(2018-10-26). Journalists Say Trump's Caravan Claims Are 'Evidence-Free'. zcomm.org Reporters know the president is telling racist lies to rile up his base. Why won't they just say that?>
(2018-10-26). The Anti-Russia Cold War in the Arctic is Heating Up. counterpunch.org 
Britain's Daily Mail is a strident rag that is bought daily by over a million people who agree with its stance that most foreigners are inferior to Brits. Two years ago the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance reported that the Mail and some other papers indulged in "offensive, discriminatory and provocative terminology", and the Commission's chairman observed that "the Brexit referendum seems to have led to a further rise in 'anti-foreigner' sentiment". More
(2018-10-26). The Future of Brazil is at Stake: a Refugee From Pinochet's Chile on the Threat Posed by Bolsonaro. counterpunch.org 
On 28th October 2018 the people of Brazil face the dramatic choice to either vote for democracy, whatever its current imperfections, by electing Fernando Haddad, or an authoritarian, openly fascist, misogynistic, classist, racist and homophobic candidate, Jair Bolsonaro who is openly committed to its destruction. A victory for Jair Bolsonaro is highly likely to lead to More
(2018-10-26). New York sues Exxon over climate denial. greenleft.org.au 
After a three-year probe and amid mounting demands that the fossil fuel industry be held accountable for driving the climate crisis, New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood filed suit on October 24 against ExxonMobil, the world's largest oil and gas company. | The suit accuses the oil giant of defrauding investors by downplaying the financial threat of regulations crafted to mitigate human-caused global warming. | "Big oil may finally face some consequences for its role in wreck…
(2018-10-26). Against All Tides, North Carolinians are Heading to the Ballot Box. naacp.org Not even the force of two tropical storms could stop the momentum that NAACP is building in the state of North Carolina. In the span of two weeks, Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael ravaged the southeastern regions of the state, affecting counties where African Americans predominantly reside. As a leader in the Black community, NAACP […]
(2018-10-26). Trump, Saudi Arabia and the Khashoggi Murder. counterpunch.org 
Is there no crime so obvious, so egregious and so blatant that it won't be overlooked by United States President Donald Trump, if doing so suits his twisted needs? He looks past Israeli barbarity, despite the obvious, unspeakable human rights abuses that that rogue, racist apartheid nation commits. He ignores the abject suffering caused by More
(2018-10-26). ACLU Files Discrimination Complaint on behalf of Black Students at Visalia Unified. indybay.org School district has ignored bigotry and racial hostility for years…
(2018-10-26). Hatewatch Headlines 10/26/2018. splcenter.org Judge restores funding to sanctuary cities; Civil rights groups call for tech hate-group crackdown; Shea wants to create a 51st state; and more.
(2018-10-26). Trump's HHS and the Renewed Culture Wars. counterpunch.org 
The New York Times recently reported on a secret memo circulating within the Trump bureaucracy seeking to narrow the definition of gender to "a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth." The Times considers this "the most drastic move yet in a government wide effort to roll back recognition and protections of transgender people under federal civil rights law." More
(2018-10-25). Tampa students stand against attacks on trans rights. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL — More than 50 Tampa area students and community activists gathered at the University of South Florida's MLK Plaza, October 24, for a rally against Trump's attacks on transgender rights. The protest was organized by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). | Earlier this week it was announced that Trump administration officials were moving to alter Title IX rules to exclude trans people from basic services and protection from discrimination. This is only the latest attack on the LGBTQ+ community from the Trump administration. | "We need to organize against Trump's attacks on trans righ…
(2018-10-25). NAACP on Bombing Attempts against Media, African American Leaders and Progressives. naacp.org BALTIMORE (October 25, 2018)—With less than two weeks before the critical midterm elections, the discovery of pipe bombs across the country sent to those who have been critical of the current president shows, yet again, how fractured we are as a society. Contrary to what the Trump Administration has been stating in the aftermath of these discoveries, […]
(2018-10-25). Khalida Jarrar's Administrative Detention Renewed. imemc.org Palestinian parliament member Khalida Jarrar, has been in prison since July 2 of 2017, and her sentence has been extended by four additional months, a Maan reporter posted a copy of the renewal order. Jarrar was initially detained in 2015, spent 14 months in Israeli prison, and spent a year …
(2018-10-25). Louisville Shooter Made Racist Remark Right After Killing Two Black People, but Police Won't Call it a Hate Crime. theintercept.com 
The Kroger shooter reportedly told an armed white witness, "Don't shoot me. I won't shoot you. Whites don't shoot whites."
(2018-10-25). NAACP Partners with Members of the Faith Community to Galvanize Black Voters Ahead of Midterms. naacp.org In less than two weeks, Americans from coast to coast will take part in one of the most important elections of a generation, and as the nation's largest and foremost civil rights organizations, NAACP has partnered with its allies in the faith community to ensure the Black community is mobilized and ready to vote. Bishop […]
(2018-10-25). NAACP Pushing Back Against Voter Suppression to Get out Black Vote in North Carolina. naacp.org Cutting Edge Strategies Employed in Outreach to Infrequent Black Voters NORTH CAROLINA—(October 25, 2018) In the face of blatant examples of disrespect and voter suppression around the nation, the NAACP is engaging in a groundbreaking data and technology -fueled GOTV campaign to get infrequent Black voters to the polls during midterm elections. In North Carolina, […]
(2018-10-25). My Boss Fired Me From My Funeral Home Job for Being Transgender. aclu.org 
Aimee Stephens spent most of her life struggling with her gender identity. When she finally came out to her boss, she was fired. | I was in funeral services for nearly three decades before I was fired in 2013 for being transgender. In March, a federal appeals court agreed that it was wrong to fire me just because of who I am. Now, the Supreme Court will consider whether to review that court ruling. | While studying to be a pastor in college, I needed a job, and I found one in a funeral home. There are a lot of different ministries people can pursue, and I realized comforting people during one of the most vulnerab…
(2018-10-25). There's Something Suspicious Going On With Georgia's Voting Machines. truthdig.com The Georgia governor's race is in a deadlock, according to CNBC News, with Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp each polling at 47 percent as of Wednesday. In such a tight race, every vote will count, but voting rights advocates are raising the alarm over reports of voter suppression. | As Michael Harriot reports in The Root, the NAACP Georgia State Conference has filed complaints with the state Board of Elections over alleged (2018-10-25). Two Stories from the Propaganda War. mintpressnews.com Two recent stories about Russians have demonstrated how the news is selected and manipulated in the United States. The first is about Maria Butina, who apparently sought to overthrow American democracy, such as it is, by obtaining a life membership in the National Rifle Association. Maria, a graduate student at American University, is now in detention in a federal prison, having been charged with collusion and failure to register as an agent of the Russian Federation. She has been in prison since July, for most of the time in solitary confinement, and has not been granted bail because, as a Russian citizen, she i…
(2018-10-24). Lawsuit: US Military Contractor DynCorp Accused of "Enslaving" American Employees in Kuwaiti Tent Cities. mintpressnews.com DynCorp's old habits of treating human beings as commodities remain as ingrained as ever, largely thanks to the fact that the company has never been held accountable for its crimes against its workers as well as countless children.
(2018-10-24). Latino Voter Suppression in Kansas: Dodge City's Only Polling Site Is Moved Outside City Limits. democracynow.org 
In Kansas, local officials are under fire for moving a majority-Latino city's single polling site outside of city limits, more than a mile from the nearest bus stop. Dodge City, Kansas, is 60 percent Hispanic, but the Associated Press reports that Hispanic turnout was just 17 percent in Ford County, where Dodge City is located, compared to 61 percent turnout for white voters in 2014. The ACLU reports that the city's lone polling site services more than 13,000 voters, compared to an average of 1,200 voters per polling site at other locations. We are joined by Johnny Dunlap, chair of the Ford County Democratic Part…
(2018-10-24). Aimee Stephens Was Fired Because She Is Transgender. That's Sex Discrimination. aclu.org The ACLU is asking the Supreme Court to let stand a lower court ruling that Aimee's firing was unlawful. | Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump think federal law shouldn't protect transgender people. They think it should be legal to fire someone just because she's trans. Five federal appeals courts disagree. On Wednesday, the ACLU asked the Supreme Court to let stand one of those rulings, in the case of Aimee Stephens. | Aimee had worked at a funeral home in Detroit for nearly six years when she wrote a letter telling her boss and coworkers that she is transgender. Two weeks after she came out as a woman to her employe…
(2018-10-24). Stacey Abrams Stands By Burning the Racist, Segregationist Georgia State Flag in 1992. democracynow.org 
During Tuesday's debate, Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams defended her actions in 1992 when she helped burn the Georgia state flag, which at the time contained a prominent Confederate battle flag. In a victory for civil rights advocates, the flag was later changed. We speak to Leah Wright Rigueur, professor at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
(2018-10-24). City Officials Stoke Mob Mentality in Front of Sex Offender's Home. aclu.org The city government of Providence, Rhode Island, is ignoring its own law on residential protests and feeding vigilantism. | When Richard Gardner, a convicted child sex offender, was released from prison after serving almost 30 years, he quietly moved into the Washington Park neighborhood in Providence. One would not have expected a welcome wagon — but an angry mob should not have been the result either. | Because his crimes were committed so long ago, Gardner is not subject to the community notification provisions that apply to more recent offenders under the state's Megan's Law. But the police leaked his a…
(2018-10-24). Who's Behind ICE? How Amazon, Palantir, Microsoft & Tech Giants Are Powering Trump's Deportations. democracynow.org 
A shocking new investigation by immigrant rights groups reveals how corporations like Amazon, Palantir and Microsoft are profiting from and expediting Trump's incarceration and deportation operations. Some 10 percent of the Department of Homeland Security's $44 billion budget is dedicated to data management. The report was published as new documents obtained by the Project on Government Oversight show Amazon is pushing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to start using its controversial facial recognition technology that could identify immigrants in real time by scanning faces in a video feed. We speak with Jacin…
(2018-10-24). NAACP Sues Shelby County Over Allegedly Defective Voter Registration Applications. naacp.org Tennessee County Should Allow Voters to Fix Applications and Vote Regular Ballots on Election Day BALTIMORE (October 24, 2018) The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), America's foremost civil rights organization, announced today that its Memphis Branch filed suit yesterday against the Shelby County (TN) Election Commission for its refusal to allow […]
(2018-10-24). Georgia NAACP Files Voter Complaint Against Secretary of State Brian Kemp Over Voting Machine Irregularities. naacp.org Electronic Voting Irregularities and Voter Suppression Issues Continue to Plague Governor's Race ATLANTA (October 24, 2018) —The NAACP Georgia State Conference President Phyllis T. Blake filed complaints with the State Board of Elections for possible voter suppression tactics regarding malfunctions of the touch screen machines in Bartow, Cobb, Henry, Dodge Counties and Dodge Counties. The […] | The post
(2018-10-24). 'The US Immigration System Is Inherently Abusive and Violent and Racist' – CounterSpin interview with Tina Vasquez on immigration reporting. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Tina Vasquez about reporting on immigration for the October 19, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2018-10-24). Greg Palast Sues Georgia's Brian Kemp for Purging 340,000 from Voter Rolls Ahead of Election. democracynow.org 
A new investigation has found Georgia secretary of state and Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp has overseen the removal of more than 340,000 current Georgia residents from voting rolls. We speak with Greg Palast, a journalist who has been investigating Brian Kemp and voter suppression in Georgia. He has joined a lawsuit against Kemp over the purge.
(2018-10-22). The Trump Administration Is Trying to Erase Trans People, but the Law Clearly Protects Them. aclu.org A recently leaked memo is attempting to undermine decades of court decisions saying federal law protects transgender and nonbinary people. | Over the weekend, The New York Times revealed that officials within the Trump administration are pushing for a definition of the term "sex" in federal civil rights laws that would eliminate non-discrimination protections for transgender people. Transgender people and their families understandably panicked at that news. | The reality, though, is that transgender pe…
(2018-10-22). Trump Admin Attempts to Erase Existence of Trans People After Years of GOP-Led Attacks on Freedoms. democracynow.org 
The New York Times reports that the Trump administration is attempting to eliminate the rights of transgender people by creating a narrow legal definition of gender. Citing a government memo, the Times reveals that the Department of Health and Human Services has undertaken an effort across several government agencies to establish a legal definition of sex under Title IX, the federal civil rights law that bans discrimination on the basis of sex. That definition would be either male or female, unchangeable, and determined by the genitals a person is born with. The Times reports that the memo says, "Sex means a pers…
(2018-10-22). Court Tells Georgia It Can't Charge People to Read the Law. aclu.org The law doesn't belong to the state — it belongs to the people, and the government can't copyright it. | In a victory for the people of Georgia, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the state can no longer charge individuals hundreds of dollars to see the laws that govern them. | To get there, the court relied on a central tenet of American democracy: The government works on behalf of the public. | Quoting the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit wrote, "The…
(2018-10-22). SPLC statement on Trump administration's efforts to remove civil rights protections from transgender Americans. splcenter.org The Trump administration has apparently redoubled its efforts to exclude transgender Americans from the protection of federal civil rights laws.
(2018-10-22). Mississippi Sentences Man to 8 Years in Prison for Medical Marijuana He Purchased Legally in Another State. aclu.org A Black man's harsh eight-year prison sentence for drug possession in Mississippi shows the dire need for drug law reform. | Patrick Beadle, a 46-year-old father and musician, received an eight-year prison sentence in Mississippi for possessing 2.89 pounds of marijuana. If his sentence stands, he would spend nearly a decade behind bars for possessing a substance that is legal in nine states and now all of Canada. Such a severe, inhumane sentence speaks volumes about the inanity and heartlessness of our criminal…
(2018-10-22). NAACP Pennsylvania Focuses on Getting Out the Vote at State Convention. naacp.org 
The Pennsylvania State Conference kicked off its 84th annual convention in Bethlehem, PA on Friday, October 25 2018. The weekend of events brought together NAACP members, supporter and friends in an effort to encourage active NAACP branches state-wide to take part in sessions conducted by NAACP national staff members and community leaders. No matter […]
(2018-10-21). WATCH NOW: Pastor Jamal Bryant Teams Up With NAACP to Rally the Vote. naacp.org As the midterm elections rapidly approach, NAACP and Pastor Jamal Bryant team up to deliver a special message to voters. Watch below! Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant — Vote! Our Lives Depend On It. from NAACP Hollywood Bureau on Vimeo.
(2018-10-19). Don't Board Our Buses Without Probable Cause or a Warrant. aclu.org The president of the Greyhound bus drivers' union urges management to stand up to Trump's deportation machine. | When I first started working at Greyhound 28 years ago, I was told that I would never be able to drive a bus. I'm a woman of color. But I got trained, and I became a bus driver. Soon after, I joined Local 1700 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, and today I am the local's president. | Local 1700 represents 3,500 Greyhound drivers, mechanics, and terminal workers. My job, as the president, is to advocate on behalf of our members for fair pay, safety, and wellbeing. But today, I'm advocating for our custom…
(2018-10-19). NAACP Announces Partnership with When We All Vote, National Bar Association, National Action Network, and National Pan-Hellenic Council Organizations. naacp.org 
BALTIMORE (October 19, 2018) — During its board meeting in Baltimore, MD, Leon W. Russell, NAACP Chairman, National Board of Directors, announced a partnership with former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama's organization, When We All Vote. From #NAACP Board Meeting: "When We All Vote is proud to partner with the NAACP […] | The post
(2018-10-19). It's No Trick — These Virginia Cities Are Criminalizing Halloween. aclu.org Local ordinances are taking all the fun out of Halloween through excessive age and time restrictions. | In Chesapeake, Virginia, trick-or-treaters over 12 years old can be punished for trick-or-treating with a fine of "not less than $25.00 nor more than $100.00 or by confinement in jail for not more than six months or both." The potential penalty for asking for…
(2018-10-18). In a Case that Rocked Alabama, a Man With Intellectual Disability Is Spared Death. aclu.org Almost a decade after his death sentence, the state agreed Lam Luong could not be executed and joined the defense in asking to change the sentence. | This week, in one of the highest profile cases in Alabama history, longtime ACLU client Lam Luong was resentenced to life in imprisonment without parole, nine years after he was sentenced to death. Luong's life was spared because experts hired by both the state of Alabama and the defense agreed that he met the criteria for intellectual disability. | Luong, born during the Vietnam War to a Vietnamese woman and a Black American serviceman, was convicted and sentenced…
(2018-10-18). Louisiana's Infamous Angola Prison Goes on Trial. aclu.org Angola prison is home to horrific constitutional violations that threaten the health and welfare of people incarcerated in the facility. | In November 2012, Shannon Hurd, who was serving a life sentence for stealing $14, began losing weight and experiencing flu-like symptoms. His symptoms worsened, and he developed a pain in his side. But doctors at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as "Angola," repeatedly dismissed his medical complaints. | He did not receive medical care in the weeks that followed. He did not receive medical care in the months that followed. And as he waited for basic medical care, a…
(2018-10-18). A Tribute to Ron Dellums, Radical. zcomm.org Ron Dellums fought the good fight. He appreciated the struggle against racism is permanently joined with those against sexism, militarism, and capitalism…
(2018-10-18). SPLC statement on Trump's threat to call up troops and close the southern border. splcenter.org Today's announcement that President Trump might call up federal troops and "close our southern border" to stop immigrants from countries like Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador from entering the U.S. is racist and illegal.
(2018-10-18). Trump Administration's Warped View of Religious Freedom Abroad. zcomm.org Religious freedom arguments are increasingly being used to challenge anti-discrimination policies and access to services…
(2018-10-15). The GOP's Racist Election Strategy. progressive.org As the 2018 midterm election approaches, the party is no longer making efforts to disguise its appeals to racism.
(2018-10-11). Dreaming political concepts in Iran and the US: Huey Newton and Ali Shariati, through the movie Black Panther. zcomm.org Dreaming political concepts in Iran and the US: Huey Newton and Ali Shariati, through the movie Black Panther In the movie Black Panther, N'Jobu is residing in Oakland, California as a Wakandan spy when he's troubled by the racism faced by black Americans. T'Chaka, the king of Wakanda, considers N'Jobu's plot of Read more…
(2018-09-05). Censored Documentary Exposes the Israeli Government's Attack on Black Lives Matter. grayzoneproject.com Exclusive footage from the censored Al Jazeera documentary, "The Lobby — USA," shows Israeli government officials taking credit for attacks…