Democracy Now!

As Neil Gorsuch begins his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, we look at his extreme right-wing political positions as a student at Columbia in the 1980s and speak with his former classmate, Jordan Kushner. While on campus, Gorsuch co-founded the right-wing campus newspaper the Federalist Paper. The Associated Press reports that in Gorsuch’s writing both for the Federalist Paper and the Columbia Daily Spectator, he criticized anti-apartheid protests, saying divestment could hurt the university’s endowment. He also criticized racial justice protests and black-led movements on campus, while he defended the Reagan administration during the Iran-Contra scandal.

As confirmation hearings begin for Neil Gorsuch, Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, we look at his record on voting rights and speak with Ari Berman, senior contributing writer for The Nation. His recent piece is headlined "In E-mails, Neil Gorsuch Praised a Leading Republican Activist Behind Voter Suppression Efforts."

Confirmation hearings begin today for Neil Gorsuch, President Trump's pick to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. If confirmed by the Senate, Gorsuch would give conservatives a narrow 5-4 majority on the court. When he was first nominated, Gorsuch praised Antonin Scalia. As a judge on the Tenth Circuit, Neil Gorsuch ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby in the case deciding whether the company could refuse to provide birth control coverage to employees as required by Obamacare. Judge Gorsuch also has a long history of ruling against employees in cases involving federal race, sex, age, disability and political discrimination and retaliation claims. For more, we speak with Fordham law professor Zephyr Teachout. She recently ran for a congressional seat in upstate New York. Her recent piece for The Washington Post is headlined "Neil Gorsuch sides with big business, big donors and big bosses."

Confirmation Hearings Begin for Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch, FBI Director Comey Going Before House Intelligence Committee Today, Hawaii Judge Rejects DOJ Request to Narrow Injunction Against Travel Ban, Former NC Police Chief Hassan Aden Says He Was Detained at JFK, Trump to Tap Kellyanne Conway's Husband to Head Civil Division of DOJ, Kellyanne Conway Has Helped Female Friends Get Abortions, Betsy DeVos Hires For-Profit College Official Robert Eitel, North Korea Tests Rocket Engine as Tillerson Wraps Up Asia Visit, 42 Somali Refugees Gunned Down in Helicopter Attack Off Yemen Coast, U.N. Official Resigns After Refusing to Withdraw Report Accusing Israel of Apartheid, France: Thousands Protest Police Brutality, Peru: 70 Die in Country's Worst Flooding in 30 Years, Japan: Activist Hiroji Yamashiro Released on Bail, Philippines: Duterte Faces Impeachment & International Criminal Court Case, Florida: No Charges Against Guards in Death of Schizophrenic Prisoner, Oil to Start Flowing Through Dakota Access Pipeline This Week, Legendary NYC Journalist Jimmy Breslin Dies at Age 88

Is President Donald Trump’s top counterterrorism adviser, Sebastian Gorka, a member of a Hungarian far-right, Nazi-allied group? We speak with reporter Larry Cohler-Esses, who first reported the allegations in The Forward, a leading Jewish American newspaper. The outlet reports members of the Vitézi Rend elite order confirmed Gorka took a lifelong oath of loyalty to the Hungarian far-right group, which is listed by the U.S. State Department as having been “under the direction of the Nazi Government of Germany” during World War II. Questions first emerged about Gorka's ties to the group after the website LobeLog published photographs of Gorka wearing a Vitézi Rend medal on his lapel at a presidential inauguration ball on January 20. Gorka has denied reports of his involvement with the group, but if he is found to have failed to disclose this in his immigration application, it could make him inadmissible to the country under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The revelation comes as Jewish community centers and synagogues around the U.S. reported another wave of bomb threats over the weekend.

Longtime consumer advocate and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader responds to President Donald Trump's 2018 budget proposal to Congress, which calls for an unprecedented $54 billion increase in military spending while slashing environmental, housing, diplomatic and educational programs. "The mask is off. The fangs are now out," Nader says. "He is collaborating with what is, on the record, the most vicious, ignorant Republican Party in its history, since 1854."

President Trump has unveiled his 2018 budget proposal to Congress, which calls for an unprecedented $54 billion increase in military spending while slashing environmental, housing, diplomatic and educational programs, and calling for the outright elimination of 19 agencies. The budget would also cut spending for the State Department and USAID by 28 percent, and slash billions of dollars in funding for the United Nations. The Office of Management and Budget director describes Trump’s proposal as an America First budget, even though numerous programs to help the poor are on the chopping block, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps the poor pay for heat during the winter, the Legal Services Corporation, which funds free legal aid nationwide, and the Community Development Block Grant program, which partially funds Meals on Wheels to feed the elderly, poor, veterans and disabled. When asked about the cuts, OMB head Mick Mulvaney said they were "about as compassionate as you can get."

Tillerson Says Military Action Against North Korea is on the Table, Japanese Protested U.S. Military Base in Okinawa Ahead of Tillerson's Visit, Speaker Paul Ryan Loses Support for Republican Healthcare Plan, Lawmakers, Human Rights Advocates Oppose Trump's 2018 Budget, Trump Stands by Wiretapping Story, as Lawmakers Say Claims are Baseless, Trump Meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Today, Report: Trump's Counterrerrorism Aide is "Sworn Member" of Nazi-Allied Group, Syria: U.S. Confirms Airstrike But Denies Hitting Mosque Where 40 Were Killed, Indigenous Namibian Tribes Suing Germany for Reparations for Genocide, Brazil: Workers Mount General Strike in São Paulo, McDonald's Tweet to Trump: "You are Disgusting Excuse of a President", EPA Official Faces Allegation He Tried to "Kill" Investigation into Monsanto's Roundup, Orlando: Attorney General Will Not Seek Death Penalty in Murder Cases, Fmr. L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca Guilty of Obstructing FBI Probe into Abuse in Jail, Muhammad Ali's Son Stopped at Airport for Second Time in a Month

For the first time, a United Nations agency has directly accused Israel of imposing an "apartheid regime" on the Palestinian people. The report also urges governments to "support boycott, divestment and sanctions [BDS] activities and respond positively to calls for such initiatives." The findings come in a new report published by the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, which is comprised of 18 Arab states. For more, we speak with the co-author of the report, Richard Falk. He's professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University and previously served as the U.N. special rapporteur on Palestinian human rights.

Border agents are increasingly seizing cellphones and demanding passwords of travelers, including U.S. citizens. The number of searches skyrocketed under President Obama, reaching 25,000 last year. But the number is expected to be far higher this year. According to NBC News, more than 5,000 devices were searched in February alone—that's more than the entire number searched in all of 2015. For more, we speak with Esha Bhandari, staff attorney with the ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. Her recent article is headlined "Can Border Agents Search Your Electronic Devices? It's Complicated."

Iowa Republican Congressmember Steve King sparked outrage Sunday after publishing a racist tweet in support of far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who was rejected by the majority of Dutch voters during Wednesday's parliamentary elections. Congressmember King was retweeting a cartoon by the anti-immigrant group Voice of Europe depicting Wilders with a finger plugging a leak in a dike, labeled "Western Civilization," holding back a toxic wave of Islam. The cartoon also depicts Muslim men with a sword and a suicide bomb vest. Rep. King's retweet of the cartoon read, "Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny. We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies." For more, we speak with Democratic Congressmember Luis Gutiérrez of Illinois.

In Chicago, federal police handcuffed Democratic Congressmember Luis Gutiérrez along with activists and lawyers Monday, after they held a sit-in protest at a federal immigration office. Gutiérrez says the group refused to leave the Chicago office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, after the agency's regional director refused to answer his questions about the Trump administration's plans for immigration sweeps and mass deportation. For more, we speak with Democratic Congressmember Luis Gutiérrez of Illinois, co-chair of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

On Wednesday, only hours before the Trump administration's new travel ban was set to go into effect, a federal judge in Hawaii issued a nationwide halt to the executive order, which would have temporarily suspended refugees and people from six majority-Muslim nations from entering the United States. This morning, a federal judge in Maryland also blocked part of the travel ban, dealing a second legal blow to the Trump's executive order. For more, we speak with Lee Gelernt, an ACLU attorney who presented the first challenge to the executive order on immigration. His argument resulted in a nationwide injunction.

Hawaii Judge Blocks Trump's Muslim Travel Ban, Trump Budget Slashes Funding for EPA, Education, Housing & State Dept., Top Republicans Reject Trump's Unsubstantiated Wiretapping Claims, Trump's Visit to Honor Andrew Jackson Draws Criticism, Senate Confirms Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence, Fmr. Goldman Executive Dina Powell Promoted to Deputy National Security Adviser, Tillerson Travels to Asia with Only 1 Reporter from New Conservative Outlet, DOJ Indicts 2 Russian Spies over 2014 Yahoo Hacking, Dutch Voters Reject Xenophobic Right-Wing Politician Geert Wilders, French Presidential Candidate François Fillon Charged with Embezzlement, U.N. Agency Publishes Report Calling Israel an "Apartheid Regime", Cambodia Resisting U.S. Demands to Repay Loans Paid to Former Dictatorship, Syria: 30 Killed in Bomb Attacks; Pentagon Considering Sending 1,000 U.S. Troops, France: 1 Injured in Explosion at International Monetary Fund Headquarters, Texas Senate Passes Anti-LGBT "Bathroom Bill", San Francisco Moves to Divest from Banks Financing Dakota Access Pipeline

The state of Arkansas is planning to execute eight men within a 10-day period in April—that's nearly a quarter of its entire death row population. Earlier this month, Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson signed proclamations setting four execution dates for the eight inmates between April 17 and 27, which would be an unprecedented rate of executions in modern U.S. history. Arkansas has suspended executions since 2005 amid challenges in acquiring lethal injection drugs, and lawsuits over the drugs used. Arkansas says it is rushing the executions because the state's supply of the sedative midazolam will soon expire. For more, we speak with Megan McCracken, an attorney with the Death Penalty Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.

The Trump administration is seeking billions of dollars in cuts in funding to the United Nations, even as the United Nations warns that the world is facing its largest humanitarian crisis since the end of the Second World War, and seeks $4.4 billion in additional funding by July to avert famine in Yemen, Somalia, Nigeria and South Sudan. For more, we speak with Joel Charny, director of the Norwegian Refugee Council USA.

The United Nations has warned that the world is facing its largest humanitarian crisis since the end of the Second World War. Nearly 20 million people are at risk of starvation in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. Last month, the U.N. declared a famine in parts of South Sudan. Earlier this week, aid officials said they're in a race against time to prevent a famine brought on by a U.S.-backed, Saudi-led war and blockade. Almost 19 million people in Yemen, two-thirds of the total population, are in need of assistance, and more than 7 million are facing starvation. For more, we speak with Joel Charny, director of the Norwegian Refugee Council USA.

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.

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.

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

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

*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."

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.