Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20170621 : vimarsana.co

Push through a new Health Care Bill w without anyny public ded. We w will speakk with nation publisheher katrina a vanden he. Plplus, we spepeak with the leag Community Organizer and little pakistan and brooklyn, the neighborhood persrsevered after 9 11. Can it survive in the age of trump . Litittle pakistan and brookl, people stop me on the streets all the time asking me what to do. They are worried about their immigration status, their children, their families. Amy we will look at the case of yet another attempted deportation. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In georgia, republicans have pulled off a victory in the most expensive congressional race in history. In a special election in georgias sixth district, Republican Karen Handel won nearly 53 of the vote, defeating her challenger democrat jon ossoff to fill the seat left vacant after tom price resigned to become secretary of health and human services. The candidates and outside groups spent more than 55 million on the race, a record shattering amount. While the seat has been n held y a republican for decades, democrats were hoping to pull off an upset in the suburban atlanta district where President Trumps Approval Rating is just 35 . This marks the fourth congressional race democrats have lost since the election of trump. This is karen handel speaking tuesday night. And a special thanks to the president of the united states. [applause] amy karen handel is the former secretary of state of georgia. She made National Headlines in 2012 when she led never as the Breast Cancer chairlift susan g. Komen to cut off funding for planned parenthood. Memeanwhile, in south carolilin, republicans pulllled off anonotr victory in the special election to fill the seat left vacant by director of the office of management and budget mick mulvaney. Republican ralph norman eked out a narrow victory over democratic challenger archie parnell. Norman won only 51 of the vote a smaller margin than expected. Well have more on the georgia and South Carolina races after headlines. In news from capitol hill, attorney general Jeff Sessions has become the latest member of trumps inner circle to hire a personal lawyer amid the ongoing investigations into the Trump Administrations ties to russia. Vice president mike pence and trump himself have also hired personal lawyers. On tuesday, special Counsel Robert Mueller met with members of the House Intelligence Committee to discuss a plan to ensure that their parallel investigations dont conflict with one another. Also on tuesday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters trump will make an announcement this week about whether the president taped any of his conversations with former fbi director james comey. Last month in a twitter rant, trump threatened comey over the possibility of taped conversations, tweeting james comey better hope that there are no tapes of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press sean spicer also said tuesday that he hasnt talked to trump about whether he believes that rush interfered with the 2016 u. S. Election. During the first on camera White House Press briefing in eight days. Meanwhile, in more news on sean spicer, unnamed Officials Say spicer may be ousted as White House Press secretary. The speculatation comes only wes after Trumps Communications director, michael dubke, resigned. The New York Times is reporting senior officials from multltiple federal agencies all worried that former National Security adviser Michael Flynn was a blackmail risk as early as january, yet proceeded to allow him to participate in topsecret Intelligence Briefings alongside President Trump for nearly three weeks, despite these concerns. The times reports officials from the fbi, the cia, the Justice Department, and the office of the director of National Intelligence were all worried flynn might be susceptible to blackmail by russian officials after flynn lied about his conversations with the russian ambassador. Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell said republicans will release a draft of the healthcare bill on thursday morning as republicans face widespread outrage for negotiating the bill in secret, closeddoor meetings. The republicans bill would strip 23 Million People of their health insurance, while giving billions of dollars in tax breaks to wealthy americans. They are pushing for a vote on the bill before the july 4 recess. Well have more on the republican Healthcare Plan later in the broadcast. In the latest escalation in syria, the pentagon says a u. S. Fighter jet shot down an iranianmade armed drone on tuesday, only days after the u. S. Shot down a syrian warplane on sunday. The pentagon claims the drone was flying toward u. S. Backed syrian fighters. Russian officials have threatened to target u. S. Planes flying west of the euphrates river. Tuesdays downing of the drone is sparking increasing fears of the possibility of a direct confrontation between the u. S. And russia in syria. This is United Nations secretary general antonio guterres. I am concerned if there were some declarations more recently that gave us the idea that there of thee a deescalation situation, and i strongly hope there will be a deescalation of the situation because these kinds of incidents can be very dangererous with so m many actos and within which the situation is so cocomplex. I i am concerned. I hope it wiwill not lead to any escalation of a conflict that is already as medical as it is. Amy in saudi arabia, king salman has deposed his nepephews crown prince and has replaced him with his son, Mohammed Bin Salman bin abdulaziz, who is now first in line for the thrown. Mohammed bin salman currently serves as defense minister and has been presiding over the devastating usbacked saudiled war in yemen. In response to the news, the huffington posts Foreign Affairs reporter Akbar Shahid Ahmed tweeted this is huge. Man he is replacing was against qatar crusade yemen war. Saudi is doubling down on its most controversial actions. Meanwhile, in yemen, health Officials Say multiple u. S. Backed Saudiled Coalition airstrikes killed at least 25 civilians at a market in northern saada province sunday. Graphic images that circulated on social media over the weekend show corpses lying amid rubble, and survivors surveying the damage to the market. More than 10,000 people have died amid the ongoing u. S. Backed saudiled war in yemen, which has also destroyed yemens health, water, and sanitation systems, sparking a deadly cholera outbreak. The u. S. State department expressed confusion tuesday about saudi arabias move to cut diplomatic ties with qatar, saying the saudis and other gulf countries have not revealed their grievances more than two weeks after they severed ties. State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said tuesday at this point, we are left with one simple question were the actions really about their concerns about qatars alleged support for terrorism, or were they about the longsimmering grievances between and among the gcc countries . Referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. President trump initially celebrated and even tried to them credit for saudi arabias decisions to cut ties with qatar tweeting but then a week later, the u. S. Agreed to sell 12 million worth of u. S. Manufactured f15 fighter jets to qatar. Secretary y of state rex tillern is meeting with chinese officials today. Tillerson was planning to use the meetings to press chinese officials to continue to confront north korea over its nuclear program. But on tuesday afternoon, President Trump appeared to abandon this effort in a cavalier tweet, writing while i greatly appreciate the efforts of president xi china to help with north korea, it has not worked out. At least i know china tried the New York Times reports that senior Officials Say theyre trying to understand the meaning of the tweet. In somalia, at least 15 people were killed in a suicide carar bombing in the capitital mogadiu tuesday. Y. Police say most of the victims were civilians. The militant Group Alshabab has claimed responsibility for the attack. The International Organization for migration says as many as refugees are missing and feared 120 drowned after a boat sank off the coast of libya on friday. The majority of the victims were sudanese and nigerian. At least 2000 refugees have died this year while attempting to cross the mediterranean and reach europe. Meanwhile, in hungary the trial , has begun of four men charged with killing 71 refugees who were found suffocated in the back of an abandoned, overcrowded truck in 2015. The victims were from syria, iraq, afghanistan, and included at least four children. The men are also charged with human trafficking. The United Nations is accusing a militia of committing human rights abuses in the congo, including ethnically motivated attacks against women and children in the central region. This is that you and write chief u. N. Human rights chief. Multiple villages in the territory indicated that in the past two months to militias have shot dead, hacked, or burned to death, a mutilated hundreds of villagers as well as destroying entire villages. Amy in honduras, journalist and congressional candidate victor funez was murdered outside his home in the caribbean coastal city of la ceiba last thursday. Funez directed the local nighttime televivision news show. Popolice say theyve arrested a suspect in the case. Human Rights Groups say funez is at leaeast the 70th journalist murdrdered in honduras since 20. Uber founder Travis Kalanick has resigned as ceo amid a widespread sexual harassmement scscandal at the wall streetbacked ride hailing company. His departure comes after a revolt by a number of investors who demanded kalanicks ouster. Last week, bilillionaire d david bondererman also resigned d from ubers board after making disparaging comments aboutut won atat a Board Meeting intended to address sexual harassment, saying that if there were more women on the board, its much momore likelely to be more talk at least 20 uber workers have also been fired overer the repos of sexual hararassment. The dash camera video of the Police Killing of African American motorist Philando Castile in minnesota has been released, only days after Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter. The dashcam video shows yanez pointing his gun at castile through the drivers side window. Castile then informs the officer he has a gun in the car, which he was licenensed to car. In the video, you cacan also her the voices of cacastiles girlfriend, didiamond reynolds, and heher fouryeaolold d daugh, who were both inside the car. A warning to our audiencnce, ths video is graphic. I do have a firearm. Dont reach for it. Dont pull it out. Donnt pulitit out. [gun shots] it wasnt reaching dont let t out dont move dont move oh, my god. Dont move get the baby girl out of herere. Amy get the baby girl out of her the words of Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez, screaming as the four Year Old Girl escapes from the car, after watching Philando Castile bleed being shot seven times by officer yanez. And in ferguguson, missouri, the parents of Michael Brown have settled their wrongful death lawsuit with the city, over the murder of their son by white Police Officer Darren Wilson in 2014. Michael brown was 18 years old and unarmed d when officer wilsn shshot him dead d and then lefts body to lie in the street for over four hours. The settlement is sealed, which means the terms will not be made public. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now w , democracynynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We begin todays show in georgia, where the republicans haveve pulled off a victory in e most expensive congressional race in history. In a special election in georgias sixth district, Republican Karen Handel won nearly 53 of the vote defeating her challenger democrat jon ossoff to fill the seat left vacant after tom price resigned to become secretary of health and human services. The candidates and outside groups spent more than 55 billion on the race, a record shattering amount. While the seat has been held by a republican for decades, democrats were hoping to pull off an upset in the suburban atlanta district where President Trumps Approval Rating is just 35 . This marks the fourth congressional race democrats have lost since the election of trump. Speaeaking tuesday nightht, hanl thankeked presidenent trump. R ryan and spspeaker sisimon across this country unid sixth. Us hold the [applause] and a special thahanks to the president of the united states. Amy karen handedel is the formr secretary of statete of georgia. She made National Headlines in 2012 when she led an effort at the breast c Cancer Charity susn g. Komen to cut off funding for planned parenthood. She later resigned from the organization after the board voted to restore the mononey following a public outcry. On tuesday night, handels challenger, 30yearold democrat jon ossosoff, addressed supporters. And we show the world that in places where no one thought it was even possible to fight, we could fighght. [applause] we show them what courage and kindness and humility are capable of. We showed them that we cann s sl buildd coalition of people who may not see i die on everything, but rather than demonizing each toer, we find common groround moveve forward. And d that i is the only waway s country wiwill move forward. Amy we go now to atlanta where we are joined by two guests. Reverend dr. Raphael warnock is Senior Pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist church in atlanta, georgia, which was the spiritual home of dr. Martin luther king, jr. He is also the chair of the new georgia project. Nan orrock is a Democratic State senator in georgia. Her Senate District 36 includes downtown atlanta. We welcome you both to democracy now lets begin with dr. Raphael warnock. What happened in atlanta . It was close, but in the end, the republican pulled it out and karen handel, in her acceptance speech and her victory speech last night, thanked President Trump as people chanted trump. Good to be here with you, amy, even on a day like this. We have to play for the long game. We were very focused on this election indeed, the whole country has been focused on the special election here in georgia. I do think we have to keep in mind that this has been a solid republican district for a very long time, for about four decades. This was an uphill journey from the beginning. The fact that this was actually a real race, that this was there were Serious Movement on the left can only be accounted for with reference to donald trump. So there is deep unrest in the country. ,is Approval Rating is very low even in the district. I found it very interesting and curious that karen handel virtually ran away from the president during the campaign and ran toward him last night during her victory speech. We will continue to make the case. As chair of the new georgia project, we are very focused on. Xpanding the electorate i believe our social vision will be as narrow as the electorate is. What we witnessed over the last two years, especially after the gutting of the Voting Rights republican effort of legislatures all across the country to make it very difficult for black, brown, poor people, old people, young people to register and to vote. That is the work of the new georgia project and that is the work we will continue to do next several months, even the next few years. We have registered 215,000 new voters sinince 2014. We hope to register about one million by the end of the decade. Amy nan orrock, your response to what took place in this staggeringly expensive congressional race, the m