Then, we go to indiana. While the state, has been in the spotlight this week over its new antigay, socalled religious freedom law another controversy is brewing. On monday, purvi patel became the first person in us history sentenced to prison for fetiticide. She says she had a miscarriage the state accused her of ending her own pregnancy. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison. We said since going to be this is going to be news to arrest women. It will do more than they claim. They said that is just scare tactics. Amy and we will look at why the United Arab Emirates barred nyu professor andrew ross from entering the country where the school has a satellite campus after he published research about Migrant Workers and labor abuse in the gulf state. Now he has learned a private investigator was also hired to target him and a New York Times reporter. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Negotiations over an Iran Nuclear Deal continue in lausanne, switzerland, in the extended period of talks following tuesdays deadline. Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad has said significant progress, has been made, but urged his counterparts to find the political will to reach an agreement. Mr. Javad we hope that the political will on all parties exist in order to move forward. There are isaac, pratt obviously, problems, that have stopped us from reaching a solution, but i hope colleagues will recognize that way to take advantage of this opportunity. Amy if a general accord can be reached, the talks would continue for a final agreement by the end of june. Speaking in washington, White House Press secretary josh earnest said the u. S. Is prepared to walk away if the talks stumble. And, renewing longstanding u. S. Threats, earnest said military action remains an option against iran. Secretary earnest if, in the unfortunate event that diplomacy is not successful, we will continue to have a wide range of options on the table. Those options include coordinating with the International Community to put in place even tougher sanctions that would compel iran to come back to the negotiating table or to be more serious about the discussion. There is, of course, a military option that is sitting on the table, and this is, again, in the unfortunate circumstance that we could find ourselves in which is we are not reaching an agreement, the president would have to consider that option. Amy Houthi Rebels and rival forces are in a fierce battle for the southern yemeni city of aden. Houthi fighters backed by tanks have pushed deeper into aden in a bid to seize it from soldiers loyal to deposed and internationallybacked president Abdrabbu Mansour hadi. There are reports of massive civilian casualties and bodies lying in the street. The houthis advance comes despite a saudi arabialed military campaign seeking to restore hadis rule. On wednesday, thousands of houthis rallied in sanaa to protest the saudiled bombings. The death toll from an apparent saudi military strike on a Dairy Factory has risen to 33, all of them workers on the overnight shift. The bombing came just two days after the Saudiled Coalition killed around 40 people and wounded 200 at a displaced persons camp in northern yemen. In a statement, Human Rights Watch said, quote, the deaths of so many civilians in a camp with no apparent military target heightens concerns about lawsofwar violations. The group also issued a plea to washington, saying, quote,the United States, by providing intelligence to the saudiled air campaign, shares the obligation to minimize harm to civilians and civilian property in the fighting. In syria, Islamic State fighters have taken over most of a massive camp for Palestinian Refugees on the outskirts of damascus. Yarmouk is home to some 18,000 people and has repeatedly been stuck in the crossfire of syrias civil war. Some 800,000 people lived there before the syrian uprising began. In a statement, the u. N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees said it is extremely concerned about the residents safety. Islamic state fighters were seen in control of several streets, leaving them just a few miles from the center of the assad regimes damascus stronghold. International donors meanwhile have promised some 3. 8 billion dollars in humanitarian aid for syria, less than half of what the u. N. Had requested to deal requested for the countrys massive crisis. In syria, Islamic State fighters have taken over most of a massive camp for Palestinian Refugees on the outskirts of damascus. Spot despite the victory claims, small pockets of isis fighters remain. Palestinian officials have marked their newfound membership in the International Criminal court with a ceremony at the hague. Palestines icc status came into effect on wednesday following their formal ascension earlier this year. Palestinian officials made the move after the u. S. And israel blocked a u. N. Security Council Measure calling for an end to the Israeli Occupation and the establishment of a palestinian state by 2017. Speaking at the court, Palestinian Foreign minister riad almalki said no one will be able to block an icc investigation. Mr. Almalki i can mr. Almalki i can assure you that we do support enjoy the support of one, if not two countries with veto powers that would not allow such decisions to be taken by the Security Council to interfere in the work of the courts, or to prevent the court from expediting its work, and having an official investigation regarding the crimes committed by the occupying power, israel, against the palestinian people. Amy the Palestinian Authority says it will hold off on bringing specific cases against individual israeli officials while the court conducts a preliminary investigation. The court has been granted with jurisdiction for incidents beginning in june 2014, meaning its mandate includes the israeli assault on gaza that killed over 2,000. The Palestinian Authority says it will also cooperate should any Palestinian Militants or officials be charged for violence against israel. On wednesday, a gaza resident who says he lost 19 members of his family to israeli strikes expressed his hopes for justice. We hope it works out. All my family members are dead. My father, my mother my brother. My brothers and sisters, my wife and son, they are all dead. My brother and i are the only ones that survived from the whole family. Amy the militant Group Alshabab has carried out of a shooting rampage at a college in northeast kenya, killing at least 15 people, wounding at least 65, and taking dozens hostage. The gunmen say theyve divided the students between muslims and nonmuslims and let the muslims walk free. Kenyan police are on the scene in a standoff. Alshabab says it carried out the attack in response to kenyas military operations inside somalia, the groups home base. Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson of arkansas has rejected a socalled religious freedom law that could sanction antilgbt discrimination. Hutchinson had said he would sign the measure follow its passage in the state Legislature Last week. But a public outcry that included several protests, corporate leaders, and a backlash over a similar in indiana led hutchinson to back down. The governor said hes asked lawmakers to revise the measure. Governor hutchison i have asked that changes be made in the legislation, and i have asked the leaders of the General Assembly to recall the bill so that it can be amended to reflect the terms of the federal religious freedom and restoration act. This is both about substance getting this legislation right and it is also about communicating to the world, and to our neighboring states that we are a state that recognizes the diversity of the workforce the need for nondiscrimination and that we want to accomplish that. Amy arkansas governor hutchinson said his own son had signed a petition asking him to veto the law. He called it a generational does not divided. Also, walmart, the Largest Corporation in the world, based in arkansas, has come out against the law. In a rally, Chad Greenway said activist work is not finished. Chad our work is not finished, and we are not at the end of this road until all arkansans all citizens of this state, are treated equally under the law and are provided the protection that should be guaranteed, that lgbt folks are protected from discrimination in public accommodations and workplaces, and all of the other places that we should be protected as citizens of the state, and of the country. Amy arkansas governor hutchinsons reversal comes as indiana lawmakers have drafted new legislation to correct their own version of the antilgbt religious freedom law. According to the indianapolis star, the measure would make clear it cannot be used as a Legal Defense to discriminate against residents based on their sexual orientation. But it still would exempt churches and nonprofits and would also not include language making lgbt people a protected class. Dozens of mothers seeking asylum who are being held at the karnes family Detention Centre in southern texas have launched a hunger strike. The women are Asylum Seekers who say they have been denied bond despite expressing a credible fear of violence if they return to south america. Advocates for the groups including a legal assistant, who was recently interviewed by democracy now, say they have been darned barred from visiting karnes. To see the report you can go to democracynow. Org. Menendez has been charged. He is accused of 750,000 in donations. At a news conference, senator menendez denounced prosecutors and said he would be vindicated. Senator menendez four nearly three years, i have lived under a Justice Department cloud, and today i am outraged that this cloud is not been lifted. I am outraged that prosecutors at the Justice Department were tricked into starting this investigation three years ago with false allegations by those who have a political motive to silence me, but i will not be silenced. I am confident [applause] i am confident at the end of the day, i will be vindicated, and they will be exposed. Amy the fast food giant mcdonalds has announced it would raise hourly pay for u. S. Workers it directly employs, but employees and will pay at least 1 more than the minimum wage in each location. The raises and benefits wont apply to the 90 percent of mcdonalds that are franchises. It comes ahead of a rally for the fight for 15, a campaign for a 15 an hour rage wage. 11 former educators in atlanta georgia, have been convicted of racketeering and other charges for their roles in a massive cheating scandal at public schools. Prosecutors say teachers were forced to modify incorrect answers, and students were even allowed to fix their responses during exams. Judge jerry baxter ordered most of the educators immediately behind bars, with sentencing to 21 other defendants avoided sentencing to follow next week. Judge baxter they have made this decision, and they have not fared well. I do not like to send anybody to jail. It is not one of the things i get a kick out of, but they have made their bed, and they have to lie in it. It starts today. Amy 21 other defendants avoided trial with plea deals. Its said to be one of the Largest School cheating scandals in u. S. History. The case has fueled criticism of the Education Systems reliance on standardized testing. According to the New York Times, cheating has grown at School Districts around the country as standardized testing has become a primary means of evaluating teachers, principals and schools. activists have carried out a rare protest inside the Supreme Court chamber in a case the critics call the next citizens united. The courts conservative judges eliminated longstanding limits on how much donors can get in total to federal committees and Political Action committees in a twoyear election cycle. Without any limit, a donor can now give millions. On wednesday, the five activists with the group 99 rise stood up inside of the Supreme Court to justices to reverse call on justices to reverse their decisions. Justices, is it not your duty overturn citizens united. One person, one vote. Amy that sound from inside of the u. S. Supreme court. Al qaeda fighters in yemen have attacked in a coastal city freeing 300 prisoners. Onethird of the released have links to al qaeda figures. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Nermeen i am nermeen shaikh. Welcome to our viewers around the country and our around the world. California governor jerry brown ordered residents and nonagricultural businesses to cut water use by 25 percent in the first mandatory statewide reduction in the states history. 98 percent of california is now suffering from drought. Governor brown issued the executive order at the mostly snowbare phillips station in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The nearby sierraattahoe ski resort closed for the season weeks ago due to lack of snow. Governor brown one thing we know is we are standing on dry grass, and we should be standing on five feet of snow. We are in an historic drought and that demands unprecedented action. For that reason, im issuing an executive order mandating substantial water reduction across our state. As californians, we have to pull together, and save water in every way we can. This executive order, which i signed today, it is long, it covers a number of different details in fact, i have never seen one quite like it before. It is going to save water by mandating really directions in a number of areas. It is going to affect golf courses, peoples lawns universities, campuses, all sorts of institutions, the meetings with vegetation in our roads and highways. It affects all of that. Nermeen one group not facing restrictions under the new rules is big agriculture which uses about 80 of californias water. The group food water watch california criticized brown for not capping water usage by corporate farms that grow waterintensive crops such as almonds and pistachios, most of which are exported out of state and overseas. Adam scow of food and water watch california said, quote in the midst of a severe drought, the governor continues to allow corporate farms and Oil Interests to deplete and pollute our precious groundwater resources. Studies show the current drought, which has intensified over the past four years, is the worst california has seen in at least 120 years. Some studies suggest it is the worst drought in the region in more than a thousand years. Amy while much of the eastern United States experienced record break cold temperatures, california, as well as utah, arizona, nevada, and washington each saw their hottest winter ever. In january and february temperatures were one degree fahrenheit hotter in california than last year, which ended as the hottest year on record by nearly two degrees. Deke arndt of the National Climatic data center said, quote, the 21st century for sure is being characterized by persistent, ubiquitous drought in the west. The projection is for that to continue, he says. We go now to San Francisco where we are joined by the environmental reporter mark hertsgaard. His latest story is how growers gamed californias drought. He is also the author of the book, hot living through the next 50 years on earth. welcome back to democracy now. Can you talk about what the governor has mandated, who is included, and who is not . Mark sure. Good to be here. The new executive order by Governor Brown issued yesterday really focused mainly on the urban sector, and as you mentioned in the clip you just showed us, it is going to affect golf courses median strips, and a number of other uses in the urban area where he demands a 25 mandatory immediate cut in consumption. That means the water agencies, the public agencies in control in those areas of water supply have to deliver 25 cuts. What was striking about the order is a did not require those same kind of cuts from the agriculture sector, which, in california, is the big player in water. Agriculture uses about 80 of all of the developed water here in the state. I should add, amy, that Governor Browns spokespersons, when i comment contacted them last night, said it was true that the executive order only required plans from the big agricultural districts, but they pointed out that the water districts have already been cut back earlier this year both the state to apply supplies and the federal Water Supplies have already been cut back by a larger amount. Nevertheless, the new executive order does focus mainly on the cities, not the countryside. Nermeen mark, could you explain why it is why is agriculture exempt from the orders the governor has given . Mark from the new orders, i