The 2016 election. Is this the beginning of another watergate . Senate democrats are calling for a special prosecutor. If Deputy Attorney general rosenstein does not appoint an independent special prosecutor, every american will rightly suspect that the decision to fire director comey was part of a coverup. Amy we will spend the hours between two Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Glenn Greenwald of the intercept about the firing off comey, the future of the fbi, and more. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. President trump fired fbi director james comey tuesday , only weeks after comey confirmed the fbi was investigating whether Trumps Campaign collaborated with russia to sway the 2016 election. I have been authorized by the department of justice to confirm that the fbi, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the russian governments efforts to interfere in the 2016 president ial election. And that includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump Campaign and the russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and russias efforts. Amy that was james comey, testifying to the House Intelligence Committee hearing in march. He was four years into a 10yeyr term when trump fired him on tuesday. Trump claims he made the decision based on the recommendation of newly appointed Deputy Attorney general Rod Rosenstein and attorney general Jeff Sessions, who both faulted comeys handling of the investigation into Hillary Clintons emails in the lead up to the elections. The New York Times reports sesessionsns had been charged wh coming up with reasons to fire comey. In recent months, the fbi director had come under widespread criticism from Many Democrats for notifying lawmakerers just before the elecection that the fbi was once again investigating whether clinton had sent classified information from her private email server while she was secretary of state. Just last week, clinton said comeys actions factored in her loss. Still on tuesday, dozens of democrats spoke out against comeys firing, saying they did not believe it was over his handling of the investigation into clintons emails. This is virginia democratic senator mark warner. It is outrageous. I thought i could no longer be surprised by this administration. Cancel that out. I am shockeded by what the president did. I am shocked as well by the idea that the Deputy Attorney general put his name to a letter that doesnt passss any smell test, somehohow blaming comey for his actions to the clinton investigation. Amy Many Senate Democrats are now calling for a special prosecutor to investigate the Trump Administration. On tuesday, White House PressSecretary Sean Spicer defended trumps move to fire comey. I also find it interesting the same individuals who are out there making these statements on the other side of the aisle are the same people, including the minority leader, who said very clearly just a few months ago, i have lost confidence in the fbi director. So the same people from nancy pelosi to Chuck Schumer to adam schiff over and over again questioned his ability to effectively lead the fbi. It seems a bit ironic that here now theyre questioning the president s decision to side with something that t they cleay articulated a a few months b ba. Amy this money, President Trump tweeted came on the same day cnn reported federal prosecutors hahave issued a grgd jury subpoenas to associates of trumps former National Security advisor general mike flynn as part of the ongoing probe of alleged russian meddling in last years election. Well have more on trumps decision to fire fbi director james comey after headlines with pulitzerer prize winning journalist Glenn Greenwald. President trump is meeting with Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov at the white house today. Among the topics of conversation will be the ongoing conflict in syria. On tuesday, White House PressSecretary Sean Spicer spoke about trumps arming of the Kurdish Peoples Protection units, known as the ypg, which are part of the u. S. Backed Syrian Democratic forces fighting isis. Yesterday, the president authorized the department of victoryto ensure clear syria. Is in raqqa the only forcece on thee ground that successfufully s seized raa minute future. Amy y the u. S. Alalso backed te ypg under presidident obama. Sergey lavrov will head to the arctic where he will also meet with secretary of state rex tillerson. The department of energy has declareded a state of emergencyt the Hanford Nuclear site in Washington State after a tunnel storing contaminated radioactive materials collapsed, forcing huhundreds of workers s to take cover to avoid potential exposure. Hanforord is the nations most polluted Nuclear Weapons production s site. The site hasas been leaking radioaoactive waste a and off r yeyears. The Energy Department claims no radidioactive cocontamination hs been r reported so far from tuesdays tunnel collapse, edwdn lyman from the union of concerned scientists said collapse of the earth covering the tunnels could lead to a considerable radiological release. We will be reporting from Washington State tomorrow on democracy now in south korea, voters elected human rights lawyer moon jay yin in to challenge the thaad Missile Defense system the u. S. Recently installed in south korea, and to open talks with north korea. His election comes after former prpresident park geunhye was ousted and jailed on charges of bribery, extortion, and abuse of power after massive street demonstrations in march. In floririda, at least teeee people w were arrerested when passengers staged a revolt at the Fort Lauderdale airport monday after Spirit Airlines canceled nine flights, stranding hundreds of people. Spirit canceled the flights in part because the Airline Company is also facing resistance from its pilots over the poor working conditions, low pay, lack of profit sharing, and the companys attempts to slow down contract negotiations. The latest cancellations came after hundreds of spiritt flighs were canceled. In new york city, hundreds of people protested against House Speaker paul ryans visit to a Harlem Charter school tuesday. The protesters were demonstrating against congressman ryans health care plan, which would strip health care from millions of americans, and his backing of Charter School c companies, such as success academy, which operates the Harlem School and 33 other schools across new york city. This is one of the protesters, Community Activist dr. Wilhelmina perry. I am a Community Activist and i represent lgbt faith leaders of african descent. I am here because i object to the policies that are regressive of this administration, and i believe that ryan and devoss should not come to harlem we are accepting. We are protesting against their being here. Amy the council on americanislamic relations says islamophobic attacks surged by 57 in 2016. The attacks include mosques being set on fire, muslim women being assaulted on the street and having their headscarves ripped off them,m, and muslims being ilillegally y targeted for interrogation by the fbi and other state agencies. Cair says the rise in hate crimes against muslims in the u. S. Was fueled in part by president Trumps Campaign rhetoric and his appointment of islalamophobes to top cabinet ad white house positions. The report is called into question as to whether President Trump wowould have actually wonn wisconsin duduring the 20166 president ial election without the states strict voterer id l. The study published by the Progressive AdvocacyGroup Priorities usa says the law suppressed the vote of more than 200,000 residents the majority of whom were African American and democraticleaning. President trump won only 22,748 more votes than hillllary clini. In wisconsin. In economic news, a new report by the aflcio says ceos of the biggest u. S. Companies are paying themselves, on average, 347 times more than the average u. S. Worker earns in a year. The ceos paid themselves an average of 13. 1 million in 2016. In ohio, the Environmental Protection agency has fined Energy Transfer partners the Company Behind the Dakota Access pipeline 400,000 for spilling millions of gallons of drilling chemicals and fluids onto the land amid construction of another pipeline, the 4. 2 billion gas rover pipeline, which is slated to stretch from appa there have been at least 18 spills, including one of up to 5 million gallonons of f fluids tt has contaminated a previously pristine wetland. Ohio epa director craig butler said this spill will kill just about everything in that wetland. Officials are currently trying to clean up the chemicals with a vacuum and by hand. This comes as Bloomberg News reports oil is slated to begin flowing through the Dakota Access pipeline on may 14. The pipeline faced months of resistance from the Standing Rock sioux tribe, hundreds of other indigenous nations, and other allies over concerns a pipeline spill could contaminate the missouri river, a drinking source for over 10 million people. The e north dakotaepartment t of health says there have been more than 700 oil and gasrelated spills in the last year alone or a spill ever 11 hours and 45 minutes on average. Meanwhile, in seattle, washington 26 activists were , arrested monday as they temporarily shut down 14 different Jpmorgan Chase branches across the city to demand the banrefuse to o do business with transcanada, the Company Behind the keystone xl pipeline. Which President Trump has promised too revivive. Imprisoned Army WhistleblowerChelsea Manning will be freed next week. In 2013, manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking more than 700,000 classified files and videos to wikileaks about the wars in iraq and afghanistan and u. S. Foreign policy. In january, the white house said she would be released on may 17 after president obama commuted her sentence. On tuesday, chelsea released a statement saying for the first time, i can see a future for myself as chelsea. I can imagine surviving and living as the person who i am and can finally be in the outside world. Freedom used to be something that i dreamed of but never allowed myself to fully imagine. Her attorneys say she is already the longestheld whistleblower in u. S. History. In new jersey, undocumented activist and student carimay andujar walked out of an ice checkin tuesday and celebrated with more than 100 supporters, who had gathered outside the Immigration Office to protest her possible deportation. Carimay is in her third year studying Chemical Engineering at rutgers university, where shes the president of undocurutgers. She was waiting for renewal of her daca status, which gives her permission to live, work, and study in the United States, when she received a letter from ice ordering her to report for the checkin tuesday. This is carimay, speaking to her supporters after she walked freely out of the Immigration Office in newark. Let me remind you of the powewer that you guys have. The peoples power will always be stronger than the people in power. Amy in West Virginia, journalist dan heyman of Public News Service was arrested after he repeatedly asked health and Human Services secretary tom price whether Domestic Violence would be categorized as a preexisting condition under the republicans new health care plan. The republicans plan does not protect people with preexisting conditions, instead allowing Insurance Companies to charge them dramatically higher rates for health insurance. Heyman was arrested, jailed on 5,000 bail, and charged with willful disruption of State Government processes after he repeatedly questioned price in the hallway of the West Virginia state capitol. The American Civil Liberties union has issued a travel alert warning potential travelers to texas they might be illegally stopped by police and asked about their immigration status, now that Texas Governor greg abbott has signed into law sb4, one of the harshest antiimmigrant laws in the country. The law bans sanctuary cities and allows Police Officers to check the immigration status of anyone they detain. To see our full interview about sb4, go to democracynow. Org. Meanwhile, the Homeland Security department has admitted it has been compiling lists of alleged crimes committed by haititians o received temporary protected status to legally reside and work in u. S. After an earthquake devastated haiti in 2010. Up to 55,000 haitians could be forcefully repatriated to haiti the Trump Administration refuses to extend the protected status on july 22. To see our full interview with ththe executive directctor of m, go to democracynow. Org. And in ferguson, missouri, family members and activists are mourning the death of 27yearold Edward Crawford, a father of four Young Children who took part in the 2014 ferguson uprising sparked by the Police Killing of unarmed africanamerican teenager michael brown. Crawford was the subject of an iconic photo, in which he is throwing a Police Tear Gas canister away from a group of protesters before it could explode. Missouri state senator maria chappellenadal tweeted Edward Crawford is dead. Found in his car shot to death. He is fergusons hero. For those of us teargassed, he was our local champion. Rip crawford died in his car from a gunshot wound on thursday. His father has rejected the polices initial claims that the death was a suicide. He is the third ferguson protester to have been found shot dead inside their own cars since the uprising. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Nermeen and im nermeen shaikh. Welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. President trump has set off a political firestorm after firing fbi director james comey just weeks after comey confirmed the fbi was investigating whether Trumps Campaign collaborated with russia to sway the 2016 election. Comey was four years into a 10year term. The firing came on the same day that cnn reported federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas to associates of trumps former National Security advisor Michael Flynn as part of the ongoing probe of russian meddling in last years election. This all comes as President Trump repairs to meet with Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov at the white house today. It is his first visit to washington since 2013. The firing of james comey has led dozens of Senate Democrats to call for a special prosecutor to investigate the Trump Administra