Against alshabab. Hes also the first sitting president to address the African Union. Well go to nairobi for an update. But first, after hundreds gathered in chicago this weekend for the funeral of sandra bland, we go to texas to look at the history of racial profiling in Waller County, where she died, and Police Relations with the Africanamerican Community there. Well speak with judge dewayne charleston, who served as the first africanamerican justice of peace in Waller County and is calling for the local sheriff to resign. Sandra died in sheriff bland smiths custody and control. Yall digest that. Think on that. Sleep on that. And pray on that. He needs to go. Amy all that and more coming up. Amy welcome to democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman n. Yemen, at least 130 people are dead after saudiled air strikes pummeled a residential neighborhood in the western port city of mohka late friday. The strikes at a housing complex for power plant workers flattening building that is spread throughout the neighborhood and burned alive women, children, and the elderly. A resident described the onslaught. There were continuous air strikes without any breaks, and we have no military men, no doubles. We dont even have gunmen around here. We couldnt get to our children. There were some 20 bodies that i pulled out with my own hands and counted. Who is to blame for this . They killed women and children and elderly and young ones. How is this the fault of these innocent people . There are no hutsis here and no military bases. There is nothing here. Amy following the strikes, the Saudiled Coalition agreed to a fiveday ceasefire to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid and medical supplies in yemen. The ceasefire took effect monday night at midnight. Within hours, they both said they resumed attacks. A sue sued car bomber attacked a hotel in mogadishu. One of the dead was a kenyan militant. Alshabab has claimed responsibility. At tack came as president obama departed kenya and arrived in ethiopia sunday for talks on counterterrorism efforts against alshabab. Obama is the first sitting u. S. President to visit either ethiopia or kenya, his fathers home country. On tuesday, he also becomes the first sitting president to address the African Union. Well have more on the historic visit later in the broadcast. In more news from africa, burr you understand eyes incumbent president , pierre nkurunziza, has won reelection following widespread proceed lists and violence over what many say was an unconstitutional bid for a third term. In turkey, the government has called for an emergency nato meeting as the military launched a wave of air strikes targeting the selfproclaimed is tam i can state in syria and the Kurdish Workers Party in northern offensive coordinator. The military escalations followed the suicide bombing which killed more than 30 student activists in a turkish city one week ago. The turkish militarys attacks against the p. K. K. Broke an effective twoyear ceasefire between turkey and the cuddish group, who have been in conflict for decades. Protests broke out in istanbul and cities in southeast turkey following the death of a procushedish activist during police raids. Meanwhile, turkey and the United States have developed a joint plan to push isil out of a 60mile strip of syria. The collaboration comes after turkey announced last week it would be opening a key air base to the u. S. Deputy state Department Spokesperson mark toner spoke with the collaboration. Mark it was the horrific attacks in turkey this past week and underscored frankly, the importance of strengthening our mutual efforts to defeat isil in both turkey security in the region. So from that we decided to deep than cooperation and that includes a train program, intelligence sharing, and operational coordination. Amy in cleveland, ohio, the inaugural movement for black lives national convenes concluding with a white Police Officer pepper spraying africanamerican attendees. When conferencegoers witnessed Police Allegedly slamming a 14yearold boy to the ground to arrest him, they blocked the squad car and tried to get the teenager out. A Police Officer then pepper sprayed the crowd. The incident capped a weekend of programming about Police Brutality and racial justiceful among those who attended was former political prisoner and black panther eddie conway, who explained why the conference was a blackonly space. Eddie well, its a blackonly space because we have to get ourselves together. We have to organize ourselves. So other people, if they have an interest in supporting us being our allies or assisting our cause, they need to organize their communities and their space to give us support. Amy the conference in cleveland wrapped up a day after hundreds of people attended the funeral for sandra bland, the 28yearold africanamerican woman found dead in her jail cell in texas july 14. Dash cam video shows texas state plooper Brian Encinia forcibly removing bland from the car after she objected to putting out her cigarette when he pulled her over for allegedly failing to signal a lane change. Her family disputes authorities claim her death was a suicide. Swreel more on Sandra Blands funeral and the latest on her case after head leans. A private autopsy is reportedly underway for a native american activist who was found dead in a mississippi jail one day after sandra bland was found dead. Rexdale henry died five days afterest arrested for failing to pay a fine. He was held in philadelphia, mississippi, the same jail where three civil rights activists, james chaney, andrew goodman, and mickey schwerner, were held before their murder by the ku klux klan in 1964. The white gunman accused of killing two people in a lafayette, louisiana, Movie Theater before killing himself has been dived as john russel houser. According to the southern port law center houser lauded longtime ku klux klan leader david duke, expressed interest in white power groups, antisemitic ideas, and the antigay Westboro Baptist church. He posted about the power of the lone wolf on a forum dedicated to the new york chapter of greeces far right neo institutesee party golden dawn. Houser opened fire thursday night inside a showing of the movie trainwreck, killing two young women, Jillian Johnson and mayci breaux. Authorities say he was able to acquire his gun legally in alabama despite a record of mental illness, alleged Domestic Violence and an arrest for arson. Speaking on face the naste, bobby jindal, president ial candidate, acknowledged houser should not have been able to acquire a gun. In news from honduras, as many as 25,000 people marched friday night to demand the resignation of president juan hernandez. Thousands carried torches during fridays protest, which is the late neast campaign to demand an i understand pefpblet investigation into a 200 million government corruption scandal. In colombia, the government has suspended air strikes against the rebel group farc, the late neast series of steps to deescalate the decadeslong conflict. The president made the announcement after farc leaders announced a ceasefire. Translator given the statement made by the enemy, the farc, the declaration of a ceasefire by the farc, i have given the order to suspend starting today the air strikes on camps where there is a concentration of members of that organization. Noip chill leave, a copper miner was shot dead friday during a strike at the stateowned mining copy, one of the Worlds LargestCopper Mining companies. The strike began last week after a subcontracted worker launched a work stoppage at five mines, demanding the right to collective bargaining. The union has accused the police of fridays Fatal Shooting n. News from brazil more than 1,000 taxi drivers blocked roads across Rio De Janeiro in a protest against the wall streetbacked company ube other friday. Drivers used their yellow taxis to form a threemile blockade of one of the citys busiest though fares. Fridays action in Rio De Janeiro follows intense protests against uber by taxi drivers in paris hong kong, miami and other major cities who say the company threatens their union rights and livelihood. The Obama Administration is reportedly preparing to release convicted israeli spy Jonathan Pollard in a bid to appease israel. Pollard is a former u. S. Intelligence officer convicted of passing u. S. Secrets to israel, and he was sentenced to life in prison. Republican president ial candidate Mike Huckabee has denounced the iran deal invoking the holocaust by accusing president obama of marching israelis to the door. Oven. The head of the Democratic National committee, debbie waserman shultz, has called for huckaby to apologize. Congress is now one week into its period to review the historic deal. In the occupied west bank, a palestinian teenager has been killed in an israeli arrest raid, marking the third such incident in less than a week. Israeli Authorities Say 19yearold Mohammed Abu Latifa was suspected of planning an attack and fell from a roof after being shot while running away. Witnesses and the teens family dispute that account, saying he was executed. In the latest sign of a federal crackdown on Animal Rights activists, the f. B. I. Has arrested two people accused of freeing mink and other animals from fur farms, and vandalizing property linked to the fur and meat industries. Joseph budenburg and Nicole Kissane were charged under the 2006 animal enterprise terrorism act, which elevates crimes like vandalism to terrorist offenses if they threaten industry profits. Health insurance giant anthem has announced plans to buy rival cigna for 54. 2 billion, marking the largest such merger in u. S. History. The move leaves the United States with just three major health insurers. And spelman college, a historically black Womens College in atlanta, georgia, has discontinued a professorship endowed by bill cosby, becoming the late neast series of universities to cut ties after at least 40 people accused cosby of sexual assault. Spelmans move came about a week after the release of a 2005 deposition in which cosby admits to drugging women. Meanwhile, new York Magazine published a cover story on sunday featuring the faces and words of 35 of the cosbys alleged victims and the California Supreme Court has cleared the way for a civil lawsuit against bill cosby filed by a woman who accuse cosby of sexually assaulting her when she was 15 years old. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy guideman. Hundreds gathered to remember sandra bland saturday in the suburban Chicago Church she attended for decades before moving to Waller County, texas, where she was set to begin a new job at her alma mater. People filled the church as well as overflow rooms. Many of them wore white while others wore tshirts with the message sandy speaks. The 28yearold africanamerican womans family members stood before her open casket as they continued to dispute Law Enforcement claims she hung herself with the liner of a trash can in her jail cell. Blands mother geneva reedveal said, that baby did not take herself out of here. She also vowed to continue calling for answers, saying im going to take today and relax. Im going take tomorrow and relax. But men, its on. Illinois senator dick durban and congressman bill foster both attended the funeral and said they have sent letters to u. S. Attorney general Loretta Lynch calling for a federal investigation into Sandra Blands death. During an interview, lynch reportedly said she may undertake such an effort. She said blands arrest highlights the concern of many in the black community that a routine stop for many of our of the members of the black community is not handled with the same professionalism and courtesy that other people may get from the police. Sandra bland was found dead in her jail cell july 13 after a traffic stop escalated into arrest when texas state trooper Brian Encinia forcibly removed her from her car after she allegedly objected to putting out her cigarette. The attorney for her family said he believed she was targeted. When i look at sandy and see that she was doing nothing more than saying i want to be treated the right way i wanted to be treated equal, i say i celebrate you, sister. Thats the way i see it. I dont think that theres anything wrong with making a stand when it comes to being treated fairly. You know, it is hard for me to get beyond the fact that this officer that stopped her made a uturn right after looking at her right square in her face as she made a right hand turn to go about her business. She didnt do anything wrong when she made the right hand turn. She didnt do anything wrong traversing down the street. It looked very much like she was targeted. Amy for the full interview with cannon lambert, as well as Sandra Blands sister, you can go to democracynow. Org. But right now, were going to houston, texas, to look at the history of racial profiling in Waller County, where sandra bland died. Police relations with the Africanamerican Community there. Were joined by judge dewayne charleston. He served as the first africanamerican justice of the peace in Waller County, texas where sandra bland was arrest and had later found dead in jail. On wednesday he spoke at a Court Meeting on the death and called for the sheriff to resifpblee hes author of the United States versus Waller County, then me. Welcome to democracy now . Its great to have you with us. What did you say in your testimony this week . Dewayne well, i was trying to point out that whatever happened in the jail, sandy bland died. And when she was in that jail, she was in the custody and control of sheriff glenn smith. And in anybody had hired a babysitter they come home from work finding their child hung with a trash can liner they would get rid of that babysitter. That babysitter who they entrusted their child to. And so all i was saying is that he bears accountable. He bears responsibility. She died in his care, custody, and control. You know, i believe that he has to go, and theres a line of questionable practices that he has undertaken in both his capacity as police of chief and as the sheriff in Waller County. Amy why dont you talk about that history of sheriff glenn smith, who was first, as you said, police chief of hempstead, and then after being fired, was elected to be sheriff. Judge charleston you know, as i understand it, it was a pretty big media event back then. It was some years ago when he was the chief of police. He had pulled, among other incidents that he was held accountable for, he pulled some africanamericans over. I think he had a couple of his men with him and they were searched in the street. They had their pants pulled down and underwear pulled down, and privates exposed, and they began to strip these guys in public, and there was testimony that one of his men began to ridicule the parts of their anatomy. And when it came to the attention of the city council, he was voted to be terminated. This was just part and parcel of their effort to intimidate, ridicule and malign with an incredible sense of impunity, and i think what happened to sandy bland is just an extension that have culture. Amy as the times put it today, reinforcing what youre saying about his history they said a decade ago, hempsteads only fulltime black Police Officer sued, allegedly that chief smith had dismissed him on a trumped up charge after he complained about a supervisors racial slurs. And an africanamerican couple also sued, allegely chief smith turned them away when he reported a white man assaulted heir 7yearold son at pee wee football practice. Those suits were dismissed. But in 2007, city officials suspended chief smith after he pshed a black man who he had had spit on him in the street. The next year, after complaints about officers who executed faulty warrants and searched a black young mans underwear in public he was fired. So judge dewayne charleston, can you talk about the history of Waller County, which you have been intimately involved with in your years of activism, but going back to you write in your book that Waller County is the last county in the country to abolish slavery. Judge charleston yes. At that time, i think it was part of austin county. Those counties later separated. But it was that territory they remain holdouts, those plantation owners, i think those plantations remained holdouts after the civil war. But even if you go back some 30 years before that, Waller County is where sam houston trained his troops during the winter, before they went to