We will get the latest. Trump openly warns special Counsel Robert Mueller about investigating his familys finances. Looking at your finances and your familys finances. A breach i would say yes. Amy we will look at a new expose in the new republic titled married to the mob what trump owes the russia mafia. Plus, we will look at the republican budget, which aims to rewrite the tax code to favor the wealthy and slash from medicare and medicaid. All of that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Republican Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell said wednesday the is senate will vote next week on whether to repeal the Affordable Care act without a replacement, even though the bill currently lacks enough republican support to pass. Mcconnells announcement came after President Trump invited all 52 republican senators to the white house for lunchtime talks aimed at reviving stalled efforts on healthcare. There is large majority in our conference that want to demonstrate to the American People that they intend to keep the commitment they made an four straight elections to repeal obamacare. I think we all agree it is better to both repeal and replace, but we could have a vote on either. Amy mcconnells announcement came as the Congressional Budget Office warned 32 million americans would become uninsured over the next decade if obamacare is repealed without an alternative in place. 17 Million People would become uninsured next year alone. The analysis also found the cost of a medical insurance policy would increase 25 next year and double by 2026. Meanwhile, Police Arrested 155 is demonstrators across capitol hill on wednesday as hundreds held sitin protests targeting the offices of all 52 republican senators. Inside florida senator marco rubios office, protesters chanted, kill the bill dont kill us as they sat down and refused to leave before Capitol Police handcuffed them and dragged them away. Donald trump convened the president ial Advisory Commission on Election Integrity wednesday, in the face of weeks of controversy, seven lawsuits, and new calls for the resignation of its vicechairman, kansas secretary of state kris kobach. Trump said the commission will look into his allegations of voter fraud during the 2016 president ial election. Trump has claimed, without any evidence, that between 3 million and 5 million noncitizens voted unlawfully. The commission has been criticized by democrats and civil Rights Groups as a vehicle to suppress Voting Rights. Dozens of state lawmakers and civil Rights Groups denounced the group after it asked all 50 states to hand over detailed personal information about u. S. Voters. At least 45 states and the district of columbia have fully or partially refused the request. Thousands of voters reportedly removed themselves from state voting rolls, fearing their personal information would be shared with the Trump Administration. Well have more on President Trumps Election Commission later in the broadcast. President trumps soninlaw and senior adviser, jared kushner, has confirmed he will speak with the Senate IntelligenceCommittee Monday in a closeddoor session, as the Committee Investigates whether russia worked with Trump Associates to sway the november election. Later next week on wednesday, President Trumps oldest son, donald trump, jr. , and former Campaign Manager, Paul Manafort, are scheduled to appear before the committee in open session. President trump said wednesday he never would have nominated Jeff Sessions to be attorney general if he had known sessions was going to recuse himself from a Justice Department investigation into alleged ties between russia and trumps associates. The president made the remarks during a wideranging interview in the oval office with the New York Times. Pres. Trump Jeff Sessions takes the job, gets into the job, which,mself frankly, i think is very unfair to the president. How do you take a job and recuse yourself . If you would have done before the job i wouldve said, thanks, jeff, but im not going to take you. It is extremely unfair. That is a mild word. Amy President Trump also left open the possibility that he could order the Justice Department to fire special Counsel Robert Mueller, whos been assigned to investigate russias role in the 2016 election. This is trump being questioned again by New York Times reporters. Looking at your finances and your familys finances and related to russia. Is that a redline . Would that be a breach i would say yes. Amy President Trump also characterized a second, previously undisclosed meeting with russian president Vladimir Putin in germany earlier this month as a discussion about pleasantries that lasted just 15 minutes. That contradicts reports that the two spoke for roughly an hour. Longtime arizona senator and former republican president ial candidate john mccain has been diagnosed with a malignant form of brain cancer. Senator mccains office said wednesday the diagnosis came after mccain had surgery last week to remove a blood clot above his left eye. Mccain is reportedly weighing whether to undergo an aggressive treatment of radiation and chemotherapy and has not said when he might return to capitol hill. Mccains cancer the same form that claimed the lives of senator ted kennedy and Vice President joe bidens son beau biden. John mccain step archer last week left republicans with a narrow 51vote majority in the senate as President Trump pushes for votes on healthcare and tax cuts. The Supreme Court wednesday upheld harsh restrictions against refugees entering the United States while it considers the fate of President Trumps travel ban. The move will prevent, at least for now, an estimated 24,000 refugees from resettling in the u. S. The high court did uphold a lower court order that will grant exemptions to trumps ban on travelers from six majoritymuslim nations to include those with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives living in the u. S. In syria, the Trump Administration has ended a cia program to arm and train Syrian Rebels fighting the government of bashar alassad. The program was a central part of president obamas syria strategy. It came under fire when ciabacked rebels were routed by syrian forces, and as u. S. Weapons often wound up in the hands of isis and Al Qaidaaffiliated groups. Meanwhile, the journalistic Monitoring Organization airwars reports between seven and 12 civilians died in an alleged Coalition Airstrike on raqqa on monday. Airwars reports another attack, in deir ezzor, struck a school and killed three civilians. In cameroon, Amnesty International says elite government soldiers fighting boko haram militants have for years tortured prisoners at secret bases, including one used by american and french soldiers as by american and french soldiers near the cameroonnigeria border. Amnesty regional director Steven Coburn cited more than 100 cases in which former detainees described being held in agonizing stress positions, tied up and left for days in the open, beaten, drowned, electrocuted, and had their fingernails pulled out. Coburn says much of the torture played out at a base in salak, cameroon, where u. S. And french troops are frequently stationed. Directly involved in torture, but serious questions about what was known. Did they know there was torture taking place . Did they know people were being illegally detained . If so, what do they do about it . Did they reported or take measures to prevent it . These are big questions. War crimes are taking place under the nose of International Personnel on the base, and estates to be investigated. Amy among those reportedly tortured were women and children. Amnesty said dozens died from the abuse. As a president ial candidate, donald trump frequently voiced support for torture, promising to bring back waterboarding and a hell of a lot worse. In shenyang, china, foreign correspondents say theyve been harassed and intimidated by chinese authorities after they reported on the recent death of nobel peace laureate liu xiaobo. Liu died last week from liver cancer that went largely untreated while he served an 11year prison term for socalled subversion for calling for freedom of assembly, expression, and religion in china. In a statement, the Foreign Correspondents Club of china said members who covered lius death were escorted everywhere by plainclothes men who shamelessly followed them into restaurants and even bathrooms. Meanwhile, Chinese Government officials have cracked down on the encrypted phone messaging service whatsapp. Attempts to use video, photo and voice functions on whatsapp failed across much of china wednesday. The Chinese Government bans thousands of websites and operates the worlds most extensive system of online censorship, in what critics call great firewall of china. Back in the u. S. , in baltimore, maryland, one Police Officer has been suspended and two others placed on desk duty after newly surfaced body camera video appeared to show one of the officers planting drugs during an arrest last january. In the video, the officer identified by public defenders as Richard Pinheiro is seen stashing a soup container in a lot strewn with garbage as two of his colleagues look on. The officer then returns to the site and removes a plastic bag full of white capsules from the container. The officer was apparently unaware of a feature of his camera that stored 30 seconds of extra footage ahead of the moment he activated the device. After the videos release, prosecutors dropped heroin possession charges against a man whod been held in jail since january. In minneapolis, minnesota, newly released transcripts reveal 40yearold resident Justine Ruszczyk called 911 twice to report a possible Sexual Assault outside her home last saturday before she was shot dead by an officer responding to the emergency calls. According to the Minnesota Department of public safety, officer mohamed noor was startled by a loud sound shortly before ryszczyk approached his police cruiser. She was in her pajamas. Noor, who was seated in the passenger seat, shot ryszczyk through the open driversside window of the vehicle. Noor has apologized to the family of justine ryszczyk, who often went by her fiances last name, damand. Noor has declined to speak with investigators and has hired an attorney. Minneapolis mayor betsy hodges says thats left many questions in the killing unanswered. Whited out the survey noor draw and fire his gun . What happened from the time the officers arrived on the scene to when she was pronounced dead. Why dont we have footage from body cameras . Why were they not activated . We all want answers to those questions. Amy noor is the first somaliamerican officer in his precinct. The killing came just weeks after twin cities Police OfficerJeronimo Yanez was acquitted on manslaughter charges for shooting africanamerican motorist Philando Castile in 2016. And betty dukes, former walmart greeter who love the largest gender bias classaction lawsuit in u. S. History, has died at the age of 67. Dukes was the lead plaintiff in dukes versus walmart, case involving 1. 6 million female employees of walmart who said they were paid less and promoted less often than their male counterparts. The lawsuit just just by the Supreme Court in 2011 and a five to four ruling. This is betty dukes. I brought this case because i believe there was a pattern of discrimination at walmart, not just in my store, but i believe across the country. We have found other lawsuit since 2001. I have heard from numerous women telling me the same story as mine, disparaging treatment and lack of promotion as well as lack of pay. Amy and those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Nermeen and im nermeen shaikh. Welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. The republicancontrolled House Budget Committee approved the 2018 budget resolution wednesday. It would slash welfare spending, gut financial regulations, rewrite the tax code to favor the wealthy. The budget would also slash funding for medicaid and medicare over the next decade. In addition, the republican budget would add another 30 billion to trumps recordsetting 668 billion request for pentagon spending. The resolution passed along party lines. The budget faces opposition from both moderate and conservative republicans. This is Budget Committee chair diane black. Our budget this year is set to increase the spending for our military, because we know the military has been decimated over the last eight years. With all of the additional threat at we have around the world, we need to make sure our military is ready and that were making sure our men and women that are serving have what they need to serve. We are looking at this being a vehicle for tax reform, which is one of the things that all americans are looking forward to. Fair, simpler tax code. Amy meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office has warned 32 million americans would become uninsured over the next decade if obamacare is repealed without an alternative in place. 17 million would become uninsured next year alone. The analysis also found the cost of a medical insurance policy would increase 25 next year and double by 2026. The Republicancontrolled Senate has twice failed to pass a healthcare bill. To talk about the budget, healthcare, and more, were joined now by David Cay Johnston, pulitzer prizewinning Investigative Reporter previously with the New York Times, now founder and editor of dcreport. Org. His most recent piece is headlined, is this trumps vision for america . In his budget, you can see a country that looks like a police state. Johnstons biography of donald trump is titled the making of donald trump. ,elcome back to democracy now David Cay Johnston. Lets begin with health care. So much has changed in just a day. From it looking like the senate was just not going to deal with this, the republican bill collapsed, President Trump bringing them to a white house lunch the senators and amending that they pass, at least repeal, before they recess, but hopefully, a replacement as well. Can you talk about the latest of elements, not to mention the latest news john mccain, so essential to these votes, the republican senator from arizona being diagnosed with malignant cancer . John mccain has been a real conscience in the senate and a powerful force against corrupting influences, despite early in his career his own difficulties with not being careful about his relationship to donors. You learn his lesson and got better. What youre seeing the republicans do on health care is make it worse. There is not a single proposal in any of the various lands the republicans have put up, the once donald trump called beautiful and terrific, that would give more People Health care were Better Health care or lower the costs. That is because the republicans really dont have a plan. Obamacare, at its heart, is a republican idea. Make everyone buy insurance so there are no free riders and everyone shares in the cost, and subsidize those people who have incomes too small to afford insurance. Now, to put this in perspective, amy, if we had in america, the french or german universal Health Care Systems where everyone is covered, it would save an amount of money equal to all of the income taxes paid by everyone who makes less than 500,000 in year in america. About 550 thousand dollars. That is over 99 of the american public. System that routinely kills people through lack of care. The republicans goal is to fulfill their promise to their supporters that they were going to stop the provision o