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#PrimariesSoWhite: Why Do Two of the Whitest States Vote First for Presidential Candidates?
Tue, 19 Nov 2019 08:46:43 -0500
As the United States becomes increasingly diverse, the presidential nomination process remains heavily weighted by two states that are among the whitest in the nation: Iowa and New Hampshire. Candidates, in some cases, spend more than a year making frequent, extended campaign swings through both Iowa and New Hampshire, which, critics say, gives the concerns of the first states a disproportionate impact on the agenda for the entire race. During the first-ever Presidential Forum on Environmental Justice earlier this month in South Carolina, Senator Elizabeth Warren refused to criticize the primary schedule, saying, "I'm just a player in the game on this one." Fellow 2020 presidential contender Julián Castro, however, has been a vocal critic of the existing system, noting that the demographics of the country have shifted significantly in the last several decades. "I don't believe that forever we should be married to Iowa and New Hampshire going first," he told MSNBC last week. We speak with Gilberto Hinojosa, chair of the Texas Democratic Party, and Ian Millhiser, senior correspondent at Vox.

Noura Erakat: U.S. Recognition of Israeli Settlements Is "Entrenchment of an Apartheid Regime"
Tue, 19 Nov 2019 08:34:42 -0500
The Trump administration has announced it no longer views Israel settlements in the occupied West Bank to be a violation of international law, in another blow to possible Israel-Palestine peace negotiations. On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a reversal to the U.S. position, putting the U.S. at odds with the international community. A U.N. resolution in 2016 declared the settlements a "flagrant violation" of international law. Israel's embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Pompeo's announcement as a historic day for Israel, but Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned the U.S. decision. Soon after Mike Pompeo announced the new U.S. policy, the U.S. Embassy in Israel issued a travel warning to Americans in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. From Washington, D.C., we speak with Noura Erakat, a Palestinian human rights attorney and legal scholar. She is an assistant professor at Rutgers University and the author of "Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine."

Bolivian U.N. Ambassador: "Racist Elite" Engineered Coup to Restore Neoliberalism in Bolivia
Tue, 19 Nov 2019 08:13:17 -0500
Thousands marched across Bolivia Monday to demand the resignation of Jeanine Áñez, the right-wing senator who declared herself president of Bolivia last week after longtime socialist President Evo Morales resigned under pressure from the military. The coup d'état has thrown Bolivia into crisis, with violence across the country leaving at least 23 dead. On Friday, the military gunned down nine pro-Morales protesters outside Cochabamba, where indigenous people took to the streets again on Monday. Thousands more marched to the presidential palace in La Paz. The wave of protests are condemning the spike in anti-indigenous violence under interim President Áñez and demanding the return of Evo Morales. Áñez has a history of using racist, anti-indigenous language, and last week she issued a decree protecting the military from prosecution for violent acts and said that Morales would face prosecution if he returned to Bolivia. Morales is Bolivia's first indigenous president, and Bolivia has a majority indigenous population. We speak with Sacha Llorenti, Bolivian ambassador to the United Nations since 2012. "We are going through not just a coup d'état, but a violent one," Llorenti says.

Headlines for November 19, 2019
Tue, 19 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0500
U.S. Claims Israeli Settlements Are Not Illegal Under International Law, Four Witnesses Slated to Testify in Public Impeachment Hearings, U.N. Condemns U.S. for World's Highest Rate of Children in Detention, Political Crisis in Bolivia Continues After Military Pressure Ousts Evo Morales, American Professor Freed in Prisoner Swap in Afghanistan, 1,000 Students Arrested in Police Siege of Hong Kong University, Coal Mine Blast in China Kills 15; Pipeline Explosion in Bangladesh Kills 7, Deforestation of Brazilian Amazon Skyrocketed Since Bolsonaro's Election, Syracuse Suspends All Fraternity Activities After String of Racist Incidents, Columbia Students Launch 5-Day Hunger Strike to Demand Fossil Fuel Divestment, Colin Kaepernick Workout "Impressive" After Showdown with NFL, Hundreds of Farmworkers Demand Wendy's Sign onto Fair Food Program

After Texas Court Blocks Execution, Rodney Reed Has a Chance to Prove His Innocence in 1996 Murder
Mon, 18 Nov 2019 08:47:36 -0500
In a stunning decision handed down Friday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals halted the execution of Rodney Reed, an African-American death row prisoner who was scheduled to be executed on Wednesday for a murder he says he did not commit. The appeals court ordered a review of the case to examine claims of prosecutorial misconduct. Millions of people around the country had joined Reed's cause in recent weeks amid mounting evidence that another man may be responsible for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites, a 19-year-old white woman. In 1998, an all-white jury sentenced Reed to die for Stites's murder after his DNA was found inside her body. The two were having an affair at the time of her death. But new and previously ignored details in the case indicate that Stites's then-fiancé, a white police officer named Jimmy Fennell, may in fact be responsible for the killing. Fennell was later jailed on kidnapping and rape charges in another case. Last month, a man who spent time in jail with Fennell signed an affidavit saying Fennell had admitted in prison to killing his fiancée because she was having an affair with a black man. We speak with Rodrick Reed, brother of Rodney Reed; Uwana Akpan, sister-in-law of Rodney Reed; and Bryce Benjet, senior staff attorney at the Innocence Project, who has represented Reed for many years. "As we've investigated this case, evidence continues to mount that shows that Rodney didn't commit the crime, and implicates Fennell," Benjet says.

Massacre in Cochabamba: Anti-Indigenous Violence Escalates as Mass Protests Denounce Coup in Bolivia
Mon, 18 Nov 2019 08:33:40 -0500
In Bolivia, at least 23 people have died amid escalating violence since President Evo Morales, the country's first indigenous president, resigned at the demand of the military last week. Growing unrest quickly turned to violent chaos on Friday outside Cochabamba when military forces opened fire on indigenous pro-Morales demonstrators, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 100. The violence began soon after thousands of protesters — many indigenous coca leaf growers — gathered for a peaceful march in the town of Sacaba and then attempted to cross a military checkpoint into Cochabamba. Amid this escalating violence and reports of widespread anti-indigenous racism, protesters are demanding self-declared interim President Jeanine Áñez step down. Áñez is a right-wing Bolivian legislator who named herself president at a legislative session without quorum last week. She said that exiled socialist President Morales, who fled to Mexico after he was deposed by the military on November 10, would not be allowed to compete in a new round of elections and would face prosecution if he returned to Bolivia, which has a majority indigenous population. U.N. special envoy Jean Arnault on Sunday called for talks between Jeanine Áñez and leaders of Morales's political party Movement Toward Socialism, or MAS, though a date has not been set. From Cochabamba, we speak with Kathryn Ledebur, director of the Andean Information Network and a researcher, activist and analyst with over two decades of experience in Bolivia.

Leaked Cables Show Depth of Iranian Influence in Iraq After U.S. Invasion "Shattered" the Country
Mon, 18 Nov 2019 08:14:09 -0500
An unprecedented leak of secret intelligence reports from inside the Iranian government has shed new light on how Iran has taken control of much of the Iraqi government in the wake of the 2003 U.S. invasion. The documents from Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security were leaked to The Intercept, which then partnered with The New York Times on reporting the story. The leak includes 700 pages of intelligence documents from 2014 to 2015. The documents reveal that a number of Iraqis who once worked with the CIA went on to work with Iranian intelligence. We speak with Murtaza Hussain, a reporter at The Intercept who worked on the project. "The macro story here is that the United States shattered Iraqi society, and then Iran came in to pick up the pieces," he says.

Headlines for November 18, 2019
Mon, 18 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0500
Bolivian Military Massacres 9 People at Indigenous Pro-Morales March, Leak of Secret Iranian Documents Reveals Iranian Influence in Iraq, Former Ambassador Yovanovitch Testifies in Impeachment Hearings, Trump Ally Roger Stone Found Guilty of 7 Charges, Trump Pardons 3 Soldiers Accused or Convicted of War Crimes, Trump's Unplanned Medical Visit Sparks Questions About His Health, Tens of Thousands Mark 1-Month Anniversary of Protests in Lebanon, Police Besiege Student Protesters at Hong Kong University, Fears Mount About Possible Disappearance of Nigerian Journalist Omoyele Sowore, Prince Andrew Grilled on Friendship with Epstein in BBC Interview, Trump Reversed Course and Refused to Sign Memo Banning Flavored E-Cigarettes, Louisiana Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards Wins Re-election, Arizona Sheriff Deputy Tackles, Pins Down Teenage Quadruple Amputee, Four Killed in Mass Shooting at Backyard Party in Fresno, California, Texas Appeals Court Halts Execution of Rodney Reed

Justice for Rodney Reed: Millions Urge Texas to Halt Execution Amid New Evidence of His Innocence
Fri, 15 Nov 2019 08:50:52 -0500
The Supreme Court considers Friday whether to take up the case of Rodney Reed, an African-American death row prisoner in Texas who is scheduled to be executed in less than a week for a murder he says he did not commit. On Thursday, Reed's family braved the cold to camp outside the Supreme Court for a vigil asking the justices to help halt the execution. Millions of people around the country have joined their cause in recent weeks amid mounting evidence that another man may be responsible for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites, a 19-year-old white woman. In 1998, an all-white jury sentenced Reed to die for Stites's murder after his DNA was found inside her body. The two were having an affair at the time of her death. But new and previously ignored details in the case indicate that Stites's then-fiancé, a white police officer named Jimmy Fennell, may in fact be responsible for the killing. Last month, a man who spent time in jail with Fennell signed an affidavit saying Fennell had admitted in prison to killing his fiancée because she was having an affair with a black man. Despite this, Reed's execution is scheduled for November 20. We speak with Maurice Chammah, a staff writer at The Marshall Project.

Sen. Cory Booker on Environmental Justice, Nuclear Power & "Savage Racial Disparities" in the U.S.
Fri, 15 Nov 2019 08:23:34 -0500
The first-ever Presidential Forum on Environmental Justice, co-moderated by Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and former EPA official Mustafa Santiago Ali, was held last Friday at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey was one of six Democratic candidates to share his plans to confront environmental injustices and the climate crisis. Booker spoke about racial disparities in the U.S., the creation of renewable energy jobs and the water contamination crises in cities across the country, including his hometown of Newark. "My community is not alone," Booker said. "Lead service lines should not be in the ground in a 21st century America, period."

"This Is My Home": Meet the Lead Plaintiff in the Supreme Court Case to Save DACA
Fri, 15 Nov 2019 08:11:33 -0500
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments from three lawsuits demanding the Trump administration preserve Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. The Obama-era program has granted protection from deportation and a work permit to at least 700,000 undocumented people who were brought to the United States as children. The court's conservative majority appeared poised to side with President Trump in ending the program, while some of the court's liberal justices seemed skeptical of Trump's efforts. In September 2017, the Trump administration announced it planned to terminate DACA, arguing the program was "illegal" and "unconstitutional," but three lower courts disagreed and have kept the program alive, thanks to lawsuits filed by California, New York and D.C. Immigrant rights activists have been pushing the Supreme Court to save DACA, with dozens of immigrants with DACA recently taking part in a 16-day, 230-mile march from New York to the steps of the Supreme Court. We speak with Martín Batalla Vidal, the lead plaintiff in the New York federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's attempt to terminate DACA, and Trudy Rebert, a staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center, which also filed suit to block the Trump administration's cancellation of DACA.

Headlines for November 15, 2019
Fri, 15 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0500
Two Killed as 16-Year-Old Student Opens Fire at L.A. County High School, El Paso Walmart Reopens, Three Months After Massacre by Racist Gunman, House Speaker Pelosi Accuses Trump of Bribery, an Impeachable Offense, Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine to Testify She Felt Threatened by Trump, Chile to Hold Referendum on Rewriting Pinochet-Era Constitution, Chilean Protesters Mark Anniversary of Police Killing of Indigenous Activist, Mon Laferte Holds Topless Protest Against Chilean State Violence at Latin Grammys, Indigenous Bolivians Protest as Interim President Orders Evo Morales Silenced, Israel Resumes Bombing as Ceasefire with Gaza Militants Breaks Down, Iraqi Soldiers Kill Four Anti-Government Protesters, Bringing Death Toll to 320, Analysis Finds U.S.-Led Wars Since 9/11 Killed 801,000 at a Cost of $6.4 Trillion, Kentucky Republican Incumbent Matt Bevin Concedes Governor's Race, European Investment Bank to Divest from Most Fossil Fuel Projects, Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Sets Sail for Europe, Benie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Unveil Green New Deal for Public Housing

CodePink Founder Medea Benjamin Threatened with Arrest After Protesting U.S. Foreign Interventions
Thu, 14 Nov 2019 08:52:29 -0500
CodePink co-founder and longtime peace activist Medea Benjamin was threatened with arrest in Washington, D.C., Wednesday and accused of assaulting a sitting congressmember after being forcibly removed from a press conference for opposing the U.S.-backed coup and U.S. sanctions in Venezuela. Benjamin vehemently denies the accusations and says she was in fact the one assaulted when she and other activists demonstrated at a press conference hosted by Florida Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Florida Republican Mario Díaz-Balart announcing the launch of a Congressional Venezuela Democracy Caucus. We speak with Medea Benjamin in Washington, D.C.

Chilean Activist: Same Elites Who Caused Social Crisis Can't Be Trusted to Write New Constitution
Thu, 14 Nov 2019 08:38:28 -0500
In Chile, protesters led a massive national strike Tuesday as they condemned the government's plans to rewrite the country's Constitution, which dates back to Augusto Pinochet's military regime. Chile's interior minister announced Sunday the government would draft a new constitution that Congress would then rewrite and put to a public referendum. But protesters say the people should be involved with the rewriting of the constitution from the beginning and that this is an attempt by Sebastián Piñera's government to delay political and social reforms in Chile. The Chilean authorities have killed at least 20 people and wounded thousands more since the protests erupted on October 19 in response to a subway fare hike and quickly grew into a revolt against austerity and economic inequality. Amnesty International has denounced the Chilean government for widespread human rights violations against protesters. From Santiago, we speak with Pablo Abufom, a member of the Solidaridad movement, an anti-capitalist and feminist organization in Chile.

"This Is Unacceptable": Ex-Congresswoman Who Voted to Impeach Nixon Says Trump Is a Rogue President
Thu, 14 Nov 2019 08:23:05 -0500
The public phase of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump began Wednesday, with testimonies from two witnesses: George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, and William Taylor, a former ambassador and the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine. The hearing brought forth new details about a previously unknown phone call in July between President Trump and Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union. Both Kent and Taylor expressed concern over the role President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani had in dictating U.S. policy on Ukraine. We speak with Elizabeth Holtzman, a former U.S. congressmember from New York who served on the House Judiciary Committee that voted to impeach Richard Nixon.

In First Public Impeachment Hearing, Trump Implicated in Effort to Pressure Ukraine to Probe Bidens
Thu, 14 Nov 2019 08:14:38 -0500
The first public hearing of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump was held Wednesday. Trump is just the fourth president in U.S. history to face impeachment. Two witnesses testified before the House Intelligence Committee: George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, and William Taylor, a former ambassador and the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine. They both said President Trump withheld aid to Ukraine in an attempt to pressure the country to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas company. We play highlights from the hearing.

Headlines for November 14, 2019
Thu, 14 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0500
U.S. Diplomats Testify Trump Pressured Ukraine to Dig Up Political Dirt on Bidens, Trump Claims He Was "Too Busy" to Watch Impeachment Inquiry, Trump Hosts President Erdogan at White House Amid Turkish Attacks in Syria, 34 Palestinians Killed in Two Days as Israel Bombs Gaza Strip, Exiled Bolivian President Evo Morales Calls for "National Dialogue", Protests Rage as Bolivia's Self-Proclaimed Interim President Swears In Cabinet, Lebanese Soldiers Shoot and Kill Man as Protests Enter Fifth Week, Zimbabwe: Millions at Risk of Starving Amid Climate Change-Fueled Drought, Hundreds of Elephants Die as Drought Grips Southern Africa, Wildfires Rage in Australia as Former Fire Chiefs Warn of Climate Crisis, Mayor of Venice, Italy, Blames Climate Crisis for "Apocalyptic" Flooding, Chad Wolf Becomes Fifth Person to Head Homeland Security Dept. Under Trump, House Resolution Would Clear Path for Adoption of Equal Rights Amendment, Ex-Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick Formally Enters 2020 Presidential Race, Hillary Clinton Refuses to Rule Out 2020 Presidential Run, Teachers in Little Rock Go on One-Day Strike, Could Colin Kaepernick Return to NFL After Being Blacklisted? Workout Scheduled for Saturday, Police Threaten to Arrest Medea Benjamin After Venezuela Protest

A Coup? A Debate on the Political Crisis in Bolivia That Led to Evo Morales's Resignation
Wed, 13 Nov 2019 08:41:19 -0500
In Bolivia, right-wing Senator Jeanine Áñez declared herself president Tuesday night despite a lack of quorum in Congress, amid a deepening political crisis in the country. Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, left the country Monday after being granted asylum in Mexico. Morales announced his resignation Sunday shortly after the Bolivian military took to the airwaves to call for his departure. His Movement Toward Socialism party is refusing to recognize Áñez as president, calling her claim illegal and decrying Evo Morales's resignation over the weekend as a military coup. Last month, Morales was re-elected for a fourth term in a race his opponents claimed was marred by fraud. He ran for a fourth term after contesting a referendum upholding term limits. On Tuesday, the Organization of American States held an emergency meeting in Washington, where U.S. Ambassador Carlos Trujillo read a statement from President Donald Trump applauding Evo Morales's resignation and warning it should "send a strong signal" to Venezuela and Nicaragua. Mexico, Uruguay, Nicaragua and the president-elect of Argentina have all denounced Morales's departure as a coup. Morales's departure has sparked demonstrations and clashes across Bolivia. We host a debate on the political crisis in Bolivia with Pablo Solón, former ambassador to the United Nations under President Evo Morales until 2011, and Kevin Young, assistant professor of history at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the author of "Blood of the Earth: Resource Nationalism, Revolution, and Empire in Bolivia."

Bill Moyers on Impeachment: All Presidents Lie, But Trump Has Created a Culture of Lying
Wed, 13 Nov 2019 08:28:32 -0500
We continue our conversation with legendary journalist Bill Moyers, who covered impeachment proceedings against Presidents Nixon and Clinton. The first televised impeachment hearings into President Trump begin today. Moyers says the current administration and the media have created a "culture of lying" that goes beyond what other presidents have done. "All presidents lie. It's a defense they use. But not all presidents lie systemically," Moyers says.

Democracy on Trial: Bill Moyers on Impeachment Inquiry & Why PBS Should Air Hearings in Primetime
Wed, 13 Nov 2019 08:13:58 -0500
Televised impeachment hearings begin today in the inquiry into whether President Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine to pressure the Ukrainian president to investigate his political rivals. Two witnesses are testifying today before the House Intelligence Committee: George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, and William Taylor, a former ambassador and the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine. Both officials have privately told congressional investigators that Trump withheld aid to Ukraine in an attempt to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Donald Trump is just the fourth U.S. president to face an impeachment inquiry. Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998. Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 prior to an impeachment vote. We speak with the legendary journalist Bill Moyers, who covered the Nixon and Clinton impeachment hearings. In the 1960s, Moyers was a founding organizer of the Peace Corps and served as press secretary for President Lyndon Johnson. In 1971, he began an award-winning career as a television broadcaster that would last for over four decades. During that time, Moyers received over 30 Emmys and countless other prizes. He was elected to the Television Hall of Fame in 1995. Last week Bill Moyers took out a full-page ad in The New York Times urging PBS to broadcast the impeachment hearings live and to rerun them in primetime.

Headlines for November 13, 2019
Wed, 13 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0500
Televised Impeachment Hearings Begin Today, Right-Wing Senator Declares Herself President of Bolivia, Turkish President Erdogan Visiting Trump at White House, Supreme Court Heard Oral Arguments over DACA Program, Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Case of Mexican Teen Killed by U.S. Border Agent, Supreme Court Clears Way for Sandy Hook Families to Sue Gun Manufacturer, Federal Court Rules Warrantless Searches of Phones at Airport Are Unconstitutional, HHS Probes Google's Program to Collect Healthcare Data of Americans, U.S. Government Detained Record Number of Migrant Children in 2019, SPLC: Stephen Miller Sought to Promote White Nationalism Ahead of 2016 Election, Afghanistan: 7 Killed in Car Bombing in Kabul, Major Protests & Disruptions Continue in Hong Kong, Chile: Protesters Demand More Participation in Rewriting New Constitution, Former McDonald's Worker Sues over Sexual Harassment, Salma Sikandar Wins Asylum, After Husband's Hunger Strike, Historian Noel Ignatiev, Who Aimed to Abolish Whiteness, Dies at 78

"Seattle Is Not For Sale": Voters Rebuke Amazon, Re-electing Socialist Kshama Sawant
Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:51:51 -0500
In Seattle, Socialist City Councilmember Kshama Sawant has been re-elected in a race that pitted her against Amazon — Seattle's largest private employer and one of the most powerful companies in the world. Overall, Amazon poured $1.5 million into Seattle's City Council election and backed Sawant's opponent, Egan Orion, with nearly half a million dollars. Kshama Sawant is Seattle's first Socialist politician elected in nearly a century. She has successfully pushed a number of progressive policies, including making Seattle the first major American city to adopt a $15-an-hour minimum wage. Kshama Sawant joins us from Seattle. The re-election victory "has been a major repudiation, not only of Amazon and of Jeff Bezos himself, as the richest man in the world, but also it has been a referendum on the vision for Seattle," Sawant says. "The voters in Seattle have spoken, that Seattle is not up for sale."

Vowing to End Cash Bail & Reform Justice System, Chesa Boudin Wins San Francisco DA Race
Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:36:14 -0500
In a stunning victory, public defender Chesa Boudin has been declared the winner of a hotly contested district attorney's race in San Francisco. Boudin ran on a platform to end cash bail and dismantle the war on drugs, and was endorsed by Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders. His win sends a pointed message to the Democratic establishment, which had mobilized in full force against his campaign. San Francisco Mayor London Breed, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris all endorsed Boudin's opponent, Suzy Loftus. Boudin is the child of Weather Underground activists Kathy Boudin and David Gilbert, who were both incarcerated when he was still a toddler. He learned the news that he'd won the race by a razor-thin margin while he was on a plane flying back from visiting his father, who remains in prison in upstate New York. After four days of ballot counting, Boudin was declared the winner. From San Francisco, we speak with Chesa Boudin.

The Edge of Democracy: Lula Is Freed in Brazil in Victory for Movement to Resist Bolsonaro
Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:13:09 -0500
In Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was freed from prison Friday after 580 days behind bars. Lula's surprise release came after the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled to end the mandatory imprisonment of people convicted of crimes who are appealing their cases. He was serving a 12-year sentence over a disputed corruption and money laundering conviction handed down by conservative Judge Sérgio Moro, an ally of current far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and has long maintained his innocence. Lula has vowed to challenge Bolsonaro in the 2022 elections. At the time of his imprisonment in April 2018, Lula was leading the presidential polls. A new documentary, "The Edge of Democracy," chronicles the imprisonment of Lula and impeachment of former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. It also looks at the aftermath of the rise of President Jair Bolsonaro — a former military captain who glorifies Brazil's past military regime, denies the climate crisis and celebrates misogyny, homophobia and racism. We speak with Petra Costa, a Brazilian filmmaker and the director of "The Edge of Democracy."

Headlines for November 12, 2019
Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0500
Longtime Bolivian President Evo Morales Takes Asylum in Mexico, Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on DACA Cases, Televised Impeachment Hearings to Start Tomorrow, Former MA Gov. Deval Patrick May Jump Into 2020 Race, NY Republican Congressman Peter King Retires, Donald Trump Jr. Heckled Off Stage by His Own Supporters, EPA to Restrict Scientific Research Used to Write Public Health Regulations, Israeli Military Kills Palestinian Commander in Targeted Assassination in Gaza, Afghan Government & Taliban Agree on Prisoner Exchange, Chilean Government Bows to Protests & Agrees to Rewrite Constitution, 260 Arrested in Mass Protests in Hong Kong, No More Deaths Activist Heads to Retrial in Arizona, Jimmy Carter Undergoes Operation to Reduce Swelling in His Brain, Father of Atatiana Jefferson Dies of Heart Attack After Daughter Killed by Police

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Environmental Justice, Shutting Down Pipelines, Capitalism & Billionaires
Mon, 11 Nov 2019 08:22:45 -0500
Six 2020 presidential candidates — Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, and Tom Steyer, Marianne Williamson, John Delaney and Joe Sestak — participated in the first-ever Presidential Forum on Environmental Justice in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on November 8. Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and former EPA official Mustafa Santiago Ali co-moderated the event, which took place at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. We air highlights of Warren speaking about the climate crisis, public health, shutting down pipelines, capitalism, the order of primary states and more.

"This Is a Military Coup": Bolivian President Evo Morales Resigns After Army Calls for His Ouster
Mon, 11 Nov 2019 08:10:09 -0500
Bolivia is in a state of political crisis after longtime President Evo Morales resigned Sunday following what he described as a military coup. Weeks of protests have taken place since a disputed election last month. Morales announced his resignation in a televised address Sunday, shortly after the Bolivian military took to the airwaves to call for his resignation. Bolivia's vice president also resigned Sunday, as did the head of the Bolivian Senate and the lower house. Opposition leader Jeanine Áñez, who is the second vice president of the Bolivian Senate, is claiming she will assume the presidency today. Evo Morales was the longest-serving president in Latin America, as well as Bolivia's first indigenous leader. He was credited with lifting nearly a fifth of Bolivia's population out of poverty since he took office in 2006, but he faced mounting criticism from some of his former supporters for running for a third and then a fourth term. For more on the unfolding crisis in Bolivia, we speak with Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. His latest piece for The Nation is headlined "The Trump Administration Is Undercutting Democracy in Bolivia." "This is a military coup — there's no doubt about it now," Weisbrot says.

Headlines for November 11, 2019
Mon, 11 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0500
Longtime Bolivian President Evo Morales Resigns, Brazilian Former President Lula Freed from Prison, Haley Said Kelly and Tillerson Told Her to Work Against Trump, Syria: 8 Killed in Bombing in Tel Abyad, Iraq: Death Toll in Anti-Government Protests Rise to 319, Hong Kong: Police Shoot Student Protester at Close Range , Cyclone Kills 20 in Bangladesh & India; Wildfires Rage in Australia , Germans Mark 30th Anniversary of Fall of Berlin Wall , Hundreds Protest Construction of Trump's Border Wall in Sonoran Desert , Kshama Sawant Declares Victory in Seattle City Council Race , Chesa Boudin Wins San Francisco District Attorney's Race

Remembering the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre When Police Shot Dead Three Unarmed Black Students
Fri, 08 Nov 2019 08:42:03 -0500
The 1968 Orangeburg massacre is one of the most violent and least remembered events of the civil rights movement. A crowd of students gathered on the campus of South Carolina State University to protest segregation at Orangeburg's only bowling alley. After days of escalating tensions, students started a bonfire and held a vigil on the campus to protest. Dozens of police arrived on the scene, and state troopers fired live ammunition into the crowd. When the shooting stopped, three students were dead and 28 wounded. Although the tragedy predated the Kent State shootings and Jackson State killings and it was the first of its kind on any American college campus, it received little national media coverage. The nine officers who opened fire that day were all acquitted. The only person convicted of wrongdoing was Cleveland Sellers, a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, known as SNCC. He was convicted of a riot charge and spent seven months behind bars. He was pardoned in 1993. From Orangeburg, South Carolina, we speak with civil rights photographer Cecil Williams, who photographed the scene in the aftermath of the Orangeburg massacre. He is also the founder of the Cecil Williams Civil Rights Museum here in Orangeburg.

"We Can't Afford to Wait for the DNC": Why Black Lawmakers Organized an Environmental Justice Forum
Fri, 08 Nov 2019 08:24:12 -0500
The first-ever Presidential Forum on Environmental Justice takes place tonight in Orangeburg, South Carolina, where six presidential candidates will take to the stage at South Carolina State University. African-American communities and people of color on the frontlines in South Carolina have been fighting for justice in the face of extreme environmental racism for years. We host a roundtable with local leaders and environmental justice advocates to talk about the significance of the event, the issues their communities face and the 2020 candidates' platforms on environmental justice. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, president of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, Melanie Campbell, president of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Mustafa Ali, former head of the EPA's Environmental Justice Program, join us in Orangeburg.

Warren, Booker & Steyer to Take Part in First-Ever Presidential Forum on Environmental Justice
Fri, 08 Nov 2019 08:13:21 -0500
We broadcast live from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, where tonight the first-ever Presidential Forum on Environmental Justice will be held. Six presidential candidates — Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, Tom Steyer, Marianne Williamson, John Delaney and Joe Sestak — are participating. The forum is hosted by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and leaders from frontline communities. South Carolina is a crucial state for the 2020 presidential race and one of the first that will have a Democratic primary, following New Hampshire and caucuses in Iowa and Nevada. The region has been repeatedly pummeled by climate-fueled hurricanes, including Hurricane Florence, which swept through the South in 2018, causing epic floods. Black residents and communities of color have faced disproportionate air and water pollution and exposure to environmental hazards, but South Carolina is also home to some of the most successful responses to environmental racism. Ahead of Friday's presidential forum, we speak with Mustafa Ali, the forum's co-moderator and the former head of the environmental justice program at the Environmental Protection Agency. "It's important that we have these conversations about climate change, but those are the symptoms of a disease," Ali says. "The disease has been the racism, the structural inequality, that continues to happen inside of communities of color."

Headlines for November 8, 2019
Fri, 08 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0500
George Kent: Giuliani Carried Out Smear Campaign Against U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, U.S. and China Aim to Roll Back Some Tariffs, "A Warning": Anonymous Senior Official Slams Trump in New Book, Michael Bloomberg Preparing to Jump Into 2020 Race, Sanders Immigration Plan: Abolish ICE & Create Path to Citizenship, Undocumented Students to Stage Walkout to Support DACA, Report: DHS to Have Biometric Data on 260 Million People, Iraq: Security Forces Continue Bloody Crackdown on Anti-Government Protesters, Tensions Rise in Bolivia over Disputed Presidential Election, Brazil Sides with U.S. at U.N. Vote Condemning U.S. Embargo on Cuba, Brazilian Supreme Court Ruling Could Free Former President Lula, Hong Kong Student Dies After Clash with Police Days Earlier, Judge to Rule on Marco Saavedra's Asylum Case Next Year

"The Pollinators": New Film Shows How Decline of Bee Colonies Could Mean Collapse of Food Chain
Thu, 07 Nov 2019 08:48:54 -0500
A documentary film "The Pollinators" tells the story of the world's yellow-black jacketed honey bees, whose existence may determine the future of human survival. The insects pollinate nearly all the fruits, vegetables and nuts we consume, and some experts estimate one out of every three bites of food we eat depends on the work of honey bees. However, the future of the insects is now in peril with widespread reports of bee colony collapses. In the last decade and a half, beekeepers have reported staggering declines in their bee populations due to pesticides, parasites and loss of habitat. Scientists warn climate change is also threatening the insects' survival, noting bees could die off at faster rates as the Earth warms. For more about the crisis of bee population decline, we're joined by Peter Nelson, director of "The Pollinators," cinematographer and beekeeper.

Ex-Twitter Workers Charged with Spying for Saudis as Part of Kingdom's Growing Crackdown on Dissent
Thu, 07 Nov 2019 08:33:47 -0500
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged two former Twitter employees with helping Saudi Arabia spy on thousands of the kingdom's critics. Ali Alzabarah and Ahmad Abouammo are accused of giving the Saudi government detailed information about users, including telephone numbers and email addresses linked to the accounts, as well as internet protocol addresses that could be used to identify a user's location. The charges are being filed just over a year after the brutal murder of Saudi journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Turkey. A new report by Human Rights Watch finds that one year after Khashoggi's brutal murder Saudi Arabia continues to arbitrarily detain countless activists, regime critics and clerics. The report says there is a "darker reality" behind Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's widely touted initiatives for Saudi women and youth, including mass arrests of women activists, some of whom have allegedly been sexually assaulted and tortured with electric shocks. We speak with Adam Coogle, Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Algerian Protesters Are Still in the Streets, Months After Pushing Out Longtime President Bouteflika
Thu, 07 Nov 2019 08:14:05 -0500
In Algeria, protests against corruption, the jailing of opposition leaders and the army's powerful role in national politics have entered their ninth month. Tens of thousands filled the streets of the capital Algiers last Friday to mark the 65th anniversary of the war of independence from France and to demand a "new revolution" rather than an upcoming election they say will be rigged. Over 100 student protesters were arrested last night as the Algerian government intensified its crackdown on demonstrators ahead of the upcoming polls. Interim President Abdelkader Bensalah announced the country will hold a presidential election on December 12. This comes after longtime President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned in April following weeks of protests. We speak with Mehdi Kaci, an Algerian-American activist who organized a protest last weekend in San Francisco in support of Algerians, and Daikha Dridi, a journalist based in Algiers. "There is a political uprising, but there is also a huge sense of pride, of self-love, that the Algerian people are experiencing," Dridi says. "The Algerians are wanting a much, much deeper change, and they're not going back home."

Headlines for November 7, 2019
Thu, 07 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0500
Televised Impeachment Hearings Begin Next Week, Sessions to Run for Old Senate Seat; Pressley Endorses Warren, Trump Expands Military Mission in Syria Aimed at Controlling Oil Fields, Esper to Urge Trump Not to Intervene in Cases of Soldiers Accused of Murder, Judge Voids Trump Rule Allowing Medical Workers to Deny Care on Religious Grounds, ProPublica: Pence's Office Meddled in Foreign Aid Money to Favor Christians, DOJ Charges Ex-Twitter Employees; California Investigates Facebook, New Zealand Approves Landmark Climate Legislation Aimed at Zero Carbon Emissions, U.S.-Manufactured Ammunition Used in Massacre of Mormon Family in Mexico, Immigration Activist Marco Saavedra Heads to Final Asylum Hearing, New York's WBAI Back on Air with Local Programming

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