Administration is doing to america. By pulitzernew book prizewinning journalist David Cay Johnson looking at President Trumps first year in office. As trumps own chief ofl john kes boss uninformed, we will look at how trump is transforming the nation by slashing taxes on the rich, gutting the nations regulatory system, and closing the nations borders. And we will hear what President Trump has to say about our guest David Cay Johnston. Pres. Trump he is a weird dude. He has been following me for 25 years. Obviously, he has not done so well. Always a hit. I guess he hasnt done a very good job. Amy today, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist David Cay Johnston for the hour. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Congress is lurching toward a Government Shutdown as republicans failed to Reach Agreement on a bill that would keep federal agencies funded past friday. Much of the debate centered around the fate of the more than 700,000 socalled dreamers, immigrants who were brought to the u. S. As children. Theyemocrats have said wont vote for spending bill unless it includes protections for the dreamers, while Republican Leaders have instead focused on a shortterm bill that would keep the government open for a month. This is White House Press secretary Sarah Huckabee sanders. The president certainly does not want a shutdown. If one happens, i think you only have one place to look, and that is to the democrats who are holding our military and our National Security hostage by trying to push through other policies that have nothing to do with the budget. We would like to get a budget deal done, a twoyear budget deal done, a clean budget deal, then focus on negotiations. Following that deal with finding a permanent solution to daca and responsible immigration reform. Amy sanders remarks came as white house chief of staff general john kelly went to congress and met with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, reportedly telling them that trumps harsh antiimmigrant positions during the campaign were uninformed. The Washington Post reports kelly acknowledged to lawmakers the u. S. Would never be able to construct a wall along the entire u. S. Mexico border. This is illinois democratic Congressmember Luis Gutierrez speaking after wednesdays meeting with kelly. I would like to have had a proposal that we could consider to move forward and to break the logjam. That is not what happened today. We reiterated time and again, how deeply we feel about the future of our dreamers and how that is a nonnegotiating point for us. They are either in the proposal, or there isnt a proposal. Amy kelly also reportedly said the president is committed to a , butnent solution to daca the president has struck a different tone. Trump wrote the Migrant Support Group no more deaths says u. S. Border patrol agents routinely vandalized or confiscate humanitarian aid left by activists near the u. S. Border with mexico cant condemning order crossers to die of exposure or dehydration in the harsh sonora desert. In a report released wednesday, the group found between 2012 and 2016, Border Patrol agents emptied nearly four thousand 4000 gallons of water left for migrants in the desert, while confiscating food, emergency medical blankets and other aid. No more deaths also says Border Patrol agents frequently target the groups volunteer activists. In detroit, michigan officials with ice have deported longtime resident and immigrant rights activist jorge garcia. Video filmed by the immigrant rights Group Michigan united shows Jorge Garcias sobbing as he hugs his wife cindy and two children during an emotional goodbye on monday, as garcia prepared to board a flight to mexico. Supporters of the garcia family silently look on, Holding Signs reading, stop separating families. Jorge garcia was brought to the u. S. As a 10yearold child in 1981, making him too old to qualify for a deferment under daca. Federal immigration officials agreed wednesday to move immigrant rights activist ravi ragbir to a new york immigration jail from a Florida Detention Center where hes been held since he was detained last week following his checkin with ice. Ravi ragbirs detention sparked s detentionir sparked a peaceful protest on people beingt some arrested by police, including members of the new york city council. Community members continue to call for ravi ragbirs release. To see our interview about his gottlieb bycase with his wife y yesterday, you can go to democracynow. Org. In youngstown, ohio, palestinianamerican immigrants rights activist is on Hunger Strike after he was detained by ice and 20 would be deported. He was arrested at his checkin even though the agency granted him a last minute stay 10 days prior when Congress Member tim ryan intervened on his behalf. His case rounders the reloaded he of his first marriage to an american citizen in 1979. Since palestinians remain stateless, he faces possible deportation of jordan. He is a longtime activist who successfully fought deportations for some two decades. Jeff flakehill, warned yesterday President Trumps attacks on the media are threatening american democracy. Speaking from the senate floor wednesday, flight blasted trumps declaration and 2017 that the u. S. Media are the enemy of the people. A mr. President , it is testament to the condition of our democracy that our own president uses words spoken by Joseph Stalin to describe his enemies. It bears noting that so fraught with malice was the phrase enemy of the people, that even the khrushchev for bait its use telling the party the phrase of an introduced by stalin for the purpose of annihilating such individuals who disagreed with supreme leader. This alone should be the source of great shame for us in this body. Especially for those of us in the president s party, for they are shameful, repulsive statements. Amy on capitol hill, democrats are preparing a bill that would formally censure donald trump over racist comments in which the president reportedly called african nations, el salvador, and haiti shole countries. But said the four letter word. The effort is being led by new york Congressmember Jerrold Nadler and commerce member cedric richmond, chair of the congressional black caucus. It comes as several democratic lawmakers have announced they will skip the state of the Union Address january 30 over trumps racist remarks. Among them are Congressmember Earl Blumenauer of oregon; Frederica Wilson of florida, Pramila Jayapal of washington; Maxine Waters of california; and john lewis of georgia. In the israelioccupied west bank, Israeli Forces shot and killed a Young Palestinian man overnight in the town of jenin after a firefight that left other palestinian and two israeli soldiers. The man was identified as ahmed jarrar, a hamas fighter and son of a palestinian man killed by israel in 2002. His family said today he escaped in the two other palestinians were killed and the attack. Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian Refugees made an urgent appeal for funds wednesday, after the Trump Administration canceled 65 Million Dollars in annual contributions to the agency, known as unrwa. In gaza, residents say they could soon starve unless International Donors step up to fill the funding gap left by President Trump. We will be lost. It will be a catastrophe. People will be stealing from each other. We will suffer to provide food. People will kill each other. What should i do . Should i sell one of my kids or sell my kidney . What should i do . Should i go in steel or work at the desk work as a spy . Amy in cairo, the arab league met wednesday for a twoday conference, where leaders condemned the Trump Administration for cutting funding to unrwa, and for recognizing jerusalem as israels capital. Meanwhile, an Israeli Military judge has ordered a 16yearold palestinian girl to remain jailed while she awaits trial on 12 charges, including assaulting a soldier and incitement to violence. Ahed tamimi was arrested in december after viral video showed her slapping a soldier near her home in the occupied west bank. The incident came just after ahed tamimi learned her 15yearold cousin, mohammed tamimi, had been shot in the head by an israeli soldier with a rubbercoated steel bullet at close range. The shooting shattered the boys skull and jawbone, forcing doctors to put him into a medically induced coma and leaving him permanently disfigured after extensive surgeries. On wednesday, defense lawyer gaby lasky said israels military had determined that ahed tamimi was too dangerous to be released. The court did not accept any of the arguments brought by the defense regarding the fact there are two different sets of laws in the occupied territories depending on if you are israeli or a palestinian, and the fact that the convention of the rights of a judge should be applied in the occupied territories as well. Amy in russia, the office of the Human Rights Group in the north region of ingushetia was burned in an arson attack on wednesday. Surveillance video shows masked men climbing a ladder and setting fire to thoffices of the group memorial, which has angered russian officials by reporting on torture, disappearances, and punitive house burnings in neighboring chechnya. The arson came as a court in chechnya ordered the head of memorial to be jailed for two months while he faces drug charges that could see him imprisoned for up to 10 years. Oyub titiev says police planted marijuana in his car in order to manufacture his arrest. Titievs predecessor Natalia Estemirova was kidnapped and murdered in 2009, a crime for which no one has been arrested. In ethiopia, authorities released a senior opposition , fulfilling part of its pledge to release Political Prisoners. Dr. Merera gudina was jailed in 2015 after speaking to the European Parliament in brussels about human rights abuses against the oromo people. This is gudina addressing a large crowd of supporters outside the prison addis ababa where hed just been released. As far as we can and as far as we know, lets continue our People Struggle to all of the peaceful and legal means available. We demand the government freed remaining Political Prisoners to they can also be free like us. Amy since 2015, the oromo have staged massive nationwide protests against the ethiopian government. The protests were initially sparked by the governments plan to lease a forest to private developers. Ethiopian forces have responded with a brutal crackdown against the oromo protesters, killing hundreds of people. In nigeria, a suicide bomb attack struck a crowded market in the northeastern city on wednesday, killing at least 12 people and leaving dozens of others injured. Authorities said as many as four female suicide bombers were involved in the attack. Similar attacks have been blamed on boko her wrong, which is known for kidnapping women and girls and forcing some of them to carry out attacks. North and south korea wednesday said athletes from the two countries will march together under a single unified flag at the opening of next months Winter Olympics in pyeongchang, south korea. The two countries also womens ice hockey players would compete together on a single korean team. The thaw in relations came as President Donald Trump blamed russia for helping north korea skirt international sanctions, telling reuters in a wideranging interview that he was ordering more defensive and offensive missiles to be deployed to the region. In south asia authorities in , burma and bangladesh say theyve agreed to a plan that would see some 650,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees repatriated to burma over the next two years. Since last august, vigilantes backed by burmese soldiers have staged attacks on rohingya, unleashing rape and murder while burning hundreds of villages to the ground in what the u. N. High commissioner for human rights has called a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. At a sprawling refugee camp in coxs bazar, bangladesh on wednesday, many residents said they will only return to burma if they receive justice for crimes committed against their community. They must give us compensation for the muslims they killed, for looting and destroying our fields and cattle. Houses. T return our if they show justice to us, then we can go back. We, muslims, are ready to go back to the country but they must give us our rohingya rights. Amy former photographer with the department of energy is seeking whistleblower protection, saying he was fired for documenting collusion between the Trump Administration and a coal company executive. Simon edelman says he was fired after he leaked photographs of a meeting between Energy Secretary march 29 rick perry and coal magnate robert murray, showing the two embracing at a meeting at the department of Energy Headquarters in washington, d. C. Murray has said he played no role in drafting a department of energy rule subsidizing coal and Nuclear Power plants. But a photo clearly shows a letter drafted by murray and addressed to Energy Secretary rick perry touting an action plan. Medical experts said wednesday results from Donald Trumps recent physical exam show the president has high levels of cholesterol in as at serious risk of heart attack. The assessment came a day after white house doctor Ronny Jackson declared trump to be in excellent mental and physical health. Asked by the New York Times whether President Trump is in perfect health, Stanford University cardiologist dr. David maron replied, god, no. And woody allens adopted daughter, dylan farrow, is speaking out, saying shes hurt and angry that her claims of childhood Sexual Assault by allen have been disbelieved for years. Farrow says allen molested her in 1992 when she was just 7 years old. This is dylan farrow speaking with host gayle king of cbs this morning. Someone said this to me, she was to bring woody allen down, she is caught up in the metoo movement. She is tried to bring him down. Why shouldnt i want to bring him down . Why shouldnt i be angry . What shouldnt i be hurt . Why shouldnt i feel some sort outrage that after all of these years being ignored and disbelieved and tossed aside . Amy dylan farrows appearance on cbs came a week after actor mira sorvino publicly apologized to dylan farrow in an open letter, saying that she will never work with woody allen again and regrets her past roles. She joins a growing list of actors and actresses who have appeared in woody allens films who are now publicly supporting farrow, including greta gerwig, rebecca hall, and timothee chalamet. In a statement, woody allen denied the allegations, writing even though the farrow family is cynically using the opportunity afforded by the times up movement to repeat this discredited allegation, that doesnt make it any more true today than it was in the past. I never molested my daughter. Dylan farrow is the sister of ronan farrow, who was the journalist who helped to bring down harvey weinstein. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Nermeen and im nermeen shaikh. Welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. Uninformed. That was the word white house chief of staff john kelly used to describe his boss President Trump on thursday. According to the Washington Post, kelly told members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that some of trumps hardline immigration policies, including his call to build a wall along the entire southern border, were uninformed. Kelly said certain things are said during the campaign that are uninformed. During the same meeting, kelly reportedly said the president is committed to a permanent solution to daca the deferred action for childhood arrivals. But the president has struck a different tone. On twitter this morning, trump wrote the wall is the wall, it has never changed or evolved from the first day i conceived of it. In an interview with reuters, trump also criticized a proposed biparti