Transcripts For KCSM Democracy Now 20170810

Fury. We then look at how attorney general Jeff Sessions is using the Justice Department to roll back decades of progress. On civil rights, Voting Rights, rights and reform. As a whole, i think, has been unfairly maligned and blamed for an acceptable of a few bad actors. Speak with the head of the Civil Rights Division at the department of justice in the Obama Administration until january. All that and more, coming up. Amy welcome to democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The Trump Administration sent mixed messages wednesday over the possibility of nuclear war with north korea, as secretary of state Rex Tillerson sought to defuse tensions, while defense secretary james mattis threatened a Nuclear Attack. On wednesday, mattis warned north korea not to take any action that could result in the end of its regime and the destruction of its people. His comments came a day after trump startled the worldand reportedly, his own advisors, advisersthreatening north korea with, fire and fury like the world has never seen. Secretary of state tillerson downplayed the rhetoric. Rex tillerson i think american should sleep well at night and have no concerns about this particular rhetoric over the last few days. The president , again, as commanderinchief. I think he felt it necessary to issue a strong rhetoric. Amy in response, north korea threatened to hit guam. North korea said its military is working on a plan to fire four missiles. That sound mitigation is not possible what such a man as trump. Outside the white house, protesters called wednesday for the Trump Administration to negotiate a solution to the north korea crisis. Under the socalled freezeforafreeze deal, north korea would temporarily halt nuclear and missile tests in return for a reduced American Military presence in the korean peninsula. This is peace activist Medea Benjamin of the group code pink. We are here to tell donald trump that we want a freeze for a freeze. Because if there were a freeze for a freeze, it would open up the space for real negotiation. And that is what really needs to happen. On escalatingore tensions between north korea and the United States after the headlines. The fbi carried out a predawn raid last month of the home of Donald Trumps former campaign chair, paul manafort, in the latest escalation of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into alleged russian meddling in the 2016 election. The july 26 raid, which was confirmed wednesday by a spokesperson for manafort, saw agents seize tax documents and foreign bank records. The raid came one day after manafort testified to Senate Investigators about his meeting, along with trumps soninlaw Jared Kushner and trumps son donald trump jr. , last summer with a kremlinlinked lawyer promising damaging information on hillary clinton. In kenya, protests over tuesdays president ial election boiled over into violence, as police shot and killed five people in three different cities around the country wednesday. The protests came as vote counting showed incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta with a Comfortable Lead over his main rival, Opposition Leader raila odinga. In the nairobi neighborhood of kibera, the largest slum in africa, residents rallied thursday in support of odinga. Matters of the economy are difficult. We want change. We want the government that can help the youth. To understand the problems we face. And were tired of the government because they have been unable to do their job. Amy odinga claimed tuesdays vote was marred by massive fraud and that hackers infiltrated the servers of kenyas electoral commission. That contradict the Statement Wednesday by kenyas election chief who rejected the hacking claim. John kerry, who observed the election on behalf of the carter center, called kenyas election transparent and said the final results would be crosschecked with paper records. Survivors of the u. S. Led battle to recapture mosul from isis say hundreds of thousands of the citys displaced residents have been slow to return home. The United Nations estimates mosul needs more than 1 billion just to restory electricity, sanitation, water, and other basic infrastructure. This is west mosul resident , abdelfattah. Dont like to return here, not for the elderly but for the children. What fault of they committed . They have no schools, education or health care. People to ask us what we need. We have nothing. We sit here daily, patiently waiting. Amy an estimated 700,000 residents fled the 9monthlong battle to recapture mosul. Iraqi intelligence reports claim more than 40,000 civilians died in the fighting. In the mediterranean, libyas coast guard said wednesday it fired warning shots to drive off a spanish vessel after it wandered into libyas territorial waters. But members of the Migrant Aid Group proactiva dispute the account, saying their boat open arms was patrolling international waters. Earlier this week, proactiva said italy and malta barred the group from disembarking migrants rescued at sea. Aid groups have come under increasing pressure from libyan and european governments not to assist refugees and other migrants attempting the perilous crossing. A report this week from the International Organization for migration found more than 115,000 migrants have crossed into europe by sea so far this year, and more than 2,400 have died attempting the crossing. Meanwhile, a french court on tuesday ordered a fourmonth suspended jail sentence for farmer cedric herrou, who led a team of volunteers who provided food and shelter to migrants entering france from italy in 2016. Outside the court, herrou told reporters he has no regrets, adding, it is the role of a citizen in a democracy to act when the state is failing. Canadas government deployed soldiers wednesday to erect a camp near the u. S. Border to process the roughly 250 asylumseekers arriving in montreal each day, as they flee the Trump Administrations crackdown on refugees and immigrants. The camp, near the border with new york state, will accomodate up to 500 people in heated tents. Most of those seeking asylum are haitians who took refuge in the u. S. After a devastating earthquake in 2010. The Trump Administration has threatened to remove protected status for haitians, which could affect up to 58,000 people. In the gaza strip, at least four palestinians were injured, one of them with a fractured skull, after israel launched airstrikes in three different sites in gaza. Israels military said the strikes were a response to a rocket fired into southern israel. A spokesperson for hamas said he was unaware of any rocket attacks and that no palestinian groups had claimed responsibility. The violence followed a warning by the United Nations last month, declaring israels blockade and electricity cuts have made gaza unlivable for its more than 2 million residents. In israel, an idf soldier who was caught on video executing a wounded palestinian man last year began a prison term wednesday after he lost his final appeal contesting his manslaughter conviction. The video shows palestinian abdel fattah alsharif, who was reportedly a suspect in a stabbing earlier in the day, lying immobilized on the ground in hebron in the israelioccupied west bank. The video then appears to show israeli sergeant elor azaria firing a single shot into the mans head from a close distance, killing him. Azaria was convicted in february and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Hell be eligible for parole in nine months. Meanwhile, israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rallied thousands of supporters in tel aviv wednesday, as israeli Prosecutors Press criminal investigations into charges that netanyahu and his aides committed bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahus speech to members of his Rightwing Likud Party drew comparisons to president Donald Trumps rallies. Opposition leftwing and media are one of the same. They are listing a hunt against me and my family. Aiming to oust the government. Amy last week, netanyahus former chief of staff agreed to serve as state witness for the prosecution in a case alleging netanyahu traded political favors for 130,000 worth of luxury gifts, including cigars and champagne. Netanyahu is also reeling from leaked transcripts of secret recordings that show he traded favors for positive coverage from israels dominant newspaper. Back in the u. S. , farmworkers in Washington State are demanding justice and safe working conditions after one of their colleagues fell ill and died after picking berries in a field near the canadian border. 28yearold fatherofthree , Honesto Silva ibarra, was working for Sarbanand Farms last week amid scorching temperatures and smoke from nearby wildfires when he began complaining of intense headaches. Silvas colleagues say supervisors denied his requests for medical attention and order him to keep working or be fired. Silva later collapsed while seeking help, and was rushed to a hospital in seattle wh died sunday. On friday, at least 70 workers were fired for insubordination after they organized a oneday work stoppage to protest silvas death and dangerous conditions in the fields. The workers, who are in the u. S. Under the h2a guest worker program, have refused to leave the u. S. And have since joined the Farmworkers Union families united for justice. And in puerto rico, the u. S. Federal judge presiding over the islands massive bankruptcy approved a deal wednesday that would see creditors competing claims on the territorys sales taxes approved by middecember. The expedited timeline came as activists rallied outside the u. S. District courthouse in san juan, supporting a group of uninsured creditors who are asking for an investigation into puerto ricos debt, citing possible conflicts of interest between members of the Oversight Board and bondholders. This is eva prados, a lawyer with the citizens front for the auditing of the debt. What is happening is not a common bankruptcy procedure. It is the biggest that has been held in all of the United States. Edible to find the Economic Future of puerto rico. A group offavoring senators . Because we understand that the investigation proposed is an important investigation. We understand that this has a precise interest in the evaluation of the legality of the debt, particularly in everything related to the bank mission. They percent an opportunity to know the role of the banks in a related matter. Amy in the latest round of austerity this week, the oversight control board said it will slash the pensions for the majority of puerto ricos retired workers by up to 25 and reduce the workday for all public workers, except police, by up to two days a month. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We turn now to increasing tensions between north korea and the United States. On wednesday u. S. Defense secretary james mattis warned north korea not to take any action that could result in the end of its regime and the destruction of its people. The warning came one day after President Trump startled the world hinting the u. S. Could carry out a Nuclear Strike on north korea. Donald trump north korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and theory like the world has never seen. He has been very threatening a normal state. And they will be met with fire, fear he and frankly, power, the likes of which this world has never you before. Thank you. Nermeen hours after he spoke, north korea threatened to strike the u. S. Territory of guam in the western pacific. Guam is home to 163,000 people as well as several major u. S. Military bases. A Statement Issued by the north korean state media said of trump sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason and only absolute force can work on him. Amy tension has been rising over north korea in recent weeks. The u. N. Security council recently imposed a new round of sanctions against north korea over its test launches of two Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles last month. The sanctions ban north korean exports of coal, iron, lead and seafood, which could slash up to onethird of the countrys export revenue. Meanwhile china is warning that a war of words between the u. S. And north korea could spiral out of hand. On wednesday secretary of state Rex Tillerson attempted to defuse the situation. He spoke in guam on a stopover on his way back to washington. Rex tillerson i think american should sleep well at night and have no concerns about this particular rhetoric over the last few days. We are joined now by tim shorrock. He has been writing about this since the 1970s. He is a correspondent for the nation and the korea center for investigative journalism. He spent april and may in gwangju, south korea. Korea look returned from and this escalated to a level that we have not seen before this week. With trump promising fire and fewer read. Your response and help people in are responding to this . I thought trumps statement was astonishing and frightening. It was reminiscent of the statement that truman made before he dropped the atomic bombs on hiroshima and nagasaki. He was threatening north korea with Nuclear Strikes. This is an extremely dangerous position for an american president to take. Especially when there is no immediate threat to what they call the homeland. North korea has definitely built rockets that could go for thousands of miles but it isnt clear if they actually have one that could reach the United States. The Defense Intelligence agency has put out a report this week, weekday report this week to the Washington Post saying they should have the capability to put a Nuclear Weapon on an l ballisticnenta missile by next year. It isnt clear with the think industry, we are driving towards war with north korea. As far as people in south korea aprilen i was there in and may, tensions were pretty high. That is when trump sent the. Rmada ships people in south korea were a lot more concerned about what trump might do then what north korea might do. That is still feeling today. People in south korea have heard similar kinds of statements from north korea for years. Makingy often see it as strong words to scare people. It toat trump said raises a whole another level and i think there is a deep concern trump and the u. S. Military could do some kind of preemptive strike on north koreas missile site as was the news. Ast night on so i think it is a very serious situation. Nermeen what do you think the significance of the north korea plan to fire four missiles near guam and they will be ready soon . And saying that trump is a rest of reason . When tensions became high with north korea, the United States repeatedly flying bombers from guam to the korean airspace, sometimes accompanied by japanese fighters on the way and then they pick up by south korean fighters as they enter airspace. These are not Nuclear Capable but they are capable of widespread destruction. And they could probably destroy half of north korea. And the u. S. Has been sending these airplanes from wall and they did that as recently as two days ago. So i think north koreas statement was a warning to the United States. They are very aware of the base that these airplanes fly out of. Lets go to the statement made on the north korean state media. The north korean army will momplete its plan to head qua before august. We will stay ready for his order of proceed. That was a statement made on north korean state media today. Can you talk about what was said in that statement and whether this is unprecedented in terms of remarks that the north korean state has made before . Tim it is unprecedented in saying that they will go after a specific u. S. Base or territory. But they have made statements like this before. During the 1990s crisis. When they pulled out of the Nuclear Proliferation treaty. Lhey talked about turning seou into a sea of fire. They oftenorea says talk about a plan and it will be carried out on the order of kim jongun and they have made this kind of statement before. Toy said they were prepared test another Nuclear Weapon and they are just waiting for the order to do it. So they are saying they have the capability and they are just waiting for the great leader, the dear leader, to make this and give them the order to do this. So they are not saying they could do this tomorrow but they are saying they were prepared to do this. And i think that clear statement recognition that the airplanes that the u. S. Is launching about a preemptive strike would come from guam. Shows you how heidi military preparations are both sides. North korea and the United States. Amy can you tell us from north koreas perspective or the president s perspective there, has prepared the icbms and then when trump responded in that minster, to the question about a news reports that north korea successfully miniaturized Nuclear Warheads which could three which could theoretically strike the mainland . Tim that was the report i was talking about earlier. The Washington Post and then was reported more widely. And a standard Intelligence Community report where various agency sign on to this. It was not definitive and it was put out there for a reason. Trump was asked about that report and apparently that is when he made these statements. North korea has been building missiles and increasingly Nuclear Capability after a series of negotiations with the United States that some were completed. That went on for a while and then it fell apart for various reasons. Duringn they fell apart the bush administration, in particular. And then bush try to reinvigorate the talks. Withhen there were talks china and japan. To an agreement at that time. Were north korea would end the program when obama came in. And obama, president obamas policy was basically to ratchet up the tension. There were negotiations with direct talks with north korea for a while and early on in obamas administration, north korea fired a rocket that they accurately claimed they were trying to put a satellite in space but that has grounds for obama taking north korea to the United Nations and they were condemned therefore that and sanctions were slapped on them for that. And they proceeded to test Nuclear Weapons after that. Proceeding with a Missile Campaign and the obama theiration was policy was basically that they hoped that north korea would collapse and that it would end the problem. They took on a policy of cyber war. For a cyber war to weaken the program. To try to damage the program in some ways like they did with iran and the nuclear program. There also was the Information Operations directive in north korea. So north korea, the most important goal in all of this throughout has been wanting an end to the United States hostile policy. They saw what obama and what bush was doing as a hostile policy. And i think the grounds for talks now are to take their desire for an antihostile that as a try to use basis to begin talks. The idea for a freeze for freeze were north korea freezes the development of missile tests in return for the freeze of massive north Korean Military exercises that take place twice a year. And that is a starting point that both china and russia have strongly endorsed. And actually talked about at length at the Un Security Council last weekend. And also at meetings this week with the foreign ministers. Where Rex Tillerson was. Has rejected this freeze for freeze idea. Although Rex Tillerson did say he would open talks with north korea as they would suspend the missile test for a while. So i think the door is slightly open therefore diplomacy but it has raised tensions to a dangerous level. Nermeen lets go to yesterday state department briefing. This is spokesperson heather nauert. I know that you want to obsess over statements and make a lot of noise out of that. Your choice of the word obsessed we are not obsessing about this. It is the president of the United States threatening a Nuclear Armed country, whether you want to accept it or not. A country that has weapons, threatening them with fire and fury so i dont think it is obsessing to want to know further clarification of what that means and whether or not it means you are preparing to send fire and fury raining down on the north korean regime. And i will let the president s statement answer for itself. But it is not obsessing. President hat was the spokesperson, heather nauert. Tim, can you respond to that . And also, expert analysts suggest that nothing is going to happen, they think it is all bluster. Of them that neither and their statements could be taken seriously. What do you think needs to be done . Kudos to that reporter for pushing back on the state department spokesperson. Generally in the media, broadcast media has been focused on war, war, war. I think it is particularly true on cnn. It is almost like they are craving a war with north korea. And it is good for reporters to be asking about negotiations. Stateall, secretary of haverson and james mattis been stressing diplomacy throughout until the statement yesterday by Rex Tillerson. Rex tillerson had been a voice of reason within the administration to say all along for the last two months that the Trump Administration was going to go for a diplomatic solution and not war but the statements made yesterday on the orders of the commanderinchief went in the opposite direction so i think it is appropriate to ask about the diplomatic solution. Why are we going to war, why are we threatening war, when we havent even attempted talks with north korea . If you talk to anyone who is an region,hroughout the there is plenty of room and flexibility to talk with north korea. And there are certainly proposals that north korea has made itself as recently as 2015, when they said they would put a moratorium on their program is the United States would start opening talks about a peace end the korean war, which is still an armistice as it has never formally ended. That is why reporters are pushing back against the state department. Havese after all, here you two of the top leaders threatening diplomacy and suddenly, they are talking nuclear war . Is about time that reporter push back on that. Up, timore we wrap shorrock. You interviewed the south korean president. Talk about his perspective . He was opposed to the missiles that the u. S. Put on soil, saying he didnt know when the last pieces were brought into south korea. He, as president , was not informed. What does he want to happen . He wantsview was that to Start Talking directly with north korea and having negotiations and a settlement to the northself issues. Isd also to bring back what h predecessors called the sunshine policy where tensions were used and there was economic and cultural exchanges and economic developments and south korean investment in the north korean economy through the Industrial Zone that was closed of one of thes last south korean president s. And one of the things he stressed to me, i asked him why a lot of people in america and press arearnational is critical of your view because they think the sunshine policy wont work but he said, you know, if south korea can bring peace for north korea, that is good for the United States and trump should be happy about that. But he also said tha trump criticizes his own predecessors, obama and bush but president previous south as thepresident s such one who was thrown out and her predecessor, they were very rightwing. Brought the relations way backwards. And they helped to create the current crisis. So he wants a different policy than that. So he is caught between a rock and a hard place. Because the u. S. Has an enormous military presence there with enormous pressure on south korea is very strong. Teststh korea fired these , the icbm test recently. He is a great hasten the delivery of more antimissile battery but even until two days fact thatressed the after having an hourlong conversation with trump that war is out of the question. There cannot be a military solution. Repeated this has again today and he also said toay that the door negotiation and diplomacy with north korea is open. Concernede fairy about the ratcheting up of tensions and you will not hear this kind of statement from president moon and his Administration Like you have heard from trump and his administration. Amy tim shorrock is a washingtonbased investigative journalist. This is democracy now. When we come back, we will get response from retired colonel and professor, andrew bacevich. [music break] amy world destruction by time zone. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. I am amy goodman. Our guest now is andrew bacevich. A vietnam veteran and professor. Andrew, lou like to your response to the escalating rhetoric on north korea and how you think it fits into other comments that trump has made and positions his administration has taken on other foreignpolicy issues confronting the u. S. . Andrew i am struck by the fact that six months into his administration, this really is the first, genuine, National Security crisis that he has had to face. And his initial performance is very troubling. Think about the fire and fury statement and one of the things that strikes me is that it is a fundamental of diplomacy 101 or politics 101 that when a public figure makes a public intement, it has to be done a way that will play to multiple audiences. It is not inappropriate, i think, for the administration to issue warnings directly at the north korean regime but it is imperative that the warnings be voice in such a way that they reassure American Allies in the and it should be voice in a way that doesnt create panic, here at home. And on that score, it seems to me that the president has failed. Radically. , there has been a lot of hopeful commentary in the last 10 days or so, since general kelly came the white house chief of staff that the generals that trump has surrounded himself with not mcmaster andt also the pentagon, that they will be the voices of reason. That they will reign in the impulsive president but if we are to look at the fire and that is anment, indication that the president is not about to be reined in and that also has to be very troubling. Manyone of the concerns of are the domestic problems at home. Yesterday, we learned that two weeks ago, we learned that men afford had his home raided by the fbi. That as trump feels increasingly in circles and under pressure, that he is going to look for an enemy abroad to diverge attention to. Do you think that there could be a strong connection he uses words like fire and fury that it is what he feels at home but he is trying to project attention away from what he is facing here . Veryw i think that is possible and he would not be a first president in history or major figure in World History to generate problems abroad to detract attention from problems at home. But that being said, one of the things that strikes me about his inability is to use the english language without any sort of precision or wassse, and i think this evident in the fire and fury statement. There was a threat of fire and , the use ofg Nuclear Weapons. That is a response to further threats, and i think that notion could lead to a Nuclear Attack from the united that notionerica, is embedded in that statement and it causes concern and it is so indicative in such a troubling way about the inability of this individual to speak with some understanding of the implications of what he says and many people have commented, accurately commented on the narcissism, which seems to be such a prominent characteristic of trumps personality and when you watch the video of him making the fire and fury comment, it is difficult to avoid thinking that the motivation of the moment is to make himself feel good. Demonstrate that he is a tough guy. That he is standing up to what he perceives as a threat. Of to derive a sense personal satisfaction from that threat, utterly oblivious as to the larger locations in how that audience,to a better that has to be very troubling. And again, emphasizing for the fact that he still does these things. Despite the fact that he is now does notd by figures bode well for how well this crisis will play out. But it doesnt bode well for how other crises, which he will inevitably encounter, how others will play out. Amy we want to thank you very much, andrew bacevich. Andrew bacevich is a retired colonel professor. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Back in a minute. [music break] now, thison democracy is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im here with nermeen shaikh. Jeff sessions has wasted no time undoing every progress. The Justice Department has reinstituted the use of private prisons reignited the socalled , war on drugs and indicated it will no longer address systemic police abuses. The department has also obstructed the enforcement of federal Voting Rights laws and, just this week, sided with ohios voter purge program. And, it has defended president Donald Trumps muslim travel ban and supported trumps attacks on sanctuary cities. Most recently, the New York Times reported the Justice Department is now laying the groundwork to undermine affirmative action policies. Amy well, to talk more about the department of justice, and the department of injustice, we go now to washington, d. C. To spend the rest of the hour with the obamaeras top civilrights prosecutor vanita gupta. She joined the Obama Administrations Justice Department in 2014, just over two months after Michael Brown was killed by a Police Officer in ferguson, missouri. As the head of the Civil Rights Division, she led the probe of the Ferguson Police department. Under her leadership, the Civil Rights Division went on to negotiate twentyfour agreements with lawenforcement agencies to reform their practices. Gupta also emerged as a fearless and consistent advocate for transgender and Voting Rights. She is now the president and chief executive of the Leadership Conference on civil and human rights. We welcome you to democracy now if you look under Jeff Sessions, can you assess what has happened . A great deal has happened from just oversight of the Police Department around the country , while yougotiated were head of the division. Rights, etc. , talk about what has happened . Vanita in the last six months, it Jeff Sessions has certainly implemented an anticivil rights agenda at the Justice Department, targeting some of the most hop high profile areas we have been engaged in. This enforces all of the civil rights laws and very early on, the attorney general was hacking away and undercutting a longstanding work on lgbt rights and Voting Rights, indicating a serious retreat from Police Reform work. And what is remarkable about the list of things that he has been doing is that the attorney general knows how the Justice Department works. He was a u. S. Attorney in years prior and he knows where the levers are. And he knows had a change longstanding positions in cases we addressed it civil rights laws and he has wasted much time in undercutting a lot of the important civil Rights Enforcement work of the Civil Rights Division in the six months that he has been there. The Police Departments and what Jeff Sessions said he would turn back. Explain what you negotiated after Michael Brown was gunned down . And the uprising that took place . What you negotiated . I joined the Justice Department just a couple of weeks after they announced they were opening a probe of the Police Department. And in my first few months, the investigation was front and center for me and the team working on the investigation. The vast majority of residents showing how, years and years brown, inichael august of 2014, long before we had Police Practices completely degrading and undermining trust in Law Enforcement in ferguson. Where africanamerican residents were being told to pay exorbitant fines and fees. For growing weeds in the grass and the like. Watch, we negotiated in cleveland, baltimore we did an investigation into the chicago Police Department and on was to walk that back. In only through the rhetoric a memo where he would review. To be honest with you, what is important to know about that is that some of that is not bluster. There are court judges around the country that have the ultimate authority to decide a consensus could be terminated or not. So while the Justice Department is doing that review, the the inimate fate of these lies the hands of federal judges who take their responsibility very seriously to ensure the institution is enforced jurisdictions that have had breakdowns between the police and the community that they serve. Aboutn could you talk what position the Trump Administration has taken on civil asset for church or civil Asset Forfeiture . Issue justs is an like the war on drugs and returning his back to the 1980s with criminal justice policies, it really demonstrates how out theine and how out of sync attorney general is from his own party. Civil Asset Forfeiture is an issue that has garnered widespread bipartisan. Ondemnation it involves giving Police Authority or ability to seize assets from people before theyve ever been convicted of a crime. That, order to challenge there is a very laborious process. So there has been a push for the last several years and i would say folks on the right have been very concerned about this from a libertarian standpoint. About reforming these practices and raising the pressure over assets and the like. And one of the things the attorney general dead over the last few months was to do away with that reform and go back to older practices. That while the federal criminal Justice System ys15 of the countries Justice System, he has an enormous pulpit. The justice apartment give that money to every jurisdiction in the country. That, minorities can demand things from Police Department that they are comfortable doing and i think an example of that is priitizing thlocal Law Enforcement being engaged in federal immigration enforcement. And you have seen a really strong pushback on the part of Police Chiefs around the country who know how devastating that kind of thing can be for the Police Departments ability to have the trust of everyone in their community. Immigrant women who are refusing to call the police in Domestic Violence situations, sometimes that becomes a homicide and Police Chiefs know how dangerous that it is for human safety. And that is why you are seeing the pushback. The notionback on that withholding funds from arece departments that trying to have the trust of everyone in their community, that is not a good thing for policing. Amy we wanted to get your response to the moment several trump shockedn his own joint chiefs of staff when he issued the three tweets in a row, saying he would be banning trans people from serving in the military. It included pulling people out of the military, others couldnt join the military. That first tweet simply said that after consultation with my military experts, please be advised that the United States government that first tweet, the military thought he might be the u. S. Wasat going to bomb north korea. And what he did say was that after consultation with my terminals and military experts, please be advised that the u. S. Banningnt would be people in the military. Cannotansgender people serve in the military. He ended by saying thank you. Vanita i was disgusted. Consultation and it turns out that Senior Leaders were caught completely blindsid by ose tweet tweets with cruel social policy over twitter without the consultation he is claiming to have sometimes i theseonder if he tweets things out as a distraction to the serious breakdowns in the white house. This involves real human beings. Who have committed to a life of service in the u. S. Military that he is now categorically denouncing. And it doesnt even fit with his prior statements on lgbt writes, claiming to be a champion of lgbt writes. This kind of stuff is cool. There is no reason for it. And what is interesting now is that we know the military says they arent even sure how this will be implemented. My guess is that they are hoping , the policy byst tweets, they will not get put on the line because how do Something Like that it implemented . We have a very serious issues and this one just seems like an unnecessary distraction that is very cruel. Which is why you saw the bipartisan outrage. Amy so what will happen . Vanita you know, that question is one that im asking and that many are asking. There was a lawsuit filed yesterday and i suspect there will be more and i think everyone is waiting to see what will happen. Because there has not been any plan or process from a white house spokesperson. They were asked what this would look like and they had no idea, either. So i think they are in a waitandsee approach. There are challenges to this policy and why would anyone think this serve the United States of america, that is believe beyond me. Nermeen another issue in which hasTrump Administration reversed the Obama Administration policy is Voting Rights. Earlier this year he convened a commission on voting integrity to look into the question of voter fraud. Can you comment on the significance of that . It if you think that, too, is a distraction from the serious breakdowns in the white house . Is that also an effect of that . Vanita this commission, i think, we need to be watching this commission very closely. I think there is no question cochairs isof the kris kobach. In arizona and he is a cochair and he has been found by numerous federal courts that he is unlawful. Unlawful purging of voters in his own state. There are three other individuals who similarly have long track records trying to restrict the franchise. The former ohio secretary of throughout ballots because they were not printed on the right card stock. Whenoncern here is that the president , after the election, had no proof to substantiate that than he did win the election, that it kind of created the groundwork. Kris kobach. He wanted to amend the 1993 voter act for quite some time. He met with the president elect. N december with a plan in mind and there is no question that this commission is going to try to find evidence and inflate it wildly of claims of voter fraud and try to use that as a preway to amend the Voter Suppression act. And i think it is incumbent on all of us who care about Voting Rights to make sure that state and local Election Officials understand that they have a lot of power in making sure that unlawfullyt get purged. It will be important for state and local officials who have had power, that they understand that communities are watching to make are nott voters unlawfully purged. Quickly, before we go. The latest attack on Voting Rights on monday, purging in frequent voters from the election role . Can you respond about how significant that is . Significantry decision. Significant because just under a year ago, the same Justice Department filed a brief articulating a longstanding vision that states cant pull people off the rolls just for not voting. For an activity. They need to have evidence of a to pullsomething else people off. Apathy longstanding position. Amy five seconds. Vanita this Justice Department did reverse that. Amy vanita gupta, president and chief executive of the Leadership Conference on civil and human rights. She was head of the Civil Rights Division at the department of justice in the Obama Administration. Administration. I am amy goodman ahh. Lets take a culinary trip together and visit the beautiful mediterranean, with balmy breezes, calm waters, and delicious food. Singers mediterranean on todays show, ill share plantbased versions of a salad with homemade nondairy cheese. Singers nondairy cheese in my salad a lemony mediterraneanstyle dessert. Singers lovely dessert, yum laura and tangy greens to make our delicious journey totally jazzalicious. Then julieanna hever, the plantbased dietitian, will join me in the kitchen. This one cup right here has half your days worth of fiber. So these are really good for bloodsugar control, for cholesterol, for weight management, and all that. All today on jazzy vegetarian. So please, join me