(2018-09-28). Supreme Court to Decide Whether States Can Impose Excessive Fines on the Poor. aclu.org The Eighth Amendment protects people from the devastation caused by state and local fines they can't reasonably pay. | When it reconvenes this fall, the Supreme Court will decide whether the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution can help stop state and local authorities from using people who come in contact with the justice system as their piggy banks. The case has ramifications for communities across the country, finally settling a question about whether the Constitution's prohibition on excessive financial penalties only applies to the federal government or to all public authorities. | The court will hear…
(2018-09-28). Federal Court Victory for Migrant Farmworkers Protects Their Right to Organize. aclu.org 
The court ruled that a North Carolina law targeting a farmworkers union likely violated the 14th Amendment. | Farmworkers play a vital role in North Carolina's multibillion dollar agriculture industry, providing essential labor in a state that produces much of the nation's sweet potatoes, tobacco, Christmas trees, and many other crops. | More than 90 percent of these workers are Latino. Many are migrants working seasonally under temporary visas, and they are among the lowest paid and most vulnerable workers in the state. They face high risks to their health and safety, substandard living conditions, and abuse and…
(2018-09-28). Trump Attorney Rudy Giuliani Tells a Whopper: I 'Voted for Justices Sotormayor and Kagen'. alternet.org 
Giuliani, who infamously coined the phrase, "truth isn't truth," never served as a U. S. Senator, which is the only way anyone can vote to confirm a Supreme Court justice. | Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani Thursday evening praised Republican Senator Lindsey Graham's explosive attacks on Democrats during the widely-watched Kavanaugh confirmation hearing. An. . .
(2018-09-27). Trump Administration Claims Preventing Young Immigrants from Accessing Abortion is Constitutional. aclu.org The Trump administration persists in banning access to abortion for young immigrants in government custody. | We were in a Washington, D.C., appeals court on Wednesday facing off yet again with the Trump administration over its patently unconstitutional policy of obstructing young immigrant women from accessing abortion. | Last September, a 17-year-old woman known as Jane Doe arrived in the United States and discovered she was pregnant. Even though she repeatedly made it clear that she wanted an abortion, had received a decision from a state court judge waiving Texas's requirement that she first obtain parental c…
(2018-09-27). The Government Dropped the Ball on U.S. Torture Accountability. Citizens Picked It Up. aclu.org 
A new report shows the North Carolina government's complicity with the CIA torture program and urges a state investigation. | Sheer stubbornness is required of us when our government violates the law and refuses to recognize it. | Seeking justice for the U.S. torture program of the post-9/11 period has required a lot of stubbornness. In North Carolina, a 12-year quest has led to a new report, "Torture Flights: North Carolina's Role in the CIA Rendition and Torture Program." | The report was released Thursday by the nongovernmental (2018-09-27). Action Alert: Contact Your Senators NOW — Senate Judiciary Committee may vote on Kavanaugh's Nomination as early as Friday, Sept. 28. naacp.org 
Senate Judiciary Committee may vote on Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh's Nomination as early as Friday, Sept. 28 Urge Members of the Senate Judiciary to Vote "No" on Kavanaugh The Issue: Judge Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court on July 10, 2018. After four days of routine hearings which began […]
(2018-09-26). The Reports of Civil Asset Forfeiture's Death in Philadelphia Have Been Greatly Exaggerated. aclu.org Despite a settlement reforming the practice, policing for profit will continue in the City of Brotherly Love. | Last week, Philadelphia and its district attorney, Larry Krasner, agreed to overhaul the city's civil asset forfeiture practices after a long history of abuse and subsequent reform efforts thwarted by prosecutors across the state. But no one should be fooled into believing that forfeiture has been " (2018-09-26). Greyhound Is Still Failing to Protect Customers from Border Patrol Abuse. aclu.org The company continues to be complicit in the Trump deportation force's unconstitutional immigration enforcement on board its buses. | In January 2018, Border Patrol agents boarded a Greyhound bus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and demanded identification from passengers. Videos of the encounter went viral — showing these agents, with "POLICE" emblazoned on their vests, escorting a woman of Caribbean descent in her 60s off the bus. In the background, someone (2018-09-26). NAACP Releases Toolkit—"In the Eye of the Storm: A People's Guide to Transforming Crisis and Advancing Equity in the Disaster Continuum" naacp.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media contact: Malik Russell mrussell@naacpnet.org BALTIMORE (September 26, 2018)—Today, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announces the release of In the Eye of the Storm: A People's Guide to Transforming Crisis and Advancing Equity in the Disaster Continuum Toolkit. The "eye" refers to how some communities, due to pre-existing vulnerabilities, find themselves more in the crosshairs […]
(2018-09-26). NAACP President Calls on White House to Withdraw Kavanaugh Nomination. naacp.org Baltimore, MD — The nation's foremost civil rights organization issued the following statement regarding its call for the withdrawal of Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the US Supreme Court. "Today, new allegations have been made regarding Brett Kavanaugh's abuse and violence toward women and girls. The Senate Judiciary Committee has committed a grave breach of the […]
(2018-09-25). Prisons' Refusal to Provide Adequate Opioid Treatment Is Cruel and Unlawful. aclu.org In Massachusetts, people in prison are denied adequate care for opioid use disorder, increasing risk of relapse. | Geoffrey Pesce tried everything to overcome his addiction to opioids: detox at least four times, Suboxone, Naltrexone. | In 2016, after overdosing three times in less than 48 hours, he was scared for his life and committed to recovery. That's when his physician prescribed methadone, a prescription medication approved by the FDA for treatment of opioid use disorder. | For nearly two years, Geoffrey has invested in his recovery, rededicated himself to his young son, rebuilt his relationships with his p…
(2018-09-25). NAACP Ramps up Voter Outreach Campaign on National Voter Registration Day. naacp.org NAACP Ramps up Voter Outreach Campaign on National Voter Registration Day Power of 5 Campaign Looks to Translate Personal Networks into Votes during Midterm Elections BALTIMORE (September, 25, 2018)— NAACP, the nation's foremost civil rights organization, is looking to mobilize personal networks, activists and supporters to energize its base ahead of the 2018 midterm elections on […]
(2018-09-25). Action Alert Update: Kavanaugh Sexual Misconduct Hearing, Urge Senate Judiciary Members to Vote "No" on Kavanaugh. naacp.org Senate Judiciary Committee slates Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexual misconduct hearing for Sept. 27, 2018 Urge Members of the Senate Judiciary to Vote "No" on Kavanaugh The Issue: President Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court on July 10, 2018. After four days of hearings which began on Sept. 4, we are still left […]
(2018-09-24). Congress Needs to Take Responsibility for Fixing Harassment in Its Own Halls. aclu.org Members of Congress have a duty to protect their staffers from harassment by reforming the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995. | It's been nearly one year since the #MeToo movement came into public consciousness and months since the Senate and House of Representatives each passed legislation to reform the way Congress handles claims of harassment in its own workplace. But further action on the bills has stalled, and even after sitting members had to resign over their own misconduct, our elected officials have stil…
(2018-09-24). Five Ways the Trump Administration Has Attacked the U.N. and International Human Rights Bodies. aclu.org Trump's assault on international cooperation and human rights is ultimately self-defeating. His U.N. address Tuesday will likely be more of the same. | On Tuesday, President Trump will make his second appearance at the annual opening of the United Nations General Assembly, where he will reportedly use the international spotlight to deliver a speech that centers on favoring U.S. "sovereignty" over our commitments to the global community. | The world has now witnessed the human costs of Trump…
(2018-09-24). Trump Administration Targets Children, Families and Communities of Color in Latest Immigration Regulation. naacp.org Contact: Malik Russell / mrussell@naacpnet.org Changes to Public Charge Could Put Health and Immigration Status at Risk for Millions BALTIMORE (September 24, 2018)— On September 22, the Trump Administration Department of Homeland Security announced it would issue a proposed regulation that would severely curtail the ability of immigrants to secure a green card by expanding […]
(2018-09-21). A Tale of Two New York Cities When It Comes to Policing. aclu.org A new New York Civil Liberties Union report reveals the fear and distrust of a violent New York Police Department. | New Yorkers know that the New York Police Department will treat us differently depending on our zip code and the color of our skin. But many New Yorkers don't know the intensity and the violence of police contact in neighborhoods heavily targeted by the NYPD. | A new report from the NYCLU exposes the radically different ways in which NYPD officers behave depending on what neighborhood they're working in and the impacts of that discrimination on everyday New Yorkers. " (2018-09-21). NAACP Partners with 13 Leading Social Justice Organizations to Launch Digital Ad in Opposition to Supreme Court Nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. naacp.org John Legend issues a Call to Action in the new campaign urging the public to #StopKavanaugh BALTIMORE (September 21, 2018) — The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the nation's foremost civil rights organization joined forces with 13 leading social justice organizations to release a Call to Action issued by singer-songwriter and […]
(2018-09-21). Michael Moore: Are We Going to Be Like the "Good Germans" Who Let Hitler Rise to Power? democracynow.org 
In his new documentary "Fahrenheit 11/9," filmmaker Michael Moore interviews the last surviving Nuremberg prosecutor, Ben Ferencz, who describes President Trump's policy of family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border and the large-scale detention of immigrant children as a "crime against humanity." Moore also looks at the rise of Hitler in Nazi Germany and compares it to the rise of Trump in the United States.
(2018-09-20). Recap: NAACP National Call to Action Tele-Townhall. naacp.org 
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(2018-09-20). American Prison: Shane Bauer Traces History of U.S. For-Profit Prisons from Slavery to Today. democracynow.org 
"American Prison." That's the name of the new book by award-winning journalist Shane Bauer, who dives deep into the profit-earning motives of U.S. prisons, from convict labor in colonial-era settlements all the way to present-day mass incarceration, including Bauer's own stint as an undercover prison guard at the privately owned Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana. We speak with Shane Bauer in New York City.
(2018-09-19). Vote! Our Lives Depend on It: NAACP Names Sheila E. Isong National Political Director for Civic Engagement. naacp.org Adds State Directors and National Advisors for Voter Registration Turnout BALTIMORE (September 19, 2018)—The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), America's foremost civil rights organization, hosted a strategic convening for its Civic Engagement #TurnOut18 leadership team during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference. VOTE! OUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT! The NAACP brought together staff, state directors and advisors to execute a #TurnOut18 campaign aimed at […]
(2018-09-18). Immigrants Seeking Shelter After Hurricane Florence Fear Deportation as FEMA Shifts Funds to ICE. democracynow.org 
While the worst of Hurricane Florence is over, officials say the most dangerous flooding is yet to come for residents of the Carolinas and Virginia, as thousands have been ordered to evacuate their homes and hundreds more have sought rescue from rising floodwaters. But undocumented immigrants have expressed concern they will encounter immigration enforcement if they seek help. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has reallocated nearly $10 million from FEMA's budget to ICE to pay for detention space and deportations. We speak with Laura Garduño García, a DACA recipient and Greensboro-based organizer with Siembra N…