Concerned it could be leaked or compromised. His donald trump at war with his own intelligence agencies . The Intelligence Community, they have six ways from sunday and getting back at you. So even for a practical supposedly hardnosed businessman, he is being really dumb to do this. Amy we will speak with Glenn Greenwald of the intercept. His most recent hes is headlined, the leakers who exposed gen. Flynns lie committed serious and wholly justified felonies. All of that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. President donald trump on wednesday ended a longstanding u. S. Commitment to the establishment of a palestinian state, saying he had no preference for either a onestate or twostate solution to the israelipalestinian conflict. Trumps comment came during a joint News Conference at the white house with israeli Prime Minister benjamin netanyahu. Pres. Trump looking at a two state and one state, and i like the one that both parties like. Im very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one. I thought for a while thethe two state looks like it might be the easier of the two, but honestly, ifb and the Palestinians Israel and the palestinians are happy, i am happy with the one they like the best. Amy israel continues to annex palestinian lands to construct jewishonly settlements, leading many observers, including former secretary of state john kerry, to say a twostate solution may no longer be viable. But trumps remarks represented a break from twenty years of official u. S. Support for a palestinian state. Alongside israel. In the west bank, chief palestinian negotiator saeb erekat responded to President Trumps comments. Those who believe that they can undermine the twostate solution and replace it with what i call one state, two systems, maintaining the status quo now, i dont think in the 21st century they will get away with it. Amy in a statement, the group jewish voice for peace said today trump and netanyahu spoke of their shared values of democracy and respect for human rights. These are alternative facts. Their shared values are in reality a shared agenda of walls, militarism, xenophobia, racism, antimuslim bigotry, and borders closed to refugees. On capitol hill, lawmakers are ratcheting up their demands for an investigation into alleged ties between senior aides to donald trump and russian officials. Republican senator Chuck Grassley of iowa joined California Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein wednesday in a letter to the Justice Department asking for transcripts of former National Security advisor Michael Flynns calls with the Russian Ambassador last before trumps inauguration. December the call broke u. S. Law and led to flynns resignation on monday. At wednesdays press conference, President Trump defended flynn. Pres. Trump Michael Flynn, general flynn, is a wonderful man. I think he has been treated very, very unfairly by the media. As i called it, the fake media, in many cases. Sad thing is a really that he was treated so badly. Amy trumps comments came a day after his press Secretary Sean Spicer said the level of trust between the president and flynn had eroded to the point where trump had to demand flynns resignation. The wall street journal is reporting u. S. Intelligence officials are withholding sensitive intelligence from President Trump because they are concerned it could be leaked or compromised. The New York Times is reporting trump is considering ordering a review of the nations intelligence agencies led by stephen feinberg, a billionaire private equity executive who is close to Stephen Bannon and jared kushner. The turmoil surrounding flynns firing through an alarming, from the head of u. S. Special Operations Command general raymond thomas, told military conference in maryland our inernment continues to be unbelievable turmoil. I hope they sort it out soon because we are a nation at war. In moscow, kremlin officials denied any contacts with the Trump Campaign in the runup to novembers election. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is meeting trumps newly minted secretary of state, former exxonmobil ceo rex tillerson, during talks in bonn today. Tillerson is expected to confront lavrov over russias annexation of the ukrainian province of crimea in 2014. Meanwhile, russias military has deployed a secret new group capable Cruise Missile violates a landmark 1987 arms reduction treaty the between the u. S. And russia. That is according to the New York Times, which reports the new weapon threatens to derail any future Arms Treaties with russia and has the pentagon considering whether to develop mediumrange Cruise Missiles of its own. Meanwhile, the u. S. Navy says it is tracking a russian intelligence vessel that has come within 30 miles of the coast of connecticut. The ship appears to be spying on u. S. Submarine base. Fast food ceo Andrew Puzder has withdrawn his nomination as labor secretary one day before his confirmation hearing was set to begin. Puzder was facing increasing criticism for reports of widespread Sexual Harassment at his chain restaurants, as well as labor and safety violations. Hes also under fire for allegations of Domestic Violence against his exwife, who even appeared on the the Oprah Winfrey show in disguise in 1990 to speak about being abused. The website politico published video of the appearance on wednesday. The most frightening thing was leaving because once i made that break and once i made it public remember, my exhusband was a public figure. Everyone knew him and knew what he was doing. Once i made that public, he vowed revenge. He said, i will see you in the gutter. You will pay for this. I wound up losing everything. Amy vermont independent senator Bernie Sanders praised puzders decision to step down, saying we need a secretary of labor who is going to fight to raise the minimum wage to a living wage of 15 an hour and pay equity for women. We dont need a labor secretary who makes millions while his workers are paid starvation wages. Cnn is reporting the pentagon is considering a plan to deploy Ground Troops to syria. The u. S. Has already authorized up to 500 special Operation Forces in syria, but the pentagon plan under consideration would allow for a large conventional force. The President Trump has given defense secretary james mattis until the end of the month to come up with a plan to fight isis. In yemen, a pair of u. S. Backed Saudiled Coalition airstrikes ripped through a funeral reception overnight, killing eight women and a child. Witnesses say a second airstrike targeted emergency workers responding to the initial attack. This is survivor hameed aly. The people are still looking under the rubble, like you see. Each one is looking for their child or sister. This all happened from the bombing. There are nine victims and theyre still searching for more. There are dozens of injured in the hospital. Amy the Saudiled Coalition battling Yemens Houthi rebels has the support of the United States. The United Nations warns the Bombing Campaign and naval blockade has devastated yemens infrastructure and has left 12 Million People facing the threat of famine. In iraq, a suicide bomber in a pickup truck detonated in baghdads sadr city wednesday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 50 others. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but isis has claimed similar attacks targeting shiite communities in recent months. In malaysia, police have arrested a third suspect in the apparent assassination of the estranged halfbrother of north Korean Leader kim jong in. Kim jong nam said he was sprayed in the face at the airport. He became disoriented from the poisoning and suffered a seizure before dying en route to a nearby hospital. Kim jong nam was the eldest son of former ruler kim jongil. He became estranged from north koreas ruling dynasty in 2001 after he was caught using a forged passport to enter japan, where he told officials he hoped he became estranged from north south korean officials believe the north korean regime long sought to assassinate kim. In texas, agents with immigration and customs enforcement, or ice, entered the El Paso County courthouse last week in order to arrest an undocumented woman who had gone to court seeking a protective order against her alleged domestic abuser. County attorney Jo Anne Bernal said wednesday she fears the move sets a precedent that will see undocumented survivors of Domestic Assault stay with their abusers, rather than risk deportation and separation from their families. Meanwhile, in denver, colorado an undocumented mother of four , sought refuge in a church after ice officials denied her wednesday request to remain in the country. Jeanette vizguerra skipped a scheduled checkin with ice officials and instead brought her family to the First Unitarian Society church where , she addressed supporters. Is the system thinks it can break me, this system is wrong because you can see the reason behind me, why i am fighting so hard to win my case. And i know that i am not alone. There are many people in the community and in immigrant communitys who share my anger and my passion for justice. Amy vizguerra came to the u. S. From mexico in 1997. She previously won five postponements of deportation, but said wednesday she doubts she could win a similar reprieve under the Trump Administration. In washington, d. C. , the senate is expected to narrowly confirm congressman Mick Mulvaney as head of the white house budget office. Mulvaney is a Tea Party Republican from South Carolina who is opposed by the entire Senate Democratic caucus. After mulvaneys confirmation vote, the senate is scheduled to take up the nomination of Oklahoma Attorney general scott pruitt to head the Environmental Protection agency. Democrats are calling for a delay on the vote while a Court Decides whether to force pruitts office to turn over email communications with coal, oil and gas companies. , meanwhile, republican senator Susan Collins of maine said wednesday shell vote against pruitt. But the defection wont be enough to derail his confirmation, and senator joe manchin of West Virginia has said hell become the lone democrat to vote in favor of pruitt. The front runner to become science advisor to President Trump called climate scientists a glassyeyed cult and falsely accused the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration of manipulating climate data. Princeton university physicist William Happer made the remarks in an interview published wednesday by the guardian, saying theres a whole area of climate socalled science that is really more like a cult. Its like hare krishna or Something Like that. Theyre glassyeyed and they chant. Happer supports prohibiting federallyfunded scientists from communicating their findings to the public. The Standing Rock sioux tribe has filed a fresh legal challenge to the Dakota Access pipeline, asking a federal judge in washington, d. C. , to block an easement allowing construction on the final leg of the 3. 8 billion project. Tuesdays lawsuit came a day after a judge threw out a separate legal challenge calling for a temporary restraining order against construction. The legal fight came as a Top Executive with the Company Building the Dakota Access pipeline on wednesday compared his opponents to terrorists. In a written statement submitted to congress, Energy Transfer partners executive Vice President joey mahmoud accused water protectors of violence, and blasted them for shutting down pipeline pumping stations. Mahmoud wrote had these actions been undertaken by foreign nationals, they could only be described as acts of terrorism. In medical news patients , advocates have launched legal challenges to patents on hepatitis c drugs in india and argentina, saying pharmaceutical companies are profiting from monopoly prices that leave millions unable to afford lifesaving medications. In a statement, medicines sans frontiers, or doctors without borders, said there are 80 Million People worldwide living with hepatitis c, and we need a wide range of combination treatments available at an affordable price. With patents blocking generic competition, treatment remains prohibitively expensive in many countries. And investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill has canceled a his appearance on real time with bill maher after the hbo program scheduled White Nationalist and Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos to appear on the same episode. In a statement, scahill said there is no value in debating him. Appearing on real time will provide yiannopoulos with a large, important platform to openly advocate his racist, antiimmigrant campaign. Yiannopouloss appearance could also be used to incite violence against immigrants, transgender people, and others at a time when the Trump Administration is already seeking to formalize a war against some of the most Vulnerable People in our society. Jeremy scahill is cofounder of the intercept and a former producer and correspondent with democracy now and those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Nermeen welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. We turn now to look at the growing scandal over the Trump Administrations alleged dealings with russia before and after the november election. There have been a number of developments in the past 24 hours. The wall street journal is reporting u. S. Intelligence officials are withholding sensitive intelligence from President Trump because they are concerned it could be leaked or compromised. The New York Times is reporting trump is considering ordering a review of the nations intelligence agencies led by stephen feinberg, a billionaire private equity executive who is close to Stephen Bannon and jared kushner. Meanwhile, trump has publicly defended Michael Flynn who resigned monday as National Security advisor after admitting he gave Vice President mike pence and others incomplete information about his calls with the Russian Ambassador in december. Trump spoke about flynn during his press conference with israeli Prime Minister benjamin netanyahu. Pres. Trump Michael Flynn general flynn is a wonderful man. I think he is been treated very, very unfairly by the media. As i call it, the fake media in many cases. I think it is really a sad thing that he was treated so badly will stop i think in addition to , papersom intelligence are being leaked. It is criminal action. A criminal act. It is been going on for a longtime before me. But now it is really going on. And people are trying to cover up for a terrible loss that the democrats had under Hillary Clinton. I think it is very very unfair what has happened to general flynn, the way he was treated, and the documents and papers that were illegally i stress that illegally leaked. Very, very unfair. Amy trumps comments came just a day aft