Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20240714

Town hall hosted by cnn. It was held after the dnc rejected a push to allow for a debate focused on the Climate Crisis. We will host a roundtable discussion and hear highlights from last night town hall. Fort is about a new deal people who work. It is about justice for people whose communities have been destroyed. It is about Racial Justice on environmental issues. It is about worker justice. Amy then to india. Nearly 2 Million People in the northeast state of assam are at risk of beining rendered statels after inindia effectively stripd them of citizenship in what has been described as the biggest exercise and do some franchise meant in disenfranchisement in u. N. History. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Ten 2020 hopefuls took to the stage in new york city one by wednesday night for a climate one town hall hosted by cnn. In a sevenhour marathon, the candidate each discussed their climate plans, the fossil fuel industry, the Green New Deal, fracking, hitting carbon brutality and more. Climate activists have been pushing for a dedebate on the crisis but the Democratic National committee rejected the proposal. In one of the nights most memorable moments, Vice President joe biden was asked about his plans to attend a fundraiser hosted by fossil fuel goodman todayew despite signing the no fossil fuel money pledge. There is a fundraiser tomorrow night given by Andrew Goldman. He does hedge funds and stuff but he also has a covenant called western lng. And the biggest project is a floating liquefied facility for natural gas from also because of british columbia, im going to provide canadian guest reports of northern asia. What andrew is saying is if youre going to do a fundraiser given apart by this guy who is a pulling upt is natural gas, are you the right guy to go after this . I did not realize he does that. If you look at the sec filings, he is not listed as onone of the executives. That is s what we look at, the c filings, who are the executives. Amy later in the evening, Elizabeth Warren was questioned by cnn chris cuomo about whether she would mandate the type of lightbulbs americans use as president. This is exactly what the fossil fuel industry hopes were all talking about. That is what they want us to talk about. This is your problem. They want to be able to store up a lot of controversy around light bulbs, straws, and your cheeseburgers. , of 70 of the pollution the carbon were throwing into the air, comes from three industries and we can set our by 2028, 2030, and 2035 no more. Amy those three industries are buildings, electric power and oil, warren said. And Bernie Sanders pledged to reject Nuclear Energy and invest in wind, solar, and geothermal instead. At the town hall, he took aim at military spending. Ofmaybe, just maybe, instead spending 1. 5 trillion every single year on weapons of destruction designed to kill each other, maybe we pool those resosources and we Work Together against our common enemy, which is Climate Change. Amy well host a roundtable discussion about the climate town hall after headlines. In britain, the showdown between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Parliament Continues to ratchet up as johnson suffered another major blow wednesday when lawmakers voted to block a nodeal brexit. Later in the day, members of parliament rejected johnsons bid to call a snap election. Boris johnson is the first british Prime Minister to lose their first three votes in parliament in johnsons case, the triple defeat occurred in ununder 24 hours. Amid the brexit chaos, members of parliament applauded sikh labour lawmaker Tanmanjeet Singh dhesi as he condemned Boris Johnson as racist. He called on johnson to apologize for telling a newspaper last year muslim women who wear hijabs look like letterboxes and bank robbers. Johnson refused to apologize. After ravaging the bahamas, hurrrricane dorian i is continug its path northward up the southeastern u. S. Coast as a category 3 storm. At least 73,000 people in georgia and South Carolina were without power this morning. Officials in the carolinas are warning of powerful storm surges and flooding, and North Carolina governor roy cooper urged residents to follow any evacuationrdrders ey r recve. The death llll in e babahas has rched a least wednesday 20 as the nationowow graless withngngoingescucue forts s d the immense task orerecove after largswswatheof t the islands we l left terlrly decimated. Bahamian pri minister hubert minnisaiaid thunprprecentedd hurricane had caused generational devastation. Meanwhile, President Trump on his fall claim that alabama would be hit by Hurricane Dorian. Over the weekend, trump tweeted alabama would be hit, which was swiftly corrected by the national w weather service. Reporters fromto the oval office wednesday, trump held up a map which appeared to show an altered projection of dorians path to include alabama. The hurricanes path was extended with a black marker. Altering official government weather forecasts is illegal. The presidident in the white hoe refused to say who altered the map he showed. Yahoo news is reporting the fbi has been monitoring groups protesting u. S. Immigration policy at the border. The fbi Phoenix Office has reportedly been tracking the social media accounts of targeted groups and sent an intelligence memo to other Law Enforcement agencies saying the protesters were armed and using lethal force. But almost all the evidence presented in their report involved nonviolent activity. In more news from arizona, volunteers with the aid groups no more deaths, border angels, and people helping people in the border zone found the human remains this weekend of an estimated seven people who died while trying to cross the arizonamexico border. According to no more deaths, human remains of at least 8000 migrants have been recovered along the u. S. Mexico border since 2000. To see our recent special report from arizona, death and resistance on the u. S. Mexico border, go to democracynow. Org. The state department confirmed it offered millions of dollars to the captain of an Iranian Oil Tanker to divert the vessel to a country that would be able to use it on behalf of thehe United States. The Financial Times revealed state Department Official brian hook sent any now that read i am writing with good news before attempting to bribe the captain of the adrian daria 1. The tanker became the focus of growing diplomatatic tensions bebetween iran and the u. S. Over the summerer after it was impounded by british authorities in gibraltltar in july, on suspicion of transporting oil to syria. It was released last month after gibraltar rejected a u. S. Request to keep detaining the ship. Iranian foreign minister javad zarif responded to the report by tweeting having failed at piracy, the u. S. Resorts to outright blackmail deliver us irans oil and receive several Million Dollars or be sanctioned yourself. Sounds very similar to the oval office invitation i received a few weeks back. The news came as the u. S. Imposed yet more sanctions on iran wednesday, blacklisting an oil shipping network. A senior trump official also indicated the administration would likely reject a french proposal to partially relaunch iranian oil sales in an effort to salvage parts of the iran nuclear deal. Meanwhile, iranian president Hassan Rouhani on wednesday removed all limits on Nuclear Research and development. In mexico, one of the primary sususpects in the 2014 disappearance and presumed murder of 43 students from a Teachers College in ayotzinapa, guerrero, has been acquitted. Hildardo Lopez Astudillo who was believed to have ordered the kidnapping as the head of an organized crime unit was released after a judge determined he had been tortured to obtain evidencece in the cas. International experts say y the mexican military and federal police also played a role in their disappearance. Mexicos undersecretary of human rights, alejandro encinas, condndemned the courts decisio. As well as setting a precedent so acquittal sentences can be established for the others involved, it is strengthening a trend that has only been registered. Amy mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has vowed to challenge the decision to release Lopez Astudillo. Lopez obrador established a truth and Justice Commission to investigate the ayotzinapa case in january, shortly after taking office. The commission has not yet uncovered any further information about what happened to the students. Starting next year, denmark will become the first country in the world to ban pfa is chemicals from food packaging. The socalled forever chemicals are linked to cancer, high cholesterol, and decreased fertility. They do not break down in the environment. Meanwhile, germany announced wednesday it plans to ban glyphosate, the chemical pesticide, the popular roundup weed killer, manufactured by monsanto, and has been found by the World Health Organization to lead to cancer. It has also been found to wipe out insect populations crucial for ecosystems and pollination of food crops. The ban is set to go into effect by the end of 2023. The Trump Administration is rolling back plans that would have seen American Consumers start using more energyefficient lightbulbs starting next year. The announced move reverses legislation passed by congress in 2007 to phase out inefficient incandescent and halogen bulbs, replacing them with leds or fluorescent light bulbs to meet new efficiency standards. Jason hartke, of the alliance to save energy, said Wasting Energy with inefficient light bulbs isnt just costly for homes and businesses, its terrible for our climate. Oregon is investigating a recent death that could be the second vapingrelated casualty on record. Oregon Health Officials say the person succumbed to an unspecified respiratory illness in july. Last month, the first vapingrelated death was reported in illinois. Several hundred people around the country have been confirmed or suspecteded to have conontrad the critical lung condition. Michigan, meanwhilile, will be e first state to ban the sale of flavored ecigarettes. Demomocratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer said ecigarette manufacturers are using deceptive marketing and candy flavors to hook children on nicotine. Reregulatotors have fined youtue ovover 170 million for violatig the privacy of children by collecting their personal data without parental consent. The federal trade commission and new yorks attorney general say youtube, which is owned by google, illegally gathered and used the data to target underage users with advertising. The record settlement must now be approved by a judge. Authorities sasay the governmemt ofof west texas was barred from purcrchasing firearms because he was deemed mentally y unfit. T. He felt a firearmrms backgrgroud check in 2014. He failed a firearms background checkck in 2014. Investigators believe they may have identified the individual who made a private sale ofof the gun used in the rampage which killed people and injured at seven least 25 others. The survivor of a rape that sparked widespread outrage in 2016 due to the leniency of the punishment for the rapist brock turner has revealed her identity as she prepares for the publication of her new memoir, know my name, later this month. Chanel millers name was unknown until this week, but her words were heard by millions thanks to her powerful victim impact statement in court. This is a part of that statement as read by miller on 60 minutes. Youou dont know me, but you have b been inside me. Wasnewspapers, my nameme unconscious, intoxicated woman. 10 syllables and nothing more than that. I had to force myself to relearn tor real name, my identitity, relearn this is nonot all that i am, that im not just a drunk victim at a frat party found arend a dumpster while you the allamericanan swimmer at a top university, innocent until proven g guilty. Amy judge a aaron persky sentenced brock turner, a white man, to a sixmonth prison term for sexually assaulting miller while she was unconscious behind a dumpster. Turner only served three of those months. Judge persky was recalled by voters in 2018. And noted sociologist and economic historian Immanuel Wallerstein died over the weekend at the age of 88. Wallerstein was best known for his World Systems analysis, in which he contends all political and social structures in the modern world operate under the capitalist order. Wallerstein emphasized the need for alternative, more humane systems. In 2010, he sat down for a conversation with the late civil rights activist and philosopher Grace Lee Boggs at t the u. S. Social forum in detroit. If you want to undererstand rightwing populism in the United States or in europe or in other parts of the world today, understand it in terms of people panicking. They dont know how to protect themselves. They do see they are in a shaky situation and they lash out at whatever. , you know,e enemy where it does not solve any of your problems but it makes you feel better for a few minutes until the next time. Amy that was Immanuel Wallerstein speaking in 2010. He died this weekend at the age of 88. 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. 10 democratic president ial hopefuls took to the stage in new york city wednesday night for a climate town hall hosted by cnn. The event was held less than two weeks after the Democratic National committee rejected a resolution that would have allowed candidates to participate in a debate focused on the Climate Crisis. For months, the Sunrise Movement and other environmental groups pushed the dnc to hold a climate debate butut the party refused. Amy at wednesdays event, each candidate appeared on stage alone and took questions from cnn hosts and the audience. Several candidates, putting senator Elizabeth Warren, voiced support for the Green New Deal. It is about a new deal for people who work. It is about justice for people whose communities have been destroyed. It is about Racial Justice on environmental issues. It is about worker justice. At the cnn climatee town hall, senator Bernie Sanders call for the nation to rethink its spending priorities. Maybe, just maybe, instead of spending 1. 5 trillion every single year on weapons of destruction designed to kill each other, maybe we pool those resources and we Work Together against our common enemy, which is Climate Change. Amy just hours before the town hall, the intercept reported that former Vice President joe biden was planning to attend a highdollar fundraiser tonight in new york by the founder of a fossil fuel company. During the town hall, isaac larkin, a 27yearold ph. D. Candidate at northwestern, asked biden about this. I know that you signed a no fossil fuel money pledge, but i have to ask, how can we trust you to hold these corporations and executives accountable for their crimes against community when we know that tomorrow you are holding a high dollar fundraiser hosted by a fossil fuel executive . He is not a fossil fuel executive. Is the fact of the matter that what we talked about is what are we going to do about those corporations . What have we done . Everywhere along the way, for example, have argued and pushed for us suing those executives who are engaged in pollution, those companies who are engaged in pollution. I have never walked away from that. Amamy later, Anderson Cooper brought up the same issue. Mr. Vice president , isaac earlier mentioned the fundraiser going to clare, clarify, Andrew Goldman is one of the sponsors of the fundraiser, hit a Company Cofounder of a Company Called western lng. He currently does not have daytoday responsibilities. What i was toldld by my staff is he did not have any responsibility relating to the company. You was not on the board. He was not involved at all and operation of the company at all. It if that turns out to be true, then i will not in any way except his help. The point in my the point i was told by my staff, and we check every single contribution. That is why we dont list them immediately. We go through every contribution to make sure we are not accepting money from people we said we would not or should not. Amy were joined now by three guests. Washington, d. C. , mustafa ali is with us, the former head of the Environmental Justice program at the Environmental Protection agency. He quit under President Trump. Hes Vice President of the National Wildlife federation. In minneapolis, Mattias Lehman, digital director at Sunrise Movement and here in new york, kate aronoff fellow at the type media , center and a contributing writer to the intercept and jacobin. Kate, lets begin with you. Biden came onto the set and started answering questions, he was asked about this fundraiser. He is supposed to be holding tonight here in new york, hosted by Andrew Goldman. Can you talk more about t this, what the intercept revealed right before and then he was questioned about . At they colleague intercept reported, shortly before the debate, as it seems like joe biden may not have been briefed on, before he took the stage, he is scheduled to go to a fundraiser tonight with Andrew Goldman, who is the cofounder of a Company Called western lng. What the debate ended up being about last night and that Anderson Cooper ended up talking about was whether or not Andrew Goldman is technhnically i in te management amy in the daytoday operations. So there is some backandforth and forth online and at the end, Anderson Cooper sort of corrected but as i think my colleagues at the intercept really sort of a firms from Andrew Goldman is a cofounder of this companyny. Jujust last year in a filing in canada, listed as among the Senior Management of the company. I think would be hard to argue that Andrew Goldman is not very well bound up in the natural gas industry. Amy and yet joe biden has t tan the no fossil fuel pledge. What does that mean and what was your assesessment ofof last nig . He has taken the no fossil fuel pledge and with groups like Oil Change International and others have said, especially Oil Change International, is that while technically, while Andrew Goldman does not sit on the board and is not in the sec filings of western lng is a fossil fuel executive, going to a fundraiser with him certainly violates the spirit of a no fossil fuel pledgege. As long as joe biden is splitting hairs about exactly how bound up Andrew Goldman is with the fossil fuel industry, i think that is pretty c clear tht this violates the spirit of the pledge. Areeen Mattias Lehman, you with the Sunrise Movement, which has been critical in pushing for a discussion of the Climate Crisis. A number of people from the Sunrise Movement students asked questions at the town hall last time. Your response to the town hall and what you think the most crucial things are the came out of the discussion . Yeah, so we see this as a pretty big win for us. It is not a climate debate. Part of it is evident if you look at how the event was hosted. It does not go through the pay wall for live tv like debates do. A lot t of people cocould not wh a because they dont have access to Cable Network provider. But this is the most ever we have talked about Climate Change on american tv for years. Just ever. We had about six minutes and 233 seconds in 2018, which is less than the royal weddingng got. We just got seven hours in a row, e every major president ntil candidate talking about this issue. We arere super excited about wht comes next. But our big take away is when you look at the different candidates on stage, there is room to look at the differences between those candidates not just in what plans they are a judgeg, but as would noted, and how theyre going to prioritize pushing them forward. Going back to joe bidens point, when we look at prioritization and how we trust candidates to act on Climate Change, going to a fundraiser the next they with a cofounder of a company is not a good look. , you areafa ali formally with the epa. People not refer to the epa as the epa that once was, but you quit under President Trump. Your deeply involved in Environmental Justice movement, now Vice President of the National Wildlife federation. Can you talk about what was raised . And particicularly talk about hw the candidates diverged on how they will deal with the fossil fuel industry. Stated before, it was a good start butut there were a number of areas that t we really need too hear much more about list of especially let me start off with saying in the first presidenential debate that happened, it was like 7200 seconds and the words environmental j justice were never mentntioned the fifirst t. The e one that we had last night in the town hall, thankfully, there were a handful of candidates who actually y said e words and began to play with the service of what is going on in frontline communities. So we had some of the basics that were talked about. There is that conversation around carbon tax or cap and trade. And for frontlines amenities, for cap andnd trade is an ise that brings upgrade concerns around hotspots. I also appreciated what we heard from senator sanders and senator warren around a conversation about a just transition, about making sure that those workers who have been working in dirty industries, that there is a pathway forward and that it does not have to be a confrontational situation. When we looked at the conversations that mayor castro had or former secretary castro had, excuse me, around the need for civil rights legislation to be a part of this process is incredibly important as well because what weve had on the bobooks to date has not been Strong Enough to actually protect our most vulnerable communities. When you look at the conversations that mayor buttigieg had around the department of defense and the military playing a much stronger role in this process, that is incredibly important also because the military in the past has nonot been as transparent wh some of the impacts they have had in communities, but they also understand, and they put out numerous reports, about te impacts on Climate Change and how they need to be better prepared for what is going to happen. So there were a number of very positive things that were shared, actions that were talked about, but there was not enough conversation about how frontline communities are actually being depthfuld in a very in way. And hade conversations with everyone of those candidates, some more depth than others that folks are really getting what is being said in the ipc see report in the National Climate assessment because if we have had a situation where we literally bahamas,untry, the that is literally devastated, almost wiped off the map, and people are still having conversations around 2050 and 2045 and dates that are sort of their benchmarks, and we know there are 11 years and a few months left before we hit that tipping point, i am very concerned that folks are not as focused and a serious about pushing a Progressive Agenda that will help to actually protect our entire planet, but especially our country. Amy were going to go to break and come back to this discussion. The cnn climate town hall held in lieu of the category 5, yes, category 5, even if President Trump says he is never heard of a category 5 and there been four category 5 hurricanes during his tenure alone as president. Mustafa ali with us, Mattias Lehman of the Sunrise Movement, and kate aronoff of the intercept and jacobin. Stay with us. [music break] amy two little men in a flying saucer by ella fitzgerald. This is democracy now , im amy goodman with nermeen shaikh. We continue to cover wednesdays Climate Crisis town hall. We turn to senator Bernie Sanders being questioned by Anderson Cooper. Would you guarantee to the American Public tonight that the chileanbility for 16. 3 dollars, which is a massive amount of money, would not end up on taxpayer shoulders . It will end up on some taxpayer shoulders. If youre in the fossil fuel industry come your way to be paying more in taxes, for sure. I have a new believe in general that at a time when we have massive levels of income and wealth inequality with the richest three people in this country have more wealth than the bottom half of american society, where major profitable corporations like amazon who made over 10 million in profits last year and did not pay a nickel in taxes, am i going to guarantee jeff bezos he is not going to be pay more in taxes . No, i wont. Amy were joined by kate aronoff, mustafa ali, and Mattias Lehman. So there you have Bernie Sanders talking about whether increased taxes. Bebefore that, we played the clp of sanders talking about instead inspending 1. 5 trillion weapons of mass destruction, we work against our common enemy, which is Climate Change. Your response, kate aronoff . I think what sanders is really pointing out is we spent a lot of money andnd wrong plac. You spend momoney on. Youll subsidies in the military. A question that has been brought up, how will you pay for . They dont take into account the fact that were spending money in these places we dont need to be spending money on, actively harmful, and the fact that what happens if we dont take on this at the scale it to mans . Demand . There are many, many trillions of dollars to be lost if we let this crisis go unabated. What he is rightly pointing out is that as well as the fact there is not a shortage of Funds Available to fund this transition. We have the sort of wrong priorities the u. S. Government is spending money on and the can afford this transition. There is no constraint on the amount of money we have, the resoururces we have, but that is the main concern and there should be no expense spared and Going Forward full ahead with this transition. Nermeen lets turn to an audience member questioning senator Elizabeth Warren. Bernie sanders has endorsed Public Ownership of utilities. As president , would you be willing to call out capitalism in this way an advocate for the Public Ownership of our utilities . Good gosh. Im not sure that is what gets you to the solution. I am perfectly willing to take on giant corporations. I think i have been known to do that once or twice. But for me, i think the way we get there is we just say, sorry, guys, by 2035, you are done. Youre not going to be using anymore carbonbased fuels. That gets us to the right place. If someone wants to make a profit from building better solar panels and generating better battery storage, im not opposed to that. What i am opposed to is when they do it in a way that hurts her buddy yells. Should not be able to that is the problem with fossil fuels right now. I think the best way we go for open up the opportunities. We open up the possibilities. We invest in the science and invest in the manufacturing and invest in the pieces that let us build a future together Going Forward. I just want to be clear, we have to have tough rules that we are willing to enforce. And that means weve got to be willing to fight back against these giant industries. That is s where the whole t thig starts for me. We put them on their back foot, then we have a real chance to make the changes we need to make. Amy that a senator Elizabeth Warren responding to a question by a writer and climate organizer from Brooklyn Robert wood at the Climate Crisis town hall wednesday night. To warnsld you respond position on the Public Ownership of utilities and sanders position . And also the fact that ahead of this town hall, greenpeace ranks all of the candidates and found sanders first followed by warren. To agree with that assessment and you think the town hall discussion confirmed that . I think that is exactly right. I think what last night sanders and worn really are the top climate candidates in this race. They have the most serious plans. They seem more comfortable talking about it and basically anyone else on stage. That moment talking about political goal Public Ownership is both centers and warns plans are hugely ambitious. I think it blisters a key difference between them. Sanders plan calls for massively expanding Public Ownership of energy, which is pretty widespread in the u. S. A lot of Public Utilities already here. What he identifies is the fact having these utilities which can spend massive amounts of money sort of polluting the political system as they do frequently, being able to extract profits instead of investing in things like safety and renewables, that that is a challenge to this transition. Whereas warren and what she articulates here is she once to set a level playing field. She once to set a strong set of rules and regulations. In which these copies can operate. I think the problem, which i would argue with what she said, is that it is not just that these companies are doing harm because they are allowed to create action alleys that are that are noties being taxed properly, but they have a Business Model incompatible with solving this crisis. They are to find and dig up and sell more fossil fuels. Theres no Meaningful Evidence they are about to change that. I think that is a big sort of question for every candidate in this race, is what is the future of the fossil fuel industry. I think leaving a public option essentially off the table i dont think is an option we have. I think what sanders plan does is create a stick for utilities to say we can bring it under Public Ownership, there can there are other ways of doing this that do not involve your profit motive. I think sanders rightly raises that. Amy i want to turn to Mattias Lehman and ask about senator Kamala Harris who said she would do away with the Senate Filibuster in passing the Green New Deal. On the issue of this Climate Crisis, im going to tell you, i strongly believe this is a fight against powerful interest and leaders need to lead. So lead, follow, or get out the way and get out the way starting with donald trump. So, yeah, we need to work across the aisle. But i have been there now two years and someones. And seeing no evidence of it. I kid you guys not. In our United States congress, i was part of a Committee Hearing during which the underlying premise of the hearing was to debate whether science should be the basis of pubublic policy. An existential threat to who we are as human beings. Back to the United States Congress Come if they fail to act as the president of the United States, i am prepared to get rid of the filibuster, to pass a Green New Deal. Amy y senator Kamala Harris at last nights Climate Crisis town hall in the midst of Hurricane Dorian barreling through the caribbean, decimating the bahamas, making its way now to the carolinas. , if you canan respond to what she said, and senatorr harris, among others, did talk about Environmental Justice. Can you talk about this issue, what it means, and the issue of environmental racism . O on the filibuster, simple answer, this is just important. Yes. If you look at some of the opposition were talking about people like james than half who brought a snowball into congress to say Global Warming wasnt happening. Way back your question about regulation, what it means to be tough on fossil fuel companies means having some sort of leverage. We have had all of the regulations we wanted on housing, did not stop redlining from discriminating against africanamericans. We are regulations on health care. Does not stop people from going into bankruptcy because of medical debt. We had regulations on financial speculation. Did not stop the 2008 recession. Regulation is one part of the toolkit, but the toolkit only matters if theres a credible threat of following up on it. I think when you look at energy companies, we dont have a credible alternanative. We cant say, oh, i dont want to put gas in my car. Im going to go to the solar car industry. That does not exist. We need these alternatives separated from profit in a lot of ways for us to be of the do that. We need some leverage against fossil fuel companies coming from our government, and it needs to be very strong leverage. I think that is the fundamental point. But also, what youre saying about Kamala Harris is important. I grew up in a heavily polluted majority minority amenity. I have asthma. This is a reality for a lot of people of color, for a lot of poor people. They bear the brunt of the beginnings of what Climate Change is bringing. In the bahamas, were seeing mass devastation and like you said, we cannot wait for 2045 to the definitionly and the genocide of the bahamian people because we wont act. That is ridiculous. There are so many communities facing that right now. The refugees coming from honduras in central and south america as a whole of to our border right now, that is a Climate Crisis. Were letting these people die in concentration camps because were not willing to act on Climate Change. That is just wrong. Muchlly have to wonder how less willing we would be able to tolerate this death if we were talking about white people and not people of color, if we were talking about people that people love more white nationalists orientation dont care about and dont think about. I think when we look at Climate Change, Racial Justice and environment will justice has to be at the forefront of everything were thinking about and doing because we cannot just abandon the global south. We cannot abandon minorities and poor people is sort of run to the hills and save a fragment of humanity. This is a fight for the future of our species and our planet, and we have to all be in your together. We have to take into consideration everyone, not just a flex fuel. Tamika another issue by contentious in the town hall was Nuclear Power as part of any kind of Climate Crisis program. Cory booker, senator cory booker defended the use of Nuclear Power. Atmy plan says we need to be a zero carbon electricity by 2030. The time iyears from will win the presidency of the United States of america. And right now nuclear is more than 50 of our noncarboncausing energy. So people who think we can get there without nuclear being part of the bland just are not looking at the facts. Where the science is going, to me, it sounded like science fiction. Were talking about historic plants, but where the science has gone right now is new nuclear actually pretense of exciting things are you have no risk of the economy does we are to the kind ofgo innovations that makake nuclear safer or say. That is new ali, jersey senator cory booker. Meanwhile, senator sanders came out very clearly against Nuclear Energy. Your response . Let me start by s saying that senator booker has one of the strongest Environmental Justice plans that is out there. In number of the candidates have actually introduced plants were built language into it. Senator booker has been time in frontline communities in a significant way listening. I give him kudos for r that. We also have some real concerns when it comes to nuclear and nuclear wasaste. Indigenous brothers and sisters have been dealing with uranium killings for years and exposure that is in that space. We also know people talk about yucca mountain, but the other locations where we place our Nuclear Waste is of significant concern to many Frontline Community and other commununities as well. Then we also have to think about the transportation n routes. Whenen people are moving that waste in many instances, our transportation routes have been built through communities of color and low income communities. So if there is a train that derails or a truck or whatever it might be that is moving that waste, there are significant concerns that have to be addressed in that process. And senator sanders is probably saying beyond the fact of where we place thihings, also in thehe trtransportation, we h have goto be considerate of those communities that could be impacted by an accident. So all of that needs to be put into the mix. And that is s why when we have these candidates who were talking about climate were there talking about environmental issues, if we have not had candidates also talking about him or her mental justice analysis and the policies and practices and activities, then were going to leave these gaps in the process and nuclear is one of those. Nermeen kates, could you talk ababout the venue for this town hall debate . It was held at hudson yards in manhattan. And also the fact it was hosted by cnn, you know, the fact the Media Corporate media kind of controls the kinds of questions that are asked in these debates. So both things. Hudson yards and cnn hosting the town hall. The debate was held at hudson yards, which was the recipient of one of the largest giveaways from the city of new york may be in the citys history. And it is sort of a haven of the wealthy. Luxury mall with Luxury Housing Development tacked onto it. It is hard to think of a more stark example of what we might this developer that is graded to be insulated from the weather and insulated from most of new york city as well. Amy are, not exactly because part of that giveaway was that extended the subway to go directly there. The subway were we could have more fictional bus lines or invest in building up the mta between brooklyn and queens. Amy that is near empty when it goes there. Right. I think this speaks to how absurd it is to have this venue for a debate in a predominately workingclass cityty where peope actually have felt real climate impacts in the last several years. Why not have it in the rockaways, which was hit by sandy continuously felt its impact . Having in this sheltered place is pretty absurd. And on the point about cnn, we saw a lot of preparation. I think they should get some credit for putting on a sevenhour event. But i think we also saw, as i think senator warren rightly pushed back against, some newly rightwing framings to focus on things like straws, things like should the government have a say in what can of car you drive. These are all things the false a fuel companies and trade associations have said for decades to refocus away from the fact that some 90 C Corporations are responsible for twtwo thirds of the missions the don of the industrial age. We know who the enemy here is an it is not the people who are wanting a more convenient way to drink their coffee in the morning. It is these companies. And i think are very few candidates on the stage who rightly named that. Amy the hudson yards developer stephen ross was recently in the headlines, longtime friend of donald trump, recently held 100,000 a plate fundraiser for him in the hamptons. Mattias lehman, where does this leave Green New Deal at this point and what do you want to see these candidates questioned about in the next debate, even if it isnt exclusively a Climate Crisis debate . Do you think the dnc will relent with the tremendous pressure from many pushing for an official debate this was one by one candidates . Right. Lets start with Green New Deal. The Green New Deal has been talked about like it is a bill, willtheres this one small and we just need to pass it and then there we go, a Green New Deal. Awesome. At the name choice is very intentional. New deal. The new deal was on a bill. It was a series of plans rolled out over a long period of time aimed at a specific goal. When were talking about the Green New Deal, were talking about a framework and lots of bills are going to fall into that framework. Lots of regulations will fall into that framework. A lot of that is when you come from pressure, from pressure to shift to green energy. It is going to come from on even for regulations the things i did talk about like light bulbs. That is going to be part of the toolkit, but it is not the primary thing. Looking at the overall because it is some issues, it is going to take constant pressure. We have seen this feedback loop of putting some pressure, get out of town hall. Activist groups. Now we need to figure out how to e that and that is what were going to be doing all the way through to the end of this, crisis, continuing to put pressure. I think step one is the climate strike september 20. Sunrise is standing with h a lot of partners and young people all around the world and weird way to walk out of our schools and jobs and say, hey, the adults in the room have not been acting on Climate Change for decades so were going to put pressure now because this is our future on the line. In thatto be a voice room. We need to be heard. We need action. Two, theres a big election coming up. I know, especially in primaries, letter president ial candidates think they dont have to worry too much about the youth vote. The turnout is going to be low. That is going to be different this election. Were going to colleges and high schools and young people out of school and making sure they understand registering this primary and voting is the most important thing they can do for their future. Amy Mattias Lehman, thank you for being with us,s, mustafa al, and kate aronoff. When we come back, nearly 2 Million People in the northeast are atf assam, india, risk of being stateless. It has been described as the biggest disenfranchisement in Human History. Stay with us. [music break] amy pain by ruth garbus. This is democracy now , im amy goodman with nermeen shaikh. Nermeen we end todays show in india, where nearly 2 Million People in the northeast state of assam are at risk of being rendered stateless after the government published its National Register of citizens list saturday. The highly contested register was first created in 1951 and lists people who are able to prove they came to the state by mamarch 24, 1971 a day before neighboring bangladesh, then east pakistan, declared independence from pakistan. The inindian government says the list helps i identify banglaladi migrants who are not legal residents. Critics say it is an attempt to deport millions of muslims. Residents suspected of being foreigners can be rounded up and sent to prison camps. Assam residents were in shock after the nrc was published. D. Assam residents who do not appear on the list have 120 days to appeal their exclusion before socalled foreigner tribunals. Amy to talk more about the situation in assam, were joined now by awardwinning indian author and journalist siddhartha deb, who was born in northeast india. Recent piece for the new republic is headlined indias looming ethnonationalist catastrophe. Both his novels, the point of return and an outline of the republic, are set partly in assam. His nonfiction book, the beautiful and the damned a portrait of the new india, was a finalist for the orwell prize and the winner of the pen open award. Thank you so much for joining us, siddhartha. Can you explain what the National Register of citizens is, why lanes of people in assam are being excluded from the list . On the part of the Modi Government to either to define those they call foreigners. The process has been riven with confusion with arbitrariness over thehe past two years. It has involved people being called to police stations provide documents of their citizenship. The majority of the people who are suffering, almost e erybody are muslim. There almost always from very, very poor, often rural provincial that ground. They dont have the kind of documentation. It has become this incredible sort of exercise and disenfranchisement. Yes, it follows up on the promise that modi made not during these elections, but the first elections when the bjc comes to power they will send they see those as foreigners hacking. Targeted atrly muslims. It is clearly targeted at ratcheting up to deflect from the disasters of the economy or the environment or education. I think the biggest thing to remember is theres a tendency to treat assam a something separate, but it is not. 30 days lockdown, the demonetization it happened during modis previous s run. He is i instituted and a permant state of emergency where depending on who you are, especially if you are a muslim, every thing you takeke for grand can be taken away from you, including where you live and where you lived all your life. Nermeen i want to t turn to soe of the villagers in assam expressing their concerns about this regisister. Ththey were spspeaking to i inda today. Y. Village is upset with what has happppened. We have bebeen producicing docus whenever a asked for, bubut we e not gott anyny answer. M my name and my daughterinlaws name is on the nrc, but my husbands name has not come. Nermeen can you comment on that . The fact the register includes some people from the same family, and does not include othersrs, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, parents, children . It shows you how incredibly terrrrying it is in its arbitrariness. Yes, there members of the same family, some are considered citizens, some are not. You can see from the video jusut the kind off p people this is targeting. People who strtruggle to make a livelilihood. Some of them are hindus as well. But people who are struggling to kind of provide documentation. They are called in to policee stations t to provide piececes f paper. People who o often are not traditionally literate. Ofof course, thereres a whole intermediary category of lawyers who have been exploiting many of these people, promising they will get them a kind of a positive result from the tribunal. It iss this mass scale sort of ercise inn explication and disenfranchisement. It does go back quite a long way. The bjp has been planning it for a long timime. In the early 1990s when thehe p s nonot in power in the state and always reporting in assam, i remember being in a provincial town on the border of bangladesh and assam and speakining to a bp legislator and congress legislator. They both talked about the bjp politician was very clear that hinindus come across the border should be given citizenship. I hahave to say, all credit t te congresswoman who was arguing with h him and s she said it dit matter w what religion because india was a seconond republic. She said anyoyone who comes acrs the border should be given citizenship, which i thought was a really wonderful thing. The bjp has been planning for this kind of for a very long time. Amy is there any form of appeal, of changing this largest disenfranchisement in Human History . I feel extxtremely worried because you can see how arbitrary it has been for all these years. It has been an ongoing process. People have appealed against it. If youre fairly wealthy, educated, connected, there is a way out. Weve seen ththe kind of villags one just sees endless suffering. Unless the parties come together anand decide this is actually it strikikes at the very heart f any notion of democracy or any kind of idea of a nationstate. Nermeen very ququickly, just lt night there was a town hall held on Climate Change and the Climate Crisisis. Yoyou said what is happening in assam is directly linked to the Climate Crisis. Absolutely. Understandnding there are migras crossing the border. But this is the result of largescale climate c change and india and banglaladesh, south aa , is at the forefront. And d this cannot be tackled in this kind of authoritarian manner with detention camps. It is a completely colonial response to a problem that is planetary. And that has to be worked on across borders. Amy siddhartha deb, thank you for being with us awardwinning , indian author and journalist who was born in northeast india. His recent piece for the new public we will link to indias , looming ethnonationalist catastrophe. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. Org or mail them to democracy now p. O. Box 693 new york, new york 100