The U.S. Supreme Court continues its session on the issue of same-sex marriage, hearing arguments today on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996 and denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples. We are joined by Dean Hara, a plaintiff in another lawsuit against DOMA. He is the widower of U.S. Rep. Gerry Studds, the first openly gay member of Congress. Hara reflects on Studds’ decision to come out as a gay man. "I think that, as he demonstrated in that act, it gave a lot of other people the confidence and the courage to also stand up," Hara said. "And I think that act has brought us where we are today. Less than 50 years after Stonewall, 30 years after Gerry spoke out on the floor of the House, it’s a different world that we live in." [includes rush transcript]

Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis have been deeply involved in the struggle to legalize same-sex marriage. They were two of the plaintiffs in the historic 2008 lawsuit that held California’s ban on same-sex marriage violated the state constitution. They have been together for 26 years and married in 2008 before Prop 8 passed. Both work at Marriage Equality USA: Gaffney is the media director, and Lewis is the legal director. In addition, Gaffney reflects on the legal challenges surrounding his parents’ marriage — his mother is Chinese American, and his father is white. In 1948, the California Supreme Court legalized interracial marriage, but other states did not recognize their marriage. [includes rush transcript]

For the second day in a row, the U.S. Supreme Court is confronting the issue of same-sex marriage, hearing arguments today on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, that denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples. On Tuesday, the justices considered the legality of California’s Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage. Representing two couples challenging the ban, attorney Ted Olson condemned Proposition 8. "It walls off gays and lesbians from marriage, the most important relation in life," he said, "thus stigmatizing a class of Californians based upon their status and labeling their most cherished relationships as second-rate, different, unequal, and not OK." We air excerpts from the court hearing and hear from the plaintiffs, who spoke outside the Supreme Court. [includes rush transcript]

• Supreme Court Weighs Same-Sex Marriage for 2nd Day
• Cyprus: Protests Continue as Economic Crisis Deepens
• Leading Egyptian Activist Questioned amid Fears of Crackdown
• Mass Protest Planned in Chicago over Plan to Close 54 Schools
• North Dakota Enacts Law Banning Nearly All Abortions
• Former CIA Head Petraeus Apologizes for Extramarital Affair
• Obama Appoints 1st Female Head of Secret Service
• BRICS Countries Plan New Development Bank in Challenge to U.S.-Dominated World Bank, IMF
• EPA: Most U.S. Rivers, Streams Are in Poor Condition
• Study: Major Oklahoma Quake Likely Caused by Oil Drilling Waste
• 2 U.S. Citizens Arrested After Refusing to Disclose Status to Border Patrol Before Domestic Flight
• NYC Activists Stage Flash Mob to Demand Universal Access to Morning-After Pill

In this year marking the 150th anniversary year of the Emancipation Proclamation, we speak to NY1 anchor Cheryl Wills, who uncovered the story of her great-great-great-grandparents, Sandy and Emma Wills. Sandy was a slave who escaped from his master and joined the United States Colored Troops to fight in the Civil War. Wills based her book, "Die Free: A Heroic Family Tale," on thousands of documents from the National Archives. The book’s title comes from a quote by Frederick Douglass: "Who would be free themselves must strike the blow. Better even die free than to live slaves." We speak to Wills one day after the United Nations marked its sixth annual International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. [includes rush transcript]

President Obama’s pick to become the nation’s next secretary of energy is drawing criticism for his deep ties to the fossil fuel, fracking and nuclear industries. MIT nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz has served on advisory boards for oil giant BP and General Electric, and was a trustee of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, a Saudi Aramco-backed nonprofit organization. In 2011, Moniz was the chief author of an influential study for MIT on the future of natural gas. According to a new report by the Public Accountability Initiative, Moniz failed to disclose that he had taken a lucrative position at a pro-drilling firm called ICF International just days before a key natural gas "fracking" study was released. Reaction to his nomination has split the environmental community. Advocacy groups such as Public Citizen and Food & Water Watch are campaigning against Moniz’s nomination, but the Natural Resources Defense Council has praised his work on advancing clean energy based on efficiency and renewable power. We speak to Kevin Connor of the Public Accountability Initiative and ProPublica reporter Justin Elliott, who have both authored investigations into Moniz’s ties to industry. [includes rush transcript]

• Supreme Court Takes Up Historic Same-Sex Marriage Cases
• U.S. to Keep Unknown Number of Afghan Prisoners After Bagram Transfer
• Kerry Makes Surprise Visit to Afghanistan
• Afghanistan: 8 Suicide Bombers Hit Police HQ on 2nd Day of Kerry's Visit
• U.N. Removes Half of International Staff in Syria After Damascus Clashes
• Syrian Opposition Leader Takes Former Gov't Seat at Arab League Summit
• Jailed Bahraini Activists Refuse Fluids After Family Visits Denied
• U.S. Signs New Military Pact with South Korea
• Microsoft Admits FBI Spying on Users Using Secretive National Security Letters
• 3 Guantánamo Prisoners Hospitalized amid Ongoing Hunger Strike
• NATO Researchers: U.S.-Israeli Cyber-Attack on Iran Was Illegal "Act of Force"
• U.S. Criticized for Weakening Draft of Global Arms Treaty
• Study: African Americans 10 Times More Likely to Be Shot Dead Than Whites
• Hundreds Protest Measures That Would End Abortion in North Dakota
• NYC Mayor Bloomberg Casts Use of Domestic Surveillance Drones as Inevitable
• Study: U.S. Spent $3.7 Million on Expenses of Former Presidents in 2012

As Washington lawmakers pushes new austerity measures, economist Richard Wolff calls for a radical restructuring of the U.S. economic and financial systems. We talk about the $85 billion budget cuts as part of the sequester, banks too big to fail, Congress’ failure to learn the lessons of the 2008 economic collapse, and his new book, "Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism." Wolff also gives Fox News host Bill O’Reilly a lesson in economics 101. [includes rush transcript]

The eyes of the financial world are on the small Mediterranean island of Cyprus today. The government of Cyprus has brokered a last-ditch $13 billion bailout deal with European officials to stave off the collapse of its banking sector. Under the deal, all bank deposits above approximately $130,000 will be frozen and used to help pay off the banking sector’s debts. An earlier version of the deal collapsed last week when Cypriots took to the streets to protest paying a tax of up to 10 percent on their life savings. The plan led to mass demonstrations as well as panicked bank withdrawals as Cypriots rushed to protect their savings. "It’s a demonstration of people power in this little corner of the world that’s very impressive, and the basis, I think, for some optimism about opposition," says Richard Wolff, economics professor emeritus at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and visiting professor at New School University. He is the author of several books including, most recently, "Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism." [includes rush transcript]

• Cyprus Reaches $13B Bailout Deal with European Officials
• Report: CIA Backing Increase in Arms Flow to Syrian Rebels
• Report: CIA Feeding Intelligence to Rebels in Expansion of Syria Role
• Kerry Presses Iraq to Stop Iranian Arms Flights to Assad
• Top Syrian Opposition Leader Quits
• Israel Destroys Syrian Military Post After Fire Hits Occupied Golan Heights
• Blasts Rock Syrian Capital of Damascus
• Netanyahu Apologizes to Turkey for Deadly Raid on Gaza Flotilla
• Israeli Police Raid Palestinian Protest Camp After Obama Leaves
• U.S. to Transfer Control of Bagram Prison to Afghan Gov’t
• Rebels Seize Control of Central African Republic
• Burma: Anti-Muslim Violence Spreads After Dozens Killed in Clashes
• Report: Immigrants Being Held in Solitary Confinement for Weeks
• North Dakota Puts End of Abortion on the Ballot
• Georgia: 2 Teens Arrested After Baby Shot Dead in Stroller
• NYC Mayor Bloomberg to Bankroll $12M Ad Campaign for Gun Control
• Obama Urges Congress to Pass Gun-Control Measures
• Video Captures Omaha Police Slamming Man to the Ground
• Senate Passes 1st Budget Plan in 4 Years
• Nigerian Literary Icon Chinua Achebe Dies at 82

A shocking new report by The Guardian and BBC Arabic details how the United States armed and trained Iraqi death squads that ran torture centers. It is a story that stretches from the U.S.-backed death squads in Central America during the 1980s to the imprisoned Army whistleblower Bradley Manning. We play extended excerpts of "James Steele: America’s Mystery Man in Iraq," which exposes the role the retired U.S. colonel James Steele, a veteran of American proxy wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua, played in training Iraqi police commando units. "We spent maybe six months trying to track down young American soldiers who served in Samarra," says the film’s executive producer, Maggie O’Kane, who notes the investigation was sparked by memos found in the Iraq War Logs released by WikiLeaks. "But many were too frightened because of what happened to Bradley Manning." A Pentagon spokesman told The Guardian it had seen the reports and is looking into the situation. "As you know, the issue surrounding accusation of abuse and torture of Iraqi detainees is a complex one that is full of history and emotion," said Col. Jack Miller. "It will take time to work a thorough response." [includes rush transcript]

• Obama Urges Palestinians to Drop Demand for Israeli Settlement Freeze
• Protester Heckles Obama over Israeli Killings, Rachel Corrie Death
• Obama Acknowledges Plight of Palestinians in Jerusalem Speech
• Iran's Top Leader Says He's Not Opposed to Nuclear Talks with U.S.
• Syria: Top Cleric Among Dozens Killed in Damascus Blast
• U.N. to Probe Alleged Chemical Weapons Use in Syria
• Report: U.S. to Shift Control of Drone Program from CIA to Pentagon
• Former Top Obama Adviser Questions Drone War
• 3 Dead in Shooting at Quantico Marine Base
• Biden Pushes for Assault Weapons Ban Ditched by Senate Democrats
• House Passes Bill to Avert Gov't Shutdown
• FCC Chair Julius Genachowski to Step Down
• Audio: NY Police Official Appears to Advocate Racial Profiling

Iraq War veteran Tomas Young was left paralyzed in a 2004 attack in Iraq. Released from medical care three months later, Young returned home to become an active member in Iraq Veterans Against the War. He recently announced that he will stop his medicine and nourishment, which comes in the form of liquid through a feeding tube — a decision which will hasten his death. Joining us from his home in Kansas City, Young reads from his letter, "A Message to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney From a Dying Veteran." Young says to Bush and Cheney: "You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans — my fellow veterans — whose future you stole." Click here to watch part 1 of the interview. [includes rush transcript]

In 2003, the legendary television host Phil Donahue was fired from his prime-time MSNBC talk show during the run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The problem was not Donahue’s ratings, but rather his views: An internal MSNBC memo warned Donahue was a "difficult public face for NBC in a time of war," providing "a home for the liberal antiwar agenda at the same time that our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity." Donahue joins us to look back on his firing 10 years later. "They were terrified of the antiwar voice," Donahue says. [includes rush transcript]

In the week marking the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, we spend the hour looking at the remarkable life and imminent death of Iraq War veteran Tomas Young. Citing his overwhelming physical pain from wounds that left him paralyzed in Iraq, Young recently announced he has decided to end his life by discontinuing his medicine and nourishment, which comes in the form of liquid through a feeding tube. Young joins to explain his decision from his home in Kansas City, along with his wife Claudia Cuellar. We’re also joined by Phil Donahue, the legendary TV talk show host, whose 2007 documentary, "Body of War," follows Tomas’ rehabilitation and his political awakening to become one of the most prominent antiwar U.S. veterans speaking out against the invasion and occupation of Iraq. "I am, on one hand, sick and tired of being sick and tired," Young says. "And on the other, I don’t want to watch my body waste away." Donahue calls Tomas’ announcement "a very unusual act of moral courage. He wants people to see this, because he came home from the most sanitized war of my lifetime. We don’t see this. But less than 5 percent of us, maybe 1 percent ... have made a personal sacrifice for this war. And Tomas is one of them." [includes rush transcript]

• Obama, Netanyahu Stress Shared Stance on Iran
• Obama Affirms "Unbreakable Bond" with Israel, Vows Aid
• Palestinians Erect Tent Camp Ahead of Obama Visit
• Syria, Rebels Ask U.N. for Chemical Weapons Probe
• Karzai Backs Down on U.S. Special Forces Ban
• North Korea Threatens U.S. Bases in Japan After B-52 Flight
• Colorado Governor Signs Gun Control Law
• Head of Colorado Prisons Shot Dead at Home
• Gitmo General Acknowledges Growing Hunger Strike
• U.S. Unveils Charges Against Saudi-Nigerian Terror Suspect
• N.C. Church Stops Heterosexual Weddings to Protest Same-Sex Marriage Ban

On the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, we look at how U.S. military veterans and Iraqi civilians have come together to launch the "Right to Heal" campaign for those who continue to struggle with the war’s aftermath. We’re joined by U.S. Army Sergeant Maggie Martin, who was part of the invading force in March 2003 and is now director of organizing for Iraq Veterans Against the War. We are also joined by Yanar Mohammed, president of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, who describes how the condition of women has deteriorated in Iraq, with many young women and orphans pushed into sex trafficking. Mohammed’s organization has also documented the toxic legacy of the U.S. military’s munitions in Iraq by interviewing Iraqi mothers who face an epidemic of birth defects. [includes rush transcript]

See our new interactive timeline where you can watch video highlights from a decade of Democracy Now! coverage of the Iraq War and the peace movement. It was 10 years ago, on March 19, 2003, that the United States invaded Iraq on the false pretext that Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction. Six weeks later, President George W. Bush stood under a banner reading "Mission Accomplished" and declared an end to major military combat operations. But Operation Iraqi Freedom would lead to an almost nine-year U.S. military occupation. Democracy Now! producer Renée Feltz explains how the timeline works and highlights some of the featured videos. [includes rush transcript]

In part two of our interview, Al Jazeera reporter Dahr Jamail discusses how the U.S. invasion of Iraq has left behind a legacy of cancer and birth defects suspected of being caused by the U.S. military’s extensive use of depleted uranium and white phosphorus. Noting the birth defects in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, Jamail says: "They’re extremely hard to bear witness to. But it’s something that we all need to pay attention to ... What this has generated is, from 2004 up to this day, we are seeing a rate of congenital malformations in the city of Fallujah that has surpassed even that in the wake of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that nuclear bombs were dropped on at the end of World War II." Jamail has also reported on the refugee crisis of more than one million displaced Iraqis still inside the country, who are struggling to survive without government aid, a majority of them living in Baghdad. Click here to watch part 1 of the interview. [includes rush transcript]

Investigative journalist Dahr Jamail reported for Democracy Now! throughout the early stages of the U.S. invasion of Iraq 10 years ago. Now with Al Jazeera, Jamail has just returned from Iraq once again, finding what he calls a "failed state" living in "utter devastation." In part one of our interview, Jamail discusses the harrowing security situation for Iraqis living in fear of bombings, executions and kidnappings, the widespread torture in Iraq’s prisons, and the breakdown of security in what he calls a "lawless state." Jamail is the author of "Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq" and "The Will to Resist: Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan." [includes rush transcript]