His probe to look at President TrumpBusiness Activities as well as those of his associates including his soninlaw Jared Kushner. We will look at how kushner tried and failed to get a 500 million bailout from qatar. Did that influence how trump has been handling the gulf diplomatic crisis . We will speak with ryan grim of the intercept. Then to made in america week. Pres. Trump we want to build, grow products using American Goods to american labor, and american grit. Amy while President Trumps touts American Made products, we will look inside clothing factory in indonesia where ivanka trump Brand Clothing is made. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The special counsel tasked with investigating ties between Donald Trumps campaign and russias government during last years election is examining a broad range of transactions involving trumps businesses as well as those of his associates. Thats according to bloomberg news, which reported thursday former fbi chief Robert Muellers probe will examine a series of real estate deals with russian investors as well as the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in moscow. The probe has also reportedly absorbed a Money Laundering investigation into trumps former Campaign Chair paul manafort. News of the special counsels wider investigation came after President Trump left open the possibility that he could order the Justice Department to fire mueller. Trump told the New York Times mueller would be crossing a red line if he investigates trump family finances. The times reports trumps lawyers and aides are working to dig up dirt on mueller and his team in an effort to discredit the investigation. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports trump was especially upset after learning mueller would have access to years worth of trumps tax returns, which the president has refused to make public. The Washington Post says trump is also considering future pardons for his family and possibly even himself. This all comes amidst a shakeup of the legal team representing President Trump. Marc kasowitz will no longer serve as trumps lead personal attorney. The move follows an expletive laden series of threats kasowitz sent by email to a stranger who said he should resign. In iraq, newly revealed intelligence reports show more than 40,000 civilians died in the u. S. Led battle to retake mosul from isis, a total far higher than previously reported. Writing for the independent, Patrick Cockburn cited an official he said previous estimates of the deaths were low because thousands of bodies remain buried in the rubble. The battle, which wrapped up earlier this month, began last october and lasted months longer than the siege of stalingrad during world war ii. Back in the u. S. , civil Rights Groups are warning a pair of bipartisan bills would criminalize free speech and peaceful protests. The israel antiboycott act would make it a felony for u. S. Citizens to support boycotts of israel and israeli settlements. They would be punishable by at least a 250,000 fine, with a maximum penalty of two decades in prison and a fine of 1 million. So far, 43 senators and 234 Congress Members on both sides of the aisle support the legislation. The American Israel Public Affairs committee, or aipac, reportedly helped craft the bill and has made its passage one of the groups top lobbying priorities for the year. In a letter on monday, the American Civil Liberties union wrote we take no position for or against the effort to boycott israel or any foreign country, for that matter. However, we do assert that the government cannot, consistent with the First Amendment, punish u. S. Persons based solely on their expressed political beliefs. The attempt to criminalize the bds Movement Comes amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in the gaza strip where the United Nations has editions have become unlivable. The Senate Judiciary committee voted to recommend president 20 20 thursday trumps nominee replace james comey as head of the fbi. It clears the way for Christopher Wray to be approved by the full senate. Wray served as assistant attorney general under george w. Bush from 2003 to 2005, at a time when the Justice Departments office of Legal Counsel signed off on the torture of prisoners in cia and military custody. The Justice Department said this week it will allow state and local Police Departments to seize cash and property from people suspected of crimes, even if they havent been convicted. Attorney general Jeff Sessions says the policy, called civil Asset Forfeiture, is an important tool for fighting crime. The practice was largely ended by the Obama Administration after investigations showed local Police Routinely stopped drivers for minor traffic infrtions and seized billions of dollars worth of property. In some cases, departments used the assets to pay for luxury cars and highpowered weapons. The aclu has called civil Asset Forfeiture a violation of due process that disproportionately targets communities of color. On capitol hill, a pair of senators introduced a bill thursday seeking to reform states money bail systems, which leave nearly a halfmillion americans in jail each day simply because they are unable to pay their way out. The legislation by republican senator rand paul of kentucky and democrat Kamala Harris of california would prod states to move away from the current money bail system and towards a system that allows lowerincome people to go free as they await trial. Meanwhile, in new york city, civil rights activists are demanding justice for a bronx teenager whos been held at the notorious Rikers Island jail while awaiting trial for a 2015 crime he says he did not commit. Prosecutors say 18yearold Pedro Hernandez fired a shot that struck another teen in the leg, even though the victim and eight other teens who witnessed the shooting say hernandez is innocent. Hernandez has turned down a plea deal that would see him released on five years probation. Hes insisting on a trial by jury, but scheduling conflicts have pushed a trial date past labor day. Hernandez hopes to be released by in order to accept a full september 1 college scholarship. His family has launched a Crowdfunding Campaign to raise the 250,000 needed to bail him out. Hernandezs plight has drawn comparisons to the case of kalief browder, another bronx teen who committed suicide in 2015 at the age of 22 after being held at rikers for nearly three years without trial for a crime he did not commit. The senate on thursday voted 5147 along party lines thursday to confirm judge john k. Bush for a lifetime appointment to the 6th u. S. Circuit court of appeals. Bush has a long history of homophobic and sexist comments, and has compared abortion to slavery. Bush has also used a pseudonym to post rightwing blog entries denying the science of Climate Change and repeating the false claims of socalled birthers who say president obama was not born in the United States. The u. S. Treasury department has fined exxonmobil 2 million for violating u. S. Sanctions against russia three years ago, when secretary of state Rex Tillerson served as the oil companys ceo. The treasury said exxonmobil showed reckless disregard for u. S. Law in 2014 when it signed contracts with Russian Oil Magnate igor sechin. The move violated sanctions placed on russia after it invaded ukraine and annexed the crimean peninsula. Tillerson said at the time his company opposed russia sanctions, calling them ineffective. At the state department thursday, spokesperson Heather Nauert was asked whether tillerson had changed his views on russian sanctions. It predates his time here at the department of state. Im going to refrain from giving any comment. I understand this predates his time as secretary of state, but now he is in a position in which he is part of the team that is supposed to enforce sanctions, not violate them or allow others to violate them. So i think it is relevant to know what he thinks about i would say the secretary continues to abide by his ethical commitments, including that recusal from exxonrelated activities. Amy secretary of state tillerson is known to have close ties to russian president vladimir putin, who awarded tillerson the countrys order of friendship decoration in 2013. The treasury departments 2 million fine against exxonmobil was the maximum amount allowed by law. It represents just over two hours profit for the oil giant. In the philippines, president Rodrigo Duterte has asked congress to extend martial law on the Southern Island of mindanao, where Government Forces are been battling isisallied militants in the city of marawi. The conflict has killed more than 500 people and displaced over 200,000 since fighting began in may. Meanwhile, in washington, d. C. , a congressional Human Rights Panel heard testimony thursday from activists who warn filipino Security Forces and vigilantes have killed more than 7000 suspected drug users and dealers since duterte launched his socalled war on drugs last june. This is Ellecer Carlos of the idefend human rights coalition. Our daily documentation confirmed without a shadow of a te andthe president duter of elimination, have effectively put in place the defective social cleansing policies whereby police and vigilantes are not only encouraged, but rewarded and forced to commit extrajudicial killings. Amy Congress Member james mcgovern, a democrat from massachusetts, said he was troubled by reports that president duterte is planning to travel to washington this fall for talks with President Trump. A man with the human rights record of president duterte should not be invited to the white house. And if he comes, i will lead the mean,t because, again, i we ought to be on the side of advocating for human rights, not explaining them away. Amy in april, President Trump called duterte and invited him to the white house. In transcript of their conversation leaked by the intercept, trump said i just wanted to ngratulate you because i am hearing of the unbelievable job on the drug problem. In poland, thousands of protesters took to the streets of the capital warsaw and other cities thursday, ahead of a vote scheduled today by the ruling law and Justice Party on a bill that would let parliament appoint Supreme Court judges. Protesters say the measure would end the separation of powers between the executive and the judiciary. Elections took place democratically, so their governing breaks the law, breaks the constitution. So the democracy in poland practically dies. Aree new laws on the courts step in the wrong direction. That is why we want the president to veto these hills. Amy said it was alarmed by the legislation considering bringing unprecedented sanctions against one of its Member States due to potential human rights abuses. In morocco, riot police used clubs and tear gas to scatter hundreds of people marching through the streets of alhoceima thursday, as they defied a government ban on demonstrations to protest corruption and underdevelopment. The protests were the largest seen in morocco since last october, when thousands turned out in cities across morocco after the death of a fish seller who was crushed in a garbage truck while trying to retrieve fish confiscated by police. The death became the rallying point for a Wider Movement for Economic Justice and Civil Liberties in the kingdom. In the mediterranean, a strong earthquake rattled parts of turkey and greece in the Early Morning hours friday, killing at least two people and injuring hundreds. The 6. 5magnitude quake was centered just south of the turkish resort town of bodrum, and it collapsed nearby buildings, and sparked a small tsunami that flooded coastal communities. President trump is said to make jeff homestead, secondincommand at the Environment Protection agency. Since 2007, he has represented coal, railroads, and Utility Companies as a partner at the powerful firm bracewell llp on k street in washington, d. C. , holmstead is also a former staffer to senator james inhofe of oklahoma, a prominent Climate Change denier. And in new york city, haitian immigrant Jean Montrevil walked free from a Federal Building thursday after ice immigration officials ordered him to check in for a meeting that could have ended in his deportation. Jean montrevil came to the u. S. From haiti with a green card in 1986 at the age of 17. Last month when he went to his first check in under President Trump, handcuffed, process to be deported until calls from his supporters apparently prompted his release. For a full interview with Jean Montrevil as well as his daughter and lawyer, you can go to democracynow. Org. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Civil Rights Groups are warning a pair of bipartisan bills targeting boycotts of israel and israeli settlements would criminalize free speech and peaceful protest. The israel antiboycott act would make it a felony for u. S. Citizens to support boycotts of israel and israeli settlements. It would be punishable by at least a 250,000 fine with a maximum penalty of a fine of 1 million and 20 years in prison. 46 senators, 31 republicans and 15 democrats, and 234 Congress Members from both sides of the aisle support the legislation. The American Israel Public Affairs committee known as aipac reportedly helped craft the bill and made its passage one of the groups top lobbying priorities for the year. In a letter monday, the American Civil Liberties union urged senators to a poise oppose the passage. The aclu wrote we take no position for or against the effort to boycott israel or any foreign country, for that matter, however, we do assert the government can not consistent with the First Amendment, punish u. S. Persons based solely on their expressed political beliefs. The bill has received backing for many prominent senators on both sides of the aisle. Democrats backing the bill include minority leader chuck ronmer, kirsten gillibrand, ron wyden, Andrea Cantwell of washington. Republican backers include ted cruz, marco rubio. The bds movement was born in 2005 when a coalition of Palestinian Civil Society groups called for people all over the world to engage in a Nonviolent Campaign to boycott, divest, and sanction israel until it complies with international law. Their call was inspired by the International Boycott and divestment initiative supply to south africa in the struggle to abolish apartheid. The attempt to criminalize the bds Movement Comes amid a deepening to monetary crisis in gaza, where israeli restrictions limit electricity to between two hours and four hours a day for gazas more than 2 million residents. Gaza has been under israeli for more than a decade. In 2012, the who warned it would be uninhabitable by 2020 will stop now the u. N. Says Living Conditions have which are rated faster than expected and the u. N. Says the arehas already become unlivable. For more, we go to washington, d. C. , where were joined by rabbi Joseph Berman