Business. If you want to clect a drug debt, you cannot follow lawsuit in court. You collect it with the barrel of a gun. Amy as attorney general Jeff Sessions vows a major revival of the war on drugs, well spend speak with susan burton. She spent 15 years cycling in of prison after her fiveyearold son was run over and killed. She has written a book about her life experience, becoming ms. Burton from prison to recovery to leading the fight for incarcerated women. I believe in rehabilitation, not only for drug addiction, but for other areas. And we cannot continue to warehouse people and not provide ,evels of rehabilitation reentry services, training, jobs, and allow them to be an economy indd to this america. Amy we will also speak with Michelle Alexander, author of, the new jim crow mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. Is has described susan burton as a modernday Harriet Tubman. We have got to build an underground railroad for people returning home from prison. In underground railroad. Courageous people like susan burton have been doing this work for a long time. She is building the underground railroad. But we all need to take part in that. Amy all of that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In sweden, prosecutor friday dropped the investigation into allegations of Sexual Misconduct by wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Assange has always denied the allegations, which he is called a pretext for his ultimate extradition to the u. S. To face prosecution under the espionage act. Since 2012, assange has taken refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in london. Its not clear whether assange will emerge any time soon. Wikileaks tweeted friday u. K. Refuses to confirm or deny whether it has already received a u. S. Extradition warrant for Julian Assange. Focus now moves to u. K. Last month, u. S. Attorney general Jeff Sessions confirmed that the u. S. Has prepared a warrant for assange, calling his arrest a priority. And washington, d. C. , President Donald Trump has assailed his critics thursday over a series of scandals that have rocked his administration, calling an investigation into alleged ties between russia and Trump Associates a witch hunt. Speaking at a white house News Conference alongside colombias president , trump said he respected the Justice Departments decision to name a special counsel to the investigation, but denied he personally colluded with russia. Pres. Trump well, i respect the move, but the entire thing has been a witch hunt. There is no collusion between certainly myself and my campaign, but i can always speak for myself and the russians zero. Amy asked if he urged former fbi director james comey to close or to back down the fbis investigation into trumps former National Security adviser, michael flynn, the president responded flatly, no. The statement directly contradicts a memo comey drafted after a valentines Day Oval Office meeting, in which trump reportedly asked comey to end the investigation into flynns ties to russian officials. On thursday, the New York Times published new details of comeys interactions with the president before trump fired him on may 9. The times reports trump called comey weeks before his inauguration, urging comey to state publicly that trump was not personally under investigation. On capitol hill, House Minority leader nancy pelosi said thursday shes worried the trump the white house good try to influence newlyappointed special Counsel Robert Mueller as he investigates possible ties between Trump Officials and russia. Im concerned that director mueller will still be subject to the supervision of the trump appointed leadership at the Justice Department. We must remain vigilant to protect the integrity of the mueller investigation. A special prosecutor cannot take the place of a truly independent outside commission that is completely free from the Trump Administrations meddling. Amy Robert Mueller was appointed by Deputy Attorney general Rod Rosenstein after attorney general Jeff Sessions claimed to have recused himself from the russia investigation. On thursday, rosenstein briefed senators and a closeddoor meeting. Afterwards, democratic senator rosenstein said revealed he wrote a memo recommending the termination of fbi director comey after trump had already decided to fire him. Before heed comey wrote the memo . He just said on may 8, he led the president was going to terminate comey. Amy rosensteins memo was dated may 9. Last week, President Trump contradicted his staffs account of comeys ouster, telling nbc news he had decided to fire comey regardless of the Justice Departments recommendations. President trump leaves for the middle east today on the first overseas trip of his presidency. Trumps first stop will be riyadh, the capital of saudi arabia, where hes expected to announce a 110 billion deal. The deal was brokered by trumps soninlaw and senior adviser, jared kuchner, and reuters reports it could see as much as 300 billion in weapons sold to the saudi monarchy over the next decade. The deal comes as the pentagon continues to support a saudiled Bombing Campaign in yemen, where years of fighting has decimated yemens health, water, sewage and sanitation systems. , the u. N. Says around 19 million of yemens 28 Million People need some form of aid, with many of them at risk of famine. In media news, former fox news chair and ceo roger ailes, who molded the network into a vast rightwing media empire, died thursday at the age of 77. Ailes resigned from fox news last july after he was accused of Sexual Harassment by more than 20 women, including fox news anchors megyn kelly, andrea tantaros, and gretchen carlson. Fox ultimately paid out 45 million to settle the claims. Ailes began his career as a Republican Party operative as a consultant for president richard nixon. Over the decades, he advised other republican president s including ronald reagan, george h. W. Bush and donald trump. , trp has called ailes a frnd a hasefended ailes after the harassment allegations. Back in washington, the fcc voted 21 thursday, along Political Party lines, to begin a ocess to rlaceet neutrality rules that were adopted in 2015 to keep the internet open and prevent Corporate Service providers from blocking access to websites, slowing down content or , providing paid fast lanes for internet service. In response, free press president craig aaron warned the proposal would take away the rights of internet users, saying the federal courts rejected this kind of approach twice when the fcc tried it before. Meanwhile, an awardwinning reporter is speaking out after he was attacked and forced to leave the federal Communications Commission headquarters thursday, all for trying to ask a question. John donnelly of cq roll call said he tried to ask fcc commissioner Michael Orielly a question after a News Conference had ended. But two fcc security guards reportedly pinned donnelly against the wall until orielly had passed. Donnelly said orielly witnessed the incident and kept walking. Donnelly is chair of the National Press clubs press freedom team and president of the military Reporters Editors association. He issued a statement after the attack, saying i have been working as a reporter in this town for years and dealing with the top leaders in our government every day and in the hustle and bustle of press scrums. Ive never been in a situation where simply asking a question was treated as a crime. In washington, d. C. , newly published video shows turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan looking on as members of his security detail assaulted a group of Peaceful Protesters outside the turkish ambassadors residence. The violence left nine antierdogan protesters hospitalized. Its not clear if erdogan gave the order for the attack. Among those assaulted were american Diplomatic Security officers assigned to protect erdogans delegation. Police briefly detned the assailants, but released them after learning they held diplomatic immunity. The assault came shortly after erdogan was welcomed to the white house by President Trump. During the meeting, trump did not mention turkeys deteriorating human rights situation, which has seen nearly 50,000 people and 150 journalists arrested since a failed coup last summer. In syria, u. S. Warplanes bombed a convoy of progovernment militia members thursday, in what appears to be the Trump Administrations third attack on president bashar alassads forces. The pentagon says it ordered airstrikes after the convoy came too close to a zone where the u. S. And british troops are training syrian rebels. The assault drew fire from some lawmakers, including California DemocraticCongress Member ted lieu, who tweeted if true, this is frickin illegal. Trump does not have congressional authorization to attack syria, a country that has not attacked u. S. In brazil, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of rio de janeiro, sao paolo, and other cities thursday, demanding the resignation of president michel temer over a corruption scandal. Out. Want temer we want everyone who is corrupt out as well because this congress is a group of thugs. It is not worth it to just make temer go to justin have commerce but of another in his place. Amy there are growing calls for temers impeachment, after the newspaper o globo reported the president was secretly recorded approving hushmoney payoffs for a powerful politician jailed on corruption charges. Temer on thursday refused to step down, even as Brazils Supreme Court released the audio tape and said it was investigating him for bribery of a potential witness. At no moment did i authorize anyone to be paid so that they would remain quiet. I did not buy the silence of anyone. Were very simple reason, exactly and precisely, because i am not afraid of any testimony. Amy resilient president brazilian president temer said he should remain in office to help end brazils recession, the longest in its history. The claim came as brazils stock market halted trading early after it plunged by more than thursday 10 on news of the corruption scandal. In venezuela, National Guard troops used tear gas and Water Cannons thursday as antigovernment protesters marched on the interior ministry in the capital caracas. Across town, medical workers evacuated three newborns and one pregnant woman in labor from a Maternity Hospital besieged by opposition protesters. It was the latest violence that has seen fit to three people killed. In washington, President Trump said the u. S. Could intervene in venezuelas political crisis. Pres. Trump we will be working with colombia and other countries on the venezuelan problem. It is a very, very horrible problem. And from a humanitarian standpoint, it is like nothing we have seen in quite a long time. Amy on thursday, the Trump Administration announced sanctions against eight Members Court court afterme they ruled in january that Opposition Party members were in contempt of the constitution that remove them from power. President maduro has accused the u. S. Of supporting opposition parties to mount a coup. In greece, the parliament on thursday narrowly approved a fresh round of austerity measures demanded by the nations creditors in exchange for a bailout. The deal was backed by Prime Minister alexis tsipras, whose syriza party campaigned on an antiausterity platform. We feel that we are on the final step. Nobody is denying, nobody doubts that this agreement has typical these. However, it does open a path in front of us. Amy outside the parliament, antiausterity anger boiled over into protest. Police fired tear gas to beat back a crowd of more than ten 10,000 people demanding a new government. Is no other solution but revolution. They have taken everything from us will step the pseudoleft us are finishing us all. Goa thing we can do is resist and revolt. The government must resign him eagerly. The people demand the resignation. Amy the latest round of austerity will see taxes rise and pensions slashed further. Eurozone finance ministers will decide on monday whether to disburse another 8 billion in bailout funds. In fresno, California Police are , investigating the murder of 34yearold Imer Alvarado as a possible hate crime. Alvarado was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds several blocks from the fresno gay bar the alibi early wednesday morning. Police described alvarado as a transgender woman, though friends describe alvarado as a gay man. Alvarados killing is the 11th reported murder of a transgender or nongender conforming person in the u. S. So far this year. And u. S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning on thursday tweeted the first photo of her new look as a free woman after serving seven years in mensonly army prisons. The photo shows manning wearing a black top, lipstick and mascara, with the caption, okay, so here i am everyone and the hashtag helloworld. While in custody, manning spent years battling the pentagon for the right to transition to a woman, winning the right to hormone therapy treatment in early 2015. Although president obama in january commuted her 35year prison sentence, manning is the longestheld whistleblower in u. S. History. 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 theorld. We begin today show with news from sweden where prosecutor on friday dropped an investigation into allegations of Sexual Misconduct by wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Assange has denied the allegations, which equals a pretext for his ultimate extradition to the United States to face prosecution under the espionage act. Since 2012, a sauce has taken refuge in the Ecuadoran Embassy in london. It is not there whether he will emerge any time soon. Amy wikileaks tweeted friday last month, u. S. Attorney general Jeff Sessions confirmed the u. S. Is prepared a warrant for assange, calling his arrest a priority. For more, were joined by democracy now video stream, a Courage Foundation trustee and human rights lawyer that has been advising wikileaks and Julian Assange under the director of the former spanish et,ge who has indicted pinoch bush adm grounds. Welcome to democracy now thank you for joining us from berlin, germany. Your response to this stunning news out of sweden . I cannot hide my smile, to be honest. It is such a week to celebrate. A week to celebrate. In ais a small victory long road to free Julian Assange and all of the people working for wikileaks, but it will finally help us lawyers to focus on the main issue, which is the persecution, political persecution, and prosecution of Julian Assange in the United States. We are ready now for the battle. It was long overdue decision from swedish courts. Even the United Nations told them to do so more than one year potentialclare his arbitrary. For the second time, we can say that he is innocent in the system. He has never been charged of a crime. We hope that this will tell people to focus on the issues of matters in this case, which is our right and his right to publish. Juan renata avila, what about the issue of a possible u. S. Warrant for Julian Assange . Is are in a responsibility on the part of the government to advise you or any of his other attorneys about the existence of a warrant of such kind . We know how this operates. The investigation wikileaks. Gainst wikileaks it was all caps in extreme secrecy. It is a secret grand jury. Suspect it is already there. Email remember for the revelations, there was confirmation of an indictment. We have over time, through freedom of information request, found evidence of this investigation. It is clear from sessions statement and clear from others statements that it is imminent. But now the battle that we have to fight is the right of asylum. Julian assange has been granted asylum by ecuador. The