12/12/23 12/12/23 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> let's deliver -- [indiscernible] amy: "end fossil fuels.

save our planet and our future." that was the message of a 12-year-old indigenous climate activist from india who disrupted proceedings at the u.n. climate summit in dubai where outrage is growing after a call to phase out fossil fuels is dropped from the proposed climate deal. we will go to dubai for the latest. then to texas, where the state supreme court has ruled against a woman who had to flee to another state to have an emergency abortion. this comes as kentucky's ban on abortion is also being challenged. >> in america, every eight hours a woman dies from pregnancy complication. evidence is correlating abortion ban is the key factor driving increasing maternal and infant death rates. amy: but first, israel, as

relatives of hostages held in gaza urge israeli lawmakers to use diplomacy, not war, to free their loved ones. we will speak with an israeli peace activist whose 84-year-old mother was released by hamas in late november. all that and more, coming up. welcome to democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. israeli troops backed by tanks and heavy artillery have stormed the besieged kamal adwan hospital in the northern gaza strip where 3000 displaced people are sheltering from israeli's unrelenting assault. al jazeera reports medical staff inside the hospital are among those shot and killed, as were two mothers killed monday when israel's military bombarded the hospital's maternity ward. the hospital's remaining patients include a dozen children in an intensive care unit and six newborns in incubators.

palestinian health officials say israeli soldiers were rounding up men in the hospital courtyard, stripping them, blindfolding them, and taking them away for interrogation. a human rights watch official said such treatment "amounts to a war crime." the assault on the kamal adwan hospital comes as israel's military continued to bombard the southern gaza strip, including rafah on the egyptian side where thousands of palestinians expelled from northern gaza face dire shortages of food, water, medicine, fuel, and shelter. this is fatma soliman al-malihy who was displaced along with her family from northern gaza. >> there is no food or drink. the house is destroyed. there no money. we are innocent people. we have nothing. we own nothing. we are unarmed people, for god sake. look at us.

stop the war. where would we go? you moved us from the north to rafah. we don't know where to go. we don't sleep. we are depressed. we are scared. we have children with disabilities, paralyzed ones. where would we go? amy: palestinians and supporters around the world on monday joined a global strike demanding an immediate ceasefire in gaza. the action, which saw businesses closed and other activities suspended for the day, came in response to the united states' veto of a u.n. security council resolution calling for an urgent ceasefire in gaza. and washington, d.c., over a dozen jewish elders chained themselves to the fence in front of the white house urging president biden end his opposition to a ceasefire. the 18 women who participated in the act of civil disobedience read the names of palestinians killed by israeli forces since hamas's october 7 attack.

they also chanted "biden, biden, pick a side, ceasefire not genocide!" also in capitol hill, over 100 protesters occupied the senate atrium monday urging lawmakers and the biden administration to cease all military aid to israel and instead divest funds for affordable housing, healthcare, and other needs. many protesters wore black shirts with the words "invest in life." dozens were arrested. the harvard corporation, harvard university's highest governing body, has rejected calls to fire president claudine gay following a contentious congressional hearing on into semitism -- anti-semitism and a broader effort to restrict pro-palestinian speech on college campuses. that's according to the harvard crimson, which reports the decision came after more than 700 faculty members signed an

open letter calling on the harvard corporation to resist calls to remove gay from her post. the letter continues -- "the critical work of defending a culture of free inquiry in our diverse community cannot proceed if we let its shape be dictated by outside forces." clotting gay also won the backing of the alumni association and more than 70 black faculty members who called attacks on her politically motivated. gay was inaugurated in october as the first black person and second woman to lead harvard university. she is the daughter of haitian immigrants. efforts to unseat her came as university of pennsylvania president elizabeth magill resigned her position following intense republican-led backlash and a capitol hill grilling by far-right republican congressmember elise stefanik.

ukraine's president volodymyr zelenskyy is in washington, d.c., hoping to break a republican-led deadlock over u.s. military aid. on monday, zelenskyy said any further delay of u.s. support for ukraine's military will play into the hands of russian president vladimir putin. zelenskyy's visit comes as ukrainian military leaders admit their muslim counteroffensive aimed at reclaiming territory occupied by russia has largely failed. the white house has asked congress to approve more than $61 billion in additional aid to ukraine, part of a larger $110 billion package that also includes arms for taiwan and israel and money to further militarize the u.s.-mexico border. but senate republicans have rejected the aid package, calling for even greater restrictions on immigration. this comes as the guardian reports allies of hungary's far-right prime minister viktor orbán are holding a closed-door meeting with republicans in washington to push for an end to

u.s. military support for ukraine in a two-day event hosted by the heritage foundation think tank. in russia, supporters of alexei navalny say the jailed opposition leader is missing. the kremlin critic has been locked in a penal colony since last year, sentenced to more than three decades on what he says are trumped-up charges of extremism. those charges came after navalny narrowly survived an assassination attempt in 2020 when he was poisoned with the nerve agent novichok. on monday, navalny's spokesperson said she feared for his life. >> the main thing for us is to find him as soon as possible because right now he is completely alone and literally in the hands of people who once tried to kill him. we don't know what they will do again. amy: a secret memorandum issued by india's government last april ordered diplomatic staff in north america to launch a

sophisticated crack down scheme against organizations in western countries. that's according to the intercept which reveals the memo lists several sikh dissidents under investigation by india's intelligence agencies, including the canadian citizen hardeep singh nijjar -- who was murdered in vancouver in june in what canada's government said was an assassination arranged by india's government. the memo said, "concrete measures shall be adopted to hold the suspects accountable." prime minister narendra modi has long been accused of targeting sikh leaders at home and abroad. in dubai, frustration is mounting as a draft agreement for the u.n.'s cop28 climate summit so far omits the phasing out of fossil fuels, drawing widespread criticism from climate activists who've denounced the draft as a death warrant for the planet. the document released monday instead calls for "reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels."

environmentalist and former u.s. vice president al gore said on social media, "cop28 is now on the verge of complete failure." meanwhile, a peaceful action broke out monday as several activists gathered outside a meeting room in dubai's expo city where cop28 president sultan al-jaber was expected to hold a news conference. protesters held hands and formed a line demanding a fossil fuel phase out. this is emma buretta, a climate activist from the u.s. >> if we don't get a phase out at this cop, there's a very high chance we are going to exceed 1.5 degrees of warming which will ensure a completely unlivable future for youth like me, for marginalized people come indigenous people, people of color, and for everyone. amy: we will go to dubai later in the broadcast. in california, a group of children has filed a federal lawsuit charging the

environmental protection agency and its administrator with failing to regulate life-threatening greenhouse gases despite knowing the harm it causes to children's health and welfare. it's the latest in a series of youth-led climate lawsuits brought by the non-profit law firm our children's trust. 14-year-old plaintiff avroh s. said in a statement -- "we are experiencing what no one should have to experience. we're facing constitutional negligence. we're challenging the epa's failure to protect us. the air we breathe has become a casualty of their opposition." in august, a court in montana ruled in favor of a similar lawsuit brought by young people who had sued montana's government for violating their constitutional rights as it pushed policies that encouraged the use of fossil fuels. the prosecutor behind donald trump's federal election interference case has asked the u.s. supreme court to clarify whether the former president has immunity from prosecution. special counsel jack smith made the request for an expedited answer from the supreme court on monday in a bid to stave off any delays ahead of trump's trial scheduled for march 4.

trump is accused of leading efforts to overturn the 2020 election and inciting the insurrection at the u.s. capitol on january 6, 2021. trump has claimed the constitution accords him absolute immunity from prosecution. over the weekend, donald trump doubled down on his claims that he would not be a dictator if he becomes president again "other than day one." trump was speaking at the new york young republicans club's annual gala on wall street. pres. trump: you know why i wanted to be a dictator? because i want a wall and i want to drill, drill, drill. amy: in washington, d.c., a federal jury will decide how much ex-president trump's disgraced former attorney rudy giuliani will pay after a judge found him liable for defaming two georgia election workers whom giuliani falsely accused of ballot tampering after the 2020 election. as the trial got underway monday, giuliani's lawyers argued the millions of dollars

in damages sought by the workers -- ruby freeman and her daughter shaye moss -- would amount to the "civil equivalent of the death penalty" and would "end mr. giuliani." and in texas, kate cox, a woman seeking to terminate her pregnancy, has fled the state to obtain emergency abortion care after the texas supreme court blocked a ruling that would've allowed her to get the procedure. she sought an abortion in texas after learning the fetus has a fatal genetic condition that if carried to term could make it impossible for her to have more children. this is molly duane, an attorney with the center for reproductive rights. >> we are talking about a very real woman and a family who is not only grieving the loss of a child, that is dealing with serious health conditions that exacerbated by the pregnancy that she is challenged with every single day. for the attorney general to basically say, no, i know better

than your doctors and i get to veto the health care is really a stunning thing to see. amy: we'll have more on this story later in the broadcast. we will go to kentucky and to texas. and those are some of the headlines. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. the united nations general assembly is voting today on a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in gaza and the immediate release of all hostages. the vote comes four days after the united states vetoed a u.n. security council resolution calling for a ceasefire to halt israel's bombardment of gaza, which has killed over 18,000 palestinians. israel says hamas and other groups in gaza are still holding 138 hostages. during the seven-day truce in late november, hamas released 105 hostages in exchange for 240 palestinian women and children who were held in israeli prisons. on monday, relatives of some of

the remaining israeli hostages met with israeli lawmakers at the knesset. the times of israel reports the families "called for the government to prioritize seeking an agreement for their release through diplomatic channels, rather than pressing on with the military offensive in gaza against hamas." family members are planning to hold a protest outside the knesset today under the slogan "the hostages have no time." we are joined now by neta heiman. her 84-year-old mother ditza heiman was held hostage in gaza and was freed on november 28. she had been kidnapped on october 7 from her home on the kibbutz nir ohz near the border with gaza. neta heiman is joining us from haifa. she is a member of the israeli chapter of women wage peace. welcome to democracy now!

i'm so sorry under the circumstances. can you talk about what you're demanding? >> we are demanding to release all the hostages. we are demanding from the israel i government to put a deal on the table. do not wait. we need the israeli government to put a deal that will -- release a lot of palestinian prisoners. we will need lots of days to stop the fire. people taken on october 7, the price is for them. they deserve this price because

the country left them behind. it has been 67 days i think since october 7, and they are still there. i am hopeful. 85th birthday, 85-year-old man they are keeping hostage in gaza without medication, without enough food. who can survive this? a make out been some discussion of israel flooding the tunnels with saltwater. can you respond to this and what was said to israeli bankers? >> people are in these tunnels.

if you flooded with water, what will happen to the hostages? we know part of them are in the tunnels. amy: can you talk about the day your mother was released? this was during the truce, during the temporary cease fire when more than 100 -- when hamas released more than 100 hostages. where were you? how was your mother ditza heiman ? >> it was very exciting. we wait for this for 53 days. she was a hostage for 53 days. we wait for her to be released. every day, who would be released? who would be released the day after? and she came back and we were

very happy. she came back and she is ok. but there are a lot of people who are still there. this is what is important, to bring them back home immediately because they have no time. the bombing on gaza can hurt them. my mother wasn't in the tunnel. every day can hurt the hostages. we must bring them home now. there is no time. amy: can you talk more about how she was treated by hamas? who she was held with? also, who your mom, 84 years old ,ditza is an talked about her role in the kibbutz nir ohz. >> the story of the 53 days is

her story and i can't tell her condition because it is going to be -- for the people left behind. she is 84 years old. she lived all her adult life in the kibbutz near the border with gaza. she was from the founders of the kibbutz. she was a social worker for a long time. she worked until the age of 80. amy: neta, if you contact about your organization women wage peace? an organization that the slight activist vivian silver -- slain activist vivian silver was also

killed. they thought she was being held hostage but ultimately i guess they found dna of her on the kibbutz. >> women wage peace is an israel i movement, people from a political rainbow. sorry. all we ask since 2014, to make an agreement with the palestinians. we don't tell what kind of agreement that we believe there is a possibility to talk with the palestinians and to make an agreement that they will bring us a peaceful life. we have a sisterhood, a movement

-- a palestinian sisterhood movement. they call themselves women of -- there are people from the west bank and gaza as well. we all believe we can live here in peace. amy: in your opinion piece for hearts in october he wrote, "i'm furious at the israeli government and the accursed members of the government who because of than the army was patrolling the west bank village over the holiday instead of guarding and protecting my mother. i'm furious at this government that has for almost a year been doing everything they can to escalate the situation in the gaza border area. this colossal failure, this chaos is on their shoulders, is their fault as is the fact that even now, four days later, government representative has still not visited most of the

families of the hostages." that was in october. if you can talk about what is happening now with the israeli government, how they are communicating with you. you gave a speech yesterday. explain where you gave it and what your message was, neta. >> the israeli government contacted the families -- all the hostage families had contact with the government and with the army, but it took too long. part of the family's it took almost two weeks until someone called them. yesterday we were lighting hanukkah candles and hostages square.

we call for a release of all the hostages. they started a peace process after. amy: what would that peace process look like? >> i don't know. i know hamas must go. they can't control gaza. but israel can't control gaza as well. i think it will be -- it will need international involvement to establish something else in gaza that may be the palestinian -- i don't know how to say. amy: palestinian authority? >> yes, palestinian authority would take gaza -- to establish something else to replace hamas

control in gaza. amy: your final thoughts on president biden come on the united states vetoing the u.n. security council resolution calling for cease fire? >> i think there must be a cease fire that can release all the hostages. israel has a right to protect themselves. what happened october 7 came out from gaza, but i don't think we can destroy gaza or erase gaza. there is also innocent people in gaza. not all of them are from the hamas. amy: neta heiman mina, thank you for being with us. her 84-year-old mother ditza heiman was kidnapped by hamas from her home on the kibbutz nir

ohz near the border with gaza and was released on november 28. neta is a member of the israeli chapter of women wage peace. coming up, outrage is growing in dubai after eight call to phase out fossil fuels is dropped from the draft of the proposed climate deal. we will be in dubai. stay with us. ♪ [music break]

amy: this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. we go now to dubai where the u.n. climate summit cop28 has entered its final hours. monday, draft agreement mentions fossil fuels for the first time. climate activists and leaders from many small island nations have denounced the draft text as a death warrant for the planet. the document released monday

instead calls for inducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels. former u.s. vice president al gore said on social media, "cop28 is on the verge of complete failure." monday, a 12-year-old climate activist from india disrupted the high-level proceedings by storming the stage. >> let's deliver -- >> [indiscernible] amy: the 12-year-old activist was holding up a sign that read "end fossil fuels. save our planet and our future." >> cop 25 madrid, spain, when i was around seven years old.

it has been five years and there's been no concrete action from our leaders and world leaders keep on destroying our planet and our future. clean water to drink and clean plenty to drink is basic rights. asking is basic rights is completely unnecessary. we must have basic rights right now and we are not having that at all, so how is that fair? taking my badge just like that come how is that fair? amy: we are joined by two guests . tasneem essop, executive director of the climate action network international. an expert on climate, energy, poverty and social justice issues and is the founding director of the energy democracy initiative in south africa. and we are joined by meena

raman, head of programs at third world network. she is also the president of friends of the earth, malaysia . we welcome you both to democracy now! talk about the draft text and the outrage it has been met by at the climate summit and around the world. >> this is not the final text what we saw. it contained many options, including a phase down of cold. it had references to fossil fuel phase out and it had the production and consumption of fossil fuels reduced in some other options. it is not final yet. it went to the minister last time. many of us were following what was happening. the room was quite divided. what was quite outrageous for us , the u.s., canada, australia,

japan, germany, european union as a whole -- one by one, they stood up to say the fossil fuel phase out plan, which is not there were was insufficient and needs to be strengthened and that we need to keep the 1.5 degrees celsius limit alive. what was sickening to me was these are the so-called biggest polluters, historical matters who refuse to acknowledge historical responsibility and do not want to talk about the equitable distribution of the carbon budget from historical times when developed countries and the rich countries have over consumed 4/5 of that budget with very little space left for developing countries. that was the rich not pretending to be climate champions because we know and we have read the

report of many research organizations, which clearly have showed these very same countries as they come here and pretend to be climate champions and talk about limiting temperature rise and ending fossil fuels have signed and continued to sign licenses for extension -- expansion and production of fossil fuels. for us, it was duplicitous on their part to do that. there was no reference to the means of implementation, which is provision of finance, technology, to do the phaseout. it was not about justice, climate justice. it was not about equity. because all they do here is come here and pretend as if it is all the fault of developing countries. so those of us who are here have been exposing this hypocrisy. we are saying the fossil fuel

phase out has to be fair, just, equitable, and developed countries must take the need and must end fossil fuel production and consumption now not in 2030, 2040, or 2050. they must take into account historical responsibility and must provide the finance, technology, transfer for the developing countries to move into the transition. because we can't do it overnight. they talk about 2025. you can't have the rich world taking 100 years to peak and reach to the developing world much of whom do not have clean energy, do not have access to electricity, where there is constant breakdowns even in new delhi people live in blackouts. we can talk more about what happens in south africa.

there is a need for a just transition and any outcome from here must be just. you can't just look at if the fossil fuel language is there but the issue is whether or not it can get done so the poor don't have to be burdened even further. it cannot be applauded just because you have language of fossil fuel in the text. amy: tasneem essop, is this really any surprise when you have the head of the u.n. climate summit, the head of the uae's national oil company -- he is an oil executive -- who said before the cop even began that there is no science call behind a fossil fuel phaseout. this seems to follow exactly what he has said. as people know, a few days ago in dubai i followed him asking

him these two questions about being the head of the oil company and saying there is no role for fossil fuel phaseout and also the fact at this u.n. climate summit, there are more fossil fuel lobbyists -- close to 2500 -- then of course at any cop before. something like three times more than there were in the last for years. can you talk about the effects of that? also, president biden not showing up at this u.n. climate summit, vice president harris did. what you're calling for? also if you can talk about the protests that have and have not been allowed as you demand everything from fossil fuel phaseout to cease fire in gaza? >> thank you, amy. i want to be clear about the cop president's role in relation to

the text and where negotiations are right now. you have made statements across the -- he has made statements across the years since his appointment. i can say we have been engaging even though we have agreed to disagree on the issue of our priority to get an outcome for a just and equitable phaseout of fossil fuel, he has been engaging ngo's. he has been pretty forthcoming in terms of the ideas presenting to him, especially in relation to ensuring that equitable approach to a phase out of fossil fuels. that is an important element. we can't just have phaseout language as if there's no context to a phase out of fossil fuels. so you would have seen that his rhetoric over the years did change, it shifted. when the language of it is

inevitable we should have a phase out of fossil fuels, we heard that in bonn already. it is been wanting to get an outcome recognizing we have to have an outcome on fossil fuels at this cup. yes, of course, the context for fossil fuel industries being here, this is not a new phenomenon. we saw this -- in an, they've been in the process for many years. the presence already in glasgow. but we need to be focused about the outcome and he has not been at all in any actively appear to be obstructed about the outcome. his engagement with ngo's, he was keen to have delicacy from cop28. i just want to be clear about

that and the engagement. in relation to the protests. certainly, we came to this cop with a set of demands. one of them come a just and equitable phaseout of fossil fuels. the idea of a package, energy package is what we came into this cop with. the package would include equitable phaseout, an phase in of renewable energy, and importantly -- this is what is missing right now -- financial support. the kind of transitions that developing countries will have to take whether they are least developing countries, small island states, or middle income countries -- that transition is going to cost money. we know that developing countries, particularly many of them reeling under debt burden, will need financial support. so when meena talks about

challenges surrounding fossil fuels or phaseout without understanding the context that we have to have an equitable phaseout and we developed countries do not understand that and will not commit to the levels of support required to achieve that equity -- the draft text on the table did not make any reference to developed countries first and fastest. ipcc said there could not be any new production yet it is the developing -- developed countries that are still signing licenses, expanding production, investing in fossil fuels. we have to address this. this is the real political context. we do want an outcome on a phase

out of fossil fuels, but we do want it to be equitable and just and this is where the developed countries will have to step up and do that and ensure that kind of outcome. the other issue that we have been processing about is standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in palestine and highlighting the unfolding genocide in gaza. so we have been very active in this space, actively protesting on the genocide in gaza. amy: i wanted to ask about a u.n. report finding global south countries need nearly $400 billion per year to prepare for climate change but only $21 billion was given in 2021. the report saying in addition to between 200 billion-dollar shou chew hundred $66 billion for

every passing year, talk about the demands you're making of wealthier nations example, the biggest one, united coming of the largest leader, china. if you can address these issues and what impact does climate have on your country in south africa? >> we both contributed to climate change, but also extremely vulnerable to climate change. we have had a number of extreme weather events recently. flooding. there have been droughts in the country. of course we are challenged and vulnerable. on the issue of finance, though, we're not talking about billions anymore, we are really needing to talk about the trillions.

this is where the conversation -- we're still hearing people talk about fulfilling $100 billion obligation that they have not fulfilled yet but we already understand the accumulated needs now, whether we are addressing the actions we need to take to reduce emissions, whether it is the actions we need to take for adaptation, and whether it is the funding needed to address loss and damage, when we look at that, we are really talking about trillions and not aliens. we have to look at all of the measures to get back the resources. it has to be public funding. it has to be developed countries right now are trying to shift that away from taking a public funding approach to it and

wanting to look at private funding, which is impossible. the private sector will not fund loss and damage. they will not find adaptation because it is not profit-making. certainly we need to talk about public funding. we need to talk about developed countries looking at securing that funding and mobilizing it. and then we also have to look at what we are calling the polluters -- we know the fossil fuel industry. those companies have to pay for their pollution. they have been making huge profits. certainly a windfall tax on fossil fuel companies is one of those options we can look at. funding -- i'm sure meena can add to this.

developing countries have to step up. they can find funding so easily. amy: meena, we just have a minute. i want to end with you on what is going to happen today? is this climate summit going to end? are you going to get -- succeed in getting concessions? are you concerned the loss and damage find will be initially run by the world bank? >> i think the loss and damage fund issue is already settled. unfortunate, developing countries had to give a huge concession in allowing the world bank to be the financial intermediary for four years. so that battle has already been locked in. so we will be watching whether the world bank lives up to its obligation. in relation to the outcome of the talks, we don't know as of yet.

we are meeting with the text that will land on us any time and the next few hours and we expect the talks to go on late into the night as always the case. and really have to see whether this is the text that will actually have protect the planet and the poor or will it continue to allow the biggest polluters and the rich nations to continue to escape the responsibility but pretend to be climate champions and continue fossil fuel expansion, production, consumption. amy: thank you both for being with us. we will continue this discussion tomorrow. meena raman, head of programs at third world network. president of friends of the earth, malaysia. tasneem essop, executive director of the climate action network international. from south africa. next up, the texas supreme court has ruled against a woman who had to flee to another state to have an emergency abortion. and we will look at how kentucky's ban on abortion is being challenged. stay with us.

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amy: this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. we turn now to texas. after a week in legal limbo, kate cox, a woman who sought a court ruling to temporarily block texas' abortion ban so she have an emergency abortion, has left texas to obtain the time-sensitive procedure she needs elsewhere. she is a mother of two who is 20 weeks pregnant when she sought the abortion after learning her fetus has a lethal abnormality and that being forced to carry the nonviable pregnancy to term could make it impossible for her to have more children. a texas judge granted a court order last thursday that would have allowed her to have the abortion. but the texas supreme court

temporarily overturned the order. on monday, it issued a final ruling to stop kate cox from having an abortion. texas republican attorney general ken paxton filed a motion overturned and threatened to prosecute any providers involved in giving cox an abortion. cox spoke to nbc news last thursday. >> hard times. we are going through the loss of a child. there's no outcome here that i take home my healthy baby girl. it is hard. grief. amy: the lawsuit filed by kate cox also sought protection for her husband and her doctor from the texas law that allows anyone to sue patients, medical workers, a cab driver, or even a patient's family or friends who "aid and abet" an abortion. meanwhile, a pregnant woman in kentucky is suing over her

state's near-total-ban on abortions. she is the lead plaintiff in the class action lawsuit that argues ban violates kentucky's constitution. on monday, her attorneys told the kentucky court the woman learned her embryo no longer has cardiac activity. for more, we're joined by two guests. in kentucky, we're joined by tamarra wieder, kentucky state director for planned parenthood alliance advocates. and in houston, dr. bhavik kumar is a family medicine physician and abortion provider in texas. also co-chair of the committee to protect health care's reproductive freedom task force. we welcome you both to democracy now! dr. kumar, let's begin with you in texas. explain the kate cox case. the abnormality her fetus had, what it meant for her, and how it is possible the court went from saying yes you are one of the exceptions to this abortion ban to having basically to fully

the -- fl the state of texase. >> it is devastating to hear what kate cox has had to experience. unfortunately, it is one of hundreds if not thousands of comparable stories where people know what is best for them. they are consulting their medical team, making decisions. unfortunately, in texas, they are unable to exercise that right. what i understand from public records, kate cox had a pregnancy diagnosed with a syndrome where is extremely likely the pregnancy would not continue to term even if the pregnancy did, survival is very low. in public records, kate also mentioned she would like to have future children and preserve her fertility. if this pregnancy were to

continue, her health would be at stake in her future fertility would also be in limbo and unclear. the decision she made with her medical team was to end this pregnancy. i think we can clearly hear and her voice how difficult that decision might have been and how much emotion she is feeling. she sought the care close to home in her home state of texas. we seen these stories all the time. this is a common scenario. while kate's story is unique to her, this is very similar to what i hear from hundreds of people. before the fall of roe, i could help these folks to at least get through it, to be able to live their lives on their own terms, and decide what is best for their future. in this case, it might've been to have children at another time and hopefully have a healthy pregnancy she can carry to term. luckily, kate did have the ability to go out of state. it does not mean it is easy or nice. they should be able to get the care here in texas.

many people are not able to make it out of state. in states like texas and kentucky and other states with abortion bans, folks are forced to carry those pregnancies to term, putting their lives at risk. it is an unfortunate situation here in texas. amy: you see around the country when volunteer -- politicians vote in abortion ban, they say there is an exception. multiply, the court ruled she could have the procedure because of what was at stake for her. but then you have the attorney general of texas can paxton who himself they attempted to impeach has been charged with corruption, and he will locked that. he sued in the court -- he sued and the court agreed. talk about what it means that a physician like you or hospital or cabdriver driving a pregnant person somewhere could be sued by anyone in this country if they were involved with them

getting an abortion, sometimes to save their own lives. >> this is exactly what we have been talking about for years now. we have a very hostile situation in texas when it comes to reproductive rights, specifically abortion. anyone at risk of becoming pregnant or is pregnant under this hostile regime, including the texas attorney general. we have three abortion bans. one written in the 1840's or 1850's. one passed after roe fell. and sb 8. while these politicians say there are exceptions, somebody really has to be at deaths door before we can reasonably act in their favor. we have a situation here where somebody has a nonviable pregnancy, their physician has looked at the specifics of their medical history and determine this is best for them, sought relief from the court.

a judge said it is ok to move forget the texas attorney general comes in with a letter threatening the physician or anyone involved with the care, threatening all three hospitals where the physician has privileges, and the consequences are monetary fines, loss of licenses, civil and criminal liability, as well as potentially life in jail. this is not something we take lightly. while physicians like me want to provide care, we're simply under a very oppressive regime that makes it unclear if we can act in our patient's favor until they are sicker and closer to death, which is what we as physicians want to avoid while at the state is pushing them further in that direction. amy: i want to bring in tamarra wieder, kentucky state director for planned parenthood alliance advocates. if you can't update us on what is happening with jane doe? on monday, attorneys and from the kentucky court that after

filing a class action lawsuit challenging the state's abortion ban last friday, the lead plaintiff, who now note as jane doe, learned her embryo no longer has cardiac activity. what is happening in kentucky? >> so that is public knowledge at this point to protect jane doe's identity. that is been key to this lawsuit moving forward. at this time, nothing really changes. we are going to move forward with jane doe at this moment because it does not change why we brought the suit forward. she was pregnant in a state that did not allow her to terminate a pregnancy which she wanted to terminate. she was going to have to leave the state to seek her abortion. just like over a million other people of reproductive age in kentucky right now who find themselves pregnant and seeking

an abortion, they have to leave the state will store just like in texas if they have a medical emergency, they're taken up to the line of near death to access the medical exceptions or so-called exemptions because there is so much liability right now that hospitals are afraid to take on in the commonwealth. so people are having to leave the state and go to either illinois or right, ohio. there's lots of new legislation that we are hearing from that will make it more difficult or increased the chilling effect and what is happening in texas is definitely going to increase the chilling effect here in kentucky because these laws, restrictions, and attacks don't happen in a vacuum. but we will move forward with their lawsuit currently, with planned parenthood as a plaintiff as well. amy: jane doe said in a press statement, "i am angry that now that i am pregnant and do not what to be the government is

interfering in my private matters and blocking me from having an abortion. i am bringing this lawsuit because i firmly believe everyone should have the ability to make their own decisions about their pregnancies." you have a number of other people that are being represented here. if you can talk about the politics of kentucky and do you see this ban being lifted? >> sure. so we hope -- it is a class-action lawsuit, so we do hope people hearing about this case who may be in a similar situation in kentucky who would like to join our class action lawsuit, they do have to give pregnant and seeking an abortion at the time they join the class action lawsuit. can call the aclu kentucky or planned parenthood in kentucky and we can talk with them and see if they can join the class action lawsuit. we have been looking since

february when the supreme court of kentucky informed us with our previous lawsuit that providers could not take our case forward without a patient. so we had to start over and find a plaintiff, which has taken some time. we are so incredibly proud and honored that jane doe stepped forward, especially in a politically hostile environment. i would not say kentucky is necessarily hostile. we have had two elections where abortion has really been cemented as a winning issue. we had constitutional amendment last year -- amy: as we wrap up, of democratic governor andy beshear set for inauguration today. many say his race turned on a referendum on abortion. >> correct. andy beshear's race really turned on abortion, really moved

people to vote on abortion access. our attorney general daniel cameron was one of the most restrictive, similar to ken paxton on abortion. people turned out against them. amy: we have to leave it there. tamarra wieder, kentucky state director for planned parenthood alliance advocates.