Times of august ready a Secretive Alliance with the nations top Energy Producers to fight obamas climate efforts. Fromll get response 350. Org and food and water arch. We will speak with the texas republican member of the Electoral College who publicly announced he will not vote for donald trump. Could this be the start of a rebellion within the Republican Party . If the judge orders in and to michigan recount, we will spek with john bonifaz. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. President elect donald trump has scottced he will pruitt the head of the epa. Pruitt claimed the Climate Science change is far from settled. He is seen as a close ally of the fossil fuel industry. In 2014, the New York Times revealed pruitt another republican attorneys general had formed an unprecedented secretive a aligns with the top Energy Producers to fight oh by ms. Climate obamas climate effort. Said the epa a letter accusing federal regulators of overestimating the amount of air pollution caused by Energy Companies drilling new natural gas wells in oklahoma. What pruitt did not reveaeal isa letter was to grilli drafted by lawyers at devon energy. Senator Bernie Sanders said pruitts record is not only that of being Climate Change denier, but also someone who has worked closely with the fossil fuel industry to make this country more dependent am a not less, on fossil fuels. More on attorney general pruitt after headlines. Donald trump also announced he has picked retired fourstar marine general john kelly to be the secretary of homeland security. Kelly was formalally the head of the United States southernn command where he oversaw the military jail at once on a mowbray. Wong, executive director of Amnesty International usa, set of kelly are particularly concerned that while chief of your seven command, kelly overstock wonton a mode during periods of extensive hunger strikes and forcefeeding that was unsafe and inhumane. Kelly has repeatedly testified to congress a u. S. Mexico border represent a threat to National Security, leading many to worry will escalate the militarization of the border and u. S. Immigration policy overall. While the head of United States other command, kelly promoted the alliance for prosperity, a program that provides hundreds of millions of dollars in police and military funding to honduras, el salvador, guatemala. The program has been criticized by some who are calling for the suspension of this funding to honduras until the country addresses its gross human rights violations. Kelly retired from the military in 2015. He is the third general trump has picked for top positions so far. The other are mike flynn for National Security adviser and james mattis for defense secretary. Donald trump attacked union leader chuck jones on twitter wednesday after jones appeared on cnn criticizing trump for breaking his promise to carrier workers in indiana. Last week, trump appeared at the carrier airconditioning plant in indianapolis and boasted he had saved 1100 jobs from being moved to mexico. But jones, who represents the workers, says trump light is [bleep] off. Inonly helped keep 730 jobs the u. S. , not 1100. Trump tweeted in syria, Government Forces are continuing to seize control of parts of eastern aleppo as the continuingrussia are negotiations over a potentiall deal to allow antigovernment rebels to flee. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is slated to meet with secretary of state john kerry today. The rescue organization the White Helmets says 61 people died wednesday amid shelling and airstrikes in rebelheld areas as Government Forces seized control of aleppos old city. Medical doctors and other protesters gathered outsidide te Russian Embassy in berlin wednesday to denounce russia and russian and syrian bombing in aleppo. I am here to protest against the war crumbs committed by russia and syria in aleppo. We believe it is outrageous the world is watching how mass killings are taking place and no one says anything. Amy in indonesia, a 6. 5 magnitude earthquake has killed morere than 100 people after striking the northern tip of sumatrtra island wednenesday whe many resididents were asleep. At least 700 more haveve been injured and ththousands hahave n displaced. Wednesdayys earthquake is the worst disaster to hit the region since 2004, when a tsunami killed more than 120,000 people in the province. In the philippines, the death toll from m president Rodrigo Dutertes socalled war on drugs continues to rise. Police have killed at t least t0 people and vigilantes have killed at least 3500 more since duterte took office in late this summer. Tens of thousands more have been arrested or turned themselves over to police out of fear theyll be killed. Human Rights Groups say many of those killed have been summarily shot or had nothing to do with the drug trade. On wednesday, the white house condemned the extrajudicial killings in the philippines. But a recent buzzfeed investigation reveals the u. S. State department has continued to send millions of dollars in aid, as well as training and equipment to the philippine , national police. Meanwhile, philippines president Rodrigo Duterte gave an impression of his december 2 phone call with donald trump, in which he imitated trump praising duterte and appealing for a closer relationship between the two men. Te, you president duter just said something good here. You are doing great. About the worry americans criticizing you. Youre doing good. Go ahead. I have this problem on the border of mexico System America and this [bleep] amy thats philippines presidident Rodrigo Duterte,e, speaking in tagalog, s saying o now the way hehe speaks makes me feel like a saint, in refereree to donald trump. In yemen, thousands of people took to the streets of the capital sanaa tuesday to demand an end to the u. S. Backed saudiled bombing campaign, which has killed thousands of people since it began 19 months ago. A new Human Rights Watch report details how u. S. Supplied weapons were used in two recent saudi airstrikes that killed several dozen civilians this fall. The attacks include a september 10 airstrike against a drilling site for water that killed more than 30 people, including three children. Remnants of u. S. Made weapons were found at the scene of this strike. In charleston, south carolina, testimony has begun in the trial of dylann roof, who faces the death penalty. He is accused of opening fire at Emanuel Ame Church in june 2015, killing nine black worshipers, including the pastor clementa pinckney. Roof embraced white supremacist views and was shown in photographs posing with the Confederate Flag and a pistol. On wednesday, the first witness in the trial, felicia sanders, says she watched as roof pulled out a glock. 45caliber handgun and began shooting, striking and wounding her son and killing her aunt. She says she took cover underneath a table with her 11yearold granddaughter and tried to cover herself and the girl in other peoples blood so roof would think they were already y dead. A new report has accused the u. S. Border Patrol Agency of using the desert of the borderlands as a weapon that has led to the death or disappearances of tens of thousands of people since the 1990s. The report, issued by the group no more deaths and la coalicion and the coalition of human rights, accuses Border Patrol of intentionally promoting deadly apprehension policies, such as chasing people into remote areas of the desert that lead to migrants deaths or disappearances. This is Alicia Dinsmore of no more d deaths, recounting one sh story. March, threeht of men were crossing through the u. S. Mexico border land in the desert southeast of arizona. When u. S. Border patrol agents detected their group and began chasing them. The three men became separated. Border patrol agents arrested two of them, but one was unaccounted for. Later, was discovered here fallen off a cliff nearly 200 feet down and died. Amy the report says the known disappearance of thousands of people in the remote wilderness of the u. S. Mexico border zone marks one of the great historical crimes of our day. In texas, two private Detention Centers continue to hold Migrant Women and children seeking asylum even after a judge barred , the state from licensing them as child care facilities. The state has appealed the ruling. Forprofit Prison Companies geo group and core civic formerly known as cca insist they are in compliance with federal standards. Immigration Authorities Say operational activities continue without interruption. But advocates reported that after the ruling on friday, nearly 500 women and children were released with almost no advance notice to local shelters that usually handle dozens of people. They told democracy now they expect another mass release in the coming days. Even with the releases, there are currently an estimated 600 women and children in the Karnes Detention Center and another 1800 held at a Detention Camp in dilley, both about an n hour soh of san antonio. The American Civil Liberties union has sued the u. S. Customs and Border Protection agency over its refusal to provide complete records of stops and detentions in michigan. The entire state of michigan is designated as part of homeland secucuritys 100mile zonone, meaning Border Patrol agents have wide powers to engage in warrantless stops. Aclu of michigan said its not reasonable to claim that the entire state of michigan is a border zone. Border enforcement and the powers that go with it belongs at the border and not in our communities. In washington, d. C. , Minnesota State house Representative Ilhan Omar says she was attacked by a cab driver who called her isis and threatened to rip off her hijab as she was leaving a policy training at the white house. Omar recently made history by becoming the nations first somaliamerican lawmaker. She e wrote on facebook wednesdy that the attack was the most hateful, derogatory, islamophobic, sexist taunts and threats i have ever experienced. I am still shaken by this incident and cant wrap my head bold people are becoming in displaying t their hahate towards muslims. Portlands city council has voted to impose additional taxes on Companies Whose ceos earn more than 100 times the median pay of their workers. The oregon measure which , portland Officials Say is the first in the nation, targets and penalizes companies that perpetuate income inequality. Income inequality is real, it is a National Problem and the federal government isnt doing anything about it. And prominent palestinian activist rasmea odeh has won a new trial. Odeh was convicted of immigration fraud in 2014 and then sentenced to 18 months in prison and deportation from the United States for failing to disclose her conviction on bombing charges by an Israeli Military court more than 40 years ago. Odeh says her conviction was obtained through weeks of torture and Sexual Assault in israeli custody. She has lilived in the united stat foror more ththan 20 years. Her supporters say she was targeted over her support for palestinian liberation. Her new trial is slated to begin in january. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Nermeen welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. President elect donald trump has announced he will nominate Oklahoma Attorney general scott pruitt to head the Environmental Protection agency. Pruitt has been one of the epas fiercest critics and has led a legal effort to overturn parts of president obamas Climate Change policies, including his Clean Power Plan. Pruitt claimed the science of Climate Change is far from settled. He is also seen as a close ally of the fossil fuel industry. In 2014, the New York Times revealed that pruitt and other republican attorneys general had formed what the paper described as a unprecedented, Secretive Alliance with the nations top energy produces to fight obamas climate efforts. Amy the New York Times also exposed pruitts close ties to the Oklahoma Firm devon energy. In 2014, pruitt sent the epa a letter accusing federal regulators of overestimating the amount of air pollution caused by Energy Companies drilling new natural gas wells in oklahoma. What pruitt didnt reveal was that the letter was secretly drafted byby lawyers at devon energy. In 2015, pruitt testified before congress about his opposition to the epas Clean Power Plan regulations. When questioned by democratic senator Sheldon Whitehouse, pruitt refused to acknowledge the existence of Climate Change. Is Climate Change a proroblem ananywhere in ththe world . Senator, i think the process matters that the epa engages in i get that, but i did not ask your process question. I asked you whether Climate Change is a real problem anywherere in the world. I think the question about Climate Action plan of the president , Climate Change, is something as a policy consideration of this congress. If you want epa to address that in a direct way, you can amend the Clean Air Act to do so so the state can no how to conduct themselves in a way that is consistentnt with statututory coconstruction. To be clear, neither of the attorney generals present will concede that Climate Change is a real problem anywhere in the world. I t think is immateterial to discscussions about the Legal Framework of the Clean Air Act. I get torial or not, ask three questions. Itit is material t to my questi. Lets go on to something else. Nermeen Sheldon Whitehouse questioning Oklahoma Attorney general scott pruitt last year. Trumps selection of pruitt has been widely criticized by environmental groups and lawmakers concerned about the Climate Change crisis. Senator Bernie Sanders said pruitts record is not only that of being a Climate Change denier, but also someone who has worked closely with the fossil fuel industry to make this country more dependent, not less, on fossil fuels. Amy Environmental Working Group president ken cook, said its a safe assumption that pruitt could be the most hostile epa administrator toward clean air and Safe Drinking Water in history. To talk more about scott pruitt, we are joined by two guests. Here in new york, may boeve is executive director of 350 action, the political arm of the Climate Organization 350. Org. And joining us from washington , d c, is Wenonah Hauter, the executive director of food water watch. Wenonah hauter, lets begin with you. U. Oklahoma attorney general scott pruitt cap to head the epa. Your response . I first ran into scott pruitt when i was writing my recent book on the history of the oil and gas industry. I saw that he was one of the leading attorney generals lobbying on what he called sue and settle legislation, which we has the rightenry to sue the federal government when the government is not doing what is in their best interest. He was lobbying in favor of dev on and Continental Resources in trying to stop the ability of citizens to actually move forward with lawsuits. I think putting pruitt in charge of the epa is a lot like putting one of the three stooges in cha