Next . We will speak with independent journalist Marcy Wheeler and the two former labor secretary robert wright. Robert reich. Is there something that still unites us as a people . Do have obligations to one another or are we just a bunch of selfseeking individuals that happen to be here in a place called the United States . Amy we will speak with robert reich about his new book the common good. All of that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In syria, up to 100 people died in a barrage of Syrian Government airstrikes and artillery shelling against the rebelheld enclave of Eastern Ghouta outside the capital damascus monday. The syrian observatory for human rights is calling monday the deadliest day in three years for the area. Among the victims were dozens of civilians, including children, whose bodies filled a makeshift morgue on tuesday. At least four hospitals were reportedly bombed on monday. There are reports the Syrian Government is planning an impending Ground Invasion of Eastern Ghouta, which is home to 400,000 people and is the last rebelheld area near the capital. One doctor in Eastern Ghouta said we are standing before the massacre of the 21st century. Its not a war. Its called a massacre. In florida, 100 students from Marjory StonemanDouglas High School are beginning a twoday, 400mile bus trip to the capital tallahassee today to demand action from lawmakers on gun control, after 17 people were killed in a shooting massacre at their high school last week. This is a student speaking outside the high school. It is not our job to tell you, senator rubio, how to protect us. The fact we even have to do this is appalling. Our job is to go to school, learn, and not take a bullet. You need to figure this out. That is why you were unfortunately elected. Your job is to protect us and our blood is on your hands. Amy in washington, d. C. , dozens of students lay down in front of the white house for three minutes on monday in a protest symbolizing how it only took the white former student, 19yearold nikolas cruz, three minutes to kill 17 people with his ar15. The demonstration originally called for 17 students to lie down to symbolize those killed. But once the liein started, many more students and adults joined them. On monday, under enormous pressure from the youthled activism, President Trump said hes open to tightening background checks for gun purchases. Cnn is reporting special Counsel Robert Mueller has expanded his investigation into trumps soninlaw and Senior AdviserJared Kushner. Mueller is now reportedly investigating kushners attempts to secure Foreign Investors and financing for Kushner Companies during the president ial transition period, when kushner served as the primary point of contact between president elect trump and foreign governments. Mueller is reportedly specifically looking at kushners meetings with chinese, russian, and qatari investors during the transition period. Donald trump jr. , the eldest son of President Trump, has arrived in india for a whirlwind tour aimed at selling more than 1 billion worth of luxury apartments being built by the Trump Organization in partnership with indian developers. Trump jr. Is also slated to speak at a Global Business summit, where he and indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi are billed as keynote speakers. Critics say the trip represents the array of the trump familys conflicts of interest. The Trump Organization has at least four real estate projects underway in india. Former state Department Official daniel markey, who served under president george w. Bush, said the idea that the president s son would be going and shilling the president s brand at same time donald trump is president and is managing strategic and Foreign Relations with india that is just bizarre. In israel, Seven Members of Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahus circle have been arrested amid a widening series of corruption scandals that tried to bring down netanyahu. Among those arrested were netanyahus close friend and former communications director, as well as the former director general of the communications ministry. Netanyahus inner circle has been accused of intervening with federal regulators to benefit Communications Giant bezeq group in order to secure more favorable Media Coverage for netanyahu and his family. This comes after the Israeli Police recommended charging netanyahu with bribery and fraud over two separate corruption investigations. The British Charity oxfam has been hit with dozens more misconduct allegations in the days since the times of london revealed oxfam tried to cover up sex crimes by senior aid workers in haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake. On monday, oxfam released its own internal report into the sex scandal in which oxfam senior aid workers, including the country director for prostitutes at oxfam properties then tried to cover it up. Prostitution is illegal in haiti, but oxfam refused to report the activity of its aid workers to haitian police. Oxfams internal report also includes claims that three oxfam Staff Members physically threatened a witness during the charitys internal investigation. Haiti has threatened to expel oxfam from the country. This is haitis external cooperation minister, aviol fleurant. I am investigation into launch the function and role nongovernmental organizations regarding sexual crimes and abuse. The state will be keeping a vigilant eye on the actions of humanitarian workers. As required by the president of the republic, there will be new rules of cooperation and government concerning developmental aid. Am canceled their donations to oxfam since the scandal broke. In iraq, isis has claimed responsibility for an attack against a Shiite Militia that left more than two dozen fighters dead on sunday night. Last month, isis militants also carried out a double suicide bombing in the capital baghdad, which killed at least 27 people. All this comes after, in december, the Iraqi Government declared victory in the threeyear fight against isis. In afghanistan, three tribal elders were killed after a bomb blast in a hotel room in jalalabad, the provincial capital of nangarhar province. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. This comes as, in western farah province, at least eight Afghan Police officers have been killed in taliban attacks on Police Checkpoints overnight. Meanwhile, afghan artists have taken to the streets of the capital kabul to paint over concrete blast walls aimed at minimizing damage from bombings with murals promoting social justice and peace. This is omaid sharifi, cofounder of the Artists Group called artlords. We are bringing down the blast walls. We painting. Were using it as a tool for social change. We are painting against injustices happening in society, for womens rights, to basically encourage people to come join us and amy in pennsylvania, the state Supreme Court has redrawn the congressional map after the court found the previous map unconstitutionally benefited republicans. The new map is expected to benefit democrats during the 2018 midterm elections. In new york city, four nypd officers are appearing in court today on a federal civilrights trial in which the officers are accused of carrying out false arrests simply to increase their overtime pay. The practice is known as collars for dollars. If any of the officers are found guilty, the new York Police Department could face a broader trial over whether scheme of is a routine practice across the nations Largest Police force. In west virginia, teachers are announcing they are planning a statewide walkout in order to protest for Better Health care and pay. They announced walkout comes after teachers have staged rallies and protests for weeks including a massive rally at the State Capitol on saturday. And tito transgender women have been murdered this month. In buffalo, new york, 35yearold tonya harvey was fatally shot on february 6. Only two days earlier, 36yearold Celine Walker shot to death in jacksonville, florida. They are the third and fourth transgender women murdered so far this year. Other victims include transgender rights activist and founder of the miss trans america pageant, Christa Leigh steeleknudslien, who was stabbed and beaten to death inside her home in north adams, massachusetts, january 5. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Juan welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. There have been a number of Significant Developments in special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into the trump administration. Cnn is reporting mueller is now investigating trumps soninlaw Jared Kushner and his attempts to secure financing for his familys business while working on the president s Transition Team. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times is reporting former Trump Campaign aide rick gates has agreed to plead guilty and testify against Paul Manafort, trumps former Campaign Manager. Under the deal, gates will plead guilty to Money Laundering and illegal foreign lobbying. Amy these developments come just days after the Justice Department indicted 13 russians and three companies in connections with efforts to influence the 2016 president ial election by orchestrating an online propaganda effort to undermine the u. S. Election system. The indictment claims the russians spread negative Information Online about Hillary Clinton and support donald trump as well as Bernie Sanders. Deputy attorney general rod announced the indictments on rosenstein announced the indictments on friday. Committing federal crimes while seeking to interfere in the United States legal system. Including the 2016 president ial election. The defendants allegedly conducted what they called Information Warfare against the United States. With the stated goal of spreading distrust toward the candidates and the clinical system in general. Juan President Trump responded to the indictments on twitter by lashing out at democrats, the mueller investigation, the obama administration, and the fbi. In one tweet he wrote very sad that the fbi missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida School shooter. This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove russian collusion with the Trump Campaignthere is no collusion. Amy trump also criticized National Security advisor h. R. Mcmaster who said the indictments offered incontrovertible evidence that the russians interfered in the 2016 election. As you can see with the fbi indictments, the evidence is now really incontrovertible and available in the public domain, whereas in the past, it was difficult to attribute for a couple of reasons. Technically, it was difficult, but then also you did not want to double your intelligence capabilities. But now this is in the arena of Law Enforcement investigation, it is going to be very apparent to everyone. Amy to talk more about these develops, we go to grand rapids, michigan, to talk to Marcy Wheeler, an independent journalist who covers National Security and civil liberties. She runs the website emptywheel. Net. Marcy, welcome back to democracy now why dont you lay out what came down on friday and then the response i mean, this is in the midst of the horror that took place in florida, the 17 People Killed in the massacre at the high school, the weekend massivet trump spends a tweet storm around us can hardly mentioning the massacre. Right. The indictment was for online trolling done by an Organization Called the Internet Research agency in st. Petersburg. It involves both facebook ads, facebook posts, twitter accounts , instagram a range of social media activity that purported to be american, but in fact, was up ands trying to gen ultimately supporting arnold trump. As rosenstein said in the quote you had, it is 13 russians and a number of russian businesses. But what is interesting about the case the charges are conspiracy to fraud the United States. I will come back to that. But wire fraud and identity theft. There are real crimes here. The crimes that these trolls use to pretend to be american, but really were not american. But what mueller laid out in the indictment is that the problem with this is that in the United States, it is illegal to engage in certain kinds of activity without making it clear who is behind the activity. And in this case, this is the activity tied to electing one or another president ial candidate. And that is how he got to the conspiracy to defraud United States charge, which is interesting because it is the same primary charge that Paul Manafort and rick gates got charged with. So youre beginning to see where mueller is going with a larger investigation. As mcmaster said, you are seeing now real evidence tied to claims that russia was behind this activity. I think you will see more republicans like cam and even republicans who were involved. The indictment does not charge any american, but it lays out activities that a lot of good faith trump volunteers and Campaign Workers were engaged in. And their actions are perhaps now tainted or got touched or got spun by russians, which isnt fair to them, much less Hillary Clinton who was ultimately targeted by it. I think you are going to see a change in how, especially the republicans, but even skeptics more generally, how they approach this issue. But we also now think we see where mueller is going with the rest of the investigation better. Juan what do you make about a thatment i Rod Rosenstein no americans willingly participated according to this indictment, and that there is no evidence that the alleged interference actually altered the election outcome . Well, for one, im sure he said that to keep trump happy and to keep himself in his job, but i think it is really important said that. You can look at the indictment, and id do in a post i did on saturday, and there are at least 20 americans who were just engaging in politics. They were putting together campaign events. They were engaging in online speech. That is like the most sacred part of being an american citizen, and yet they were unknowingly interacting with russians who were trying to, at times, funding or encouraging certain activities. So i do think it is important he did not say no americans were involved. There are ways in which the indictment suggests certain events may show up later in the investigation. For example, the indictment events, andwo antihillary and protrump event, that took place in the summer of 2016. And if folks is on a great deal of florida activity it focuses great deal of florida activity. 0, believed to. Have a news eye the russians to the stolen documents, that figure released a ton of onuments from the democrats florida campaigns. So Florida Republicans are actually the ones who most concretely can be shown to have benefited from the stolen documents from the democrats. So it may be that we are going to see the florida activity tied it back into the actual hack and leak later on. The what rosenstein was importantly saying is that all of these americans, most of them named in the indictment were trump supporters, they did not do anything wrong. They were just engaging in politics and russians came in and used them, basically, to kind of turn their politics into something that it wasnt. Amy i mean, the key here, a