We will speak with investigative three reporters who exposed the forprofitprisons substandard conditions and medical care. Then the olympics in rio where police are contradicting claims by olympic Gold Medalist swimmer ryan lochte that he and three other teammates were robbed by gunmen impersonating Police Officers. At this exact moment, what the police can say is there was no robbery the way the athletes reported. They were not victims of the criminal facts they described. The police can say that now. We will get reaction from the nations sports columnist dave zirin. His latest piece headlined ryan lochte is one of many privileged first world tourists and brazilians are fed up. All of that and more coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In a historic announcement, the Justice Department has told the bureau of prisons to end the use of private prisons. In a memo released yesterday, Deputy Attorney general sally eight road that private prisons simply do not provide the same level of correctional services, programs, and resources, do not save substantially on costs do not maintain the same level of safety and security as facilities operated by the bureau of prisons. This is former president bill clinton, speaking earlier this year about the need for prison reform. We need prison reform. He will tell you, we overdid it in putting too many young, nonviolent offenders in jail for too long. [applause] now federal government can set an example. This is something a lot of republicans agree. Let these people out of jail. Give them education, training. Amy that was bill clinton. Laws enacted during clintons presidency increased the National Prison population by more than 60 . The Justice Departments directive willffect 13 federal prisons, but does not mean all federal agencies will necessarily stop using private companies for detentions. The department of Homeland Securitys immigration and Customs Enforcement also uses private corrections industry, and is not included in the order. Well have more on this announcement after headlines with the Investigative Reporter seth freed wessler, democracy now s renee feltz, and shane bauer, who worked as a private prison guard and was himself imprisoned as a hostage prisoner in iran. U. S. Homeland security secretary jeh johnson visited parts of louisiana that were devastated by historic floods and said the federal government will help for as long as long as it takes for them to recover. At least 13 people were killed and more than 86,000 people have assistance,deral 40,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. This is secretary johnson speaking in baton rouge. Our hearts are broken, but our faith is strong. The federal government is here and we have been here, we will be here as long as it takes to help this community recover. Of people have returned to floodhit homes as waters have receded on thursday. About 4000 people were in shelters. The local paper has criticized president obama for continuing his vacation on Marthas Vineyard amidst the flooding, comparing his failure to visit the region to president george to travel tolure new orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In the editorial, the advocate wrote we have seen the story before louisiana and we dont deserve you sequel. Meanwhile in california, the blue cut fire is still raging your los angeles. Over the last two days, the fires has overtaken 36,000 acres and prompt of the evacuation of 80,000 people. So far, california fires have killed eight people and destroyed hundreds of homes. The major thoroughfare highway 138 remains closed. In news from the campaign trail, republican president ial candidate donald trump has said he regrets some of the remarks he has made. In recent weeks, trump has attacked the khan family, whose son was killed in iraq, suggested supporters of the Second Amendment shoot Hillary Clinton, and been abandoned by a number of prominent republicans as a result. This is donald trump speaking yesterday in north carolina. Mr. Trump sometimes in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you dont choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that. And believe it or not, i regret it. And i do regret it. Particularly, where it may have caused personal pain. Amy the Clinton Foundation will stop accepting International Donations if Hillary Clinton is elected president. Critics of clinton allege the foundation benefited inappropriately from her time as secretary of state. Former president bill clinton said he will also refrain from delivering paid speeches before the november election and will no longer give paid speeches if Hillary Clinton is elected president. Both clintons have been criticized for their high speaking fees. And a discussion has begun about whether the Clinton Foundation should be closed if Hillary Clinton is elected. The state department has said a plane filled with 400 million in cash for iran was leverage to ensure that five american prisoners held by iran were released. Republicans, including donald trump, have said the money was a ransom for the prisoners. The money was sent to iran in january. The Obama Administration has said the money was a preplanned transfer that was part of the landmark nuclear deal and that the negotiations regarding the two issues were separate. But state Department Spokesman john kirby has now said the moneys delivery was held up with concern karen would not fulfill its end of the agreement. Including implementation of the nuclear deal, the prisoner talks, and the settlement of an outstanding tribunal claim, which save american taxpayers digitally billions of dollars. As we said at the time, we deliberately leveraged that moment to finalize these outstanding issues nearly simultaneously. Amy the money is spent 02 entrances 1970s when the u. S. Refused to send weapons karen had already paid for. In news from the olympics, Brazilian Police have accused a group of u. S. Olympic swimmers of vandalism during an incident at a gas station last weekend and say they are considering whether to recommend charges against the white john mann, which include against the four men, which includes Gold Medalists ryan lochte. The swimmers told authorities they were robbed by gunmen impersonating Police Officers in the early hours of sunday as they returned in a taxi to the athletes village from a party in rio. However, after an investigation, rio police said there had been no robbery. U. S. Olympic committee ceo Scott Blackmun said in a statement we apologize to our hosts in rio and the people of brazil for this distracting ordeal in the midst of what should rightly be a celebration of excellence. This comes as the Olympic Games enters its final weekend in rio. There have been a number of historic firsts for american athletes. For the first time ever, american women placed first, second, and third in the 100 meter olympic hurdles. The runners brianna rollins, nia ali, and Kristi Castlin are all African American. The American OlympicGymnastics Team also made history. The socalled final five womens Gymnastics Team concluded their run in rio with a historic nine medals. They are the most diverse Gymnastics Team to ever represent the united states. Simone biles and Gabby Douglas are africanamerican. New jerseyborn Lauren Hernandez is of puerto rican descent. Madison kocian and aly raisman are white. Well have more on the olympics later in the broadcast with dave zirin. In turkey, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused followers of u. S. Based turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen of being involved in attacks by kurdish militants that killed 10 people in the countrys southeast. Erdogan has already accused gulens supporters of planning a failed military coup last month. But it is the first time he has linked the coup supporters to the kurdistan workers party, more commonly called the pkk. Turkey has fought a war against the pkk since the 1980s. Erdogan offered no evidence to back up the claim, but called again on thursday for the u. S. To extradite gulen so he can stand trial in turkey. There is no need for further delay. The development in our country are going toward a different direction, a Strategic Partner should not make things different difficult for a Strategic Partner. On the contrary, they should facilitate. Amy that was turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The state department has said it is considering the extradition request. Gulen lives in its of a now. In yemen, Doctors Without Borders says it will withdraw staff from six hospitals in the north of the country after an airstrike by the u. S. Backed saudicoalition hit one of the hospitals, killing 19. The attack was the fourth and monday deadliest on the groups facilities in yemen. Doctors without borders has said it provided the saudis coordinates of their hospitals in order to avoid accidental strikes and that they are not satisfied with saudi claims that the strikes are accidental. The group said local staff will continue to operate the hospitals. This is Doctors Without Borders legal director francoise bouchetsaulnier. But it is devastating for the medical personnel and for our ability to maintain medical capacity and a country that are affected. If a civilian cannot be treated, they have no other choice but to flee. Whene wants to receive it is a realf nightmare. Amy in news on syria, a viral image of 5yearold boy who survived a Syrian Government airstrike is once more drawing International Attention to the plight of civilians there. The photo shows the boy, omran daqneesh, caked in dust and blood. He sits alone in the back of an ambulance, staring directly ahead in shock. The boy lives in the aleppo, where the Syrian Government and rebels are involved in a fierce battle for control of syrias largest city. Some have pointed out that last year, a picture of dead twoyearold syrian boy on a turkish beach garnered widespread attention and outrage, but did not result in any changes. Alan kurdi died while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea with his family, but the number of deaths of refugees on the mediterranean this year has increased significantly from last year. In mexico, the countrys National HumanRights Commission has said federal Police Killed at least 22 people on a ranch last year before moving the bodies and planting guns to support the official account that the deaths happened in a gun battle. One Police Officer was killed in the confrontation, which took place in the state of michoacan. Federal police have been implicated in other mass killings in the past two years. The government has said the dead were suspected members of a drug cartel. The Commission Said officers also tortured at least two suspects. In los angeles, video has emerged of police choking 56yearold African American man vachel howard shortly before he died. The Police Department has suppressed the release of the video. Howard died in a Los Angeles Police jail in 2012. The video shows the grandfather of seven handcuffed to a bench after having been stripsearched. Howard was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. The video does not show how the altercation between howard and officers began, but does show six officers pinning howard to the ground before he died. It also shows them laughing as he lay motionless on the ground before medical help arrives. A coroner listed three causes of death for howard cocaine intoxication, heart disease, and the chokehold used by officer juan romero. Romero was suspended for 22 days but prosecutors decided not to , press charges against him. In 2015, the city of los angeles agreed to pay howards family nearly 3 million to settle a wrongful death claim. In media news, the digital outlet gawker will shut down next week. Gawker was ordered to pay 140 million in a lawsuit for publishing the sex tape of wrestler hulk hogan. Hogans lawsuit was financially backed by Silicon Valley billionaire peter thiel, who was outed as gay by a nowdefunct gawker blog. And in north dakota, indigenous activists gathered in the capital bismarck thursday to protest the proposed 3. 8 billion Dakota Access pipeline, which they say would threaten to contaminate the missouri river. The activists also responded to recent claims by Morton County sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier that there have been reports of weapons at sacred stone spirit camp. Turning into a known lawful protest with some of and the lawful protest and has been compromised up to this point. We have had incidents and reports of weapons, of type bonds, of some shots fired. Amy at thursdays protest, activists denounced the sheriffs claims, saying their actions were nonviolent and there were no weapons at the camp. This is tara houska, National Campaigns director for honor the earth. People are here to stand in prayer. For their children insurance children. Water is life. [inaudible] there is dancing and singing. At the same time, everything is peaceful. [inaudible] amy more than 1000 indigenous activists from dozens of different tribes across the country have traveled to the spirit camp. The protests have so far shut construction along parts of the pipeline. This comes as on activists from thursday, the Pine Ridge Reservation in south dakota reported experiencing traffic checkpoints manned by state and local police who stopped cars to look for tribal members planning to travel to north dakota. Activists said more than 100 cars were stopped and those suspected of heading toward the protest were turned back. To see our interview with indigenous leaders, go to democracynow. Org. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Juan and im juan gonzalez. Welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. We begin with news that some are calling a major reversal of u. S. Prison policy. On thursday, the Justice Department announced it plans to phase out the use of privatelyrun federal prisons. In a memo describing the policy shift, Deputy Attorney general janet yates said research showed private prisons simply do not provide the same level of correctional services, programs, and resources and do not save substantially on costs either. Yates added that government education and Training Programs for prisoners proved difficult to replicate and outsource in the private sector. In the memo, she said as the contracts for 13 private federal facilities come to the end of their terms over the next five years, the bureau should either decline to renew that contract or substantially reduce its scope. Some 22,000 federal prisoners out of a total of 193,000 will eventually be impacted by the move. Most are immigrants convicted of crossing the border without permission charges that currently account for 50 of all federal prosecutions. Amy the department of justice announcement will have no direct impact on private immigrant detention facilities, which contract with the department of Homeland Security. It also has no direct bearing on contracts for privatelyrun prisons at the state level, which house less than 7 of the total state prison population. But the news still sent stocks plummeting Corrections Corporation of america, the geo group, and Management Training corporation, which operate the 13 federal prisons. Cca issued a Statement Today saying we are disappointed with the bops decision to reduce its utilization of privately operated facilities to meet their capacity needs, and believe our Value Proposition remains strong. At this time the contracts at the three facilities cca operates on behalf of the bop remain unchanged, and the bop will determine whether to extend these contracts at the end of their respective contract terms. The statement noted the contracts account for 7 of ccas total annual revenue. All of this comes after a report released last week by the federal