The first of a two-day confirmation hearing for Donald Trump’s controversial attorney general nominee begins today. Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama faces questions from his colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, where he serves as chair of the immigration subcommittee. Trump’s pick has drawn widespread outrage because of Sessions’s opposition to the Voting Rights Act, support for anti-immigration legislation and history of making racist comments.

Amy Goodman was joined by David Cole, national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, who is set to testify at Sessions’ Senate hearing, and Kyle Barry, policy counsel with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and co-author of their report opposing Jeff Sessions’s nomination.

Also on today’s show:

Florida Prepares to Expand Gun Rights
Accused airport gunman Esteban Santiago could face the death penalty for charges that he killed five people when he opened fire in a crowded Florida baggage claim terminal. Friday’s shooting came as Florida lawmakers were preparing to consider legislation to loosen prohibitions on firearms by eliminating some of the state’s “gun-free zones,” which currently include airport terminals.

New Intercept Exposé on SEAL Team 6
A stunning new exposé published today in The Intercept about the elite military unit SEAL Team 6 reveals a darker side of the group best known for killing Osama bin Laden. National security reporter Matthew Cole spent two years investigating accounts of ghastly atrocities committed by members of the unit, including mutilating corpses, skinnings and attempted beheadings. According to sources, senior command staff were aware of the misconduct but did little to stop it—and often helped to cover it up. Read the Intercept’s report here.

Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.

In other media:

Lockdown at Trans-Pecos Pipeline Site in West Texas Consecrates New Indigenous-Led Resistance Camp: Truthout
The Dakota Access Pipeline isn’t the only project that is threatening to contaminate sacred land. A second ETP pipeline in in Presidio County, Texas is being met with resistance from indigenous and other local activists. Truthout reports on the arrest of two water protectors following a lockdown.

This Russian Obsession Shows How Trump Will Be Undone: The Resistance #18
Keith Olbermann examines Donald Trump’s statements from the past two weeks about Russia and its alleged hacking involvement in the U.S. elections. The resulting collection demonstrates how bizarre the President-select really is.

Russian Hacking and Trump Ethics: A Closer Look
Some (rather discomfiting) light relief from Seth Meyers. He’s typing! Good for him!

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