Democracy Now.!

TODAY'S DEMOCRACY NOW!:

With Amy Goodman
* Max Roach 1924-2007: Thousands Pay Tribute to the Legendary Jazz Drummer, Educator, Activist *

Over 2,000 people gathered at Riverside Church in New York on Friday for the funeral of the legendary drummer, educator and activist Max Roach, who died on August 16 at the age of 83. He was credited with helping to revolutionize the sound of modern jazz and for playing a prominent role in the struggle for black liberation at home and in Africa. We speak with two men who have known Roach for decades: Amiri Baraka and Phil Schaap.

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http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/27/1425234

TODAY'S DEMOCRACY NOW!:
With Amy Goodman

* "What this Rule Change Amounts to is a Declaration of War Against the Appalachian People": Opponents of Mountaintop Removal Decry Bush's New Mining Rules *

The Bush administration is poised to issue regulations today that would legalize and expand the controversial coal mining practice known as mountaintop removal. The technique involves blasting off the tops of mountains and dumping the rubble into valleys and streams. We speak with Appalachian activist Vernon Haltom of Coal River Mountain Watch.

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http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/24/1321257

TODAY'S DEMOCRACY NOW!:

With Amy Goodman
* Bush Invokes Vietnam to Argue Against U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Iraq *

President Bush warned Wednesday that a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq would lead to mass bloodshed similar to what happened in Southeast Asia after the Vietnam War. He urged critics of the current war to "learn something from history" and "resist the allure of retreat." We speak with historian and investigative journalist, Gareth Porter.

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http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/23/1333248

* War Resister Camilo Mejia Elected to Chair Iraq Veterans Against the War, Group Encourages U.S. Troops to Refuse to Fight *

TODAY'S DEMOCRACY NOW!:
With Amy Goodman

* Democrats Capitulate to President Bush As Congress OKs Giving Government Broad New Powers To Conduct Warrantless Surveillance on American Citizens *

Attorneys and writers Glenn Greenwald and Marjorie Cohn join Democracy Now! for the hour to discuss . Greenwald is a blogger at Salon.com and author of "A Tragic Legacy: How a Good vs. Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency." Marjorie Cohn is president of the National Lawyers Guild and author of "Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law."

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http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/06/1340209

* Headlines for August 6, 2007 *

TODAY'S DEMOCRACY NOW!:
With Amy Goodman

* Following Minnesota Bridge Collapse, New Scrutiny for Nation¹s Ever-Privatizing Roads *

In the wake of Wednesday's fatal bridge collapse over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, the condition of the nation's highway system is coming under increased scrutiny. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates it
would take nearly $190 billion to fix more than 70,000 bridges deemed ³structurally deficient.² Declining public funding has raised concerns governent officials are preparing for the privatization of roads. We speak with James Ridgeway and Daniel Schulman, authors of the Mother Jones article

TODAY'S DEMOCRACY NOW!:
With Amy Goodman

* Parents of a U.S. Marine Who Committed Suicide After Returning Home from Iraq File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Veterans Affairs *

Joyce and Kevin Lucey say their son Jeffrey hanged himself after the U.S. military refused to deal with his post-traumatic stress disorder. In May 2004, Jeffrey's parents had him involuntarily committed to a VA hospital. But the hospital discharged him after a few days. Two weeks later, Kevin Lucey came home to find his son hanging from a hose in the cellar. Lying on his bed were the dog tags of two unarmed Iraqi prisoners Jeffrey had said he was forced to shoot.

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TODAY'S DEMOCRACY NOW!:
With Amy Goodman

* Ralph Nader on the Candidates, Corporate Power and His Own Plans for 2008
*

The race for the 2008 election is on and all we hear about is the race for the money. Presidential hopefuls are vying with each other to raise tens of millions of dollars for what is projected to be the most expensive election in history. But hardly anyone is talking about where this money comes from or where it ends up. Fewer still have asked persistent questions about corporate America's grip over not just the elections, but most policy
decisions out of Washington, DC.

TODAY'S DEMOCRACY NOW!:
With Amy Goodman

* Founder of Iraq Oil Workers Union Rejects U.S.-Backed Oil Law as "Robbery"

As the Iraqi cabinet approves part of a controversial oil law, we speak with aleh Abood Umara, the general secretary of the Federation of Oil Unions and a founding member of the oil workers union in Iraq. He calls on Iraqi lawmakers to reject the legislation. We also speak with Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein, president of the Electrical Utility Workers Union and the first woman to head a national union in Iraq.

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http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/06/1359232