Administration defend the respon to the unfoldi hunitariri crisis in puerto ri. Ne d dayafter r rricane mia dedestrod mu of f thslslands evererstructure, many ofhehe 3. 5 milllln residents remain without elecicicity d arare desperate for fresh water, food, and otr supplies. We will go to san juan f a an updatete fromhe cent for instigativ journalists. Th sayhe death toll is higherhan the goverent reports. Thenen wwill s snd the rt of thhour wh michael ore, the academy awawwinninfilmmake hind fahrheit 9 11nd bling for cumbine. He ion broadway in h his theatricical debut in a play called the terms of my surrender. Basically, none of us are going to surrender. The actual terms are pretty extensive. It is not just getting rid of trump. We have to take a look at how we got trump. He did not just fall out of the sky. He is the end result of the decades of both dumbing down the country but also the widening gap between those with wealth and those who work to provide the wealth for those who are rich. Amy all that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In puerto rico, a vast stockpile of food, water, medicines piling up at the main court in san j jn is a shortage of Truck Drivers and fuel prevents the aid from being delivered to the islands 3. 5 lien residents, many remain without electricity, communication, and clean water more than a week after Hurricane Maria devastated the island. At least 10,000 shipping containers containing the aid are stockpiled at the port from the 4400 u. S. Military members who are scrambling to distribute. O rural areas on thursday, the Trump Administration said it would waive the jones act for 10 days after puerto ricos governor and others demanded the u. S. And waive shipping restrictions under the law. In san juan, thousands of Puerto Ricans boarded a Royal Caribbean crucial thursday him and joining evacuees from the u. S. Virgin islands bound for mainland u. S. This is a woman who sent her children off on the ship. Am sending my children to miami so they can be more comfortable because they dont have electricity here. Sometimes they have water, sometimes they dont. My husband and i have to work and we dont have anywhere to send them. Sometimes i cant communicate with them all day because there is no o signal. I am afraid to leave them at home alone. Democraticitol hill, lawmakers accused President Trump of neglecting millions of u. S. Citizens in puerto rico and the u. S. Virgin islands. New York Congress member nydia velazquez, who was born in puerto rico, said the white house showed far more urgency responding to hurricanes harvey and irma, which devastated parts of texas and florida two states that vovoted for trump. Unfortunately, this administrations response has been inexcusably slow and ineffective. To the people who are in the airport trying to get ouut of the island, to those of you without roofs, waiting for the worry youre back, are running out of drinking wateter. To those on the mainland are worried about their loved ones on the island, let me say this. We are going to keep fighting for you. Do notot give up. We will not give up. Amy the fallout from this years record Hurricane Season comes as a a new study finds extreme weather fueled by Climate Change has cost the u. S. Economy at least 240 billion a year over the last decade, and thats before an estimated 300 billion in losses from hurricanes harvey, irma and maria are factored i in. The report from the universal Ecological Fund predicts the cost of Climate Change to the u. S. Is expected to rise to at least 360 billion annually over the next decade. In syria, antigovernment fororcs say at least 152 civilians weree kikilled and dozens more injured in oppositionheld parts of idlib b province over the last week, sayiying syrian and russin warplanes bombed six hospitals, five Civil Defense centers, power stations and camps for displaced civilians. Meanwhile, fighting continues to rage in the city of raqqa, where a kurdish commander said thursday isis is cornered and breathing its last gasps. The journalistic Monitoring Group airwars reports u. S. Led coalition attacks have killed at least 61 civilians in raqqa since saturday, including a young child described as the son of osama kadoor, and said mohammed alsaid, a father of six. In somalalia, seven people weree killed and six o others injured when a car bomb exploded thursday near a bus stop in the capital mogadishu. Its not clear who carried out the attack, but local officials blamed the militant grououp alshabab. B. In bangladesh, thehe bodies of 3 rohingya refugees, including eight children, washed ashore thursday after their boat capspsized. The deadad were among 130 rohina aboard the vessel who were fleeing a governmentbacked Ethnic Cleansing Campaign in neighboring burma. At the united nations, the Security Council heard thursday from u. N. Secretarygeneral antonio guterres, who warned systematic violence risked spilling further into Burmas Rakhine state, where an additional 250,000 rohingya might be displaced. We are perceived bone chilling account from those who have fled, many women, children, and the elderly. These testimonies point a excessive violence in serious violations of human rights, including the presence of landmines and Sexual Violence. This is unacceptatable and must and immediately. Amy back in the u. S. , health and Human Services secretary tom price apologized thursday for chartering military aircraft to take him and his wife on overseas trips, flights that politico reports cost taxpayers over 500,000. Price reportedly spent another 400,000 for private charter planes on domestic routes that typicacally hahad commerercial s available. The white house approved prices requests, which are highly unusual for a cabinet secretary, but when news of the flights became public, President Trump said he wasnt happy about the expenses and wouldnt rule out firing his hhs secretary. Price said thursday hed repay about 52,000, a small fraction of the trips costs to taxpayers. In cambridge, massachusetts, huhundreds of prprotesters gathd thursday outside a Harvard University forum where education secretary betsy dedevos was delivering a speech on School Choice, while scores of students protested silently insnside the event, raising their fists and unfurling banners reading white supremacist and our students are not for sale. The protesters say they oppose devos efforts to privatize Public Schools and roll back civil rights and Sexual Violence protections for millions of students. This is harvard graduate student jeff rousset confronting devos in a q a after her speech. My name is jeff. Im a masters in Public Administration student. Youre a billionaire with lots and lots of investments. The socalled School Choice movement is a way to open the floodgates for corporate interest to make money off of the backs of students. How much do you expect your network to increase as a result of your policy choices . And what are your friends on wall street and in the Business World like the coke others saying about the potential to get rich off the backs of students . Amy devos fired back i have written lots of checks to give parents and students lots of options to go to the school of their choice. The balance on my income has gone very much the other way. Joining the protest were Sexual Assault survivors opposed to a recent move by devos to roll back obamaera rules on how universities investigate campus sex crimes. On capitol hill, republican representative Steve Scalise returned to Congress Thursday for the First Time Since he was nearly killed by a gunman last june, walking gingerly on crutches as he returned to the floor of the house of representatives to thunderous applause. Scalise is House Majority whip, a climatechange denier and a staunch opponent of gun control laws. His return to capitol hill fueled speculation that he could eventually replace paul ryan as the nextxt speaker of the house. Ththe trump administratition sad thurursday that immigration ages arrested nearly 500 undocumented immigrants over the past week, in sweeps targeting undocumented immigrants in sanctuary cities. The arrests came as part of Operation Safe city, a immigration and Customs Enforcement sweep that targeted cities like denver, philadelphia, los angeles, and new york, where local police refuse to serve as de facto immigration enforcers. In north dakota, the chair of the Standing Rock sioux tribe, dave archambault, conceded defeat thursday in the tribes first election since massive protests erupted over the construction of the 3. 8 billion Dakota Access pipeline. Tribal councilman mike faith won with about 63 of the vote; hes he said he would focus attention on Standing Rocks economy, in a region thats one of the poorest in the United States. And in brussels, belgium, over 1000 people marched near European Union buildings thursday, calling for safe, legal access to abortion. Many of the protesters focused on ireland and northern ireland, where abortions are legal only when they preserve the life of the mother. This is emma cassidy, one of the protesters. To my workalk colleagues in brussels, they are so consistently shocked at the situation for women in ireland. The eighth amendment of our constitution practically makes abortion in all situations apart from the risks to womans life illegal. So it is very important for me to be here, particularly at a time when we know we have a referendum coming up soon. Amy the event marked International Safe abortion day and came as the World Health Organization warned that worldwide, 25 million unsafe abortions occur each year. To see democracy now s interview with irish abortion rights campaigner Emma Campbell in belfast, northern ireland, when we were in belfast last month, you can go to our website at democracynow. Org. 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 the unfolding humanitarian crisis in puerto rico. Nine days after Hurricane Maria destroyed much of the islands infrastructure, many of its 3. 5 million remain without electricity and are desperate for fresh water, power, food, and other supplies. At least 10,000 shipping containers that hold a are stockpiled at the port, overwhelming the 4400 u. S. Military members who are struggling to distribute to rural areas. On capitol hill thursday, democratic lawmakers accused President Trump of neglecting millions of u. S. Citizens in puerto rico and the u. S. Virgin islands. New York Congress member nydia velazquez, who was born in puerto rico, said the white house showed far more urgency responding to hurricanes harvey and irma, which devastated parts of texas and florida two states that voted for trump. Unfortunately, this administrations response has been inexcusably slow and ineffective. E. To thehe people who are collapsd in t the airport trying to get f the island, t to those of you in housuses without roofs waiting r the power to come back, worry you are running out of Drinking Water to those on the mainland who are worried about their loved ones on the island, let me say this. We are going to keep fighting for you list of do not give up. We will not give up. Amy this comes as the Trump Administration responded to pressure thursday to waive a shipping law known as the jones act that officials said was hindering Disaster Relief efforts for puerto rico. Elaine duke responded to questions from reporters about a about the administrations response. Are you comfortable with what the government a very y satisfied. I know it is a hard storm to recover from, but the amount of progress that has been made and i really would appreciate any support that we get. I know it is really a good news story in terms of our ability to reach people in the limited number of deaths that have taken place in such a devastating hurricane. Amy meanwhile, president ial spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee sanders said thursday that 10,000 government workers are helping puerto rico, including more than 7000 troops. Threestar general lt. General jeff buchanan, commander of u. S. Army north, arrived on the island thursday to direct the relief effort. For more, we go to san juan, the capital of puerto rico. Were on the phone with the government and media command joining us. Moscoso she is a data journalist with the center for investigative journalism, an awardwinning media that is marking its 10th anniversary this year. Theyre reporting the death toll is higher than the government reports. Welcome to democracy now , laura. Tatalk about what you are encountering now, and what about these figures that you believe the death toll is much higher than is being reported . Hi, amy. Ththank you for hahaving us on r program. Said theg that you situation in puerto rico is still true. We still have people that dont have clean water, that dont have food. We still have people in hospitals that are not being attended to. We still have all of the locked atnd resources the ports and the airports. Nine days after the storm, we are basically at the same stage. About the piece that we published yesterday, about the figures and the numbers that the are thent is saying deaths caused by maria, i contained that today, there may be more. The official number is 15 deaths caused directly caused by maria. But since yesterday since we , ourshed our article phones have been ringing with many testimonies of many people around the island in various inaway places telling us hospitals, even in their own houses, and in the emergency , it is hard for people to get supplies. Many people are dying are still dying, and they are not being accounted for. The government hasnt been able to go down there and see that for themselves. Amy can you talk about the stockpiling of aid at the port . What is going on, laura . Me, myself, i havent into the port so i dont have the actual image. But we do know that many people from outside puerto rico have been sending many, many, many resources and many, many, many supplies. They havent reached the people they are supposed to. Obviously a lack of distribution. I know that there is a real and practical problem. We lost many of our roads. Highways. Ny of our it is very difficult to carry this applies from the ports and the airports into the rural areas of the country. Juan,heless, even in san we dont see the movement. Even in the capital where the ports are and where the airport is at, we dont see that ement or the deployment the federal agencies ares was to be helping and distribution. Amy can you talk about the state of emergency in the executive order now in place in puerto rico that includes the what is the curfew, from 7 00 p. M. Until 5 00 a. M. . And the peace officers, who are they . Exactly. Hurricane, we the had an executive order with the 6 00 p. M. T went from to 6 00 a. M. Now it is 7 00 p. M. Until 5 00 p. M. The executive order is supposed to be implememeed and enforcedd by lococal police, local and mis for Police Municipal police. Since yesterday, that effort is the it has introduced peace officers. We dont really know the details about this. The only thing that we do know is they are federal agents. They are federal agents from the main island, from the u. S. Haveknow that they need to they have to be law enforcement. But we dont know anything else besides this. The executive order that the government just are rooted yesterday at the press briefing, line thathe only talked about that new executive order. Amy you have written about the isolation of mountain areas in puerto rico that have not even been gotten to. The president just appointed a threestar general to coordinate efforts. President trump is going there on tuesday. As we wrap up, what is your response and how are you personally doing . I know your own organization, the center for investigative reporting, for investigative journalism, you were having trouble just reaching your other colleagues for over a week. Yes. Altogether and we are working as normally as we can. Each member has something, is struggling to something, but we are fine compared to the situation of other people and other municipalities in the island. What i can tell you is this. About, i am very worried the president s visit to the island. Because for me, that can be a distraction from the important things that need to be happening here in puerto rico. As you said, we still have people that we dont know where they are. We still have people that dont have clean water. We still have very old people lack the health and hospitals. And that to survive they dont die. And now were going to have all of these efforts for helping the securityve into the and the News Coverage of President Trump i am sure he is not going to come here with water. He is not going to go into the rural area