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Updated 2024-11-25 14:46
David Cay Johnston: How Trump Pays So Little in Taxes and Plans to Change Tax Law to Pay Even Less
Two pages from Trump's tax return were obtained by Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist David Cay Johnston of DCReport, who appeared last night on "The Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC. The 2005 tax return shows Trump earned $153 million—or more than $400,000 a day. Trump paid out $36.6 million in federal income taxes, much of it in the form of what's known as the alternative minimum tax, which Trump now wants to eliminate. For more, we speak with investigative journalist David Cay Johnston, who obtained part of Trump's 2005 tax returns and who has won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on tax law.
David Cay Johnston Speaks Out About Receiving & Revealing 2 Pages of Trump's 2005 Tax Returns
Calls are growing for President Trump to release his full tax returns after part of his 2005 return was made public Tuesday. Two pages from Trump's tax return were obtained by Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist David Cay Johnston of DCReport, who appeared last night on "The Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC. The 2005 tax return shows Trump earned $153 million—or more than $400,000 a day. Trump paid out $36.6 million in federal income taxes, much of it in the form of what's known as the alternative minimum tax, which Trump now wants to eliminate. On Wednesday morning, President Trump tweeted, "Does anybody really believe that a reporter, who nobody ever heard of, 'went to his mailbox' and found my tax returns? @NBCNews FAKE NEWS!" That's despite the fact that the White House confirmed the authenticity of the documents Tuesday, after Maddow teased the scoop. For more, we speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist David Cay Johnston, who obtained part of Trump's 2005 tax returns.
Headlines for March 15, 2017
2 Pages of Trump's 2005 Tax Return Leaked, House Republicans Demand Changes to Party's Healthcare Plan, Trump May Tap Marc Mukasey to Replace Preet Bharara as Manhattan AG, Rep. Conyers Demands DOJ Reveal All Investigations into Trump, Trump to Tap Goldman Sachs Banker James Donovan to Be Deputy Treasury Sec., Spicer: Trump Thinks He'll be Vindicated on Unsubstantiated Wiretapping Claims, Breitbart Releases Audio of Paul Ryan Saying He'll Never Defend Trump, Judges in Hawaii and Maryland Hear Arguments over New Travel Ban, Trump Meets with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince at the White House, White House Considering Slashing U.S. Funding to United Nations, NYT: Neil Gorsuch Has Deep Ties to Colorado Billionaire, Dutch Voters Head to Polls in Closely Watched Election, EU Court Rules Companies Can Ban Headscarves, Reuters: Russia May Have Deployed Troops to Egypt Near Libyan Border, WSJ: Trump Has Given CIA Expanded Authority to Carry Out Drone Strikes, 9 High-Ranking Navy Members Indicted in Bribery Scandal, Marines Head Testifies to Senators over Facebook Group with Naked Photos of Female Marines, Report: Hate Crimes Surged More Than 20 Percent in 2016 in 9 Major U.S. Cities
From Lobbyists to Reality Show Stars, Meet the Hundreds of Officials Trump Has Quietly Installed
ProPublica's Justin Elliott has been looking into the hundreds of officials Trump has quietly installed across the government. He describes the backgrounds of these officials in a recent piece for ProPublica: "A Trump campaign aide who argues that Democrats committed 'ethnic cleansing' in a plot to 'liquidate' the white working class. A former reality show contestant whose study of societal collapse inspired him to invent a bow-and-arrow-cum-survivalist multi-tool. A pair of healthcare industry lobbyists. A lobbyist for defense contractors. An 'evangelist' and lobbyist for Palantir, the Silicon Valley company with close ties to intelligence agencies. And a New Hampshire Trump supporter who has only recently graduated from high school."
Is Jared Kushner Breaking the Law with $400M Real Estate Deal with Firm Tied to Chinese Gov't?
A company owned by President Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner will receive more than $400 million from a Chinese firm in a real estate deal that many experts are calling unusually favorable. The payout from the Anbang Insurance Group is part of a $4 billion deal at Kushner's Manhattan office tower at 666 Fifth Avenue. Bloomberg reports Anbang has links to the Chinese power structure and that past investments by the company in New York real estate have drawn federal review. Critics say the transaction could be a "sweetheart deal" meant to curry favor with President Trump. We speak with investigative journalist Justin Elliott of ProPublica, who has been closely examining Kushner's possible conflicts of interest.
Was Firing of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara Done to Cover Up Probes of Trump & Fox News?
Attorney General Jeff Sessions asked for the resignations of 46 U.S. attorneys on Friday, angering the prosecutors, who say they weren't warned in advance. One of the most high-profile prosecutors asked to resign, United States attorney in Manhattan Preet Bharara, refused to step down Friday and was quickly fired. Bharara's termination came as a surprise, since Donald Trump met personally with Bharara at Trump Tower last November and assured him he could remain at his post. The unusual circumstances of Bharara's dismissal prompted Democrats to suggest it was politically motivated. Preet Bharara's dismissal came as his office was probing Fox News after it allegedly failed to inform shareholders about numerous settlements in sexual harassment and assault cases. The dismissal also came less than a week after government watchdog groups sent a letter to the Manhattan prosecutor's office asking for an investigation into whether President Trump violated a clause of the Constitution barring federal employees from receiving benefits from foreign governments. In addition, Preet Bharara was one of 18 U.S. officials barred from entering Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin was reportedly angered by Bharara's prosecution of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. We speak to Harry Siegel, an editor at The Daily Beast and columnist at the New York Daily News.
ALEC & For-Profit Health Industry Embrace GOP Bill Despite Opposition from Doctors & Nurses
As the Congressional Budget Office projects 24 million people will lose health insurance coverage by 2026 under the Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, we look at who stands to benefit from the law. Lee Fang, investigative journalist at The Intercept, talks about how the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the for-profit medical industry is backing the plan despite opposition from health providers. Plus, we look at how the bill is just the first of a three-part plan to repeal Obamacare.
Healthcare or Wealthcare? 24 Million to Lose Insurance Under GOP Plan While Rich Get Big Tax Breaks
A startling new report from the Congressional Budget Office is projecting 24 million people will lose health insurance coverage by 2026 under the Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. Fourteen million people would lose health insurance in the next year alone. While the White House rejected the CBO findings, Politico is reporting the White House's own analysis predicts 26 million people will lose coverage under the bill over the next decade. According to the CBO, the bill would reduce the deficit by $337 billion, but one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Republican bill will be millionaires. A new study by the Tax Policy Center shows people in the top 0.1 percent would get a tax cut of about $207,000 under the plan. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi accused Republicans of attempting to push through the biggest transfer of wealth in the nation’s history. We speak to Elisabeth Benjamin, vice president of Health Initiatives at the Community Service Society of New York and co-founder of the Health Care for All New York campaign.
Headlines for March 14, 2017
CBO on Republican Health Plan: 24 Million to Lose Health Insurance, States File Federal Lawsuit to Halt Trump's "Muslim Ban 2.0", Fearing Travel Ban, Girl Guides of Canada to End U.S. Travel, Oregon Man Shouts "Go Back to Your Country, Terrorist!" During Assault, Rep. Luis Gutiérrez Among Activists Handcuffed at ICE Sit-in Protest, Trump Administration Walks Back Wiretap Claims as DOJ Misses Deadline, Jared Kushner's Family to Get $400 Million Payout from Chinese Firm, Former Exxon CEO Tillerson Used Alias to Discuss Climate Change, Yemen: Aid Officials in "Race Against Time" to Prevent Famine, 20 Million at Risk of Famine In U.N.'s "Largest Humanitarian Crisis", Far-Right Dutch Politician Surging Ahead of National Election, Israeli-American Activist Jeff Halper Detained over BDS Materials
Mustafa Ali: Meet the Top EPA Environmental Justice Official Who Quit to Protest Pruitt & Trump
A top official at the Environmental Protection Agency has resigned in protest of a Trump administration proposal to scale back severely the size and work of the agency. Mustafa Ali helped launch the EPA's Office of Environmental Justice in 1992 and served under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Up until last week he headed the environmental justice department. He joins us in one of his first interviews since leaving the EPA.
China Warns U.S. & North Korea Are Set for "Head-On" Collision Amid Rising Tensions & Provocations
The political upheaval in South Korea comes shortly after North Korea test-fired several ballistic missiles. In response, the Trump administration announced it would deploy a missile defense system to South Korea. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of South Korean and U.S. troops, backed by warships and warplanes, are currently engaging in a massive military exercise. Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned that the U.S. and North Korea are like two "accelerating trains coming toward each other." He called on both sides to de-escalate tensions. We speak with University of Chicago professor Bruce Cumings and Christine Ahn, founder and international coordinator of Women Cross DMZ.
Bruce Cumings: North Korea Timed Recent Missile Test to Take Place During Trump-Abe Dinner
North Korea tested a ballistic missile last month, sparking widespread international condemnation. The test was a violation of a United Nations Security Council resolution. North Korea claimed the test was a successful launch of an intermediate-range missile. The test came while Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over the weekend at the Trump-owned Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. We speak to professor Bruce Cumings about the significance of the timing of North Korea's action.
How to Remove a President: Mass Protests Force Out South Korean Leader Amid Corruption Scandal
On Sunday, ousted South Korean leader Park Geun-hye left the Blue House presidential compound and returned to her private residence in southern Seoul two days after South Korea's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled to remove her from office over charges of graft and corruption. The unanimous ruling strips Park of immunity from prosecution, clearing the way for her to face criminal charges. The ruling followed months of mass protests. Park's power had been sharply reduced since December, when South Korea's parliament voted overwhelmingly to impeach her. We speak to University of Chicago professor Bruce Cumings and Christine Ahn, founder and international coordinator of Women Cross DMZ.
Headlines for March 13, 2017
Attorney General Orders 46 U.S. Attorneys to Resign, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara Fired After Refusing Order to Resign, CBO to Score Republican Healthcare Bill as Early as Today, House Intelligence Panel Sets Monday Deadline for Wiretap Claims, Native American Actions in D.C. Target Trump Administration, More Bomb Threats Target Jewish Community Centers, Florida Arsonist Sought to "Run Arabs Out of Our Country", Rep. Steve King (R–IA) Tweets Racist Anti-Muslim Comment, South Dakota Governor Signs Anti-LGBTQ Foster Care & Adoption Bill, New Orleans Church Service Attacked Amid Anti-Transgender Violence, Federal Court Rules 3 Texas Congressional Districts Drawn Illegally, Documentary Reveals New Details About Michael Brown's Last Night, Iraq: Civilians Fleeing Mosul Assault Dodge Sniper Fire, Syria: Suicide Bomb Blasts Hit Iraqi Pilgrims in Damascus, Killing 74, Ethiopia: Collapse at Garbage Landfill Kills 46, Haiti: Bus Driver Rams Crowds, Killing 38 Before Escaping, California Environmental Protesters Carve Message in Trump Golf Green
EFF Director: WikiLeaks Move to Share CIA Hacking Tools with Tech Giants Could "Make Us All Safer"
We speak with Electronic Frontier Foundation Executive Director Cindy Cohn about thousands of documents WikiLeaks published this week, dubbed "Vault 7," that describe CIA programs to hack into both Apple and Android cellphones, smart TVs and even cars. Some of the released documents describe tools to take over entire phones, allowing the CIA to then bypass encrypted messenger programs such as Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp. Other documents outline a CIA and British intelligence program called "Weeping Angel," through which the spy agency can hack into a Samsung smart television and turn it into a surveillance device that records audio conversations, even when it appears to be off. Other documents outline how the CIA has used the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany, as a covert base to spy on Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "It's extremely troubling that the CIA was keeping all of this information rather than giving it to the tech companies so that they could fix these problems and make us all safer," Cohn notes.
Palestinian Hip-Hop Star Tamer Nafar Fights Racist Israeli Policies in New Film, "Junction 48"
We continue our conversation about Israel by looking at a film that's just been released titled "Junction 48." The film centers on Kareem, an aspiring Palestinian rap artist who lives in an impoverished, mixed Palestinian-Jewish city near Tel Aviv. "Junction 48" shows how Kareem, his Palestinian girlfriend Manar and their friends use hip-hop to fight back against Israel's policies. The role of Kareem is played by Tamer Nafar, a rap artist with the Palestinian hip-hop group DAM. To talk more about the film, we're joined by the film's director Udi Aloni and the lead actor, Tamer Nafar.
Activists Defiant on Israel's Travel Ban Targeting BDS Supporters: "It's a Sign We're Winning"
While President Trump has made international headlines for his attempt to temporarily ban refugees and residents of some Muslim-majority nations, one of Washington's closest allies has instituted a travel ban of its own. Earlier this week, Israeli lawmakers approved a law barring supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, known as BDS, from entering Israel. The BDS movement is an international campaign to pressure Israel to comply with international law and respect Palestinian rights. The Israeli parliament voted to ban non-Israelis from entering the country if they, or any organizations they are a part of, support the boycott. After the law was passed, the Israeli parliament posted a message on its site reading, "In recent years calls to boycott Israel have been growing. It seems this is a new front in the war against Israel, which until now the country had not prepared for properly." We are joined by three guests. Rebecca Vilkomerson is executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace. Also with us are two guests connected to the new film "Junction 48." Israeli-American filmmaker Udi Aloni directed the film, and the Palestinian actor Tamer Nafar is the film's star.
Immigrant Rights Leader Released After Hundreds Rally Outside His Check-in with Deportation Officer
We begin with an update on the case of prominent immigrant rights advocate Ravi Ragbir, whom we interviewed Thursday on Democracy Now! right before his check-in with a deportation officer. Ragbir, originally from Trinidad, immigrated to the United States legally but has a 15-year-old criminal conviction. He's avoided deportation since 2011 due to a series of stays that could end under President Trump. After he left our studios, Ragbir spoke at a press conference and rally, where hundreds gathered to support him before he went inside, unsure if he would come back out. He was accompanied to his check-in by his wife, his attorney, pastors and four elected officials. He emerged with mixed news. Even though he has a stay in place until 2018, he was told to return for another check-in next month. Officials also instructed Ragbir, who is married to a U.S. citizen and has a U.S.-born daughter, to prepare his travel documents, which are often the first step toward deportation.
Headlines for March 10, 2017
South Korean President Park Geun-hye Removed from Office, House Republicans Rush Efforts to Pass Healthcare Bill, EPA Chief Scott Pruitt: Carbon Dioxide Not a Factor in Global Warming, EPA Official Resigns Amid Push to Defund Environmental Justice Office, Trump Administration Seeks End to Youth Climate Lawsuit, Ambassador to Israel Nominee David Friedman Wins Senate Committee Backing, CENTCOM Commander Wants "A Few Thousand" More Troops for Afghanistan, Michael Flynn an Undisclosed Foreign Agent During Trump Campaign, FBI Director Meets Top Senators Amid Russia Probe and Wiretap Charges, WikiLeaks Offers to Help Tech Companies Protect Against CIA Hacking, Washington, D.C., Restaurateurs Sue Trump Hotel over Unfair Practices, Fox News Contributor Wins Sexual Assault Settlement Against Executive, Izzy Awards Honor Journalism on Prisons, Voting, Inequality
"We Want to Stand Up & Be Counted": New Yorkers Speak Out at NYC's Day Without a Woman Rally
In New York, thousands of women marched from Washington Square Park past the site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the deadliest workplace accident in New York City's history and a seminal moment for the American labor rights movement. They proceeded past the historic LGBTQ landmark, Stonewall Inn, in the West Village and then ended the march in Zuccotti Park, the site of the 2011 Occupy Wall Street uprising. Democracy Now!'s Deena Guzder and Charina Nadura spoke to some of the protesters.
A Day Without a Woman: Voices of Resistance from New York City's Women's Strike Rally
Women rallied around the world Wednesday to mark International Women's Day. Here in the United States, it was dubbed "A Day Without a Woman," as organizers called on women to go on strike. In Prince George's County, Maryland, the entire school district closed down after 1,700 teachers asked for the day off. In Virginia, the entire public school system of Alexandria also closed after 300 workers requested the day off. Here in New York, thousands rallied outside Trump International Hotel. Speakers included Linda Sarsour, a lead organizer of the historic January 21 Women's March on Washington. Sarsour was one of 13 activists later arrested for acts of civil disobedience outside Trump Tower. Meanwhile, thousands of people took part in a rally at New York City's Washington Square Park. We air voices from the rally.
Exclusive: Facing Possible Deportation, Immigrant Activist Ravi Ragbir Speaks Out Before ICE Check-in
*UPDATE: Ravi Ragbir was released after his ICE check-in after arriving at the meeting surrounded by hundreds of supporters. Watch live coverage on our "Facebook":https://www.facebook.com/democracynow/videos/10155067024968279/ page.*One of New York's best-known immigrant rights advocates joins us on what might be his last day as a free man in the United States. Ravi Ragbir is executive director of the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City. This morning, right after our broadcast, Ravi heads for a check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He plans to go to the meeting, even though he may not be released. Ravi legally immigrated to the United States from Trinidad and Tobago more than 25 years ago, but a 2001 wire fraud conviction made his green card subject to review. Even though he is married to a U.S. citizen and has a U.S-born daughter, the government refuses to normalize his status. Just last month, Ravi was recognized with the Immigrant Excellence Award by the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators, given to those who show "deep commitment to the enhancement of their community."
Headlines for March 9, 2017
A Day Without a Woman: U.S. Strikes Mark International Women's Day, Protests and Marches Mark International Women's Day Worldwide, Republicans Push Bill to Repeal and Replace Affordable Care Act, Report: Trump Campaign Sent Carter Page to Russia in July, Rep. Schiff: Congress Should Interview British Spy Who Wrote Dossier on Trump-Russia Ties, White House Says Trump is Not Target of Any Investigation, Jon Huntsman Reportedly Offered Russian Ambassadorship, Hawaii Challenges Trump's Refugee & Muslim Ban, U.N.: Migrants Fleeing War Will Suffer from Trump's Refugee Ban, U.S. Deploys Hundreds of Marines to Syria, Save the Children Warns Syrian Children Suffering from "Toxic Stress", U.N.: Worsening Drought Could Push Millions of Somalis into Famine, Israeli Lawmakers Vote to Silence Muslim Call in Residential Areas, Guatemala: 21 Die in Massive Fire at Shelter for Abused Teens, Brazilian Men Seen on Video Assaulting Transgender Woman Before She Was Found Dead, No Charges for NC Police Officer Who Slammed High School Student onto Floor
Hurray for the Riff Raff on Feminism, Gentrification, Gender Violence & Art in Era of Trump
When she was just 17, Alynda Segarra, the leader of the critically acclaimed band Hurray for the Riff Raff, left her home in the Bronx and began hopping freight trains. She eventually landed in New Orleans, where she learned to play banjo. Over the past decade, her band Hurray for the Riff Raff has become one of the most celebrated bands in modern folk music. In 2014, the publication American Songwriter named her tune "The Body Electric" the song of the year. NPR declared the same tune to be the political folk song of 2014. Hurray for the Riff Raff's new record, "The Navigator," is out this week. For more, we speak with Alynda Segarra.
Eve Ensler & Christine Schuler Deschryver on the Predatory Mindset of President Trump
When President Trump signed his first executive order in January to temporarily ban refugees and people from seven majority-Muslim nations, he said it was needed, in part, to protect women. A little-noticed part of the executive order reads, "The United States should not admit those who engage in acts of bigotry or hatred, including 'honor' killings, other forms of violence against women." Some observers have noticed the irony in the executive order. Both the man who signed the order, Donald Trump, and the man who drafted the order, his chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, have in the past been accused of committing violence against women. During the presidential campaign, Trump famously boasted about sexually assaulting women and grabbing them "by the pussy," in a leaked video recorded by NBC's "Access Hollywood." Eight women have now come forward and accused Donald Trump of sexual assault and harassment. And Trump is not alone. Stephen Bannon was charged with domestic violence and battery in 1996. Trump's first pick to be labor secretary, fast-food giant CEO Andrew Puzder, was accused of domestic abuse by his ex-wife, who even went on "Oprah" in disguise to speak about domestic violence. For more, we turn to a recent Democracy Now! interview with Eve Ensler, playwright, author of "The Vagina Monologues," and Christine Schuler Deschryver, director of V-Day Congo.
Women in More Than 50 Countries Set to Strike Today on International Women's Day
Today is International Women's Day, and thousands of women are staging a one-day strike in what's been dubbed a Day Without a Woman. The impact of the strike is already being felt in the United States. In Virginia, the entire public school system of Alexandria is closed today after 300 women requested the day off. Some schools are also closing in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and in New York City. The U.S. Women's Strike was called by organizers of the Women's March on Washington, the largest nationwide day of protest after an inauguration in U.S. history. And women in the United States are not alone. Women in more than 50 countries are expected to take part in their own strikes. The International Women's Strike effort was launched in October 2016 after women in Poland, South Korea, Argentina and Sweden organized strikes to fight issues from the criminalization of abortion to femicide. For more, we speak with Tithi Bhattacharya, associate professor of South Asian history at Purdue University. She is one of the national organizers of today's Women's Strike.
Headlines for March 8, 2017
WikiLeaks Publishes Thousands of Alleged Secret CIA Documents, U.S. Deploys Missile System Amid Rising Tensions with N. Korea, Republican Party Divided over Plan to Repeal Affordable Care Act, Rod Rosenstein Faces Confirmation Hearing for Deputy Attorney General, Germany: Trial Begins for Right-Wing Group Who Attacked Refugee Homes, Hungary Passes Law to Imprison Asylum Seekers, SC Police Investigating Murder of Indian Man Harnish Patel, New Wave of Bomb Threats Hit Jewish Centers in NY, WI, IL & FL, Afghanistan: Dozens Killed in ISIS Attack on Military Hospital in Kabul, Women Around the World Protest & Strike on International Women's Day, Radical Civil Rights Lawyer Lynne Stewart Dies at 77
SCOTUS Deals Setback to Trans Rights, But Trans Teen & Activist Gavin Grimm Vows to Push Forward
In a setback for the transgender rights movement, the U.S. Supreme Court has announced it is sending a landmark transgender case back to a lower court. The suit was brought by Virginia transgender high school student Gavin Grimm, who sued his local school district over its policy forcing him to use a separate, single-stall restroom that no other student was required to use. In a one-sentence order, the Supreme Court vacated an appeals court decision that had ruled in Grimm's favor. The ruling comes less than two weeks after President Trump rescinded President Obama's directive telling public schools to let transgender students use the bathrooms matching their gender identity. For more, we speak with Gavin Grimm and ACLU attorney Chase Strangio.
The GOP Fix for Obamacare: Rich Get Tax Breaks While Millions of Others Lose Healthcare
House Republicans have unveiled long-awaited legislation to repeal much of the Affordable Care Act—also known as Obamacare—including its expansion of the Medicaid program for the poor. The proposal includes a large tax break for insurance companies that pay their CEOs over $500,000 per year. It also defunds Planned Parenthood and eliminates abortion coverage. The Republican proposal does retain Obamacare's requirement that insurers cover people with pre-existing conditions. However, it scraps the revenue-generating mechanism that makes this possible: the individual mandate, which required all Americans to sign up for health insurance or pay a fee. President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans have repeatedly promised to repeal and replace Obamacare, but their efforts have faced internal divisions as well as sustained outcry from constituents at town hall meetings across the country. For more, we speak with John McDonough, professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He is the former executive director of Health Care for All in Massachusetts, which played a key role in the passage of the 2006 Massachusetts health reform law.
This is Still a Muslim Ban: Trump's New Executive Order Decried for Discriminating Based on Religion
President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order temporarily banning all refugees, as well as people from six majority-Muslim countries, from entering the United States. In contrast to the fanfare that accompanied Trump's rollout of January's ill-fated travel ban, Monday's signing was a decidedly more low-key event. Trump signed the executive order out of public view. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later outlined the details. The new ban applies to people from Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen, but, unlike the original ban, not those from Iraq. Trump's first Muslim travel ban was blocked by the courts in February amid massive nationwide protests. Unlike the first ban, the new executive order will not apply to people from the six countries with green cards or who already have a visa. Immigration and human rights advocates say the new ban still discriminates against Muslims and fails to address some of their concerns with the previous order. For more, we speak with Faiza Patel, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center.
Headlines for March 7, 2017
Trump Issues New Version of Muslim Travel Ban, Israel Bans Supporters of Boycott Movement from Entering Country, House Republicans Unveil Plan to Repeal the Affordable Care Act, Supreme Court Deals Blow to Transgender Rights Case, Ben Carson Sparks Outrage by Referring to Slaves as "Immigrants", Sean Spicer Refuses to Hold Televised Press Briefing for 7 Straight Days, Travel Privileges of Khizr Khan Reportedly Under Review, Planned Parenthood Rejects Trump's Proposal to Stop Abortions, Afghan Family Released Days After Being Detained at L.A. Airport, White House Statement Lifts Paragraph from ExxonMobil Press Release, Male Marines Sharing Naked Photos of Female Soldiers in Secret Facebook Group, Some Schools Planning to Close for "Day Without a Woman" Strike, Thousands of Women March in Poland & London Ahead of Women's Day
Debate: Are Trump’s Ties to Russia a Dangerous Security Issue or Critics’ Fodder for New Red Scare?
The ongoing mystery of Russia’s role in the 2016 U.S. election took an unexpected turn early Saturday morning when President Trump took to Twitter, writing: "Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!" Trump offered no evidence, but within 24 hours he called on lawmakers to probe Obama’s actions. The New York Times is reporting F.B.I. director James B. Comey has asked the Justice Department to publicly reject Trump’s assertion that Obama ordered the tapping of Trump’s phones. The Times described Comey’s request as a “remarkable rebuke of a sitting president.” For more we host a debate between attorney Scott Horton, lecturer at Columbia Law School and a contributing editor at Harper’s Magazine, and Robert Parry, veteran investigative journalist and editor of the website Consortiumnews.com."Watch Part 2":https://www.democracynow.org/2017/3/6/part_2_are_trump_s_ties
Meet Jocelyn Avelica, Whose Dad Was Detained by ICE While Driving his Daughter to School
On Tuesday morning, Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez and his wife were driving their 13-year-old daughter Fatima to her school in the northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Highland Park just after dropping off their younger daughter. Then, two black, unmarked vehicles approached the family's car. Fatima captured part of the arrest on her cellphone, in which she can be heard sobbing as ICE agents arrest and detain her father. He has lived in the United States for more than two decades and is the father of four. In a statement, ICE defended its actions, saying Avelica-Gonzalez had a DUI in 2009 and an outstanding order of removal from 2014. For more we speak with Jocelyn Avelica, daughter of Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez. We also speak with Emi MacLean, an immigration attorney for National Day Laborer Organizing Network who is assisting the Avelica-Gonzalez family.
Advocate: Trump’s New Muslim Travel Ban Will Be As Unlawful As First Executive Order
President Trump is expected to issue a new executive order temporarily banning all refugees, as well as people from six majority Muslim countries, from entering the United States. The New York Times reports the new ban would apply to people from Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen, but not people from Iraq. Iraqis were included in Trump's first Muslim travel ban, which was blocked by the courts in February amid massive nationwide protests. Unlike the first ban, the new executive order is also not expected to apply to people from these countries with green cards or who already have a visa.
Advocate: DHS Proposal to Split Children from Parents at U.S. Border is "State-Sanctioned Violence"
The Department of Homeland Security is considering a proposal to radically shift how federal agents treat undocumented families—including asylum seekers—who attempt to enter the country. Reuters is reporting DHS is considering a proposal to separate mothers from their children if they are caught trying to cross the border together. Under the plan, mothers would be held in custody while children would initially be placed in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services. Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar criticized the new proposal. He said, "Bottom line: separating mothers and children is wrong. That type of thing is where we depart from border security and get into violating human rights." For more we speak with Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center.
Headlines for March 6, 2017
Trump Claims Without Evidence Obama Tapped His Phones During Campaign, White House Under Continued Scrutiny over Communications with Russian Officials, Reuters: DHS Considering Plan to Separate Mothers from Children at Border, Lawsuit: GEO Group Violated Anti-Slavery Laws by Forcing Imprisoned Immigrants to Work for $1 a Day, Trump Expected to Issue Revised Travel Ban Today, Lawyers: Afghan Family with Visas Detained Illegally at L.A. Airport, Sikh Man Shot & Injured by Man Yelling "Go Home to Your Country", At Oklahoma Capitol, Muslim Students Asked if They Beat Their Wives, NYT: Trump Admin Has Rolled Back 90 Regulations over Last 6 Weeks, Clashes in Berkeley as Some Pro-Trump Protesters Arrive at Rally with Knives & Batons, U.S. Military Carries Out 30 Airstrikes in Yemen, U.N. Report: Mexican Police Routinely Use Torture to Gain Confessions, Arkansas Planning to Execute 8 Men over 10 Days, U.N. Report Criticizes U.S. Government over Handling of Dakota Access Pipeline
Revealed: Environmental Activist Berta Cáceres' Suspected Killers Received U.S. Military Training
We discuss a new investigation that reveals further ties between the killing of renowned environmental activist Berta Cáceres, Honduran military intelligence and the United States. Cáceres was assassinated one year ago in her home in La Esperanza, Honduras, just before midnight on March 2, 2016. She was the co-founder of COPINH, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras. In 2015, she won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for her decade-long fight against the Agua Zarca Dam, a project planned along a river sacred to the indigenous Lenca people. Eight men have been arrested as suspects in Cáceres's killing -- including one active army major and two retired military members. Two of these suspects reportedly received military training in the United States. We are joined by Nina Lakhani, a freelance journalist who has been based in Mexico and Central America for the last four years. Her recent piece for The Guardian is, "Berta Cáceres court papers show murder suspects' links to US-trained elite troops."
Trump’s Proposed EPA Cuts Threaten Health & Lives of Tens of Millions of Americans
New details have emerged on the Trump administration’s plans to dramatically reduce the power of the Environmental Protection Agency. According to a leaked copy of the EPA's 2018 budget proposal, the agency's overall budget would be slashed by 25 percent. "The bottom line, if these cuts go through, we can almost guarantee with certainty that there will be more premature deaths and more sicknesses throughout the country," says Bill Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. "The public should be outraged at that." This comes as the Trump administration has vowed to roll back Obama-era EPA actions, and the White House continues to grapple with its position on the Paris climate agreement. We are also joined by Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch.
As Sessions Recuses Himself From Campaign Investigation, Questions Remain Over Trump-Russia Ties
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from any investigation into last year's presidential campaign, following reports he met twice with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. at a time when he was serving as both a senator and a campaign surrogate for Donald Trump. The revelation directly contradicts Sessions' sworn testimony to Congress in January that he did not meet with any Russian officials in the run-up to November's election. On Thursday, Sessions called charges he lied under oath "totally false" and said he failed to mention the meetings with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak because the two did not discuss the campaign. Meanwhile on Thursday _The New York Times_ revealed that Flynn and Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner held a meeting at Trump Tower with the Russian ambassador ahead of the presidential inauguration. "Do those relationships risk posing undue influence on him going forward, possibly, bribery or some kind of coercion on policy?" asks Marcy Wheeler, an independent journalist who covers national security and civil liberties at EmptyWheel.net.
Headlines for March 3, 2017
AG Sessions Recuses Himself from Russia Probe Amid Calls to Resign, Two Top Trump Advisers Met Russian Ambassador in December 2016, Sen. Rand Paul Searches Unsuccessfully for Obamacare Replacement Bill, Top U.N. Climate Official Denied Meeting with U.S. Secretary of State, NYT: White House Split over Trump Pledge to Cancel Paris Climate Deal, Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry Sworn In as Secretary of Energy, Retired Neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson Sworn in as HUD Secretary, Indianapolis Star: VP Mike Pence Used Private Email Account as Governor, President Trump Tours Aircraft Carrier, Vowing Huge Military Increase, Yemen: U.S. Warplanes and Drones in 20 Airstrikes, Syria: Pro-Government Forces Recapture Palmyra, Egypt: Former Dictator Hosni Mubarak Acquitted of Murdering Protesters, Honduras: Protests Mark One Year Anniversary of Berta Cáceres Killing, Rochester, New York: Vandals Desecrate Jewish Cemetery, Survivor of Priest Sexual Abuse Quits Vatican Commission, Leaked DHS Memo Shows Most Foreign-Born Terrorists Radicalized in U.S., ICE Releases Asylum Seeker in Texas to Seek Medical Treatment, Undocumented Woman in Texas Charged after Seeking Protection from Abuser, Mississippi: Undocumented DREAMer to be Deported without Hearing, Arkansas Bill Would Ban Howard Zinn Writings from Schools
Asylum Seeker Battling Brain Tumor Removed from Texas Hospital in Handcuffs, Taken to Private Jail
*Update: Hours after our broadcast, Amnesty International announced Sara Beltran Hernandez will be released from detention today to be with her family and to seek treatment for a brain tumor.*As President Trump vows to deport "bad hombres," we look at the shocking case of an asylum seeker from El Salvador who is being detained as she battles a brain tumor. Sara Beltran Hernandez was shackled at her hands and wrists, removed from the hospital and taken back to the Prairieland Detention Center near Dallas. We speak with her lawyer, Fatma Marouf, director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at Texas A&M University; bioethics expert Bryn Esplin, assistant professor in the Department of Humanities in Medicine at Texas A&M School of Medicine; and Justin Mazzola, deputy director of research for Amnesty International USA, which has a campaign to win the release of Sara Beltran Hernandez.
Billionaire Wilbur Ross Confirmed Despite Questions over Ties to Russian Oligarchs Close to Putin
The New York Times reports that the Obama administration scrambled during its final days in office to preserve evidence of Russia's collusion with the Trump campaign. Citing unnamed former officials, the Times says Obama's aides left a "trail of evidence" across different government agencies to prevent the incoming Trump administration from covering up or destroying evidence. We speak to James Henry about his latest piece, "Wilbur Ross Comes to D.C. With an Unexamined History of Russian Connections."
David Cay Johnston: As Jeff Sessions Scandal Brews, We Need a Public Probe of Trump's Ties to Russia
The Trump administration is facing a new scandal as the Justice Department has acknowledged Attorney General Jeff Sessions met twice last year with Russia's ambassador to the United States. This contradicts sworn testimony Sessions gave to Congress. During his confirmation hearing in January, then-Senator Sessions was asked by Minnesota Senator Al Franken whether he knew of contacts between Trump campaign officials and Russia's government. Sessions replied, "I did not have communications with the Russians." House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday accused Sessions of "apparent perjury" and said in a statement, "Sessions is not fit to serve as the top law enforcement officer of our country and must resign." Earlier today, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz called on Sessions to recuse himself from a Justice Department probe into alleged ties between Trump campaign officials and Russia's government. We speak to David Cay Johnston, the author of "The Making of Donald Trump."
Headlines for March 2, 2017
AG Sessions Held Undisclosed Meetings with Russian Ambassador, Obama Admin Left "Trail of Evidence" on Alleged Russia-Trump Ties, White House Seeks Drastic Cuts to Environmental Protection Agency, Ryan Zinke Sworn In as Secretary of the Interior, Spring Arriving in Northern Hemisphere Far Earlier Than a Decade Ago, Undocumented DREAMer Daniela Vargas Arrested After News Conference, Police Chiefs Resist Trump Administration Immigration Plans, Trump to Allow Pentagon Raids Without Presidential Approval, Yemen: U.N. Official Warns of Humanitarian Catastrophe, Iraq: Mosul Air Raid Levels Mosque, Killing ISIS Fighters and Civilians, Afghanistan: Taliban Attacks Kill 16 and Wound Dozens, Syria: Russian Warplanes Mistakenly Bomb U.S.-Backed Rebel Fighters, Trump Organization Opens High-Rise in Vancouver Amid Protests, Georgia: Final Sentences Handed Down in White Supremacist Terror Case, Oprah Winfrey Hints She May Run for President in 2020
Linda Sarsour on March 8 "Day Without a Woman" Strike & Continuing to Organize Against Trump
Following President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, many media outlets began to cast his presidency in a new, more moderate light. However, activists and organizers say Trump's presidency will not be normalized simply because he has learned to read from a teleprompter. For more, we speak with Linda Sarsour, the director of the first Muslim online organizing platform, MPower Change, and co-chair of the Women's March on Washington, the largest protest after a presidential inauguration in U.S. history.
Trump Honors Widow of Navy SEAL Killed in Yemen, But Ignores His Father's Calls for Investigation
During President Trump's speech to Congress last night, he also honored Navy SEAL Ryan Owens, who was killed in a botched raid on a Yemeni village that also left 25 civilians dead, including nine children under the age of 13. Last night, Trump referred to the raid as being "highly successful" and spoke directly to Ryan's widow, Carryn Owens. After a two-minute standing ovation, Trump said, "And Ryan is looking down right now. You know that. And he's very happy, because I think he just broke a record." Trump made no reference to the 25 civilians killed in the raid, nor to the criticisms leveled by Owens's father, who has questioned why the raid was ever approved.
Bernie Sanders Slams Trump for Ignoring Climate Change, Income Inequality & Voter Suppression
Following President Trump's first address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, Vermont senator and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders responded forcefully to Trump's speech. We air part of Sanders' response last night and speak to his former advisor, economist Jeffrey Sachs.
Disabled Cancer Survivor Ola Ojewumi: I am Terrified by Trump's Push to End Obamacare
During his speech before Congress on Tuesday night, Donald Trump called on Congress to address the "imploding Obamacare disaster." "Tonight, I am also calling on this Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare with reforms that expand choice, increase access, lower costs and at the same time provide better healthcare," Trump said. "Mandating every American to buy government-approved health insurance was never the right solution for America." We speak to Ola Ojewumi, a disabled 26-year-old community activist who attended Trump's speech as a guest of Maryland Congressmember Steny Hoyer, as someone affected by the Affordable Care Act. She is a cancer survivor who has also had a kidney and heart transplant.
In Move Recalling Nazi-Era Policies, Trump to Create Office to Track Crimes Committed by Immigrants
During President Trump's speech to the joint session of Congress last night, he announced plans to create a new office called VOICE—that's Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement. Trump has previously directed the Department of Homeland Security to publish a list of crimes committed by immigrants—which some historians have compared to Germany's Nazi-era policy of publishing lists of crimes committed by Jews. We air Trump's comment and hear from Andrea Pitzer, author of the upcoming book, "One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps."
Linda Sarsour: Muslim Americans Have Now Raised Over $125,000 for Vandalized Jewish Cemeteries
President Trump opened his speech to Congress by condemning the five nationwide waves of bomb threats targeting Jewish community centers, the desecration of hundreds of gravesites at two Jewish cemeteries and the murder of an Indian man in Kansas by a white man who reportedly yelled "Get out of my country!" before opening fire. But he made no mention of recent attacks targeting mosques. His speech came just hours after he suggested the anti-Semitic incidents may be false-flag attacks. We speak to Muslim American organizer Linda Sarsour, who has helped raise over $125,000 for vandalized Jewish cemeteries.
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