Democracy Now!

President Trump has reiterated his calls for the U.S. to impose the death penalty on drug dealers, praising countries like the Philippines, China and Singapore that apply capital punishment to drug traffickers. During a speech on Saturday, Trump recounted conversations with Chinese and Singaporean leaders who, he said, solved their countries' drug problems by executing drug traffickers. Trump has also repeatedly expressed admiration for Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and said he's done an "unbelievable job on the drug problem." Last month, the International Criminal Court opened a preliminary investigation into accusations that Duterte had committed crimes against humanity by overseeing the killing of up to 8,000 people in his so-called war on drugs. We speak to Widney Brown, the managing director of policy at the Drug Policy Alliance.

Trump Backpedals on Firearm Purchase Age, Supports Arming Teachers, Florida Governor Signs Limited Gun Control Measures, California: Army Vet Kills 3 and Commits Suicide at Veterans' Home, Trump Repeats Call to Impose Death Penalty on Drug Dealers, Trump Hurls Insults at Rivals During Pitch for Pennsylvania Candidate, Syria: Government Forces Advance on Besieged Damascus Suburb, British Government Approves Fighter Jet Sales to Saudi Arabia, China's Parliament Ends Presidential Term Limits, Steve Bannon to French Far-Right Party: "Let Them Call You Racist", Italy: Pope Warns of Anti-Immigrant Violence as Far Right Makes Gains, Colombia: Former FARC Rebels Compete in National Elections, Burmese Military Builds Bases in Burned-Out Rohingya Villages, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Struggles in "60 Minutes" Interview, "60 Minutes" to Air Interview with Stormy Daniels over Alleged Trump Affair, New York: Protesters Target Sackler Family over Opioids at Met Protest, Canada: Thousands March to Protest Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion

As the world marked International Women's Day on Wednesday, The New York Times began a new project highlighting the lives of remarkable women who never had an obituary in the paper, until now. The list might surprise you. It includes the pioneering anti-lynching journalist Ida B. Wells; the writer and poet Sylvia Plath; Qiu Jin, who was known as China's Joan of Arc; the groundbreaking photographer Diane Arbus; the woman who helped engineer the Brooklyn Bridge, Emily Warren Roebling; Charlotte Brontë, who wrote "Jane Eyre"; Henrietta Lacks, whose cells led to a medical revolution; and Ada Lovelace, who is considered to be the world's first computer programmer. The New York Times is calling the project "Overlooked," and it is part of an effort to make up for the paper's 167-year history of focusing largely on men—mostly white men—in the obituary pages. For more, we speak with Amy Padnani, digital editor of obituaries at The New York Times, who came up with the idea of "Overlooked."

Even before Hurricane Maria struck the island nearly six months ago, the majority of Puerto Rico's residents lived with water that violated health standards set by the U.S. law. Since the storm, residents say the situation has only gotten worse. Among the sources of potential water contamination are mountains of coal ash generated by a coal-fired power plant owned by a private company called AES. For years, residents have demanded the company stop dumping toxic coal ash into their community, saying the waste is poisonous to their health and the environment. We speak with Mekela Panditharatne, a lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council who just returned from the island and wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post headlined "FEMA says most of Puerto Rico has potable water. That can't be true."

Residents of Uniontown, Alabama, have lived with the Arrowhead landfill, which is twice the size of New York's Central Park, have protested shipments of toxic coal ash—the residual byproduct of burning coal—from a massive spill in Kingston, Tennessee, believed to be the largest coal ash disaster in U.S. history. For two years, nearly 4 million tons of coal ash was also shipped by rail from a mostly white Tennessee county to Uniontown. Coal ash contains toxins, including arsenic, mercury and boron, that can affect the nervous and reproductive systems and cause other health problems. According to the EPA, people living within a mile of unlined coal ash storage ponds have a one-in-50 risk of developing cancer. In 2013, some Uniontown residents filed a complaint under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. This week, the EPA dismissed the claim, saying there was "insufficient evidence." We speak with Ben Eaton, vice president of Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice and a resident of Uniontown, Alabama; and with Mustafa Santiago Ali, former head of the EPA’s environmental justice program.

The White House says President Trump has accepted an invitation to meet directly with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un. South Korea's National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong spoke with reporters Thursday night outside the White House after briefing officials on the recent talks between Seoul and Pyongyang, and said the meeting would take place within two months. No sitting U.S. president has ever met with a North Korean leader; Kim Jong-un has never met another sitting head of state. For more, we speak with Tim Shorrock, correspondent for The Nation and the Korea Center for Investigative Journalism in Seoul.

Trump Accepts Kim Jong-un's Invitation for Direct Talks, MSF: 1,000 People Killed in Eastern Ghouta in Last 2 Weeks, Afghanistan: 7 Killed in Kabul Bombing, 20 Killed in U.S. Drone Strike, Trump Signs Steel & Aluminum Tariff Orders, Ahead of Rally in PA for Rick Saccone, Mississippi Passes Anti-Abortion Law Banning Abortions After 15 Weeks, White House Stonewalling House Oversight Committee Probe into Rob Porter, Turkish Court Sentences 22 Journalists to Prison, Viral Video Shows Border Patrol Agent Ripping Mother Away from Her Daughters, ICE Detains Immigrant & Reproductive Rights Activist Alejandra Pablos, Women Across the World Take to Streets to Mark International Women's Day

On International Women's Day, we speak with Eve Ensler, award-winning playwright and author of "The Vagina Monologues." Ensler's new play, "In the Body of the World," is an exploration of the female body—how to talk about it, how to protect it, how to value it. She shares her deeply intimate and painful relationship with her own body and how it has changed throughout her life, from being raped to struggling with anorexia, from battling uterine cancer to reclaiming her body when dancing with women from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the City of Joy, a revolutionary community for women survivors of gender violence in Bukavu, which she helped establish.

From Afghanistan to the Philippines to Mexico to Spain, women across the globe are taking to the streets today to mark International Women's Day. In South Korea, International Women's Day rallies were held in Seoul as the #MeToo movement sweeps the country. Filipino women rallied in Manila to protest the policies of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Afghan women held a rare public rally in Kabul. In Kenya, African women are meeting today to discuss ending violence against women and girls with disabilities. In England, women organized a major march on Saturday to mark the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote. And in the United States, rallies are scheduled to take place across the country today. For more, we speak with Tithi Bhattacharya, associate professor of South Asian history at Purdue University. She is one of the national organizers of the International Women's Strike.

In Spain, women have launched the first nationwide women's strike in Spain's history to mark International Women's Day. Their motto: "If we stop, the world stops." Organizers say its supporters include Ada Colau, the mayor of Barcelona, and Manuela Carmena, the mayor of Madrid. Organizers published a manifesto reading, "Today we call for a society free of sexist oppression, exploitation and violence. We call for rebellion and a struggle against the alliance of the patriarchy and capitalism that wants us to be obedient, submissive and quiet. We do not accept worse working conditions, nor being paid less than men for the same work. That is why we are calling a work strike." We speak with María Carrión, an independent freelance journalist based in Madrid.

Women Across the World Mark International Women's Day, Sessions Attacks California in Escalating Feud over Sanctuary Laws, 8 Students Arrested in D.C. Sit-In Demanding Gun Control, White House Claims Trump Won Arbitration Against Stormy Daniels, French President Blasts Trump's Decision to Move U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, In Reversal, WH to Exempt Mexico & Canada from Tariffs If They Sign New NAFTA Deal, 11 Nations Gather in Chile to Sign New Version of TPP, Without U.S., Appeals Court Rules Youth Suing Trump Admin over Climate Change Can Go to Trial, PA Orders Emergency Shutdown of Pipeline After Massive Sinkholes Appear, Asheville, NC: White Police Officer Resigns After Video Shows Him Beating Black Man, Vatican: Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Romero Will Become a Saint

This year's midterm elections officially began on Tuesday as Democratic and Republican primaries were held in Texas. Democrats are hoping Texas could become a key state in the party's effort to retake control of the Senate and the House. A record 50 women were on the ballot in what many are calling the "year of the women." On Tuesday, Congressmember Beto O'Rourke won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. He will take on incumbent Ted Cruz, who easily won the Republican primary. On the House side, Democrats are putting up candidates in every Texas district for the first time in over 25 years. In one of the most watched Democratic races, progressive Democrat Laura Moser placed second, forcing a runoff against Democrat Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, an attorney who has been criticized for working at a law firm that has targeted unions in Texas. The race is seen as part of a war within the Democratic Party. Moser was endorsed by Our Revolution—the political organization that grew out of Bernie Sanders's run for the White House. Fletcher was backed by the Democratic Party. In February, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took the unusual step of directly attacking Moser even though she is a Democrat. Moser and Fletcher will now face each other in a runoff to decide who will face Republican Congressmember John Culberson in November. We speak to Mike Barajas, staff writer for The Texas Observer.

On Tuesday, 16 Senate Democrats joined with 50 Republicans to advance a bill slated to roll back key financial regulations passed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The bill would exempt 25 of the nation's 40 largest banks from being subject to heightened scrutiny by the Federal Reserve. If it passes, it would be the biggest weakening of the Dodd-Frank Act since it was signed into law in 2010. The 67-32 vote in favor of a "motion to proceed" now sends the bill back to the floor for debate and possible amendments before a final vote in the coming days. We speak to Alexis Goldstein, a senior policy analyst at Americans for Financial Reform.

As West Virginia teachers celebrate victory in their historic strike, Oklahoma teachers are considering following in their footsteps. On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Education Association announced that teachers would go strike on April 23 if the state Legislature doesn't approve pay increases and funding for educational needs. For more, we speak with Teresa Danks, a third-grade teacher at Grimes Elementary School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She made headlines last year when she panhandled on a roadside to raise money for supplies for her classroom. She has since started a foundation called Begging for Education, dedicated to funding classrooms, improving teachers' salaries and fiscal responsibility in Oklahoma. And we speak with Katie Endicott, a high school English teacher in Mingo County, West Virginia, who has a message for her counterpart in Oklahoma.

In West Virginia, teachers have ended their historic strike, after state officials agreed to raise the pay of all state workers by 5 percent. The strike began on February 22 and shut down every public school in the state. It was the longest teachers' strike in West Virginia history. For more, we speak with Katie Endicott, a high school teacher and union activist in Mingo County, West Virginia.

Striking West Virginia Teachers Win 5% Raise for All State Workers, Justice Department Sues California over So-Called Sanctuary Laws, Trump's Top Economic Adviser Gary Cohn to Resign, Carl Icahn Sold Steel-Related Stocks Days Before Trump Announced Tariffs, Report: Kellyanne Conway Broke Hatch Law by Endorsing Roy Moore, Trump Lawyer's 2016 Payoff to Stormy Daniels Could Violate Federal Election Law, Mueller Probing UAE Adviser George Nader & Meeting in Seychelles, Trump Says Russian Meddling Had No Impact on 2016 Election, White House Corrects Record After Trump Confuses North & South Korea, Pentagon Concludes Investigation into Attack in Niger That Killed 4 Special Forces Soldiers, U.N. Accuses U.S.-Led Coalition & Russia of Committing Possible War Crimes in Syria, Honduras: Dam Company Executive Arrested for Masterminding Berta Cáceres's Killing, Imprisoned Honduran Activist Edwin Espinal Launches Hunger Strike, Sri Lanka Declares State of Emergency Amid Violence Against Muslim Community, Britain: Former Russian Spy Appears to Have Been Poisoned, Women Worldwide Mobilize for March 8 International Women's Day

On Capitol Hill, three U.S. senators have introduced a bill that would force Congress to vote for the first time on whether to continue U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition's war in Yemen. The measure was introduced by Republican Mike Lee, Democrat Chris Murphy and Vermont independent Bernie Sanders, who noted that the Constitution gives Congress—and not the president—the power to declare war. For more, we speak with Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut.

The Florida Senate has voted to support a number of a new gun control measures following the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 people dead. Meanwhile, in Washington, Republican lawmakers said last week they're moving on from the debate over gun control, after failing to pass a single bill on firearms in the wake of last month's massacre in Florida. For more, we speak with one of the most vocal advocates for gun control in Washington, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Shortly after the Florida shooting, Murphy took to the floor of the Senate to call for action. "Let me just note once again for my colleagues that this happens nowhere else other than the United States of America, this epidemic of mass slaughter, this scourge of school shooting after school shooting," Murphy said. "It only happens here, not because of coincidence, not because of bad luck, but as a consequence of our inaction."

"Trade wars are good, and easy to win." That's the message President Trump tweeted on Friday, sending shockwaves across the globe and sparking fear of impending economic volatility. On Thursday, world stock markets tumbled after Trump announced he plans to impose new tariffs on imports of foreign steel and aluminum. The new tariffs—25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum—will benefit U.S. producers of the metals, while raising prices for companies that manufacture everything from cars to airplanes to high-rise apartments. Prominent Republicans and business leaders have denounced Trump's plan, saying the tariffs will hurt the manufacturing industry and U.S. competitiveness. Trump's announcement has also prompted concerns that other countries will impose retaliatory tariffs while challenging U.S. protectionism at the World Trade Organization. For more, we host a debate. Lori Wallach is the director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch and author of "The Rise and Fall of Fast Track Trade Authority." Economist Michael Hudson is the author of "America's Protectionist Takeoff 1815-1914."

North Korea Would Stop Nuclear Tests to Hold Talks with United States, Syria: Monitors Say 70 Killed in 24 Hours Amid Ongoing Gov't Assault on Eastern Ghouta, Trump Says He's Not Backing Down from Tariffs Plan, Ex-Trump Campaign Aide Sam Nunberg Says He Won't Cooperate with Mueller Probe, NYT: State Dept. Spent None of $120 Million to Counter Russian Election Meddling, Embattled at Home, Netanyahu Receives Warm Welcome at Trump's White House, 87 Muslim Leaders & Immigration Activists Arrested in D.C. Protesting End of DACA, Trump Taps Dow Lawyer to Head EPA Unit; Data Shows Coal Ash Polluting Groundwater, NYT: Sen. Hatch's Emails Show Oil Was Central in Decision to Shrink Bears Ears, Kashmir: Tens of Thousands Protest Killing of Civilians by Indian Soldiers, DRC: Dozens Killed & Hundreds Displaced in Recent Days Amid Fighting in Ituri Province, Trump Name Pried Off Panama Hotel as Owner Wins Dispute Against U.S. President, W. Virginia Teachers & U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Grad Students Continue Strikes, Argentina Teachers Launch 2-Day Strike, Shuttering Schools Across Country, 24 Arrested at Michigan State U. as Anti-Fascists Protest Richard Spencer Speech, 2018 Midterm Elections Begin with Texas Primaries, Florida Senate Passes Limited Gun Control Measures in Wake of Parkland Massacre

The 90th Academy Awards were held Sunday night, where the vast majority of the awards went to white men, despite years of activism demanding increased racial and gender diversity in Hollywood. The awards show came on the heels of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, which rocked Hollywood after dozens of actresses came forward to accuse Hollywood's most powerful producer, Harvey Weinstein, of rape, sexual assault and harassment that stretched back decades. For more, we speak with April Reign, creator of the viral hashtag #OscarsSoWhite and senior director of marketing for Fractured Atlas, a nonprofit arts service organization. And we speak with Soraya Chemaly, a journalist who covers the intersection of gender and politics. She is the director of the Women's Media Center Speech Project.

For decades, West Virginia has been at the forefront of labor activism in the United States. As the state's teachers continue their historic strike, which has shut down every single West Virginia school, we look at the history of the labor activism in the Mountain State. We speak with Jay O'Neal, a middle school teacher and a union activist in Charleston, West Virginia. And we speak with Mike Elk, senior labor reporter at Payday Report. His most recent piece is titled "West Virginia Teachers' Strike Fever Starting to Spread to Other States."

In Britain, tens of thousands of lecturers, librarians, researchers and other university workers are on strike to protest attacks on their pensions, as well as soaring school fees for students. For more, we speak with Priya Gopal, a university lecturer at the Faculty of English at Cambridge who is participating in the academic strike. She is a member of the the University and College Union.

Schools across West Virginia are closed for an eighth day, as more than 20,000 teachers and 13,000 school staffers remain on strike demanding higher wages and better healthcare. The strike, which began on February 22, has shut down every public school in the state. Teachers are demanding a 5 percent raise and a cap on spiraling healthcare costs. For more, we speak with Jay O'Neal, a middle school teacher and a union activist in Charleston, West Virginia. And we speak with Mike Elk, senior labor reporter at Payday Report. His most recent piece is titled "West Virginia Teachers' Strike Fever Starting to Spread to Other States."

Syrian Civilians Flee Government Offensive Against Eastern Ghouta, Trump on Xi: "He's Now President for Life. Maybe We'll Have to Give That a Shot Some Day", Mueller Probes Links Between UAE, Qatar, Trump Policy & Kushner Family Properties, Senate Slated to Roll Back Key Dodd-Frank Financial Regulations, 2 Killed at Central Michigan University in 12th School Shooting So Far This Year, Florida Senate Votes Down Assault Rifle Ban, Record-Breaking Snowstorms Bury Parts of Europe, Canada and the U.S., Italian Far-Right Populist Parties Score Big Wins in Parliamentary Election, Israeli Soldiers Kill Palestinian Farmer on His Own Land in Gaza Strip, West Virginia Teachers Continue Strike for Eighth Day, BuzzFeed: 300+ NYPD Officers Allowed to Keep Jobs Despite Array of Offenses, Thousands Take to Streets in Slovakia After Killing of Prominent Journalist, 90th Oscars Stage Diversity, But White Men Continue to Win Most Awards

As a student-led movement for gun control sweeps the country, we look back at a key moment in another historic student movement: desegregation. On January 9, 1961, African-American students Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes walked onto the campus of the University of Georgia to register for classes, as a howling mob of white students screamed racial epithets at them. It was a pivotal moment in the African-American student-led movement to desegregate America's public high schools and universities. Charlayne Hunter graduated in 1963 and went on to have an award-winning career in journalism, working for PBS, NPR and CNN. For more, we speak with Charlayne Hunter-Gault, award-winning journalist and author of numerous books, including "In My Place," a memoir of her childhood and her years at the University of Georgia. Her recent piece for The New Yorker is headlined "Surviving School Desegregation, and Finding Hope in #NeverAgain."

On Tuesday, former U.S. intelligence contractor Reality Leigh Winner appeared in court in Augusta, Georgia, where her lawyers asked the judge to exclude her statements to FBI agents on the day she was arrested, arguing she was denied her Miranda rights. Winner is a former National Security Agency contractor who has pleaded not guilty to charges she leaked a top-secret document to The Intercept about Russian interference in the 2016 election. She is facing up to 10 years in prison on charges she violated the Espionage Act. For more, we speak with two guests. In Chicago, we're joined by Kevin Gosztola, a journalist and managing editor of Shadowproof Press. He was in the courtroom in Augusta on Tuesday, and his recent article is titled "In Reality Winner's Case, Defense Seizes Upon FBI Testimony to Bolster Motion to Suppress Statements." And in Augusta, Georgia, we speak with by Reality Winner's mother, Billie Winner-Davis. She's joining us from her daughter's house, where Reality Winner was questioned and arrested by FBI agents on June 3.

After Oval Office Meeting with NRA, Trump Backpedals on Gun Control, Georgia Will Punish Delta After the Airline Distances Itself from NRA, President Trump Imposes Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum, Russian President Putin Touts New "Invincible" Nuclear Weapons, Syria: 674 Civilians Reportedly Dead in Latest Eastern Ghouta Assault, FBI Scrutinizes Ivanka Trump over Vancouver High-Rise Project, President Trump Says Drug Dealers Should Receive Death Penalty, Civil Rights Progress Elusive 50 Years After Kerner Commission, Louisiana Agency Spied on Activists Opposing Bayou Bridge Pipeline, Billy Graham to Be Buried After Lying in Honor at U.S. Capitol, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin Blocks Video Showing Protests at UCLA Talk

Scientists are expressing dismay over unprecedented warm temperatures in the Arctic. In recent days, temperatures at the North Pole have surged above freezing—even though the sun set last October and won't rise again until later this month. On the northern tip of Greenland, a meteorological site has logged an unprecedented 61 hours of temperatures above freezing so far in 2018. The record-breaking temperatures are connected to an unusual retreat of sea ice in the sunless Arctic winter. Scientists suggest warming temperatures are eroding the polar vortex, the powerful winds that once cushioned the frozen north. The alarming heat wave is causing scientists to reconsider even their bleakest forecasts of climate change. According to a leaked draft of a scientific report by a United Nations panel of scientists, "The risk of an ice-free Arctic in summer is about 50 per cent or higher," with warming of between 1.5 and 2.0 degrees Celsius. We speak with Jason Box, professor in glaciology at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland in Copenhagen.

In West Virginia, public schools remain closed today, after the state's teachers' unions remained on strike over the high cost of health insurance. On Tuesday, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice agreed to boost teacher salaries by 5 percent in the first year of a new contract, but the teachers say the deal isn't enough to offset skyrocketing premiums in the Public Employees Insurance Agency. Some 20,000 teachers and 13,000 school staffers say they'll remain on strike until they win a better agreement on healthcare.

Two weeks after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, left 17 people dead, President Trump appears to have broken with the NRA and his Republican colleagues. At a televised White House meeting with lawmakers on Wednesday, Trump urged Republican and Democratic lawmakers to pass comprehensive gun control measures. At one point he accused Republican Senator Pat Toomey of being "afraid of the NRA." After the meeting, NRA spokesperson Jennifer Baker said, "While today's meeting made for great TV, the gun control proposals discussed would make for bad policy that would not keep our children safe. Instead of punishing law-abiding gun owners for the acts of a deranged lunatic, our leaders should pass meaningful reforms that would actually prevent future tragedies." Joining us in Washington is Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. She wrote an open letter to Trump on Wednesday explaining her opposition to his push to arm teachers. Also in Washington is Kris Brown, co-president at the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. And here in New York is Andy Pelosi, executive director of the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus.

Survivors of Parkland, Florida, High School Massacre Return to Classes, Schools Lock Down in New Mexico, Georgia Amid Gun Threats, Trump Shocks GOP by Supporting Gun Age Restrictions, Criticizing NRA, Walmart Joins Dick's Sporting Goods in Limiting Gun Sales, Rep. Don Young Says Armed Jews Would Have Prevented the Holocaust, Syria: Eastern Ghouta Assault Continues as Ceasefire Fails, Senate Bill Seeks to End U.S. Support for Saudi-Led War on Yemen, Honduras: Nikki Haley Praises President Despite Reports of Election Rigging, White House Communications Director Hope Hicks to Step Down, Mueller Investigation Probes Trump's Efforts to Oust AG Jeff Sessions, Former Trump Campaign Chair Paul Manafort Pleads Not Guilty, NYT: Jared Kushner Got Massive Loans After White House Meetings with Executives, Housing Secretary Carson Under Fire for Spending Amid HUD Budget Cuts, British Police Open New Criminal Investigation into Harvey Weinstein, Native American Author Sherman Alexie Apologizes Amid Sexual Abuse Claims, U.S. Olympic Committee Chair Resigns Amid Larry Nassar Sex-Abuse Scandal, West Virginia Teachers Remain on Strike over Healthcare Costs, Argentina: Former General Who Tortured and Murdered Activists Dies, Slovakia: Hundreds March to Protest Killing of Journalist Ján Kuciak, San Francisco: Hundreds Protest Northern California ICE Raids

While "Black Panther" has broken box office records, it has also generated an intense debate. We host a roundtable with three guests: Christopher Lebron, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who recently wrote "Black Panther Is Not the Film We Deserve"; Robyn C. Spencer, a professor at Lehman College, who wrote "Black Feminist Meditations on the Women of Wakanda"; and Carvell Wallace, author of The New York Times Magazine story "Why Black Panther Is a Defining Moment for Black America."

As Black History Month wraps up, we look at the record-breaking movie "Black Panther." Since the release of "Black Panther" earlier this month, fans have crowdfunded campaigns to ensure children can see the film in theaters, teachers have incorporated the movie's core themes of anti-colonialism and cultural representation into their curriculum, and activists have used film screenings to hold mass voter registration drives. The movie has also renewed calls for the release of more than a dozen imprisoned members of the real Black Panther Party. "Black Panther" has also ignited a firestorm of impassioned social commentary online among fans and detractors alike. We speak to historian Robyn C. Spencer, who wrote a piece, "Black Feminist Meditations on the Women of Wakanda," and Carvell Wallace, whose piece, "Why Black Panther Is a Defining Moment for Black America," appeared in The New York Times Magazine.

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that federal authorities can continue to indefinitely detain some immigrants and asylum seekers without a bond hearing. The 5-3 ruling overturned the rulings of two lower courts that found immigrants facing prolonged detention must be given a custody hearing. But Tuesday's Supreme Court decision does not end the battle over indefinite detention. The justices sent the case back to the federal appeals court to evaluate the constitutionality of the practice. Tuesday's decision came a day after the Supreme Court dealt a blow to President Trump's efforts to rescind DACA, the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which gives at least 700,000 young immigrants permission to live and work in the United States. The court refused to hear a White House appeal of lower court rulings saying Trump's move to cancel the program was unconstitutional. We speak to Michael Tan, staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union's Immigrants' Rights Project.

Syrian Gov't Continues Violating 5-Hour Daily "Truce" in Eastern Ghouta, U.N. Report Warns of Sexual Exploitation by Aid Workers in Syria, Supreme Court: U.S. Can Continue to Indefinitely Detain Immigrants & Asylum Seekers, ICE Arrests Over 150 People in Raids in Northern California, 40 Faith Leaders Arrested During Capitol Hill Protest to Demand Clean DREAM Act, WaPo: Officials in 4 Countries Tried to Manipulate Kushner Through Business Ties, NSA Head: Trump Has Not Directed Him to Counter Russian Election Meddling, Florida Lawmakers Vote to Create Statewide Program to Arm Teachers in Classrooms, Afghan President Offers to Begin Peace Talks with the Taliban, Yemen: U.S.-Backed, Saudi-Led Airstrikes Kill 5 Civilians Outside Saada, Somalia: Nearly 40 People Killed in 2 Bombings in Mogadishu, Fellow Nobel Peace Prize Winners Criticize Aung San Suu Kyi over Violence Against Rohingya, Committee to Protect Journalists Calls for Probe into Killing of Slovak Journalist, Climate News: Temps Surge at North Pole; Sea Rise Floods U.S. Bases; Shrinking Lake Chad Causes Hunger Crisis, Treasury Department Slashes Puerto Rico's Disaster Relief Loan Fund, U.S. Intelligence Contractor Reality Winner Appears in Court in Georgia, West Virginia Teachers Win Pay Raise After 4-Day Statewide Strike

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a key case that could deal a massive blow to public unions nationwide. The case, Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, deals with whether workers who benefit from union-negotiated contracts can avoid paying union dues if they opt not to join the union. The lead plaintiff, Mark Janus, is a child support specialist who argues that a state law in Illinois allowing the union to charge a fee for collective bargaining activities violates his First Amendment rights. Numerous right-wing groups have trumpeted his claim in their latest attempt to weaken the political power of public unions. The groups include the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity, the State Policy Network, ALEC—American Legislative Exchange Council—and the Bradley Foundation. We speak to Amanda Shanor, staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed an amicus brief in Janus v. AFSCME in support of AFSCME.

As the state of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia begin probes into racist lending practices, Pennsylvania state Senator Vincent Hughes urges constituents to pull their money from banks denying home loans to people of color. This comes after a recent investigation by Reveal found African-American mortgage applicants in Philly are almost three times as likely to be denied a conventional mortgage as white applicants.

A shocking new investigation by Reveal and the Center for Investigative Reporting has uncovered evidence that African Americans and Latinos continue to be routinely denied conventional mortgage loans, even at rates far higher than their white counterparts, across the country. According to the piece, the homeownership gap between whites and African Americans is now wider than it was during the Jim Crow era. Reveal based its report on a review of 31 million mortgage records filed with the federal government in 2015 and 2016. The investigation found the redlining occurring across the country, including in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and San Antonio, Texas. Since its publication earlier this month, the report has sparked national outrage and, in some states, unusually swift political action. Pennsylvania's attorney general and state treasurer have both launched investigations into redlining in Philadelphia. We speak to Pennsylvania state Senator Vincent Hughes and Aaron Glantz, senior reporter at Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. His new investigation is headlined "Kept out: How banks block people of color from homeownership."

Supreme Court Deals Major Blow to Trump's Efforts to Cancel DACA, Trump Claims He Would Run into a Building to Stop a School Shooting, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Slams Trump's Idea to Arm Teachers, Georgia Lt. Gov. Threatens to Retaliate Against Delta for Stopping Discount to NRA, WH Aide Ivanka Trump: "Inappropriate" to Ask Her About Reports of Father's Sexual Assault, Trump Proposes Appointing His Private Pilot to Head Federal Aviation Authority, Syrian Gov't Continues Airstrikes & Shelling in Eastern Ghouta During 5-Hour Truce, China Drops Presidential Term Limits, Clearing Path for Xi to Serve Indefinitely, Congo: Soldiers Kill 4 People Protesting Delay of Elections & Kabila's Extended Rule, Israeli Soldiers Arrest 10 Members of Ahed Tamimi's Family, Including Cousin Shot by IDF, Haaretz: Israeli Prosecutor's Office Directly Links PM Netanyahu to Bezeq Bribery Case, ACLU: Jailed Mexican Immigrant Was Beaten and Put in Solitary for Joining a Hunger Strike, Court Rules Civil Rights Law Prohibits Employers from Sexual Orientation Discrimination, Georgia: Reality Leigh Winner to Appear in Court Tuesday, NBA Golden State Warriors Meet with D.C. Kids, Not President Trump, Indian Superstar Actress Sridevi Dies at 54, Health Advocate & Anti-TPP Activist Zahara Heckscher Dies at 53 of Breast Cancer

This week marks six months since Hurricane Harvey caused historic flooding in Houston, Texas, the most diverse city in the nation and one of its largest. Houston is also home to the largest refining and petrochemical complex in the country. As federal money for rebuilding trickles in, Houston's chief "recovery czar" is the former president of Shell Oil, Marvin Odum, whose past experience includes rebuilding Shell's oil and gas facilities after Hurricane Katrina. Meanwhile, immigrants and fenceline communities who suffer from pollution along Houston's industrial corridor are still largely absent from much of the discussion about how the city plans to recover. For more, we host a roundtable discussion with Dr. Robert Bullard, the "father of environmental justice"; Bryan Parras of the Sierra Club; undocumented immigrant activist Cesar Espinosa; and Goldman Environmental Prize winner Hilton Kelley in Port Arthur, Texas.

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments today in a key case that could deal a massive blow to unions nationwide. The case, Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, deals with whether workers who are covered by union-negotiated contracts are required to pay a portion of union dues even if they are not members of the union. This case is among a slew of conservative causes that right-wing donors have poured money into in recent years—among them, the Koch brothers, who recently boasted they've won a "laundry list" of victories from the Trump administration. For more, we speak with Lee Fang, investigative reporter for The Intercept. His recent piece is entitled "Koch Document Reveals a Laundry List of Policy Victories Extracted from the Trump Administration."

In Parkland, Florida, students returned to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Sunday afternoon for the first time inside their school since February 14, when a 19-year-old former student named Nikolas Cruz walked into the school and opened fire with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, killing 17 people. This comes as lawmakers return to Capitol Hill today after a one-week vacation. Congress is facing massive pressure to pass gun control measures amid the rise of an unprecedented youth movement, led by Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who survived the mass shooting. President Trump has reiterated his calls to arm teachers with concealed weapons. For more, we speak with The Intercept's investigative reporter Lee Fang, whose recent piece is entitled "Even as a Student Movement Rises, Gun Manufacturers Are Targeting Young People."

U.N. Chief: "Stop This Hell on Earth" in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, Students Return to Stoneman Douglas HS for First Time Since Massacre, Broward Sheriff Faces Criticism over Failure to Probe Warnings About Gunman, Congress, NRA Face Pressure as Support for Stricter Gun Control Laws Grows, Ex-Trump Aide Pleads Guilty & Agrees to Cooperate with Mueller Probe, Democratic Memo Defends FBI Actions Surrounding Surveillance of Trump Aide, Weinstein Company to File for Bankruptcy, California Democrats Vote Not to Endorse Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Report: Trump Speaks Privately About Executing Drug Dealers, U.S. Imposes New N. Korea Sanctions, Palestinians Condemn U.S. Plan to Move Embassy to Jerusalem on Nakba Day, 20,000 Protest Israeli Plan to Push Out African Migrants, Oakland Mayor Warns Residents of Possible ICE Raid, Louisiana Judge Revokes Permit for Energy Transfer Partners Pipeline, West Virginia Teachers Begin Third Day on Strike, Supreme Court to Hear Arguments in Key Case About Future of Labor Unions

World-famous filmmaker Raoul Peck is releasing a film today in Los Angeles and New York on the life and times of Karl Marx. It's called "The Young Karl Marx." The film's release comes as the head of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, broke his silence after last week's Florida school shooting that left 17 dead, attacking gun control advocates as communists in an address to the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC. We speak with acclaimed Haitian filmmaker and political activist Raoul Peck about his new film and the role of Marxism in organizing for gun reform.

Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen talks about how President Trump has benefited from what she calls the "conspiracy trap" around Russia's role in the 2016 election. She wrote last year, "Russiagate is helping him—both by distracting from real, documentable, and documented issues, and by promoting a xenophobic conspiracy theory in the cause of removing a xenophobic conspiracy theorist from office."

The Justice Department recently indicted 13 Russians and three companies in connection with efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election. The indicted are accused of orchestrating an online propaganda effort to undermine the U.S. election system. The indictment claims the Russians spread negative information online about Hillary Clinton and supportive information about Donald Trump, as well as Bernie Sanders—but some are warning against overstating what Russia accomplished. For more, we speak with award-winning Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen, a longtime critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Her recent piece for The New Yorker is titled "The Fundamental Uncertainty of Mueller's Russia Indictments."

National Rifle Association Attacks Gun Control Advocates, Trump Repeats Call to Arm Teachers in Wake of Florida School Massacre, Deputy Who Failed to Engage Florida School Shooter Retires, Texas School District to Punish Students Protesting Gun Violence, Minneapolis Mayor Joins Student Protests as Orono Schools Lock Down, Russia Delays U.N. Security Council Resolution on Syria Bloodshed, UNICEF Executive Resigns Following Reports of Sexual Harassment, Haiti Suspends Oxfam over Sex Crimes and Cover-Up, Video Shows Dead Palestinian Was Beaten by Soldiers, Rebutting Israeli Claims, Florida: Prisoner Screams "Murderers!" as Lethal Drugs Administered, Alabama Halts Execution of Cancer Sufferer over Collapsed Veins, Texas Grants Clemency to Death Row Prisoner Amid Father's Plea, Special Counsel Mueller Files New Charges Against Manafort and Gates, Missouri Gov. Greitens Indicted on Felony Invasion of Privacy Charge

The United Nations has condemned the Syrian government's recent deadly barrage of airstrikes and artillery fire against the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, outside the capital of Damascus. Aid workers report at least 300 people have been killed over the past three days. Many of the victims are women and children. Targets have included hospitals and residential apartment buildings. We are joined now by three guests: Rawya Rageh of Amnesty International, Syrian-American journalist Alia Malek and Wendy Pearlman, author of "We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria."

As students protests grow in Florida, we speak to a former intern for Senator Rubio who is also a graduate from Stoneman Douglas High School. Shana Rosenthal just wrote a piece for The New York Times titled "I Interned for Senator Rubio. Now I'm Begging Him to Act on Guns." In the piece, the 21-year-old reveals she has already been near four mass shootings: at Florida State University, Fort Lauderdale airport and the massacres at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando and at Stoneman Douglas High School last week. She attended the CNN town hall last night.