While defending his response to white supremacist rally in charlottesville. We will go to phoenix to get response. Then we go behind the scenes with alec baldwin, the man who impersonates trump on saturday night live. My neck gets sore. I will sit in the room for 30 minutes going, fantastic. Fantastic. Really trying to get my mouth in that zone. Push your face out like youre in the movie alien. Amy we will talk about trump, media, and why alec baldwin may run for office someday. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In phoenix, arizona, thousands of people poured into the streets outside the Phoenix ConventionCenter Tuesday night to protest president Trumps Campaign style rally. During his speech, trump defended his response to the deadly white supremacist rally in charlottesville, virginia. He also spent at least 20 minutes attacking the Corporate Media and its coverage of his response to last weekends events in charlottesville. Trump read from a printout of remarks he made on three separate occasions, yet omitted that he blamed both sides for the violence. Trump did not pardon notorious Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio on tuesday as many had expected. But during his speech, he did speak highly of the sheriff, who has been convicted of contempt of court for defying a court order to stop his deputies from racial profiling. Pres. Trump by the way, im just curious. Do the people in this room like sheriff joe . [cheers] was sheriff joe convicted for doing his job . [cheers and boos] he should have had a jury, but you know what . I will make a prediction. I think he is going to be just fine, ok . But i wont do it tonight because i dont want to cause any controversy. Is that ok . All right . Amy that is donald trump hinting he might be pardoning sheriff arpaio, a major supporter of Donald Trumps policies have included racial profiling and attaining immigrants in a scorching outdoor tent city jail, which arpaio once referred to as his own concentration camp. During trumps speech, Police Attacked the thousands of protesters with tear gas and pepper balls. There are also some reports that the police fired rubbercoated steel bullets at the protesters. We will go to phoenix after headlines for more on the protests and trumps speech. Meanwhile, in a victory for educators and ethnic studies advocates, a federal judge has ruled the state of arizona violated students 1st and 14th amendment rights by eliminating a mexicanamerican studies program from tucson Public Schools. In 2010, arizona passed a controversial law banning the teaching of any class designed for a particular ethnic group that would promote resentment toward a race or class of people. The law ended up eliminating tucsons Ethnic Studies Program and banning seven books from Public Schools, including rethinking columbus the next 500 years, shakespeares play the tempest, pedagogy of the oppressed by paulo freire, and chicano the history of the Mexican American civil rights movement. A slew of rightwing and white supremacist rallies have been canceled across the country following the massive nationwide protests against White Supremacy. On saturday, up to 40,000 people poured into the streets around the Boston Common to protest a planned rally by White Nationalists. The flood of counterprotesters so overwhelmed the White Nationalist rally that aerial photos show only a handful of the extremists even showed up, and that they spent the day huddled in a gazebo on the Boston Common. Thousands more rallied over the weekend against White Supremacy in dozens of other u. S. Cities. In response, farright and White Nationalist groups have canceled 67 upcoming rallies, saying they will instead be held online. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania State university has become the fourth university to refuse a speaking request by White Nationalist richard spencer, since the rally white supremacist on august 12. A lastminute stay of execution was issued for death row prisoner Marcellus Williams, only hours before he was slated to be put to death tuesday night. The stay of execution came after dna found on the murder weapon did not match williams, but instead matched another man. Williams, who is african american, was convicted in 2001 of killing a former st. Louis postdispatch reporter lisha gayle, who is white, during a robbery. He was convicted by 11 white jurors and 1 black juror, after the prosecution was allowed to preemptively strike out other six prospective black jurors. Williams has always maintained his innocence. Amnesty international and other groups are now urging Governor Greitens to grant Marcellus Williams clemency. More information is emerging about the deliberations that led to President Trumps new commitment to the ongoing war in afghanistan, the longest war in u. S. History. In a televised address monday night, President Trump announced the u. S. Is doubling down on the war, a reversal from his earlier position that we should leave afghanistan immediately. The Washington Post reports that one of the arguments that swayed trumps position was a 1972 photo, showed to the president by National Security advisor general h. R. Mcmaster, of afghan women wearing miniskirts walking through kabul. Mcmaster reportedly used the photo to convince trump that western values, or at least outfits, could exist in afghanistan. In response, afghan journalist ali latifi, who is based in kabul, said the use of the photo was sexist, saying but then again, its the reality host who said grab em by the pussy. the United NationsChildrens Fund says the power shortages in the gaza strip have reduced access to water by onethird in recent months, in the midst of a sweltering summer heat wave. The israeli governmentimposed power reductions have also disrupted the functioning of hundreds of water and wastewater facilities, causing the number of waterborne cases of diarrhea to double for children under the age of three. The United Nations has warned the gaza strip has become unlivable for its 2 million residents. In south asia, historic flooding has killed up to 800 people this month in india, bangladesh, and nepal. International aid groups say up to 24 Million People have been affected. Nearly 50,000 homes have been destroyed in bangladesh alone, where a full onethird of the country is underwater. The red crescent says its the worst flooding in bangladeshs history. Massive swaths of farmland have also been inundated, wiping out crops and sparking concerns about food security. Scientists have linked increasing rainfall and deadly flooding in south asia to climate change. The United States has denied egypt nearly 100 million in military funding and other aid, citing the deteriorating human rights conditions under egyptian president abdel fattah alsisi. The u. S. Has withheld another nearly 200 million in Foreign Military financing, saying it if the money would be released when the human rights conditions improve. Sisis government has launched a wideranging crackdown against human rights activists and press freedom advocates in egypt. The cuts to military funding come as President Trumps soninlaw and Senior AdviserJared Kushner is slated to visit egypt as part of kushners friday upcoming middle east trip. A u. S. Appeals court has revived a lawsuit seeking to block the construction of a new u. S. Military base in okinawa japan over concerns about the bases impacts on an endangered Marine Mammal called a dugong. The lawsuit is being brought by the center for biological diversity. On monday, a threejudge panel in San Francisco ruled the case can move forward. The proposed military base has also faced massive resistance by peace activists in okinawa, who for decades have called for the expulsion of u. S. Troops from their island. Energy transfer partners, the Company Behind the controversial Dakota Access pipeline, is suing greenpeace, earth first and other environmental groups, accusing them of inciting an ecoterrorism campaign against the pipelines construction. The pipelines construction was delayed for months last year after thousands of native americans, led by the Standing Rock sioux and north dakota and their nonnative allies, launched a nonviolent encampment to stop pipeline from crossing the missouri river, saying a spill could contaminate the drinking source for millions. In peru, members of indigenous amazonian nations have seized control of some of the Oil Facilities operated by the Canadian CompanyFrontera Energy corp, demanding the peruvian government carry out a consultation with the indigenous nations before signing a new contract with the oil company. This is the leader of the rio pastaza tribe, aurelio chino. If they dont give us a good answer to our previous demand, then i can assure you my people will rise up. Were not going to just sit around. And for sure, were going to defend ourselves to the end and to teach them to respect us. Amy in nicaragua, hundreds of former sandinista fighters marched in the capital managua tuesday to demand the housing, health care, and pension payments promised to the retired veterans of the Nicaraguan Resistance movement that brought nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega to power. This is retired fighter carlos garcia. To us, those mutilated from the war injured by combat, where are we immortalized . We are not immortalized. Commander Daniel Ortega. We are still alive and we want a dignified resolution. The necessary time has been since 1978. To ask for this right, like they said, is a right we deserve. A right it wont be lost. And now all of us here are demanding our right. Any go back in the United States, the Justice Department has dropped its request for ip addresses of visitors to the 1. 3 million website disruptj20. Org, which helped organize the Inauguration Day protests against President Trump. The Justice Department is continuing to press the Web Hosting Company dreamhost to turn over information about what it claims was a premeditated riot during trumps inauguration. More than 200 protesters were arrested during the Inauguration Day protests and are now facing decades in prison on trumpedup charges. In new york city, the influential alternative weekly newspaper the Village Voice has announced it will stop its print publication after 62 years. Founded in 1955 by dan wolf, ed fancher, and norman mailer, the leftleaning paper was the First Alternative weekly in the United States. Its won multiple Pulitzer Prizes over the years. Its also helped launch the careers of some of the nations best writers, including pulitzerprize winners hilton als and colson whitehead. The Village Voice will now continue as an online publication. And sailors, mazurka reference and family held a candlelight vigil tuesday evening for kenny kiwi herring, and africanamerican transgender woman who was killed by a st. Louis Police Officer. Relatives say the Police Officer shot herring early tuesday while responding to a dispute between herr and her neighbors. I on tuesday night, mourners criticizedng the police for mr. The policerring and report and disputed the claims that she had attacked an officer with a knife. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We begin todays show in phoenix, arizona, where President Trump held a Campaign Style rally where he repeatedly defended his response to the deadly white supremacist rally in charlottesville, virginia, and also criticized arizonas two republican senators, john mccain and jeff flake, without directly mentioning their names. Neither were there, nor was the governor. While trump spoke, thousands of protesters gathered outside the Phoenix Convention center. Police attacked the thousands of protesters with tear gas and pepper balls. There are reports that they fired rubber coated steel bullets. Always reported four people were arrested. Trump repeatedly criticized the Corporate Media. Pres. Trump these are truly dishonest people. Not all of them. Not all of them. You have some very good reporters. Yes of fair journalists. But for the most part, honestly, these are really, really dishonest people. And they are bad people. And i really think they dont like our country. I really believe that. And i dont believe theyre going to change, and that is why i do this. If they would change, i would never say it. The only people giving a platform to these hate groups is fakeedia itself and the news. Amy President Trump attacked the media for about 20 minutes of his speech. During that speech, he also defended former cnn analyst jeffrey lord, a trump backer, who was fired for tweeting a nazi victory salute. Pres. Trump you wonder why cnn is doing relatively poorly in the ratings . Because theyre putting like seven people come all negative on trumped, and they fired jeffrey lord. Poor jeffrey. Jeffrey lord. I guess he was getting a little bit fed up and he was probably fighting back a little too hard. They said, we better get out of here. We get him out. Amy trump also criticized the weak weak people who have allowed confederate statues to be removed in recent weeks. Pres. Trump from George Washington please, dont take his statue down. Please. Does anybody want George Washingtons statue . No . Is that sad . To lincoln to teddy roosevelt, i see they want to take Teddy Roosevelts down, too. Theyre trying to figure out why. They dont know. Theyre trying to take away our culture. Theyre trying to take away our history. Amy while thousands of protesters rallied outside the Phoenix Convention center, trump openly dismissed his critics. Pres. Trump all week theyre talking about the massive crowds that are going to be outside. Where are they . Well, it is hot out. It is hot. I think it is too warm. They show up in the helmets in the black masks and they have clubs and they have everything. Antifa [boos] amy President Trump also threatened a Government Shutdown if he didnt get congressional approval to build a wall on the southern border. Pres. Trump we are cracking down on these sanctuary cities that shield criminal aliens. Finally. And we are building a wall on the southern border, which is absolutely necessary. Build that wall. Now, the obstructionist democrats would not like us to do it. Believe me, if we have to close down our government, were building that wall. Amy ahead of his speech in phoenix, theres much of relation trump would pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has been convicted of contempt of court for defying a court order to stop his deputies from racially profiling people and then detaining them on suspicion of being undocumented. Last back, trump canted a pardon would be coming soon. Pres. Trump by the way, im just curious. Do the people in this room like share joe . [cheers] so was sheriff joe convicted for doing his job . He should have had a jury. You know what . I will make a prediction. I think hes going to be just fine, ok . But i wont do it tonight because i dont want to cause any controversy. Is that ok . All right . Joe can feel good. Amy were joined now by francisca porchas, organizing director to puente arizona, a grassroots humanrights movement for migrant justice. Her group helped organize the main protest against trumps visit to phoenix on tuesday night. Shes joining us from phoenix. Welcome to democracy now you heard President Trump say there were very few people outside, that he had spoken to the authorities. How many people were outside and what was more message outside and your response to President Trumps speech inside . He is lying. There were abou