(2018-09-05). Congress, Don't Throw More Money at Donald Trump's Weaponized Department of Homeland Security. aclu.org A bigger DHS budget would reward the White House's cruel immigration enforcement policies of detention and deportation. | As summer ends, the country's political eyes are focusing even more intently on midterm elections. Although a new Congress is not far away, there remain major budgetary issues to resolve. The most immediate deadline for people concerned about President Trump's immigration policies is September 30, when fiscal year 2018 ends. , , For the Department of Homeland Security, reports (2018-09-05). Anti-Kavanaugh protesters say he'd push High Court farther to the right. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Sophia Marjanovic already knows something about unequal justice for women, minorities and people of color. And she declares Brett Kavanaugh would only make things worse. | And that's what brought her — and several hundred more people — to the U.S. Capitol lawn late in the afternoon on Sept. 4 to send U.S. senators a clear message: Don't put Kavanaugh, GOP President Donald Trump's pick for a vacant seat, on the U.S. Supreme Court. | "This won't be justice," says Marjanovic, who, belying her name, is a Lakota Sioux from the Fort Peck reservation in Montana. "We already know the Supreme Court is far to the right. Kavanaugh would push it further," she told People's World. | That threat to indigenous people — the subject of her handmade sign — women, minorities, undocumented people, workers' rights, civil rights, and freedom of reproductive choice…
(2018-09-05). Why Childbirth and Abortion Are Not Separate Issues. truthout.org Abortion could soon be a crime. That's not hyperbole, but a legitimate concern among advocates grappling with the possible appointment of Brett M. Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court. Public support for Kavanaugh is the lowest for a court nominee since 1987, according to a CNN poll. But even if he fails to be confirmed, a long line of other conservative judges are waiting to join the bench and overturn Roe v. Wade. | And by overturn, I mean begin the systematic dismantling of dire medical care for millions of women and gender-variant folks, resulting in more violence against them that is both direct, such as anti-abortion terrorism, and indirect, such as restriction to access and further criminalization of poverty. | But another experience of reproductive health has been missing from public debate. Like abortion, it also affects women of all ages, backgrounds,…
(2018-09-05). Here's How Trump Will Rig His Own Case. alternet.org 
He has shown every sign of being a president with authoritarian or even dictatorial ambitions. | Nothing that Brett Kavanaugh said on his first day of his Supreme Court confirmation hearings relieves the most profound suspicion: that President Donald Trump nominated him to front a legalistic coup against the rule of law. Of course, he uttered all the expected platitudes. "I am a pro-law judge," he promised, nonpartisan and neutral, "committe. . .
(2018-09-05). Chaos Greets the First Day of the Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearing. truthout.org Protests, arrests and repeated calls from Democratic senators to adjourn the proceedings. That's how confirmation hearings began Tuesday for Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's pick to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy's seat on the Supreme Court. We begin our look at the hearings with Heidi Sieck, co-founder of the national organization VoteProChoice, who was the first member of the public to enter the Kavanaugh hearings on Tuesday and was removed after she protested, along with dozens of others who interrupted the proceedings. | Transcript: | JUAN GONZàÅLEZ: Protests, arrests and repeated calls from Democratic senators to adjourn the proceedings. That's how confirmation hearings began Tuesday for Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's pick to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy's seat on the Supreme Court. As the meeting got underway, demonstrators immediately stood up and interrupted Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Grassley. | LINDA SARSOUR: This…
(2018-09-05). Brett Kavanaugh Must Answer These Questions. thenation.com Brett Kavanaugh Must Answer These Questions appeared first on The Nation.
(2018-09-05). White supremacist conspiracy theory erupts over hand signal at Kavanaugh hearing. rt.com 
Tuesday's hearing for a Supreme Court nominee spawned an unexpected and explosive conspiracy theory — was Zina Bash, the wife of a US attorney, flashing a white power signal for the cameras?
(2018-09-05). This Is Why the Kavanaugh Nomination Matters — And His Confirmation Is Not Guaranteed. alternet.org 
It's not just about Roe v. Wade. That case connects to a whole range of other American rights and liberties. | As America's families send their children back to school, the U. S. Senate has begun its contentious hearings on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U. S. Supreme Court. There are several important cases waiting on the Court's docket this fall, and whoever replaces Justice Anthony Kennedy will have tremendous power to imp. . .
(2018-09-05). Headlines for September 5, 2018. democracynow.org Dozens Arrested Disrupting First Day of Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings, U.S. to End All Funding for U.N. Agency Providing Humanitarian Aid to Palestinians, Nearly 500 Migrant Children Remain Separated from Their Parents, "Fear": Bob Woodward's New Book Depicts Trump White House as "Crazytown", Amazon Becomes Second-Ever U.S. Company to Reach $1 Trillion in Market Value, California Lawmakers Pass Net Neutrality Bill, in Rebuke to Trump's FCC, Mexican Television Reporter Javier Enrique Rodríguez Valladares Killed in Cancún, Worst Typhoon to Hit Japan in 25 Years Kills at Least 10, Iraq: At Least 5 Killed by Securi…
(2018-09-05). More Than $300,000 Has Been Pledged Against Susan Collins If She Votes for Brett Kavanaugh. theintercept.com As hearings on Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh are underway, activists have raised $330,000 and counting of pledged money for a future challenger to Republican Sen. Susan Collins, a critical swing vote. | Progressive activist Ady Barkan, who has the impairing condition of Lou Gehrig's disease, spent the last five months crisscrossing the United States to campaign against Republicans who supported Donald Trump's tax law. | In mid-August, he announced an innovative tactic for pressuring Maine's Collins to vote "no" on Kavanaugh's confirmation. Using the website CrowdPac — which allows users to pledge a certain amount of campaign funding should certain conditions be met — the campaign announced that it would be collecting pledges for a future Democratic challenger to Collins. | The pledges only activate (and then users are charged) if Collins votes in favor of…
(2018-09-05). Democrat Leahy Just Hinted at a Smoking Gun to Kavanaugh Perjury Before the Senate in Hidden Documents. alternet.org 
"I'm concerned because there is evidence that Mr. Miranda provided you with materials that were stolen from me. " | Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) used those reams of hidden and confidential documents related to Supreme Court nominee's Brett Kavanaugh tenure with the George W. B. . .
(2018-09-05). Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh: To Deepen the 'Imperial Presidency'. therealnews.com 
US Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Trump's Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh began on Tuesday. We discuss his nomination and the hearings and how they will affect executive power, abortion, and international law with Marjorie Cohn
(2018-09-05). Democrats Find Their Spine at the Kavanaugh Hearings—but Will It Last? thenation.com Democrats Find Their Spine at the Kavanaugh Hearings—but Will It Last? appeared first on The Nation.
(2018-09-05). Report Finds Judge Kavanaugh Ruled Against Public Interest in Almost All of His District Court Cases. democracynow.org 
Even as records about Judge Brett Kavanaugh's time in the White House remain concealed, much can be learned from his judicial record. We speak with Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, about their analysis of Judge Kavanaugh's opinions in split-decision cases, which found that during his 12 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Kavanaugh decided or wrote an opinion against the public interest 87 percent of the time in split-decision cases dealing with consumer, environmental and worker rights.
(2018-09-05). The 'Anti-Catholic' Playbook. thenation.com 
Does Brett Kavanaugh think abortion should be illegal? A secret network of right-wing activists has spent millions attacking such questions as anti-religious bigotry.
(2018-09-05). Chaos Greets Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearing as Protesters & Dems Demand Postponement. democracynow.org 
Protests, arrests and repeated calls from Democratic senators to adjourn the proceedings. That's how confirmation hearings began Tuesday for Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's pick to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy's seat on the Supreme Court. We begin our look at the hearings with Heidi Sieck, co-founder of the national organization VoteProChoice, who was the first member of the public to enter the Kavanaugh hearings on Tuesday and was removed after she protested, along with dozens of others who interrupted the proceedings.
(2018-09-05). Meet Fred Guttenberg, the Grieving Parkland Father Who Says Kavanaugh Rebuffed Him at Senate Hearing. democracynow.org 
When Fred Guttenberg approached Judge Brett Kavanaugh during Tuesday's Supreme Court confirmation hearings to talk about his daughter Jaime, who was shot and killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre on Valentine's Day, he hoped to shake the nominee's hand and start a conversation. Instead, Kavanaugh turned his back and walked away. We speak with Fred Guttenberg about Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing and his record on the Second Amendment.
(2018-09-05). Democrats posture over Trump Supreme Court nominee. wsws.org Tuesday's hearing is the beginning of an extended political farce, in which Democrats pretend to oppose the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh while doing nothing to stop it.
(2018-09-04). Is the Government Planning to Surveil Keystone XL Protesters? aclu.org Memories of the government's use of force at Standing Rock, coupled with evidence of its plans for the Keystone protests, raise immense concerns. | In the aftermath of Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock, leaked documents revealed that law enforcement agencies had collaborated with private security contractors to employ counterterrorism tactics against "pipeline insurgencies" and to manufacture a (2018-09-04). Drones Are Revolutionizing Journalism, but Congress Could Curb This New Tool. aclu.org The bill in Congress would give the government enormous power to seize and destroy drones, including in ways that could hamper freedom of the press. | At a time when journalists face unprecedented attacks, Congress is now considering legislation that may make it even harder for them to do their jobs., , Earlier this year, Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) introduced legislation that would grant the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice enormous power to intercept, surveil, se…
(2018-09-04). "What Are They Hiding?": Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings Begin Despite Suppression of 100K Documents. democracynow.org 
Confirmation hearings begin for Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy's seat on the Supreme Court. If he is confirmed, it would likely make the court the most conservative since the 1930s. Kavanaugh is 53 years old and could serve on the Supreme Court for decades to come. Critics warn his confirmation could lead to major rollbacks of civil rights, environmental regulations, gun control measures, voting rights and reproductive rights, including possibly overturning Roe v. Wade. We speak with Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Last…
(2018-09-04). The EMPOWER Care Act Would Give People With Disabilities the Freedom They Deserve. aclu.org Congress should re-authorize the Money Follows the Person program, which helps people with disabilities move back home. | On Wednesday, the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee will consider the EMPOWER Care Act, bipartisan legislation to re-authorize the Money Follows the Person program, which helps people with disabilities move from institutions into the community. | MFP is li…
(2018-09-04). There Is No Grassroots Energy Rallying for Brett Kavanaugh. None. theintercept.com 
Last Sunday, several hundred protesters rallied in Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado, against President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh. Local reporters were on hand, and the protest earned a two-minute segment on that night's local CBS broadcast. The "Unite for Justice" rally in Denver was just one of dozens held across the country that same day, and viewers of that evening's news learned that the rally-goers were taking a stand against confirming a justice who would be the fifth vote to repeal Roe v. Wade. | The network's attempt at balance, however, was foiled by advocates of Kavanaugh — or, more precisely, the lack of them. The anchor, at the end of the segment, deadpanned to the Denver metro viewership and said, "A pro-life rally was scheduled to run in opposition to the protest, but no one attended.""A pro-life…
(2018-09-04). Headlines for September 4, 2018. democracynow.org Confirmation Hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh Begin Today, Trump Attacks Sessions for Filing Charges Against 2 Republican Congressmen, Father of Mollie Tibbetts: Don't Use Her Death to Promote Xenophobia and Racism, Trump Warns Syrian Government Not to Attack Idlib, Reuters Journalists Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison After Investigating Burmese Military Massacre, Saudi-Led Coalition Says Bombing of School Bus, Killing 40 Children, Was "Unjustified", Germany: 50,000 Attend Anti-Racism Concert in Chemnitz, Brazil: Fire at National Museum Destroys Millions of Pieces of Art and History, Canadian Court Rejects Effort…
(2018-09-04). We Need Everyone to Take Action to Keep Brett Kavanaugh Off the Supreme Court. thenation.com We Need Everyone to Take Action to Keep Brett Kavanaugh Off the Supreme Court appeared first on The Nation.
(2018-09-04). What Kavanaugh Will Say Today, and What He'll Actually Mean. thenation.com What Kavanaugh Will Say Today, and What He'll Actually Mean appeared first on The Nation.
(2018-09-04). The Chaos That Brett Kavanaugh Has Unleashed. thenation.com The Chaos That Brett Kavanaugh Has Unleashed appeared first on The Nation.
(2018-09-03). Hatewatch Headlines 9/4/18. splcenter.org Human rights groups urge senators to grill Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as hearings begin today; should Trump's evangelical advisers be exempt from disclosure laws? Mollie Tibbetts family says don't use her death to advance racism, and more.
(2018-09-02). A 5-Year-Old Girl in Immigrant Detention Nearly Died of an Untreated Ruptured Appendix. theintercept.com 
A 5-year-old girl fell gravely ill while in Border Patrol custody in McAllen, Texas. Her mother repeatedly sought medical care before her appendix ruptured.
(2018-09-01). Action Alert: Tell Your Senators Why Kavanaugh's SCOTUS Nom Hearings Must Wait Until After Midterm Elections. naacp.org U.S. Senate Hearings on NAACP-Opposed Supreme Court Nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh Scheduled to Begin Tuesday, September 4, 2018 Urge your senators to move Brett Kavanaugh's nomination until after the midterm elections and the 116th senate to be seated in January 2019 has time to fully review his record. The Issue: On July 9, 2018, President […]
(2018-09-01). NAACP on Kavanaugh's Troubling Civil Rights Record. naacp.org NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson issued the following statement on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh: "This Senate hearing on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination should not go forward. The President is in personal legal jeopardy and only a fraction of Kavanaugh's record has been produced. To proceed now threatens the legitimacy of the Senate's constitutional review […]
(2018-09-01). NAACP on Kavanaugh's Troubling Civil Rights Record. naacp.org NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson issued the following statement on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh: "This Senate hearing on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination should not go forward. The President is in personal legal jeopardy and only a fraction of Kavanaugh's record has been produced. To proceed now threatens the legitimacy of the Senate's constitutional review […]
(2018-09-01). Action Alert: Tell Your Senators Why Kavanaugh's SCOTUS Nom Hearings Must Wait Until After Midterm Elections. naacp.org U.S. Senate Hearings on NAACP-Opposed Supreme Court Nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh Scheduled to Begin Tuesday, September 4, 2018 Urge your senators to move Brett Kavanaugh's nomination until after the midterm elections and the 116th senate to be seated in January 2019 has time to fully review his record. The Issue: On July 9, 2018, President […]
(2018-08-31). Civil Rights Leaders Honor Aretha Franklin. naacp.org NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson joined esteemed civil rights leaders from around the country today in Detroit to honor the life and legacy of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The day was filled with reflection, personal stories and above all a message to serve a higher purpose, commemorating Aretha Franklin's legacy as an […]
(2018-08-31). Brett Kavanaugh Poses a Severe Threat to Civil Rights: the Senate Must Reject His Nomination. naacp.org NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson issued the following statement on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh: "This Senate hearing on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination should not go forward. The President is in personal legal jeopardy and only a fraction of Kavanaugh's record has been produced. To proceed now threatens the legitimacy of the Senate's constitutional review […]
(2018-08-31). Tofurky Has a Right to Free Speech, Too. aclu.org Missouri's new law regulating the use of the word "meat" is unnecessary and unconstitutional. | In a brazen attempt to restrict the First Amendment rights of those concerned with the effects of their food choices, the Missouri Legislature passed a law on Tuesday that prohibits "misrepresenting" any product as "meat" if it does not come from a slaughtered animal. | The new law now makes it a crime for plant-based and clean-meat producers to accurately inform consumers what their products are: Foods designed to fulfill the roles conventional slaughtered meat has traditionally played in a meal. For example, under th…
(2018-08-31). Civil Rights Leaders Honor Aretha Franklin. naacp.org NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson joined esteemed civil rights leaders from around the country today in Detroit to honor the life and legacy of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The day was filled with reflection, personal stories and above all a message to serve a higher purpose, commemorating Aretha Franklin's legacy as an […]
(2018-08-31). Brett Kavanaugh Poses a Severe Threat to Civil Rights: the Senate Must Reject His Nomination. naacp.org NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson issued the following statement on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh: "This Senate hearing on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination should not go forward. The President is in personal legal jeopardy and only a fraction of Kavanaugh's record has been produced. To proceed now threatens the legitimacy of the Senate's constitutional review […]
(2018-08-31). Belarus: Detention of journalists, harassment of independent media and new unduly restrictive legislation mark a low point for freedom of expression. amnesty.org The right to freedom of expression in Belarus has been dealt a series of severe blows in recent weeks, as the authorities' crusade against journalists and independent media outlets continues. The latest moves by the Belarusian authorities demonstrate their resolve to eliminate all critical voices in the country and deprive people in Belarus of the opportunity to freely access, share and disseminate information and ideas.
(2018-08-31). Syria: Statement to the Astana Working Group on detentions and abductions in the Syrian conflict. amnesty.org In this document, non-governmental organizations express concern at the failure of the Syrian government to disclose more information about the deaths of arbitrarily detained and disappeared people in conjunction with government's update of the civil registries records and, in some cases, issuance of death notices that state the cause of death, and to urge you to take immediate steps to address the continuing government policies of arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and enforced disappearances in a comprehensive and just manner.
(2018-08-30). In Defense of Affirmative Action in Higher Education. aclu.org The mere consideration of race in admissions, as the Supreme Court has long-held, does not violate college applicants' equal rights. | In November 2014, Students for Fair Admissions, an organization founded and led by Edward Blum as part of his ongoing opposition to civil rights and racial equality, sued Harvard University for racial discrimination in the admissions process. | According to the plaintiff, Harvard discriminates against Asian-Americans and engages in "racial balancing" that unfairly restricts the number of Asian-Americans admitted to the school. Yet the remedy that plaintiff seeks — prohibiti…
(2018-08-30). Federal Data Shows Public Schools Nationwide Are a Hotbed of Racial Injustice. aclu.org A new series of reports from the ACLU and UCLA Civil Rights Project reveal glaring racial disparities in school discipline. | Many students heading back to school are being greeted by more police and metal detectors, but few, if any, counselors — this is especially true for students of color. Beyond having more police officers who could be armed, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is reportedly considering a plan to allow states to buy guns for teachers using federal funds. | Despite the research demonstrating that
(2018-08-30). China: Systematic repression of ethnic minorities laid bare in UN findings. amnesty.org In response to the release of concluding observations on China by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Amnesty International's Deputy East Asia Director Lisa Tassi said: | "The Committee's findings highlight the systematic oppression of ethnic minorities in China, including the mass arbitrary detention of Chinese Uighurs and others in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR). | "The Chinese government must now heed the call to tackle serious human rights violations. Rather than dismissing the Committee's recommendations, it must immediately set out next steps to address th…
(2018-08-30). Update on Prison Strike Demanding End of "Slave Labor": After 10 Days, Protests Spread to 11 States. democracynow.org 
Prisoners across the country join work stoppages, hunger strikes and commissary boycotts in at least 11 states to protest prison conditions and demand the end of what they call "prison slavery." Organizers report prisoners in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Indiana are demonstrating. Individuals in Texas, California and Ohio have gone on hunger strike, including some in solitary confinement. Meanwhile, at least six people have been hunger-striking inside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, for more than a week. We speak with Amani Sawari, prison strike organizer working on behalf of Jailhou…
(2018-08-29). The Movement Against Prison Abuse—From the Inside. progressive.org Janos Marton of the ACLU's Smart Justice program talks about a growing public awareness of the rampant inequality perpetuated by prisons, jails, arrests, and prosecutions, and what people on the outside can do.
(2018-08-29). On National Security, Kavanaugh Has a History of Extreme Deference to the President. aclu.org Trump's pick for the Supreme Court has a record of extreme deference to the executive on national security cases, including unlawful detention. | A week before his confirmation hearing, the public record on Judge Brett Kavanaugh's possible involvement in some of the Bush administration's most abusive policies and programs is woefully incomplete. | Kavanaugh, President Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, served in the White House soon after 9/11 when the Bush administration launched many of its most infamous programs in the name of national security. Leading senators have said that, during his 2006 confirmatio…
(2018-08-28). More Than 60 Years After His Brutal Murder, Emmett Till Deserves Justice. aclu.org The Justice Department has reopened the Emmett Till case at a time when we're constantly reminded of how much racial injustice persists in the US. | Sixty-three years ago, Mamie Elizabeth Till-Mobley made the unbearably painful decision to have an open coffin funeral for her 14-year-old son Emmett. On Aug. 28, 1955, Emmett was tortured and murdered by white men in Mississippi for allegedly acting disrespectfully toward a white woman. | The sight of Emmett's body, mutilated beyond recognition, spread throughout the world in photographs published in Jet Magazine and other outlets. The shocking sight so outraged pe…
(2018-08-28). Real Housewives Skit Dishonors Legacy of Civil Rights Icons. naacp.org Baltimore, MD — The nation's leading civil rights organization is denouncing a recent parody which depicts several Civil Rights leaders in a vulgar and inappropriate manner. "As we commemorate the March on Washington, we must remain vigilant in educating those who may not understand the impact the leading women of the Civil Rights Movement had on our […]
(2018-08-28). Real Housewives Skit Dishonors Legacy of Civil Rights Icons. naacp.org Baltimore, MD — The nation's leading civil rights organization is denouncing a recent parody which depicts several Civil Rights leaders in a vulgar and inappropriate manner. "As we commemorate the March on Washington, we must remain vigilant in educating those who may not understand the impact the leading women of the Civil Rights Movement had on our […]
(2018-08-27). NAACP Statement on Birmingham, Alabama's Right to Clean Soil and a Healthy Environment. naacp.org The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People released the following statement in response to recent reports regarding environmental cleanup efforts in the Inglenook neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama. "NAACP maintains its commitment to uphold the rights of all people to pollution remediation and clean soil," said Jacqueline Patterson, Director, NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program. "As […]