Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20170518

Taps comeys predecessor, Robert Mueller, deserve a special counsel to investigate alleged in the choiceng 16 election. We will get the latest with marcy wheeler. ,en we remember Javier Valdez who died d monday in mexico aftr he was dragged out of his car and shot 122 times less than a block from the office of the newspaper he founded. Live is dangerous to be a and to do journalism and tread and invisible line trauma the bad guys drawn by the bad guys. This is what most of the country is living through. Amy we will hear Javier Valdez in his own words and speak to anabel hernandez, another mexican journalist who has also faced Death Threats for her reporting on mexicos drug trade. And we will look at how more than 50 farm workers here in california were recently exposed to highly toxic pesticide, whose use was recently greenlighted by the epa in one of the agencys first decisions since donald trump took office. All of that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We are broadcasting from los angeles. The department of justice has tapped former fbi director Robert Mueller as special counsel in an investigation into russias role in the 2016 u. S. Election, including allegations russia colluded with Donald Trumps campaign to sway the president ial race. The move by Deputy Attorney general Rod Rosenstein came one day after reports emerged that President Trump had personally asked former fbi director james comey to end the agencys investigation into trumps former National Security adviser, Michael Flynn, who was fired for lying both publicly and privately about his contacts with russian officials. Muellers appointment came as the New York Times reports flynn told President Trumps Transition Team weeks before the inauguration that he was under federal investigation for secretly working as a paid lobbyist for turkey during the campaign. That is far earlier than the administration previously admitted. Meanwhile, reuters is reporting flynn and other advisers to Trumps Campaign were in contact with russian officials and others with kremlin ties in at least 18 undisclosed calls and emails during the last seven months of the 2016 president ial race. The communications are being examinined as papart of the fbi probe. And in another development, mcclatchy is reporting one of flynns first decisions as National Security advisor was to reject an obamaera military plan that would have been opposed by turkey. Trump eventually agreed to the plan after flynn was fired. We will have more on the melting Trump Administration scandals after the headlines with journalist marcy wheeler. On capitol hill, Texas Democrat al green on wednesday became the First Congress member to call for President Trumps impeachment from the floor of the house of representatives. Callday, mr. Speaker, to for the impeachment of the president of the United States of america for obstruction of justice. I do it because, mr. Speaker, there is a believe in this country that no one is above the law. And that includes the president of the United States of america. Amy Party Leaders have sought to tamp down public discussion by a growing number of rankandfile democrats over whether to impeach trump. Meanwhile, three republicans have raised the possibility. Congress members Carlos Curbelo of florida, justin amash of michigan, and walter jones of North Carolina have said trump may have committed an impeachable offense. President trump lashed out at the media wednesday for the scandals rocking his administration. Trump was speaking at a Commencement Ceremony at the Coast Guard Academy in connecticut. Pres. Trump no politician in history and i say this with great surety has been treated worse or more unfairly. You cant let them get you down. You cant let the critics and the naysayers get in the way of your dreams. Amy during his speech, President Trump promised graduating coast guard cadets he would never stop fighting for them. In fact, trump has proposed slashing the coast guards budget by 1. 3 billion, or about 12 . President trump is departing to saudi arabia friday for his first trip abroad as president. He is slated to give a speech about islam, which is being written by the islamaphobic white house Senior Advisor stephen miller. Miller was the architect of trumps muslim first travel ban, which sought to block all refugees and citizens from seven majority muslim nations from entering the United States. Miller also get a series of vehemently islamic dish, phobic speeches after trump visits to heal had to israel and then the vatican. U. S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning celebrated her first steps of freedom wednesday, tweeting a photograph of her shoes as she walked out of Fort Leavenworth prison in kansas as a free woman. Manning spent seven years behind bars, much of it in solitary confinement. President obama commuted the remainder of her 35year prison sentence shortly before he left office. The Obama Administration prosecuted manning under the espionage act after she revealed secrets of the u. S. State department and pentagon, including evidence of war crimes and support for u. S. Allies committing torture. In puerto rico, a federal court in san juan opened bankruptcy proceedings wednesday as the island seeks to restructure 123 billion in debt and pension obligations. Judge Laura Taylor Swain will now oversee the largestever municipal bankruptcy in u. S. Historory in proceedinings thate expected to drag on for years. Puerto rico is legally barred from using chapter 9, the bankruptcy route normally taken by insolvent local governments. Puerto ricos dept crisis has forced austerity measures on a population suffering from skyrocketing poverty and unemployment. Most recently the government , closed nearly 200 schools across the island. In greece, tens of thousands of striking workers flooded the streets of athens and other cities ahead of todays vote by wednesday the Greek Parliament on another round of austerity measures. Trade Union Activists say the latest planned cuts would continue a downward spiral for the greeeek economy. This government fooled the workers and the rest of the greek people by saying they would get rid of the bailouts. Yet tomorrow, it is voting in the fourth bailout, which is much harsher than the previous ones. The w workers cannot bear anymore suffering from austerity measures that arare constantly being imposed and that slowly eat away at the small income they receive. The government must try anyway it can to take from those that have and not from the have nots. Amy in brazil, an explosive new report reveals president michel temer was secretly recorded approving of hush money payoffs for a powerful politician jailed on corruption charges. The newspaper o globo reports in one recording from march, president temer is told by a wealthy businessman about Cash Payments to keep former House Speaker Eduardo Cunha from revealing secrets about his former colleagues. The paper reports temer responded you have to keep it going, ok . Brazil is already embroiled in a vast Corruption Scandal involving nearly 100 prominent politicians and a third of temers cabinet. Back in the United States and immigration news, newly released Government Data show their Trump Administration is deporting immigrants at a record rate 40 higher than the previous record pace set by the Obama Administration. It was reported wednesday or than 41,000 people were deported through the end of april, up from about 80,000 supported in the same time frame last year. More than one third of those arrested by ice had no criminal convictions. In wisconsin, Milwaukee County sheriff david clarke said wednesday he has accepted an appointment as assistant secretary of the department of homeland security. Clarke has called on local police to work as immigration officers in partnership with ice. He has also declared there is no Police Brutality in america, and has called members of the black lives Matter Movement garbage, black slime, and subhuman creeps. Clarkes appointment comes as his milwaukee jail remains undnr investigation after that after prisoner Terrill Thomas died of extreme dehydration after guards reportedly cut off the water in his solitary confinement cell for seven days. Thomas is one of four people who died at the Milwaukee County jail over a six month period last year. In tulsa, oklahoma, a jury on wednesday found white Police Officer betty shelby not guilty of manslaughter for killing unarmed African American Terence Crutcher after his car broke down last september. Police videoeo foota shows crcrutcher wkingng slowly y away from officers with his hands in the air, then putting his hands on the side of his own car before hes surrounded by officers and fatally wounded by officer r shelby. This is terence crututchers twn sister, tiffany crutcher, speaking after the not guilty verdict. I am going to make sure that i do not rest until we get reform for this Police Department in tulsa, oklahoma, and we change the culture of this corrupt Police Department. Now we got to go home. We h have to g go home and hug n his four kids and love on them and explain to them a system that is perpetuated so much injustice a justice s system thatat has perpetuated so much injustice. And i promise you, i will not rest until we bring that change. Amy in texas, a leaked Police Body Cam video from 2016 shows a white Police Officer in a dallas suburb using his taser to electrocute a handcuffed black man who was not resisting arrest. In the video, an unidentifiedd sergeant with the Balch Springs Police Department draws his taser and shocks 29yearold marco stephenson, who collapses. The sergeant then jabs his taser into stephensons back and repeatedly electrocutes him. Amy the v video wasailed to dallas tv station fox 4 4 from n unknown source. The Balch Springs police chief saysys the sergeant was not fird over the incident, and instead was temporarily removed from contntact with m members of the public until he completed classes on conflict resolution. This is the same Police Department where former officer roy oliver shot and killed 15yearold jordan edwards in april after firing his Assault Rifle into a car carrying five black teenagers as they drove away from the officer. Oliver is awaiting trial for murdering edwards. In new orleans, work crews removed a statue confederate general p. G. T. Beauregard early wednesday morning, the third of four such monuments ordered to be removed by the city council and mayor mitch landrieu. White nationalists had staged a series o of protesests in thee leadup to the confederate memorials removals, prompting some workers to wear masks and bulletproof vests for protection. One statue remains t to be removeved, that of confedederate army leader general robert e lee. In new york city dozens of , protesters gathered outside governor Andrew Cuomos offices wednesday to oppose a bailout of new yorks aging Nuclear Power plants that could cost ratepayers up to 7. 6 billion over the next 12 years. Bruce rosen of the group united for action says new york should instead turn to Clean Energy Sources like solar and wind to meet its goal of reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions. The governor has promoted renewables. In no way is Nuclear Power renewable. We dont know how to handle the waste. These have to go. The state should be going, as everybody is here, 100 as fast as p possible to renewable ener. Amy the new york protest came as a draft budget document seen by the website axios reveals the Trump Administration hopes to slash the Energy Departments renewable and Energy Efficiency program by nearly 70 . And Oscar Lopez Rivera has walked free after serving 35 years in prison for much of the time in solitary confinement. In 1981, he was convicted of federal charges including conspiring to oppose u. S. Authority over puerto rico. In 1999, president bill clinton commuted the sentences of 16 members of the faln, but he refused to accept the deal because it did not include two fellow activists who have long since been released. In generate, president obama commuted Oscar Lopez Riveras sentence. You spoke yesterday after being freed. I want to thank president s jimmy carter, bill clinton, and barack obama because they responded to the complaints and demand of our people and commuted the sentences of all of our political prisoners. Amy and those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We are broadcasting from los angeles. It has been another extraordinary 24 hours in the nations capital. In the biggest news of the day, Deputy Attorney general Rod Rosenstein appointed former fbi director Robert Mueller to serve as a special counsel to oversee a probe into russian government efforts to influence the 2016 president ial election. The move came one day after reports emerged that President Trump had personally asked former fbi director james comey to end the agencys investigation into trumps former National Security adviser, general Michael Flynn, who was fired for lying both publicly and privately about his contacts with russian officials. Earlier this morning, President Trump responded on twitter writing with all of the illegal acts that took place in the Clinton Campaign and Obama Administration, there was never a special counsel appointed. This is the single greatest witchhunt of a politician in american history. In another new development, the New York Times reports trump picked Michael Flynn as his National Security advisor even , though flynn had warned trumps Transition Team that he was under federal investigation for secretly working as a paid lobbyist for turkey during the campaign. Meanwhile, mcclatchy is reporting one of flynns first decisions as National Security advisor was to reject an obamaera military plan that would have been opposed by turkey. The pentagon wanted to use Syrian Kurdish forces to help retake the city of raqqa but flynn rejected the plan. Turkey has long opposed the u. S. Partnering with kurdish fighters. Trump eventually agreed to the plan after general flynn was fired. This all comes as democrat al green of texas became the first member of congress to openly call for trumps impeachment on the floor of the house. Even some republicans are now broaching the subject. Republican congressman justin amash of michigan impeachment said impeachment might be merited if trump urged comey to drop his investigation of flynn. Meanwhile, the Washington Post has revealed an explosive comment made last year by House Majority leader Kevin Mccarthy. In a private conversation with House Speaker paul ryan and others, mccarthy said theres two people i think putin pays rohrabacher and trump, referring to the president ial candidate and California Republican rohrabacher. Ana ryan urged colleagues not to repeat mccarthys explosive claim. Ryan said no leaks. This is how we know were a real family here. Mccarthy now says the comment was a bad attempt at a joke. Well, to help make sense of these developments, we are joined by marcy wheeler, an independent journalist who covers National Security and civil liberties. She runs the website emptywheel. Net. Welcome to democracy now talk first about this new development, the appointment of a special counsel not announced by Jeff Sessions week as the attorney general had to recuse himself from any investigations into russia, given his own relationship or undisclosedviously with the Russian Ambassador to the United States, but announced by Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney general. He made Robert Mueller the former fbi director, special counsel. The scope of the investigation is interesting because he described it as the confirmedion the gym, an earlier House Intelligence Committee testimony. So the investigation into whether trump and his Campaign Associates have ties to russia. The appointment of mueller is good on a lot of points. Oftentimes, they appoint an assistant u. S. Attorney for an existing us attorney, and that really was not possible in this case because trump has fired them all and not replace them. But by bringing in mueller, he is somebody a small list of people would immediately have credibility both within the fbi and the Justice Department because he used to be part of them. I am sure within fbi, the agents are taking a lot of reassurance, having just lost comey, that mueller is coming in. They know him. They have worked for him. So that is great. He can claim to be bipartisan. Cheneystood up to dick in 2004. So on all of those levels, he is a pretty good choice. The only kind of black mark on his record is the handling of the anthrax investigigation in 2001. Aside from that, we should be able to expect him to conduct an independent, solid, professional investigation here. My biggest concern is with the scope that rosenstein gave to this investigation post of amy before we get to that, what you mean the anthrax investigation of 2001 . Remember in 2001, right after 9 11, Patrick Leahy and tom daschle worse in the sent were said live anthrax and the number people died. That was a huge terrorist investigation. It was not as big as 9 11. They effectively chased down a scientist who was not the culprit. They had to pay out a big settlement with him. They chased down another for dietrich employee. He probably wasnt the guy, either. It probably has never been solved and era been ongoing i mean, one of the fbi agents in that case actually sued mueller, saying he was not given the resources to carry out the investigation. As i said, that mueller, for a lot of reasons is a good pick will stop the biggest concern i have is the anthrax investigation. Amy talk about for a moment, what does it mean to be special console dust special counsel prosecutorndependent , an independent Investigator Council versus prosecutor . This is not ken starr, for those old enough to remember ken starr was investigating Everything Everywhere and could not be fired. The law that authorized such investigations was ended on the logic that they encourage kind of they encouraged investigators to keep investigating until they found anything such as the consensual relationship between clinton and monica lewinsky. What this is, Robert Mueller reports up through dojs 10 of command to Rod Rosenstein. He had brought authority to prove his own subpoenas, that kind of thing. If rosenstein refuses to approve certain things, then he has to go to congress and tell them about it. Ultimately, mueller could still be fired by donald trump. He is still technically working for donald trump. And the one of the concern i have is beyond the scope a key part of the scope question is whether or not mueller will be able to investigate the firing of jim comey. There is language in yesterdays er that says he can invest investigate anyone obstructing his investigation. But if you recall, the cia leak case, which is a close parallel to what were seeing, patrick inzgerald was appointed 2003. Scooter libb he was found guilty of obstruction of justice in 2007. At each stage of a shift in that investigation, fitzgerald got approvedproved from jim comey. It would be awkward if mueller felt yet to get instruction investigation into the firing of comey approved by Rod Rosenstein because after all, rosenstein kind of put the fig leaf on that firing by claiming it was a good reason for it. Complete independence. Has both the credibility and the respect among all of the people he will be working with and the ability to largely drive the investigation. We will see if things like budget and a couple of weeks it is a good sign. There are still reasons to be vigilant, i think, on the appointment process. Amy y marcy wheelerer, talk moe about this scope youre so concerned about. Who mueller will be able to investigate and who he will not be able to investigate. Im not so sure it is a who. As i said, the investigation is for trump and his Campaign Associates, whether or not they coordinated with the russian government we like to think of the hack of the dnc, but anything else, tampering with the election or obstruction into that or anything that arises out of that. You spent i think two or three minutes talking about mike flynns turkish connections, right . We know mike flynn is a key focus of this investigation already because he took money from russia because he hit meetings with sergey kislyak, then lied about it. Mike flynn, for his role dust for his relationship with russia, is a key part of this investigation. The question then becomes, what about the turkish side, which in many ways, is much more damning because he got more money, because the change in his own policy views was far more dramatic, because we have seen a change in u. S. Policy. We took the turkish side rather than the kurdish side in military operations. Does that count . Count . Paul manaforts that one, as far as we know, is being conducted not in virginia, which is where the existing Campaign Investigation is would mueller be able to protect the investigation into manafort that might be in new york or investigations into Money Laundering through real estate in new york or investigations into the goose of her figure gucifer figure . Any one those investigations may provide a thread that would be key to the election investigation. If Paul Manafort was doing certain things during the election because of his prior ties to russianbacked ukrainian oligarchs, that may explain why trump was so favorable to the russians and so on and so forth. You see what i mean, that there are a number of different corners of this investigation the when i did not mention is the one into the actual hack in pittsburgh. Anyone of them might be important to the question of the Trump Associates role in the election. I just want some kind of assurances that mueller will also be able to protect those other ones that are not technically part of the election. , your commenteler on the Washington Post revelation of this comment eight last year the House Majority leader Kevin Mccarthy in a private conversation with House Speaker paul ryan and other republicans, mccarthy said ryan urged colleagues at the time. To repeat mcmccarthys explosive claim. Ryan said no leaks. This is how we know we are a real family here. Inst, the Republican Leaders the house denied this, but then that thee out Washington Post got an mccarthyist saying, oh, he is just joking. He is using the same excuse trump uses, right . Trump says he was just joking when he said comey should in the investigation into flynn. And paul ryan is taking the same approach that he is with trumps litigation, sticking his fingers in his years and hoping it will go away and relying on loyalty to party over real concerns. I think it is just another piece of this story in which people are acting the same way, pretending it is a joke when it probably was not, hoping that gop loyalty will take precedence over real concern for what the heck trump was doing. Amy marcy wheeler, yesterday trump spoke at the Coast Guard Academy graduation. Now it has become the fodder of latenight comedians who are comparing his speech and sort of showing similarities to legally blonde. Said, andch, he Reese Witherspoon did not say this in her commencement address in legally blonde no other politician in history has been treated worse or more unfairly by the media. Your response . Ronald reagan, jfk, Abraham Lincoln those politicians were shot. I think the notion that trump would compare himself to politicians who, in jfk and Abraham Lincolns case, gave up their life in service as president , is pretty offensive. Top of that, trump does not admit there is a legitimate reason for the press to pursue these questions and he is trying instead to turn himself into the victim. His supporters coming know, frame to survive, he needs to ensure he retains the support of his voters long enough such that republicans cant turn on him. And that kind of language is precisely what worked for them in the elections and so i expect to see him continue it. I expect to see him pretend that he is the victim here because the people whoho put him in offe really like that language. Amy i want to correct the comparison. The speech that was being compared to legally blonde was the one at liberty university. Commenteeler, any final especially around why you think a special counsel was set up, what you think was the motivation. Think the Justice Department, even the Trump Administration, realized this is a tipping point, republicans are joining the call for impeachment and they had to stem the flow of this, so this was the next worst thing for them or the next best thing . I had argued that the conductor of the investigation, the only u. S. Attorney in the country right now, was not necessarily a bad position. Rod rosenstein may have agreed rosenstein, iod can imagine two different motivations on his part. One, he looks terrible. He provided the fig leaf for the firing of comey. He was a guy who prior to that, had a really good reputation, again, bipartisan, people in both parties left him. Guy. , stand up justice and this really devastated his reputation. Add inthe fact that comey said he has notes, but does anyone who is been around the doj long enough to see jim comeys Prior Experience while he was Deputy Attorney general, but even in the last two years, knows how comey works and knows that when comey prepares a cya, prepares evidence of corruption that is going on, then it is going to not just be solid and effective and convincing, but it is going to be very dramatic. Givesh time as comey testimony to congress, it is going to be huge tv. I think Rod Rosenstein, whatever other motivations he has, i think he realized that was coming. And knowing where comeys pushback is going to go, this was the best way to anticipate that. Rod rosenstein also has to testify before congress today. We will see down the road precisely what his motivation was, but i could see how Rod Rosenstein recognized he could no longer deny the political applications of this in the need to protect this investigation. Amy finally, the New York Times reporting that President Trump had asked jamames comey at that valentines day meeting for your 14 in the oval office to journalistsrisoning who report on leaks of classified information . Right. That may still happen most of Jeff Sessions wants to do it. Dana benton may still do it with wikileaks. Trump, again, it feels very nixonian. Way he survives them if he does, is to try to badmouth the press and make himself into the victim. I dont think that is going to work this time around. I do suspect he will continue to ratchet up efforts against the press except to the degree that the people who would prosecute it really are rooting for the press here, not for donald trump. That is not necessarily a good luck. But look, everyone at fbi come i conduct thee to investigations there currently conducting, wherever they are. They are doing to be less interested in Donald Trumps which i against journalists which fight against journalists, knknowing that all the way the i gets to conduct their investigation is to have stuff like that coming out in the press at this point, it is like in every 10 minutes basis. Amy marcy wheeler, thank you for being with us, independent journalist who covers national secured and civil liberties, runs the website emptywheel. Net. We will link to your new post the scope of the special , counsel appointment is totally inadequate. Will go toe back, we rome, italy, to speak with a mexican reporter who is been threatened with death herself repeatedly when she goes to mexico, she is bodyguards 24 hours a day. As she is going to remember a friend, a wellknown journalist in mexico named Javier Valdez, who was gunned down this week. This is democracy now we will be back in a moment. [music break] amy i wish i knew how it would feel to be free. Nina simone. If you want to see the video behind that music, you can go to democracynow. Org as we showed Chelsea Manning and Oscar Lopez Rivera, both became free people yesterday. , imthis is democracy now amy goodman. Let them kill us all,l, if that is the death sentence for reporting this hell. No to silence. Those the words of awardwinning mexican reporter Javier Valdez after onone of his colleagues, miroslava breach, was assassinated in late march. Well, on monday, valdez wawas ao assassinated, dragged ouout of s car and shot 12 times less than a block from his newspaper the , newspaper he cofounded in the northwest mexican state ofof sinaloa. As news s coverage here in the United States is hyperfococused on president trurump, wewell lk at a m major scandal just across the border that is not being covered in u. S. Media the widespread violence e in mexico and the impunity for the killers. The killing of valdez who wrote for the prominent newspaper has sparked widespread outrage across mexico. On tuesday, hundreds of people gathered for his funeral in culiacan, sinaloa, hundreds more protested outside the interior ministry in mexico city. Multiple mexican Digital Media outlets also went on a 24hour strike, refusing to publish anything but a black banner with the names of the journalists assassinated in mexico so far this year cecilio pineda, maximino rodriguez, ricardo monlui, filiberto alvarez, miroslava breach, and Javier Valdez. In 2011, Javier Valdez came to new york to receive the International Press Freedom Award from the committee to protect journalists. This is part of what he said that evevening. I have nursed my weatathered soul [ [indiscernible] it is dangerous to be alive and to do journalism is to tread in invisible line drawn by the rag us who are in Drug Trafficking and the government, in a field strewn with explosives. This is what most of the country is living through. One must protect oneself from everything and everyone and there not options were salvatitn and often it is no one to turn to. Often there is no one to turn to. [indiscernible] , im told o of the tragedy that mexexico is living. A tragedy that should shame us. Blood. And guns and we are murderers of our own future. This is a war, yes, the one controlled by the narcos. We, the citizenens, providing te debt. In the mexican and u. S. Governments. Anththey, the e imminent i invie [indiscecernible] they take the profits. I dedicate this award to the brave journalists and to the children and youth who are living a slow death. I prefer to create a portrait of he saidd desperate and panorama. This award is like a lighthouse on the other side of the storm, a safe harbor. If experienced macabre solitude because nothing published has reverberation m makes us more vulnerable. Despite e all of t this, with hf you and with this award, i can say that i have somewhere to take shelter and to feel less alone. Thank you. [applause] journalist Javier Valdez speaking in 2011 in new york also the committee to protect journalists said held as the m mets the e grit of the mot that a hardened reporter with the soul of a 19th centu romamantic but would. On the same day of his assassination, another journalist, sonia cordoba, was also shot and wounded in a separate attack that left her son dead. Since 2000, more than 100 journalists have been murderer in mexico. A recent report by the International Institute for strategic studies says mexico endured the second most conflict deaths of any country in the world last year, with a staggering 23,000 People Killed amidst mexico socalled war on drugs. Mexico was second only to syria, where 50,000 people were killed in 2016 by the ongoing war. The third, fourtrth, and fifth most dangerous countries were iraq, afghanistan, and yemen. We are joined right now by a colleague and friend of javier, awardwinning mexican journalist anabel hernandez. She has also faced attacks and Death Threats for her reporting on the mexican drug trade, and has said a journalist who has to walk with bodyguards in an embarrassment for any nation. Hernandez is the author of narcoland the mexican drug lords and their godfathers and mexico in flames the legacy of calderon. Anabel hernandez welcome to , democracy now we are speaking to you in rome, italy, so there is a littltle bt of a delay. Can you talk about who javier was, the reporter who was gunned down this week right next to the offices of the newspaper he founded . . Hello, amy. Mehas been very sad days for and for hundreds of journalists in mexico because Javier Valdez is our friend. Avier valdez will always be and thish his words speech in 2011. This is javier, a very brave man. This is javier, the journalist that believed in the courage to work for the Mexican Society at in liberty to take their own decisions. I memet him many years ago. I saw him the last time at the beginning of this year. He was laughingg, as he used to do. He was worried, as may, about all of this violence in sinaloa. The cartelied about after the arrestst of el chapo course, is after, of extradition his to federal court in new york. Javier was and is and will always be a very honest journalist and a friend, a brother for me. Amy so talk about his newspaper, where he was gunned down, and talk about what he was taking on in mexico and who you believe killed him. Ill, Javier Valdez brazizil one article in about inside the cartel. I reveal one photograph, the [ [indiscernible] guzman anded el chapo started a a war against him. After my article, nunez sent to to theeis close people offifice of riodoce, this newspaper where Javier Valdez was working, and Javier Valdez make an interview to this guy to hear the explanation of n nunez, trying explaining he is not the enemyy of f el chapo guzman, ane was not fighting against the so of ultra vocus men, and these kinds of things sons of el chapo guzman, and these kinds ofofhings. Inside the cartrtel. Of should note e the problem journalists in mexico is you always try to talk about when cartel come always you have to talk about all of the people that work in the government that is involved with the cartels. And this is the cacase, i have o familyout nunez that has and members of his family works in the government of sinaloa. So if it is the hypothesis that may be people related to nunez were involved in this terrible murder, i think that this cannot theossible if someone in similar government sinaloa government or even the federal government is ininvolved. I have a video that proves this that also in the payroll of nunez were high members of the federal police that belongs to the federal government, to the government of enrique pena nieto. I have here that the government tried to say, oh, no, no, it was just two guys that tried to assault the car of Javier Valdez. But you know, this attack was at noon in front of everyone. And no one shoots 10 t times, 1, 12 times t to steal a car, evenn sinaloa. No one. Amy so youre saying the sinaloan government might have been involved in javiers murder . It is one of my hypothesis. In rome and him will be in london giving some conference. Then i will go back to mexico. I really want to meet have a meeting with the wife of javier and try to help to resolve this because i think the problem is that, as you know, m more than 0 journalists have b been murdered this yeaea six journalists in five weeks. I think fofor me, the murder ofy friend Javier Valdez is something personal. If we dodo not resolve this cas, we are condemning two other asrnalists to be murdered now. Amy we are talking to anabel hernandez, incredibly brave mexican Investigative Reporter herself, was awarded the 2012 golden pen Freedom Award, author of narcoland the mexican drug lords and their godfathers. Understand when she says shes going back to mexico, the threat she, too, faces as she is surrounded by 24 hour day bodyguards as she talks about the death of Javier Valdez, murdered this week, another unbelievably rate journalist in mexico. Were going to come back to our discussion with her. We have one more break. I also want to share this breaking news. Roger ailes is dead. Network. Es who ran fox he was 77 years old. Roger ailes who ran fox news is dead at the age of 77. That is the news we have at this point. We will be back in a minute. [music break] cornelldgardens chris passed away at the age of 52. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We are reporting from los angeles to my california. Our guest, anabel hernandez, is speaking to us today from rome, italy. And this breaking news, roger ailes, the head of fox news former head who was driven out because of Sexual Assault and , onel harassment scandals after another, fox women talking about his assaulting them or harassing them over the years well, roger ailes himself has died at the age of 77. All of the media is reporting this right now. We dont know the cause of his death. Were going to go back to anabel hernandez, mexican Investigative Reporter who was awarded the 2012 golden pen of Freedom Award. The golden pen of freedom, the author of narcoland the mexican drug lords and their godfathers. Her latest book recently published in mexico is titled the true night of iguala. That as well. Bout i want to go back to you saying youre going to return to mexico. When you are in mexico, you need 24 hour a day guards. Who are these guards . Talk about the threats to your own life, even as you remember today Javier Valdez, the crusading reporter who took on the drug trade in mexico, who was gunned down himself in his home s state of sinaloa this we. Know, i wasyou collaborating with a reporting program at uc berkeley. Since last august, the program finished for me. I had to go back to mexico. So i am living in mexico since last august. I had to go back toto my nightmare. And now ii am in italy because i am working. When i finish this travel, i have to go back anyway to mexico. I have to live with bodyguards. These bodyguards are paid by the federal government in this terrible and cynical simulation of protection. As you know, the federal supposedlycreates to attacked journalists. Protectsedly journalists. Even of the have the faces of the people that have threatened me since 2010 and have been attacking to be in my family every moment, every year, even the government has all of this information, they dont want to resolve the case. Just two weeks ago, the last message from the federal government to me was gave me the bodyguards gave me one bulletproof vest to protect message from the federal myself. Andine that someone came shoot me 10 or 12 times as happened to my friend Javier Valdez. Is really this vest that will protect me or the justice . Are put in jail the people that are threatening the and threaten many, many other journalists in mexico. Really the crisis in mexico is huge. Just a a few days ago, yesterda, to be exact precisely, the tosident pena nieto promised the society promised to the journalists he will resolve the case. It is not true. I know the people he is working in the attorney generals office. I to the society know theyre not in even though they have all of the information. I think we have to stop the simulation. And if the government is that able to resolve the cases, we will do it. We will have to do it in many, many other cases of abuse of violations. Rights the 43 missing students. Amy i want to ask you about another recent attack on journalists. On saturday the Southern State of guerrero, a group of reporters was attacked, robbed and threatened by a group of , armed men saturday. The attack occurred outside iguala, where 43 students were disappeared from the Ayotzinapa Teachers College in 2014. The journalists, who all survived the attack, said the,. Men threreatened to burn them alalive. Anabel, you know iguala well from your groundbreaking reporting on the disappearance of these 43 students. Can you talk about the recent attack . We just have a minute to go, i am sad to say. I mean, i just would tell you this. It is impossible that this group of journalists has been threatened if the federal government is not involved. The guest now the federal government is in charge of the state of guerrero. And all the streets is the army, the federal police for supposedly giving protection to the citizens. Of course, again, i just cant believe that this attack occurred without the permission orthe federal government involving the federal government. Really, it is not possible to think that this happened without the knowledge of the federal government. , i want to hernandez thank you so much for being with us, mexican investstigative reporter, awarded the 2012 golden pen of Freedom Award. Author of narcoland the mexican drug lords and their godfathers. Her latest book recently published the true night of , iguala. News, former chair of fox is dead at the age of 77. Roger ailes has died. We dont know yet the cause of his death. He resigned from fox news in july, accused of Sexual Harassment by more than 20 women, including megyn kelly, gretchen carlson, and fox ultimately paid out 45 million to settle the claims. As the Republican Party operative advising many laura this week, community, creation, collaboration. We talk with pamela and iris ababout remaking a former womes prison in new york into a space for womens liberation and activism. And we h hear from photographer and auauthor who specializes in the art of collaboboration. All comingng up right here on ne Laura Flanders shohow. Or the people who say it cant be done take a backseat to the people who are doing it. Welcome. Pe