Democracy Now!

Venezuela remains in a state of crisis as opposition forces—with the backing of the United States—attempt to unseat the government of Nicolás Maduro. On Thursday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said the military continues to stand by Maduro. His remarks came one day after President Trump announced that the U.S. would recognize opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's new leader. Guaidó, the new head of Venezuela's National Assembly, declared himself president on Wednesday during a large opposition protest. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has ordered the U.S. to remove all of its diplomats from Venezuela, but Washington is ignoring the request, claiming Maduro no longer has authority to take such action. We speak to two long-term observers of Venezuelan politics: Venezuelan-born NYU professor Alejandro Velasco and Steve Ellner, who lives in Venezuela, where he taught for several decades.

Competing Bills to End Government Shutdown Fail in the Senate, House Democrats Consider Offering Trump $5.7 Billion for "Smart Wall", 800,000 Federal Workers Miss Second Paycheck Amid Government Shutdown, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross: Unpaid Workers Should Take Out Loans, Roger Stone Arrested for Allegedly Lying to Congress About WikiLeaks, U.S. Secretary of State Calls Venezuelan President "Illegitimate", Trump Administration to Force Asylum Seekers to Return to Mexico, Supporters Demand ICE Release Undocumented Activist Eduardo Samaniego, Minnesota: Two Men Plead Guilty to Bombing Bloomington Mosque, Sudan: Protests Demanding Ouster of President Omar al-Bashir Spread, Brazil: Openly Gay Lawmaker Flees the Country Amid Death Threats, Sen. Elizabeth Warren Proposes "Ultra-Millionaire Tax" on Top 0.1%, New York School Denies That Four Black Girls Were Strip-Searched, New York City Agrees to Settle Lawsuit over Death of Kalief Browder, Florida Secretary of State Quits over Photos Showing Him in Blackface, Indiana School Official Arrested for Insurance Fraud After Helping Sick Student , Belgium: 35,000 Students Strike for Action on Climate Change

As Venezuela faces an attempted coup supported by the U.S., Brazil and the European Union, we speak with human rights attorney Wolfgang Kaleck. In November, John Bolton accused Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua of being part of a "troika of tyranny." Kaleck says the real "troika of tyranny" is George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, who should be in prison for war crimes. Kaleck is a human rights attorney who for decades has been at the forefront of the legal fight to hold powerful actors and governments around the world accountable for human rights abuses. His new book, titled "Law Versus Power: Our Global Fight for Human Rights," documents his remarkable career, including his time as whistleblower Edward Snowden's lawyer in Europe. Kaleck is general secretary of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights.

As President Trump announces that the U.S. will recognize opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's new leader and sitting President Nicolás Maduro breaks off relations with the United States, we speak with a former U.N. independent expert who says the U.S. is staging an illegal coup in the country. Alfred de Zayas, who visited Venezuela as a U.N. representative in 2017, says, "The mainstream media has been complicit in this attempted coup. … This reminds us of the run-up to the Iraq invasion of 2003." We also speak with Miguel Tinker Salas, professor at Pomona College and author of "The Enduring Legacy: Oil, Culture, and Society in Venezuela" and "Venezuela: What Everyone Needs to Know."

The Venezuelan government is accusing the United States of staging a coup, after President Trump announced that the U.S. would recognize opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's new leader. Trump made the announcement shortly after Guaidó, the new head of Venezuela's National Assembly, declared himself president during a large opposition protest. The European Union and the Lima Group have joined the U.S. in recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó as president. Mexico is the one dissenting nation in the Lima Group to still recognize Maduro. We speak with Miguel Tinker Salas, professor at Pomona College, who says, "This is unprecedented not only in Venezuelan history, but in Latin America." He is the author of "The Enduring Legacy: Oil, Culture, and Society in Venezuela" and "Venezuela: What Everyone Needs to Know."

Venezuela Accuses U.S. of Attempting to Engineer Coup, Competing Senate Bills to End Government Shutdown Unlikely to Pass, Federal Workers Flood Senate Office Building to Protest Shutdown, Trump to Delay State of the Union Address Until Shutdown Ends, Witness: El Chapo's Sons Murdered Mexican Journalist Javier Valdez, Brazil: Son of President Bolsonaro Linked to Criminal Syndicate, Iowa Anti-Abortion Law Struck Down as New York Pro-Choice Bill Passes, Michael Cohen Cancels Congressional Testimony, Citing Trump's Threats, House Committee to Probe White House Handling of Security Clearances, U.S. Climate Science Hampered by Government Shutdown, 16-Year-Old Activist Greta Thunberg Demands Elites Act on Climate

The pioneering trans actress and activist Laverne Cox responds to the Supreme Court's revival of President Donald Trump's plan to ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. She spoke on Tuesday at the National Day of Racial Healing as part of a conversation moderated by Amy Goodman.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court revived President Donald Trump's plan to ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court lifted two lower court rulings that had blocked the ban from going into effect on constitutional grounds. Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan dissented. A third injunction remains in place for now. We speak to Chase Strangio, staff attorney at the ACLU, which is challenging the Trump administration's ban on servicemembers who are transgender.

As Los Angeles teachers agreed to end their strike on Tuesday, Denver teachers voted to strike for the first time in 25 years. The strike could begin as soon as Monday. Meanwhile, teachers in Oakland are planning to vote on a strike next week. We speak with Arlene Inouye, chair of the bargaining team for United Teachers Los Angeles, and Sarah Jaffe, reporting fellow at the Type Media Center.

Public school teachers in Los Angeles are returning to classrooms today after approving an agreement to end a historic 6-day strike. The strike was the first in Los Angeles in three decades. It came after more than 20 months of strained negotiations between the union—United Teachers Los Angeles—and the school district. The strike effectively shut down Los Angeles Unified, the nation's second largest school district. On Tuesday morning, union leaders and Los Angeles city officials announced that they had reached a deal on a new contract. After a vote, the union announced Tuesday night that the contract had been approved by a supermajority of UTLA members. Included in the agreement are pay increases for teachers, additional support staff in schools, smaller class sizes and the regulation of charter schools. For more, we speak with the union's bargaining committee chair, Arlene Inouye, as well as labor journalist and author Sarah Jaffe.

Senators to Vote on Competing Funding Bills as Gov't Shutdown Drags On, Federal Agencies Call Out Consequences of Gov't Shutdown, SCOTUS Green-Lights Trump Ban on Transgender Servicemembers, SCOTUS Will Not Take on Trump's DACA Challenge For Now, SCOTUS to Hear Case Backed by Gun Advocates, DOJ Asks SCOTUS to Review Census Citizenship Case, GOP Considers "Nuclear Option" to Confirm Trump-Nominated Judges, L.A. Teachers End Strike After Agreeing to Contract Deal, Zimbabwe: Popular Protests Met with Violence by Military, Sudan: Authorities Crack Down on Press and Protesters, Venezuela: VP Pence Calls for Overthrow of President Maduro, Attenborough Warns Humans Are "Exterminating Whole Ecosystems", Study: Greenland's Ice Sheet May Have Reached "Tipping Point", Federal Aid to Puerto Rico Paled Next to Aid for Texas, Florida After 2017 Hurricanes, NY: Police Arrest 4 Suspects for Plot to Attack Muslim Community, NYC: Civil Liberties Groups Sue NYPD over Anti-Trans Discrimination

We end today's show with "The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee," a stunning new book by David Treuer that looks at Native America from 1890 to the present day. The book's powerful mix of memoir, extensive interview and storytelling presents decades of indigenous history that have been sidelined by the mainstream. David Treuer is Ojibwe from the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. He teaches literature and creative writing at the University of Southern California.

As we continue to look at the video that has gone viral showing a group of Catholic high school students apparently mocking an indigenous tribal elder near the Lincoln Memorial, we speak to Chase Iron Eyes, an activist and lead attorney for the Lakota People's Law Project. He is a spokesperson for the Indigenous Peoples March.

On Friday, thousands took part in the Indigenous Peoples March in Washington, D.C. The next day, video went viral of an interaction that took place soon after the march ended between an indigenous elder and a group of Catholic high school students from Kentucky who had attended a March for Life protest the same day. In the video, Omaha elder Nathan Phillips is seen peacefully playing his drum and singing while being encircled by the students—some of whom were wearing red "Make America Great Again" hats. The video appears to show the students taunting and mocking Phillips. Some of the students are seen making a tomahawk-chop motion with their arms. One student wearing a red MAGA hat is seen standing directly in front of Phillips while grinning and smirking. The videos sparked widespread outrage, but some commentators walked back their critique of the students after more videos were posted online. We speak to Nathan Phillips about what happened. He is a Vietnam-era veteran and previous director of the Native Youth Alliance.

Gov't Shutdown Drags On as Dems Reject Trump DACA Proposal, Indigenous Elder and MAGA Hat-Wearing Student Face Off in Viral Video, Protesters Hit the Streets for 3rd Annual Women's March, Special Counsel Rebukes BuzzFeed Claim Trump Told Cohen to Lie to Congress, Sen. Merkley Calls for Probe into DHS Secretary over Family Separation, Afghanistan: Taliban Kill Dozens in Military Base Attack, Syria: Car Bomb Targets Kurds, as Israeli Airstrikes Kill At Least 21, Yemen: Saudi Airstrikes Pound Capital Sana'a, Reports: Shipwrecks in Mediterranean Kill 170 Migrants, Serbia: 10,000+ People Take to the Streets in 8th Week of Anti-Gov't Protests, Venezuela: Military Revolt Suppressed After Sergeant Calls for Gov't Overthrow, Colombia: ELN Claims Responsibility for Attack That Killed 21, Mexico: Journalist Killed After Criticizing Local Mayor, Ghana: Journalist Killed After Lawmaker Calls for His Attack, Judge Convicts "No More Deaths" Volunteers After They Left Water for Migrants, NYC: Martin Luther King Honored at Riverside Church, Trump and VP Pence Visit MLK Memorial for 2 Minutes, Sen. Kamala Harris Announces 2020 Presidential Run, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Apologizes for Past Anti-LGBTQ Statements, Officer Who Killed Laquan McDonald Sentenced to Over 6 Years in Prison, RCA Records Drops R. Kelly from Label, Oxfam: 26 Wealthiest People Own as Much as World's 3.8 Billion Poorest

As the nation marks 90 years since the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we air a rediscovered speech he delivered on December 7, 1964, days before he received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. In a major address in London, King spoke about segregation, the fight for civil rights and his support for Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. The speech was recorded by Saul Bernstein, who was working as the European correspondent for Pacifica Radio. Bernstein’s recording was rediscovered by Brian DeShazor, director of the Pacifica Radio Archives.

The United States and allied nations in Latin America are ratcheting up pressure on Venezuela in what appears to be a coordinated effort to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from office. Maduro was sworn in last week to a second 6-year term following his victory in last May's election, which was boycotted by the opposition. Days before Maduro was sworn in, opposition figure Juan Guaidó became head of the National Assembly, which soon voted to declare Maduro a "usurper" in an effort to remove him from office. The United States, Brazil and other nations have welcomed the effort. As the political crisis intensifies, Maduro has reached out to the United Nations to help establish a peace dialogue in Venezuela. We speak with Jorge Arreaza, Venezuelan foreign minister. He met with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres this week.

In Syria, a suicide bomber struck a restaurant in the northern city of Manbij Wednesday, killing 19 people including four Americans. Two of them were U.S. soldiers. The bombing was claimed by ISIS and came just weeks after President Trump declared victory over the group and ordered U.S. troops to withdraw from Syria, prompting the resignation of Pentagon chief Jim Mattis. Just hours after the attack, Vice President Mike Pence reiterated that ISIS has been defeated. Wednesday's attack drew renewed calls from congressional hawks—both Republicans and Democrats—to reverse Trump's Syria withdrawal. The U.S. has an estimated 2,000 troops stationed in Syria, even though Congress has never declared war on the country. We speak with Ro Khanna, Democratic congressmember from California. He is a leading critic of U.S. military interventions abroad.

Watchdog: Trump Admin Vastly Underreported Migrant Family Separations, Trump Grounds Flight of Congressmembers to Visit NATO, Afghanistan, Government Shutdown Threatens Safety Net Programs for Millions, As Shutdown Grinds On, Senate Debates Anti-Abortion Bill, Trump Admin Recalls Workers to Assist in Offshore Oil Projects, BuzzFeed: Trump Ordered Michael Cohen to Lie to Congress, WSJ: Trump Paid Cohen to Rig Polls in Likely Campaign Finance Violation, Colombia: Suicide Car Bomber Kills 21 at Bogotá Police Academy, Sudan: Security Forces Fire on Anti-Government Protesters, U.S. Citizen and Iranian TV News Anchor Marzieh Hashemi Arrested, Brazil: Former Rio de Janeiro Cop Identified as Marielle Franco's Killer, Chicago Judge Acquits 3 Officers in Laquan McDonald Killing, L.A. Teachers' Strike Enters Fifth Day as Oakland Teachers Hold One-Day Strike

Senate confirmation hearings began Wednesday for former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler, whom President Trump has nominated to become administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Wheeler has been the acting head of the EPA since Scott Pruitt resigned in July amid an onslaught of financial and ethics scandals. We speak with Heather McTeer Toney, national field director for Moms Clean Air Force and former Southeast regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency during the Obama administration. We also speak with Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign.

We look at the widespread impact of the government shutdown on Native American communities, as the Indian Health Service goes understaffed and a federally funded food delivery program to Indian reservations has halted. Democratic members of Congress held a hearing Tuesday on the effects of the shutdown on health, education and employment in Native communities. We speak with Mark Trahant, editor of Indian Country Today and member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is now on Day 27. As 800,000 workers continue to go without pay, federal employees around the country are rising up to demand an end to the shutdown, which has run public institutions ragged and left hundreds of thousands financially strapped. We speak with Barbara Ehrenreich, author of the best-seller "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America." She is calling for TSA workers around the country to strike.

Speaker Pelosi to Trump: Cancel or Postpone State of the Union, Federal Employees and Contractors Demand End to Government Shutdown, Trump to Propose Biggest Space-Based Missile Program Since "Star Wars", Andrew Wheeler, at EPA Confirmation Hearing, Downplays Climate Risks, Climate Study Finds Ocean Temperatures Hit Record High in 2018, Syria: Four Americans Among 19 Killed in ISIS Suicide Attack, Zimbabwe: Five Killed as Government Attacks Fuel Hike Protesters, Kenya: Death Toll in al-Shabab Attack on Nairobi Hotel Rises to 21, British PM Theresa May Survives No-Confidence Vote, NYT: Trump Inaugural Committee Took In Record $107 Million, Watchdog Says Regulators Ignored Constitutional Concerns over Trump Hotel, T-Mobile Execs Seeking Merger Approval Bought Stays in Trump Hotel, Trump Attorney No Longer Denying Campaign Colluded with Russia, Michigan State Interim President Resigns over Larry Nassar Comments, L.A. Teachers Return to Bargaining Table on Day 4 of Historic Strike, New York Protest Targets Fracked Gas Power Plant, The Yes Men Target Fossil Fuel Ties of BlackRock Investment Firm, Phony Washington Post Proclaims End to Trump's Presidency

A federal judge in New York City has ruled against the Trump administration's decision to put a citizenship question on the census. In a lengthy opinion, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman wrote that in deciding to add a citizenship question to the census, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross violated a "veritable smorgasbord" of federal rules and "alternately ignored, cherry-picked, or badly misconstrued the evidence in the record before him." Ross announced the citizenship question in March, touting it as a way to enforce the Voting Rights Act and protect minorities against voter discrimination. Voting rights activists feared the question would deter immigrants from participating in the census, leading to a vast undercount in states with large immigrant communities. That could impact everything from the redrawing of congressional maps to the allocation of federal funding. We speak with David Cole, national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, which challenged the addition of the citizenship question.

Senate confirmation hearings began Tuesday for William Barr, President Trump's nominee for attorney general to replace Jeff Sessions. Barr served as attorney general for George H.W. Bush from 1991 to 1993. During that time, he was involved in the pardon of six Reagan officials for the Iran-Contra scandal and oversaw the opening of the Guantánamo Bay military prison, which was initially used to indefinitely detain Haitian asylum seekers. Barr also openly backed mass incarceration at home and helped develop a secret Drug Enforcement Administration program which became a "blueprint" for the National Security Agency's mass phone surveillance effort. But on Tuesday, senators asked few questions about Barr's past record while focusing heavily on his views about special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. We look at Barr's history with David Cole, national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. His recent article for the ACLU is titled "No Relief: William Barr Is as Bad as Jeff Sessions—if Not Worse." We also speak with Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal was crushed Tuesday in the biggest defeat for a sitting British government in modern history. After months of build-up, May's plan for withdrawing Britain from the European Union was voted down 432 to 202, fomenting political uncertainty about the future of Britain, as well as May's leadership. On Wednesday, Parliament will vote on a no-confidence motion in May's government. We speak with Paul Mason, New Statesman contributing writer, author and filmmaker. His latest piece for the New Statesman is titled "To avoid a disastrous failure, Labour must now have the courage to fight for Remain."

British PM Theresa May's Brexit Deal Rejected by MPs in Historic Loss, Trump Orders 50,000 Idled Government Employees to Work Without Pay, Sen. Mitch McConnell Blocks Another Vote to End Government Shutdown, Government Shutdown Takes a Toll on Indian Country, Aviation Security, Federal Judge Blocks Trump Admin Citizenship Question on 2020 Census, Senate Opens Confirmation Hearings for William Barr as Attorney General, Kenya: Al-Shabab Claims Nairobi Hotel Attack That Leaves 14 Dead, Colombian Drug Lord Says Former Mexican President Took $100M Bribe, Former Ivory Coast President Acquitted of Crimes Against Humanity, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Rolls Back Gun Regulations, World Food Program Cuts Food to Palestinians as Trump Admin Guts Aid, Lawmakers Vote to Condemn White Supremacy, Rebuking Rep. Steve King, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Calls for 70% Tax Rate on the Wealthiest, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to Run for President in 2020, Chechnya: Activists Say Lesbians and Gays Face Torture, Death, Second Lady Karen Pence Begins Teaching at School with LGBTQ Ban, New York Passes Bills Aimed at Protecting LGBTQ Rights

As the longest government shutdown in U.S. history heads into its 25th day and President Trump continues to crack down on immigrants, we look at how the Trump administration is criminalizing humanitarian aid at the border. In Tucson, Arizona, activists with the humanitarian group No More Deaths go to trial today facing charges for a slew of federal crimes, all due to their efforts to leave water and food in the harsh Sonoran Desert to help refugees and migrants survive the deadly journey across the U.S. border. The charges were filed last year in January, just a week after No More Deaths published a report accusing U.S. Border Patrol agents of routinely vandalizing or confiscating water, food and other humanitarian aid, condemning refugees and migrants to die of exposure or dehydration. We speak with Paige Corich-Kleim, a humanitarian aid worker and volunteer with No More Deaths, and Ryan Devereaux, a staff reporter at The Intercept. His latest piece is titled "Arizona Judge in No More Deaths Case Had Secret Talks with Federal Prosecutors."

Senate confirmation hearings begin today for William Barr, President Trump's nominee for attorney general to replace Jeff Sessions, who was fired in November. Barr served as attorney general for George H.W. Bush from 1991 to 1993. During that time, he was involved in the pardon of six Reagan officials for the Iran-Contra scandal and oversaw the opening of the Guantánamo Bay military prison, which was initially used to indefinitely detain HIV-positive asylum seekers from Haiti. Barr also openly backed mass incarceration at home and helped develop a secret Drug Enforcement Administration program which became a "blueprint" for the National Security Agency's mass phone surveillance effort. We speak with Vincent Warren, executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights.

Los Angeles public school teachers are on strike for the first time in three decades. On Monday morning, tens of thousands of teachers braved pouring rain on the picket line for the strike's first day. Some 20,000 people marched through downtown Los Angeles, demanding smaller class sizes, higher pay, the regulation of charter schools and more nurses, counselors and librarians. Over 31,000 members of United Teachers Los Angeles are striking. We speak with Cecily Myart-Cruz, strike leader and National Education Association vice president at United Teachers Los Angeles, and Eric Blanc, a reporter covering the strike for The Guardian and Jacobin. He is author of the forthcoming book "Red State Revolt: The Teachers' Strike Wave and Working-Class Politics."

Over 30,000 Los Angeles Teachers Walk Out in First Strike in 30 Years, Barr Pledges to Protect Mueller Probe as He Faces Senate AG Hearings, NYC Prisoners Go on Hunger Strike, Feel Effect of Gov't Shutdown, Poland Mayor, Defender of Immigrant Rights, Dies After Public Stabbing, Afghanistan: Taliban Car Bomb Kills 5, Injures Over 100, Afghanistan: New Defense Minister Accused of War Crimes, Human Rights Abuses, Brexit: Lawmakers Set to Vote on Contested Brexit Deal, Pennsylvania Judge Blocks Trump's Birth Control Restrictions Nationwide, Justice Ginsburg Declared Cancer-Free, Reviews SCOTUS Cases from Home, SCOTUS Won't Review Case Challenging Legality of Acting AG, California: PG&E to File for Bankruptcy 2 Months After Deadly Camp Fire, GOP Strips Rep. King of Committee Seats After He Praises White Supremacy, EPA Referrals of Polluters for Prosecution Hit 30-Year Low in 2018, AP: U.S. Gov't Approved Thousands of Immigration Requests for "Child Brides", InfoWars Must Turn Over Internal Documents to Families of Sandy Hook Victims

As 800,000 federal workers remain furloughed or working without pay in the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, we look at how the Trump administration has restarted a division of the Internal Revenue Service to help corporate lenders. The Washington Post reports that an appeal from the mortgage industry has resulted in hundreds of IRS staffers returning to the agency to carry out income verifications for lenders. This process earns the $1.3 trillion mortgage banking industry millions of dollars in fees. We speak with Paul Kiel, a reporter for ProPublica and contributor to the series "Gutting the IRS." His recent piece for the series is titled "Who's More Likely to Be Audited: A Person Making $20,000—or $400,000?"

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has granted posthumous pardons to four young African-American men accused of raping a white woman near Groveland, Florida, in 1949. Two men were brutally murdered as a result of the false accusations. The case is now seen as a racially charged miscarriage of justice emblematic of the Jim Crow South. The story of the "Groveland Four," now 70 years old, has continued to haunt the state of Florida. We speak with Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America," and Carol Greenlee, daughter of Charles Greenlee, one of the Groveland Four.

Gov't Shutdown Now Longest in U.S. History, Trump Admin Considered Disaster Relief Funds to Build Border Wall, Interior Dept. Pushes Ahead Plans for New Arctic Drilling Leases, Texas: Tornillo Immigrant Prison Camp Shuts Down, Los Angeles: Public Teachers Go on Strike, Dems Vow to Investigate After 2 New Reports on Trump's Relationship with Russia, WSJ: Nat'l Sec. Council Asked About Possible Military Strike on Iran in 2018, Trump Threatens to "Devastate Turkey Economically" If Syrian Kurds Targeted, Saudi Arabia: Sec. of State Pompeo Meets with Crown Prince 3 Months After Khashoggi Killing, Canada Grants Asylum to Saudi Teen Fleeing Abusive Family, Gaza: Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Woman at Weekly Protest, U.N. Food Agency Cuts Aid to Occupied Territories, France: "Yellow Vest" Protesters Take to Streets for 9th Straight Week, Poland: Huawei Employee Arrested over Spying Charge, California Judge Halts Trump Attempt to Roll Back Reproductive Rights, Rep. Steve King to Meet with Minority Leader After Praising White Supremacy in NYT, Julián Castro and Rep. Gabbard Announce 2020 Presidential Bids

In a Democracy Now! exclusive, legendary activist and scholar Angela Davis speaks out after the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute rescinded a human rights award for her, reportedly due to her activism for Palestinian rights. In September, the institute announced that it would award Davis the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award, named after the civil rights icon. But last Friday, the institute voted to withdraw the award and cancel this year's gala event. The institute rescinded the award days after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring Davis due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. Others in the Birmingham area criticized Davis for her support for the Black Panthers and Communist Party. We speak with Angela Davis in her first television interview since the controversy began.

Protests Target Shutdown as Federal Employees Miss First Paycheck, Trump May Raid Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Funds for Border Wall, Protesters Gather on Both Sides of U.S.-Mexico Border as Trump Visits, Senate Leader Mitch McConnell Blocks Vote on Bill to Fund Government, Study Finds Oceans Are Absorbing Far More Heat Than Previously Known, Pentagon Says It's Withdrawing from Syria as Turkey Readies Invasion, In Cairo, U.S. Secretary of State Rebukes Obama and Threatens Iran, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Calls Jamal Khashoggi Murder an "Atrocity", Protests Outside Supreme Court Demand Closure of Guantánamo Prison, McClatchy: CIA Chief Gina Haspel Ran Guantánamo Black Site, Venezuelan President Accuses U.S. of Coup Plotting as 2nd Term Begins, Brazil to Withdraw from U.N. Agreement Protecting Migrants, Democrats Unveil Bill to Reduce Prescription Drug Prices, Sen. Sanders Apologizes to Ex-Staffers Alleging Harassment in 2016 Campaign, Donald Trump's Ex-Fixer Michael Cohen to Testify to House Committee, Rep. Steve King Praises White Nationalism, Blasts Congressional Diversity, Black Transgender Woman Murdered in Montgomery, Alabama

A New York City trial is challenging the Trump administration's attempt to end temporary protected status—known as TPS—for more than 50,000 Haitians living in the U.S. Tens of thousands of Haitians were granted TPS after an earthquake devastated their country nine years ago this week. In November 2017, the Trump administration announced it would revoke TPS for Haitians, sparking protests and multiple lawsuits around the country. We speak with Marleine Bastien, executive director the Family Action Network Movement, or FANM, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. She testified on Wednesday as a witness in the trial.

Cyntoia Brown was granted full clemency by Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam on Monday after serving 15 years in prison. The decision follows months of intense public pressure and outrage over her case. Brown was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder for shooting her rapist as a teenager. She had been sexually trafficked and repeatedly abused and drugged. The shooting happened when Brown was just 16 years old, but she was tried as an adult. We speak with Mariame Kaba, organizer and educator who has worked on anti-domestic violence programs, anti-incarceration and racial justice programs since the late 1980s. Kaba is the co-founder of Survived and Punished, an organization that supports survivors of violence who have been criminalized for defending themselves. She's also a board member of Critical Resistance.

National parks around the country have seen overflowing toilets and trash piling up since the government shutdown began nearly three weeks ago. Park experts are now warning that the damage may take years to undo. We speak with Jonathan Asher, government relations manager at The Wilderness Society.

President Trump says that he will likely declare a national emergency over the border wall if negotiations over the government shutdown continue. We speak with Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. "The Congress has given the president quite a bit of authority to declare emergencies with terms that are almost unbounded," Weissman says. "Congress has always expected, and society has always expected, that presidents wouldn't abuse that authority recklessly, declaring emergencies just because they want to. We obviously have a president now who has no such constraints."

The partial government shutdown has entered its 20th day. On Saturday, it will become the longest shutdown in U.S. history if a deal is not reached. President Trump reportedly stormed out of a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Wednesday after they refused to back a deal to fund a wall on the southern border. Schumer accused Trump of throwing a temper tantrum. Trump described the meeting as a "total waste of time." We speak with Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. The group just released a report titled "As Shutdown Drags On, Agencies Devoted to Consumer and Worker Health and Safety Unfunded and Deprioritized."

Trump Walks Out of Shutdown Negotiations After "Temper Tantrum", Unions for Federal Workers to Protest as Shutdown Enters 20th Day, Donald Trump Jr. Compares Immigrants to Zoo Animals, Trump Nominates Ex-Coal Lobbyist Andrew Wheeler as Permanent EPA Head, Congo: Felix Tshisekedi Declared Provisional President-Elect, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Meets Egyptian Leader el-Sisi, Campaigners Mark 100 Days Since Jamal Khashoggi's Assassination, After Weeks Stranded at Sea, Asylum Seekers Granted Access to Malta, Lebanon: Winter Storms Bring Death and Misery to Syrian Refugees, Police Issue Arrest Warrant for Ex-Manager of R. Kelly, Lady Gaga Apologizes for Collaborating with R. Kelly in 2013, Kentucky Lawmakers Prepare Bill to Outlaw Abortions, New York: Pipeline Protesters Found Guilty over 2016 Direct Action, Los Angeles Teachers Delay Strike Plans Until Monday, Puerto Rican Human Rights Activist Luis Garden Acosta Dies

Longtime NBC reporter and analyst William Arkin announced he was leaving the network last week in a blistering letter that took aim at the mainstream media for encouraging perpetual warfare and bolstering the national security state. In his letter, Arkin writes of Trump, "Of course he is an ignorant and incompetent impostor. And yet I'm alarmed at how quick NBC is to mechanically argue the contrary, to be in favor of policies that just spell more conflict and more war. Really? We shouldn't get out Syria? We shouldn't go for the bold move of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula? Even on Russia, though we should be concerned about the brittleness of our democracy that it is so vulnerable to manipulation, do we really yearn for the Cold War? And don't even get me started with the FBI: What? We now lionize this historically destructive institution?" We speak with Arkin in New York City. He is the author of many books, including "Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State."

"Prisoners of Donald Trump." That's how longtime NBC reporter and analyst William Arkin described the mainstream media in a scathing letter last week announcing he would be leaving the network, accusing the media of warmongering while ignoring the "creeping fascism of homeland security." He issued the blistering critique after a 30-year relationship with NBC, calling for "Trump-free" media days and a reckoning about how the network encourages a state of perpetual warfare. We speak with Arkin, whose award-winning reporting has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post. He is the author of many books, including "Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State."

After Donald Trump addressed the nation Tuesday in a speech that attacked immigrants and demanded a border wall, Sen. Bernie Sanders called out the president for lying to the American people and creating a false crisis at the border. We speak with Oscar Chacón, executive director of Alianza Americas, an immigrant rights group based in Chicago.

President Donald Trump addressed the nation Tuesday night in his first prime-time speech from the Oval Office. He urged Congress to approve $5.7 billion to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, but he opted not to declare a national emergency to force construction of the wall, in a xenophobic speech riddled with falsehoods. We speak with Oscar Chacón, executive director of Alianza Americas, an immigrant rights group based in Chicago.

Trump Delivers Error-Filled Border Security Address to Nation, Senate Blocks Anti-BDS Bill Amid Ongoing Gov't Shutdown, Carbon Emissions Spiked in 2018 Despite Coal Plant Closures, Deputy AG Rosenstein to Depart After Confirmation of New AG, Court Filings Show Manafort Shared Trump Campaign Info with Russian Operative, Documents Reveal Russian Lawyer at 2016 Trump Tower Mtg Had Ties to Kremlin, Turkey: Pres. Erdogan Blasts U.S. Changes in Syria Withdrawal Plan, Sudan: Anti-Gov't Protests Result in Mass Arrests, Press Censorship, Los Angeles: Dead Man Found in Home of Top Democratic Donor, Texas: Second Man Arrested in Murder of 7-Year-Old Girl, Reports: Georgia DA May Investigate R. Kelly in Wake of Damning Documentary, Seattle Councillors Warn New Yorkers of Risks from Amazon Expansion, Baltimore: ICE May Deport Salvadoran Activist Who Resisted Racial Profiling, Angela Davis Responds to Withdrawal of Human Rights Award, California Proposes Health Plan Expanding Coverage for Undocumented Youth, NYC Mayor: City Will Guarantee Healthcare for All New Yorkers

A group of New York Police Department officers are challenging what they call a racially charged policy of quotas for arrests and summonses. Known as the "NYPD 12," they risked their reputations and livelihoods to confront their superiors, fight illegal quotas and demand a more just police force. We look at a film following their story called "Crime + Punishment." It has just been shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary. We speak with Stephen Maing, the film's director and producer, and Lieutenant Edwin Raymond, the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the NYPD 12.

A new Senate bill would allow state and local governments to boycott any U.S. companies which are engaged in a boycott against Israel. We speak with Congressmember Rashida Tlaib, who has come out out against the bill, tweeting, "They forgot what country they represent. This is the U.S. where boycotting is a right & part of our historical fight for freedom & equality. Maybe a refresher on our U.S. Constitution is in order, then get back to opening up our government instead of taking our rights away."

Newly elected Democratic Congressmember Rashida Tlaib of Michigan made headlines last week for declaring, "We’re going to go in there, and we’re going to impeach the motherf***er," in reference to President Donald Trump. Tlaib made the comment at a Washington, D.C., bar, days after she made history last week when she and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota became the first Muslim women sworn in to Congress. Tlaib is part of the most diverse and most female class of representatives in U.S. history. We speak with Rashida Tlaib in Detroit, Michigan.