Monthly Archives: October 2018

2018-10-28: News Headlines

Jill Richardson (2018-10-28). Trump's Gender "Science" is Reductive, Mean and Wrong. zcomm.org Trump's move — if he makes it — will serve to erase the civil rights of 1.4 million transgender Americans. An already vulnerable population will needlessly suffer more…

Aba Blankson (2018-10-28). NAACP Condemns Synagogue Killings, Mourns for Victims. naacp.org The NAACP condemns the hate-inspired killings at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Our condolences go out to those who have suffered losses and injuries during this horrific event. Anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and hatred represent horrible stains on our democracy. When these stains are embraced by elected officials and demagogues who prey on the […]

Fred_F (2018-10-28). Teachers set to walk off for refugees. greenleft.org.au The Australian Education Union (AEU) Victorian Branch Council has endorsed a planned walk off by teachers and education support staff in support of refugees on November 20, Universal Children's Day. | There are currently about 60 refugee children being detained by the Australian government on Nauru. | More than 6000 doctors issued an open letter to the government on October 22, calling on it to remove children from Nauru due to very serious mental and physical health emergency on the Pacific island. | Doctors and health workers have spoken out about the significant trauma children suffer in detention. | Australia…

The Iranian (2018-10-28). US Foreign Policy Mindset In A Nutshell: Ann Coulter Says Trump Should Order US Military To Invade Mexico. iranian.com US Foreign Policy Mindset In A Nutshell: Ann Coulter Says Trump Should Order US Military To Invade Mexico "We didn't ask for Iraq's approval to go in," the controversial conservative pundit told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. What will political commentator/author/proud racist Ann Coulter suggest next, the Israeli approach of snipers killing weaponless men, women […] | The post

Cathy Scott-Clark (2018-10-28). "Still in Solitary Over Here in Baghdad": a Forgotten American's 14-Year Nightmare in Iraq. theintercept.com Shawki Omar's story began as an embodiment of the American Dream. Today, it shows how the so-called war on terror has turned sadistic and extralegal.

Linda Evans (2018-10-27). "Prisons are Big Business": The Prison-Industrial Complex and the Global Economy. globalresearch.ca Editor's Note: From our archives. This was one of the first articles published by Global Research on October 18, 2001 | Over 1.8 million people are currently behind bars in the United States. This represents the highest per capita incarceration …

Shared by Anton Woronczuk (2018-10-27). "The US Immigration System Is Inherently Abusive, Violent and Racist" truthout.org Janine Jackson: In a typical corporate media story on the family separations and deportations and asylum denials that define immigration policy under Donald Trump, the images and sometimes voices of immigrants are essentially illustrative. They add "color" and specificity, but they, their actions, don't generally set the frame of the story. The objects of policy, immigrants still somehow are not the central subjects, the main drivers, of the story of their lives. | Centering immigrants and their agency changes the fabric of reporting and shifts the static understanding of the situation, opening ways forward beyon…

INA (2018-10-27). Settlers Vandalize Nazareth Village with Graffiti. imemc.org Israeli settlers sprayed anti-Arab graffiti in the Yaffa al-Nasriyyeh village in Nazareth of northern Israel, early Friday morning. Locals said, according to Ma'an, that a group of Israeli settlers raided the Marah Ghuzlan neighborhood of the village, sprayed racist slogans, including "price tag," "revenge," and "death to Arabs" on walls …

aclu (2018-10-26). Despite Trump's Best Efforts, Hundreds of Thousands of Immigrants Earn Reprieve From Deportation. aclu.org The Trump administration's attacks on the Temporary Protected Status program have been stopped — for now. | Last week, Jeff Sessions attacked a court ruling that gave a temporary reprieve to hundreds of thousands of immigrants facing imminent deportation after years of living lawfully in this country. | "Federal district court judges are not empowered to fashion immigration policy," Sessions said. "The Legislative and Executive branches — of federal and state government — a…

Brian Cloughley (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

Francisco Domínguez (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

RT (2018-10-26). 'Straight bull': Tomi Lahren defends Megyn Kelly in blackface debate. rt.com Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren has defended Megan Kelly, following reports that the NBC host will lose her daytime show over remarks she made questioning whether the use of blackface as a Halloween costume was racist.

Regan Farley (2018-10-26). NAACP Prevails in Tennessee Voter Suppression Case. naacp.org MEMPHIS—The NAACP Memphis Branch and Tennessee Black Voter Project won a major victory in a lawsuit against the Shelby County Tennessee Election Commission potentially affecting some 35,000 voter registration applications submitted by African-American voters. "What happened in Tennessee yesterday is a prime example that we can prevail when underhanded voter suppression tactics are exposed for […]

stuart_m (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…

Hatewatch Staff (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.

Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet (2018-10-26). WATCH NOW: Wanda Sykes Collaborates with NAACP to Get Out the Vote. naacp.org Actress and award-winning comedienne, Wanda Sykes, knows elections are no joking matter. We must vote this year because our lives depend on it. Watch and share! About Wanda Sykes Wanda Sykes is an American actress, writer, and comedian. She is most known for her work in The Chris Rock Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and her […]

Robert Fantina (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

Staff (2018-10-26). What It Ultimately Takes to Bring Down a Confederate Monument. truthdig.com Last week, following a day of testimony, a North Carolina judge found UNC-Chapel Hill graduate student and anti-racist activist Maya Little guilty of a misdemeanor charge of defacing a public monument—the Confederate statue known as Silent Sam. The court stopped short of any further punishment, opting instead to waive all associated court fees and restitution. Little had been facing up to 60 days in jail, an absurd and unjust sentencing possibility for multiple reasons, the most salient being the disproportionate ratio of t…

aclu (2018-10-26). NYPD Should Not Take the Lead in Fixing New York's Homeless Crisis. aclu.org Comments from the city's subway chief raise concerns about further criminalization of New York's homeless. | New York City Transit President Andy Byford announced this week that he would ask the city, including the police, to help respond to homeless people exhibiting "offensive, obnoxious and anti-social" behavior on subways. | The comments prompt fresh concerns that the NYPD could exacerbate the city's already problematic track record of criminalizing homeless people. | "There is a fundamental difference betw…

David Rosen (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

Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet (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 […]

Rachel Johnson (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, […]

Philip M. Giraldi (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…

Shaun King (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."

Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet (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 […]

Rachel Johnson (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, […]

Fight Back (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…

aclu (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…

Rachel Johnson (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

Rachel Johnson (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 […]

aclu (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…

Democracy Now! (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.

Democracy Now! (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.

Janine Jackson (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…

Democracy Now! (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…

Democracy Now! (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…

aclu (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…

splcenter (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.

aclu (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…

aclu (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…

aclu (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…

Democracy Now! (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…

aclu (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…

aclu (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…

Claire Provost (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…

Peter Cole (2018-10-18). A Tribute to Ron Dellums, Radical. zcomm.org Ron Dellums appreciated the struggle against racism is permanently joined with those against sexism, militarism, and capitalism…

David A. Love (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.

Mina Khanlarzadeh (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…

Max Blumenthal (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…

2018-10-28: Social Media Postees

Teachers set to walk off for refugees
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2018-10-28
The Australian Education Union (AEU) Victorian Branch Council has endorsed a planned walk off by teachers and education support staff in support of refugees on November 20, Universal Children's Day. | There are currently about 60 refugee children being detained by the Australian government on Nauru. | More than 6000 doctors issued an open letter to the government on October 22, calling on it to remove children from Nauru due to very serious mental and physical health emergency on the Pacific island. | Doctors and health workers have spoken out about the significant trauma children suffer in detention. | Australia…
greenleft.org.au/content/teachers-set-walk-refugees

Trump's Gender "Science" is Reductive, Mean and Wrong
Jill Richardson | zcomm.org | 2018-10-28
Trump's move — if he makes it — will serve to erase the civil rights of 1.4 million transgender Americans. An already vulnerable population will needlessly suffer…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/trumps-gender-science-is-reductive-mean-and-wrong/

US Foreign Policy Mindset In A Nutshell: Ann Coulter Says Trump Should Order US Military To Invade Mexico
The Iranian | iranian.com | 2018-10-28
US Foreign Policy Mindset In A Nutshell: Ann Coulter Says Trump Should Order US Military To Invade Mexico "We didn't ask for Iraq's approval to go in," the controversial conservative pundit told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. What will political commentator/author/proud racist Ann Coulter suggest next, the Israeli approach of snipers killing weaponless men, women […] | The post US Foreign Policy Mindset In A Nutshell: Ann Coulter Says Trump Should Order US Mi…
iranian.com/2018/10/27/us-foreign-policy-mindset-in-a-nutshell-ann-coulter-says-donald-trump-should-order-u-s-military-to-invade-mexico/

NAACP Condemns Synagogue Killings, Mourns for Victims
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2018-10-28
The NAACP condemns the hate-inspired killings at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Our condolences go out to those who have suffered losses and injuries during this horrific event. Anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and hatred represent horrible stains on our democracy. When these stains are embraced by elected officials and demagogues who prey on the […] | The post NAACP Condemns Synagogue Killings, Mourns for Victims appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/naacp-condemns-synagogue-killings-mourns-victims/

"Still in Solitary Over Here in Baghdad": a Forgotten American's 14-Year Nightmare in Iraq
Cathy Scott-Clark | theintercept.com | 2018-10-28
Shawki Omar's story began as an embodiment of the American Dream. Today, it shows how the so-called war on terror has turned sadistic and extralegal. | The post "Still in Solitary Over Here in Baghdad": a Forgotten American's 14-Year Nightmare in Iraq appeared first on The Intercept.
theintercept.com/2018/10/28/shawki-omar-iraq-detention-torture/

"The US Immigration System Is Inherently Abusive, Violent and Racist"
Shared by Anton Woronczuk | truthout.org | 2018-10-27
Janine Jackson: In a typical corporate media story on the family separations and deportations and asylum denials that define immigration policy under Donald Trump, the images and sometimes voices of immigrants are essentially illustrative. They add "color" and specificity, but they, their actions, don't generally set the frame of the story. The objects of policy, immigrants still somehow are not the central subjects, the main drivers, of the story of their lives. | Centering immigrants and their agency changes the fabric of reporting and shifts the static understanding of the situation, opening ways forward beyon…
truthout.org/audio/the-us-immigration-system-is-inherently-abusive-violent-and-racist/

"Prisons are Big Business": The Prison-Industrial Complex and the Global Economy
Linda Evans | globalresearch.ca | 2018-10-27
Editor's Note: From our archives. This was one of the first articles published by Global Research on October 18, 2001 | Over 1.8 million people are currently behind bars in the United States. This represents the highest per capita incarceration … | The post "Prisons are Big Business": The Prison-Industrial Complex and the Global Economy appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/prisons-are-big-business-the-prison-industrial-complex-and-the-global-economy/5328757

Settlers Vandalize Nazareth Village with Graffiti
INA | imemc.org | 2018-10-27
Israeli settlers sprayed anti-Arab graffiti in the Yaffa al-Nasriyyeh village in Nazareth of northern Israel, early Friday morning. Locals said, according to Ma'an, that a group of Israeli settlers raided the Marah Ghuzlan neighborhood of the village, sprayed racist slogans, including "price tag," "revenge," and "death to Arabs" on walls …

Settlers Vandalize Nazareth Village with Graffiti

Hatewatch Headlines 10/26/2018
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2018-10-26
Judge restores funding to sanctuary cities; Civil rights groups call for tech hate-group crackdown; Shea wants to create a 51st state; and…
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/10/26/hatewatch-headlines-10262018

NAACP Prevails in Tennessee Voter Suppression Case
Regan Farley | naacp.org | 2018-10-26
MEMPHIS–The NAACP Memphis Branch and Tennessee Black Voter Project won a major victory in a lawsuit against the Shelby County Tennessee Election Commission potentially affecting some 35,000 voter registration applications submitted by African-American voters. "What happened in Tennessee yesterday is a prime example that we can prevail when underhanded voter suppression tactics are exposed for […] | The post NAACP Prevails in Tennessee Voter Suppression Case appeared first on NAACP
naacp.org/latest/naacp-prevails-tennessee-voter-suppression-case/

NYPD Should Not Take the Lead in Fixing New York's Homeless Crisis
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-26
Comments from the city's subway chief raise concerns about further criminalization of New York's homeless. | New York City Transit President Andy Byford announced this week that he would ask the city, including the police, to help respond to homeless people exhibiting "offensive, obnoxious and anti-social" behavior on subways. | The comments prompt fresh concerns that the NYPD could exacerbate the city's already problematic track record of criminalizing homeless people. | "There is a fundamental difference betw…
aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police-practices/nypd-should-not-take-lead-fixing-new-yorks

Against All Tides, North Carolinians are Heading to the Ballot Box
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-10-26
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 […] | The post Against All Tides, North Carolinians are Heading to the Ballot Box appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/tides-north-carolinians-heading-ballot-box/

The Anti-Russia Cold War in the Arctic is Heating Up
Brian Cloughley | counterpunch.org | 2018-10-26
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".
counterpunch.org/2018/10/26/the-anti-russia-cold-war-in-the-arctic-is-heating-up/

Trump, Saudi Arabia and the Khashoggi Murder
Robert Fantina | counterpunch.org | 2018-10-26
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…
counterpunch.org/2018/10/26/trump-saudi-arabia-and-the-khashoggi-murder/

Trump's HHS and the Renewed Culture Wars
David Rosen | counterpunch.org | 2018-10-26
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."
counterpunch.org/2018/10/26/trumps-hhs-and-the-renewed-culture-wars/

The Future of Brazil is at Stake: a Refugee From Pinochet's Chile on the Threat Posed by Bolsonaro
Francisco Domínguez | counterpunch.org | 2018-10-26
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…
counterpunch.org/2018/10/26/the-future-of-brazil-is-at-stake-a-refugee-from-pinochets-chile-on-the-threat-posed-by-bolsonaro/

Despite Trump's Best Efforts, Hundreds of Thousands of Immigrants Earn Reprieve From Deportation
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-26
The Trump administration's attacks on the Temporary Protected Status program have been stopped — for now. | Last week, Jeff Sessions attacked a court ruling that gave a temporary reprieve to hundreds of thousands of immigrants facing imminent deportation after years of living lawfully in this country. | "Federal district court judges are not empowered to fashion immigration policy," Sessions said. "The Legislative and Executive branches — of federal and state government — a…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/deportation-and-due-process/despite-trumps-best-efforts-hundreds-thousands

WATCH NOW: Wanda Sykes Collaborates with NAACP to Get Out the Vote
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-10-26
Actress and award-winning comedienne, Wanda Sykes, knows elections are no joking matter. We must vote this year because our lives depend on it. Watch and share! About Wanda Sykes Wanda Sykes is an American actress, writer, and comedian. She is most known for her work in The Chris Rock Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and her […] | The post WATCH NOW: Wanda Sykes Collaborates with NAACP to Get Out the Vote appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/watch-now-wanda-sykes-partners-naacp-get-vote/

'Straight bull': Tomi Lahren defends Megyn Kelly in blackface debate
RT | rt.com | 2018-10-26
Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren has defended Megan Kelly, following reports that the NBC host will lose her daytime show over remarks she made questioning whether the use of blackface as a Halloween costume was racist. | …
rt.com/usa/442396-tomi-lahren-megan-kelly-blackface/

What It Ultimately Takes to Bring Down a Confederate Monument
Staff | truthdig.com | 2018-10-26
Last week, following a day of testimony, a North Carolina judge found UNC-Chapel Hill graduate student and anti-racist activist Maya Little guilty of a misdemeanor charge of defacing a public monument–the Confederate statue known as Silent Sam. The court stopped short of any further punishment, opting instead to waive all associated court fees and restitution. Little had been facing up to 60 days in jail, an absurd and unjust sentencing possibility for multiple reasons, the most salient being the disproportionate ratio of t…
truthdig.com/articles/what-it-ultimately-takes-to-bring-down-a-confederate-monument/

Louisville Shooter Made Racist Remark Right After Killing Two Black People, but Police Won't Call it a Hate Crime
Shaun King | theintercept.com | 2018-10-25
The Kroger shooter reportedly told an armed white witness, "Don't shoot me. I won't shoot you. Whites don't shoot whites." | The post Louisville Shooter Made Racist Remark Right After Killing Two Black People, but Police Won't Call it a Hate Crime appeared first on The Intercept.
theintercept.com/2018/10/25/louisville-kroger-shooting-racist-motive/

Tampa students stand against attacks on trans rights
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2018-10-25
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…
www.fightbacknews.org/2018/10/24/tampa-students-stand-against-attacks-trans-rights

My Boss Fired Me From My Funeral Home Job for Being Transgender
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-25
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…
aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/transgender-rights/my-boss-fired-me-my-funeral-home-job-being-transgender

NAACP Partners with Members of the Faith Community to Galvanize Black Voters Ahead of Midterms
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-10-25
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 […] | The post NAACP Partners with Members of the Faith Community to Galvanize Black Voters Ahead of Midterms appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/naacp-partners-members-faith-community-galvanize-black-voters-ahead-midterms/

Two Stories from the Propaganda War
Philip M. Giraldi | mintpressnews.com | 2018-10-25
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…
mintpressnews.com/two-stories-from-the-propaganda-war/251040/

NAACP Sues Shelby County Over Allegedly Defective Voter Registration Applications
Rachel Johnson | naacp.org | 2018-10-24
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 […] | The post NAACP Sues Shelby County Over Allegedly Defective Voter Registration Applications appeared first on…
naacp.org/latest/naacp-sues-shelby-county-allegedly-defective-voter-registration-applications/

Georgia NAACP Files Voter Complaint Against Secretary of State Brian Kemp Over Voting Machine Irregularities
Rachel Johnson | naacp.org | 2018-10-24
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 Georgia NAACP Files Voter Complaint Against Secretary of State Brian Ke…
naacp.org/latest/georgia-naacp-files-voter-complaint-secretary-state-brian-kemp-voting-machine-irregularities/

'The US Immigration System Is Inherently Abusive and Violent and Racist' – CounterSpin interview with Tina Vasquez on immigration reporting
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2018-10-24
Janine Jackson interviewed Tina Vasquez about reporting on immigration for the October 19, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
fair.org/home/the-us-immigration-system-is-inherently-abusive-and-violent-and-racist/

Who's Behind ICE? How Amazon, Palantir, Microsoft & Tech Giants Are Powering Trump's Deportations
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-24
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…
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/24/whos_behind_ice_how_amazon_palantir

Aimee Stephens Was Fired Because She Is Transgender. That's Sex Discrimination
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-24
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…
aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/transgender-rights/aimee-stephens-was-fired-because-she-transgender-thats-sex

City Officials Stoke Mob Mentality in Front of Sex Offender's Home
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-24
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…
aclu.org/blog/free-speech/rights-protesters/city-officials-stoke-mob-mentality-front-sex-offenders-home

Greg Palast Sues Georgia's Brian Kemp for Purging 340,000 from Voter Rolls Ahead of Election
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-24
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.
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/24/greg_palast_sues_georgias_brian_kemp

Stacey Abrams Stands By Burning the Racist, Segregationist Georgia State Flag in 1992
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-24
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.
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/24/stacey_abrams_stands_by_burning_the

Latino Voter Suppression in Kansas: Dodge City's Only Polling Site Is Moved Outside City Limits
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-24
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…
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/24/latino_voter_suppression_in_kansas_dodge

SPLC statement on Trump administration's efforts to remove civil rights protections from transgender Americans
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2018-10-22
The Trump administration has apparently redoubled its efforts to exclude transgender Americans from the protection of federal civil rights laws.
splcenter.org/news/2018/10/22/splc-statement-trump-administration%25E2%2580%2599s-efforts-remove-civil-rights-protections-transgender

Trump Admin Attempts to Erase Existence of Trans People After Years of GOP-Led Attacks on Freedoms
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-22
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…
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/22/trump_admin_attempts_to_erase_existence

Court Tells Georgia It Can't Charge People to Read the Law
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-22
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…
aclu.org/blog/free-speech/court-tells-georgia-it-cant-charge-people-read-law

Mississippi Sentences Man to 8 Years in Prison for Medical Marijuana He Purchased Legally in Another State
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-22
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…
aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/drug-law-reform/mississippi-sentences-man-8-years-prison-medical-marijuana

The Trump Administration Is Trying to Erase Trans People, but the Law Clearly Protects Them
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-22
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…
aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/transgender-rights/trump-administration-trying-erase-trans-people-law-clearly

It's No Trick — These Virginia Cities Are Criminalizing Halloween
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-19
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…
aclu.org/blog/free-speech/its-no-trick-these-virginia-cities-are-criminalizing-halloween

Don't Board Our Buses Without Probable Cause or a Warrant
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-19
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…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/ice-and-border-patrol-abuses/dont-board-our-buses-without-probable-cause-or

Trump Administration's Warped View of Religious Freedom Abroad
Claire Provost | zcomm.org | 2018-10-18
Religious freedom arguments are increasingly being used to challenge anti-discrimination policies and access to services…
zcomm.org/zmagazine/trump-administrations-warped-view-of-religious-freedom-abroad/

A Tribute to Ron Dellums, Radical
Peter Cole | zcomm.org | 2018-10-18
Ron Dellums appreciated the struggle against racism is permanently joined with those against sexism, militarism, and capitalism…
zcomm.org/zmagazine/a-tribute-to-ron-dellums-radical/

The GOP's Racist Election Strategy
David A. Love | progressive.org | 2018-10-15
As the 2018 midterm election approaches, the party is no longer making efforts to disguise its appeals to racism.
progressive.org/dispatches/the-gops-racist-election-strategy-181015/

Dreaming political concepts in Iran and the US: Huey Newton and Ali Shariati, through the movie Black Panther
Mina Khanlarzadeh | zcomm.org | 2018-10-11
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…
zcomm.org/zblogs/dreaming-political-concepts-in-iran-and-the-us-huey-newton-and-ali-shariati-through-the-movie-black-panther/