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Updated 2026-04-17 08:15
Sens. Markey & Merkley Push Bill for 100% Clean and Renewable Energy by 2050
Just days before the People's Climate March in Washington, D.C., a group of Democratic senators and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced a bill to transition the United States to 100 percent clean and renewable energy by no later than 2050. Two of the bill's co-authors, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, took part in the People's Climate March.
Indigenous Leader Kandi Mossett: "It's Not OK for Our Women to Die Because We Want to Protect Water"
The People's Climate March in Washington, D.C., was led by people from front-line and indigenous communities, whose lives are most impacted by the extraction of fossil fuel and the effects of climate change. Among those who were at the march were Tom Goldtooth and Kandi Mossett of the Indigenous Environmental Network.
People's Climate March: A Protest Against the Fossil Fuel Industry Taking Over the U.S. Government
The People's Climate March in Washington, D.C., was held in the sweltering heat as the temperatures soared over 90 degrees. Activists and organizers came in from across the country. Among those who were there was Bill McKibben and May Boeve of 350.org.
Watch the Indigenous Water Ceremony That Opened the People's Climate March in Washington, D.C.
As President Trump marked his 100th day in office on Saturday, up to 200,000 people took to the streets of Washington to take part in the People's Climate March. Sister marches were also held across the country. The protesters decried President Trump's steps to roll back environmental regulations, appoint climate change deniers as the heads of government agencies, and defund and erase climate change programs and research, including the administration's move Friday to scrub climate science pages from the EPA's website. The People's Climate March began at dawn on Saturday with a water ceremony led by indigenous peoples at the Capitol Reflecting Pool.
Headlines for May 1, 2017
People Worldwide Pour into Streets for People's Climate March, 13 Killed in Tornadoes and Flooding in South and Midwest, At Rally in Pennsylvania, Trump Attacks Immigrants and News Media, Trump Vows to Be Champion of Gun Owners at National Rifle Association, $1 Trillion Spending Bill Won't Fund Border Wall or Cut Funds to Sanctuary Cities, Trump Falsely Claims GOP Healthcare Bill to Protect People with Pre-Existing Conditions, Pope Francis: U.S.-North Korea War Would "Destroy a Good Part of Humanity", Pope Francis Defends Use of "Concentration Camps" to Refer to Europe's Refugee Centers, Pentagon: U.S. Launched 80 Drone Strikes in March & April in Yemen, Pentagon Names 3 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq & Afghanistan, Trump Invites Philippines' Duterte to Visit White House, Despite Human Rights Concerns, Brazil Launches First General Strike in 2 Decades to Protest Austerity, Turkey Fires 4,000 Public Workers and Blocks Access to Wikipedia, Russia: 120 Protesters Arrested in Nationwide Anti-Government Demonstrations, NSA Says It's Curbing Controversial Mass Surveillance Program, Sebastian Gorka Ousted from White House Amid Reports About Links to Nazi-Allied Group, White House Considers Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke for Top DHS Post, Arkansas: Judge Orders Autopsy for Executed Prisoner Kenneth Williams, Workers March & Strike Worldwide on May Day
"Weekends Are for Fighting Tyranny": 350.org's Bill McKibben on People's Climate March
To mark the 100th day of Donald Trump's presidency, thousands of climate activists from around the country are converging in Washington, D.C. on Saturday for the People's Climate March. Already, Trump has threatened to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord, begun dismantling President Obama's climate legacy and revived the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. He has also put climate change deniers in charge of several key agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, and proposed slashing the budget of the EPA and other climate programs. This comes as scientists have confirmed 2016 was the warmest year on record. Our guest is Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org, who helped organize this latest march and notes: "Weekends are for fighting tyranny."
Vermont Lawmaker: Residents of Sanctuary Cities Reject Trump's "Dragnet Approach" on Immigration
As we broadcast from Burlington, Vermont, which is a sanctuary city, Vermont Rep. Peter Welch says there has been enormous citizen support toward undocumented workers. "You're just seeing people across this country say, 'Wait a minute, that is not the America I know,'" Welch notes. He also discusses the need for local control over whether police departments enforce immigration laws and says, "It is appropriate for law enforcement to have discretion."
House Oversight Dems Demand White House "Paper Trail" on National Security Adviser Michael Flynn
Our guest Congressman Peter Welch explains why he joined his Democratic colleagues on the House Oversight Committee in demanding White House documents on President Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn. In a letter to chairman Jason Chaffetz, the group wrote, "There is obviously a paper trail that the White House does not want our Committee to follow. If the White House refuses to produce the documents requested by the Oversight Committee—as it has to date—we believe the Committee should consider employing compulsory measures as it did in similar cases during the previous Administration."
Trump's Tax Plan & Push To End Net Neutrality Are An "All Out Assault" on Rural America
As President Trump marks his first 100 days in office, Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) argues many of his plans have increased inequality. "The tax plan is one where the benefits go to the elites in urban areas and corporations," Welch says. "Those are direct policies that will be crushing to the economic prospects of folks, especially in rural America." Meanwhile, a plan that backed by the Koch brothers to classify the Internet as a public utility would leave the industry to largely police itself.
Democratic Rep. Peter Welch Condemns Trump's "Reckless" Threats Toward North Korea
The Trump administration sent mixed signals on North Korea Thursday, as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. is open to direct negotiations with Kim Jong Un's regime over his country's nuclear program, while President Trump hinted at a possible nuclear war. Trump made the remark in an interview with the Reuters news service. Trump's comment came as Secretary of State Tillerson told NPR he's open to direct talks with North Korea if the country is serious about permanently abandoning its nuclear program. Meanwhile, President Trump told Reuters that South Korea should pay the $1 billion price tag for a THAAD missile defense system the U.S. recently began installing. Trump suggested the U.S. could cancel a free trade deal between the two countries if South Korea doesn't accept the demand. "I think the president should be talking diplomacy," says our guest Peter Welch, U.S. Congressman from Vermont. He is Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus, "not making a reckless threat of military action where it is going to be very damaging."
"It Has Not Gone Well": 100 Days of President Trump and No Major Achievements
Just hours before a deadline, Congress has averted a government shutdown by working on a short-term spending bill and a broader deal to fund agencies through September. If the extension is not approved today, federal agencies will run out of money by midnight tonight. One of the key disputes stemmed from Trump's demands that the government funding bill allocate $1.4 billion for border wall construction. "We don't have a budget. We have a continuing resolution where basically we're operating under last year's numbers," says Vermont Congressman Peter Welch, Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus. "The fundamental responsibility of the legislative body is to pass a budget. We have not done that during the entire time that Paul Ryan has been the speaker of the house. It has not gone well." This comes as House Republicans have called off their efforts to revive a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, preventing President Trump from winning his first major legislative victory ahead of Saturday, which marks his 100th day in office.
Headlines for April 28, 2017
Arkansas Puts Kenneth Williams to Death in Fourth Execution in 8 Days, Trump Admin Considers North Korea Talks as Trump Warns of "Major Conflict", House Republicans Abandon Latest Effort on Healthcare, Pentagon Investigating Michael Flynn Over Foreign Payments, President Trump to Sign Executive Order Expanding Offshore Drilling, Atmospheric CO2 Levels Reach Record 410 Parts Per Million, Senate Bill Would Phase Out Fossil Fuels by 2050, Activists Ready a Massive "People's Climate March" on Washington, Texas House Approves Anti-Immigrant "Show Your Papers" Bill, Government "Alien Crime" Hotline Trolled by Calls about Space Aliens, Syria: Two Hospitals Bombed Amid Spate of Attacks on Medics in Idlib, Palestinians Strike in Solidarity With Hunger-Striking Prisoners, Court Upholds Sentence Against Former Chadian Dictator Hissène Habré, Brazil: Unions Call General Strike Against Pension Cuts, Chicago Union Authorizes a Strike of 5,000 Nursing Home Workers, United Airlines Settles With Passenger Beaten and Dragged off Flight, Free Speech Radio News to End After 17 Years of Grassroots Reporting, New York: Hundreds Rally on One-Year Anniversary of Mass Arrest
ICE Detains Mexican Man Who Sought Sanctuary in Denver Church for Nine Months
A Mexican immigrant named Arturo Hernández García was arrested Wednesday morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Hernández García had sought sanctuary from deportation at the First Unitarian Society church for nine months until July 2015, when he was told he was no longer a priority for deportation. Supporters of Hernández García say he has been targeted in part because of his immigration activism. We re-air our interview from Hernández García in 2015 and speak to Jennifer Piper, interfaith organizer for American Friends Service Committee in Denver and coordinator for the Metro Denver Sanctuary Coalition.
Vermont's First Woman Gov. Madeleine Kunin on Protesting Trump, Helping Women Run for Office & More
As Donald Trump approaches his 100th day as president on Saturday, his approval ratings are the lowest any president has had at this stage in generations. A recent poll by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal found just 40 percent of Americans currently approve of his job performance. Trump took to Twitter to call the poll "totally wrong." We speak to the pioneering Vermont politician, former Vermont Governor Madeleine May Kunin. In 1997, she became just the fourth woman in U.S. history to be elected governor whose husband had not previously served. Kunin was born in Switzerland in 1933 and came to the United States as a child. She later served as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland. In recent months, she has been a vocal critic of President Trump. She recently participated in the Tax Day march in Burlington, Vermont, and also wrote a piece thanking Trump for "waking us from our slumber."
"A Land Grab by the Ruling Elites": Trump's Tax Plan Derided for Benefiting the Rich
The White House has outlined a plan to give the nation's millionaires and billionaires a massive tax break while adding trillions of dollars to the U.S. deficit. The plan would lower the corporate tax rate to 15 percent, end the estate tax and end the alternative minimum tax—a move that would solely benefit the richest Americans, including President Trump. A leaked 2005 tax return shows Trump paid out $36.6 million in federal income taxes that year—most of it due to the alternative minimum tax. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich described Trump's tax plan as a form of class warfare. The tax plan was unveiled on Wednesday by two former executives at Goldman Sachs—Trump's chief economic adviser Gary Cohn and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin—who hailed the tax cuts. We speak to economist James Henry of the Tax Justice Network.
Headlines for April 27, 2017
New Trump Tax Plan Would Aid Billionaires, Add Trillions to Deficit, U.S. Commander: North Korea Possibly Ready for Nuclear First Strike, South Koreans Protest U.S. Deployment of THAAD Anti-Missile System, FCC Chair Ajit Pai Unveils Plan to End Net Neutrality, White House Quickly U-Turns on Threat to Withdraw from NAFTA, Executive Order Could Open Millions of Acres to Resource Extraction, ICE Arrests Undocumented Denver Resident Arturo Hernández García, Turkey Arrests Over 1,000 and Fires 9,000 Police in Massive Purge, Venezuela to Withdraw from the Organization of American States, Saudi Arabia Elected to U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, Nevada: 7 Arrested at Air Force Base Protesting U.S. Drone Attacks, Oscar-Winning Filmmaker Jonathan Demme Dies at 73
Chomsky: CIA Targeting of Julian Assange of WikiLeaks is "Disgraceful Act"
Last week, the Trump administration reportedly prepared an arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Justice Department was seeking to put Assange in jail. Amy Goodman asked world-renowned linguist and dissident Noam Chomsky about the U.S. targeting of Julian Assange, during a wide-ranging conversation at the First Parish Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Monday night.
Chomsky on Syria: We Must Help Fleeing Refugees & Pursue Diplomatic Settlement
The journalistic monitoring group Airwars says 17 civilians, including nine children, reportedly died in U.S.-led coalition airstrikes on the Syrian city of Tabqa in Raqqa province on Monday. The victims reportedly included the 6-month-old baby Abd al-Salam and the toddler Ali Abu Aish, along with their entire family. Meanwhile, two Democratic lawmakers—Virginia Senator Tim Kaine and California Congressmember Adam Schiff—sent a letter to the White House Tuesday demanding President Trump provide a legal justification for the U.S. attack on the Shayrat air base earlier this month. On Monday night, Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman spoke to world-renowned linguist and dissident Noam Chomsky at the First Parish Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and asked him what he thinks the U.S. should do about Syria.
Chomsky on North Korea & Iran: Historical Record Shows U.S. Favors Violence Over Diplomacy
Over the last month, the Trump administration has escalated tensions between both North Korea and Iran. Vice President Mike Pence has warned North Korea, saying all options are on the table—including preemptive military strikes. Will either of these conflicts escalate to outright war? For more, Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman asked world-renowned linguist, professor and political dissident Noam Chomsky, during a wide-ranging interview Monday night at the First Parish Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Chomsky: Like Obama, Trump Is Radically Increasing the Danger of Nuclear War
On Monday night, Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman spoke to world-renowned linguist and dissident Noam Chomsky at the First Parish Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During the conversation, Amy Goodman asked Chomsky about one of the most serious threats to the survival of the human species: nuclear weapons.
Chomsky on the GOP: Has Any Organization Ever Been So Committed to Destruction of Life on Earth?
As President Trump prepares to mark 100 days in office, we spend the hour with the world-renowned linguist and dissident Noam Chomsky. Amy Goodman spoke to him on Monday night at the First Parish Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The conversation addressed climate change, nuclear weapons, North Korea, Iran, the war in Syria and the Trump administration's threat to prosecute WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Amy Goodman began by asking him about the Republican Party.
Headlines for April 26, 2017
Trump's Tax Plan to Slash Tax Rate for Companies, Including His Real Estate Empire, Turkey Kills 20 U.S.-Backed Kurdish Fighters in Airstrikes in Iraq & Syria, Airwars: U.S.-Led Coalition Airstrikes Killed 17 Syrian Civilians in Tabqa, Judge Blocks Trump Admin from Withholding Funding from Sanctuary Cities, Boston: 20 Arrested at Pro-Immigration Sit-in Outside Detention Center, Immigrants Imprisoned in Tacoma, WA, Relaunch Hunger Strike, Top Lawmakers Say Flynn Broke Laws by Receiving Payments from Foreign Gov'ts, Ivanka Trump Booed in Germany After Claiming Father is Champion of Families, Intercept: Koch Industries, Nestlé & Other Companies Lobbied for Trump's Cabinet Picks, Japan: Okinawa Residents Protests 1st Day of Construction of New U.S. Base, Venezuela: 2 More Die as Political Unrest and Demonstrations Continue, Brazil: 3,000 Indigenous People Protest Land Theft Outside Congress, Seattle: 2 Charged in Shooting of Antifa Protester at Milo Yiannopoulos Speech, NYC: Hundreds Disrupt Citibank Shareholder Meeting to Protest Dakota & Keystone Pipelines
BDS Leader Omar Barghouti Dedicates His Gandhi Peace Award to Palestinian Prisoners on Hunger Strike
As more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners have entered their ninth day on a massive hunger strike inside Israeli jails, we are joined by the Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti, who has come to the United States to receive the 2017 Gandhi Peace Award for his work as co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, or BDS, movement. At the award ceremony, Barghouti dedicated the prize to Palestinians on hunger strike. He was almost prevented from attending after Israeli police arrested him, seizing his passport and forbidding him from leaving the country. An Israeli court eventually temporarily lifted the travel ban.
Cornel West & Former Sanders Staffer on Movement to Draft Bernie for a New "People's Party" in U.S.
As Donald Trump approaches his 100th day as president on Saturday, his approval ratings are the lowest any president has had at this stage in generations. A recent poll by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal found just 40 percent of Americans approve of his job performance so far. Trump took to Twitter to call the poll "totally wrong." This comes as former presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders has emerged as one the country's most popular politicians. The Hill reports a Harvard-Harris poll shows 57 percent of registered voters view him favorably. Meanwhile, some former Sanders supporters have launched a movement to "Draft Bernie for a People's Party," urging him to start a new progressive party and run for president again in 2020. We speak with Nick Brana, the former outreach coordinator for the Bernie Sanders campaign, and Cornel West, professor of the practice of public philosophy at Harvard University. His new piece in The Guardian is headlined "The Democrats delivered one thing in the past 100 days: disappointment."
Witnesses to Double Execution in Arkansas Say Inmates May Have Suffered Botched, Painful Death
We speak with The Guardian's chief reporter Ed Pilkington about the shocking double execution Arkansas carried out Monday night, marking the first time in nearly 17 years that any state has killed two people on the same day. At 7:20 p.m. local time, 52-year-old Jack Harold Jones was pronounced dead in the death chamber at the Cummins Unit state prison. Infirmary workers had spent more than 45 minutes unsuccessfully trying to put a central line into his neck. According to a court filing, during Jones's execution, he was "moving his lips and gulping for air," which suggests he continued to be conscious during the lethal injection. Lawyers for the second man, Marcel Williams, filed a last-minute appeal for a stay of execution following Jones's killing, arguing Williams could also experience a botched, painful death. A district court judge initially granted a temporary stay of Williams's execution but then allowed the execution to go forward. Williams was pronounced dead at 10:33 p.m. The executions came after legal challenges reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which rejected a stay for Williams. The only justice to dissent in this ruling was Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The last double execution carried out in the United States was in 2000 in Texas.
Headlines for April 25, 2017
Arkansas Kills Jack Jones & Marcel Williams in First Double Execution Since 2000, Trump Walks Back Demands for $1.4 Billion in Border Wall Funding, Fmr. Fox Guest Accuses Sean Hannity of "Weird and Creepy" Sexual Advances, State Dept. Used Taxpayer Money to Promote Trump's Private Mar-a-Lago, In First Post-Presidency Speech, Obama Refuses to Utter Trump's Name, Treasury Dept. Imposes Sanctions on 271 Syrian Officials over Chemical Gas Attack, Crowds March to Turkish Consulate in L.A. to Commemorate Armenian Genocide, Congo: Video Appears to Show Killing of Two U.N. Investigators, Mexico: Dutch Ship Provides Free Safe Abortions in International Waters, New Orleans Removes Four Confederate Monuments, PA Residents Launch Tree Sits to Blockade Construction of Gas Pipeline
"See You in Court": Kids Suing Trump Admin over Climate Change Speak Out at March for Science
Among those who came from around the country to participate in the first-ever March for Science in Washington, D.C., was Julia Olson, executive director and chief legal counsel for Our Children's Trust, which has filed a landmark lawsuit on behalf of 21 young people all under the age of 21. The lawsuit argues the government has failed to take necessary action to curtail fossil fuel emissions. Democracy Now! spoke with Olson and some of her young clients.
"I'm a Black Girl Who Rocks STEM": Young, Trans, Black & Native Scientists Take to Stage in D.C.
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people descended on Washington, D.C., for the first-ever March for Science. Among those who took to the stage were a number of young aspiring scientists, as well as LGBT speakers, people of color and disabled scientists.
Iraqi-American Doctor Who Revealed Flint Water Crisis Slams Trump & Travel Ban at March for Science
Among those who spoke out at the March for Science in Washington, D.C., on Saturday was Flint's Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, an Iraqi-American doctor who discovered the connection between rising blood lead levels in the children of Flint, Michigan, and the switch to the Flint River as a water source. State officials initially dismissed her findings, but she refused to accept their denials. Democracy Now! spoke with Dr. Hanna-Attisha about the ongoing Flint water crisis, the life-saving importance of science, and President Trump's Muslim travel ban.
Hundreds of Thousands Take to the Streets Worldwide for the Global March for Science
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of scientists and science supporters took to the streets around the world in a global March for Science on Earth Day. More than 600 marches and rallies took place, with one on every continent, including on Antarctica. Massive marches occurred from coast to coast in the United States, including at a massive rally in Washington, D.C. Among those who took to the stage were Bill Nye, "The Science Guy"; Earth Day founder Denis Hayes; former EPA environmental justice official Mustafa Ali, who resigned after Trump took office; Sam Droege of the U.S. Geological Survey; and James Balog, of the Extreme Ice Survey, which is documenting the rapid retreat of glaciers due to climate change.
Headlines for April 24, 2017
Marine Le Pen & Macron Advance to Runoff in French Presidential Election, Afghanistan: At Least 140 Soldiers Killed in Taliban Attack on Army Base, Hundreds of Thousands Pour into Streets for Global March for Science, North Korea Detains U.S. Citizen, Amid Rising Tensions, Trump Falsely Claims to be "Great Friend" of Dead Italian Opera Singer, Venezuela: Maduro Calls for Talks with Opposition, as Dozen Die in Protests, Prominent Blogger Yameen Rasheed Murdered in the Maldives, New York Denies Parole to Getaway Driver Judith Clark, Arkansas Seeking to Carry Out Double Execution Tonight, Grand Rapids Police Under Fire for Stopping Young Black Boys at Gunpoint, Florida: Transgender Woman Chay Reed Murdered, Britain Goes Full 24 Hours Without Burning Coal for Electricity, 2017 Winners of Goldman Environmental Prize Announced
Shocking Exposé Reveals Trump Associates & ISIS-Linked Vigilantes Are Attempting Coup in Indonesia
As Vice President Mike Pence railed against ISIS-linked terrorism Thursday, we speak with longtime investigative journalist Allan Nairn about his shocking new exposé that reveals backers of Donald Trump in Indonesia have joined army officers and a vigilante street movement linked to ISIS in an attempt to oust Indonesia's president. Writing in The Intercept, Nairn reveals that Indonesians involved in the coup attempt include a corporate lawyer working for the mining company Freeport-McMoRan, which is controlled by Trump adviser Carl Icahn. Video has even emerged showing the lawyer at a ceremony where men are swearing allegiance to ISIS. According to Nairn, two of the other most prominent supporters of the coup are close associates of Donald Trump—Fadli Zon, vice speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, and Hary Tanoe, Trump's primary Indonesian business partner, who is building two Trump resorts, one in Bali and one outside Jakarta. Nairn's article is making waves in Indonesia.
As U.S. Preps Arrest Warrant for Assange, Glenn Greenwald Says Prosecuting WikiLeaks Threatens Press Freedom for All
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald responds to reports that the Trump administration has prepared an arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Attorney General Jeff Sessions confirmed the report at a news conference Thursday. Last week, CIA chief Mike Pompeo blasted WikiLeaks as a "hostile intelligence service," in a stark reversal from his previous praise for the group. Pompeo made the remarks last week at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in his first public address as CIA director. Pompeo went on to accuse WikiLeaks of instructing Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning to steal information. He also likened Julian Assange to a "demon" and suggested Assange is not protected under the First Amendment. It's been nearly five years since Julian Assange entered the Ecuadorean Embassy in London seeking political asylum, fearing a Swedish arrest warrant could lead to his extradition to the United States. Greenwald's story for The Intercept is "Trump's CIA Director Pompeo, Targeting WikiLeaks, Explicitly Threatens Speech and Press Freedoms."
Headlines for April 21, 2017
Arkansas Puts Ledell Lee to Death, Plans 3 More Executions in April, CNN: Trump Administration Seeks to Arrest WikiLeaks's Julian Assange, AG Sessions Amazed Judge "On an Island in the Pacific" Blocked Trump, Detained Asylum Seeker Fears Deportation After SCOTUS Ruling, Jeanette Vizguerra Among Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People, New York: Tom Cat Bakery Workers Hold "Day Without Bread" Protest, Protests Target Trump's Proposed $6.2 Billion Cut to Housing Agency, Venezuela: President Says Opponents Mounting a Coup Amid Mass Protests, U.N.: Government Soldiers May Be to Blame for Mass Graves in Congo, Gunman Opens Fire in Paris, Killing Police Officer and Injuring 2, Fox News Will Pay Bill O'Reilly Up to $25 Million After Firing Him, Ohio: Pipeline Crews Spill 2 Million Gallons of Drill Fluid, Dow Lobbies White House to Reject Scientific Findings on Pesticides, Tens of Thousands to March for Science on Earth Day
"Biggest Humanitarian Catastrophe Since 2003 Invasion": Journalist Anand Gopal on Battle for Mosul
According to the group Airwars, at least 1,782 civilians were killed last month in coalition strikes. The civilian death toll could be as high as nearly 3,500. The battle for the Iraqi city of Mosul is now in its seventh month. The United Nations is warning the city is facing a humanitarian catastrophe, perhaps the worst in the entire conflict. More than 400,000 people are trapped in parts of the city still under control of the Islamic State. Meanwhile in Syria, Human Rights Watch has concluded the U.S. did in fact bomb a mosque last month, killing at least 38 people. The Pentagon claimed the drone strike on March 16 targeted a meeting of al-Qaeda members, but Human Rights Watch has concluded the victims were civilians who had gathered to pray. Human Rights Watch said it found no evidence that al-Qaeda or any other armed group was meeting in the mosque. For more, we speak with Anand Gopal, a journalist and a fellow at The Nation Institute. He recently returned from the Middle East and has reported extensively from the region.
Kleptocracy?: How Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Personally Profit from Their Roles in the White House
Are Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner personally profiting from their official roles in the White House? According to the Associated Press, Ivanka Trump secured three new exclusive trademarks in China the very same day she and her father, President Trump, had dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trump's private Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The China trademarks give her company the exclusive rights to sell Ivanka-branded jewelry, bags and spa services in China. The New York Times reports Japan also approved new trademarks for Ivanka for branded shoes, handbags and clothing in February, and she has trademark applications pending in at least 10 other countries. Ivanka no longer manages her $50 million company, but she continues to own it. Ivanka also serves in the Trump administration as an adviser to the president. So does her husband, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. For more, we speak with Vicky Ward, New York Times best-selling author, investigative journalist and contributor to Esquire and Huffington Post Highline magazine.
First Roger Ailes, Now Bill O'Reilly: Sexual Harassment Scandal Ousts Top Men at Fox News
The longtime Fox News star Bill O'Reilly is out, after more than half a dozen women accused him of sexual harassment. His departure follows the similar ouster of longtime powerful Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, who was also forced out this past summer after more than 20 women accused him of sexual harassment. Over 50 advertisers boycotted "The O'Reilly Factor" over revelations O'Reilly and Fox paid $13 million to settle lawsuits by five women who accuse O'Reilly of sexual harassment and inappropriate sexual behavior. For more, we speak with civil rights attorney Lisa Bloom. She represents three women who have accused Bill O'Reilly of unwanted sexual advances.
Headlines for April 20, 2017
Bill O'Reilly Ousted from Fox News over Sexual Harassment Allegations, The Intercept: Trump Associates Linked to Plot to Oust Indonesian President, Airwars: Airstrikes Reportedly Kill 12-24 Civilians in Mosul, Iraq, Tillerson Claims Iran "Has Potential to Travel the Same Path as North Korea", Despite Trump's Claims, Armada Was Not Headed to Korean Peninsula, Exxon Asks for Treasury Dept. Waiver to Drill in Black Sea with Russian Oil Company, Turkey Arrests Dozens of Opposition Members over Referendum Protests, Arkansas Supreme Court Blocks Execution of Stacey Johnson, CA Judge Gonzalo Curiel Will Hear Deported DREAMer's Lawsuit Against Trump Admin, FL State Senator Facing Calls to Resign After Issuing Racist, Sexist Slurs, Utah Republican Congressmember Jason Chaffetz Not to Run for Re-election, Mexico: LGBT Activist & Freelance Journalist Juan José Roldán Murdered, Dozens of Patriots Skip White House Super Bowl Tribute
White Nationalists, Neo-Nazis & Right-Wing Militia Members Clash with Antifa Protesters in Berkeley
In Berkeley, California, at least 20 people were arrested as fights broke out between white nationalist Trump supporters and antifascist protesters during competing rallies on Saturday. Photos show some of the Trump supporters posing with the Nazi salute. Police say at least one person was stabbed during the clashes. Several more were injured. In one instance, a known white supremacist was videotaped punching a young antifascist woman named Louise Rosealma in the face. The man who is seen punching her is Nathan Damigo, a former marine who founded the white supremacist organization known as "Identity Europa." For more, we speak with award-winning reporter Shane Bauer. His most recent article is titled "I Went Behind the Front Lines with the Far-Right Agitators Who Invaded Berkeley."
Meet Timothy Taylor, Convicted on Drug Evidence Handled by a State Chemist Who Falsified Tests
Among the tens of thousands of people whose lives have been affected by the massive evidence testing scandal in Massachusetts, where chemist Annie Dookhan has admitted to falsely claiming evidence was illegal narcotics before even testing it, was Timothy Taylor. He was arrested in 2009 and went on to serve five years in prison on drug trafficking charges. Annie Dookhan handled the evidence in his case. For more, we speak with Timothy Taylor.
Massachusetts to Throw Out 21,000 Drug Convictions After State Chemist Tampers with Evidence
In what may be the single largest dismissal of wrongful convictions in U.S. history, Massachusetts prosecutors announced Tuesday they would throw out 21,587 criminal drug cases. The cases were all prosecuted based on evidence or testimony supplied by a former state chemist who admitted to faking tests and identifying evidence as illegal narcotics without even testing it. The chemist, Annie Dookhan, pleaded guilty in 2013 to tampering with evidence during her nine years working at a state crime lab in Boston. During that time, thousands of people were convicted based on her false statements. For more, we speak with Matthew Segal, legal director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, and Mallory Hanora of the group Families for Justice as Healing.
Was a Police Report Altered to Convict a Man for Murder? Inside a Woman's Quest to Free Her Brother
In 2013, Steven Odiase was convicted for the shooting death of 15-year-old Juan Perez in the Bronx. At the time, the only evidence against the 31-year-old Odiase were the words of a lone eyewitness, who admitted to being intoxicated at the time of the murder. Odiase was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Then, Odiase's younger sister, Kalimah Truesdale, set out to prove her brother's innocence. She scoured the scene of the crime and eventually found a woman who said that she saw the shooting. Most shockingly, the woman said she had already spoken to a detective at the time of the murder and described the shooter as a man not matching Odiase's description. However, there was no mention of the woman's testimony in the version of the police report that was presented to Steven Odiase's defense attorney. For more on the mystery of this altered police report, we speak with Jonathan Edelstein, one of the lawyers who represented Steven Odiase, and with Jennifer Gonnerman, a staff writer for The New Yorker. Her most recent piece is titled "A Woman's Quest to Prove Her Brother's Innocence Leads to a Discovery."
Headlines for April 19, 2017
Defense Sec. Mattis Hails U.S.-Saudi Relations as War Pushes Yemen to Brink of Famine, U.N.: 25,000 Sickened with Cholera in Somalia Amid Severe Drought, Syria: Residents Say 30 Civilians Killed in Alleged U.S. Airstrike, Reports: Dozens of Iraqi Civilians Killed in U.S. & Iraqi AF Airstrikes, Ivanka Won Exclusive Trademarks in China the Same Day She Dined with Chinese Leader, Reuters: Philippine Police Receive Cash Payments for Extrajudicial Killings, Report: Child Refugees in Greece Forced to Sell Sex to Fund Journey Across Europe, Bill O'Reilly May Be Ousted from Fox Amid Mounting Accusations of Sexual Harassment, Democrat Jon Ossoff Narrowly Misses Winning GA Special Election Outright, MA Throws Out 20,000 Drug Cases over Scandal of Chemist Falsifying Evidence, Trump Administration Deports DREAMer Despite His DACA Protection, Hundreds Protest White Nationalist Richard Spencer at Auburn University, Migrant Justice Activist Hugo Castro Found Alive in Mexico City
Mexican Writer Valeria Luiselli on Child Refugees & Rethinking the Language Around Immigration
As President Trump continues to vow a crackdown against immigration and immigrants living inside the United States, we turn to a new book described by the Texas Observer as "the First Must-Read Book of the Trump Era." The book is titled "Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions" by Mexican-born author Valeria Luiselli. Luiselli is one of the most acclaimed young Mexican writers. She recently spent time as a volunteer interpreter for dozens of Central American child migrants here in the United States who risked their lives crossing Mexico to seek refuge in the U.S. For more, we speak with Valeria Luiselli.
"I Am Her Voice": Meet the 10-Year-Old Boy Helping His Mom Take Refuge from Deportation in a Church
Two months ago, Jeanette Vizguerra skipped a scheduled check-in with ICE officials and instead sought refuge in the First Unitarian Society church, along with her four children, three of whom are U.S.-born. Democracy Now! recently visited Jeanette and her 10-year-old son, Roberto, at the First Unitarian Society church in Denver.
Trump Rejects Calls for Transparency, Vowing to Keep Tax Returns & White House Visitor Logs Secret
The White House is facing new criticism over its lack of transparency, as President Trump is refusing to release his tax returns as well as logs of White House visitors. On Monday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump did not plan to release his tax returns, saying Trump was under an audit. Spicer's comments came just two days after more than 100,000 people took to the streets on Saturday to call on Trump to release his taxes. Crowds gathered in more than a dozen cities from coast to coast, including Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Seattle, and in South Florida, where activists marched to Trump's private Mar-a-Lago resort, where Trump was staying over the weekend. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers are vowing not to work with Trump on reforming or rewriting the tax code unless Trump releases his own taxes. More than a dozen Republican lawmakers are also calling on Trump to release his taxes. For more, we speak with Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York. She was on the steering committee for the NYC Tax March.
Headlines for April 18, 2017
British Prime Minister Calls for Early Elections Amid Brexit Process, France's Left Candidate Surges in Polls Ahead of Presidential Election, Trump Congratulates Erdogan as Monitors Slam Handling of Referendum, Vice President Pence in Japan Amid Rising U.S.-North Korea Tensions, Airwars: Dozens of Iraqi Civilians Reportedly Killed in Airstrikes Last Week, Airwars: Up to 20 Syrian Civilians Reportedly Killed by U.S. Airstrikes Last Week, As Taxes are Due Today, Calls Grow for Trump to Release His Returns, U.S. Supreme Court Halts 2 Arkansas Executions, Egyptian Court Acquits Aya Hijazi After 3 Years of Imprisonment, More Than 1,000 Palestinian Prisoners on Hunger Strike in Israeli Jails, Kashmir: 100 Students Wounded After Police Open Fire on Protest with Rubber Bullets, Mexico: Journalist Maximino Rodríguez Murdered, Democrat Jon Ossoff Front-Runner in Today's Special Election in Georgia , Facebook Under Fire over Video of Man Killing Cleveland Grandfather, Kathrine Switzer, First Woman to Officially Finish Boston Marathon, Runs Race Again
Is Turkey Becoming a Dictatorship?: Erdogan Claims Victory in Vote to Give President Sweeping Powers
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed victory in Sunday's referendum over whether to give sweeping powers to the president, but Turkey's main opposition party is calling for the the referendum results to be tossed out, citing irregularities. According to unofficial results, just 51 percent of voters approved the sweeping change. Turkey's three largest cities—Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir—all voted against the referendum. The opposition says they've received thousands of reports of voter fraud, including some alleged instances caught on camera. Critics say the constitutional changes will allow Erdogan to rule until at least 2029, if not longer, and could turn Turkey into a dictatorship. Earlier today, Turkey announced it would extend its state of emergency put in place after an attempted coup last year.
Legal Chaos in Arkansas as Judges Halt State Plan to Carry Out Unprecedented Spate of Executions
Arkansas's plan to carry out an unprecedented series of executions has been thrown into chaos, after judges ruled to temporarily halt the state's plan. Hundreds of death penalty opponents rallied at the State Capitol in Little Rock on Friday, as state Judge Wendell Griffen issued a temporary stay of the executions over concerns the state used false pretenses to obtain the drug vecuronium bromide, which is one of a cocktail of drugs slated to be used in the executions. The following day, federal Judge Kristine Baker also temporarily blocked the state's execution plans from proceeding over concerns about another one of the execution drugs: the sedative midazolam. Arkansas is appealing the rulings. If Arkansas prevails, it's slated to begin the executions today.
Advocates Urge Trump to De-escalate with North Korea, Not Ratchet Up Threats & Military Aggression
Vice President Mike Pence has made an unannounced visit to the Demilitarized Zone separating South and North Korea, following North Korea's attempted missile launch and a massive military parade celebrating the birthday of the country's founder on Saturday. Pence's visit comes at a time when tension between the United States and North Korea is quickly ratcheting up. A U.S. armada, including an aircraft carrier and multiple warships, has been deployed to the Korean Peninsula. Last week, NBC News reported the Trump administration is prepared to launch a preemptive attack on North Korea if it proceeds toward a nuclear weapons test. Hours before Pence arrived in South Korea, North Korea attempted to test launch a new ballistic missile, but the test failed as the missile blew up almost immediately.
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