Transcripts For KCSM Democracy Now 20170601

Brune, author of coming clean breaking americas addiction to oil and coal, and with south african environmental activist and former greenpeace head kumi naidoo. Then ben jealous, the youngest person to ever head the naacp has entered the race for governor in maryland. The murder rates. We will lock up the shooters. By we will restore trust votes that are turning officers, yes, but holding officers who kill unarmed civilians accountable. Amy a prominent Bernie Sanders surrogate in the 2016 president ial race, ben jealous describes in an extended interview his plans to run for governor as an activist, pursuing a broad agenda of civil rights, social, and economic justice. Attorney general sessions has really, frankly, picked a fight not just with progressives, not just the civil rights community, but on this issue, he has picked it with Police Chiefs across this country. This is a man, when it comes to criminal justice, a complete neanderthal. Stuck on stupid on the old tough on crime approach is that have failed, that have brought mass incarceration, have brought is not just the most incarcerated black and brown people, but the white people, too. Any co all that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In afghanistan, the death toll in wednesdays massive truck bomb attack in kabul rose to 90, with over 400 people wounded, as afghans mourned one of the worst single attacks since the u. S. Invaded in 2001. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, which struck a busy intersection in the heart of the Afghan Capital during the morning rush flattening buildings, damaging hour, embassies and shattering , windows at the president ial palace. Many survivors blamed the government for failing to provide security. We ask our leaders to ensure security in the country. If theyre not able to ensure security for us, we say they must resign. There should be someone in power who serves the country. Right now, thousands of our people are in mourning. Why and how much longer should we suffer from this Current Situation . Amy on thursday, afghan president ashraf ghani issued a decree ordering the execution of 11 prisoners from the taliban and the haqqani network, which officials blamed for the attack. Meanwhile in baghdad, iraq, isis has claimed responsibility for a car bomb that killed at least 16 people and wounded 75 others when it ripped through an ice cream parlor on tuesday. A second explosion in baghdad tuesday targeted iraqs pension office, killing 11 people and wounding 41 others. In washington, d. C. , President Donald Trump reportedly plans to pull the u. S. Out of the landmark Paris Climate Accord, a decision environmentalists warn will be a crime against the future of the planet and humanity. In a tweet, President Trump said he would announce his decision at 3 00 p. M. At the white house rose garden. In 2015, nearly 200 nations agreed in paris to the global accord to curb rising Greenhouse Gas emissions blamed for warming the planet. On wednesday in brussels, belgium, members of the European Parliament booed reports that trump will likely pull the u. S. Out of the deal. European Commission President Jeanclaude Juncker said the administration will have a hard time withdrawing. That is not how it works. The americans cant just leave the climate protection agreement. Esther trump believes because he does not get close enough to the dossiers to fully understand them, it would take three to four years after the agreement came into force in november 2016 to leave the agreement. Notion, i am trump, im american, America First and im going to get out of it, that wont happen. Amy the guardian is reporting that china and the eu plan to forge an alliance to take a leading role in tackling Climate Change in response to trumps expected decision to pull out of the accord. The new alliance will reportedly focus on leading the Energy Transition toward a lowcarbon economy. Well have more on President Trump and the paris accord after headlines. In sri lanka, the death toll has risen to 180 with nearly 600,000 people displaced amid the worst flooding in the country in the last 14 years. Scientists have linked torrential rains and increased flooding in sri lanka to Climate Change. Meanwhile, in bangladesh, thousands of Rohingya Muslims from neighboring burma were left homeless after a cyclone devastated their makeshift refugee camps. The storm prompted the evacuation of the Coxs Bazar District on the coast, but many Rohingya Refugees had nowhere to go. They were left without shelter after nearly all of the camps 10,000 thatched huts were flattened. Rohingyas have long faced persecution and violence in burma where they are denied citizenship. Cnn is reporting that attorney general Jeff Sessions may have had an additional private meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the president ial campaign. Sessions already faces charges he perjured himself during a Senate Confirmation hearing in january, when he testified that he did not have any communications with the russians ahead of the november election. In fact, sessions had at least two meetings with ambassador kislyak, and if cnns report is true, there was a third such meeting in april of last year. The wall street journal ports does journal reports unilaterally issued subpoenas to the fbi, cia, the National Security Agency Seeking to learn how the names of Trump Associates were unmasked and classified intelligence reports. In a subpoenas are unrelated to his committees investigation into charges that russia meddled in the 2016 election and came without the approval of democrats who say nunez is seeking to distract from the committees work. Nunez grievously said he would recuse himself from the investigation. Meanwhile, the guardian is reporting that far right british politician nigel farage, who led the Brexit Campaign to exit European Union, has been named as the person of interest in the fbis investigation into russias and the trump organization. The guardian reports he is being scrutinized because of his relationships with individuals connected to both the Trump Campaign and wikileaks founder julian assange. At the white house, press Secretary Sean Spicer said wednesday he will no longer field questions about russias ties to donald trump and his associates, and will instead refer reporters to trumps personal attorney, marc kasowitz. Spicer made the comments in an audioonly press briefing after barring video coverage and declaring that networks should not broadcast his remarks live. During the briefing, spicer was asked about a bizarre tweet posted by President Trump early wednesday, which read despite the constant negative press covfefe. Do you think people should be concerned that the president posted somewhat of an incoherent tweet last night and then stayed up for hours . No. Why did it stay up so long . Is no one watching this . The president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant. Amy the audioonly press briefing came one day after spicer stormed out of Tuesdays Press Briefing when reporters drilled him over President Trumps claims that their reporting constituted fake news. In china, one labor activist was arrested and two others have gone missing and are feared detained as they investigated abuses at a factory that produces shoes for the ivanka trump brand. China labour watch said the activists uncovered evidence that factory workers were forced to work excessive overtime, paid wages below chinas legal minimum, verbally abused workers, with some workers receiving less than 1 an hour. Amnesty international called on china to immediately release the three activists. The arrest and disappearances came just weeks after ivanka trump secured three new exclusive trademarks in china the very same day she and her father, President Trump, had dinner with chinese president xi jinping at trumps private resort in florida. The city of new york said wednesday it will begin cutting its ties to wells fargo following a scandal that saw thousands of employees set up more than 2 million phony bank and credit card accounts. New york came under intense pressure to divest from wells fargo by native american activists opposed to the banks support for the 3. 8 billion Dakota Access pipeline. In portland, oregon, the mother of one of two men stabbed to death by a white supremacist as they defended a muslim teenager on a train is calling on President Trump to condemn hate groups, many of whom support his presidency. Asha deliverance, the mother of 23yearold Taliesin Myrddin namkai meche, wrote in an open letter to trump you have said that you will be president for all americans. So, i ask you mr. President to take action at this time. Please condemn any acts of violence, which result directly from hate speech hate groups. The letter came after the suspect in the killings, jeremy christian, made a defiant statement at his arraignment tuesday shouting, death to the , enemies of america and you call it terrorism, i call it patriotism in washington, d. C. , part of the Smithsonians National museum of africanamerican history and culture for several hours after a noose was discovered in wednesday an exhibition on segregation. It was the second such incident in a week. Last friday, a Security Guard found a noose hanging from a tree outside the museum. In los angeles, police say someone spraypainted the n word on a gate outside the home of nba superstar lebron james wednesday. The hate crime came just one day before james and his Cleveland Cavaliers are set to take on the Golden State Warriors in the nba finals. Speaking to reporters in oakland, california, lebron james said the incident was a reminder that being black in america is tough. And i think back to him untils mom, one of the first things i thought of gum and the reason she had an open casket is because she wanted to show the world what her son went through as far as the hate crime and being black in america. So it is no matter how much howy you have, no matter no matter are, know ho how many people admire you, being black in america is tough. Amy in new york city, a grand jury indicted Police Sergeant hugh barry on a murder charge wednesday in the Fatal Shooting of 66yearold African American Deborah Danner last october. Danner had Mental Health issues, including schizophrenia. Police say she was shot and killed in her own home in the bronx after a neighbor called 911. When police arrived, they found danner naked in her bedroom holding a pair of scissors. Sergeant barry has been sued twice in recent years for brutality. On wednesday, barry pleaded not guilty to charges of seconddegree murder, manslaughter and criminally , negligent homicide and was released on 100,000 bond. And in maryland, the youngest person to ever head the naacp entered the race for governor wednesday. Ben jealous is known for leading the naacps Successful Campaign to abolish marylands Death Penalty. Hes promised to pursue a broad agenda of civil rights, social justice, and economic reform. Jealous announced his candidacy wednesday outside of his cousins west baltimore flower shop, which she opened after the 2015 uprising and unrest that followed the death of freddie gray in Baltimore Police custody. In his first speech of his campaign, jealous called for Holding Police accountable. We will cut the murder rate. We will lock up the shooters. And we will restore trust by both better training officers, but, yes, holding officers who kill unarmed civilians fully accountable. Amy on wednesday, democracy now spoke with ben jealous shortly after he announced his bid to become marylands next governor. Well air that interview later in the broadcast. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. President donald trump says he will make his announcement today on whether to pull the United States out of the landmark Paris Climate Accord, a decision environmentalists warn would be a crime against the future of the planet and humanity. On twitter, trump said he would make the announcement at 3 00 p. M. In the white house rose garden, and ended his tweet with make America Great again in 2015, nearly 200 nations agreed in paris to the global accord to curb rising Greenhouse Gas emissions blamed for warming the planet. The climate pact was heralded as a rare moment of International Collaboration to avert imminent climate disaster. Now the guardian is reporting china and the European Union plan to forge an alliance to take a leading role in tackling Climate Change in response to trumps expected decision to pull out of the agreement. The new alliance will reportedly focus on leading the Energy Transition toward a lowcarbon economy. An early draft of the announcement from the two countries describes Climate Change as a National Security issue and multiplying factor of social and political fragility. On wednesday in brussels, belgium, members of the European Parliament booed reports that trump will likely pull the u. S. Out of the paris accord. European Commission President Jeanclaude Juncker said the administration will have a hard time withdrawing. That is not how it works. The americans cant just leave the climate protection agreement. Mr. Trump believes because he does not get close enough to the. Years to fully understand them, it would take three to four years after the agreement came into force in november 2016 to leave the agreement. O this notion, i am trump im american. America first and im going to get out of it, that wont happen. Amy on wednesday, the United Nations tweeted Climate Change is undeniable. Climate action is unstoppable. Climate Solutions Provide opportunities that unmatchable. As the world awaits trumps final decision, leaders from brussels to beijing reaffirmed their commitment to implement the Paris Climate Accord and urged the United States not to become a global pariah. This is german ambassador to the u. S. Peter wittig speaking to the pbs newshour. A staunch been advocate of the paris agreement. We think it is a landmark achievement. Agreementst universal , containing the global warming, fighting Climate Change. And we think it is so important the u. S. Stays on board in a leadership role. Thanks to the u. S. , this agreement was possible in the first place. Now if the u. S. Would leave, it would be a kind of self isolation and the u. S. Would find itself in on company just with syria and nicaragua, the only countries that are not part of the paris agreement. And we dont think that is a good option. Amy since taking office, donald trump has threatened to pull the u. S. Out of the Paris Climate Accord begun dismantling , president obamas climate legacy, and revived the keystone xl and Dakota Access pipelines. Trump has also put Climate Change deniers in charge of several key agencies, including the Environmental Protection agency and proposed slashing the , budget of the epa and other climate programs. This is candidate donald trump speaking on the campaign trail last year. Mr. Trump were going to cancel the paris climate agreement and stop [applause] unbelievable. And stop all payments of the United States tax dollars to u. N. Global warming programs. The New York Times reports trumps inner circle is now fiercely divided on the Paris Climate Accord, with chief strategist steve bannon and epa administrator scott pruitt demanding trump withdraw from the accord, while secretary of state Rex Tillerson and trumps daughter and adviser ivanka trump advocating for the agreement. On wednesday, trump met tillerson. Meanwhile, as trump deliberates antarctica could soon break off , an iceberg roughly the size of delaware as temperatures continue to rise. In other climate news, in sri lanka, more than 180 people have been killed and half a Million People displaced amid the worst flooding the country in the last 14 years. Scientists have linked torrential rains and increased flooding in sri lanka to Climate Change. For more, were joined now by two guests. In san francisco, california, were joined by michael brune, the executive director of the sierra club. His book, coming clean breaking americas addiction to oil and coal. And via democracy now video stream, were joined by kumi naidoo, south african environment activist, former greenpeace head. He joins us from johannesburg. We welcome you both to democracy now explain what the climate accord is all about and what you think it will mean is in fact the rumors are true that President Trump will pull the u. S. Out today. Hi, amy. First, the agreement, what it actually is is a landmark agreement that binds all countries together in a common fight against Climate Change. The United States, china, india close to 200 countries have made a commitment, all to Work Together to replace fossil fuels with clean energy. If the United States pulls out as the reports are saying, it would be a huge mistake. It would be a boneheaded move by in a popular president that would link the United States to more rater dependency on fossil fuels, coal, and oil and natural gas at the exact time when clean and Renewable Energy is cheaper. They cut their and water pollutions. And they are stimulating the economy at the same time. It would be an historic mistake. Amy it is voluntary. Is that right . The agreement itself is binding. It was signed a couple of decades ago. At the individual commitments that countries may, that the u. S. Maine, china, and india come all of those commitments are voluntary. And they are enforced within their own country. , the responseoo ,o if the rumors are true that trump plans to pull out, pull the u. S. Out of the climate accord, what has been response there . We just heard what happened in brussels, belgium, with the booing as they heard this news. Now six hourssit before he is about to give his press conference to take a final position on the paris agreement, even right now, to be honest, we cannot believe that the United States government will act against the interest of its own people in the interest of people across the world. And for us in africa with our with a very low level of responsibility in terms of a chelated emissions historically and were already paying the most brutal price, there is a deep sense of not just shock, but a sense of unreality that ,he United States and the bush the last eight years, and now were going back people need to bear in mind that the paris climate agreement is far from a perfect agreement. People like mike and myself 54 much more ambitious agreement fought for a much more ambitious grimmett. It is a five year review so the ambition levels can be picked up. So even this compromise agreement, for it to be 3 00mined this way, if at today he were to say were pulling out of the paris climate agreement, people need to understand from a global perspective, people in the socalled developing world, we would see that as donald trump issuing a suicide note for the rest of the world, including, ultimately, for the people of the United States. Amy specifically, africa. Kumi naidoo, what does this mean . You are critical of the paris accord. What do you think it does as well, what do you think it does well and doesnt do well . Actuallyris accord dealt with a very complicated set of politics, power, vested interest. We wanted to get a much more ambitious agreement, much more clear target, much more aggressive timelines to get us off our addiction to fossil fuels. What we have has given us a chance to live to fight another day. It says us on the direction that we need to go. And what we were hoping as people who said we have reservations, but our governments do the best they can, we will give them the benefit of the doubt, but every five years we will review it and look at what the science is saying and pick up the level of emission. For us in africa, people need to understand that it is not like climate impacts are going to hit a somewhere in the future. There are parts of the african continent that are becoming depopulated now as a result of climate intensified desertification and climate intensified drought. We are seeing the reality now of climate refugees. And one of the things that the cia and the pentagon has urged first president bush and now President Trump, to say, in fact, already in 2002, the pentagon and the cia noted that in the coming decades in the future, the biggest threat to peace and security will come from the impact of Climate Change. So when we look at the rise of conflict on the african continent at the moment, including the rise of radical clearly, what we note water scarcity, when scarcity, ix of foodm scarcity, is driving this. He is not only ignoring what the pope has said, with the biggest body of scientific knowledge has what he is also ignoring his own chief of defense just said to him, which is that Climate Change constitutes the biggest threat which we are seeing already on the african ,ontinent in places like darfur in sudan. Can youhael brune, explain what it means if the u. S. Pulls out . It doesnt just happen in one day. Explain what the process would be and who the constituency is that donald trump is answering to. For example, his promises to coal miners and whether or not this pulling out will mean jobs. , it is great to see you again. I agree with you and what you said in the paris climate agreement was our first chance to get every country working together to fight Climate Change and it represents an opportunity, something that needs to be strengthened over time. United states were to pull out of the paris climate agreement, there are a couple of ways in which that could happen. Either the u. S. Could pull out of the agreement itself, which, as you said at the top of your show, would take three to four take an evencould more drastic step and pull out of the entire framework in which the United Nations negotiate these types of agreements. What that would mean, essentially, the u. S. Would be walking away from the table the entire Global Community as it discusses and develops ways to address the reality of Climate Change. I think more practically speaking what it would mean is that the u. S. Would advocate its leadership on both the national and international stage. What were starting to see what we have been seeing for years is that there is leadership on Climate Change happening from almost every sector of the global economy. There are hundreds of mayors who are making commitments to accelerate developments toward clean energy, probably 100 within the last several months of the United States alone, committing to go to 100 clean energy. In the private sector, ceos are increasingly taking very strong positions on clean energy and vowing to move beyond all fossil fuels as well as Nuclear Power in an attempt to build their own economic dependency on clean energy. And we are the clean energy sector, particularly solar and wind, is the fastestgrowing sector of the u. S. Economy. So who trump is speaking to our his benefactors and executives in the fossil fuel industry, and the coal and oil and gas industries. And communitys across appalachia, we are committed to working with coal communities, with workers in those industries to make sure their pensions are protected, that their livelihoods are protected. We are looking to find a Clean Energy Economy that works for workers as well as those communities who are dependent on coal and other fossil fuels as we transition to a Clean Energy Economy that cuts pollution and saves the planet. We can do this was of him until we will have part two of our discussion on whether or not President Trump pulls u. S. Out of the climate accord tomorrow. His announcement coming today at 3 00 p. M. Eastern standard time. Michael brune, executive director of the sierra club and, kumi naidoo, south african environmental activist and the former head of greenpeace. When we come back, the youngest ever head of the naacp throws his hat into the governors race of maryland. We speak with ben jealous. Stay with us. [music break] amy this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The youngest person to ever head the naacp is entering the race for governor in maryland. Ben jealous is known for leading the naacps Successful Campaign to abolish marylands Death Penalty while he was president of the naacp. In the 2016 president ial race he was a prominent Bernie Sanders surrogate. Now he is a candidate himself, vowing to pursue a broad agenda of civil rights, social justice, and economic reform. Jealous announced his candidacy wednesday outside of his cousins west baltimore flower shop, which she opened after the 2015 uprising and unrest that followed the death of freddie gray in Baltimore Police custody. In the first speech of his campaign, ben jealous called for Holding Police accountable. We will cut the murder rate. We will lock up the shooters. We will restore trust by both debtor training officers, but, yes, also holding officers who kill unarmed civilians solely accountable. Amy ben jealous joins a growing field of potential challengers to incumbent republican governor larry hogan. Last month technology , entrepreneur alec ross announced he plans to seek the democratic nomination in the race. Ross served as Senior Adviser for innovation to Hillary Clinton when she was secretary of state. At least six others are also exploring runs. All of this comes more than a year before marylands gubernatorial election. Just after ben jealous announced choice to throw his hat in , we asked him why he is chosen to run for governor. Im raising my kids here in maryland, and ive been a Community Organizer my entire life. And there comes a time, for me it came after the uprisings, won, whenter trump you realize theres nothing more important in organizing where you live to make that place better for your children and their classmates and the children across the state. So we are running this race together, building this Movement Activists across the state, Small Business owners across the state who have decided it is time to Start Building our state from the bottom up again. Making sure that every kid has a great teacher in their classroom. Making sure that work pays for everybody. If youre working a fulltime job, you get fulltime pay. That means the minimum wage has to be raised to 15 per hour. The family can afford the basic necessities, even when mom is just working one job so she can behold with the kids or dad can be home with the kids. We also running to increase Public Safety. I have invested a lot of my approving improving Public Safety and making sure our Justice System works for all of us. We in baltimore are having a crisis. We have got to get the shooters off the streets, stop the killings. We have to rebuild trust. That starts with stopping the killing of unarmed civilians by the police and holding the police fully accountable. I am running this campaign for my kids and kids across the state with people, who like me, have gotten involved because they know their family situation their family situation struggles shared by families across the state and it is time for us to come together to resist, yes, but move beyond resistance and move our state forward. Amy you announced in front of your cousins flower shop, which she opened after the killing of freddie gray in the uprisings. Baltimore interrupted in protest after his death in police custody, the 27yearold africanamerican man who died from spinal injuries a week after Baltimore Police arrested him. His family and attorneys say his voice box was crushed, his spine 80 severed at the neck. His autopsy showed he died from a spinal injury. Mosby indicated the Baltimore Police department in the failure to bring a guilty verdict against any of the officers that she indicted in the death of freddie gray. This is what she said. The world has witnessed over the past 14 months, the prosecution of onduty Police Officers in this country is unsurprisingly rare and blatantly fraught with systemic and inherent complication. Unlike with other cases where prosecutors worked closely with the police to investigate what actually occurred, what we realized very early on in this case was that Police Investigating police, whether they are our friends or merely colleagues, was problematic. There was a reluctance and obvious bias that was exemplified not by the entire Baltimore Police department, but by individuals within the Baltimore Police department at every stage of the investigation which became apparent in the subsequent trial. Amy that was marilyn mosby, the youngest states attorney in maryland, who failed to get any conviction of the Police Officers she indicted. Do you share her assessment of the Police Departments resistance to investigate their own . My grandfather was on lawenforcement in baltimore for a must 30 years. Years. St 30 he would tell you, you have to bring in investigators from the outside, that there is a code of silence. And the reality is that still, knowing to this day, not even senior officials on the force in baltimore amy how it is one of their aeutenants looking at mortally wounded freddie gray and an officer said, we have to take into the hospital and said no. The reality is, there are a lot of people, even inside the police department, who agreed with marilyn mosby, those officers that they committed grave wrongs. And chiefly was the lieutenant who have been trained from the first day of his academy that when someone is injured, we take them to the hospital. She looked at freddie gray and said no. Amy i want to ask about the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, who says he is going to be reviewing the consent agrees to reform Police Departments signaling his skepticism of efforts to curb civil rights abuses by Law Enforcement officers. Can you talk about this . Look, attorney general sessions has really, frankly, just withight not progressives and the civil rights community, but on this issue, he has picked it with Police Chiefs across this country who have stood up one after another to say we need these incident degrees to rebuild the departments, to build them better come to solve crime more effectively, to actually rebuild trust. He has picked a fight with leading republicans on the broader issue of criminal justice reform. This is a man, when it comes to criminal justice, a complete the end result. Totally stuck on stupid on the old tough on crime approaches that have failed, that have brought mass incarceration come and not just the most incarcerated black and brown people on the planet, but white people, too. Simply put, he is trying to sell something that has failed or decades. He needs to move on or be gone. To ask you about Voting Rights. This is an issue very close to your heart. It is an issue you took on as the naacp president and ceo, and continued afterward. Where sessions is going with this and what you think needs to be done across the country. It will affect your race for governor in maryland. Attorney general sessions showed his true colors on Voting Rights decades ago when he chose to prosecute one of dr. Kings lieutenants, drug a man,s rotation, stanley through the mud over nothing. Over a political vendetta, over the powerment that balance was shifting because we were becoming more inclusive. Attorney general sessions doesnt just need to get used to the rallies of the 21st century, he needs to get used to the reality of the u. S. Constitution. The reality is that he is charged to enforce the constitution and he will ultimately find even in the eyes of this very conservative supreme court, there will be times he will be forced to change course because even they i dont think well be able to ultimately tolerate these sort of anticonstitutional approach he takes on issues of Voting Rights, issues of criminal justice reform. Sad. You look at Jeff Sessions and you issue was capable of the evolution that you saw in robert byrd or the evolution we saw in his old friend george wallace. It is time for Jeff Sessions, not just to catch up with the 21st century, but even get caught up with the second half of the 20th century. Amy which takes us to President Trump. After being extremely upset over 80 people pointing out that he lost the president ial election by almost 3 million votes, so he did when he electoral college, he appointed what he calls a commission on Election Integrity to be headed by the kansas. Ttorney general kris kobach i was wondering if you could talk about the direction that will go and what donald trump is attempting to do here and what you want to see happen around Voting Rights. Amy, look. I am proud of maryland because back in 2012 when states to the north and south of us, virginia pennsylvania, or heavily invested in passing Voting Rights laws, we passed laws to expand Voting Rights laws. Kris kobach was out of touch with marilyn then and is now, and so is donald trump who is trying one more person who signed up to help kris kobach takeaway the Voting Rights of our fellow citizens. Make it harder for us to vote when the very idea of our democracy is issue be easy for all of us. Issue be easy for all of us to vote. The reality is we have to come together in our states now and decide that rather than bemoaning, if you will, the transferring of powers from the federal government to the states that is happened over the last 50 years, that in this moment when extreme right wing conservatives control every branch of federal government, were just kind of celebrating the power we have in our states and move our states forward no matter what happens in washington. On the issue of Voting Rights, that means we have to pass are a protection and move forward on the state, just like on the issue of the paris accord. It means of donald trump is going to pull out our country from the paris accord, we will sign of our states to the paris accord. The reality is, our states after minutes power in it is time as progressives to come together, invest in moving our families, our children, our futures forward by moving our states forward, even if it is in defiance of donald trump and his administration. Amy you raise the issue of the isis climate accord that it being said now, the President Trump has not finally announced it, he will in the next few days, that he will be pulling out of the climate accord. One of the issues you took on as naacp head was environmental justice. What does this mean to you and what do you mean it to be left . To the states what role would you play if you became Maryland Governor . When i become governor of the state, donald trump hollister and pulls out of the paris accord, we will sign up for it. The reality is, our state, if you will, as defined by the chesapeake a. Our state is defined by its western mountain. Our state is committed to ensuring our environment is present both for the future of our children but the future of the planet. We have already seen epa chief henchmenonald trumps for the environment, attacked the Chesapeake Bay plan. First from oklahoma before he was even the federal government, and now the epa funding slashed. The simple fact is, we are all commanded to look after the garden. We are all bound to this planet and to its future. We must lead from where we are. That means in our city governments, county governments, and state governments. The prepare to protect our environment, including taking the rare action of signing onto ,lobal agreements as a state when our federal government fails to act, when it is led by people who would rather stick their head in the sand than open their eyes and admit that Climate Change is being caused by Human Behavior and we can stop it. Amy former naacp president ben jealous, now running for governor of maryland. We will be back with him and 30 seconds. [music break] amy this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. On wednesday, just after former naacp president ben jealous announced he is officially entering the race for governor in maryland, i sat down and interviewed him. I want to ask about the murder earlierrd collins iii this month on just a few days before his graduation. Was visiting the near by university of maryland at college park when he was stabbed at a bus stop near campus by sean urbanski, a white student who was a senior. Though investigators have not yet determined whether the killing was a hate crime, urbanski was part of a group nation. Lt reich i want to ask you about this, something that the menu will be running against commercial thing governor larry hogan who hopes to be the second republican governor to win a second term since the 1950s. He convinced he condemned this on his facebook page. I want to ask you about his response, how you would find differently. You are one of the leading voices in the country when it came to the murder of Trayvon Martin by the white vigilante george zimmerman. Hogan fornd governor speaking up and speaking out. He, quite frankly, was one of the few in our state who did. There were many folks that day who commented about manchester and did not comment about college park. I preshaped him for doing it. I appreciate him for doing it. From amongst the students the college and surrounding community grieving. They should have been at their highest moment in their lives as their graduating from college, but the actions of this killer, this deranged, hate and fused killer, have brought us to the lowest of lows. I was inspired by them and the resilience and their hope in their love and their ability to come together across all the lines of race and religion that we are told in society again and again are so important, as if they dont matter. Just by their love for each other and determination to build a better future. I saw it again with Richard Collins family when i sat a few aisles over from them at their sons funeral. Again, a family really grounded in love of god and country and family, resiliently and defiantly saying they were going to be like dr. King and choose love over hatred because hatred was too much of a burden to bear. Richard collins was a beautiful young man who truly dedicated his life to serving others, who was cut down on College Campus just a couple of days after he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the army. Things thatutiful by said at his funeral was administrator at bowie state who said that he hoped that there would be a metal ribbon for a young man who waged a war against hate. When this young man with this knife approached richard and clearly to get out, so full of hate, richard said, no. It was that refusing to allow himself or his friends to be degraded and humiliated because of their color or the color of their friends that ultimately cost him his life. Our young men have too much to worry about data worry about this, too. We have had two what young men in maryland in the last six men or so kill like black men because of the race. It is time for our leaders in the state to go even further. We have got to admit that when it comes to the issue of hatred and tension, ethnic tension, there is nothing different about our state theres nothing here that it exists or doesnt exist and the rest of the country. We are a microcosm of this country. But what makes us different, especially among states south of the masondixon, as we have shown our ability to come together courageously on issues of civil rights. We had one year here where we passed Marriage Equality, past the dream act, expanded Voting Rights even as our neighbors were suppressing them. It is time for us to have a governor to really lead our state in doing that again. That is where i think hogan could do more. Heas glad he spoke out, but is not showing real leadership to pull us together to have the tough conversations, to really challenge people many in his own party to evolve, to move on, to open their hearts and follow the examples of george wallace, of robert byrd, so many other people who once filled with hate who learned how to love. It is time for us in maryland to come together. My, it has great meaning to me in about week or so, we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of loving versus virginia. That case that made my own parents marriage legal here in maryland and set us on the path to having full Marriage Equality as we now have with some of the loss we passed just a few years ago. That is an example of what it looks like when government comers act courageously to together. We need more of that right now. And you go can you talk about your parents and what that they lived in maryland and could not marry because your father was quite a norm other africanamerican father was white and your mother afghan american . Desegregated Western High School for girls here about a decade earlier. My father, one of the few white men jailed in baltimore for lunch counter desegregation students. They bonded as fellow teachers and fell in love. They were forced, actually, to drive 50 miles to get married inside washington, d. C. , because it was illegal for them to be married here. They were required to move out of state because, literally, they would have to go to bed every night fearing the sheriff or the police could come storming into their house to lock them up simply for being married across racial lines. My carrots instilled in me my parents instilled in me a great believe and hope in our country and also the strength and courage to defy even the law when it is unjust. In these times when we have President Trump pushing families of our neighbors here in maryland deeper into the shadows so they can be threatened in our families torn apart by his policies and our governor remain silent, living through times that call for each of us to decide whether we are going to collapse with unjust laws and needlessly humiliate families or we are going to stand up and resist and ultimately come together as neighbors and move our state forward. That is why i throw my hat in the ring and running to be the next governor of the great state of maryland. Amy our revolution just tweeted ben jealous is making a big announcement today from baltimore. You are on the board of our revolution. You were an early supporter of Bernie Sanders. Is Bernie Sanders going to be endorsing you . And how does your agenda fit sanders ourrall revolution agenda . I bonded as i chaired his campaign here in maryland, helped convince people across the country and across our state to vote for him. We see the world similarly. He, like my father, one of the few white men to go to jail for racial equality and the segregation citizens. He, like so many activists of that generation, have been consistent in his entire life, always fighting for economic and racial justice. Similar tom is very the platform of the naacp, calling for raising the minimum wage, call for ensuring we recognize health care as a right, the call to protect our environment, the call to support organizing, etc. And also to support our Small Businesses. So i will very much push forward the agenda that we discussed in that campaign. Ending mass incarceration, using savings to pay for ending this era of massive college debt. I also bring to it me. I bring my life lived as a Community Organizer, civil rights leader, my demonstrated success helping to push states forwarded beyond eras of mass incarceration and pass justice reinvestment act so the money gets reinvested in education. I will bring to if my experience working with Small Businesses. When i was young, running a trade association of more than 200 Small Businesses. Today, as an investor in startups for good, startups that growth to the marketplace and make the world better for working people. Solving problems like cutting the cost of coming home from prison like by 80 . I come into this as a civil rights leader, as a progressive, very active in Jesse Jacksons campaign of Barack Obamas campaign and the Bernie Sanders campaign. I also come into this as a citizen of our great state of maryland who is absolutely committed to growing our economy from the bottom up. Amy so how would you distinguish yourself there is, what, seven or eight people who are going to be running. The first person to announce was alec ross, former advisor the andary clinton, tech entrepreneur. Is this going to be a Hillary ClintonBernie Sanders replay . Also, you have been traveling the state, as others have come in a straw poll you came in third last week behind commerce min john delaney as well as the Baltimore County executive cabinet in a straw poll held in western maryland. Grateful for the time, that straw coal, folks together and a meeting and commerce miscellanys congressman as district. It was an honor to me as an outsider and an underdog to come in third. Never real shot. We have a real shot. Something is happening. Folks in the state see that. Our revolution stretches across the state. The naacp crosses the state. It is those two traditions, progressivism and civil rights that i come out of and it is what makes our state so great in our chances so good. We are one to run a tough campaign. Said to me that this moment after bernie is or his campaign reminds them of 1999. Group know out of president ial campaigns that dont quite make it all the way can come Transformative Movements that allow breakthrough candidates to move their states, move their cities forward in ways that nobody thought was possible just moments before. Amy ben jealous, will you be accepting corporate contributions . Of course not. Of course not. Amy will you be pushing for universal health care or singlepayer, medicare for all . I was reclear today we will ensure that every citizen in maryland i was very clear today we will ensure that every citizen in maryland has quality, Affordable Health care in maryland and a matter what happens in washington. This is my first down the campaign. Were digging into how we will do that. I am inspired by the states like new york and california that believe they have found a way to provide the equivalent of medicare for all the stuff ive asked for the details and plans. We are digging in, but his Campaign Starts day one from the position that health care is a right, not a privilege. And if the federal government steven tyler the status quo were many of our neighbors dont have access to it, we will find a way. That everyone in our state will have access to quality, portable health care. Amy does this mean youll keep working as an activist . I dont know any other way. Ive been a civil rights activist and the grandchild of civil rights activists and the greatgrandchild of abolitionist. The reality is that i will run as ben jealous, i will run as that organizer rooted in west baltimore, but networked across this country and 70 who can lead this state in a way that helps us build from right where we are. But also benefit from bringing in some of the Biggest Companies in the country to our state. Right now in silicon valley, our peers in counties like facebook and google are under pressure to become more inclusive. Here in maryland, almost 20 of the computer scientists are black. In maryland, we have begun building a great tech sector that has defined his abiding place for the worlds greatest minds come to solve some of the worlds greatest problems like cancer and cyber security. Absolutely succeed in building afford thinking 21st century economy that has room for all of our communities and helps to lift even as a make it easier for folks to grow their flower shop or detail shop will stop and go former naacp president ben jealous, now running for governor of maryland. I spoke with them just after he announced his candidacy wednesday. It was outside his cousins flower shop, which she opened after the 2015 uprising that followed the death of freddie gray in Baltimore Police custody in Baltimore Police custody. That does it for the show. Im friday, more of President Trumps decision on the Paris Climate Accord. 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 10013. [captioning made possible by democracy now ] on this episode of eat drink italy , im down south in campania near naples, where lamb dishes have been a favorite for celebrations for generations, and tony verdoni and i take a bit of a different turn. We get to know the true heart of a wine maker and what hes doing away from his vineyard. My name is vic rallo, and i eat, drink italy. Follow me, and ill prove it. Eat drink italy is brought to you by. Wine enthusiast magazine and catalog for wine storage, glassware, and accessories. The historic count Basie Theatre in red bank, new jersey. The Atalanta Corporation importing authentic italian products and more for over 50 years. Coffee afficionado artisanal roasters of sustainably sourced coffee