As over 5,000 people attend the funeral of the three Muslim Students murdered in chapel hill, we will hear one of the victims, yusor abusalha, in her own words. Last year, she went into a storycorps booth to record an interview with her third grade teacher. Then to the case of Jessica Hernandez, the 16yearold girl shot dead by Denver Police last month. Five teenagers, no reason for you to open fire on any teenager a matter what. I understand if someone pulled a gun or something, but there was no incident whatsoever. He got hit by a car. My cousin got shot dead. We will also go into a Denver Church where a mexican undocumented immigrant has sought sanctuary in an attempt to stay in the United States with his nineyearold and 15yearold daughters and wife. And we will speak to david sirota on the plot against pensions. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Thousands gathered in North Carolina on thursday for the funerals of three Muslim Students shot dead by a gunman who had posted antireligious messages online. Razan mohammad abusalha and her sister, yusor abusalha, and yusors husband, deah barakat were killed executionstyle in what family members call a hate crime. Suspected gunman Craig Stephen hicks has been charged with three counts of firstdegree murder. Hicks had frequently posted antireligious comments on his facebook page. Police say an early probe suggests the killings resulted from a parking dispute, a claim the victims family and friends reject. The fbi is also investigating. A crowd of over 5,000 packed a soccer field at North Carolina state for thursdays service. They paid tribute to the victims and amending justice for their murders. In international news, eight ukrainian soldiers have been killed and several dozen wounded in continued fighting in eastern ukraine. The violence comes just after ukraine and russia agreed to a new ceasefire at a summit in belarus, but the truce wont take effect till sunday. New shelling has been reported today in the rebel strongholds of luhansk and donetsk. In washington, state Department Spokesperson jen psaki said that despite the ceasefire, the u. S. Has not ruled out new sanctions on russia or sending military aid to ukraine. An agreement is a piece of paper unless it is implemented. So what we have seen to date is that russia and russian backed separatist have not taken the steps to implement. We will see what they do from here. We have had long ongoing conversations with our European Partners about additional steps that could be taken. And if it is not incremented or there is additional aggression that is something we will continue to discuss. The European Union has also threatened new sanctions on russia if the deal is broken. The United Nations has warned yemen is on the brink of civil war and risks complete political collapse. Yemen has been in limbo since Houthi Rebels forced the resignation of the yemeni cabinet and then seized power. Addressing the security council, secretary general ban ki moon said yemen faces a host of additional issues, including an al qaeda insurgency and a major humanitarian crisis. Let me be clear. Yemen is collapsing before our eyes. We cannot stand by and watch. The country is facing multiple challenges, a dangerous political crisis continues in sanaa, and widespread attacks by al qaeda in the arab peninsula. With increasing facilities hostilities in very his provinces south of sanaa. These are increasing cessation tendencies in the south. The u. S. , britain and france have closed their embassies in the capital sanaa over security concerns. On thursday, alqaedalinked fighters seized an army base in southern yemen and held soldiers captive. At least 19 people have been killed and more than 60 wounded in an attack on a shia mosque in the northwestern pakistani city of peshawar. At least four suicide bombers wearing the uniforms of state forces reportedly hit the mosque during prayers. A federal judge has ordered the enforcement of her earlier decision striking down alabamas ban on samesex marriage. The ruling went into effect this week but the states supreme , court justice, roy moore sowed confusion after ordering judges and officials to ignore it. The new ruling by u. S. District court judge Callie Granade was directed to just one judge in Mobile County, but is seen as a signal to judiciaries across the state. Judges in just onethird of alabamas 67 counties have issued marriage licenses to lgbt couples so far. With the new federal ruling, Mobile County resident marc stewart said he intends to marry his partner. We go to church every sunday. We work like regular folks. We pay our taxes, watch tv like everybody else. This is just our town. We want to be recognized in this town as being us. I have been with him for 18 years. He is going to be stuck with me now. Kansas republican Governor Sam Brownback has repealed a measure that protects state employees from Workplace Discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Brownbacks executive order undoes a move by his predecessor that widened safeguards for lgbt public employees. The pentagon has approved hormone therapy treatment for the gender transition of u. S. Army whistleblower chelsea manning, previously known as bradley. Manning announced she identified as a woman and planned to seek hormone replacement treatment after her 2013 conviction for passing cables to wikileaks. She sued the pentagon last year for denying gendertransition medical care and failing to follow other protocols for treating gender dysphoria. In a memo this month, a military official confirmed hormone therapy will be added to Chelsea Mannings treatment plan. The senate has confirmed Ashton Carter as the new secretary of defense. President obama tapped carter after forcing the ouster of chuck hagel late last year. Carter has a long history at the pentagon, where he once served as the chief arms buyer. In 2006, he backed a preemptive strike against north korea if the country continued with a planned missile test. Carter has recently voiced support for arming ukraine and opposing the transfer of prisoners from guantanamo bay. The Senate Approved his bid with an overwhelming 93 to 5 vote. Students at Harvard University are staging a sitin to demand their school join the growing list of institutions divesting from fossil fuels. The campusled Divestment Movement calls for purging investment portfolios of assets tied to companies that drive and profit from global warming. Harvards endowment is the largest of any school in the world, at 36. 4 billion. The students launched their sitin inside a building housing the offices of school administrators, including president drew fast. Hundreds of actions are expected around the world today and saturday as part of global divestment day. Fbi director james comey has called on police nationwide to confront what he said is unconscious racial bias in the wake of a spate of killings of unarmed africanamericans. In an unprecedented speech for an fbi chief, comey said the nations endemic racism must be addressed. Much Research Points to the widespread existence of unconscious bias. Many people in our white majority culture of unconscious racial biases in reactively to a white faced than a black phase. Police officers on patrol in our nation cities often work in environments where hugely disproportionate amount of street crime is committed color. Something happens to people of goodwill working in that environment. After years of police work, officers often cannot help but be influenced by the cynicism they feel. A mental shortcut becomes almost a resistible and maybe even rational by some lights. We need to come to grips with the fact that this behavior, locates the relationship between the police and the communities they serve. Fbi director comey is known to keep a copy of the fbis wiretap order targeting dr. Martin luther king as a reminder of the agencys past misdeeds. And the New York Times media columnist david carr has died. Carr collapsed at the times offices thursday night and was pronounced dead shortly after. Hours before, he had moderated a Panel Discussion on the documentary citizenfour along with director Laura Poitras and the films lead subjects, Edward Snowden and glenn greenwald. Carr overcame a major addition to crack cocaine in the late 1980s and went on to become a celebrated writer on media and culture. He was 58 years old. And those are some of the headlines, this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We are broadcasting from denver, colorado, from denver open media. The fbi has opened an inquiry into this weeks killings of three Muslim Students in chapel hill North Carolina. In a statement, the agency said it had launched a parallel preliminary inquiry to determine whether or not any federal laws were violated related. On thursday, over 5,000 people gathered for the funerals of 23yearold deah barakat, his wife 21yearold Yusor Mohammad abusalha and her sister 19yearold Razan Mohammad abusalha. The suspected gunman Craig Stephen hicks, who has described himself as a guntoting atheist, has been charged with three counts of firstdegree murder. Chapel Hill Police Say the shooting stemmed from a dispute over a parking space but relatives of the victims say it was a hate crime. Yusor and razans father mohammed abusalha spoke at the funeral. There is no doubt [indiscernible] giving us this honor of raising three children. This has hate crime ridden all over it and im not going to sit down and bend over that. We need to know things the way they are. We have peace inside. We are not seeking any revenge. Our children are much more valuable than any revenge. Mohammed abusalha speaking at thursdays funeral for his two daughters and soninlaw. Azhar aziz of the Islamic Society of north america also spoke at the funeral. Were concerned the rising antimuslim rhetoric in our society may have encouraged some to commit violence against american muslims, so we urge the Law Enforcement to investigate this case as a possible hate crime. On thursdays democracy now we spoke to amira ata, childhood friend of yusor abusalha. Well, today, we are going to hear yusor in her own words. Last may, she did an interview with her 3rd grade teacher Mussarut Jabeen as part of the storycorps. All three of the victims attended jabeens school. This week, storycorps produced a short piece base on that interview. Im one of the producers here at storycorps. Today we will hear the voice of one of the students killed in chapel hill, North Carolina. My name is yusor. Im 20 years old. Today, i will be interviewing my former teacher and principal. That teacher is Mussarut Jabeen, who taught yusor in the third grade. In fact, she knew all of the victims. Yusor, deah barakat, and razan since they were kids. Youre going to hear part of the conversation from last may and a followup interview recorded just yesterday with jabeen. She was the first one to come to my mind. She was one student i would like everybody to know about. Growing up in america has been such a blessing. Although, in some ways, i do stand out with the head covering, there are still so many ways that i feel so embedded in the fabric that is our culture. Here, we are all one. I remember yusor is a little girl which he was in third grade. She had this sense of giving that really makes her different from other children. I still remember in third grade when we asked for something, used to say, dont put your hand like this. You would have your hand facing downward as if youre taking something from someone. Oh, my god, you still remember . You would flip your hand over and open it as if giving gesture, be giving, open compassionate. Deah, yusor and razan, they would just bring light to the room. They treat me like their mother. I see you nowadays, how are you . Where are you in life . Now i met Nc State University with black and got married to one of my other students. That was pretty interesting. I was so happy when i saw you guys together and you will be together for the rest of your lives. I remember deah growing up. He was getting taller. Because im a short person, he would stand behind me and put his hand over my head. I just told him, deah, you can never outgrow my heart. Before our time is up, i want to thank you. It is been an honor. I want to thank you, yusor and the honor is mine. Thank you so much. Of course. I would like people to remember and know her as a practicing muslim, daughter, and above all, a good human being. When we write our comments on report cards, we say, they exceeded our expectations. She exceeded our expectations. That is Mussarut Jabeen teacher and principal at aliman school in raleigh, North Carolina, where all three victims in tuesdays shooting had been students. Yusor first came to storycorps in may with her teacher. This interview was recorded in partnership with wunc and will be archived at the library of congress. Special thanks to dave isay and storycorps. This is democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. When we come back, we turn to a Police Shooting in denver, colorado. The victim . A 17yearold teenage girl. Stay with us. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We are on the road in denver, colorado, broadcasting from denver open media. We turn now to a Police Shooting of an unarmed teenager in denver that has drawn protests amidst a nationwide push for more police accountability. It was the morning of january 27 generally 26 when Denver Police shot and killed 17yearold Jessica Hernandez. They say she and several teenage friends were driving a stolen car that struck and injured an officer. Police chief robert white says his officers repeatedly told her to get out of the car before they opened fire. But a passenger in the car who spoke to kusa in denver says hernandez lost control of the car only after she was shot and became unconscious. They were on the side of her and they shot the window, and they shot her. That is when she wrecked. That is when the cop got hit. Denver police do not use incar dashboard cameras. We invited someone from the Police Department to join us on the show but they declined, saying it would be inappropriate for them to comment while the case is under investigation. The shooting of Jessica Hernandez marks at least the fourth time in seven months Denver Police have fired at a moving vehicle, despite a policy urging officers to try to move out of the way, instead of shooting. Two of those shootings resulted in the drivers deaths. In a statement, hernandezs parents said we are dismayed that the [Denver Police department] has already defended the actions of the officers and blamed our daughter for her own death, even while admitting they have very little information. This unjustified shooting of our daughter is only the latest sign of an issue that requires federal oversight. In an interview, hernandezs mother also raised concerns about how her daughter was treated by police after the shooting. This is rosales hernandez. Was expecting the paramedics to take my daughters body out with caution but, no, they sent her body to the floor and director like herbage. Witnesses say hernandez was dragged from the car, apparently unconscious. A video captured by a neighbor shows police handcuffed and appeared to search her after she was shot, rolling her on her back and stomach as she lay limp and motionless. The two officers involved in the shooting have been put on administrative leave while the incident is investigated. Last thursday, activists at the National Conference on lgbt equality that took place here in denver protested hernandez killing by forcing mayor Michael Hancock to cancel his speech there. And on saturday, hundreds gathered for Jessica Hernandezs funeral or jessie, as she was known by her friends. Well, for more, we are joined by two guests. Mimi madrid puga is a Community Organizer and board member of the colorado antiviolence program. And Qusair Mohamedbhai, civil rights lawyer and attorney for the family of Jessica Hernandez. We welcome you both to democracy now Qusair Mohamedbhai explain what you understand has happened what happened on that morning of january 26 . We are still calling together the facts, but we do know is that jessica and four other teenagers that when the ages