Justice department has announced no federal charges will be filed against two officers involved in the shooting death of jamar clark, an unarmed 24yearold africanamerican man. Highly trained agents and prosecutors worked for months to find and examine facts to determine if there was a criminal civil rights case that can be brought here. We have all concluded that no such case can be made. Amy we will speak to the cofounder of black lives matter minneapolis and look at how a black lives matter activist in california is facing up to four years in jail after being convicted of what authorities call felony lynching. And we remember Western Saharan independence leader Mohamed Abdelaziz and look at his decades long effort to gain freedom for the last remaining colony in africa. The saharan peoples objective is independence, and that is a right we must address today. Tomorrow, next year, in our time in our childrens time. It doesnt matter when. The important thing is to achieve national independence. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Federal regulators are poised to unveil new rules that would rein in payday lending. Payday lenders supply cash to lowincome people who borrow against their future paychecks at high interest rates, often becoming trapped in a cycle of mounting debt. Among other measures, the new rules would require lenders to ensure borrowers can actually afford to repay the loans. Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman schultz has sparked protests by backing Bipartisan Legislation to delay the new rules for two years. The Treasury Department has moved to impose a new round of sanctions on north korea. The penalties, known as secondary sanctions, would target banks that conduct Financial Transactions with north korea, a move that could largely impact chinese firms. This comes as Presumptive Republican president ial nominee donald trump appears to have won support from north korea. An editorial in state media praised trump as a wise politician. The head of Hispanic Media relations at the republican National Committee has resigned in the latest sign of apparent opposition to Donald Trumps donald trump. Trump has vowed to ban muslims from entering the United States, rapists mostns , recently, attacked a judge overseeing a lawsuit against trump university, saying the judge happens to be, we believe, mexican. Ruth guerra, who is of mexican descent, is reportedly departing the rnc after expressing discomfort with working for trump. Meanwhile the pga is relocating , a major Golf Tournament from ,rumps golf course in florida where it has been held for over half a century, to mexico. The organization distanced itself from trump after his comments on muslims. Pga tour commissioner Timothy Finchem said they had difficulty securing sponsors. The decision made here was based on the reality that we were not able to secures bonds are ship for sponsorship for t years tournament or for at the same time, we have the opportunity to build what we think will be a spectacular event in an area that is strategically important to the growth of the sport in the activity of the pga tour that has been focused in south american, central america, for the last number of years. Amy well have more on trump and the recent controversy around his claims about donations to veterans after headlines. In syria, the town of daraya has received its first aid convoy since a siege imposed by the Syrian Government in 2012. The aid included baby formula, vaccines and medications, but no , food. This comes amid mounting pressure for the United Nations to air drop aid to besieged syrian areas. In texas, the brazos river has surged to its highest level in more than a century amid massive floods and rain. The flooding has killed at least six people and damaged hundreds of buildings. Last month was the wettest in texas history. Scientists say heavy rains and floods are linked to climate change. In california, a ucla professor has been killed in what authorities described as a murdersuicide on campus. The victim has been identified as Professor William klug. Captain Andrew Neiman of the Los Angeles PoliceDepartment Said the alleged gunman was also dead. It was determined that this is an isolated appearance within a small room within the engineering building. We have two adult male victims who are dead from apparent gunshot ones. This may be what appears to be a murdersuicide. At this point, our robbery homicide investigators will be taking over the investigation to try to determine what happened and what caused this event. Amy diplomats from across latin america and the caribbean have opposed punitive action against venezuela after the head of the organization of american states called for an emergency meeting over whether to suspend venezuela. Supporters of venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro have criticized the oas for targeting venezuela over grave alterations of democratic order, while ignoring the ouster of brazils president in what many consider a coup. On wednesday, the Oas Permanent Council backed a declaration supporting talks between the venezuelan government and rightwing opposition. The measure fell far short of calls by oas secretary general luis almagro for maduro to schedule a recall referendum that could remove him from power. Jamaicas ambassador to the oas, Julia Elizabeth hyatt, was among those to oppose almagros handling of venezuela. Unfortunate,le and but the secretarygeneral, in his response to the president of venezuela. We call on the secretarygeneral in carrying out and is duly described functions, communication at all times. Amy to see our interview with venezuelas ambassador to the oas, bernardo alvarez, go to democracynow. Org. Federal prosecutors have announced no charges will be filed against the two Police Officers involved in the Fatal Shooting of unarmed African American jamar clark last fall. Clark was shot in the head after a scuffle with officers who responded to a report of an assault. Black lives matter launched an encampment to protest the shooting after multiple witnesses say clark was shot while handcuffed. On wednesday, andrew luger, u. S. Attorney for minnesota, disputed that account. Given the lack of bruising, the lack of mr. Clarks dna on the handcuffs, and the deeply conflicted testimony about whether he was handcuffed, we determined that we could not pursue this case based on a prosecution theory that mr. Clark was handcuffed at the time that he was shot. In fact, we reached the conclusion based on all of the evidence we reviewed that the evidence suggested that mr. Clark was not in fact handcuffed when he was shot. Amy well go to minneapolis for more on the shooting of jamar clark later in the broadcast. Kenneth starr has resigned as chancellor of Baylor University in texas. His resignation comes after he was demoted from his post as baylors president last week amid a shakeup over the universitys mishandling of reports of Sexual Assault by football players. The firestorm has also prompted the resignation of baylors Athletic Director and firing of its head football coach. An investigation ordered by baylors board of regents found officials discouraged reports of Sexual Assault, treated the Football Program as above the rules and even retaliated , against someone who reported Sexual Assault. Before heading baylor, Kenneth Starr was the special prosecutor who investigated president bill clinton over his attempts to cover up a sexual relationship with a white house intern in the 1990s. And here in new york, farm workers have completed a 200milelong march from long island to the state capital albany to demand equal protection under labor laws. The workers converged on albany to rally support for a bill that would mandate overtime pay, union rights and one day of rest , each week. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with nermeen sheikh. Nermeen welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. Presumptive republican president ial nominee, donald trump, is facing scrutiny this week after questions emerged over what happened to millions of dollars he allegedly raised for veterans at a fundraiser in january. Trump fell the fundraiser after he refused to take heart in a debate organized by fox news. At the time trump claimed he had , raised over 6 million, but a recent Washington Post investigation revealed that only about a half of the money was actually paid out to veterans groups. Soon after the post article was published, trump began cutting more checks. More than a dozen veterans groups reported receiving money from trump over the past week. On tuesday, trump held a press conference to defend his actions. I have raised a tremendous amount of money for the vets come almost 6 million dollars, and more money is going to come in i believe over the next little while, too, but i have raised almost 6 million. All of the money has been paid out. I have been thanked by so many veterans groups throughout the United States. When tillman called me up recently crying that out of the blue he got a check for 100,000. I have been thanked by so many groups, great veterans groups. Outside you have a few people picketing sent by Hillary Clinton and they are picketing that the money was not sent. The money has all been sent. Amy donald trump went on to attack the news media for raising questions about the money. At the press Conference Trump called Cnns Jim Acosta a real beauty and abc News Reporter tom llamas a sleaze. Not looking for credit, but when i raise millions of dollars, to have people say, like this sleazy guy right over here from abc. He is a sleaze in my book. You are a sleaze because you know the facts and you know the facts well. Nermeen when a reporter asked trump if this is how he plans to conduct a white house News Conference if elected president , trump replied, yes, it is. Meanwhile, in new york city, veterans rallied outside trump tower to denounce trump for using them as campaign props. Perry obrien, who served as a medic in afghanistan, criticized trumps rhetoric. I am here because when i served in afghanistan, i served with women and muslims and latinos all groups that donald trump has maligned and even threatened. All of those folks actually donned the uniform and served their country. As far as we can see is veterans and the military community, donald trump only seems interested in serving himself. Amy well, for more, were joined now by another member of vets vs. Hate who was outside trump tower, julio torres. He is an iraq war veteran currently serving in the military as a chaplains assistant. He is also a student at Union Theological seminary. Julio torres, welcome to democracy now your thoughts on what happened inside the building as you are protesting outside. Why were you there . I was there because my fellow veteran brothers and sisters decided to take a and against trumps hate messages. Inside he was talking about the 6 million he raised in making arguments for that, but it is not about the money. It is about the integrity he is shown or lack of integrity. Myself and others stood up against that. We dont want to have our muslim brothers and sisters and latino brothers and sisters used as scapegoats, nor do we want to be used as props for hate. Nermeen you have suggested it is not just trump who uses veterans as props or pawns, but also clinton. My understanding with clinton has madehas used scapegoats other people in the past, and i have yet to hear her apologize for it. That upsets me greatly when she calls black people super predators, when she is against immigrants looking for work, when she mentions undocumented you know, the troubles they have. Some veterans support her, but myself, i do not. Areess in the of the we against any of the heat speech by any of the candidates. Amy can you talk about what you did interact . I was military intelligence, mostly on a computer. We tried to figure out when we may get attacked by any of the groups out there. The times i interacted with iraqis or when they were helping as janitors, very nice people. They just want to live in peace. Amy when donald trump said he would allow no muslims into the United States now . Is upsetting to me. This is a country based on immigrants, and he is scapegoating a whole religion in many nations for the problems of some. That is upsetting. Amy lets go back to july when donald trump came under intense criticism from within his own party after he spoke disparagingly about the war record of republican senator john mccain, who was held as a prisoner of war in vietnam for over five years. During an event in iowa trump , said he did not view mccain as a war hero. He is not a war hero. He was war hero because captured. I like people that were not captured, ok . I hate to tell you. He was a war hero because he was captured, ok . Amy unlike mccain, trump did not serve in vietnam. He received four student deferments between 1964 and 1968. Julio torres, your response to what he was saying . It is shameful to say he is not a veteran because he was captured. Amy not a hero. Not a hero, excuse me. Who war to begin with, but at the same time, to say he was captured is not a hero everyone is a hero that has done service for their country. Domingo speaking about your own military service in iraq, initially you supported the war in iraq but then came to change your mind. Could you explain why . At the time i believed everything the government was saying. It turned out to be foolish in retrospect. When i found out the weapons of mass destruction was a lie, i had her breaking moment you with a call moral injury. Especially as a military intelligence, i saw the reports and i thought there were legitimate so i thought, oh, the government was telling the truth. Then i found out the government was telling lies. I had to look deepened Everything Else that was going on in the possible repercussions of these lies. Then i started getting more involved with social justice work. Going into the religious ministry, hopefully in the future, it made me reflect on all of that post up i could not be supported of the war effort. Amy as we wrap up, your feelings about this election season and what youre encouraging people to do . , as a member of vets vs. Hate im encouraging anyone to stand up against the hate messages. I support one candidate particularly, but i rather not mention. We are a partisan group. Aterans should not be used as prop for hatred. We stand with our muslim brothers and sisters to matter what. Amy julio torres, thank it for being with us, veteran, member of vets vs. Hate, serving as a chaplains assistant. When we come back, we go to minneapolis to find out about the killing of a 24 year old africanamerican man, jamar clark. Stay with us. [music break] amy little sparrow by leyla mccalla. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with nermeen sheikh. A shout out to the sixthgraders from Thompson Square middle school who have come to watch democracy now today. Nermeen we turn now to minneapolis, minnesota where , federal prosecutors announced wednesday that no charges will be filed against the two Police Officers involved in the shooting death last fall of jamar clark, an unarmed 24yearold African American. Clark was shot in the head after a scuffle with officers who responded to a report of an assault. But multiple witnesses say clark was shot while handcuffed. This is u. S. Attorney andrew luger speaking at a News Conference wednesday. There are no winners here and there are there is no victory for anyone. A young man has died. And it is a tragedy. As a father with children the same age as jamar clark, my heart goes out to his family and i told them so before this event. For the family, for the community, for the Police Department, and for the cause of justice, experienced, highly trained agents and prosecutors worked for months to find and examine facts to determine if there was a criminal civil rights case that can be brought here. We have all concluded that no such case can be made. Amy in Hennepin County attorney march, mike freeman also decided not to bring charges against officers Mark Ringgenberg and dustin schwarze, both white. In announcing the decision, freeman rejected multiple eyewitness accounts that clark was handcuffed and claimed that clark, at one point, had his hand on one officers gun. Jamars cousin spoke out. I cant control the city. We are tired of this. Yall are supposed to be protecting and service. Yall are killing us. Youre getting away with it. Amy jamar clarks death sparked a series of protests in minneapolis, including a weekslong occupation outside the Fourth Police prec