Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy 20240704

County record. The papers copublisher, 98yearold joan meyer, died a day after officers searched the her home. We will go to kansas for the latest. Democratic lawmakers for Supreme Court Justice Clarence thomas to resign after propublica published another bombshell investigation showing that a group of conservative billionaires have showered thomas with 38 luxury vacations, 26 private jet flights, and 12 vip passes to sporting events. All work millions. And then to montana, where a judge has ruled in favor of youth plaintiffs who sued the state over Climate Change. This ruling is so important. Montana, for outside its borders, this is huge. For the judge to say montana is significantly contributing to Global Climate change, gave me the feeling our actions do matter. Amy we will speak with one of the youth plaintiffs and the head of our Childrens Trust, which has been involved in a string of groundbreaking climate lawsuits. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Hawaii officials have started identifying victims of the historic maui wildfires as the death toll reached 106, with hundreds more missing. Maui police named the first two victims as 74yearold Robert Dyckman and 79yearold buddy jantoc, a beloved musician who once played with bands, including santana. As many survivors expressed frustration with government relief efforts, communities have set up sites to distribute food, clothes, and other assistance to those in need. Meanwhile, hawaiians are sounding the alarm over outsiders who almost immediately started preying on survivors to buy up land and property around the Historic Town of lahaina, which was all but decimated in the fires. Some of the things that has already been happening, realtors are calling families who lost everything, offering to buy their property and their home for pennies on the dollar. It is pretty offensive to us that people wont even give us time to grieve properly, when Mental Health has been diminished, the people have lost everything, family members. For them to have that disrespect , it is out of control. Some of the things i have been doing is gathering all of our community leaders, getting as much resources as i possibly can at the same table so we can speak on how we can prevent these land grabs from happening. Amy President Biden said tuesday he will travel to hawaii as soon as he can. Saying he did not want to interfere with recovery efforts. Tuesday marked two years since the fall of kabul and the return of the taliban to power in afghanistan after a failed u. S. Invasion and twodecadeslong occupation. Afghans face spiraling human rights and humanitarian crises, made worse by the u. S. Refusing to release billions in afghan deposits in u. S. Banks and the talibans ban on women working in most sectors, preventing the u. N. And other International Aid agencies from delivering services from operating in the country. Women and girls have largely been erased from public life. This is 24yearold hosna in kabul. I did not think the taliban would take over the country one day. After they succeeded, the restrictions on women have increased day by day and cost us many problems. The victory day of the taliban is the worst day for the people of afghanistan. Amy a u. N. Envoy has called on the International Criminal court to prosecute afghan officials for crimes against humanity over their treatment of women and girls. According to the u. N. , more than 1. 6 million afghans have fled the country in the past two years, with pakistan receiving the highest number of refugees, around 600,000. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of afghans who were employed by American Forces or contractors have been awaiting resettlement in the u. S. Or for their visa applications to be processed. Many now say they are stuck in limbo. 18year old marwa, whose father worked as a guard for an american ngo, lives with 11 other family members in a tiny rental near pakistans capital islamabad as they await news of their u. S. Visa amid dwindling savings. We only have one room with a kitchen. Our space is very tight. We cannot go back to afghanistan. My father will be killed. Everything is favorable they are. We can either we can neither study nor live here. Amy meanwhile, the committee to protect journalists called on the taliban to end its persecution of journalists, lamenting, afghanistans once vibrant free press is a ghost of its former self. In burma, at least 32 people have been reported dead after a massive landslide sunday at a jade mine in the town of hpakan. Several people are still missing, while heavy rains have hampered rescue efforts. Burma produces 70 to 90 of the world jade. Climate and human Rights Groups have denounced the industry over its destructive impacts on the environment, corruption, and the deadly conditions faced by mine workers. Jade mining is estimated to produce billions of dollars in profits for burmas military regime, with china being a major buyer. In 2020, more than 160 people died after torrential rains triggered landslides in another jade mine in the region. Pyongyang made its first public statements on private travis king, the u. S. Soldier who crossed into north korea on july 18 while on a guided tour in guided tour and has not been heard from since. North korean state media reported tuesday king, who is black, fled to the country in order to seek refuge from racism in the u. S. Military. King was due to return the u. S. , where he was facing disciplinary procedures. Travis kings family has told reporters he had spoken about the racism he faced as a soldier, and likened the situation to a big nightmare. In paraguay, Santiago Pena was inaugurated as the new president tuesday. The former International Monetary fund economist is a member of the conservative colorado party, which has been plagued by accusations of corruption during its 70 years in power, with its ruling streak broken only once, between 2008 and 2013. Pena opposes abortion and samesex marriage. In his inaugural speech, pena reaffirmed his governments support for taiwan. Our relationship with taiwan is an example of paraguays friendly spirit. We feel not only allies but brothers. We will continue to negotiate with the World Without compromising our sovereignty, territory, values, and culture. Amy taiwans Vice President william lai attended the inauguration. In louisiana, young people imprisoned at the state penitentiary, known as angola, and legal groups are asking a federal judge to take Emergency Action to order the removal of the children from the notorious prison. The aclu and other Rights Groups say kids, the majority black boys, have been locked up for the past year in abusive conditions on angolas former death row, an adult maximumsecurity prison with a history of human rights violations. The aclu says Research Shows that youth in adult facilities are more likely to commit suicide, suffer from Sexual Assault and experience exacerbated Mental Health challenges. Hearings in the case will continue through friday. In texas, a woman who helped cover up 2020 murder of 20yearold fort hood soldier Vanessa Guillen has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. Cecily eric garner Cecily Aguilar was the only person charged in guillens murder after her boyfriend, fort hood soldier aaron robinson, killed himself shortly after being questioned by police. Robinson was accused of bludgeoning guillen to death in april 2020. Shed spoken out about being sexually harassed at the military base, which was renamed fort cavazos earlier this year. The murder brought global attention to the epidemic of Sexual Violence in the u. S. Military and inspired some federal policy changes in the handling of Sexual Harassment and assault allegations in the military. Donald trump said on social media he will release a 100page report monday that would exonerate him after a georgia grand jury indicted him and 18 coconspirators for attempting to overturn georgias 2020 president ial election results. The Fulton County Sheriffs Office said tuesday trump and the 18 codefendants are expected to surrender to police and will be booked at the rice street jail. Trump was given a deadline of august 25 to turn himself in. The jail is open 24 7, the sheriff added in the statement. This all comes as the first republican president ial primary debate will be held next wednesday, august 23. One criterion to appear on the debate stage is a pledge to support whomever emerges as the republican nominee. Those who otherwise qualify but have not signed the pledge are donald trump, former new jersey governor chris christie, and former Vice President mike pence though he has said he will sign. If trump is the front runner, they have to support him. In illinois, a man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the arson of a planned parenthood in peoria. Tyler massengill admitted to using a homemade explosive to set the clinic on fire in january, just days after democratic governor j. B. Pritzker signed into law sweeping protections for people from out of state seeking an abortion in illinois. Massengill will also have to pay 1. 45 million in restitution. The planned parenthood clinic plans to reopen in 2024. In education news, arkansas officials told high schools not to offer advanced placement African American studies, warning students would not receive credit for taking the course. The republican governor and former trump Spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued an executive order in january banning what she called indoctrination and Critical Race Theory in schools. One school affected by the move is little rocks central high, where some 100 students were enrolled in the course this school year. Central high was home to the little rock nine, nine black students who in 1957 tested the landmark brown v. Board of education ruling that ordered the desegregation of schools. On their first day, they were met with angry white mobs and National Guard members. President eisenhower was forced to order federal troops to escort the students for the remainder of the year. In related news, many colleges in florida say they are dropping their ap psychology course due to florida law which bans discussions on gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Earlier this month, florida backtracked on a directive effectively banning ap psychology, but educators fears the repercussions of teaching the course since it would be all but impossible to do so without violating the antilgbtq socalled dont say gay law. And in oklahoma, the aclu and other groups are suing to stop the state from funding the nations first religious public charter school. The groups say the st. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School will violate rules for publicly funded schools, including indoctrinating students in religious beliefs and discriminate in admissions, discipline, and employment based on religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other protected characteristics. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The Kansas Bureau of investigation is launched a probe into last weeks police raid on the newsroom of a local newspaper and the home of its publisher and coowner eric meyer. Police seized computers, hard drives, servers, and phones. He lived with his 98yearold mother joan meyer, who was copublisher of the familyowned newspaper the Marion County record one day after the police raid, joan meyer died at her home. The paper blamed her death on the police raid saying it had left her stressed beyond her limits. At the time of her death, joan meyer was talking about the raid saying, where are all the good people to put a stop to this . She died midsentence as she expressed outrage over what happened. The raid reportedly stemmed from a dispute between the newspaper and a local Restaurant Owner who accused the Marion County record of illegally obtaining information about a drunk driving incident. But it appears the newspaper had also been actively investigating Marion Police chief gideon cody over Sexual Misconduct charges at a previous job in kansas city. Details about that investigation were on a computer seized in the raid. During the raid, the police chief injured a reporters finger while grabbing her cellphone out of her hand. Over 30 news organizations and press groups have published an open letter to marions police chief blasting the raid, writing newsroom searches and seizures are among the most intrusive actions Law Enforcement can take with respect to the free press, and the most potentially suppressive of free speech. On tuesday, i spoke to Sherman Smith, editorinchief of kansas reflector, a nonprofit news outlet. He described speaking to joann meyer on the phone as the police raid on her home was taking place. The first call and made friday when i found out this raid had occurred was at the home of the publisher and his 98yearold mother. She answered the phone when i called, but she was very upset. There was a lot of noise around her, police work rummaging through her house. She was having trouble hearing me. She told me she would have someone standing near her talk to me and let her know what i was trying to say. Then i heard a voice that says, i am sergeant soandso and he had no interest in talking to me when he found out i was a reporter. Amy and the next day she passe d . The Marion County record reported that she was not able to eat after the raid began friday morning. She was not able to sleep that night. Early saturday afternoon in a conversation with her son, she had fairly collapsed and died apparently collapsed and died. Amy sherman, if you can go back to the beginning and explain what exactly took place. You have this paper dealing with two stories. How did this raid happen . Theres a lot of small town drama to unpack so i will try to keep it as simple as possible. There was an incident in town where a republican from kansas was holding a meet and greet at a small restaurant in town. I had invited the media. With the publisher and reporters showed up from the Marion County record, the owner of the restaurant Carrie Newell asked police to throw them out because they were not welcome. She was not a fan of the paper. They wrote about this. I should say the congressman appears to be sorted and innocent bystander in this. There was a oneonone interview with them later. Part of the coverage of being thrown out, somebody contacted the paper and said, i have some information that might be of interest about Carrie Newell. This confidential source provided information about her drivers license history, a 2008 conviction for drunkendriving which was of interest because she was applying for a Liquor License and there was a question about whether this should preclude her from getting a Liquor License. The a reporter the paper then typed the information into a state database to verify the information they were given. They did verify it but did ultimately decide it was not newsworthy, in part because they felt they were being used as a pawn in Divorce Proceedings between the woman and her husband. They decided not to publish but did notify police they had received this information. The police chief notified Carrie Newell they had information. Carrie became upset and made allegations at a City Council Meeting last monday that accused the reporters of some sort of illegal activity. That became the basis for the alleged crime here. The alleged crime here is Identity Theft, the reporter by typing her information to the database would have committed Identity Theft. I want to say all of the attorneys i have talked to about this either reporters actions did not come anywhere near being a crime. Amy why did eric meyer called the police to say he is not doing this story but he had this information . He told me he was concerned the newspaper was being set up, so he thought the police should have that information. That then became the basis for the search warrant was executed against them on friday, alleging a crime of Identity Theft and the improper use of a computer. Amy can you explain what happened to the reporter . The police chief himself ripped the phone out of her hand, injuring her finger . Thats right. That is what the publisher meyer told me. They were taking computers and other documents. Utility bills, hard drives, the server they had for even advertisements, legal notices, that sort of thing. The police were taking phones away from the personal funds away from reporters in the newsroom. The police chief ripped the phone out of a womans hand and apparently injured her fingers in some way. Amy can you explain the secondstory the paper was investigating about the police chief himself, Sherman Smith . When i talked to eric on friday, he told me when the city had higher the police chief, the newspaper received a couple of emails people who alleged sevens conduct at his previous job, a captain with the kansas city, missouri, police department. At the publisher told me friday that the individuals who email them not putting their name to it and could provide no evidence to support it. They asked the police chief about these allegations so he was aware this information. At the publisher on friday said he did not leave it was a credible story because there was no evidence to support these allegations. It is hard to say i know he has told others he believed this was possibly a motivation for the raid, but i want to emphasize there was a clear motivation for the search warrant for why they were raiding the newspaper office. It is not clear to me the emails received about the Police Chiefs past, had anything to do with the rate. Amy what is known about the magistrate judge who signed the warrant . In kansas, magistrates, theyre really not any qualifications. You dont even have to be an attorney. In this case, there is an attorney with an active license. Former county attorney and a county over in a county over. I spoke to her assistance on friday and asked if there could be some expo nation for why a judge would somewhat appears to be an unlawful search and seizure warrant. I did not get any response back. We are eagerly awaiting the release of the probable cause affidavit that would have supported the search to try to understand why any judge of any qualification or not would have signed off on this. Amy can you talk about what this raid means for other newspapers, for other process outlets, for your own . Talk about the significance of what took place. The Kansas Press Association put out an email to members shortly after noon central time friday that said, we have an active situation here. In my newsroom, we dropped what we were doing and leapt into action because it just felt like a brazen attack on journalism everywhere, on what we do. It has a Chilling Effect because we depend on Confidential Sources to let us know what is going on, to give us information. They have to know were not going to talk about them and we are not going to give their identity or disclose anything that would put them in jeopardy to anyone else. If the police in Marion County are allowed to get away with this, it becomes open season on journalists everywhere in kansas, where Law Enforcement would just need to fabricate a reason for suspecting a reporter of possibly committing a crime as a justification for taking everything in the newsroom and looking for whatever stories we are working on and who our sources are. That would effectively prevent us from doing our job of holding powerful people accountable and telling the public things powerful people dont want us to know. Amy tells the story of the Marion County record come the story of the meyers, down to eric, the publisher now, who just lost his mother. He was a journalist at the milwaukee sentinel who was a professional journalist at the university of illinois. Go back to his father and mother. This is a 150yearold paper. His father began working there in 1948, worked at the paper for 50 years. The family has owned the paper since 1998 when they blot it bought it to lock the sale to a corporation so they could keep it as a family owned, locally owned newspaper. I think there are papers in kansas and small towns were economic reality has just decimated the ranks of reporters. There are places where police could have raided and found and found a twentysomething Old Newspaper employee who was scared out of his mind and did not know what was going on in the owner would be a Corporation Police picked the wrong newspaper to raid. They say this is a familyowned owned paper, publisher who at 20 years of expense at a large newspaper, 26 years of experience at a Journalism Program at the university of illinois, basically running the family paper as a retirement hobby now because it is such a passion to him and has a sizable staff. Remarkably sizable staff or a town of just 2000 stop insisting they will put out a newspaper this week. They are fighting back. And because the Kansas Attorney general amy has the Kansas Attorney general weyden . He has not. We asked for a comment on friday and is spokesperson seem to be surprised this had taken place. I think the attorney generals is in an untenable situation. He is obligated to defend department such as the police department. He and his office would be responsible for defending them in court if they were sued. It is difficult for him to say anything now knowing it would then be held against him potentially in court. Amy Sherman Smith, before we go, what has been the response in the town of the raid on a local newspaper . And is there any push for the police chief to resign or to be fired . I think kansans just dont like drama, and i think a lot of people in town, the ones i have heard from, are absent they have become this flashpoint for controversy and a Major National and international story. I dont think they like the attention. They like having a quiet, sleepy town. That is where they are at right now. I dont know they have formed an opinion or if there is an idea of whether they support the chief or not, but i think they would prefer this story go away. Amy to police chief himself, has he been speaking out . He has posted on the departments facebook page, saying he believes the Justice System will be vindicated when all the facts come out. The Kansas Bureau of investigation director, both of them have issued statements saying the media is not above the law which i interpret as gas lighting because nobody has suggested the media is about the law. Reporters of the newspaper have been forthcoming about their actions. The question here is whether police can act outside the law. Amy and the city council . The City Councils next meeting is monday afternoon evening. We should get some clarity then. Amy could they decide whether he remains, the police chief . They certainly have the power to hire and fire the police chief, but nobody has said anything yet to suggest that that will be on the agenda. Amy i understand visitation for joan meyer will be held on friday, a Funeral Service and burial will be held on saturday. I think it sounds like from the level of her stress as this was taking place, not at the office, but her home, that she saw this as the beginning of the demise of journalism. Is that fair to say, sherman . I think we can say it is a tragedy that somebody who had spent her whole life practically supporting news and intimately involved with the local newspaper and the owner of the paper, spent the last 24 hours of her life having her home raid ed by police in an apparently illegal and certainly undemocratic attack on the free press. She wondered where the good people were supposed to be at right now. It is just a tragedy that is how her life ended. Amy Sherman Smith editorinchief of kansas , reflector, a nonprofit news outlet. He has been closely covering the police raid on the Marion County record and the home of its owners. Coming up, democratic lawmakers renewing calls Supreme Court Justice Clarence thomas to resign after propublica published yet another bombshell investigation, this one showing not just harlan crow, but a group of conservative billionaires have showered thomas with millions of dollars worth of vacations and jet flights and passes to sporting events. Stay with us. [music break] amy guilty by Barbara Streisand and barry gibb. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Five key House Democrats are calling on the Justice Department to investigate Justice Thomas under the ethics in Government Act for accepting after new reporting reveals he has accepted even more gifts from wealthy benefactors without following disclosure laws. Federal judges are required to disclose gifts worth more than 1000, including travel. New york congressmember alexandria ocasiocortez wrote the letter, cosigned by Judiciary Committee Ranking Member jerry nadler, oversight Committee Ranking member jamie raskin, and Democratic Caucus vice chair ted lieu. It reads Justice Thomas consistent failure to disclose gifts and benefits from industry magnates and wealthy, politically active executives highlights a blatant disregard for judicial ethics as well as apparent legal violations. The letter was sent one day after propublica published a bombshell new report last thursday filled with details about a group of conservative billionaires who have given Justice Thomas free trips and gifts. Earlier this year, the outlet revealed harlan crow had showered Justice Thomas with vacations, private jets, the purchase of his mothers house in georgia, and tuition payments. Now propublica reports three other business magnates apparently came in Clarence Thomas life after he was appointed one of the most sacrosanct positions of power in american government. Of course theyre talking about him being a justice on the Supreme Court. They are harlan crow, wayne huizenga, david sokol, and paul tony novelly. Reading from the report, the gifts include at least 38 destination vacations, including previously unreported forge on a yacht, 26 private jet flights, i dozen vip passes to sporting events, two stays at luxury resorts and florida and jamaica, and one standing invitation to an uber exclusive golf club overlooking the atlantic coast. For more, were joined by brett murphy, reporter for propublica who coauthored their new investigation headlined Clarence Thomas 38 vacations the other billionaires who have treated the Supreme Court justice to luxury travel. Welcome to democracy now we have been following these explosive propublica investigations. Talk about the latest, how you found what you found because Justice Thomas is not reporting these, and what exactly they were and if you believe he broke the law. Yes. So we started receiving tips after we First Published my colleagues First Published about harlan crow, we received tips there may be other patrons in Justice Thomas life. He had been here around this time frame or he knows this person. So we did not have a lot to go off of to begin with. What we started doing was a lot of just shoe leather reporting. We were calling people in these billionaire circles and the justices circle. People who work for them, flight attendants, pilots, staff, waitresses, bartenders, drivers, former executives anyone we could talk to who might be able to shed light on that persons relationship with Justice Thomas. From there, we started chemo leading evidence. Pictures, flight data, emails, sent records request anything we could to substantiate, triangular different trips the justice had been on that were underwritten by one of these patrons. As far as violating law, it is a little murky about what exactly a justice can accept. There is debate around which regulations they follow dictating what they can receive in terms of gifts. However, it is much more clear about what their Disclosure Requirements are. The ethics Government Act that youre mentioning really was passed after watergate and said most gifts that any Government Employee receives, including a justice, has to appear on their yearly Financial Disclosures. They have to say i received this jet flight, these tickets this event, this got crews, and this is the person who gave it to me. We have all 30ish years of Justice Thomas Financial Disclosures and these benefactors do not appear on this disclosures. Amy tell us who these donors are. You have harlan crow come the gop mega donor from taxes. New ones we know of now are david sokol, the former heir apparent of berkshire hathaway, Warren Buffetts number two. He left around 2011. He now chairs a Holding Company on top of International Shipping , power utilities. He is a private equity firm. Tony novelly is an oil magnate from st. Louis. Then the third is wayne huizenga. He might be more of a household name. He is the billionaire behind blockbuster, waste management, and for a time he owned three florida sports teams, the panthers, miami dolphins, and i am blanking on the third. But he owned three teams at the same time. And because have wayne huizenga, david sokol, tony novelly, and harlan crow. Did any of mega donors have cases before the Supreme Court . We know harlan crow did. What they have had our different petitions. Tony novelly did at some point in a case he was involved in was being appealed to the Supreme Court. However, when exactly that took place in relation to his relationship his vacations with Justice Thomas, it seemed that actually happened that case happened before their friendship turned into a vacation relationship. What each of them had is a stake in court cases because of the industry they are in. So anything to do with regulated industries, tax law, tax decisions, environmental decisions all of these could bear major impact on the industries in which they work. So, no, we have not yet found any direct cases that their companies have had before the Supreme Court but mostly just their industries. Amy propublica reports financial records from the Horatio Alger Us Association archives show the group has been fundraising off of an event hosted by Justice Thomas inside the Supreme Court building. Explain. That is unique arrangement. Even the fact this is in event hosted by the Supreme Court inside of the Supreme Court building by Justice Thomas, that is very rare. There are not many groups who have that sort of access. On top of that, we found the association, which is a Charity Group that raises money for College Scholarships also a very exclusive association for industrialists, wealthy entrepreneurs, selfmade millionaires and billionaires a fund raised directly off of this event. They charge donors x amount of dollars. If youre not a member, it be 7,500 per seat at all of the events, including the Supreme Court all whipped to 100,000 for a table of 10. This is a little bit of an unprecedented arrangement. In different judiciary rules and regulations around each branch of government, people are told youre not supposed to use your position to fund raise, even if it is for a good cause. Youre not supposed to use your position, title, your name for fundraising for a charity, let alone inside of National Government building. Amy word is ginni thomas fit in this, the wellknown activist, very involved with the whole january 6 insurrection behind the scenes, the wife of Justice Thomas . She is there. She is accompanying her husband on several of these trips. We have seen pictures of her education homes of these folks, at the sporting events. She is present. What role she has in organizing them, we dont really know. But we know she has a role in memorializing them. A lot of the pictures that we obtained were pictures that she had sent to close family and friends documenting their trips. Amy propublica has also revealed that Supreme Court Justice Samuel alito took an undisclosed luxury fishing vacation with republican mega donor paul singer in 2008 and later ruled in singers favor in several cases. Then you have roberts wife, the chief justice john roberts, who made Something Like 10 million from law firms as i kind of headhunter, law firms who have cases before the Supreme Court. Can you talk overall about all that has been found and exposed and whether in particular Justice Thomas or the others would be brought before an investigation, a doj investigation, for example, on the ethics in Government Act violating that . Or what are the rules . He said other justices told him he did not have to. Yeah, so everything out there now in addition to what you said, there is been good reporting on Justice Sotomayor ors book deals, her arrangements with universities to sell books, the case her publishers had before the courts. There has been reporting on justices breyer and ginsburg accepting trips. The big difference that i wanted to point out between those vacations that Justice Ginsburg and breyer received from billionaires is that we know about them because those justices disclosed them on their financial filings. That is what the law says you need to do. That is what the experts told us to not happen in the case of Justice Thomas. The other thing that is very different about Justice Thomas arrangement, the volume and frequency of undisclosed gifts he has received, undisclosed occasions he has received. We laid out our conservative estimates on the numbers of things now, the judges we talked to about this including one judge who used to sit on a committee that reviewed judges Financial Disclosures, he said he had never seen anything like this, this was an unprecedented amount of largess for justice to be accepting, let alone not disclosing. Justice thomas situation seems to be very unique. He is an outlier. In terms of what the can do so there are carveouts in the statute that say a case can be referred to the attorney general both from inside the judiciary as you noted at the top, democrats have asked aged garland to take up the case to launch a probe. There is no indication that has happened. I asked the Justice Department yesterday if they have open such a probe and they would not confirm or deny, they just said they had received they said they had received the letter from those democrats but we dont know yet if theyre actually doing anything with it. Amy brett murphy, thank you for being with us, reporter for propublica who coauthored their new investigation headlined Clarence Thomas 38 vacations the other billionaires who have treated the Supreme Court justice to luxury travel. Coming up, we go to montana where a judge has just ruled on behalf of a group of young people who sued the state in a landmark Climate Change case. We will speak with one of the young plaintiffs. Stay with us. [music break] amy running by Gil Scott Heron and jamie xx. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In a landmark climate case, a judge in montana has ruled in favor of a group of young people who have sued montana for violating their Constitutional Rights as it pushed policies that encouraged the use of fossil fuels. In her decision, montana judge kathy seeley wrote plaintiffs have a fundamental constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment, which includes climate. The judge went on to rule montanas emissions and Climate Change have been proven to be a substantial factor in causing climate impacts to montanas environment and harm and injury. The case was brought by 16 children and young adults, ranging from 5 to 22 years of age. This ruling is so important to montana and for outside supporters, this is such a huge issue. And for the judge to say that montana is contributive to Global Climate change, leaves me with the feeling that our actions do matter. America were joined by two guests. Olivia vesovich is one of the plaintiffs in the landmark case. A 20yearold student at university of montana. She is in missoula right now. In oregon, were joined by julia olson, chief Legal Counsel and executive director with our Childrens Trust. Julia, lets begin with you. Talk about the significance of this case and why montana . Good morning. This is an historic decision. It is the first of its kind ever in u. S. History. Why montana . Montana is one of the states in our country that has had laws on the books that requires its promote fossil fuel energy and fossil fuel Field Development in a time when we are in a climate emergency. It also requires them to ignore the consequences of that. The ways in which Greenhouse Gas emissions fuel the Climate Crisis. These young people use the montana constitution, which protects not just the right to a clean and healthy environment, but the right to dignity, health, and safety and happiness and equal protection of the law. They sued the state challenging these laws and their implementation. In june, had a sevenday trial and we just won this historic ruling say that legal regime and the conduct under it is unconstitutional. A are the laws automatically struck down . They are. Not only did the court declare them unconstitutional, but the state was enjoyed from him limiting them. Amy i want to bring Olivia Vesovich into this conversation. Youre one of the Montana Youth plaintiffs. Talk about your response to the judges ruling . Where were you when you heard . I was out running errands. I was going on a camping trip to oregon, actually, next week, so i was out running errands and i saw an email from one of our lawyers. I pulled over of a busy road and i just onto a side street and i sat in the car on this zoom call hearing the most lifechanging news i have ever heard. Amy how did you get involved with this, olivia . How old were you in this case started . Why do you care so much about the issue of the climate and the fate of the planet . I was 16 when this case it was because my Science Teacher knew that i was deeply involved in Climate Organizations in missoula. He heard about this case and reached out to me and asked me if i would like to join. The minute i heard about what this case was and what it meant for my state and for the world were what it could mean, i immediately wanted to join and share my story of how Climate Change has impacted me, how it has harmed me. I think so many youth are impacted by Climate Change and we dont even know the extent of it because we have become so used to what Climate Change means. That is a horrible thing to say. I think me joining this case gave me hope that i did not have to be used to any of the systems of wildfire smoke or having to deal with respiratory issues from pollution and knowing this case was going to allow myself to share my message but also to be a voice for the youth. So many youth do not have this option an opportunity to become such an impact on Climate Change and i knew this case was going to be because any time in the United States we have been granted civil rights, that has become that is been from a court case. I knew this was a very high likelihood that it would be and it is. Amy this is particularly poignant, this decision, coming down this week amidst the worst wildfire in 100 years in u. S. History in hawaii on maui. We are counting the dead now it over 100. It could be so many more. Your thoughts about this, learning about this as you talk about fires in montana and canada and how that affects you . My heart is so completely and utterly broken for the people of hawaii right now. I am utterly devastated that they are going through this because it is a fate i would wish upon no one. And that is just one of the most horrible things that i can even imagine to know that the recovery isnt even being dealt with the best way possible is also heartbreaking. Amy let me ask julia olson, you also are involved with a case in hawaii where 14 young people filed a lawsuit against hawaii and other entities. Explain. The state of hawaii has been a leader in Climate Change in some ways. They have put laws on their books that require the state to decarbonize their Energy System by 2045. They expand being an island. Dependent on the climate system as it has been in the past for their water and their food and their livelihood, how much they are affected. What were seeing, fire on maui, that is going to be increasing in the years and decades to come. The problem with hawaii is there Greenhouse Gas emissions from their Transportation System are increasing. These youth in hawaii are suing the state, similar to those in montana, using the hawaii constitution, which also protects the right to a healthy environment, to public trust resources, and to health and safety and equal protection of the law. We have a trial date set for june 24, 2024, to really put forward the evidence of how the department of transportation in the state of hawaii are making the transportation emissions worse and increasing rather than going in the right direction. We are holding them accountable for that. Amy julia, can you also talk about your case, i landmark lawsuit that accuses the u. S. Government of perpetuating the Climate Crisis and endangering the lives of citizens . Cnn recently published an article titled biden is campaigning is the most proclimate president while his doj works to block a landmark climate trial. Explain. Absolutely. I want to stress i am representing youth in climate since 2010 and in 2015, we filed a case on behalf of 21 youth under the fifth amendment of the u. S. Constitution against the federal government for its active role in causing the Climate Crisis. Today, for example, the state supplies 23 of the worlds fossil fuels. Under the Biden Administration, it has made the was the largest oil and gas producer. Following on the obama and trump legacies as well. This case is try to hold a federal government accountable for its role in causing the Climate Crisis. The case has been going for eight years. We hit some roadblocks. We had extreme position from the Trump Administration. We are heading back to trial. We are supposed to be in trial in the spring. The Biden Administration and the attorney general garland solicitor general are fighting tooth and nail just like the Trump Administration did, saying would be a waste of resources. The montana case illustrates when you can present the evidence, can have experts on the stand testifying about Climate Science and the Energy Transition and the mental and physical Health Impacts of climate on young people, and would olivia and her coplaintiffs can take the stand and really tell the stories of how they are being harmed today this is not a future problem. They are being significantly harmed today. Those rise to a of constitutional violations. That is why we need a trial against the United States as well. Were hoping to get there in the spring. At the Biden Administration is trying to stop us. Amy if you can explain in a minute what our Childrens Trust is, how it was founded . I founded the organization in 2010. We are nonprofit Public Interest law firm. We represent youth, su governmentse for the role in causing the Climate Crisis, and try to have Government Policies adhere to Constitutional Rights under the best available science of what it means to protect the system and our world for future generations. Amy how physically do you think this montana ruling, huge victory for our Childrens Trust and the young people who brought this case like olivia, will affect other cases that you have and others have around Climate Change in this country . It is a real watershed moment, especially the ripple effects of other cor courts. Same as when we had our first samesex marriage ruling or when segregation was declared unconstitutional. I think this case will go down in history as significant. Amy Olivia Vesovich, it means you are going down in history as you look forward at the future for all of us. What do you say to those in your state, the republican lawmakers, who are Climate Change deniers . Hi say that i say that the facts are there if you look at the science. I understand that there are a lot of aspects of say coal and its effect on our economy say in montana, but i know mark chapin, one of our experts, testified to the transition to Renewable Energies and how it is not only probable but feasible and possible in our state. I say that to republicans that i love this land just as much as you love this land. We all cannot use our land ash montana use our land so much. We go hunting and fishing and recreating and hiking. I think everybody in montana has this shared connection of our land. This is how my love for this world is manifesting. Amy olivia, before we end, youre talking about mark jacobson. What do you say to other young people who are interested in getting involved in cases like this . I say if you have an opportunity to do so, do so. There is an opportunity for californians right now to join the court case. There are so many other ways to get involved. There are local organizations. I say everybody should be in a local chapter of a Climate Organization in their town because that is what this Climate Crisis needs his Global Organization across the entire world. Amy we are going to leave it there. A very important message, Olivia Vesovich, one of the Montana Youth plaintiffs. Julia olson is chief Legal Counsel and executive director eggs added to tomatoes in a pan. A tasty meal made from ingredients that used to be thrown away. The salvaged food comes from a Public Market in taiwan where a campaign to