdog to Probe Acting Defense Secretary's Ties to Boeing, Disney Completes $71 Billion Acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Kazakhstan's President Steps Down After Three Decades in Power, Morocco Begins New Round of Talks over Status of Western Sahara, Costa Rican Indigenous Land Activist Found Murdered, Guatemalan Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Anti-Corruption Campaigner, Lawsuit Charges Harvard with Profiting from Photos of Enslaved People

We look at the long history of police brutality against Latinos in Chicago. Latinos, especially immigrants, have faced police violence and killings for decades, and have a long history of fighting back against brutality through community organizing and activism. But their stories have received little news coverage. We speak with Lilia Fernández, a professor of history and Latino studies at Rutgers University and the author of "Brown in the Windy City: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in Postwar Chicago." We also speak with Flint Taylor, an attorney with People's Law Office and author of "The Torture Machine: Racism and Police Violence in Chicago."

We look at the Chicago Police Department's long history of violence against African Americans, from the murder of Black Panther Fred Hampton to the reign of torture overseen by commander Jon Burge. The brutality of the Chicago police force is laid bare in a new book by leading civil rights lawyer Flint Taylor. It's called "The Torture Machine: Racism and Police Violence in Chicago." The book exposes decades of corruption and cover-ups in the Chicago Police Department. We speak with Flint Taylor, who has represented survivors of police brutality in Chicago for nearly half a century.

Brazil's far-right president and former Army captain Jair Bolsonaro visited President Trump at the White House for the first time on Tuesday. During the visit, Trump announced he would designate Brazil a major non-NATO ally, opening the door for Brazil to receive more U.S. military aid. Trump also suggested Brazil could even become a member of NATO. Both leaders criticized what they called the "fake news" and discussed increasing efforts to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from office. We speak with Maria Luísa Mendonça, director of the Network for Social Justice and Human Rights in Brazil. She is a visiting scholar at the City University of New York Graduate Center.

Trump Hosts Brazilian President Bolsonaro, Threatens New Venezuela Sanctions, SCOTUS Rules Gov't Can Detain Immigrants with Criminal Records Indefinitely, 40-Year-Old Mexican Migrant Dies in Gov't Custody, Asylum Seekers Waiting in Mexico Return to U.S. for Hearings, Report: U.S. Airstrikes Killed At Least 14 Civilians in Somalia Since 2017, At Least 10 Migrants Drown Off Libyan Coast, Israeli Forces Shoot and Kill 3 Palestinians in West Bank, Egypt Cracks Down on Online Dissent, Russia Signs New Laws Censoring State Critics, Colombia: 2 Community Leaders Killed as Violence Against Activists Mounts, Trump Nominates Former Delta Exec. to Head FAA, Reports: Lion Air Flight Nearly Went Down 1 Day Before Fatal Accident, Texas: Massive Petrochemical Fire Extinguished After Smoke Blankets Community, Warner Bros. CEO Resigns, Accused of Advancing Career of Actress He Had Affair With, West Virginia AG Sues Church Under Consumer Protection Law, Mississippi Diocese Releases List of 37 Clergy Accused of Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis Rejects Resignation of Cardinal Who Covered Up Sexual Abuse, CA Jury Finds Monsanto's Roundup Guilty of Causing Man's Cancer, Mississippi Senators Pass "Fetal Heartbeat Law", Rutgers Faculty Union Authorizes Call for Strike, NYC: Immigrant Rights Activist Who Scaled Statue of Liberty Gets 5 Years' Probation, Okwui Enwezor, Noted Curator and Promoter of African Art, Dies at 55

The Trump administration's close ties to Boeing are facing new scrutiny in the wake of deadly plane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia involving the Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet. President Trump has publicly praised Boeing hundreds of times in his two years in office and participated in efforts to sell its planes, including the 737 MAX series, to countries and airlines around the world. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg praised Trump's support at a dinner last August at Trump's Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, who was appointed by Trump, spent 31 years as a Boeing executive. And Trump's former U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, has been nominated to the Boeing board of directors. We speak to William Hartung, the director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy. His recent piece in The Nation is titled "A Former Boeing Executive Is Now Running the Pentagon."

The Trump administration has barred International Criminal Court investigators from entering the United States. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday that the U.S. will start denying visas to members of the ICC who may be investigating alleged war crimes by the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In September, national security adviser John Bolton threatened U.S. sanctions against ICC judges if they continued to investigate alleged war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. A 2016 ICC report accused the U.S. military of torturing at least 61 prisoners in Afghanistan during the ongoing war. The report also accused the CIA of subjecting at least 27 prisoners to torture, including rape, at CIA prison sites in Afghanistan, Poland, Romania and Lithuania. We speak with Jamil Dakwar, director of the Human Rights Program at the American Civil Liberties Union.

Burials are beginning in New Zealand as the country mourns the loss of 50 Muslim worshipers gunned down in two mosques in Christchurch by a white supremacist Friday. It was the deadliest attack in New Zealand's history. The worshipers killed in the Christchurch massacre came from around the world. Most of them were immigrants, or refugees who had come to New Zealand seeking safety. Six Pakistanis, four Jordanians, four Egyptians and at least three Bangladeshis are among the dead. The Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry said that six of the victims were of Palestinian origin. We speak with Eva Nisa, a lecturer in religious studies at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. Her recent article for Middle East Eye is titled "New Zealand has been a home to Muslims for centuries, and will remain so."