Espionage act and other charges. He now faces up to 136 years in prison. Julian assange will join us from the Ecuadorian Embassy in london where he has been living for more than a year. Then we go to fort meade, maryland, where the sentencing hearing begins today. Obrien,peak to alexa who has been reporting from their everyday. We are not talking about the trial, as important as it is. We are talking about setting legal precedent for National Security and whistleblowers, and beyond that, people using the internet, communicating in legallyprotected speech. All that and more coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. For brentcing hearing a man and begins today following his acquittal on the most serious charge he faced, aiding the enemy, but conviction and 20 accounts. On tuesday, manning was found guilty of violating the espionage act and other charges for leaking documents to wikileaks. He avoids an automatic life sentence but still faces a maximum 136 years in prison on the remaining counts. The sentencing phase is expected to last more than one week with more than 20 witnesses expected to appear. We will have more on the verdict with Julian Assange after the headlines. The Senate Judiciary committee holding its first hearing today of edwardrations snowden. Top officials are expected to testify. The journalist who published the bulk of his revelations, glenn greenwald, was due to testify by video to a separate hearing in the house, but the panel was canceled after president obama scheduled a meeting with house democrats. Wyden said that the nsa had committed more violations on spying than the government had disclosed. The senator said that his concerns came on top of a recent admission from National Intelligence director James Clapper over violations of court orders. They did say there were violations of those court orders with respect to the phone records. That is on record. Those violations are more serious than stated. He has been unable to explain his concerns in detail because surveillance operations are classified. On friday, James Clapper sent a letter describing a number of problems clapper has previously apologize for falsely telling wyden in march the nsa does not would and we collect data on americans. Agencies saidnce they would cause a fire more information about nsa surveillance operations, including the order disclosed by Edward Snowden that ordered verizon to hand over phone records. Last weeks defeat of a measure to block the bulk collection of data on all phone calls placed in the United States. A federal Appeals Court has ruled Law Enforcement agencies can obtain location data on u. S. Cell phone users without a warrant. The court of appeals for the fifth circuit upheld the practice of seizing location data from phone call from major telecoms. When jordy ok the practice on the grounds application did is a Business Record and therefore not protected by the Fourth Amendment right to privacy. A report last year found that a fraction of Police Departments to admitted to tracking cell phones routinely obtained warrants. Tracking is said to be so commonplace, cellular providers charging police to obtain it. An attorney called the ruling a big deal and a big blow to american privacy rights. President obama is calling on republicans to accept a grand bargain aimed at reviving Economic Opportunities for the middleclass. Speaking in tennessee, he offered to cut the Corporate Tax in exchange for new jobs. Here is the bottom line. If folks in washington where they want a grand bargain, how about a grand bargain for middleclass tribes . How about a grand bargain for middleclass jobs . I am willing to work with republicans of reforming our Corporate Tax code as long as we use the money from transitioning to a simpler tax system for a significant investment in creating middleclass jobs. Ofthe comments come as part a new effort billed as an effort to take on widening u. S. Inequality. In an interview, mr. Obama said the first full session of renewed middle east peace talks was held in washington, d. C. Israeli and palestinian negotiators agreed to meet within two weeks. Secretary of state john kerry said the parties have agreed to address the core issue behind the israelpalestine conflict. Agreed herees have today that all of the final status issues, all of the core issues, and all other issues, are all on the table for negotiation. And they are on the table with one simple goal. A view to ending the conflict, and in the claims. Our objective will be to achieve a final Status Agreement over the course of the next nine months. A viable twostage solution is the only way this conflict can and and there is not much time to achieve its and there is no other are cordish. As the talks were held, a new report came out saying the israeli settlement population in the west bank has grown more than twice as fast as israel proper in the last few years. A peace activist said the Israeli Government has continued to encourage migrations to the settlement. Growth in the settlement is much higher than in israel. We are talking about a 5 growth in the population each year, much higher than the less than 2 inside israel proper. This shows the Israeli Government is encouraging people to move into the west bank despite perhaps what some would say our intentions for a two stage solution. Do not been nations says that mounting violence have prevented the delivery of goods to 600,000 people. U. N. Aid had only reached 2. 4 million out of 3 million syrians in need. More areas are becoming inaccessible due to increased fighting. The plan is to reach 3 million in july but the upsurge of violence across many areas in damascus and the proliferation of checkpoints on the roads around major cities are affecting the basic food dispatching. We are hoping to dispatch food for 2. 4 Million People short of the july gold. Askedsident obama has republican senators Lindsey Graham and john mccain to travel to egypt to hold talks. The announcement follows meetings between the European Union policy chief and the ousted egyptian president. It was morsis first outside contact since removed from office later in the month. Meter in the day, ashden with the vicepresident mohamed elbaradei. While i recognize it is challenging, it is important to begin now. To end polarization, and that is what were trying to do. That is why the European Union is here, to help. We are having all sorts of conversations with everybody. I am still optimistic. Once we lower the temperature, contain the violence taking place, then there will be room disbandaceful way to demonstrations in different parts of the country and then go into syria. You can go to democracynow. Org to see an interview with Sharif Abdel Kouddous in cairo. Morgan agreed to the penalty without admitting to government allegations it manipulated utilities to raise the price of electricity. It is the largest settlement in the federal Energy Regulatory commissions history. J. P. Morgan is facing a more expensive government penalty for its role in pushing toxic mortgagebacked securities. The firm is currently under investigation from eight different federal regulators. Mit has released a report on its handling of aaron swartz, the internet activist who committed suicide. He took his own life weeks before he was to go on trial for using the mit network to download millions of articles from jstor. Concludes the School Remained neutral in the prosecution but adds it failed to dually take into account the water background of information policy against which the prosecution played out and the mighty people have been passionate leaders. Friends and colleagues have denounced the report as a whitewash. Wilker spoker to democracy now on tuesday. To investigate the case. It decided that it was neutral throughout and the president said that their actions were reasonable and appropriate. In fact, they were working with the prosecution and stonewalling the defense. This is really just a whitewash and its disappointing, and frankly, makes me furious. Filedons attorneys have a motion saying that they were denied exculpatory evidence. Student new lost his life after being handcuffed in a cell for four days without food or water. Daniel john had been arrested at a celebration for marijuana culture. He was due to be released, but the dea and his agents forgot about him after placing him in a holding cell. He said he could see heres staffers outside of his cell, but no one answered his pleas for help. He drank his own urine in a bid to survive. None of the agents involved will face charges. Six activists with a group codepink were arrested inside the senate are building on tuesday for protests calling for the closure of Guantanamo Bay. Three demonstrators are on their longterm Hunger Strike in solidarity with guantanamo prisoners. Those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Welcome to our listeners and viewers around the country and world. Sheikh. Meen the sentencing for branding manning begins today. Bradley manning begins today. Military judge denise lind found manning not guilty on the most serious charge of aiding the enemy, which carries a potential life sentence without parole. Reporters in the courtroom said that manning showed no emotion as he heard the verdict. The sentencing phase of his trial is expected to last more than one week with more than 20 witnesses said to appear. Manning faces a maximum of 136 years in prison. The manning family expressed thanks to the civilian lawyer, david coombs, who has been working on the case for three years. Saidnamed aunt of manning the director of the aclus speech and Privacy Technology project responded by saying meanwhile, House Intelligence Committee chair mike rogers and democratic Ranking Member dutch brokers parker issued a joint statement that justice had been certification. Served. Adding today we spend the hour on the manning verdict and its implications. We begin with Julian Assange, the founder of wikileaks. According to numerous press reports, the conviction makes it increasingly likely the u. S. Will prosecute assange as a co conspirator. Prosecutors portrayed him as an information anarchist encouraging manning to leaked hundreds of thousands of documents. Ulian assange is with us via video stream from the Ecuadorian Embassy in london. As he wasfugee there wanted for sex charges in sweden. The british garment promises to arrest him if he steps foot on british soil. This is his first interview with a u. S. Tv show since the verdict. What is your response to the verdict . Thank you. First of all, i must correct you. I have been given political asylum in the embassy in relation to the case in progress in the United States. It is a common media myth about my asylum here being in relation to sweden. It is not. Reaction to the verdict yesterday, well, first of all, one of surprise in relation to the timing. This is a case that has been going on for three years, two months, 18 months of interlocutory motion, 30,000 pages of evidence that the judge was required to read, but she has made her decision on 21 separate counts over the weekend. We said at the beginning of the process, this is a show trial. This is not a trial were any justice can come about because of the framing of what was possible through debate. The bradley for manning teamed to say that he was wellintentioned, motive was taken out of the case. The prosecution has not alleged that a Single Person came to harm as at an result of his actions, not a Single Person. In fact, no evidence was presented that anyone was, indeed, harmed. The defense is not allowed to argue that means these charges should be thrown out. So what we are left with is 20 convictions of Bradley Manning, five of those for espionage. This is a case where everyone agreed that Bradley Manning provided the Media Information about war crimes and politics, some of which was published by the media. There is no allegation that he worked with a foreign power, that he accepted any personal benefits for the disclosure that he engaged in. And yet, we see him being convicted for five charges of espionage. It cannot possibly be the case that a journalistic source who is not communicating with a foreign power, simply working for the american public, can be convicted of five counts of espionage. Merely ofabuse, not the human rights of brenda manning, but an abuse of the english language, and clearly, Congress Shall not bar freedom of the press or right to speech. That is clearly been subjugated here. Julian assange, yesterday you said the aiding the enemy charge for which manning was acquitted was an upsurge, and it was put forward as a red herring. Could you explain what you mean by that . Has made its statement today. We have Bradley Manning, right now, despite being acquitted of that effectively being a traitor, aiding the enemy, he was acquitted of that, but he faces 136 years in prison, which is more than a life sentence. This aiding the enemy charge, but has attracted a lot of peoples attention, because it has a possible life sentence, really, was part of the extent of overcharging in the case. At the very minimum, perhaps Bradley Manning could have been charged with mishandling classified in relation. Of course, i think he should be acquitted of such a charge because under the First Amendment and other obligations we have, he should be free to break one obligation to fulfill another, the higher obligation showing crimes. Where we have the pain the enemy to urge the soaking up public attention and the public saying, the Justice System is just. Charge outhis is one of 21 different offenses. He is still up for 136 years. He received no financial payments. Tried on five counts of espionage. That is absurd. We have to go to break. We are speaking to Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy in london. Julian assange is the founder and editor in chief of wikileaks. Back in a moment. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. This is the day after the ruling unbred the manning was given. 136 years in prison. The sentencing phase of the trial began today at 9 30 eastern time at fort meade. Just after the manning verdict was announced, an Associated Press reporter asked gen this tacky to comment on the verdict. Reaction to the manning trial . The verdict came out just before i stepped out here. I would refer you to the department of defense. No further comment from here. For the entire trial, this building said it would not comment because it was a pending case. Now that it is over, you say youre still not going to comment . That is correct. I would refer you to the department of defense. They have been the point agency. These were state department cables. They were your property. We do not have any further comment. I know the verdict just came out. Does that mean you are working on a comment . Are you gratified . If we have anything more to say, i promise everybody in this room that you will have it. I am a little surprise that you do not have a comment considering the amount of energy and time this building expanded at assisting the prosecution. That is the associate press Reporter Matt Lee questioning jen psaki. Conversationur with joe in assange. Your take on the governments lack of response, and your own impression of the case . It is interesting to see the state department doing that. They have made many comments about this over the past three years. Secretary clinton, for example, another upsurge piecer rhetoric that this was an attack by the entire international community. Investigationis against our organization is the largest or investigation and prosecution against a publisher in the United States history, arguably, anywhere in the world. It involves over a dozen different government departments. Doj manages the documents related to the broader prosecution against wikileaks and myself, not just the manning year just toion a maintain the Computer System that manages the prosecution documents. So i assume those statements from the state department are a mechanism to reduce the perception of their involvement, which has been extensive over the past three years. To comments turn made by the executive director of the freedom of the press foundation regarding your likely prosecution on the consequences of mannings verdict. Although he agreed that the verdict brings the government closer to prosecuting you, he charging the publisher would put everyone at risk because they regularly publish National Security information. Your response . We have been saying this for three years now. It is nice to see finally, in the past three months, the Mainstream Press in the last few weeks, mcclatchy, the new york