Catetegory 5 and when he hit cu, the gogovernment reports just 10 people have died. We will look at why many nations study cubas hurricane preparedness. According to one study, a person is 15 times as likely to be killed by hurricane in the United States as in cuba. And even though they were hard doctorsa spent over 750 and Health Professionals throughout the caribbean during the storm. Then to a storm of silenence. Catastrophihic flooding. G. The monumental floodidingnd humanitarian disaster r continu. Houstonians are still under siege in the city still under water. Publicgot a new study by citizen looks at how much of the Corporate Media failed to mention Climate Change during its coverage of Hurricane Harvey. Then we go to houston to look at mutual aid and rescue efforts after harvey. We have to distribute the goods, but we also have to go and distribute the care. Eople are still being ignored because they have handed them something, theyve decided all of their problems are fixed. Undnder,ot possible likeke, capitalism. Amy all that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. As many as 13 Million People remain without power in florida as the state begins toto survey the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Irma. At least 11 people died on the mainland u. S. From the hurricane. Authororities say someme parts f the florida keys may be inaccessible for weeks. The u. S. Military is now helping evacuate some florida keys residents who did not leave before the storm. Jacksonville experienced its worst flooding since 1864. The storm also caused destruction when it swept across georgia and South Carolina on monday. In puerto rico, hundreds of thousands of people remain without power. Authorities have warned parts of puerto rico could be without electricity for up to six months. The head of fema announced he is heading to puerto rico and u. S. Virgin islands today. The death toll from the storm also rose in the caribbean, where at least 34 people are confirmed dead. 10 in cuba,a, where irma hit the northern coast as a category 5 storm. It was t the deadliestst hurrice inin cuba since e 2005. Well have more on Hurricane Irma in puerto rico and cuba after headlines. In texas, Authorities Say hurricicane harvey is respononse for causing nearly 500,000 gallons of gasoline to spill from two storage tanks, marking the largest spill so far from the devastating storm. The 460,000 gallons were released from a Petroleum Tank farm operated by Magellan Midstream partners in texas, just east of houston. Some of the gasoline contaminated a waterway alongside the houston ship channel. Hurricane harvey killed 70 people a and causesed widespread environmental contamination, with the center for biological diversity reporting flooded Oil Refineries and chemical plants released as much as 5 Million Pounds of pollutants into the air during the storm. Pope francis h has spoken out foforcefully against climamate change denial. Speaking to reporters as he flew over caribbean islands decimated by Hurricane Irma on sunday, pope francis said humans must make progress in tackling Climate Change and called those who continue to deny its existence stupid. Will nonot go backwards. We will go down. That is true. Climate change scientists tell us the road to take. All of us have a responsibility. All of f us. Some small, some big. A moral responsibility to n not accept it, to give one is opinion or to make decisionons. And we have to take it seriously. I think it is something we cannot joke about. Whoever denies this must go to the scientists and ask them. They speak clearly. The scientists are precise. Man is stupid. Withthe pope was speaking a black eye because he hit his head on the pope mobile all traveling in columbia. The United NationsSecurity Council has imposed a new round of sanctions on north korea. The resolution was drafted and pushed for by the United Nations. It seeks to further cripple north koreas economy by limiting north koreas oil imports, banning its textile exports, and imposing other restrictions on the nations economy. Ahead of mondays Security Council vote, north korea warned the u. S. It could face retaliation if it passed the pushed for the harsh sanctions. Meanwhile, german chancellor Angela Merkel is calling for a new round of negotiations with north korea, advocating for a diplomatic alternative to the rising military tensions between north korea and the u. S. Merkel highlighted the role germany played in brokering the landmark iran nuclear deal, and said i could imagine such a format being used to end the north korea conflict. The Trump Administration is moving forwaward with itits plee to s stop the closing of guantanamo bay. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson has announced the position of the spspecial envovoy for closuf the guantanamo detention facility would be eliminated. The pentagon has also proposed spending 500 million in new construction at guantanamo. The u. S. Is currently imprisoning 41 people indefinitely at guantanamo bay. Cuba was hard hit by hururricane irma. Former white house chief strategist Steven Bannon says trumps decision to fire fbi director james comey was the biggest political mistake in modern history. Bannon, now the chairman of the far rigight breitbartrt media, e ththe comments while speakakingh 60 Minutes Charlie Rose in a. Someone said you describe the firing of james comey, you are a student of history, as the biggest mistake in politicacal histstory. Toohat would probably be bombastic even for me, but may be an modern political history. Am t this clipip did not appearn the 60 minutes piece. They posted it online sunday night. The wall street journal is reporting some of prPresident Trumps lawyers have recommended White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner should step down over concerns about his meetings with russian officials during the campaign. Kushner is also President Trumps soninlaw. He met multiple times with russian officials and businessmen. These meetings are now part of the multiple investigations into the trump campaigns ties to russia. In international news, in barcelona, one Million People poured into the streets on monday to dedemand indepenendene for catalonia. The march increaseses pressure n spain ahead of an independent referendum on Catalan Independence on october 1. This is protester eva solitger. We come for another year to fight for what we believe in the step we are people with our own identity and language, but what we cannot have is the oppression we have been experiencing so far. We want to build have a democratic and peaceful vote. Amy in france, dozens of unions are on strike today with 200 demonstrations planned nationwide to protest french president emmanuel macrons plans to roll back Labor Protections by president ial decree. The strikes are disrupting key industries, including travel, with more than 100 flighghts canceled and trains suspended. In brazil, authorities are investigating reports that gold miners brutally murdered about 10 Indigenous People last month and later bragged about dismembering their bodies. The alleged murders occurred in the amazons javari valley, brazils secondlargest indigenous reserve. The victims were members of an uncontacted tribe. Brazilian president michel temer has close ties to the mining industry. And earlier this year, he issued a decree opening up a wide swath of the amazon to mining and extraction. Hes also cut funding for Government Agencies that work to protect indigenous groups from attacks by miners and loggers. In india, a caravan of peace activists has arrived in the capital delhi as part of a monthlong journey across india to highlight the rise of lynchings and violence against muslims, dalits, and other minority groups. Led by activist harsh mander, the caravan is visiting with leaving with families of the victims of hate crimes, which have risen sharply under indian Prime Minister narendra modi. Data from the group india spend shows some antimuslim hate crimes have risen 10fold since modi came to power in 2014. In egypt, at least 18 Police Officers were killed in an isis attack on the Sinai Peninsula on monday. It wasas one of the dedeadliest attacks this year in egypts Sinai Peninsula. Back in the United States, the u. S. Supreme court has temporarily lilifted restrictios on president nt trumps muslimim travel ban, meaning about 24,000 refugees may now be barred from entering the United States. Last week, an Appeals Court in seattle ruled that tens of thousands of refugees who had received promises of assistance from Refugee Resettlement organizations should be allowed to enter. But on monday, the Supreme Court intervened to block this ruling. The Supreme Court is soon expected to issue a fuller ruling on the ban, which blocks refugees and all citizens of six majority muslim nations from entering the United States. A new hampshire, authorities are investigating an apparent attempted lynching in the town of claremont. A mother sasays her eight year d biracial child had to be airlifted to the hospital after a group of white teenagers reportedly hung him from a tree. She also posted photographs on toebook showing the injuries the childs neck. The childs grandmother also says the white teenagers were taunting the child with racial slurs before the attack. The town of claremont is 96 white. And in texas, at least eight people are dead after a man allegedly killed his estranged wife and her friends in what appears to be the deadliest incident of Domestic Violence in the towns history. On sunday, 27yearold meredith hight was watching the cowboys Football Game with a group of friends and family in the dallas suburb of plano when her estranged husband reportedly entered her house and opened fire, killing her and seven other adults. The shooter was killed by police. Local news reports hight had filed for divorce in july. Hights mother said her daughter loved hosting friends and families. This was her first opportunity to do it after the divorce, and he referring to her estranged husband didnt take it well. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Juan and im juan gonzalez. Welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. From the u. S. Virgin islands and puerto rico to florida and georgia, millions of americans remain without electricity as they attempt to recover from the devastating Hurricane Irma. On the island of st. John in the virgrgin islands, 80 of homes have been n severelyly damaged. 5000 u. S. Service members are being sent to the Virgin Islands to help with relief efforts as Drinking Water and food begin to run out. In puerto rico, hundreds of thousands of people remain without power. Authorities have warned parts of puerto rico could be without electricity for up to six momonths. Femama will travevel there toda. In florora, as manyny as 13 Million People have been left without popower. Some p parts o of the florida ks may be inaccessible for weeks. The u. S. Military is now helping evacuate some florida keys residents who did not leave before the stormrm. Jacksonville is recovering from its worst flooding since 1864. The destruction from irma also stretched into georgia and South Carolina. Amy meanwhile, one of the caribbean islands hardest hit was cuba, where 10 people died. Irma hit cubas northern coast as a category 5 storm. It was the deadliest hurricane in cuba since 2005 when 16 people d died in hurricane denn. Cuba has lonong been viewewed aa worlrld leader in huhurricane prepeparedness andnd recery. Y. According to t the center for internrnatiol l policy, a person is 15 times as likely to be killed by a hurricane in the United States as in cuba. Meanwhile, cuba has already sent more than 750 Health Workers to antigugua, barbuda, saint kitts, nevis, saint lucia, the bahamas, dominica, and haiti. We begin todays show with Elizabeth Newhouse, director of the center for international policys cuba project. She has taken numerous delegations from the u. S. To cuba to see how the cubans manage disaster preparedness. Elizabeth, welcome to democracy now you grew up in cuba . Yeses, i didid. Talk about what happened in cuba, first, and then we will talk about their record in hurricane preparedness and what we can learn from them. Well, as you just mentioned, the hurricane made landing on the north coast, down towards the east, then skirted the coast close to havana. Did not reach havana. And then headed north. The brunt of it was felt across the island, but the worst part down around the area other towns in that area. They were really, truly, very, very badly hurt. Overa had waves comining up the seawall, unfairly, something that reached like 32 feet. Perfect flooding that went in five or seven blocks. People were up to their withders in some areas water. Huge amounts of flooding. However, 10 people died, as you an enormous whihich is number of people for cuba because of the tremendous operation that they do. Normally, people do not die in hurricanes in cuba. If they do, there are a very smsmall number. Normally very say few people die in hurricanes in cuba, why is that . Given the fact that cuba is not a wealthy country, it has had all kinds of economic problems, what is it about the governments preparedness that is so distinct from what happens in the rest of the caribbean or even in the United States . Well, it is distinct because they have an ingrained culture of prevention and preparedness that is really quite unique. It is very rigorously followed. The children learn from a very early age that disasters will happen. Their lessons are included throughout all of their years growing up. They really expect these thihins to happen and know what to do when they y do happen. Cuba has been hit with hurricanes so many times. Not only hurricanes, but major tropical storms, which bring huge amounts of flooding and see surge. They have to be ready for it. They are ready. They save enormous numbers of lives by massive evacuation. I think this time they evacuated one Million People. Even though the infrastructure is poor and many of the houses are very poor, their focus is on saving lives. Theiryou studied preparedness. Good you talk about the impact of things like neighborhood mapping that they do, of who exactly lives in what neighborhood and the role the neighborhood groups, the committees for defense off the revolution play in disasters like this . They have all of the neighborhoods mapped. They nooks ackley who lives where. They knowwho the exactly who lives where. They know who the honorable and elderly live. A few days before the hurricane hits, they evacuatate them all. They start with them. Pregnant women get put in hospitals. People with infirmities get put in hospitals. Others get taken to either shelters or with family or friends who are living in more secure houses. But everybody in cuba knows what theyre going to do is a hurricane hits. Plan, whether it is to go to a family or friend or whether it is to go to a shelter. Haphazards no sort of organizing at the last minute will stop it is very, very well thought out. The Civil Defense system controls it all. The president of the Civil Defense is the president of the country, the head of the Civil Defense. It is very tightly organized. Bottomup and from the top down. It is really a very impressive thing to see and the results are quite astounding, even though the material damage is always horrific. I mean, i think they are still trying to find ways to house people who were displaced in the last hurricane. What theyre going to do this time, i dont know. Theyre putting a big emphasis on trying to get the Tourism Infrastructure back because tourism is so desperately important to the economy. Theyre going to be putting a lot of focus on rebuilding resortrts along the north coast that were very badly hurt. That is the area where most of the e resorts are. They were hugely damaged. And they want to give them up and running before the big tourism season begins in a couple of months. So i t think people are wonderig what is going toto happen to ininviduals who are in shelters now, how long will they have to be there. It will probably be quite some time. Amy what about well, i want to turn to some of the voices of people in cuba in the fishing village of cojimar, many fishermen found theieir boats ad equipment destroyed