And call for the global abolition of the Death Penalty. Plus, pope francis highlights the work of a catholic radical. Two catholic radicals. In these times when social , byerns are so important dorothy day. Amy we will look at the lives of dorothy day and the trappist monk Thomas Merton. Pope francis described the two of them as great americans along with Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther king. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Pope francis has arrived in new york where he will speak today at the United Nations general assembly. On thursday, he became the first pope to ever address a joint session of congress, where he discussed poverty, hunger, Climate Change, refugees, the Death Penalty immigration, the arms trade and u. S. Cuba , relations. After the congressional speech, pope francis skipped an offer to dine with lawmakers in order to eat with homeless residents of washington, d. C. Speaking at st. Patrick parish, speaking at st. Patricks cathedral, pope francis spoke about the immorality of lack of housing. , we want to be very clear can find no social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever for the lack of housing. There are many unjust situations, but we know that god is suffering with us, experiencing them on our side. He does not abandon us. Amy he was speaking up st. Patricks parish and washington, d. C. Enter, he would speak at state patricks cathedral in new york. Throughout his activities in the United States, the pope has been traveling in an unorthodox popemobile a little black fiat that many say represents pope francis spirit of humility. Well have more on the historic visit with kumi naidoo, director of greenpeace international, Sister Simone campbell, director of network, a catholic social justice group, and Robert Ellsberg, publisher of writings by dorothy day and books on Thomas Merton, after headlines. The colombian government and the revolutionary armed forces of colombia, known as farc, have announced a historic breakthrough in the ongoing peace talks to end the fivedecade conflict that has killed more than 200,000 people. The agreement establishes peace tribunals and a reconciliation commission. It is expected to be signed within six months. The announcement comes only days after pope francis urged the two sides to reach a peace deal during mass on sunday in havanas revolution plaza. The chief negotiator for the colombian government celebrated the breakthrough thursday. I believe we can say without exaggerating the columbia is about to burst. I think we have begun the countdown toward ending the war and allowing life to triumph. Amy volkswagen is expected to fire three top executives today over the growing scandal that volkswagen illegally installed devices in certain diesel cars , 11 million worldwide, in a deliberate bid to avoid emissions rules. This comes two days after the volkswagen Ceo Martin Winterkorn resigned. The Justice Department is reportedly conducting a criminal investigation into the matter. The crisis has cost the Company Nearly a third of its market value. Chinese president xi jinping is arriving at the white house for a state visit with predent obama today, where president xi is expected to commit to implementing a capandtrade system to limit chinas Greenhouse Gas emissions in 2017. A capandtrade system is a marketdriven strategy in which governments cap emission levels and then allow companies to buy and sell permits to pollute. Environment groups are saying the announcement is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done. Saudi arabia has announced it will conduct an investigation into the deadly stampede near mecca that killed more than 700 people on the first day of eid aladha. The stampede occurred during a ritual at the tent city of mina as millions of people were making their pilgrimage to mecca for the holiday. Meanwhile, saudi diplomats are attempting to fend off calls for a hewitt Human Rights Council investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in the ongoing conflict in yemen. The oneyearold war between Houthi Rebels and u. S. Backed Saudiled Coalition forces has killed more than 4,000 people. A u. N. Human Rights Commission report has blamed the saudiled , u. S. Backed airstrikes for most of the civilian casualties. In mexico, parents of the missing 43 students have met with president Enrique Pena Nieto ahead of the oneyear anniversary of the students disappearance. The lawyer for the parents said the governments comments during the meeting show the government is not following recommendations by International Experts on how to conduct a new investigation into the student step. In michigan, a graphic video has surfaced of a 32yearold man slowing dying inside a Macomb County jail after he was jailed for inability to pay a driving ticket. 32yearold David Stojcevski was sentenced to 30 days in jail last june after he was unable to pay a 772 fine. While imprisoned, stojcevski went into extreme withdrawal caused by lack of his prescribed methadone treatment. He lost more than 50 pounds and was eventually transferred to a medical unit, where he was kept naked and under constant video surveillance. He stopped breathing on june 27, 2014, and was ultimately transferred to a local hospital, where he died. Local Detroit Television station wdiv published the video on thursday. Baltimore county police are facing criticism after an officer fatally shot a man who had pointed his finger at them as if it were a gun on wednesday. The police say they were chasing the man, whose name has not yet been released, after he attempted to obtain cough syrup using a fake prescription at a pharmacy in reisterstown, maryland. Police say no weapons were found at the scene of the shooting. The officer has been placed on administrative leave. Meanwhile, in delaware, police in the town of wilmington are also facing criticism after a video surfaced of officers fatally shooting an African American man in a wheelchair. The cell phone video shows officers yelling at 28yearold Jeremy Mcdowell as they approach followed by the sound of a gunshot. Mcdowell then appears to reach into the front of his jeans, as several officers open fire. Police say they recovered a police say they were responding to a 911 call that mcdowell and tried to shoot himself and they recovered a handgun at the scene. Family members say mcdowell had been in a wheelchair since he was shot and paralyzed at the age of 18. The universities of fordham and marquette have both rescinded honorary degrees for bill cosby, who has been accused by more than 50 women of drugging and raping them in cases that go back decades. Both schools say it is the first time they have ever rescinded an honorary degree. New evidence has emerged in the case against deathrow prisoner Richard Glossip, who narrowly avoided execution last week after he was granted a lastminute stay only hours before he was slated to die. In 1997, glossip was working as a manager at the best budget inn in Oklahoma City when his boss, barry van treese, was murdered. A maintenance worker, justin sneed, admitted he beat van treese to death with a baseball bat, but claimed glossip offered him money and Job Opportunities for the killing. The case rested almost solely on sneeds claims. No physical evidence ever tied glossip to the crime. This week, one of sneeds former cellmates, Joseph Tapley came forward, saying that sneed had framed glossip to avoid the Death Penalty. This comes after michael scott, who had also spent time with sneed in prison, came forward in august saying it was quote Common Knowledge that justin sneed lied and sold Richard Glossip up the river. Glossips new execution date is september 30. Nsa whistleblower edward snowden, pulitzer prizewinning journalist Glenn Greenwald and other privacy activists have launched a new campaign to establish global privacy standards. The proposed International Treaty on the right to privacy, protection against improper surveillance and protection of whistleblowers would require states to ban mass Data Collection and implement public oversight of National Security programs. The treaty would also require states to offer asylum to whistleblowers. It is being dubbed the snowden treaty. Edward snowden spoke about the need for the treaty Via Teleconference from russia at thursdays launch in new york. This is not a problem exclusive to the United States or the National Security agency or the fbi or the pardon of justice or any agency of government anywhere. This is a global problem that affects all of us. Amy meanwhile, the intercept has published new documents leaked by snowden revealing a british mass surveillance operation known as karma police. The intercept reports that the operation seeks to to record the website browsing habits of every visible user on the internet. It was launched in secret 7 years ago, without any public debate. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. I am amy goodman with juan gonzalez. Juan welcome to all our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. Pope francis has arrived in new york where he will speak today at the United Nations general assembly. On thursday, he became the first pope to ever address a joint session of congress. He used the opportunity to call for an end to the International Arms trade a trade dominated by the United States. Why are Deadly Weapons being who plan toe inflict untold suffering on individuals and society . Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money. Money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. Shameful andf this dutyble silence, it is our to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade. [applause] juan pope francis also addressed the issue of migrants in europe and in the americas. Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the second world war. This presents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a ander life for themselves for the loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. This is not what we want is this not what we want for our own children . [applause] we must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather, view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening [applause] to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just, and fraternal. We need to avoid a common 10 ian temptation nowadays to discard whatever proves troublesome. Rule, remember the golden do unto others as you would have. Hem do and do you [applause] do unto others as you will have them do i do you. Amy part of pope francis speech to Congress Also focused on poverty and hunger. You, all those people around us who are trapped in a cycle of already. They, too, need to begin and hope. The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its causes. I know that Many Americans today, as in the past, are working to deal with this problem. Juan after the congressional address pope francis skipped an , offer to dine with lawmakers in order to meet and eat with homeless residents of washington d. C. ,before the lunch, the pope made a few brief remarks and spanish at st. Patricks church. Clear, weto be very can find no social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever for the lack of housing. There are many unjust situations , but we know that god is suffering with us, experiencing them on our side. He does not abandon us. Amy to talk more about the popes visit, were joined by Sister Simone campbell, the executive director of network, a catholic social justice group. She attended the popes speech before congress and at the white house. She is an author. We will also be joined by kumi naidoo executive director of , greenpeace international. Whoell as Robert Ellsberg, edited and published selected writings by dorothy day, as well as her diaries and letters. And has published books on Thomas Merton. The pope spoke about both in his congressional address. Sister campbell, welcome to democracy now start off by talking about what the day was like yesterday, where you are seated, what it was like in this firstever address before congress by a pope. Well, i had the deep honor of being in the front row of the side. Y on the republican as you face the pope, it was on the right side. We got seated in some kind of seniority way by who dave as our tickets, so since i had senator barbara boxers ticket, i had a front row seat. It was a lot of expectation, but one of the things i really course we gotf there early and had to be seated early and go through security, find our way, what i noticed was the eagerness of all of the participants to be community and our little area. And it ended up i was seated almost exactly the two city mccain, citizen or mccains wife, and we had a lovely conversation about senator mccains efforts on immigration reform. We talked policy. It mostly we talked about what joy and hope pope francis was bringing that we could bridge, maybe bridge some of these huge divides in our country, and be realistic about the needs that were are facing. He brings a candor that i think was contagious. Simone, i was struck by his very strong words on the arms trade, which seemed to be the most surprising of all the issues that he touched on. , and that hes, too called it out in such a clear fashion. But i think for me the one that was even more surprising was the way that he did the codewords for what usually conservatives think of as the abortion language. Protecting the dignity of all life. And it was kind of a in dear the republicans who had been a little slow to stand up and applaud some things, they jumped to their feet and applauded and in the democrats were a little slow. To then he immediately went the Death Penalty. And i really think these two issues are connected. Do we deal death were are we really respect hers of life . He wasin that respect talking both arms trade and Death Penalty in the dignity of all of life that we need to be respectful of. Amy lets go to the pope speaking for the global abolition of the Death Penalty. Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to life atand defend human every stage of its development. [applause] this conviction has led me since the beginning of my ministry to forcate at Different Levels the global abolition of the Death Penalty. [applause] and i am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is isred, every human person endowed with an an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes. Amy that is the pope addressing in the firstever address to congress by a pope, the issue of the Death Penalty. He called for its global abolition. The significance of this, Sister Simone campbell, as thousands of people sit on death row in the ted states over 3000 one, Richard Glossip, has an execution date in the next few days, set once again . It was usually important. Just after that part, also i believe it was the bishops were going to be greater advocates on this issue. That justink is key, because he says it wants, doesnt mean it is accomplished. And he is keenly aware of the fact that we need to really stand up for all people. He also mentioned we cannot ever give up hope for any one person, and that hope and the possibility of rubella tatian is always rehabilitation is always at the heart of our care for each other. So i think his focus, his really lifting this issue to such a prominence can help us move away from what is really a medieval response and a fearful response to crime. And too often, especially in the case of mr. Glossip, that were hearing, that he is erroneously convicted. And i think that sort of horror alone should be enough, much less the dignity of everybody who may have committed these crimes, but how do we i think what he is saying, it diminishes our dignity to kill someone else, especially when the state does it in our name. Then who are we . Who are we as a nation . He was trying to lay that out clearly to call us to be better ourselves. Juan sister, what are some of the issues you perhaps had hoped the pope would address in this presentation, in his address to congress . That he had not addressed . It is hard to think of something. Immigration and Economic Justice are the two big issues we work on in our organization, and he really, clearly, addressed both. I guess if th