Nuclear arms race with russia. Well go to geneva to speak with beatrice fihn, executive director of the Nobel Peace Prizewinning organization, the International Campaign to abolish Nuclear Weapons. Speakers weekend, house paulul ryan touted a story of a womans paycheck to increased by 1. 50 a week as a m major beneft to workers. After ridicule andnd outrage, he was forced to delete his tweet. We will speak to economist Richard Wolff. And finally, the Philadelphia Eagles beaeat the nenew England Patriots in a superbowowl upset sundayay night, cappining a hisc nfl season, filled with Racial Justice protests both on and off the field. We going to be all right] t the black business collecte and like lives matter call for divestment of a president that harms black people and black families. Minneapolis go to to speak to anrganizer a am where 17 protesters were arrested at a protest before the super bowl sunday. If you watched the game last night, you might have noticed one of the players was knocked out on the field or maybe that is why you did not watch. We will speak with dr. Harry edwards about concussions and more. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The Trump Administration has unveiled its new Nuclear Weapons strategy, which involves spending at least 1. 2 trillion to upgpgrade the u. S. Nunuclear ararsenal, including devevelopia new nunuclearararmed, sealaund cruise missilele. The Nuclear Posture r review calls for develoloping lowyield wawarheads, which critics say br the lines between nuclear and nonNuclear Weapons, meaning they are more likely to be used. It also reportedly seeks to expand the number of scenarios under which the u. S. Might consider the use of Nuclear Weapons, including in response to a major cyberattack. Trumps Nuclear Policy has alarmed arms control experts around the globe and b been opey criticized by iran, russia, andd china. A. We will have more on this after headlines. House republicans are facing some backlash after releasing a controversial memo that reports to show the fbi and Justice Department abused its authority by placing Trump Campaign adviser carter page under surveillance in 2016 over his ties with russia. On saturday, President Trump tweeted the memo totally vindicates him, but the memo actually raises new questions about the actions of the Trump Campaign. Supporters of trump had claimed the fbi used a partisan research steele dossier, to obtain a surveillance warrant for page. But the memo actually reveals that the fbis probe of the Trump Campaign was triggered not by the steele dossier, but by the actions of another trump advisor, george papadopoulos, who reportedly bragged to an australian diplomat in 2016 that the russians had political dirt on hillary clinton. According to the New York Times, papadopoulos had been told moscow have thousands of emails that would embarrass clinton. He pleaded guilty last october to lying to federal agenents. Tension is growing between the United States and venezuela. During a fivenation trip to south america, secretary of state rex titillerson said the u. S. I is considering imposing sanctions and possibly an oil embargo against the oilrich state. Late l last week, tillerson suggested the u. S. Would support the e venezuelan mililitary topg the elected government of nicholas maduro. A i think thehere will be change. We want it to be a peaceful change. In the history of venezuela and other latin american and south american countries, it is often the military that handles that. Things are so bad that the military leadership realizes that it cannot serve the citizens anymore, and they will manage a peaceful transition. Amy Venezuelan Defense minister vladimir padrio criticized tillerson for hinting at a possible military coup in venezuela. A. When you invite the armed forces to overthrow a government, you are disrespecting an institution that uses its principles, republican morality, historical traditions. We are deeply proud of being the heirs of our liberator. Amy the New York Times has revealed israeli drones, helicopters, and jets have secretly carried out 100 airstrikes inside egypt for the past two years against islamic militants in the northern sinai. The covert attacks were done with the approval of egyptian president general abdel fattah elsisi, despite decades of strained relations between the two nations that fought three wars against each other. Newton and con data showss the ta shows the da number of u. S. Airstrikes in yemen increased sixfold last year following the election of donald trump. U. S. Drones, ac130 gunships, and fighterbombers carried out 131 airstrikes in yemen in 2017, up from 21 airstrikes a year earlier. Late last year u. S. Central , command also confirmed u. S. Troops had conducted multiple ground operarations in yemen in 2017. In south carolina, two people died and 116 were injured when an amtrak passenger train traveling on the wrong track slammed into a stationary freight trtrain. Rail experts said the accident could have been prevented if technology k known as positive train n control had been instald on the tracks. The accident marks thehe trd highprofile fatal amtrak train accident in the last two months. Two in the last week. There is a Major New Development in the scandal around usa Gymnastics Team doctor larry nassar, who has been accused by 265 women and girls of sexual abuse. According to the New York Times, at least 40 of the victims were abused after the fbi began its s investigatationf ar in july 2015. At the time the fbi was conducting probes in three cities no effort was apparently , made by usa gymnastics officials to warn other potential victims. Meanwhile on friday, chaos broke out inside the court room during a sentencing hearing for larry nassar. Randall margraves, a father of three daughters who were all molested by nassar, attempted to l lunge at the docr in the court room. As far as this sentencing, i ask you to grant me five minutes. Would you do that . No, sir, i cannot do that. Give me one minute. You know i cannot do that. Amy Randall Margraves was then handcuffed and removed from the court room, but he was l later released without charge. In news from hollywood, uma thurman has accused Harvey Weinstein of sexuauaassaulting her in a London Hotel Room after they worked together on the 1994 hit film pulp fiction. More than 70 women have now accused the former Film Producer of sexual misconduct, including rape. In an interview with the new thurman said,ma the complicated feeling i have about harvey is how bad i feel about all the women that were attacked after i was. I am one of the reasons that a young girl would walk into his room alone, the way i did. And france, a man church with rate after being accused i two women last year. He has been taken into custody and has denied the accusations. It has been another deadly weekend for migrants trying to reach the shores of europe. On the bodies of at least 20 saturday, african migrants were recovered off of melilla, a spanish enclave in northern africa. Meanwhile on friday, 90 migrants are feared to have died when their boat capsized off the coast of libya. Thisiss leonard d doyle of the spokesperson for the International Organization for migration, the iom. When we think as many as 90 pakistani migrants trying to reach a better life ended up, through the criminal act of smugglers, drowning. Amy meanwhile in italy, a suspected neo nazi shot six african migrants on saturday in a series of driveby shootings. The gunman has been identified as luca traini, an italian man who has a neo nazi tattoo above his eye. Last year, he ran for office as a member of the farright league party, which has been projected to make major gains in next months italian election. People wereis, 17 arrested sunday before the super bowl as they attended to block a light rail line carrying super bowl ticketholders to the stadium. The activists, which included members of blackives matter said in a statement that they , were using this moment to stand with athletes who have protested throughout the past two football seasons, and calling attention to the murder of black people by police. We will have more on the protests in minneapolis later in the broadcast. 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 juan gononzalez. Welcomome to our viewers. A treaty intended to limit the United States and russias longrange Nuclear Arsenals officially takes effect today. But the once promising treaty signed eight years ago by president obama is overshadowed by a new Nuclear Arms Race sparked by President Trump. On friday, the t trump admiministration unveiled d itsw Nuclear Weapons stratetegy, whhh invovolves spending atat least 2 trillion t to upgrade the United StatesNuclear Arsenalal, inclcluding developing some completely new Nuclear Weapons. The Nuclear Posture review calls for developing lowyield warheads, which critics say blur the lines betwtween nuclear and nonNuclear Weapons, meaning they are more likely to be used. It also reportedly seeks to expand the number of scenarios under which the United States might consider the use of Nuclear Weapons, including in response to a major cyberattack. As the New York Times reports in a frontpage article today, the pentagon envisions a new age in which Nuclear Weapons are back in a big way. This is Deputy Defense secretary Patrick Shanahan speaking friday about the pentagons Nuclear Posture review, known as the npr. This review is consistent with u. S. Nuclear policies since the end of the cold war. It reaffirms that the fundamental role of u. S. Nuclear policy is to terrance and continues our clear commitment to nonplayer for a nation and nonproliferation and arms control. Since the end of the cold war, the u. S. Has worked to reduce the number of Nuclear Weapons, but the world looks different since the last npr in 2010. And dynamicing security environment requires steady action, strength, and to terrance. This npr responds to todays security needs with tailored Nuclear Deterrent strategy and flexible capabilitieies for effective deterrenence. Amy prominenent antinuclear advocates hahave denounced the pentagons plan a aradical anand exextreme. E. World leleaders have also criticized the p plan. Russia said it risked provovokig a renewed d nucleaear arms race. China accused trumump of engagig in a new cold war. Irans foreign minister said the plan brings the world closer to annihilation. This comes as the bulletin of the atomic scientists advanced the Doomsday Clock 30 seconds closer to midnight. The clock is a symbolic timekeeper that tracks the likelihood of nuclear war r and other exisistential threats. Itit now stands closer to midnit than at any time since 1953. The scieientists d directly citd President Trumps Nuclear Policies as one of the reasons for advancing the clock. For more, we go now to geneva, switzerland where were joined , by beatrice fihn, executive director of the International Campaign to abolish Nuclear Weapons. It is the latest organization to win the Nobel Peace Prize, which december. First of all, congratulations on the Nobel Peace Prize. Talk about what is called the npr, the Nuclear Posture review, the Trump Administrations plans for Nuclear Weapons, what it means for world peace. It is a really dangerous new policy. We have already had a very dangerous status quo for many years, and this increases the risk of nuclear war. It develops new types of Nuclear Weapons that will be easier for President Trump to use. It is dangerous and puts us on the path toward nuclear war if we do not act now. Juan beatrice, what are the commitments of the u. S. In terms of reducing its Nuclear Arsenal . The United States has signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation commits it to negotiating in good faith nuclear disarmament, but that has not taken place. States,ear arms including russia, china, france, and u. K. , they are upgrading, instead of reducing, their arsenals. Amy lets go to a clip of President Trump giving his state of the union last week. Theaid he would beef up u. S. Nuclear arsenal and dismiss global efforts to ban Nuclear Weapons. President trump as part of our defense, we must modernize and rebuild our Nuclear Arsenal, hopefully never having to use it but making it so strong and so powerful that it will deter any otherf aggression by any nation or anyone else. [applause] prPresident Trump perhaps somey in the future, there will be a magical moment when the countries of the world will get together to eliminate their Nuclear Weapons. Unfortunately, we are not there yet, sadly. Amy during his state of the union, trump escalated his rhetoric against north korea once again, calling the north korean govovernment depraved, warning it poses an nuclear risk to the United States. President trump north koreas reckless pursuit of Nuclear Missiles could very soon threaten our homeland. We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to prevent that from ever happening. Past experience has taught us that complacency and concessions only invite aggression and provocation. I will not repeat the mistakes of past administrations that got us into this very dangerous position. We need only look at the depraved character of the north korean regime to understand the nature of the Nuclear Threat it america and to our allies. Amy so that is President Trump. Beatrice fihn in geneva, switzerland, can you respond to both, talking about north korea posing an increased risk to the United States and how you see that being resolved and new in whatly what is President Trump is proposing in his Nuclear Posture review . Is it any different from what theident obama proposed in 1 trillion renovation of the Nuclear Arsenal . The situation with north korea is obviously really dangerous, and the United States has one of the biggest Nuclear Arsenals in the world. It has not deterred north korea from going nuclear. Rather, it encouraged cliff ration. We see evidence that the terrorists in using weapons to protect themselves, it is not working and not creating stability and peace in the region. Rather, it fuels the crisis and leads us at risk for nuclear war. It is very urgent that we find a emblematic solution to this, instead of threatening with more bombs, bigger bombs. We need to move toward a diplomatic solution that does not involve threatening to indiscriminanately slalaughter civilians. This policy makes nuclear war more likely. It lowers the bar for using them. Doing this, if we keep having Nuclear Weapons and threatening to use them, they will be used one day. Juan you mentioned the other Nuclear Powers that are also working to modernize their arsenals. China has accused the Trump Administration of embarking on a new cold war. That you talk about response and what china is doing or is not doing . Each nuclear arms states right now, all nine, are involved in big programs of upgrading.