That is the headline of a new article about escalating crashes clashes on syrian soil. We will speak with the author, New York TimesBeirut Bureau chief and with canadian a canadian researcher. As the deadly flu sweeps across the United States, will go to austin, texas, to speak with austin city Councilmember Gregorio Casar where the council is set to vote on an historic ordinance for mandated paid sick leave. The infection rate has decreased by 6 or 7 . Getare twice as likely to everybody else sick. Workers fromnt having six sick leave. Amy can they overcome the opposition of a Koch Brothers based lobbying group . All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. President trump unveiled his 4. 4 trillion budget plan monday, proposing deep cuts to education, healthcare, and social safety net programs, while massively increasing the pentagons budget. Trumps plan would slash the department of educations budget by more than 10 . It would sharply reduce incomebased Student Loan Repayment plans, while ending the Public Service loan forgiveness program. Trumps budget would cut more than 17 billion from the supplemental nutrition assistance program, or snap, barring food stamp recipients from buying fresh fruit and vegetables. Instead, providing only a boxed food delivery program. The budget would also phase out federal funding for the corporation for public broadcasting, which supports public and Community Radio and tv stations. This comes as mcclatchy reports the Trump Administration is considering a plan that would not only impose work requirements for medicaid enrollees, but which would also put a lifetime limit on adults access to medicaid. Meanwhile, trumps budget would see a 13 rise in spending on weapons in war, bringing the pentagons budget to 686 billion. The Administration Says its plan would add 7. 1 trillion to u. S. Budget deficits over the next decade, though many economists say that number relies on rosy projections. The budget comes less than two months after trump signed into law one of the largest tax cuts in u. S. History, one that overwhelmingly favors the wealthies americans. On capitol hill, the senate convened a rare open debate monday on immigration, as hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the United States as children face a march deadline, when the Trump Administration will begin canceling the daca program, or deferred action for childhood arrivals. The Senate Debate comes without a bill currently on the floor; it follows congresss passage of a spending bill last week that did not contain protections for dreamers, a key demand of immigrants rights activists. The white house refused to answer questions monday about how it has handled the accusations of Domestic Violence against former staff secretary rob porter, who resigned last week after two of his exwives accused him of verbal and physical abuse. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee sanders said top officials that not know the extent of the allegations against porter until last tuesday. That is despite reports that chief of staff, general john kelly, new love the allegations since november, while the white new of theel allegations since november, while the white House Counsel new of the allegations one year ago. In syria, the United Nations warns civilians are being killed and wounded at a rapid pace, as fighting between Government Forces and rebels rages around the damascus suburb of eastern ghouta. This is saif abu anas, an activist in the town of saqba east of damascus. Are inu anas today we the seventh day of the assault. There are almost 260 martyrs, hundreds of injured people, most of whom are women and children. Yesterday we saw the massacre at night and the mask of it happened three days ago where 20 people were killed, and also the destruction and death we saw where whole neighborhoods are being destroyed. Violence comes amidst a series of clashes and externalnal problem powers including israel, iran, and the Syrian Government. We will have more on syria after deadlines. The white house is denying reports that the Trump Administration has been openly discussing an israeli plan to formally annex palestinian lands in the occupied west bank. A spokesperson for the Rightwing Likud Party quoted Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu as saying in a closeddoor session, quote, on the subject of applying sovereignty, i can say that i have been talking to the americans about it for some time, he said, unquote. Israels west Bank Settlements are illegal under international law, and any move to annex palestinian territory would be a further violation of the geneva conventions. White house spokesperson josh raffel on monday called any reports that the u. S. Discussed annexation with israel false, opening a rare public rift between President Trump and Prime Minister netanyahu. In moscow, russian president Vladimir Putin welcomed palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to the kremlin monday, for talks that could reshape diplomatic efforts to end the israelipalestinian conflict. Speaking to reporters, abbas said he could no longer accept the United States as a mediator, after the Trump Administration declared it would recognize jerusalem as israels capital and began moving the u. S. Embassy there from tel aviv. In such an atmosphere, we refuse to operate with the u. S. In its status as a mediator. In israel, a military court is convening a trial today for ahed tamimi, a teenage girl who became a hero to palestinians after viral video showed her slapping a soldier near her familys home in the occupied west bank. The incident came just after ahed tamimi learned her 15yearold cousin, mohammed tamimi, had been shot in the head by an israeli soldier with a rubbercoated steel bullet at close range. Ahed tamimi faces 12 charges, including assaulting a soldier and incitement to violence. Her father, bassem tamimi, said monday he doesnt expect his daughter to receive a fair trial. We dont expect justice from this court. They are trying to maximize thee controlled by extreme right wing public opinion. They are pushing for the maxim sentence because they want to break the example of resistance. They dont want ahed to become a leading example for palestinians. In the south pacific, the island nation of tonga was left devastated monday, after a major cyclone made landfall, leveling homes, flooding neighborhoods, and flattening the kingdoms parliament building. Tropical cyclone gita arrived monday evening with winds of 145 miles per hour, far higher than forecasters had predicted. The storm made landfall as a new report found Sea Level Rise due to humandriven Climate Change is happening now. The report found sea levels have risen by an average of nearly three inches over the past quarter century. The storm is the worst in more than 60 years. In south africa, the Ruling African NationalCongress Party has given president jacob zuma 48 hours to resign, or face the prospect of being recalled from office. Zuma has come under increasing pressure to resign in recent weeks amid mounting accusations of widespread corruption. Back in the United States, the Trump Administration has acknowledged it will not investigate complaints filed by transgender students who are barred from using bathrooms matching their gender identity. In a statement to buzzfeed news, an official with the the department of education argued transgender students are not protected by title 9, a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex. In a statement, eliza byard, the director of the Transgender Student Rights Group glsen said Trump Administrations quote, cruel new policy flies in the face of the highest Court Rulings on this issue, which found unequivocally that denying transgender students appropriate bathroom access is a violation of title ix. The Trump Administration has been working secretly with a radical antiabortion group on policies that make it easier for states to defund planned parenthood. Politico reports that last month, the department of health and Human Services announced changes that will allow states to exclude planned parenthood from medicaid programs, a policy shift that came shortly after the department of health and Human Services received a draft legal analysis from the organization Alliance Defending freedom, which has been designated a hate group by the southern poverty law center. In a statement, planned parenthoods executive Vice President dawn laguens called the news shocking and outrageous adding, quote, the Alliance Defending freedom has spent decades trying to take away womens access to health care and ability to control their own bodies and lives. The trumppence administration has embraced this groups philosophy and handed them the pen to make official u. S. Government policy. The Trump Administrations nominee to head the 2020 census has withdrawn from consideration, after an outcry by civil Rights Groups and many democrats. Thomas brunell, a university of texasatdallas Political Science professor, is a staunch defender of Republican Redistricting efforts, including congressional maps in pennsylvania, North Carolina and other states that federal courts have recently ruled unconstitutionally favor republicans. Brunell stepped down from consideration as critics say the Trump Administration is hoping to use the 2020 census to lock in republican majorities for a decade. This is journalist ari berman, speaking on democracy now last about his Rolling Stone article titled, how the gop rigs elections. Ari so, if the census is manipulative for political purposes or the count is done wrong there is no way to fix it because it is supposed to be the final word to determine how districts are drawn, this is one of the most important things the federal government has done every 10 years since 1790 and it is facing unprecedented threats from the Trump Administration. Amy fox news has removed a racist and homophobic oped from its website following international outcry. In a piece published friday with the start of the 2018 winter olympics, fox news executive editor john moody wrote, quote, the motto of the olympics, since 1894, has been faster, higher, stronger. It appears the u. S. Olympic committee would like to change that to darker, gayer, different. if your goal is to win medals, that wont work. Fox news later removed the oped from its website, saying moodys piece didnt reflect the views or values of the network. In a statement, sarah kate ellis, president of the lgbtq rights group glaad called on moody and fox news to apologize, adding, quote, these athletes are at the olympics because they already won by qualifying to represent the United States on the worlds stage; and they did so despite facing discrimination from places like fox news throughout their careers. Attorney general Jeff Sessions drew outrage and condemnation monday, when he referred to the Anglo American heritage of u. S. Law enforcement. Sessions made the remark in a speech to the National Sheriff associations winter conference in washington, d. C. Attorney general sessions the office of sheriff is a critical part of the angloamerican history of law enforcement. Amy a spokesperson defended the comment saying the phrase anglo court,n law appears in and in a statement, the naacp called attorney general sessions remarks the latest example of dog whistle politics, adding, quote, his stances at doj regarding their reversal of support for cases against Voter Suppression to his attempted to withdrawal from consent decrees to reign in Police Misconduct and the decision to return to polices including mandatory minimums that played a key role in the expansion of mass incarceration, are powerful examples of why communities of color must Pay Attention to what he does and what he says, the naacp said. In wisconsin, prosecutors have brought felony charges against three Milwaukee County jail staffers over the death of 38yearold terrill thomas, a prisoner who died of extreme dehydration after he spent a week without access to water in a solitary confinement jail cell. At the time of thomas death, the jail was overseen by sheriff david clarke, a staunch supporter of donald trump who has compared the black lives Matter Movement to the ku klux klan. In West Virginia, lawmakers are under fire for ordering the removal of a citizen from the state capitol, after she called out the names of state politicians whove accepted Campaign Contributions from the oil and gas industry. Lisa lucas was speaking friday during a Public Comment session at the West Virginia house judiciary committee. Lisa lucas people that are going to be speaking in favor of this bill are all going to be paid by the industry, and people voting on this bill are also often paid by the industry r example, and i have to keep it short, simple because the blic only gets one minute, 45 seconds, while lobbyists can throw a gala at the marriott with whiskey and wine and talk for hours to delegates. To keep it short, on the judiciary committee, charlotte lynn, about 10,000 from gas and aep,nterests, including marathon, firstenergy dominion, and i can go on. Amy as lucas listed the names of other lawmakers whove received Campaign Contributions from the oil and gas industry, Republican Committee chair john shott had her microphoneut and ordered her to be physically removed. She was taken out by security. And in france, computer giant apple has asked a court in paris to bar tax campaigners from holding protests at its stores. Since december, members of the group attac have been staging demonstrations at apple stores in paris calling for an end to apples complex efforts to avoid paying European Union taxes. This is tax activist aurelie trouve. Aurelie trouve the worlds biggest Multinational Company practices tax evasion. We had a nerve since apple cannot tolerate it image being harmed. They filed an urgent court order against us through what is called a gag order, meaning that at least this is what they are asking we will have to pay 150,000 euros if we hold future demonstrations against an apple store. Amy and those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Juan and i am one gonzales. Welcome to our viewers around the world. We begin todays show with the ongoing war in syria. Tensions across Northern Syria are escalating sharply, amid a series of clashes between external and internal powers, including israel, iran, turkey , russia and the syrian , government. On saturday, israel shot down what it says was an iranian drone that had entered israels airspace after being launched in from syria. Israel then mounted an attack on an iranian command center in syria, from where the drone was launched. One of the israeli f16 military jets was then downed by a Syrian Government antiaircraft missile. Saturdays events marks the first israeli jet shot down since the 1980s. It is also believed to be the first time israel has carried out an attack in syria on a site where iranian troops were present. On tuesday, the Syrian Government warned israel it would face more surprises if it launches future attacks inside syria. Meanwhile, also in Northern Syria on saturday, a turkish Army Helicopter was shot down by u. S. Backed Syrian Kurdish