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Updated 2025-08-19 19:15
Rep. Ellison Responds to Scalise Shooting: Wild West Atmosphere of Firearm Regulation is Ridiculous
On Wednesday, a rifle-wielding man opened fire on Republican lawmakers during a congressional baseball practice, wounding Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and four others. The assailant, James Hodgkinson, died after officers in Scalise's security detail fired back at him. The attack has reignited the debate over gun control. Scalise has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association, which opposes gun-control measures. We speak with Congressmember Keith Ellison, who has been slammed by the NRA as an "Anti-Second Amendment Radical," but he says he has been mischaracterized.
Standing Rock Sioux Launch Wind & Solar Renewable Energy Projects After Winning Henry Wallace Award
We speak with Dave Archambault II, 45th chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and Nick Tilsen of the Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, who are in New York City for the Standing Rock Sioux to receive the inaugural Henry Wallace Award, which comes with a $1 million investment in renewable energy projects, like wind and solar, from the Wallace Global Fund. "What would be a dream or goal is to have all 12 communities powered off of renewables," says Archambault. "At the community level, then at the national level, if tribes, Native tribal nations can say we are 100 percent powered and 100 percent that we consume renewable energy, that builds awareness for other communities and then maybe the nation."
Standing Rock Sioux Chair on Militarized Repression & Ongoing Lawsuit to Stop Dakota Access Pipeline
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has won a major legal victory in federal court which may have the power to force the shutdown of the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline. District Judge James Boasberg ruled Wednesday that the Trump administration failed to conduct an adequate environmental review of the pipeline, after President Trump ordered the Army Corps to fast-track and greenlight its approval. The judge requested additional briefings next week on whether the pipeline should be shut off until the completion of a full review of a potential oil spill’s impacts on fishing and hunting rights, as well as environmental justice. The pipeline faced months of massive resistance from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, members of hundreds of other indigenous tribes from across the Americas, as well as non-Native allies. We speak with Standing Rock Sioux Chair Dave Archambault II and Nick Tilsen, executive director of the Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation and a citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
Headlines for June 16, 2017
Rep. Steve Scalise Remains in Critical Condition After 3 Surgeries, Pence Hires Private Lawyer Amid Widening Probe of Trump Admin. Ties to Russia, Pentagon Planning to Deploy Nearly 4,000 More U.S. Troops to Afghanistan, Trump Slated to Roll Back Relations with Cuba Today in Miami, London: Outrage Grows over Fire at Public Housing Building as Death Toll Rises to 30, Russian Military Says It May Have Killed ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Egypt: Dozens of Activists Arrested in Raids Ahead of Planned Protests Today, Trump Admin. Rescinds Deferred Action for Parents of Americans Program, Pennsylvania: Jurors Deadlocked in Sexual Assault Trial of Bill Cosby, Trump Taps His Family's Wedding Planner to Run Largest HUD Office in U.S., Ithaca: 28-Year-Old Transgender Woman Kendra Marie Adams Murdered, Ferguson, MO: Reverend Carlton Lee, Mike Brown Sr.'s Pastor, Dies at 34, Egypt: 6 Men Sentenced to Death Based on Testimonies Extracted Under Torture
Rep. Barbara Lee: In Expanding Global Wars, Trump Is Creating More Havoc and Chaos & Has No Strategy
U.N. investigators say U.S.-led bombing has killed 300 Syrian civilians over the last three months in the city of Raqqa. A U.S.-led bombing campaign in Mosul has also reportedly killed dozens of Iraqi civilians over the last week alone. For more, we speak with Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California. In 2001, she was the lone vote against the Authorization for Use of Military Force after the September 11 attacks.
Rep. Barbara Lee: Trump Should Keep Open Relations with Cuba, Not Reinstitute Failed U.S. Policy
On Friday, President Trump is expected to announce plans to roll back some of the United States' new diplomatic and commercial relations with Cuba, which were brokered under the Obama administration. Bloomberg News reports the changes may include curbing travel between the U.S. and Cuba. Other changes may include reinstating restrictions on Americans visiting Cuba and bringing back famous Cuban goods, like cigars and rum. Officials also say Trump might demand the extradition of people who have received political asylum in Cuba, like Assata Shakur. For more, we speak with Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California.
Rep. Barbara Lee on Shootings: We Must Reduce the Hate in This Country
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana remains in critical condition this morning, after he and four other people were wounded Wednesday when a gunman opened fire at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia. The lawmakers were practicing for tonight's charity congressional baseball game when Scalise, the third-ranking Republican in the House, was shot in the hip. The gunman, who was shot dead by Capitol Hill police, has been identified as a 66-year-old white man named James Hodgkinson from Belleville, Illinois. He has a history of being arrested for domestic violence and has also made violent threats online. In one recent Facebook post, he wrote, "Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It's Time to Destroy Trump & Co." Hodgkinson received a license to have a gun earlier this year despite being arrested in 2006 for domestic battery and discharge of a firearm. For more on the Virginia shooting - as well as Wednesday's shooting deaths of three UPS workers in San Francisco - we speak with Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California.
Rep. John Conyers: Why I Am Suing President Trump
Nearly 200 Democratic congressmembers are suing President Trump, accusing him of violating the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution by accepting millions of dollars in payments from foreign governments to his companies while serving as U.S. president. The attorneys general of Maryland and D.C. have filed a similar lawsuit against the president. For more, we speak with the longest-serving member of Congress, Democrat John Conyers of Michigan. He has served in Congress since 1965.
Greg Palast: How Racist Voter Suppression Could Cost Jon Ossoff the Georgia Election
The race for the 6th District in Georgia is the most expensive congressional race in U.S. history. On Tuesday, voters will head to the polls to fill the seat left vacant after Tom Price resigned to become secretary of health and human services. Polls show Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel in a virtual tie. But civil rights leaders fear that racist voter suppression tactics could cost Ossoff the election. For more, we speak with investigative reporter Greg Palast and air a report he produced in Georgia.
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) in Critical Condition After Being Shot at Congressional Baseball Practice
Capitol Hill remains in shock after House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana and four other people were wounded on Wednesday, when a gunman opened fire at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia. The lawmakers were practicing for a charity congressional game that will take place tonight. Scalise, the third-ranking Republican in the House, was shot in the hip and remains in critical condition.
Headlines for June 15, 2017
Rep. Steve Scalise in Critical Condition After Shooting at VA Baseball Field, Man Opens Fire, Killing 3, at UPS Facility in San Francisco, President Trump Under Investigation for Obstruction of Justice, U.N.: U.S.-Led Coalition Airstrikes Have Killed 300 Civilians in Raqqa, Syria, Airwars: U.S.-Led Coalition Airstrikes Reportedly Kill Dozens of Iraqi Civilians, U.S. Agrees to Sell $12 Billion Worth of Boeing F-15 Fighter Jets to Qatar, Michigan: 5 Officials Charged with Manslaughter over Deaths from Flint Water Crisis, Standing Rock Sioux Wins Major Legal Victory Against Dakota Access Pipeline, Israeli PM Netanyahu Vows Occupation of West Bank Will Continue Indefinitely, Somalia: 19 Killed in Al-Shabab Attack on Restaurant in Mogadishu, Death Toll from London Apartment Fire Rises to 17; Safety Warnings Were Ignored, Lawsuits: Wells Fargo Changed Mortgage Terms Without People's Knowledge, Tennessee: Robert Doggart Sentenced to 20 Years over Plot to Massacre Muslims, Argentina: Thousands of Unionized Workers March Against Austerity, Mexican Journalists Commemorate One-Month Anniversary of Javier Valdez's Murder
Oliver Stone Interviews Putin on U.S.-Russia Relations, 2016 Election, Snowden, NATO & Nuclear Arms
The Senate is slated to vote today on whether to impose a spate of new sanctions against Russia over allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. The vote comes only one day after the much-anticipated testimony of Attorney General Jeff Sessions before the Senate Intelligence Committee. For more, we speak to three-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone about his new TV special, "The Putin Interviews," which is airing on Showtime this week. The series is based on more than 20 hours of interviews Stone conducted with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the past two years.
Jeff Sessions Said "I Don't Remember" or "I Don't Recall" 26 Times During Senate Intel Testimony
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has come under fire for repeatedly refusing to answer questions during his testimony Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee about alleged Russia meddling in the 2016 election. We air highlights and speak to Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice.
Headlines for June 14, 2017
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise & Congressional Aides Shot Playing Baseball, Sessions Under Fire for Refusing to Answer Questions During Senate Testimony, 200 Democratic Congressmembers Suing Trump for Violating Constitution, Senate Votes to Approve $500M Sale of Precision-Guided Munitions to Saudi Arabia, Yemen: More Than 900 Have Died in Ongoing Cholera Outbreak, U.N. Officials: U.S.-Led Airstrikes in Raqqa Causing "Staggering Loss of Civilian Life", Iraq: 800 Refugees Sickened by Contaminated Food Provided by British Charity, Trump Gives Pentagon New Power to Decide Number of Troops in Afghanistan, 150 Die in Landslides in Bangladesh and Northeast India, Egypt Blocks Access to 48 News Sites, Including Al Jazeera & Huffington Post, College Student Returns to U.S. in Coma After Detention in North Korea, The Guardian: Abuse & Low Pay at Ivanka Trump Indonesian Clothing Factory, London: 6 People Die and 20 More Are Wounded in Raging Apartment Building Fire, Pakistan: Journalists Protest Assassination of Bureau Chief Bakhshish Elahi, Trump Meets with Top Republican Lawmakers to Discuss GOP Healthcare Plans, Michigan: More Than 100 Iraqis Facing Deportation After Mass Roundup, New York: Classmates Demand Release of HS Student Arrested by ICE on Prom Day, Uber: CEO Takes Leave & Board Member Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment Scandal, Virginia: Former RNC Chair Ed Gillespie Wins Narrow Victory in Governor Primary, Five Men Now Hold as Much Wealth as Half of the World's Population Combined
Headlines for June 14, 2017
Sessions Under Fire for Refusing to Answer Questions During Senate Testimony, 200 Democratic Congressmembers Suing Trump for Violating Constitution, Senate Votes to Approve $500M Sale of Precision-Guided Munitions to Saudi Arabia, Yemen: More Than 900 Have Died in Ongoing Cholera Outbreak, U.N. Officials: U.S.-Led Airstrikes in Raqqa Causing "Staggering Loss of Civilian Life", Iraq: 800 Refugees Sickened by Contaminated Food Provided by British Charity, Trump Gives Pentagon New Power to Decide Number of Troops in Afghanistan, 150 Die in Landslides in Bangladesh and Northeast India, Egypt Blocks Access to 48 News Sites, Including Al Jazeera & Huffington Post, College Student Returns to U.S. in Coma After Detention in North Korea, The Guardian: Abuse & Low Pay at Ivanka Trump Indonesian Clothing Factory, London: 6 People Die and 20 More Are Wounded in Raging Apartment Building Fire, Pakistan: Journalists Protest Assassination of Bureau Chief Bakhshish Elahi, Trump Meets with Top Republican Lawmakers to Discuss GOP Healthcare Plans, Michigan: More Than 100 Iraqis Facing Deportation After Mass Roundup, New York: Classmates Demand Release of HS Student Arrested by ICE on Prom Day, Uber: CEO Takes Leave & Board Member Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment Scandal, Virginia: Former RNC Chair Ed Gillespie Wins Narrow Victory in Governor Primary, Five Men Now Hold as Much Wealth as Half of the World's Population Combined, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise & Congressional Aides Shot Playing Baseball
"A Transformative Vision": Naomi Klein on Platforms for Racial, Health & Climate Justice Under Trump
Since President Trump's inauguration, the United States and the world have been rocked with a series of massive nationwide days of action, including the Women's March, the People's Climate March, the March for Science and the March for Truth. Just this weekend, more than 4,000 people joined the People's Summit in Chicago. For more on the resistance to Trump, we speak with best-selling author and journalist Naomi Klein. Her new book, out this week, is "No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need."
Naomi Klein: Climate Movement Is Growing Even More Ambitious as U.S. Goes Rogue & Exits Paris Accord
The United States has refused to sign on to a G7 pledge saying the 2015 landmark Paris climate accord is "irreversible." On Monday, the U.S. said it would not join the six other member nations in signing on to the pledge. This comes after President Trump announced he was pulling the U.S. out of the historic accord. For more on Paris, the climate and the Trump administration, we speak with best-selling author and journalist Naomi Klein, whose new book is "No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need."
Naomi Klein on Jeremy Corbyn, Bernie Sanders & Youth-Led Grassroots Progressive Insurgencies
Over the weekend, more than 4,000 people gathered for the People's Summit in Chicago. Among those who spoke was Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who called the Democratic Party's strategy an absolute failure and blamed the party for the election of President Trump. This comes after the Labour Party in Britain won a shocking number of new seats in the British election. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is now poised to possibly become the next British prime minister. For more on these insurgent progressive politicians, we speak with best-selling author and journalist Naomi Klein, whose new book is "No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need."
Naomi Klein: Trump is the First Fully Commercialized Global Brand to Serve as U.S. President
A decade after Naomi Klein published her now-iconic book "The Shock Doctrine," the best-selling author and activist reflects on how President Trump represents a form of continuous shock and how he ran a branding campaign—more than a political campaign—in order to capture the presidency. Naomi Klein's latest book is "No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need."
"No Is Not Enough": Best-Selling Author Naomi Klein on Challenging Trump's Shock Doctrine Politics
As President Trump is sued by the attorneys general of Maryland and Washington, D.C., for "unprecedented constitutional violations" and as another federal appeals court rejects Trump's Muslim ban, we spend the hour with best-selling writer Naomi Klein, author of the new book, "No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need."
Headlines for June 13, 2017
Report: U.S.-Led Coalition Killed More Syrian Civilians Than ISIS or Assad in May, Appeals Court Deals Another Blow to Trump's Muslim Travel Ban, Attorney General Sessions Slated to Testify to Senate Intel Committee Today, Trump's Friend Chris Ruddy: Trump May Fire Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller, Trump Cabinet Members Pledge Loyalty to President in Bizarre Meeting, Trump to Announce Rollback to U.S. Relations with Cuba in Miami Friday, Bernie Sanders: Democratic Party Strategy is "Absolute Failure", Greg Gianforte Sentenced to Community Service After Body-Slamming Reporter, Russia: 1,000 Protesters Arrested Amid Nationwide Anticorruption Demonstrations, India: Farmers Protest for Debt Forgiveness; Police Kill 5 Amid Crackdown, Hunger-Striking Asylum Seekers in CA Detention Center Say GEO Group Guards Violently Attacked Them, Delta & BofA Pull Out of Public Theater's Play Because of Trump-Like Julius Caesar
Trump Associate & "Slumlord" Tom Barrack Resigns One Day After Probe of Housing Crisis
We end today's show looking at the real estate dealings of another one of Donald Trump's closest associates: Thomas Barrack. Last week, the reporter Aaron Glantz of the investigative news site Reveal exposed how Barrack profited off the housing crisis by buying 31,000 single-family homes—mostly foreclosures—then bumped up the rents and in many cases allowed the properties to fall into disrepair. Glantz reported that Barrack's actions as head of Colony Starwood Homes made him tantamount to a modern-day slumlord. On Friday—one day after Glantz's piece was published—Barrack sold all of his stock in Colony Starwood Homes and resigned his position as co-chair of its Board of Trustees.
The Beleaguered Tenants of "Kushnerville": Jared Kushner Accused of Slumlord Practices in Baltimore
"The Beleaguered Tenants of ‘Kushnerville.'" That's the headline of a recent piece in ProPublica about the real estate dealings of Trump's son-in-law and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner. The piece looks at how Kushner's former company Kushner Companies has acted as a "neglectful and litigious" landlord of low-income housing units in Baltimore. ProPublica reporter Alec MacGillis chronicles how Kushner Companies hounded low-income tenants with a barrage of lawsuits, eviction notices and late fees—even when the tenants were in the right. Tenants also described terrible maintenance practices, which created nearly unlivable conditions for some families.
Freed Political Prisoner Oscar López Rivera Joins Tens of Thousands at NYC Puerto Rican Day Parade
Tens of thousands took part in Sunday's National Puerto Rican Day Parade here in New York. Marchers at the parade included Puerto Rican independence activist Oscar López Rivera, who was imprisoned for about 35 years. This year's organizers chose to honor López Rivera as the parade's first "National Freedom Hero." But after a boycott campaign was organized by a right-wing conservative group funded by donors close to both President Trump and to Breitbart News, Oscar López Rivera announced he would march not as an official honoree but as a humble Puerto Rican and a grandfather. Democracy Now!'s Juan González was at the parade on Sunday.
Puerto Rico Backs Statehood in Referendum Boycotted by Opposition Groups
Tens of thousands turned out Sunday for the National Puerto Rican Day Parade here in New York. The parade came on the same day when Puerto Rico held a controversial referendum on political status. Ninety-seven percent of those who cast ballots voted in favor of Puerto Rico becoming the 51st state, but just 23 percent of eligible voters took part. Many Puerto Rican opposition parties called for a boycott of the vote.
Cholera Death Toll Tops 859 in War-Torn Yemen as U.S.-Backed Saudi Assault Continues
In Yemen, a civilian is dying nearly every hour from a massive cholera outbreak, as the ongoing U.S.-backed, Saudi-led bombing campaign and naval blockade has devastated the country's health, sanitation and water systems. The World Health Organization says the number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen has now reached 101,820 and continues to rise, accounting for 859 deaths. Yemen's healthcare system is also on the verge of collapse as many hospitals have shut down because of the ongoing U.S.-backed Saudi war. Only 45 percent of Yemen's hospitals are still operational. We speak to guests Dr. Mariam Aldogani and Anas Shahari of Save the Children Yemen.
Headlines for June 12, 2017
Yemen: More Than 859 People Die from Cholera as U.S.-Backed War Continues, Reports: U.S.-Backed Troops Used White Phosphorus in Raqqa, Reports: U.S. Troops Kill 3 Civilians, Including Two Children, in Afghanistan, Iraq: 21 Killed in a Suicide Attack in Baghdad Market, Pentagon Carried Out Drone Strike in Somalia Against Al-Shabab, Pentagon: U.S. Special Operations Troops Supporting Philippines Army, Maryland & D.C. AGs Suing President Trump over Foreign Payments to Hotel, New York AG Investigating Eric Trump Foundation After Forbes Exposé, Dianne Feinstein to Senate Committee: Investigate Trump for Obstruction of Justice, Chelsea Manning in First TV Interview: "I Have a Responsibility to the Public", Statehood Wins Puerto Rico Referendum After Opposition Parties Boycott Vote, Oscar López Rivera and Thousands More March in NYC Puerto Rican Day Parade, Trump Considering Canceling State Visit to Britain Amid Fears of Mass Protests, Demonstrators Shout Down Islamophobic Protesters in a Dozen U.S. Cities, Asylum Seekers Launch Hunger Strike Inside GEO Group's Adelanto Detention Center, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick Facing Possible Forced Leave of Absence Amid Scandal, Activists Disrupt D.C. Pride Parade to Protest Sponsors Wells Fargo, Lockheed Martin, Orlando: Hundreds Gather for Vigil on Anniversary of Pulse Nightclub Massacre, Tony Awards: Actress Cynthia Nixon Honors Those Who Are Resisting Trump, U.N. General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Dies at 84
Will Obstruction of Justice in Comey Firing See Trump Ousted or Is Impeachment a "Liberal Fantasy"?
The issue of whether or not Donald Trump taped conversations with James Comey was raised several times during Comey's dramatic testimony Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, prompting the question of whether a smoking gun exists that could lead to President Trump's impeachment for obstruction of justice. "It's a liberal fantasy to talk about impeaching Trump," says Mehdi Hasan. "I don't think this House of Representatives, this Republican Congress, has any interest in impeaching Donald Trump. Even if you were to produce a video of Trump talking in Russian to Putin asking for his marching orders, I suspect Paul Ryan and co. would not decide to impeach him."
Is the President a "Serial Fabricator"? Fired FBI Director Comey Says Trump Repeatedly Lies
Fired FBI Director James Comey testified Thursday that President Trump tried to derail an investigation into National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's links to Russia, and accused Trump of lying about why he was fired. Comey testified that he documented every meeting he had with Trump because he thought the president might lie about what had taken place, and said he leaked the meeting details to the media in order to spur the appointment of a special counsel. "From a political point of view, we know that one of the biggest flaws in Donald Trump's presidency, his candidacy, his ability to be president, is that he's a serial fabricator," says Mehdi Hasan. "Now you have the former top law enforcement officer of this country going in front of the Senate, under oath, saying those are lies, plain and simple." Hasan is an award-winning British journalist and broadcaster at Al Jazeera English and columnist for The Intercept. He joins a roundtable discussion with Shayana Kadidal, senior managing attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Marcy Wheeler, an independent journalist who covers national security and civil liberties at her website EmptyWheel.net.
UK's Hung Parliament: Conservatives Lose Majority; Labour's Corbyn Delivers Stunning Rebuke of PM May
British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a major setback Thursday in an election that saw her Conservative Party lose its majority in Parliament less than two weeks before the country is scheduled to begin talks over exiting from the European Union. May called the snap election three years early, expecting to win a large mandate to negotiate with European leaders over the terms of the so-called Brexit. Instead, Conservatives were left without a clear majority and a hung Parliament. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who ran on a platform of "For the many, not the few," said Thursday's election results show voters are "turning their backs on austerity." We're joined by Paul Mason, columnist for The Guardian, and Mehdi Hasan, award-winning British journalist and broadcaster at Al Jazeera English. He is host of the Al Jazeera interview program "UpFront" and a columnist for The Intercept.
Headlines for June 9, 2017
British Conservatives Lose Parliamentary Majority as Labour Surges, Ousted FBI Director Comey Tells Senate Panel Trump Lied, White House Accuses Comey of Lying to Congress, House Votes to Repeal Financial Regulations of Dodd-Frank Act, Yemen: More Than 100,000 Infected as Cholera Epidemic Spreads, Four Yemeni Civilians Killed in U.S.-Backed, Saudi-Led Airstrike, Qatar: Al Jazeera TV Network Says It Thwarted Massive Cyberattack, Somalia: 70 Dead After Al-Shabab Fighters Storm Army Base, Louisiana: New Law to Reduce Sentences, Trim Prison Population, Georgia: Students Sue, Claiming Police Groped 900 of Them in Drug Search, New Jersey Police Assault Crash Victim After High-Speed Pursuit, NSA Contractor Reality Winner Pleads Not Guilty over Top-Secret Leak, New York City: Haitians Protest Hillary Clinton Commencement Address
Marcy Wheeler: James Comey Planned His Dramatic Testimony Release to Undercut GOP Smear Campaign
Former FBI Director James Comey will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee today on whether President Donald Trump pressured him on more than one occasion to end a probe into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Comey, fired by Trump last month, released his planned opening statement on Wednesday. In his statement, he alleged that in late January he was summoned to the White House for dinner with Trump. At the dinner, Trump declared, "I need loyalty, I expect loyalty." The hearing comes a day after senior national security officials dodged questions by committee members over whether Trump asked them to intervene in Comey's investigation. We speak with Marcy Wheeler, an independent journalist who covers national security and civil liberties.
Oscar López Rivera on NY Puerto Rican Parade Controversy & Why He Doesn't Need an Honor to March
Puerto Rican independence activist Oscar López Rivera, who was imprisoned for about 35 years, joins us for his first broadcast interview in New York City since he was freed on May 17, 2017. His visit coincides with the city’s long-standing Puerto Rican Day Parade. This year's organizers chose to honor López Rivera as the parade’s first "National Freedom Hero." But after a boycott campaign was organized by a right-wing conservative group funded by donors close to both President Trump and to Breitbart News, the city’s police chief and a number of corporate sponsors said they will boycott the event. Oscar López Rivera says he will still march, not as an official honoree but as a humble Puerto Rican and a grandfather.
After 35 Years in Prison, Puerto Rican Activist Oscar López Rivera on Freedom & Decolonization
We are joined in studio by longtime Puerto Rican independence activist Oscar López Rivera, who was imprisoned for about 35 years—much of the time in solitary confinement—before President Obama commuted his sentence in January. On May 17, 2017, less than a month ago, López Rivera was released. During the 1970s and 1980s, he was a leader of the pro-independence group FALN. In 1981, López Rivera was convicted on federal charges including seditious conspiracy—conspiring to oppose U.S. authority over Puerto Rico by force. López Rivera describes his time in prison, his youth in Chicago and how he became politicized. He also comments on Puerto Rico's current political crisis and says as long as Puerto Rican youth are "struggling and doing something for the economy, doing something for themselves, doing something for Puerto Rico, there is hope." We also speak with Juan Cartagena, president and general counsel of LatinoJustice, who was part of the campaign to free López Rivera.
Headlines for June 8, 2017
Former FBI Director Comey Says Trump Pressured Him over Flynn Probe, National Security Officials Dodge Questions on Comey Investigation, Lawmakers Draft Articles of Impeachment Against President Trump, ACLU: FBI Director Nominee Christopher Wray Could Be Tied to Torture, Senate Republicans Prepare Bill to Repeal Affordable Care Act, North Korea Tests New Anti-Ship Missile, Nigeria: Boko Haram Assaults Maiduguri Amid Famine, Climate Report Predicts Rising Seas Will Flood Coastal U.S. Cities, U.K. Labour Party Closes in on Conservatives as Voting Begins, Reporter Covering Inauguration Protests Indicted for Felony Rioting, Rep.-Elect Greg Gianforte to Give to Charity After Reporter Assault, Minnesota: At Trial, New Video Shows Officer Killing Philando Castile, Family of Autistic Man Files Suit over Florida Police Shooting, Black Lives Matter Leaders Win Sydney Peace Foundation Prize
Worst Epidemic in U.S. History? Opioid Crisis Now Leading Cause of Death for Americans Under 50
Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50. To put the death toll into perspective, opioid deaths have now surpassed the peak in death by car crash in 1972, AIDS deaths in 1995 and gun deaths in 1993. After 20 years of heavy combat in South Vietnam, U.S. military casualties represented only one-third of the death toll from 10 years of opioid overdoses. Meanwhile, counties and states around the country have filed lawsuits to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for the public health crisis. "The United States is in the midst of the worst drug addiction epidemic in its history," says Dr. Andrew Kolodny, co-director of opioid policy research at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. He is also co-founder and director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing.
Attackers in Tehran Kill 12 & Injure Dozens More as U.S. Deliberately Worsens Iran-Saudi Relations
A pair of attacks in Iran's capital Tehran this morning left 12 people dead and dozens more injured. The attacks on the parliament building and the tomb of the republic's founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, are the worst attacks in Tehran in decades. The attackers opened fire and took a number of hostages before all four attackers were killed by security forces. ISIS is claiming responsibility. We are joined by Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council.
China Watchdog: China's Arrest of Activists Investigating Ivanka Trump-linked Factory Unprecedented
China is refusing to release three activists who were arrested while they were investigating labor conditions at a factory manufacturing Ivanka Trump brand shoes. The three men were working with the New York-based nonprofit China Labor Watch. The arrests came just weeks after Ivanka Trump secured three new exclusive trademarks in China. China accuses the investigators of interfering with the operation of the factory. China Labor Watch denies the allegations and says this is the first time in nearly two decades of its existence that any of its investigators have been detained. Amnesty International has joined in demanding the release of the trio. To talk more about what this means, we are joined in Washington, D.C., by Kevin Slaten, who was program coordinator for China Labor Watch until last year.
Headlines for June 7, 2017
Iran: 12 Killed in Two Attacks in Tehran; ISIS Claims Responsibility, Trump Tweets He's Nominating Christopher Wray to Be Next FBI Director, Tensions Mount Between Trump & Sessions Ahead of Comey's Testimony, Report: 4 Law Firms Have Refused to Represent Trump, Parents of NSA Contractor Reality Winner Speak Out After Daughter Charged with Espionage, Trump Exacerbates Tensions in Persian Gulf with Tweet About Qatar, Forbes: Eric Trump Funneled Donations for Children with Cancer to Trump Organization, U.S. Launches Airstrikes Against Pro-Syrian Government Forces, Paris: Man Attacks Police Officer Saying "This is for Syria", Amnesty Chair in Turkey Arrested by Police Along with Other Human Rights Lawyers, Colombia: Buenaventura Residents Reach Deal with Gov't After Three-Week Strike, Hawaii Becomes First U.S. State to Pass Laws to Fulfill 2015 Paris Climate Accord, SF: 7 Activists Arrested Protesting for Freedom for Hugo Mejía & Rodrigo Nuñez, New Hampshire Faith Leaders Hold Vigil to Support Immigrants at Mass ICE Check-in, Chokwe Antar Lumumba Elected Mayor of Jackson, MS
Republican Prosecutor Seeks to Beat Civil Rights Lawyer in Race for Philadelphia District Attorney
We continue our coverage of the Philadelphia district attorney's race with Republican nominee Beth Grossman, a prosecutor with more than 20 years' experience serving in every unit in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. Grossman is a fourth-generation Philadelphian who says she is committed to seeking justice and improving the quality of life for all Philadelphians. From 2007 to 2015, she led the city's Public Nuisance Task Force, which handled civil asset forfeiture. The controversial practice enables district attorneys to seize people's property and cash even if they are not convicted of a crime. Grossman now faces a tough battle in the upcoming November election against Democratic rival Larry Krasner for the district attorney seat. Philadelphia has been a staunchly Democratic city for more than 60 years.
Meet Larry Krasner: Civil Rights Attorney, Death Penalty Opponent & Democratic Philly DA Candidate
Will a defense attorney with a long record of standing up to prosecutors and police soon head one of the nation's busiest district attorney offices? We speak with civil rights attorney Larry Krasner, who is considered the front-runner in the race to become Philadelphia's next district attorney after he overwhelmingly won the Democratic primary last month. Over his career, Krasner has represented protesters with Black Lives Matter, Grannies for Peace, ACT UP and Occupy Philadelphia. He's promised to never seek the death penalty.
NSA Contractor Charged for Leak After Intercept Exposé Reveals Russian Cyberattack of 2016 Election
A military intelligence contractor has been arrested and charged with leaking a top-secret NSA report to the media that reveals Russian military intelligence conducted a cyberattack on at least one U.S. voting software company just days before last November's presidential election. The charges were announced after The Intercept published part of the NSA report on Monday. It is the first criminal leak case under President Trump. We speak with security technologists Bruce Schneier and Jake Williams, who is a former member of the NSA's Tailored Access Operations hacking team.
Headlines for June 6, 2017
Contractor Charged with Leaking Top-Secret Doc on Russian Cyberattack, After Intercept Exposé, White House Will Not Block James Comey's Testimony to Senate Committee, NYT: Nearly 60,000 Americans Died of Drug Overdose in 2016, Trump Announces Plans to Privatize Air Traffic Control, Afghanistan: Death Toll from Kabul Bombing Rises to 150, Making It Deadliest Attack Since 2001, London Mayor Calls for Trump's State Visit to Britain to Be Canceled, London Police Name 3 Men Allegedly Behind Saturday's Attack, Syria: U.S.-Backed Forces Begin Battle to Retake Raqqa from ISIS, China: 8 Killed in Industrial Accident at Petrochemical Company, Acting Ambassador to China Resigns over Trump's Withdrawal from Paris Accord, California Gov.: Climate Change May Be Even More Dangerous Than Fascism, Kellyanne Conway's Husband Mocks Trump over His Travel Ban Tweets, Florida: Army Veteran Kills 5 People at His Former Workplace, Puerto Rico: Students Vote to End Strike, Classes Slated to Resume June 12
As Trump Withdraws from Paris Climate Accord, California Vows 100 Percent Clean Energy by 2045
As President Trump announced the United States will pull out of the Paris climate agreement, California's state Senate has passed legislation to put the state on a path to 100 percent clean renewable energy by the year 2045. California Governor Jerry Brown is in China to lead a conference of states and other "subnational" actors making voluntary commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions. It is one of dozens of state and local governments committing to fight climate change, and as the state with the world's sixth largest economy, California is often cited by analysts as a model for its ambitious environmental policy. Nearly 200 U.S. mayors have also signed on to an agreement to uphold the commitments to the goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement. We are joined by Kevin de León, president pro tem of the California state Senate.
Lawyer for Tortured Detainees: U.S. Created ISIS Through Misguided Detention, Interrogation Policies
We speak with Shayana Kadidal, senior managing attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, about an often overlooked footnote in the history of ISIS. Kadidal says the group's mix of members was "pulled together in Camp Bucca," which once hosted thousands of prisoners in Iraq without charge. Many alleged they suffered of torture and abuse by U.S. guards while held there. "We made this. We created this movement and its leadership with our own misguided and amateurish detention and interrogation policies," Kadidal says, and argues that by keeping Guantánamo open and speaking approvingly of torture, President Trump is running a "long-standing commercial for ISIS."
Could Trump's White House Bury or Even Destroy the Landmark 2014 Senate Report on CIA Torture?
Is the Trump administration attempting to erase history? On Friday, congressional officials confirmed the administration has begun returning to Congress copies of the Senate's explosive 2014 report on CIA torture. The move raises concerns that copies of the classified report will now be buried in Senate vaults or even destroyed—and, along with it, lessons from one of the darkest chapters in America's history. Under the Obama administration, the 6,770-page landmark investigative Senate report was initially sent to federal agencies in hopes it would eventually be made public. Now the reports will be returned to the Republican-controlled Senate. Documents held by Congress are not subjected to laws requiring government records to be eventually made public. Democrats are expressing fear that the Trump administration intends to erase electronic copies and destroy hard copies of the report. We speak with Shayana Kadidal, a senior managing attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights. CCR represents two men named as former CIA prisoners in the executive summary of the Senate torture report released in 2014. Majid Khan and Guled Hassan Duran are both currently held at Guantánamo.
Trump Uses London Attack to Call for SCOTUS to Back Travel Ban Blocked by Multiple Courts
Following the attacks in London on Saturday night, President Trump launched a tweet storm calling for the United States to impose his proposed Muslim travel ban, which would prohibit all refugees and citizens of six majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States. On Thursday, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to revive his Muslim travel ban, which has been blocked by multiple courts. The Trump administration has filed emergency applications with the nine high court justices seeking to block two different lower court rulings that found the ban was discriminatory. "There is no national security justification that the government has managed to produce here," says Shayana Kadidal, senior managing attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights.
Trump Attacks London's Mayor & Jeremy Corbyn Calls for Theresa May's Ouster After Terror in London
Twelve people have been arrested in London after three attackers killed seven people and injured 48 more on Saturday night. The three attackers were shot dead by police. It's the third terror attack in the U.K. in three months. British Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed a sweeping review of the nation's counterterrorism strategy. All of this comes as the country gears up for national parliamentary elections scheduled for this Thursday. Prime Minister May has also called for increased web surveillance so the internet is no longer a "safe space" for terrorists. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump used the London attacks to call for the United States to impose his proposed Muslim travel ban. Here to discuss all of this with Democracy Now! is Guardian columnist Paul Mason.
Headlines for June 5, 2017
London: 7 Killed in Saturday's Attack on London Bridge & Borough Market, Trump Uses London Attack as Excuse to Call for Muslim Travel Ban, Afghanistan: 20 Killed in Attack on Funeral for Anti-Government Protester, Iraq: Dozens Killed Trying to Flee ISIS-Held Areas of Mosul, Saudi Arabia & 5 Other Nations Break Off Diplomatic Relations with Qatar, "March for Truth": Nationwide Rallies Demand Independent Probe into Trump & Russia, HBO Facing Calls to Fire Bill Maher over His Use of Racial Slur, Honduras: International Firms Stop Financing Agua Zarca Dam, Amnesty Condemns Colombia for Crackdown Against General Strike in Buenaventura, Mexico: Indigenous Journalist in Critical Condition After Assassination Attempt, Bill Cosby's Sexual Assault Trial Begins in Pennsylvania, NYC: 7 Jewish Activists Arrested Disrupting Israel Day Parade
As Oil Starts to Flow Through Dakota Access Pipeline, Resistance Faces Paramilitary Security Force
The very same day President Trump announced he is pulling the United States out of the landmark 2015 climate accord, oil began flowing through the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline. Trump greenlighted the Dakota Access pipeline, along with the Keystone XL pipeline, as one of his first environmental actions in office. The pipeline had faced widespread resistance from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, hundreds of other indigenous nations from across the Americas, as well as their non-Native allies. Now a new investigation by Antonia Juhasz reveals more details about how the private military contractor TigerSwan carried out extensive military-style counterterrorism efforts targeting the indigenous-led movement. Published by the news outlets Grist and Reveal, it is headlined "Paramilitary security tracked and targeted #noDAPL activists as 'jihadists,' docs show."
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