Bonifaz. Then we continue to speak with dr. Bandy lee, the yale psychiatrist who is leading a discussion of Mental Health professionals, deeply concerned about President Trumps psychological instability. She organized the duty to warn conference and edited the book the dangerous case of donald trump 27 psychiatrists and Mental Health experts assess a president. We are pushing for an evaluation, warning about dangerousness, exley trying ours our best to educate the public so people will be aware. In whatl be affirmed theyre saying. They will be educated on the depths of what they are seeing, and also that there is a way of dealing with the situation. And go but first, an update on a future ofd shape the the right to protest in the United States. Final arguments are underway today in washington, d. C. , for the first trial of the nearly 200 demonstrators arrested during President Trumps inauguration. The defendants face alterable felony and misdemeanor charges and up to 50 years in prison. All of that a more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The federal Communications Commission known as the fcc has voted to dismantle landmark Net Neutrality rules designed to keep the internet open and free. The vote repeals rules established in 2015 after widespread organizing and protests by frequent it advocates. These rules required Service Providers to treat web content equally. The repeal of these rules was widely opposed by the American Public with more than 20 Million People submitting comments to the fcc. Paitrumps chairman ajit lobbied heavily to repeal the rules. On thursday coming was joined by two fellow republican fcc commissioners and the fcc voted three to two to repeal the rules. Thursdays vote means internet Service Providers could now slow down Internet Speed and jack up prices. Thursdays vote also means the government will no longer regulate highspeed internet as if it were a public utility like phone service. On thursday, new York Attorney general Eric Schneiderman vowed to sue to block the repeal. New yorkers deserve a free and open internet, and that is why my office will sue to stop illegal rollback of net. We will be filing a claim to preserve protections for new yorkers and all americans and working progressively to stop the fccs leadership from doing any further damage to the internet and our economy. Amy the fccs vote to repeal Net Neutrality is the latest and most controversial of a series of changes led by fcc chair ajit pai. Over the last year, he is loosened rules aimed at limiting media consolidation and scale back a program aimed at expanding Broadband Access among lowincome americans. The fcc chair pai is a former verizon attorney. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson is speaking to the u. N. Security is is speaking to the u. N. Security council today, in which hes expected to again recommend talks and diplomacy with north korea a stance that puts him at odds with President Trump. Earlier this week, tillerson broke with the administration and said the United States was ready to begin talks with the north without precondition. Only hours later, White House Press secretary Sarah Huckabee sanders contradicted tillerson and said President Trump considers talks with north korea pointless. The public rift between tillerson and President Trump comes amid reports the white house is planning to oust tillerson from the state department and replace him with cia director mike pompeo. The Trump Administration is trying to claim iran violated an International Agreement on arms transfers, even though experts say the evidence presented thursday by u. S. Ambassador to the u. N. Nikki haley falls short of proving the claims. At a military base in washington, d. C. , haley presented pieces of weapons she claims iran supplied to the houthi militia fighting in yemen. Haley claimed the weaponry proves iran violated a United NationsSecurity Council resolution passed in 2015. But military officials were not able to say when the weapons were transferred, when they were used, or in some cases, where they had even been found. Despite the inconclusive evidence, haley used thursdays event as an opportunity to attack iran and the landmark 2015 iran nuclear deal. Everyone has focused on the nuclear deal. The has hidden behind nuclear joe, constantly threatening to get out of it. But these are the things they are doing while we are all looking the other way. And these are the things that will be dangerous, that will lead us to the next north korea if we dont do something to stop it. Amy in washington, d. C. , the republicans legislation to overhaul the u. S. Tax code in an order to shower billions of dollars upon the richest americans and major corporations appears to be hanging by a thread. Two republican senators marco rubio of florida and mike lee of utah have threatened to vote against the bill unless the Child Tax Credit is expanded. Republicans are pushing ahead for a vote as early as next week. Vice president mike pence has canceled a trip to the middle east so he can be in washington, d. C. , in case hes required to cast the tiebreaking vote. A fourth u. S. Lawmaker has been forced from congress over allegations of Sexual Harassment or assault. Texas Republican Congress member Blake Farenthold says he will not seek reelection after revelations he paid 84,000 of taxpayer money in a 2014 Sexual Harassment settlement with his former communications director, lauren greene. Greene says shes been forced to resort to babysitting and other jobs to make ins meet after ends meet after farenthold blackballed her from politics when she accused him of Sexual Harassment, gender discrimination and creating a hostile work environment. Meanwhile, the Screen Actors Guild awards will, for the first time, have only women present the 13 acting awards during the ceremony on january 21. The Award Ceremony will also feature a female host, kristen bell. This comes as actresses across hollywood have spoken out about Sexual Harassment, assault, and rape by hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and other top directors and producers. In geneva, u. N. Sponsored peace talks aimed at ending the ongoing war in syria have collapsed. U. N. Special envoy Staffan De Mistura pinned the blame largely on the syrian government, which refused to discuss constitutional changes or president ial elections. This is now the eighth round of u. N. Sponsored peace talks on the syrian conflict. In the wake of the talks collapse, Syrian Opposition chief negotiator sasr alhariri appealed to the International Community. The International Community needs a new approach, otherwise, this stalemate will continue. Unfortunately, it will be at the expense of the syrians, inside and outside the country. Amy top mexican officials met thursday with secretary of state Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to discuss increasing military and intelligence cooperation between the u. S. And mexico in the ongoing socalled war on drugs. The meeting came only one day after Mexican Senate committees approved a highly Controversial Military bill that human Rights Groups say will give the Mexican Armed forces excessive power. The United Nations, amnesty international, and human Rights Groups all oppose the legislation, saying it will further empower military forces that are already accused of widespread human rights abuses, including complicity in the disappearance of 43 students in meanwhile caravan of central , thursday, a american mothers searching for their children who disappeared in mexico while trying to migrate to the United States protested outside the us United States protested outside the u. S. Embassy in mexico city. Earlier this month, the United States withdrew from talks on a United Nations agreement promoting safe migration. This is gloria mariana, a honduran mother whose son went missing in mexico while trying to reach the United States. It is constant anguish. It is eternal anguish. It is whenever you eat or sleep. Your mind is only thinking of them. Missing my sons birthday, mothers day. For me, there is no christmas. It is horrible what you go through. Amy in argentina, widespread protests both inside and outside the lower house of congress forced lawmakers to suspend a vote on president Mauricio Macris plan to slash pensions. Labor unions say the legislation will hurt retired workers and people on welfare. The unions had threatened a general strike if the measure passed. The Rwandan Government has accused the French Military of widespread complicity in the 1994 genocide in rwanda. The independent report released wednesday accuses the French Military of training and arming the rwandan regime that killed 800,000 people, mostly from the tutsi ethnic minority. The report says the French Military continued to arm the genocidal regime, even after an arms embargo was imposed. The son of the french president at the time was a close friend of the rwandan leader whose regime orchestrated the genocide. Back in the United States, President Trumps Senior AdviserOmarosa Manigault newman has resigned, she says after witnessing a series of upsetting incidents inside the white house. The former contestant on the Reality Tv Show the apprentice, she was the only africanamerican woman in trumps inner circle. There are conflicting reports about her departure. Only hours after the Roy Mooredoug Jones senate race in alabama tuesday, with some reports saying she was forcibly removed from the white house and other reports saying she resigned voluntarily. In a series of interview since her departure, she is criticized the nearly allwhite administration, saying the members had never worked with minorities and did not know how to interact with them. She refusedorts a to condemn the deadly white supremacist violence in charlottesville, virginia. This is Omarosa Manigault newman speaking on Good Morning America and. Is only africanamerican woman in this white house, as a senior staff and assistant to the president , ive seen things that have made me uncomfortable, that have upset me, that have affected me deeply and emotionally, that has affected my community and my people. Amy United States largest private landlord has been sued for violating the Fair Housing Act by refusing to rent to tenants with a criminal record. The lawsuit, filed by the equal rights center, says the companys policy of not renting to people with felony convictions, or even pending felony charges, has a disproportionate adverse impact on African Americans and latinos. Midamerica apartments owns at least 100,000 apartments nationwide. And the ohio senate has passed a new bill that would make it illegal for women to have an abortion in cases where the fetus has down syndrome. The legislation would make it a felony for doctors to perform abortions after tests reveal the fetus has the genetic condition. The bill is now headed to the desk of Ohio Governor john kasich. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We begin todays show with an update on a case that could shape the future of free speech and the right to protest in the United States. Final arguments are underway today in washington, d. C. , for the first trial of the nearly 200 people arrested during President Trumps inauguration. As demonstrators, journalists, and observers gathered in northwest d. C. After the inauguration january 20, some separated from the group and broke windows of nearby businesses and damaged cars. Police officers then swept hundreds of people in the vicinity into a blockaded corner in a process known as kettling, where they carried out mass arrests of everyone in the area. The first socalled j20 trial could go to a jury as early as today, and involves six people, including one journalist, alexei wood, a freelance photojournalist. The defendants face multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, including multiple counts of destruction of property. Evidence against the defendants has been scant from the moment of their arrest. Earlier this week, superior court judge Lynn Leibovitz threw out the felony charge of inciting a riot for the six people on trial now, meaning they now face up to 50 years in prison instead of 60. This comes as Police Conduct on Inauguration Day has come under scrutiny by the aclu, and the chief detective in the case is a police Union Official who tweeted that day that they showed great restraint during the inauguration. Well, for more, were joined in washington, d. C. , by jude ortiz, a member of the organizing crew of defend j20 and the Mass Defense Committee chair for the National Lawyers guild. Hes been in court throughout this first j20 trial. Welcome back to democracy now explain what has happened so far and the significance of the judge throwing out the charge. Thank you so much for having me on again. So since i was on last, the prosecutor has rested their entire case with all of the socalled evidence against the defendants and the defense has also put on their witnesses as part of their right to have witnesses come and testify on their behalf. That process for the defense was very short, only about half a day in court. Now it is into the final arguments stage. The prosecutors have their argument first, then each of the Defense Attorneys for the defendant put on their arguments. This morning at 9 30, there will be the final to defendants with closing arguments and in the prosecutor will do a rebuttal. There will be more legal housekeeping to do before it goes to the jury. The judge throwing out the riot charge was a Huge Development in the case, something that after the prosecutor rest their case, the defense attorney will almost always follow motion to have the charges dismissed. Is a formality for the most part, rarely ever successful. It was notable that one of the the significant charges against the defendants, not only whole, trial, but as a was found in this case, at least, that no evidentiary basis at all. The judge basically said the state did not meet their burden of proof and that charge was dismissed. The jury will not have to deliberate on that one at all. Amy explain what that means. Were talking about numerous cases that will follow this one. This is judge preside over all of these cases is the inciting to riot remains in other cases . At this point, the judge is assigned to the other cases. There is another case scheduled for this coming monday for seven defendants, without probably will not be happening on monday because the jury will still be deliberating on this day. It is unclear when the second trial will begin. It is looking like january. On march 5 of next year through october of next year are through many trials. Starting in may, theres a trial scheduled for every single week. The judge has indicated her rotation, her job assignment is switching from criminal court to family Court Januar