tv Democracy Now LINKTV October 4, 2021 8:00am-9:01am PDT
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[captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> this year alone we have seen nearly 600 restrictions introduced in 47 states. so no matter where you live, no matter where you are, this fight is at your doorstep right now. amy: thousands march saturday in more than 600 demonstrations across the united states in a national day of action to
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protect abortion rights anti-protester texas' near total ban on abortions. we will speak to planned parenthood president alexis mcgill johnson, and hear from congress members sharing their personal stories about having an abortion. >> to all the black women who have had abortions, will have abortions, we have nothing to be ashamed of. we deserve better, we demand better. we are worthy of better. amy: and we hear from swedish lament activist greta thunberg, and a ugandan activist speaking at a climate event in italy. >> historically, africa is only responsible for only 3% of global omissions, and yet, africans are already suffering some of the most brutal impacts
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from the climate crisis. amy: all that and more, coming up. welcome to democracy now, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. hundreds of rallies took place across the united states , saturday, amid a mounting assault on reproductive rights. the protests and marches came one month after texas's near-total ban on abortions went into effect. this is a demonstrator in austin, texas. >> they have been trying to fight roe v. wade for nearly 50 years now. i will be honest, when it happened, i thought the supreme court would have to knock it down again. when they didn't, we have to fight. it shows why elections matter. we have to get back out on the streets and march and organized and fight. amy: a federal judge in texas is now considering arguments from the justice department over
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whether to suspend the texas ban while courts consider its legality. after headlines, we'll hear clips from saturday's nationwide protests, and speak with alexis mcgill johnson, president of planned parenthood. the u.s. has surpassed 700,000 confirmed covid-19 deaths. the official death toll isy far the highest in the world, even though the u.s. has had wide access to life-saving vaccines for months. in brighter news, the summer's devastating surge fueled by the delta variant is slowing down, though se northern states are still reporting rising cases. in california, governor gavin newsom announced the first-in-the-nation covid vaccine mandate for k-through-12 students. the mandate could take effect as soon as next fall. meanwhile, the new york city teacher city vaccine mandate goes into effect today. 93% of teachers have received at
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least one dose. justice sotomayor are denied an appeal by a group of educators who were seeking to halt the mandate while their lawsuit plays out in court. in southern california, an oil pipeline ruptured off the coast of huntington beach, saturday, causing a massive spill that fouled beaches and wetlands with more than 125,000 gallons of oil. huntington beach mayor kim carr called the disaster one of the most devastating situations faced by the community in decades. >> the company responsible for this oil spill, which we understand to be beta offshore, a california subsidiary of amplify energy corporations, is working on the cleanup efforas well. in the coming days and weeks, challenge that responsible parties to do everything possible to rectify this environmental catastrophe.
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amy: dead birds and arena animals have begun washing ashore huntington beach. the area is home to dozens of species. a massive, coordinated leak of nearly 12 million secret documents is giving an unprecedented look at the covert financial dealings of hundreds of politicians, billionaires, religious leaders, drug lords, and celebrities. 35 current and former world leaders are featured in the documents known as the pandora papers. one of them is jordan's king abdullah ii, who is secretly holding millions of dollars in offshore tax havens and has spent some of his fortune on lavish homes around the world. the documents also implicate current presidents uhuru kenyatta of kenya and guillermo lasso of ecuador; former british prime minister tony blair; and former associates of pakistani prime minister imran khan and associates of russian president vladimir putin. more than 600 journalists contributed to the reporting from the intnational consortium of investigative
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journalists, which was compiled over two years. the materials come from 14 global financial services dating as far back as the 1970s, though most of the files are from the past 25 years. the whistleblower who leaked tens of thousands of pages of internal facebook documents has come forward. former facebook product manager frances haugen spoke publicly for first time on cbs's “60 minutes.” >> facebook has demonstrated they cannot act independently. facebook has shown over and over it chooses profit over safety. it is paying for its profit with our safety. i am hoping this will have had a big enough impact on the world that they get the fortitude and motivation to put those regulations into place. amy: haugen's revelations, which were behind a sweeping investigation by “the wall street journal,” showed facebook executives had significant understanding of the way its products are implicated in issues including child safety,
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political misinformation, and human trafficking. haugen is testifying before a senate panel tuesday. laakers aralso pursuing facebook as part of a federal antitrust case, and over its role in contributing to the january 6th capitol insurrection. in afghanistan, at least five people were killed, sunday, in an explosion outside a mosque in kabul. a funeral service for the mother of a taliban spokesman was underway at the time of the attack. no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing but attacks by isis-k have increased since the taliban takeover in august. meanwhile, the norwegian refugee council warns afghanistan's economy is on the brink of collapse, as the humanitarian crisis continues to grow. over 18 million people rely on aid to survive, with one in three afghans facing acute hunger, according to the world food programme. in india, at least eight people were killed in the northern state of uttar pradesh, sunday, after a vehicle plowed into a
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demonstration led by farmers. the car was owned by a federal minister, whose son was arrested in connection with the incident. farmers have been resisting three pro-corporate agricultural laws enacted by prime minister narendra modi for about a year. they've vowed to intensify pressure on modi's government to repeal the laws, which deregulate agricultural markets and roll back key labor and income protections. millions of farmers and opponents of the reforms have staged multiple strikes across india since last november. in libya, officials detained some 4,000 refugees, including children, during multiple raids on friday. the united nations says at least one refugee was killed and at least 15 injured in the crackdown. on sunday, libya's coastguard intercepted a wooden boat carrying some 500 asylum seekers attempting to reach european soil. many were from sudan, somalia, bangladesh, and syria. refugees have been facing torture and and humane
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treatment at border camps. doctors without borders warns over three million people in northern syria are facing shortages of water as crucial sanitation infrastructure has been destroyed after a decade of war. the humanitarian group says even when water is accessible, it is at times contaminated and unsafe to drink, making syrians vulnerable to contracting waterborne diseases and other health issues including hepatitis. qatar held its first ever legislative elections, saturday, to select two thirds of the advisory shura council. qatar does not allow political parties, but the council has legislative authority over general state policies and the country's budget. hoping to make history, a handful of women ran in the elections, but none won their seats. this is candidate aisha hamam al-jasim. >> i just say i am strong, i am capable. i see mylf, like you. i do not see myself as weaker payment if you want to see me as
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weaker, it is up to you, but i am in administration. amy: officials obtain 21 citizens peacefully protesting the laws which are certain people from running and voting. in the canary islands, spanish scientists warned sunday a volcanic eption on the island of la palma is becoming more aggressive and shows no signs of ending any time soon. a new crater was also discovered in the cumbre vieja volcano, which has been gushing out lava for weeks, destroying hundreds of homes and forng the evacuation of thousandof residents. officials lifted a stay-at-home order, citing improving air quality, after the eruption triggered the release of toxic gas clouds. taiwan's military scrambled fighter jets over the weekend in response to two major incursions by the chinese airorce. er 75 chinese planes fw into airspace designated by taiwan as an "air defense identification zone" on friday and saturday. this follows joint u.s. and japanese military exercises in the south china sea, and after
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the u.s., u.k. and australia announced a new strategic military alliance in the asia-pacific, known as aukus. back in the u.s., house speaker nancy pelosi set a new target date of october 31 to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill, after delaying last week's vote amid fractures within the democratic party. progressive democrats have said they will not vote on the $1 trillion bill without a firm commitment to also vote on the larger, 10-year reconciliation package that would expand the social safety net and combat the climate crisis. president biden met with democratic lawmakers friday and reportedly told them that, after talks with conservative democrats kyrsten sinema and joe manchin, the proposed topline budget of $3.5 trillion likely need to go down to between $1.9 trillion to $2.3 trillion. but in a boost to progressives, biden said he supports passing both bills in tandem and believes democrats can gather
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the support to do so. he spoke after meeting with lawmakers friday. president biden: it doesn't matter whether it's been six minutes, six days, or six weeks. we will get it done. amy: the house passed a bill last week that would end sentencing disparities between crimes for crack cocaine and powder cocaine. the policy, dating back to the so-called war-on-drugs in the 1980s, has disproportionately locked up black americans, at a rate of 18-1 compared to whites. advocates say the accompanying senate bill, which has at least three republican co-sponsors, has a chance of getting the 60 votes it needs to pass there. here in new york, a judge sentenced environmental and human lawyer steven donziger to the maximum penalty of six months in prison for contempt of court. the misdemeanor charges were linked to a lawsuit brought by chevron, which has been targeting donziger ever since he successfully sued the oil giant in ecuador on behalf of
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indigenous people whose land was contaminated by chevron. donziger has already spent over two years under house arrest, and the un and other rights groups have called for his release. this is donziger in a social media video posted after his friday sentence. >> it is very clear the judge wants me to serve my six months sentence immediately, so that even if i get exonerated on appeal, i will still serve a sentence for a crime i never committed. another example of the punitive nature of what is happening. it is unheard-of of someone committing a misdemeanor in the u.s. to be let out pending his or her appeal. amy: and in other news, from new rk, a statue honoring george floyd was vandalized sunday, just two days afteits veiling cemony. police footage shows an unentified white m on a ateboard throwing gray paint on the bronze statue. floyd's sculpture is being displayed at union square alongside two others honoring
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late congressmember john lewis and breonna taylor. the busts of the three were created by artist chris carnabuci. the statue of floyd had previously been vandalized just five days after it was first unveiled on juneteenth, in flatbush brooklyn. it was marked with a logo linked to the white supremacist group, patriot front. and those are some of the headlines. this is democracy now, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. when we come back, bans off our bodies. thousands march across the country in hundreds of demonstrations in a national day of action to protect abortion rights. we will speak with the president of the planned parenthood federation of america, and hear the moving testimony of congress members talking about their own abortions. stay with us.
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amy: one of the headliners of the austin city limits music festival taking place this weekend. also, her brother, phineas, pledged money to texas planned parenthood because of the almost complete abortion ban in texas. this is democracy now, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. thousands marched saturday in more than 600 demonstrations across the united states to send the message, “bans off our bodies.” this year alone, more than 600 are enacted. they were sparked in part by a near total ban on abortions that went into effect in texas on september 1st.
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the law bans abortions after about six weeks, before most people know they are pregnant. this is “top chef” host and author padma lakshmi addressing a mass in women's march for abortion rights in houston, texas. >> they will not even allow abortion in cases of rape or incensed. -- incest. have you experienced rape or sexual violence, governor abbott? i hope not. but i have. multiple times. and i'm sure many people here today have, too. when i was 16, the only saving grace was that i did not become pregnant. when asked if it was reasonable to tell a rape victim they cannot get an abortion, they said, don't worry about it. we will eliminate rape as a
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problem. really, governor? really? because eight out of 10 rapes are committed by people they know, and only 1% of rapes and attempted rapes result in a felony conviction. i know how sexual violence can make people feel powerless, and this bill is a knife into the heart of those same people. amy: a federal judge in texas is chris considering arguments over whether to suspend the band while courts consider its legality. other states have similar bands in the works by republican state lawmakers, including arkansas, south dakota, florida. this is from a protester in miami. >> my own whites are being violated. i am 17 years old so i am the
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face of change in a way because we are the new generation. we need to make sure that we are hed and understood and the people in power can make change. amy: thousands of protesters also marched in washington outside the u.s. supreme court, where the conservative majority could impose more abortion restrictions in the coming months. on december 1st, the court will hear a case concerning a mississippi abortion law that could overturn roe v. wade, the landmark 1973 supreme court decision that legalized abortion. ahead of saturday's nationwide action, several democratic house members shared their own experiences getting abortions during a hearing thursday, amid a mounting assault on reproductive rights across the u.s. missouri congressmember cori bush said she had an abortion after being raped at 17. >> in the summer of 1994, i was
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a young girl, all of 17 years old, and had just graduated high school. like so many black girls during that time, i was obsessed with fashion and gold jewelry and how i physically showed up in the world. but i was also very lost. for all of my life, i had been a straight a student with the dreams of attending college and becoming a nurse. but high school early on was difficult for me. i was discriminated against, bullied, and as time passed, my grades slipped in along with it the dream of attaining a full scholarship to an historically black college. that summer, i was just happy that i passed my classes and finished high school. shortly after graduating, i went on a church trip to jackson, mississippi. while there, i met a boy, a friend of a friend. he was a little older than i
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was, maybe 20 years old. the first day we met, we flirted, talked on the phone payment while on the phone he asked, could i come over to your room? i was bunking with a friend and was hanging out and said he could stop by. he didn't show up for a few hours, but by the time he did, my friend and i had gone to bed. i answered the door and quietly told him he could come in, imagining we would talk and laugh like we had done over the phone. the next thing i knew, he was on top of me, messing with my clothes and not saying anything at all. what is happening, i thought. i didn't know what to do. i was frozen in shock as his weight pressed down upon me. when he was done, he got up, pulled up his pants, and without a word, he left.
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that was it. i was embarrassed, confused, shame. i asked, was there something i had done? the next morning, i wanted to talk to him, wanted to say something to him, but he refused to talk to me. by the time the trip ended, we still have not spoken. one month after the trip, i turned 18. a few weeks later, i realize i missed my period. i reached out to a friend and asked the guy to contact me. i waited for him to reach out, but he never did. i never heard from him. i was 18, i was broke, and alone. i blame myself for what had happened to me but i knew i had options. i knew other girls that had gone to a clinic who had gotten birth control or abortions. i looked through the yellow pages and scheduled an
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appointment. during my first visit, i found out i was not weeks pregnant. there, the panic set in. how could i make this pregnancy work? how could i, at 18 years old, barely scraping by, support a child on my own? i would have been on my own. i was stressed out known the father would not be involved. i feared my parents would kick me out of the home, the best parents in the world, but i fear they would kick me out. my dad was always bragging about his little girl and how he knew i would go to college and become attorney general. that was his goal for me. with no scholarship intact and college out of the foreseeable future, i could not disappoint my dad again. i knew it was a decision i had to make for myself, so i did. my abortion happened on a saturday. there were a few other women in the waiting room, including one
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other black girl. i heard the clinic saying, she ruined her life, and that is what they do. they being black girls like us. i remember going to canceling and remembering hearing that the baby would be jacked up because the baby was malnourished and underweight. i was told that if i had the baby i would go on food stamps and life -- welfare. afterwards in the changing area, i heard girls, all white, talking about how bright their futures were, and that their options and opportunities were limitless. in that moment, i felt anguish, like i had failed. i went home, my body ached. i felt dizzy, nauseous. i felt like something was missing. i felt alone but also so resolved in my decision. choosing to have an abortion was the hardest decision i ever made
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, but at 18 years old, i knew that it was right for me. even still, it took long for me to feel like me again, until most recently, when i decided to give this speech. to all the black women and girls who have had abortions, will have abortions, we have nothing to be ashamed of. we live in a society that has failed to legislate love and justice for us. we are worthy of better. that is why i'm here to tell my story. today, i sit before you as that nurse, that pastor, that activist, survivor, that single mom, congresswoman to testify that in the summer of 1994, i was raped, i became pregnant, and i chose to have an abortion. amy: congress member cori bush speaking in the house wednesday. missouri republicans say they
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plan on introducing an even more restrictive measure modeled on texas's near-total ban on abortions. siana congresswoman pramila jayapal also shared her own experience thursday about getting an abortion. >> as 181 in four women in america who have had an abortion. and for you to understand how i ultimately decided to have an abortion, i have to start earlier with the birth of my first child. my first child was born at 26.5 weeks while i was on a fellowship living in india. they weighed only one pound, 14 ounces, and upon birth went down to a wait of just 21 ounces. they fit in the palm of my hand, the size of a medium-sized squash. for three months, we didn't know
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if it would live or die. they needed multiple blood transfusions, had to be fed drop by drop, and constantly had her heart stop and start. we returned to the united states after three months. in those early intensely difficult years, januk had hydro and selfless, water on the brain, seizures, and repeatedly returned to the emergency room because of life-threatening pneumonia. the fact that januk is a 25-year-old beautiful human being is a true miracle and the greatest gift in my life. at the same time, i was also fighting to keep my legal permanent residency status, nearly to a u.s. citizen with a u.s. citizen child now. in the and, i was able to return to the u.s. with januk provided i started from scratch to qualify for citizenship. as a new mom taking care of a sick baby and recovering from
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major surgery myself, i was struggling. i experienced a postpartum depression and post-traumatic stress disorder that was only diagnosed after i die -- contemplated suicide and realized i needed to seek help. my marriage did not survive. we split custody of januk and i was a part-time single-parent. short time later, i met a wonderful man who is my husband today. i knew i was not ready to have a child, so i took my contraceptive pills. despite that, i became pregnant. i consulted with my doctors who told me that any future pregnancy would likely be high risk to me and my child, similar to what i went through with januk. i wanted to have more children but i could not imagine going through that again. after discussing with my partner who was supportive of a choice i made, i decided to have an abortion. two decades later, i think about
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those moments in the doctor's office. a doctor who was kind and compassionate, skilled, performing abortions in a state that recognizes a person's constitutional right to make their choices about their reproductive care. for me, terminating my pregnancy was not an easy choice, the most difficult i have made in my life. but it was my choice. that is what must be preserved for every pregnant person. until 2019, i never spoke publicly or privately about my abortion. in fact, i didn't even tell my mother about it. some of it was because, as an immigrant from a culture that deeply values children, and in an american society that still stigmatizes abortion, suicide, and mental health needs, i felt shame that i never should have felt. two years ago, i decided to tell my story as a member of congress because i was so concerned about the abortion ban legislation that was coming out from states
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across the country. today, i'm testifying before you because i want you to know that there are so many different situations that people face in making these choices. whether the choice to have an abortion is easy to hard, whether there are dramatic situations or not, none of that should not be the issue. it is nobody's business what choices we as pregnant people make about our own bodies. let me be clear. i would never tell people who don't use have an abortion they should choose so. nor should they tell me that i shouldn't. this is a constitutionally protected, intensely personal choice. i did not suffer the economic difficulties that so many people suffer. i did not suffer from living in a state that does not allow pregnant people to make these choices. i'm like one of my colleagues who is testifying today, i had the privilege of experiencing
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the world in a post roe v. wade time, where upper ocean was established as a constitutional right. because of the cruel texas abortion ban and other state abortion bands currently being litigated by those on affected by the outcome, many people may not have the same choice as i did. that is unacceptable. abortion bands are not just a political issue, they do real harm to people across the country and in our most vulnerable communities. i am so proud today to be testifying alongside fellow women of color, members of congress, about the need to protect our right to control our bodies. it is time to make the women's health protection act law, to repeal the hyde amendment, and to remove the stigma around abortion care and reproductive health choices. amy: that is washington congress member pramila jayapal.
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congresswoman barbara lee also testified about having an abortion. >> i am sharing my story even though i truly believe it is personal and nobody's business and certainly not the business of politicians. but i am compelled to speak out because of the real risks of the cost of turning back to the days before roe v. wade, to the days when i was a teenager and had a back alley abortion in mexico. i was raised in el paso, texas and attended catholic school, so growing up sex education was nonexistent. adolescent sexual and reproductive health were not discussed any meaningful way, and because of that, i was not sure how you got pregnant. most of what i learned most from pages of magazines and hearsay from my peers. i lived in a loving extended family household with my wonderful parents and grandparents who wanted me to make straight a's, practice the piano day and night, and of course, stay away from boys.
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after grammar school, we moved to california. when i turned 16, i missed my period. i was confused and afraid, not knowing if i was pregnant or not. i didn't know what to do. in those days, this is in the mid-1960's, women and girls were told that if you didn't have a period, you should take quinine pillows, sit in a top of water, or use a coat hanger if nothing worked. my mother noticed i became introverted and became quiet so she asked what went on. i told her that i may be maybe not be pregnant. she responded with love. she was sympathetic and took me to the doctor who confirmed i was pregnant. my mother asked me if i wanted to get an abortion. she didn't demand or force me but understood this was my personal decision, a decision i needed to make, and she would support me regardless. i was the first black
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cheerleader in my high school, got good grades, was active in my church, a member of the honor society, and an accomplished pianist. i won two scholarships, so i felt embarrassed, and if anybody found out, my life would be destroyed. it was important to have someone i trusted to help me with this decision. once i made the decision, one of my mother's best friends in el paso helped me access the abortion i could not get in california. when my mother told her what was going on, she told my mother to send me to her in el paso. she knew of a good, competent, and compassionate doctor, yes, who had a back alley clinic in mexico. she was kind and loving, took me to mexico to having an abortion procedure. remember, i just turned 16. i was one of the lucky ones, madam chair. a lot of women and girls in my
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generation didn't make it, they died him unsafe abortions. amy: congresswoman barbara lee sharing her story during a hearing on capitol hill, thursday, on the attacks of reproductive rights. from new york, this is democracy now! amy goodman. saturday, hundreds of rallies took place across the united states amidst a mounting assault against reproductive rights. the rallying cry of the day was bans off our bodies. the protests and marches came one month after texas is near total ban on abortions went into effect. this is planned parenthood federation of america president alexis mcgill johnson addressing thousands in washington, d.c. >> we have seen of the 600 restrictions introduced in 47 states. no matter where you live, no matter where you are, this fight is at your doorstep right now. amy: for more, we are joined by
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alexis mcgill johnson, president and ceo of the planned parenthood federation of america and the planned parenthood action fund. this was a massive weekend of action. particularly in texas where the near total ban has taken effect. tens of thousands of people not only marched but attended the austin city limits music festival, where one musician after another spoke out. billie eilish's brother pledged 100% of the proceeds to texas planned parenthood. can you talk about what you think this action means, on this day, the first day of the supreme court back in session, the first time they are meeting in section -- session without brett kavanaugh because he has covid? alexis: thank you for having me
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this morning, thank you for playing those testimonies in such long clips from our represtatives who spoke so eloquently and beautifully about their own abortion experiences. that is what this weekend was, a movement moment of patients telling their stories, providers telling the challenges of activists and leaders, every day , people showing up. more than 80% of americans believe roe should be the law of the land, that they should have access to safe and legal abortion. in state after state, these horrific bans are further eroding our constitutional rights. what this weekend did was just the beginning, to let the courts know, lawmakers know, state lawmakers know that the people will not stand for our rights
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being encroached upon in such a way. it is amazing that we have artists like billie eilish, phineas, gracie abrams shouting from the stage, and the people, the one in four are women, trans men, non-binary folks who have had abortions, telling their stories, reducing the stigma. it is really powerful. amy: for people to understand what this near-total ban in texas is, explain what has happened to the planned parenthood clinics, other women's health clinics. this bans off our bodies is a real coalition effort. no one particular name is attached to it. alexis: absolutely. this is a moment where we are all facing a crisis around our ability to access abortion.
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texas is just the opening salvo. we have an unconstitutional ban, so that anyone who supports anyone getting access to an abortion after six weeks is effectively rendered roe meaningls. this is what is happening now, not just to planned parenthood. independent providers across the state have become crisis hotlines. people calling, panicked by figuring out where to go, how to get in before six weeks. texas already haa number o other restrictions that complicate the ability to access abortion. 24-hour mandated waiting riods, counselin ulasounds. the reality is, 85% of our patients in texas were coming to us after six weeks, and that
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means those who can travel out-of-state are now having to identify places in oklahoma, new mexico. folks are having to travel outside of their own state, and it is having a tremendous ripple effect across the country. amy: the disproportionate impact on black and brown peoe, not to mention overall lower income people. alexis: completely. that is what this last year in particular has laid bare. our health care crisis is an extension of systemic racism. the impact that is having on our clinics as well as the people who have to take off work, plan to travel. we had one patient who drove 1000 miles to aurora, colorado by herself because she didn't know if someone driving her out of texas would be cause for that
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to get in trouble. it would not, but she didn't know. people are making these calculations where they can, but that impact of having to go out of state is certainly going to fall disproportionately to bipoc community. amy: i want to ask you about the women's health protection act, which the house passed overwhelmingly. i want to go to the senate, where it will have to be voted on next. credits are in charge by a hair, but still, it looks like it cannot pass. looking at recent coverage of one senator, susan collins of maine, she said i support codifying roe. unfortunately, the bill goes beyond that, what we can -- could weaken parts in the law, finds parts of the bill extreme. she says she is talking with other senators on truly
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codifying roe. can you explain what that is, your significance, and your strategy or dealing with the senate>" alexis: the women's health protection acts a law that would stop these horrific bans like sba's in texas, would further prevent erosion by states on our federally constituted protected right to access abortion. the idea that susan collins, who claims a pro-choice mantle, also is someone who put brett kavanaugh into a lifelong appointment, has decided to go in this direction against women's health protection act, is really alarming. we are trying to ensure -- we are on calls with our senators,
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trying to make sure they will support this incredibly important legislation. we are also activating folks in the streets to have those same conversations, to make sure that people know the majority of american support safe and legal abortions. reproductive freedom has always been under constant attack. it is incredibly important for us to continue to push our lawmakers, senators, to get them on record. in the middle of this year, when the supreme court is taking up jackson versus women's health, is going to be a conversation we are having for the next 12 months. amy: let's talk about the mississippi law that will be heard, the oral arguments on december 1, banning most abortions 15 weeks into a pregnancy. this is the one that many see as the greatest rep to roe v. wade overall.
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although right now, you can just tell the numbers across the country, it is virtually being overturned. alexis: you are absolutely right. what texas has the potential to do is i sure in a de facto end to roe. there are 25 other state looking at their ability to engage in copycat legislation starting the next legislative session in 2022. but we have with mississippi, dobbs versus women's health. as sole provider of abortion in mississippi. his 15-week abortion ban is another clear violation of our abortion rights, and that the supreme court has taken up the case, is willing to consider overturning 50 years of precedent makes it, i think, incredibly momentous.
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this is the first direct challenge to roe v. wade since justice amy coney barrett, who is now on the bench. that is concerning for all of us. amy: alexis mcgill johnson, thank you for being with us. president and ceo of the planned parenthood federation of america and the planned parenthood action fund. when we come back, from one activism to another, climate activist. stay with us. ♪♪ [music break]
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amy: this is democracy now, democracynow.org, the quarantine report. i'm amy goodman. . thousands march through milan, italy as leaders met for the precut 26 summit in a year that has seen record-breaking heat waves, floods, and fires. actavis also spoke last week at the "youth for climate" conference in milan. this is ugandan activist vanessa nakate.
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vanessa: my name is vanessa nakate. i live in paula, uganda, a country that has one of the fastest changing climates in the world. in the past few years, i have seen more and more how the climate crisis is affecting the african continent, which is ironic, given that africa is the lowest admit or of co2 emissions of all continents except for antarctica. [applause] historically, africa is responsible for only 3% of global emissions, and yet, africans are already suffering some of the most brutal impacts fueled by the climate crisis.
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devastating floods and withering droughts. many africans are losing their lives while countless more have lost their livelihoods. the droughts and floods have left nothing behind for the people, nothing except for pain, agony, suffering, starvation, and death. a recent world bank report said we could see up to 86 million people in sub-saharan africa alone displaced due to rising sea levels, desert vacation, declining freshwater, and food scarcity. over the past few months, there have been deadly heat waves and wildfires in algeria and devastating flooding in countries like uganda and nigeria. and that u.n. has declared that madagascar art is on the brink
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of the world's first climate change failure. tens of thousands of people are already suffering catastrophic levels of hunger and food insecurity after four years without rain. who is going to pay for madagascar? course, this is not just happening on the african continent. hurricanes maria, rita, have left islands in the caribbean uninhabitable. 6 million bangladeshis have become displaced as a consequence of climate cnge. by 2050, 17% of the country's coastline will vanish underwater, creating an
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estimated 40 million climate refugees. the international union for the nservation of nature recently announced they are now well over 38,000 species on its red list, the best available catalog we have of the species facing extinction. who is going to pay for the lost island of the caribbean and the pacific? who is going to pay for the communities from e bangladeshi coastle? who is going to pay for the thousands of species that fall off of the scientists' red list and into oblivion? how long shall the land more? how long shall every field whether? how long shall the animals and the birds perish?
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how long shall children be given up for marriage because their families have lost everything to the climate crisis? how long shall children sleep hungry because their farms have been washed away, because their crops had been dried up, because of the extreme weather conditions? how long? are we to watch them die of thirst in the drought and gas for air in the floods? what is the state of the hearts of the world leaders watch this happen and allow me to continue? our adersre lo and our plet is damaged. lost and damaged used to be something that people thought of as happening only in the global south. as we have seen in the recent months with wildfires in california and greece, floods in
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germany and belgium, floods and damage are possible everywhere. everywhere i go, leaders fall over themselves to say how they will achieve that zero by such and such date, to mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis. sometimes i hear leaders talk about the need to find adaptation efforts where mitigation will no longer be enough. amy: this is ugandan activist vanessa nakate speaking thursday at the youth for climate summit in milan, italy. also speaking was leaders climate actist greta unberg. eta: clima change not on a teat,t is abe all ppornity tcreate a healthr, greener, and clear l -- planet ich willenefit all u we must see thispportuni. we c achieve win-winn ecogicalonservatn and devepment.
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ghtinglimate changcalls r cooration inillpowero makehehangeshat the rld nes. we nd to walthe tal if wdo thisogether,e can this. en i s clima change,hat doou thinkf? i think ofobs. greenobs. [alaus een jobs. we must find a smooth transition toward a low carbon economy. theris no plan b blah, blah, blah. this is not about some expenses politically correct green as bunny hugging or blah bl bh. build back better, blah blah blah. green economies, blah blah blah. net zero by 202015, blah blah
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blah. yet zero by 2050, blah blah. clate neutral, blah bh blah. this is all we hear froour so-called leaders. words. words that soundreat,ot so far have led to no action. our hopes and dreams drown in their empty words and promises. of course, we ne constructe dialogue b they ve now had 30 years of blah blah blah, and where s that let us? over 50% of our 2 emissis have occurred since 1990, and a third since 2005. all the world media is reporting on what the world leaders say they will do, instead of what they are actually doing. and they are not holding leaders accountable for their actions,
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rather, inaction. don't get me wrong, we can still do this. changes not only possible, urgent and necessary, but not if we go on like today. they say they want solutions, but youannot solve a crisis that you do not lly understand. you cannot balance a budget if you do not count the numbers. as long as we ignore equity and historic omissions, long as we don't include consumption of imported goods, burning of omass, asar as clever accounting is one of the most efficient ways of reducing emissions, we will not get anywhere. pplause] and the climate crisis is, of course, only a symptom of a much larger crisis. the sustainability crisis, the social crisis. a crisis of inequality that dates back to colonialism and the on -- beyond.
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a isis basedn the ea that some people are worth more than others and therefore have the right to exploit and steal other people's land and resources. it is very naive to think we can solve this crisis without confronting the roots of it. right now, we are still very much speeding in the wrong direction. 2021 is currently projected to experience the second-highest admission rise ever. only about 2% of government recovery spending has been allocated to clean energy measures. according to a new report by the u.n., global emissions are specter to rise by 16% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. our leaders' intentional lack of action is a betrayal toward all present and future generations. for people in power cannot claim they are trying, because they
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are clearly not, as they continue opening a brand-new coal mines, oil fields, and pipelines, pretending to have ambitious climate policies while granting new oil lines, exploring in norma future oil fields. and shamelessly congratulating themselv while sti failing to come up with even the bare minimum and long overdue funding to help the most vulnerable untries deal wh the impact of the climate crisis. if this is what they consider to be climate action, then we do t want it. th invite cherry picked yog peop to meetings like this to pretend they are stening to us , but they are not. they are clearly not listening to u and they never have. just look at the numbers. look at the statistics. admissions are still rising. science does not lie. of coue, we can still turn
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this around. it is entire possible. it wl take dastic annual emissions cuts, unlike the wld has anycene. as we don't have the technological solutions at the world can deliver anything close to that, that means we will have to change. we can no longer let the ople in power decide what is potically ssible or not. we can no longer let the people in power decide what hope is. hope is not passive. hope is not blah blah blah. hope is telling the truth. hope is taking action. and hope always comes from the people. amy: climate activist greta thunberg go sweden, speaking at the youth for climate summit. thousands marched through. police clashed with activists who are calling on the cop 26
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♪♪♪ emma alberici: while italy's north is in the grips of a health emergency brought on by the coronavirus-- [dogs barking] emma: the south is confronting a crisis of its own, a ruthless new mafia. dr. giuseppe avitabile: this kind of nigerian mafia is peculiar in this place. emma: sex, drugs, and people smuggling. emma: are you still scared of them? joy ezekiel: no, why would i be scared of them? emma: the nigerians have arrived. has the italian mafia met its match? [speaking foreign language]
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