Were supposed to offer a nonprofit alternative to private insurance, have essentially been strangled by the private insurers and by congress. 10 out of the 23 have are to close many more are expected to close in the next few months or years. They will probably never viable long term. It was a little like the peewee football he going against the nfl. Amy we will speak with dr. Steffie woolhandler as well as the head of the colorado coop that is going under, and insurance whistleblower Wendell Potter on why health care coops are failing. In a new documentary reveals why the u. S. Has become on of the leading tax shelters of the superrich. We are the 99 . We are the 99 . Invest int money to our country, to invest in people, and their not doing it anymore. As a nurse, i would say theyre probably mentally ill. It is not normal to hoard all that money. Require us to pay in the u. K. , we pay 6 million were not accusing you of being illegal, we are accusing you of being immoral. Amy we will speak with harold crooks and james henry about, the price we pay. All of that and more coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The United Nations says more than 200,000 refugees an migrants crossed in new york last month, the highest monthly total on record. More people made the dangerous crossing in october than in all of last year. Over the course of the single day last month, more than 10,000 people arrived in greece. Un officials said the record flow is expected to continue next year amid upheaval in syria, afghanistan, iraq and elsewhere. President obama has made his first Public Comments on his decision to deploy u. S. Special Operations Forces to syria. Speaking on nbcs nightly news , he defends his decision. We have run special ops already, and really, this is just an extension of what were continuing to do. We are not putting u. S. Troops on the front lines fighting firefights with isil. But i have been consistent throughout that we are not going to be fighting like we did in battalions and occupations. That doesnt solve the problem. Amy the Israeli Military has shut down every of station in the cupied west bank, destroying equipment, confiscating transmitters, and accusing the station of inciting violence against israelis. The Radio Station director told the Associated Press we did not incite, we just reported the israeli daily crimes against our people in hebron. They want to silence our violence. On monday, a 22yearold palestinian was shot dead after israeli authorities accused him of stabbing and seriously wanting in israeli man in the coastal city. Hours earlier, a 19yearold palestinian was arrested for stabbing and wounding three people near tel aviv. The corporation by the Keystone Xl Oil pipeline has asked the Obama Administration to suspend its longrunning review of the controversial project. On monday, transcanada told the state department wants to wait until nebraska gives its approval, but critics say transcanada is trying to buy time until president obama leaves office. We will speak to bill mckibben, founder of 350. Org, after headlines. President obama has announced a series of steps to help release Prisoners Released prisoners readjust to society. Speaking during a visit to a Treatment Center in newark, new jersey, obama said he was banning the box barring federal agencies from asking potential employees about their criminal records on job applications. The federal government, i believe, should not use criminal history to screen out applicants before we even look at their qualifications. We cant dismiss people out of hand complete because of mistakes they made in the past. Amy over the past few days, the Obama Administration has released more than 6000 federal prisoners early, marking the largest onetime release from federal prison in history. President obama signed a twoyear bipartisan budget deal averting a potential default and raising the debt limit until after he leaves office. The deal boosts military spending caps while cutting Social Security disability benefits and medicare payments. New revenue would come from sales of u. S. Oil reserves and the use of public airwaves by telecommunications firms. The pentagon spent nearly 43 million on a gas station in northern afghanistan. A u. S. Special Inspector General says the Obama Administration has not explained why it spent so much taxpayer money on the project. The station was built as part of an effort to show cars in afghanistan could run on compressed natural gas. The pentagon says it lacks torsonnel, expertise address questions about 43 million price tag. Iraqi politician ahmed chalabi, who played a key role in pushing for the 2003 u. S. Invasion of iraq, has died at the age of 71. Chalabi was the former head of the Iraqi National congress, a ciafunded iraqi exile group that helped drum up prewar claims that Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass destruction and had links to alqaeda. Chalabi provided bogus intelligence to the bush administration, u. S. Lawmakers and journalists. , as recently as last year, chalabi was seen a possible candidate for iraqi prime minister. During a visit to new york in 2005, he denied his role in the iraq war. A casefact i perpetuated for war based on weapons of mass destruction is an urban myth, which is not rooted in reality and it continues to have a life of its own despite the very serious investigations that were conducted by bipartisan bodies of the United States government such as the Senate Intelligence committee. He provided the iraqi sources to journalists and congressmen who said Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass destruction and had links to al qaeda come all of which turned out to be false. Former advisers have said they raised major doubts about the sources, but were ignored. Ahmad chalabi died today at his home in baghdad of a heart attack. He was 71. The state Department Says its launched a review after video showed a u. S. Security agent helping oust a report from the meeting between secretary of state john kerry and uzbekistan president islam karimov. During the meeting in uzbekistan, reporter carol morello, asked a question about the u. S. Critique of uzbekistans human rights record. She was then removed from the room by u. S. And uzbek agents. Mr. President , would you take a question . The state department is criticizing human rights take her out now. Amy Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig has ended his campaign for the democratic president ial nomination after the Democratic National committee changed the rules for the debates. Lessig launched his campaign after raising 1 million in a month. He said if he won the presidency, he would serve only as look as it took to pass Sweeping Campaign finance reform. But in a video message, lessig said new rules would exclude him from next weeks debate. Until this week, the role was three polls finding me at 1 in the six weeks prior to the debate. Last week, we began to get close, to the polls family at 1 , one more and i would be in the second debate. Under the original rule. That under the new role, the standard is three polls at least six weeks before the debate. That means i wouldve had to qualified at the beginning of october, which means that nothing that happens now could matter. Under this new role, im just shut out. Amy efforts by republican president ial campaigns to control the format of the debate appeared to have collapsed after a number of campaigns refused to sign a list of demands for tv networks. Republican candidates donald trump, carly fiorina, new jersey governor chris christie, and john kasich all refused to sign a letter detailing terms for future debates. The shortlived revolt after last week cnbc debate had kitted the campaigns against the Republican National committee. In a victory for transgender rights federal officials have , determined an Illinois School district violated the antidiscrimination law title ix by preventing a transgender girl from showering and changing without restrictions in the girls locker room. The student was forced to use private facilities instead. The palatine, Illinois School district could lose title ix funding if it doesnt change its policies. In south africa, four Police Officers have been arrested for murder after video showed them shooting a suspected robber on the ground. Cctv footage appears to show an officer shooting the Khulekani Mpanza at close range after he drops his gun and falls to the ground. Another officer then kicks mpanza. The officers were arrested after Media Outlets published the footage. The father of one of the 43 students missing in mexico has run the new York City Marathon to raise awareness about his sons case. Antonia tizapa ran sunday along with amado tlatempa, another relative of the students, who have been missing for more than a year following an attack by local police in the state of guerrero. On the night of september 26, 2014, six people were killed, including three students and 43 other students were disappeared. Government claimed a 43 students were killed by a drug gang and incinerated. After an expert panel questioned that account for the Mexican Government has reopened the investigation. Speaking after the marathon sunday, Antonio Tizapa said he hoped to use running as a way to call for his son to be returned alive. In the world of sports, i think a large percentage of people are not focused on political issues. So if you do something sports related, they one of the attention. Anything related to sports. So that is why wanted to do this through sports and through athletics, which is something so marvelous for people who run and also a way to catch peoples attention. And see that a father of one of the 43 boys is running, demanding the return of his son and the other boys alive and justice for the three boys who are dead. Amy its election day today as voters across the United States cast their ballots on local races and ballot initiatives. Among the key issues at stake are Campaign Finance measures in maine and Seattle Washington an , initiative to legalize marijuana for both medical and personal use in ohio and a , proposal in San Francisco to limit shortterm rentals, a possible blow to the homesharing website airbnb. On the eve of the vote monday, housing activists occupied airbnbs San Francisco headquarters, saying the firms model fuels gentrification and homelessness. And a correction to an earlier headline about the west bank Radio Station shut down by the Israeli Military, the actual quote from the Radio Station director to the Associated Press was we didnt insight, we just reported the israeli daily crimes against our people in hebron. They want to silence our voice. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The corporation by the Keystone Xl Oil pipeline has asked the Obama Administration to suspend its longrunning review of the controversial project. On monday, transcanada told the state department it wants to wait until nebraska, a state along the pipelines route, gives its approval will stop critics say transcanada is trying to buy time until president obama leaves office. After multiple delays, obama has promised to decide on keystone before the end of his secon term. The project has emerged as a political flashpoint with defenders calling it a boost to the economy and opponents warned of a devastating impact on the planet. The proposed pipeline would transport 830,000 barrels of crude every day from albertas oilsands to refineries in the u. S. Gulf coast for export. In a 2013 speech, president obama said his decision will turn on assuring it does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution. Since then, theres been growing speculation obama will ultimately reject the keystone xl post up the pipeline has faced years of sustained protest from groups including indigenous communities, environmentalist, and land owners along its route. It is unclear if you administration will grant transcanada its delay. If it does, the decision on handed the would be pushed president obamas successor which has led many to spec and they transcanada is throwing a held marry in the hopes the next white house occupant is a republican. For more were joined by miller bill mckibben, cofounder of 350. Org. Organize has helped major protest outside the white house, including an historic act of civil disobedience in august 2011 when he and more than 1200 others were arrested. To democracy back now. Talk about the significance of transcanada saying they want to fullback the request for a permit from the state department. Thank you, amy. Look, remarkable moment, really. Since youre one of the screw reporters covering the story early on, you will remember one of the few reporters covering the story early on, you will render transcanada was so confident, they began to mow the very along the pipeline. It was a done deal and it has become spectacularly undone ever since. This was the final tossing and of the towel. They know they cannot get approval out of the Obama Administration. So they want to avoid actually being outrig rejected. In literal terms, it probably doesnt make much difference if republican get elected, they can call it something else. Triple happiness for american patriots pipeline or something and get going all over again. This is a remarkable victory for the remarkable Coalition Led by indigenous people, farmers and ranchers, climate scientists, faith communities. The good news, really above all about it, it is a victory not confined to this particular pipeline. A couple of weeks ago, the head of one of the big fossil fuel Industry Trade groups gave a speech in which he said to his colleagues, we simply have to figure out a way to stop the every fossilon of fuel project. Around the world there is not a single major fossil fuel project that does not meet with resistance of some kind in increasingly that resistance is successful. Keystone was one of the birthplaces of that resistance we continue to want the president to give it the official know, the fact that transcanada has given up is, well, it was a big night last time. Amy they didnt just end it there, transcanada did not just say they were ending the pipeline, they want a delay in the permit process. What they want the state department to grant them a timeout for the next couple of years and then amy they say to get nebraskas approval for the route. Obviously, all they want is a different president. And even if the president does what he should do and reject the pipeline outright right now, they will still be able to start again with a new president should we be unwise enough to elect one of their favorite candidates. What would be good would be for the president to rightly deny the pipeline, mostly, because it would then allow him to go after this cares Climate Conference with some real credibility as the first world leader who stopped a big fossil fuel project because of its effect on climate. But as far as this pipeline getting built, think about it. A done deal in 2011, now, at least through 2017, there is no pipeline. People coming together have stopped for six years 800,000 barrels a day of the dirtiest being taken from out of the ground. In the course of doing that, they have made like honest impossible for the Big Companies up in a tar sands who have withdrawn tens of billions of dollars worth of capital from expansion projects. This is one of the great environmental victories in decades. As i say, the reason it is so important is because it is the gift that keeps on giving. It gives us all faith we can keep mounting these kinds of battles. As long as we display the same kind of unity and purpose that we displayed here. Amy could the state Department Just ignore the request for a delay or turn it down and president obama just turned down the keystone xl . The state department should say, no camino what . Udo could ask for extra innings when you are behind at the end of 9. We have our he said the way were going to make this decision, this is what obama and the state department have said, are on climate grounds, not on the grounds of the route through nebraska. Clearly, the route through nebraska isnt going to change the amount of carbon this thing force and the atmosphere. They are well within their rights, in fact, they obviously should simply say, no. Who knows whether they will have the courage to do that or not. It will commute we will continue to ask them to, 350. Org and many other groups sent out letters last night asking people to remind the administration that they still have a rolled up play here. But lets be serious, this was never really about the power of the administration. This was about the power of organized people to come togethe