Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20240711 : comparemela.

On Peaceful Protesters in october, killing 12. This comes after cnn aired of military using live ammunition. We will speak to cnns Award Winning Foreign Correspondent nima elbagir about the killings in nigeria, as well as the crisis in ethiopia. Then we to india where an estimated 250 million workers, farmers, and their allies recently participated in what is believed to be the largest organized strike in history. India is my country and delhi is the capital. Im not even allowed to enter. Our Home Movement has been peaceful. Theyre shooting this with Water Cannons. We were also beaten. But no farmers retaliated violently. Amy this comes as Indian Farmers continue to protest Prime Minister Narendra Modis move to deregulate agricultural markets. We will speak to indian journalist p sainath, founder of peoples archive of rural india. We will speak about Narendra Modi and covid in india. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the quarantine report. Im amy goodman. The United States experienced the worst day of the pandemic so far on wednesday, recording 200,000 new Coronavirus Infections as hospitalizations topped 100,000 for the first time. 3157 people died of covid19 on wednesday unr the uned stat, the highest daily death toll of any nation since the ndemic ban. Th is more people than died in the atcks on sepmber 11, 2001 and more than have died of covid19 across japan in the route the pandemic. The head of the centers for Disease Control and prevention, dr. Robert redfield, said the u. S. Death toll could rise to nearly 450,000 by the start of february. The reality is december in january and february are going to be rough times. I believe theyre going to be the most difficu time in the public history of the station. Amy dr. Redfield said the most vulnerable u. S. Residents as many as 100 million of them could be vaccinated against covid19 by march 1. On wednesday, the cdc shortened the recommended amount of time people whove been exposed to an infected person should quarantine down from two weeks to 10 days, or just one week for people who receive a negative coronavirus test and exhibit no symptoms. Meanwhile, the White House Coronavirus task force warned governors around the United States people under 40 years old who traveled for the thanksgiving holiday should assume they are infectious and dangerous to others. The white houses warning was not released publicly but was leaked to the center for public integrity. At the white house, officials are planning to hold at least 25 indoor parties celebrating christmas and hanukkah this month, ignoring federal guidelines on mass gatherings, face masks, and social distancing. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh Mcenany was asked how she can defend indoor gatherings. Businesses,n lose burned down buildings, engage in protests, can also go to a christmas party. Amy meanwhile, secretary of state mike pompeo and his wife have invited hundreds of people to indoor holiday parties at the state department this month even as the agency warned members of the diplomatic corps to cancel any nonmission critical events in favor of online gatherings. The Washington Post reports over 900 invitations have gone out to one such party, planned for december 15, raising fears of more superspreader events in washington, d. C. , hosted by Senior Trump Administration officials. In international news, russia says it will start rolling out its sputnik v vaccine as early as next week, with doctors and Teachers First in line to receive the twojab shot. The Vaccination Program comes as covid19 has been surging in russia, which has the worlds fourth highest confirmed caseload at over 2. 3 million and over 41,000 deaths. In zimbabwe, authorities are tightening restrictions on gatherings as cases rise. Hundreds of students have tested positive after schools reopened last month. European union regulators are cautioning against briins rapid approval of the pfizerbiontechs vaccine for widespread use, saying their longer approval process is safer. European union micalfficials sathey will decide by december 29 ithey will issue provisional authorization fo the vaccine. President trump is continuing his effort to overturn the november election. On wnesday, releasea 46mine videfilled wh lies claing the ection wa gged. The vio was reased jt a daafter atrney genal willm barr sd he haseen no idence ofraud despit trumps clai. Specation is growing trump may fire barr over his remarks. While trump is refusing to concede to joe biden, he has floated the idea of running for president again in four years. In georgia, republican secretary of state Brad Raffensperger repeated his demand wednesday that President Trump stop promoting conspiracy theories about a stolen election, saying trumps rhetoric is fueling violent threats against election officials. This is exactly the kind of language that is at the base of the threat for election workers were simply doing their jobs. Amy raffenspergers wife has been threat sexually and otherwise with text that have been centers of on. Raffenspergers comments came a day after another top Georgia Election official, republican gabriel sterling, blasted georgias two republican senators, david perdue and kelly loeffler, for not condemning violent threats from Trump Supporters, saying, someones going get killed. Thisomes as twrepublican torneys wvereviously worked on trumps behalf led a rally of Trump Supporters in atlanta, uing georgis not to rticipate a senate noff january 5 this is sidney powell, who was ousted last month from trumps soalled elite Strike Force Legal team i would encourage all georgians to make it known you will not vote at all until your vote is secure. Amy powys joined by lynwood who said lin wood who said georgia republicans should refuse to vote for incumbent senators david purdue and kelley loeffler, saying they havent done enough to overturn the results of the election. They have not earned your votes. Dont you give in to them. Why would you go back and vote in another rigged election . Amy if republican senators perdue and loeffler lose their reelection bids to democratic challengers jon ossoff and reverend rafael warnock, democrats will claim a narrow 5150 majority in the senate, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as a tiebreaker. The World Meteorological organization warned wednesday 2020 is set to be one of the three hottest years on record, despite a la nina weather pattern that usually cools the climate. Here in new york, United Nations secretarygeneral Antonio Gutteres said there was no way the world could prevent the worst effects of the Climate Crisis unless the u. S. Rejoins the paris climate agreement and unites with other nations to reach net zero Carbon Emissions by 2050. To put it simply, the state of the planet is broken. Humidity is waging war on nature. Disease, suicidal. Nature always strikes back and it is doing so with growing force and fury. Amy in news from afghanistan, the Afghan Government and taliban have reached a preliminary deal to move ahead with peace talks in whats being hailed as a major breakthrough. The two sides agreed on a threepage written document to codify rules and procedures for future negotiations. Iran has enacted a new law to increase uranium enrichment and to expel International Nuclear inspectors if u. S. Sanctions are not lifted by early february. Iranian lawmakers approved the measure in response to the assassination of the Nuclear Scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh last friday. Israel is widely assumed to have carried out the attack, likely with a blessing from the United States. Meanwhile, the daily beast is reporting President Trump has given a green light to intensify a u. S. Campaign against iran under one condition that it doesnt start world war iii. The u. S. Envoy for iran, elliott abrams, has said the Trump Administration will continue to intensify the already devastating sanctions up until trump leaves office. Meanwhile, president lect joe biden has reaffirmed his commitment to rejoin the landmark Iran Nuclear Deal once he takes office. In an interview with the new york times, biden said the last goddamn thing we need in that part of the world is a buildup of nuclear capability. Saudi arabia and qatar are reportedly close to reaching an agreement to end a more than three year saudiled blockade of qatar. The possible deal comes after senior white house adviser and trumps soninlaw Jared Kushner visited the gulf this week. Saudi arabia, bahrain, the united arab emirates, and egypt imposed a blockade on qatar in 2017 after accusing it of becoming too close to iran. Analysts say the push by the Trump Administration is part of its effort to isolate iran and elevate israeli interests in the region. In 2017, kushners family real estate business appealed to qatars billionaire former Prime Minister to finance a failing manhattan property. One month after he and other qatari investors refused, Jared Kushner pushed the Trump Administration to support the saudiled blockade of qatar. Back in the United States, ivanka trump was deposed tuesday as part of the district of columbia attorney generals lawsuit over misuse of inaugural funds. The d. C. Attorney general is pursuing the Trump Organization and president ial inaugural committee for grossly overpaying for use of the Trump International hotel in d. C. At his 2017 inauguration where the committee spent over 1 million to book a ballroom. The National Labor Relations Board has accused google of illegally firing several workers who were trying to organize a union or protest the companys policies. The nlrb also accused google of interrogating and spying on its workers. Part of the crackdown at google targeted workers who organized protests over the companys handling of Sexual Harassment allegations and over googles work with u. S. Customs and border protection. In other labor news, unions and democrats are condemning the move by President Trump and republicans to freeze the pay of federal workers. Trump previously supported a meager 1 pay increase for federal workers but is now backing a republican funding bill that offers no raise for over 2 million executive branch workers. The American Federation of Government Employees said in a statement the wage freeze proposal is a cruel slap in the face to those who have risked their lives to maintain Government Services for all americans during the worst Health Crisis in our lifetimes. The u. S. Womens soccer team has reached a settlement with the u. S. Soccer federation to receive equal working conditions to their counterparts in the National Mens team. The next legal move for the twotime world cup champions will be to appeal a case over wage discrimination, which was tossed in may. A spokesperson for the team said our focus is on the future and ensuring we leave the game a better place for the next generation of women who will play for this team and this country. And there now native amican activist eddie bentonbanai has died at the age of 89. Edge of a on the reservation in northern wisconsin in the 1930s. In 1960s, he met clyde delacorte. They went on to cove the American Indian movement where bentonbanai let organizing efforts against Police Harassment and brutality directed at Indigenous People in minneapolis and help watched the Treaty Council which works for the sovereignty and selfdetermination of Indigenous Peoples. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the quarantine report. I am amy goodman with nermeen shaikh. Hi, nermeen. Nermeen welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. Amy we begin todays show in africas most populous country, nigeria. The country has been stunned by brutal massacre of more than 100 farmworkers i suspected members of the militant group boko haram. Armed men on motorcycles descended on farmworkers harvesting rice fields in a rural part of borno state. At least 30 of the victims were reportedly beheaded. No group has claimed responsibility. Meanwhile, new revelations have come to light about a bloody government crackdown in legos, nigeria, which helped quash a growing movement against Police Brutality. A scene investigation has exposed the nigerian armies role and attack on protesters in lagos in october. In a shocking display of violence on october 20, the army opened fire on protesters gathered at lekki toll gate a key roadway and protest site. At least 12 people were killed. The lekki toll gate massacre came after weeks of demonstrations against the notorious Nigerian Police unit known as sars come the special antirobbery squad. This is the report by awardwinning cnn Senior Reporter nima elbagir. A warning, some of the images and descriptions are extremely graphic. The Nigerian Government denies this happened. A peaceful protest turned deadly. They came and started shooting at us. Cnn and investigated investigated. After analyzing hours of footage , we are going to tell the story that is radically different than the one the authorities are telling. This is one of the demonstrators having fun livestream the event. He, like many others, gathered in peaceful demonstration of discontent. After weeks of protests against what they called Systemic Police Brutality and corruption. He on the protesters did not know the army is already on its way. This is a military garrison on the south side of lagos. We not your analyzing footage and left at 6 29 p. M. Headed toward lekki tollgate. We could see the Nigerian Government forces. Protesters are on the other side of the gate. As the Nigerian Forces get closer, can see shots. A 6 43, we start hearing gunfire. We know this from the timestamp and data on this video. Heres another angle. Nigerian Authorities Say they fired blanks into the air and not at protesters. But cnn obtained video that appears to show the Army Shooting toward the crowd. Here and at the top of your screen, here. In the midst of the chaotic of theis the switch most nigerian celebrity and activist, she is broadcasting live on instagram. I did not want anyone to come and twist the story. Witnesses say a milants were stopped from entering by nigerian authorities. You can see people athe scene trying to conduct cpr. Witnesses say ambulances were stopped from enteri by nturing authorities. You can see people at the scene trying to conduct cpr. Close cnn have identified these are from live admission. They are up next origin. This 15 2005. Nigerian military forces verify these are munitions that are currently in use by nigerias army. In collaboration with the investigation, we were also able to procure export documents that nigeria purchased weaponry from serbia from most every year 2016. N 2005 and the shooting continued past midnight. Eyewitnesses witnesses tell us a was not just the army. At this point, they say Police Arrived and opened fire. So why were live rounds used at peaceful protests . Many family members of the still missing are asking that question as they hunt for answers or the bodies of their loved ones. Elishas brother victor was at the protest that nht. What we are about to show you is incredibly graphic, but it is also incredibly important. Victor. Elishas brother the data and at this footage shows it was filmed at 1 04 a. M. At lekki tollgate. Elisha said he received a call about his brothers death around this time. Displaces victor at that protest at the net witnesses say they were shot at. This is important because i nigerian aut