(2018-12-30). Polls Close in Bangladesh, At Least 10 Killed Amid Fraud Claims. telesurenglish.net Polls in Bangladesh closed Sunday at 4 p.m. (local time) after general elections marred by a series of violent clashes between rival parties that left at least 10 people dead. | RELATED: | Rohingya Refugees Pushed to a Frontline of Climate Change | Around 104 million Bangladeshis, of a total population of 164 million, were called to vote Sunday to elect 2…
(2018-12-30). Prison Programs That Work. therealnews.com 
Even though the cost of educating prisoners is less than housing prisoners and reduces recidivism, the federal government cut the Pell grant which helped to fund educational programs in prison. Recidivism is the goal for corporations that continue to fund prison labor. However, volunteers continue to create programs that work, but which need funding to…
(2018-12-29). 2018: A year of media suppression and rights abuses in Pakistan. aljazeera.com Over the past year, there was a noticeable increase in attacks on freedom of expression and human rights in Pakistan.
(2018-12-29). 'You're racist as f**k': Woman brandishes knife during slur laden attack (GRAPHIC VIDEO). rt.com 
A knife-wielding woman unleashed a racist diatribe on a young black couple as a dispute over a parking space spiraled out of control in Oregon on Christmas Eve.
(2018-12-29). 'No to $5 Billion, No to $2.1 Billion, No to $1.6 Billion': Progressive Groups Pressure Democrats to Reject Any Funding for Trump's Anti-Immigrant Agenda. commondreams.org The ACLU and dozens of other advocacy groups urged Democrats to "reject any additional funding for detention beds, ICE and Border Patrol agents, or other harmful enforcement." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trumps-very-expensive-border-wall-2_0.jpg…
(2018-12-29). Court Order Could Signal Change for Trans Women in Men's Prisons. truthout.org Strawberry Hampton has spent the last three-and-a-half years living in men's prisons in Illinois. She has spent the past two years in solitary confinement after reporting sexual harassment and abuse at the hands of prison staff. She has filed two lawsuits about repeated physical and sexual abuse. She settled one in 2017; in 2018, she filed another suit for the continuing physical and sexual assaults she endured at the hands of prison staff and the men around her. That lawsuit demands that Hampton, who has…
(2018-12-28). The Courts Consistently Brushed Back Trump's Assaults on Immigrants in 2018. aclu.org From family separation to the asylum ban, our independent judiciary stepped in to ensure that the president is not above the law. | This article was originally published in The Los Angeles Times. | For immigrants, there's no way to sugarcoat 2018. The Trump administration enacted a series of draconian policies targeting noncitizens, and the one that will most define the year — and this administration — is the separation of thousands of children, some less than a year old, from their mother…
(2018-12-28). The First Step Act Is a Small Step for Incarcerated Women. commondreams.org To achieve meaningful gender justice, we need to apply a gender lens in analyzing both problems and solutions. (Photo: Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/prison.jpeg…
(2018-12-27). The First Step Act Is a Small Step for Incarcerated Women. aclu.org While the law ends two gender-specific indignities of federal incarceration, it only begins to scratch the surface for incarcerated women. | The enactment of the First Step Act earlier this month will bring some much-needed change to our criminal justice system. But the First Step Act remains just that, a first step — particularly with respect to the impact that mass incarceration has had on cisgender women and trans people. | The legislation ends two gender-specific indignities…
(2018-12-27). Headlines for December 27, 2018. democracynow.org President Trump Makes Surprise Visit to U.S. Military Base in Iraq, NYT: Queens Podiatrist Helped Donald Trump Avoid Vietnam in 1968, Trump Says No End in Sight to Partial Government Shutdown, Violence Against Women Act Expires Due to Government Shutdown, Texas: Hundreds More Migrants Released by ICE at El Paso Bus Station, Guatemala: Funeral Held for 7-Year-Old Girl Who Died in U.S. Custody, ProPublica: Sexual Assaults Pervasive Inside Jails for Migrant Children, Sudan: 37 Killed as Protests Call for an End to Omar al-Bashir's Rule, Russia Tests New "Hypersonic" Nuclear-Capable Missile, Yemen: U.N. Team Tasked w…
(2018-12-27). #LogOutFacebook: Because of You, We Did. Thank You! naacp.org Thank you. During the week-long #LogOutFacebook protest, you were joined by thousands of advocates, celebrities, elected officials and partners to take a stand, to let Facebook know that they need to do better. You made it known that you will no longer tolerate privacy breaches, hate speech, bias, and misinformation. This logout cycle is done, but our […]
(2018-12-27). Amber Heard: I Spoke Up Against Sexual Violence and Faced Our Culture's Wrath. aclu.org It's time to reform institutions that protect men accused of abuse. | This piece was originally published in the Washington Post. | I was exposed to abuse at a very young age. I knew certain things early on, without ever having to be told. I knew that men have the power — physically, socially and financially — and that a lot of institutions support that arrangement. I knew this long befor…
(2018-12-27). A motel beside I-75 in Adel, GA. theintercept.com 
Hercules Brown has been in prison for murder for more than 16 years, but he has not confessed to the September 1998 murder of Donna Brown at the Taco Bell in Adel, Georgia — even though there is strong evidence pointing to his guilt, and Devonia Inman, a man unconnected to the crime, is serving a life sentence in prison for it. | Jessica Cino, a dean and law professor at Georgia State University, has spent countless hours over more than three years trying to find a way to help Inman prove his innocence, a monumental feat that means battling a court system rigged to keep him behind bars. He's exhausted his n…
(2018-12-27). Rally on 3rd anniversary of David Dungay's death at Long Bay Jail. greenleft.org.au 
The Dungay Family supported by the Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA) has invited all to attend a rally on December 29, the third anniversary of David Dungay's death in Sydney's Long Bay Jail. | David Dungay was a 26-year-old Aboriginal man who was killed when under the control of Correctional Services Officers (CSO) and Justice Health (JH) nurses, just four weeks before he was due to be released. Dungay died simply because he ate a biscuit he wasn't supposed to. | Dungay's death has been shrouded in mystery; his family have spent the last three years fighting for information and some kind of justi…
(2018-12-26). Muslim Ban: Meet the Yemeni Americans Suing Trump in an Attempt to Reunite with Loved Ones. democracynow.org 
A group of Yemeni Americans have filed a new federal lawsuit over President Trump's Muslim ban. The suit alleges the State Department has revoked previously approved visas, preventing many Yemenis from reuniting with their families living in the United States. We speak to two of the plaintiffs and the Center for Constitutional Rights, which brought the lawsuit.
(2018-12-26). The Battle to Stop Family Separation. aclu.org How a Congolese mother and child set in motion an extraordinary battle that exposed government conduct unprecedented in its cruelty and carelessness. | In March 2017, John Kelly, then Secretary of Homeland Security, said in an interview with CNN that the Trump administration was considering a national policy to separate parents from their children to deter immigrants from crossing the border into the United States. The proposal triggered a backlash because it was so unpalatable, and the…
(2018-12-26). When Portland Tried to Dictate Favorable News Coverage of Its Protest Crackdowns. aclu.org Journalists rightfully turned down an offer by Portland police to observe the command center during a protest. They had at least three good reasons. | After months of facing criticism for how Portland has been policing protests, the city's mayor and police bureau recently invited select reporters to the bureau's command center to watch their policing in action. The only catch? Well, there were at least three. | But first, some background: The Portland Police Bur…
(2018-12-26). The Man Who Fell From The Sky: Is Revenge Justified Against Racist Murder? therealnews.com 
A page-turning murder mystery set in a Cape Verdean community during the Vietnam War and the war against The Black Panthers, by writer, scholar, and author Bill Fletcher, Jr.
(2018-12-26). China: Trial of lawyer Wang Quanzhang a "cruel charade" amnesty.org The trial of Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang is a cruel charade and he should be immediately and unconditionally released, Amnesty International said. | Wang is one of the few lawyers still held in detention after the Chinese government's mass crackdown in 2015, which targeted nearly 250 lawyers and activists. He is on trial at the Tianjin Municipal No.2 Intermediate People's Court accused of "subverting state power," which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. | "This is a sham trial in which Wang Quanzhang is being persecuted only for peacefully defending human rights," said Doriane Lau, C…
(2018-12-25). A Tribute to Blacklisted Lyricist Yip Harburg: The Man Who Put the Rainbow in The Wizard of Oz. democracynow.org 
His name might not be familiar to many, but his songs are sung by millions around the world. Today, we take a journey through the life and work of Yip Harburg, the Broadway lyricist who wrote such hits as "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" and who put the music into The Wizard of Oz. Born into poverty on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Harburg always included a strong social and political component to his work, fighting racism and poverty. A lifelong socialist, Harburg was blacklisted and hounded throughout much of his life. We speak with Harburg's son, Ernie Harburg, about the music and politics of his father. T…
(2018-12-24). From 1968 to 2018: Angela Davis on Freedom Struggles Then and Now, and the Movements of the Future. democracynow.org 
Legendary scholar and activist Angela Davis's work around issues of gender, race, class and prisons has influenced critical thought and social movements across several generations. Amy Goodman sat down with her in Washington, D.C., in October to discuss freedom struggles over the past 50 years, and where people's movements are going next.
(2018-12-24). Angela Davis on Running from the FBI, Lessons from Prison and How Aretha Franklin Got Her Free. democracynow.org 
For more than four decades, Davis has been one of most influential activists and intellectuals in the United States. An icon of the black liberation movement, Davis's work around issues of gender, race, class and prisons has influenced critical thought and social movements across several generations. She is a leading advocate for prison abolition, a position informed by her own experience as a prisoner and fugitive on the FBI's top 10 most wanted list more than 40 years ago. Once caught, she faced the death penalty in California. After being acquitted, she has spent her life fighting to change the criminal justic…
(2018-12-23). Iraq/Kurdistan Region: Risk of Double Trials for ISIS Ties. hrw.org 
| | Cigarette burns cover the hands and arms of 18-year-old "Karim." Kurdish authorities held him for 13 months. He then returned home and was rearrested by authorities under Baghdad's control, who tortured and held him for months. | © 2018 San Saravan | (Beirut) — Sunni Arab boys who serve prison time in Iraq's Kurdistan region for Islamic State (also known as ISIS) connections risk rearrest after their release if they try to reunite with their families…
(2018-12-23). They Rescued Pigs and Turkeys From Factory Farms — and Now Face Decades in Prison. theintercept.com In the fall of 2017, Glenn Greenwald reported on a nationwide FBI manhunt for two pigs named Lily and Lizzie. The pigs had been removed from a factory farm in Utah by animal rights activists from a group called Direct Action Everywhere. From the perspective of the activists, the pigs were rescued. From the perspective of Smithfield Farms, the Chinese-owned multinational corporation that owns the factory farm, they were stolen. | Direct Action Everywhere, also known as DxE, engages in a practice calle…
(2018-12-21). The Death Penalty in 2018: A Punishment on the Decline. aclu.org We have much to celebrate in 2018, and much work towards abolition in the years ahead. | An annual survey conducted by the Death Penalty Information Center shows a significant decline in 2018 in the use of the death penalty nationwide. This is as it should be — the nation is turning away from the barbaric practice of killing its people as punishment. | In 2018, 25 people were executed, marking the fourth year in a row the United States has had fewer than 30 executions. That's down dramatically from the peak of 98 executions we saw in 1999. Death sentenc…
(2018-12-21). Single Moms Get Sucked Into the Cruelest Debtors' Prison We've Ever Seen. aclu.org In Lexington County, SC, moms struggling to make ends meet get jailed for weeks or months at a time when they can't afford to pay court fines and fees | Twanda Marshinda Brown is a single mom in South Carolina who was supporting her children by working at Burger King. In 2016, a court in Lexington County fined her around $2,300 for two traffic offenses. The judge ordered her to make monthly payments of $100, even though she explained she could only afford to pay $50 a month whil…
(2018-12-21). Congress Touts First Step Act as Criminal Justice Victory—But Critics Fear Bill Makes False Promises. democracynow.org 
A major criminal justice reform bill is poised to become law after the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in its favor Thursday. The First Step Act, passed in the Senate earlier this week with an 87-12 vote, would roll back sentences for federal prisoners, including mandatory life terms for third-time offenders and mandatory sentences for nonviolent drug users. The bill is now heading to the desk of President Trump, who has pledged to sign it into law. The bill only affects federal prisoners, who make up less than 10 percent of the more than 2 million U.S. prisoners. It has been endorsed by a wide…
(2018-12-21). Extremists' collectibles used to fund today's hate movement. splcenter.org Attempts to sell neo-Nazi memorabilia online are nothing new, but a recent marketing ploy attempts to use the sale of racist antiquities to fund modern-day racist activities.
(2018-12-21). Émirats arabes unis: Jugement attendu pour un défenseur des droits humains. amnesty.org Le 24 décembre 2018, la Cour suprême fédérale des Émirats arabes unis doit examiner l'appel interjeté par l'éminent défenseur des droits humains et prisonnier d'opinion Ahmed Mansoor. La cour devrait rendre un verdict définitif. Le 29 mai, Ahmed Mansoor a été déclaré coupable entre autres d' ´ outrage aux Émirats arabes unis et à leurs symboles ª et condamné à 10 ans de prison.
(2018-12-21). United Arab Emirates: Further Information: Possible Verdict For Human Rights Defender: Ahmed Mansoor. amnesty.org On 24 December 2018 the Federal Supreme Court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to hear the appeal of prominent human rights defender and prisoner of conscience, Ahmed Mansoor. The court may issue a final verdict. On 29 May 2018, Ahmed Mansoor was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges including "insulting the UAE and its symbols".
(2018-12-21). Taiwan: Open Letter on legal recognition of same-sex unions. amnesty.org Dear Premier Lai, | We write concerning the results of the recent referendums in Taiwan in which same-sex marriage rights and LGBT-inclusive education in schools were rejected by voters on 24 November. We urge the Taiwanese authorities not to implement the outcomes of the referendums as this would violate human rights law, bolster discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and undermine comprehensive and inclusive education on gender and sexuality. | We would like to recall that despite the referendum results, the Taiwanese government still is under court order to enact legislation for recognizing same-se…
(2018-12-21). #SaveHakeem — Stop deportation of Bahraini refugee. greenleft.org.au 
Bahraini refugee Hakeem Al-Araibi has been held in detention in Thailand since November 27, facing the terrifying prospect of deportation to the country where he was tortured. | Al-Araibi fled to Australia in 2014 and was accepted as a refugee. In November, he travelled on UN travel documents to Thailand for a short holiday with his wife. When he arrived at Bangkok airport, Al-Araibi was arrested under an Interpoll "Red Notice" (an international arrest warrant) issued by the Bahrain government. | Interpol is not meant to issue red notices for refugees, so this red notice should never have been issued for Al-Araib…
(2018-12-20). PRISON AND SENTENCING REFORM PASSES THE US SENATE. naacp.org On December 18, 2018, the U.S. Senate passed, by a vote of 87 yeas to 12 nays, its version of the First Step Act, legislation which begins to reform our nation's sentencing laws and prison terms. This bipartisan legislation, which has been strongly supported and promoted by the White House, offers some important improvements to the current federal criminal […]
(2018-12-20). Congress Just Took a Big Step Toward Ending the Shackling of Pregnant Prisoners. aclu.org Passing the First Step Act will be a step toward upholding the rights and protecting the health of pregnant prisoners. | Congress on Thursday passed the Senate version of the First Step Act, which is now headed for signature to President Trump. He is expected to sign it on Friday. | The First Step Act would, in addition to enacting other important criminal justice reforms, prohibit the shackling of p…
(2018-12-20). Screen Shot 2018-12-20 at 7.46.15 AM.png. progressive.org "It was Paul Ryan and Reince Priebus who transformed the politics of Wisconsin with racist dog-whistle messaging, and that laid the foundation for Donald Trump."
(2018-12-20). NAACP Launches Boycott of Facebook: Platform Is Unhealthy for African Americans & U.S. Democracy. democracynow.org 
Facebook is under fire again, this time for new revelations that Russian trolls targeted African Americans on social media in an effort to influence the vote ahead of the 2016 election. A pair of bipartisan reports published by the Senate Intelligence Committee Monday claim the Russian government focused on African Americans in its effort to suppress the turnout of voters likely to cast ballots for Hillary Clinton, spreading fake news and sowing discord in the run-up to the election. The NAACP has launched a Facebook boycott in response, demanding the social media giant be held responsible. We speak with Derrick…
(2018-12-20). 'Domestic Workers Don't Have Protections Against Discrimination and Harassment' – CounterSpin interview with Mariana Viturro on Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Mariana Viturro about the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights for the December 14, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2018-12-20). Anti-Lynching Bill Passes the U.S. Senate. naacp.org Late in the afternoon of 12/19, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed S. 3178, the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act, which was originally introduced by Senators Kamala Harris (CA), Cory Booker (NJ) and Tim Scott (SC). This crucial legislation would make lynching a hate crime, therefore eligible for the additional federal tools and resources used […]
(2018-12-20). Déjà vu on the Greek-Turkey Border. hrw.org 
| | Migrants that crossed the land border between Greece and Turkey are seen at the Pre-Removal Detention Center in the village of Fylakio, Northern Greece, February 24, 2017. | © 2017 Alexandros Avramidis /Reuters | Ten years ago, I documented a systematic pattern of brutal Greek border police pushbacks of migrants and asylum seekers at the Evros River border that divides Greece and Turkey. Last week, as I edited a new Human Rights Watch report, I felt as though I was re-reading my old report. | Here's a paragraph fro…
(2018-12-20). US Deporting Iraqis Without Valid Documents. hrw.org 
| | Protesters rally outside the federal court just before a hearing to consider a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Iraqi nationals facing deportation, in Detroit, Michigan, US, June 21, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters/Rebecca Cook | (Beirut) — The United States government has deported at least 30 of a planned 1,400 people originally from Iraq back to their country, in some cases threatening long imprisonmen…
(2018-12-20). Iran: Imprisoned Dissident Dies. hrw.org 
| | Rajai Shahr Prison, Karaj, Iran. | © 2004 Private | (Beirut) — Iranian authorities should immediately carry out an independent and impartial investigation into the death of an imprisoned activist on a hunger strike, Human Rights Watch said today. Anyone found responsible for wrongdoing in the death of Vahid Sayadi Nasiri should be held accountable. Iranian authorities have systematically failed to conduct transparent investigations into at least prio…
(2018-12-20). United Arab Emirates: Further Information: Hunger-Striking Academic In Critical Condition: Dr Nasser bin Ghaith. amnesty.org Dr Nasser bin Ghaith's health has severely deteriorated. The prominent Emirati economist and academic has been on hunger strike for over 70 days in al-Razeen prison in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to protest the detention conditions and the denial of access to medical care. He is a prisoner of conscience.
(2018-12-20). UAE: Fears grow for health of unjustly imprisoned academic. amnesty.org The authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) must immediately and unconditionally release Dr Nasser bin Ghaith, a prisoner of conscience whose health has deteriorated sharply in recent days, said Amnesty International today. | Dr Nasser bin Ghaith is serving a 10-year sentence for criticizing the UAE in comments posted on Twitter after a grossly unfair politically motivated trial. | "News that Dr Nasser bin Ghaith's health has deteriorated sharply…
(2018-12-20). Algeria: Forced to leave: Stories of injustice against migrants in Algeria. amnesty.org Over the past two decades Algeria has become a country of transit or final destination of many nationals from West and Central Africa looking for employment opportunities in a variety of sectors, mainly construction and agriculture. Yet despite the large number of Sub-Saharan migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the country, Algeria still lacks a clear legal framework for migrant workers and has a law criminalizing irregular migration making it an offence punishable by up to five years in prison. Sub-Saharan migrants shared their stories with Amnesty International. Their experiences illustrate the injustice w…
(2018-12-20). Emirats arabes unis: Un universitaire en grève de la faim est dans un état critique. amnesty.org La santé de Nasser bin Ghaith s'est gravement détériorée. Cet éminent économiste et universitaire émirien observe une grève de la faim depuis plus de 70 jours dans la prison d'Al Razeen, aux Émirats arabes unis, pour dénoncer les conditions de détention et la privation de soins médicaux dans cet établissement. Cet homme est un prisonnier d'opinion.
(2018-12-19). CYNTOIA BROWN DESERVES CLEMENCY — THIS IS NOT A DEBATE. naacp.org 
This story is one that meets at the intersection of sex-trafficking and mass incarceration. Cyntoia Brown has been imprisoned since she was 16 years old in 2004, during which time she was charged with first-degree premeditated murder and first-degree felony murder and tried as an adult. Although she was a teenager, she was tried as an […]
(2018-12-19). NAACP to Host National Townhall on Thursday Dec. 20. naacp.org 
Leaders, activists, and organizers join in a candid conversation about #livingwhileblack, justice reform, protecting our vote, Facebook and more issues impacting black America FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: Malik Russell/ mrussell@naacpnet.org and Vanessa Mbonu/ vmbonu@naacpnet.org BALTIMORE (December 19, 2018) — NAACP will host its final national tele townhall of the year on Thursday, December 20that 8 pm EST. The townhall is an opportunity to […]
(2018-12-19). Uganda: Drop absurd charges against academic Stella Nyanzi. amnesty.org The Ugandan authorities must immediately drop charges against radical academic Stella Nyanzi and put a stop to the charade that has seen her spend weeks in jail, Amnesty International said today as her case finally went to trial. | The charges levelled against Stella Nyanzi under the Computer Misuse Act are in direct contravention of Uganda's constitution and its international human rights obligations to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the right to freedom of expression. |
(2018-12-19). ALP National Conference a sham. greenleft.org.au 
Bill Shorten surprised no one with his laughingly tiny reforms at the Australian Labor Party National Conference over December 16—18. | If you expected debate, let alone proposals to stop the Adani coalmine or refugee boat turn-backs or the closure of off-shore detention centres, then you would have been disappointed as these things did not happen. | If you were hoping that there might be a commitment to increase the Newstart Allowance or to back progressive industrial relations reforms that will actually change the rules for workers, you would be doubly disappointed as these things were also rejected. | Cl…
(2018-12-18). Court docs: Suspects in 'Martyr's Day' beating of black man were wearing Crew 38 attire. splcenter.org Several people arrested in the "Martyr's Day" beating of a black man at a Lynnwood, Washington, bar were sporting T-shirts and patches of the racist skinhead group Crew 38, according to recently released court records.