Transcripts For KCSM Democracy Now 20160211 : vimarsana.com

Then could Bernie Sanders win the popular vote in the democratic primaries and still lose the nomination . Lets look at New Hampshire. Sanders trounced clinton 60 to 38 , but they split the delegates evenly. And that is what counts. We will look at how unelected superdelegates could sway the democratic nomination in clintons favor. Then the Justice Department sues the city of ferguson. Cooks the systems deserve what every american is guaranteed under the restitution, for us to be free from excessive force, unconstitutional stops and arrests, and from a fine system that was literally breaking their backs. Amy all that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The department of justice sued ferguson, missouri to force an , overhaul of the beleaguered citys criminal Justice System. U. S. Attorney general Loretta Lynch filed a similar civil rights lawsuit following a decision by fergusons city council on tuesday to challenge several measures in a draft reform agreement that the city had negotiated with federal officials. Speaking at a press conference in washington, d. C. Loretta , wednesday, lynch said we intend to aggressively prosecute this case, and we intend to prevail. The lawsuit says ferguson is guilty of a pattern or practice of Law Enforcement actions violating the first, fourth and 14th amendments of the u. S. Constitution and federal civil rights laws. We will have more on the story later in the broadcast. The city of cleveland has billed the family of tamir rice 500 for the ambulance ride to the hospital, after the 12yearold boy was fatally shot by a Cleveland Police officer in november 2014. This comes less than two months after a grand jury decided not to indict officer timothy loehmann. The claim filed wednesday is against the estate of tamir rice in the amount of 500, which is past due and owing for Emergency Medical Services rendered as the decedents last dying expense. In response, rice family attorney Subodh Chandra said that the city would submit a bill and call itself a creditor after having had its own Police Officers slay 12yearold tamir displays a new pinnacle of callousness and insensitivity. This comes as prosecutors begin introducing evidence to a federal grand jury in brooklyn empanelled to examine the death of eric garner, who died after being placed in an illegal chokehold by white Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo in july 2014. A Staten Island grand jury failed to indict officer pantaleo in december 2014, sparking national protests. In oregon, fbi agents have encircled the remaining rightwing militia members occupying the federal wildlife refuge. This comes after nevada Rancher Cliven Bundy was arrested wednesday night at the Portland International airport on charges related to his armed showdown with federal authorities in nevada in 2014. His sons, ryan and ammon bundy, helped start the oregon takeover of the while left refuge and are wildlife refuge and are also in custody facing charges related to this takeover. Meanwhile, the oregon aclu has issued a carefully worded defense of rightwing Internet Radio show host pete santilli, who is also facing a felony charge related to the wildlife refuge occupation. The aclu says santilli embedded with the militia members as a journalist. Mat dos santos the legal director of the aclu of oregon writes we can all agree that we should not hold members of the media or protesters in jail without bail simply because they have shocking or abhorrent views. These are principles that we must stand by, even when we disagree with the message of the speaker. In news from the 2016 president ial race, republican candidates former Hewlett Packard ceo Carly Fiorina and new Jersey Governor Chris Christie have dropped out of the race following poor performances in the New Hampshire primary. Meanwhile, pbs is hosting a democratic president ial debate in wisconsin tonight. This comes as clinton is expected to pick up a key endorsement from the Political Action committee, or pac, of the black congressional caucus today. Clinton is also expected to Campaign Next week with geneva reedveal, the mother of sandra bland, the 28yearold African American woman who was found hanged in her jail cell three days after a white texas state trooper arrested her in july for allegedly failing to signal a lane change. Meanwhile, Michelle Alexander has written a seething indictment of Hillary Clinton, published yesterday by the nation magazine. Alexander, who is the author of the new jim crow, argues clinton does not deserve the black vote, pointing to her role in advocating for the passage of the 1994 crime bill, as well as 1996 welfare reform act. Alexander writes it is difficult to overstate the damage thats been done. Generations have been lost to the prison system. Countless families havent torn apart or rendered homeless. And a schooltoprison pipeline has been born that shuttles young people from their decrepit, underfunded schools to brandnew hightech prisons. Hillary believes that she can win this game in 2016 because this time shes got us, the black vote, in her back pocket her lucky card. Michelle alexander goes on to say she may be surprised to discover that the Younger Generation no longer wants to play her game. In news from the middle east, tens of thousands of syrians fleeing an assad offensive on the city of aleppo are massed at the syrianturkey border. Turkey has closed this section of the border, leaving tens of thousands of syrians stranded. Already there are 2. 5 million Syrian Refugees living in turkey. The assad offensive on aleppo is backed by russian airstrikes. Russia says its airstrikes have hit about 1900 targets in syria, including in aleppo, within the last week alone. On wednesday, turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu accused the Assad Government and Russian Military of carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing in aleppo. We should all except refugees. But these attacks are also intended to bring about ethnic cleansing and serious all people who dont support the Syrian Regime are driven out of the country. It is a systematic ethnic cleansing. Amy this comes as a new report by the Syrian Centre for policy Research Says 11. 5 of syrias population has either been killed or injured since the since 2011. About 470,000 syrians have been killed in the ongoing conflict nearly 2 Million People have , been wounded. Over the last five years, syrias Life Expectancy has dropped from an average of 70 years to only 55 years. Speaking tuesday, secretary of state john kerry condemned the Assad Government and the Russian Militarys use of cluster bombs in syria. The crisis oft humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before the eyes of the world, pressures in the region of displaced people, of refugees, the bombs, cluster bombs that are being used that are killing innocent women and children. Amy that was secretary of state john kerry, speaking alongside egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry at the u. S. Department of state on tuesday, condemning russias use of cluster bombs in syria. Yet kerry did not speak out against the use of u. S. Manufactured cluster bombs in another conflict the u. S. Backed, saudiled offensive in yemen. Amnesty International Says it has new evidence that the u. S. Backed Saudiled Coalition dropped cluster bombs during an air attack on sanaa on january 6, which killed a 16yearold boy and injured at least a halfdozen other civilians. The uns secretarygeneral ban kimoon says the january 6 attack may amount to a war crime. Meanwhile, two Yemeni Television journalists have died after a u. S. Backed Saudiled Coalition airstrike hit their home in sanaa on tuesday, killing both the journalists and their three children. 30yearold Suaad Hujaira and her husband, 37yearold Muneer Alhakami both worked for yemen tv. This comes as unicef is warning of massive Food Shortages in yemen as a result of the ongoing conflict. Unicef spokesman Mohammed Al Saadi said as many as 1. 3 million yemini children are suffering from severe and acute malnutrition. Since the start of the armed clashes on the 26th of march last year, the number of cases of mounted church and has doubled. Were talking about more than 1. 3 million children suffering from severe and acute malnutrition, and this is very dangerous and can lead to death and physical and or mental deformities in children. Amy in nigeria, 58 people have been killed after attacks by two female suicide bombers at the dikwa refugee camp tuesday morning. The attack is being blamed on the militant group boko haram. The refugee camp is home to more than 50,000 people who have been forced from their homes by the militant group. Reports say a third wouldbe suicide bomber who had traveled with the other two girls decided not to detonate her device after she recognized her parents and siblings at the camp. In britain, thounds of taxi drivers brought Downtown London to a standstill during a protest against uber wednesday. Thousands of taxi drivers shut down the citys main streets and the area around Prime Minister David Camerons house for 90 minutes. The taxi unions say they are protesting new government regulations they say favor uber and compromise driver safety. Wednesdays protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations against uber. Taxi drivers in paris, hong kong, miami and other major cities have all protested the wall streetbacked company, saying uber threatens their union rights and livelihood. And him breaking news from mexico, as 50 people have died in a prison riot in monterey this morning. Both prisoners and Prison Guards have died. Local reports say a fire broke out inside the prison. Meanwhile, journalist Pedro Sala Garcia survived an attack by armed gunman in his home wednesday. Sala garcia is a correspondent for tabasco hoy, a daily newspaper in the southern mexican state of tabasco. The gunman beat sala garcia unconscious during the attack, but they fled after his wife called for help from their neighbors. Speaking to local reporters from the hospital, sala garcia said this is the Second Attack on his life that hes suffered during his journalistic career. In 2007, another journalist from his newspaper, rodolfo rinon, was kidnapped. His body has never been found. The attack wednesday comes only one day after journalist Anabel Flores salazar was found dead. Anabel Flores Salazar covered crime for the newspaper el sol de orizaba. She had a baby and a fouryearold son. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with nermeen shaikh. Nermeen welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. Today marks the one Year Anniversary of president obamas decision to seek congressional authorization for war against the islamic state. The request came six months after the u. S. Began bombing iraq and syria. Speaking on february 11, 2015, obama unveiled the resolution at the white house flanked by Vice President joe biden, secretary of state john kerry, and outgoing defense secretary chuck hagel. Today my administration submitted a draft resolution to congress to authorize the use of force agait isil. I want to be very clear about what it does and what it does not do. This resolution reflects our core objective to destroy isil. It supports the conference of strategy that we have been pursuing with our allies and partners. Systemic and sustain campaign of airstrikes against isil in iraq and syria support and training for local forces on the ground, including the moderate syrian opposition, preventing isil attacks in the region and beyond, including by foreign terrorist fighters in front of threaten our countries, regional and International Support for an inclusive Iraqi Government that unites the iraqi people and strengthens iraqi forces against isil, humanitarian assistance for the innocent civilians of iraq and syria who are suffering so terribly under isils rayna for. Amy the resolution imposed a threeyear limit on u. S. Operations, but did not put any geographic constraints. It also opened the door for Ground Combat operations in limited circumstances. However, congress has yet to hold the constitutionallymandated debate and vote on the war against isil. Instead, the strikes have been carried out using an outdated authorization passed by congress in 2001 in the wake of the 9 11 attacks. In his state of the union address, president obama renewed his call for congressional debate on the authorization for use of military force. This congress is serious about winning this war will stop and wants to send a message to our troops and the world, authorize the use of military force against isil. Take a vote. [applause] take a vote. Nermeen this comes as a new group worked says 11. 5 of syrias population has either been killed or injured since 2011. About 470,000 syrians have been killed in the ongoing conflict. Nearly 2 Million People have been wounded. Amy now over 20 members of congress have sent a bipartisan letter to House Speaker paul ryan calling for a debate and vote on the multibillion dollar war raging in the middle east. One of the cosignatories, barbara lee wrote , our nation has become increasingly more embroiled in yet another costly and endless war in the middle east. The constitution is clear congress has a responsibility to debate and vote on matters of war and peace. The American People deserve better than a congress that abdicates this sacred responsibility. In a moment, we will be joined by representative barbara lee, democrat of california. Shes the chair of the congressional progressive caucus Peace Security task force, and the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. I believe she has just run down the hall, put on her microphone. Compass member verbally, welcome to congressmember barbara lee, welcome to democracy now it was a year ago today that president obama asked for a debate on war. What has happened since . Certainly, the war has expanded. Where is the permission . Thee were very pleased president asked for an authorization because many of us several years before that even font to try to get new authorization, understanding and seeing what was taking place as it relates to syria, libya, and the entire new front on this war. And it is very important to recognize that we have not had an authorization since the 2001 other reason authorization, which i voted against. I said it was a blank check. And it was. And now that authorization is being used to continue with these new wars. I think it is time that Congress Really do its job. The president has asked us to do our job. We wrote to the speaker several again ago, wrote to them yesterday. We have over 25 members, bipartisan, requesting for an authorization. It is time for the American People to demand that. Aaron could you tell us how this bigger has responded to your repeated requests . Date, we have, to not had a response, but ive heard the speakers say he was looking at bringing forward a new authorization. But we have not had a direct response, nor do we know his latest thinking. I would hope this bigger would understand, under his watch he said what we wanted called what we called regular order, wanted us to uphold our jobs as responsible members of congress. The constitution requires us to do that. Were hopeful the speaker will live up to his commitment to really do what the American People want. Amy you have written a petition, is that right . Yes, we have written a petition. People are signing the petition. Were asking people to really sign on. That is the power of the people in america. We want to have the voices of people heard here in the house of representatives and in the senate. Representative barbara lee, do you think of military response is the only way to deal with isis . Let me go back to the petition first. Endlesswar. Com. I have a resolution that really talks about a conference of strategy to address isis. No one bel