(2019-04-06). CA DIR Baker Corruption Scandal Continues Under Gov Newsom. indybay.org The escalatiing California criminal corruption scandal involving former Governor Brown's Director Of Industrial Relations director Christine Baker and others is now enveloping Governor Gavin Newsom. Former Governor Brown covered up the corruption by his DIR director Christine Baker and appointed her to the California Fraud Assessment Commission after she was forced to resign as director of DIR. Governor Gavin Newsom continues to support her appointment and the Attorney General Xavier Becerra continues to defend her from lawsuits while refusing to prosecute her for fraud and criminal malfeasance.
(2019-04-06). Replying to Woody Allen suit, Amazon acknowledges McCarthyite character of #MeToo campaign. wsws.org Lawyers for Amazon Studios filed a motion in federal court in New York City on Wednesday seeking to dismiss a lawsuit launched by filmmaker Woody Allen. Their arguments were extremely revealing.
(2019-04-06). America the Barbaric. wsws.org If the conditions that exist in US prisons were exposed in Russia or China, there would be a hue and cry in the press and the halls of Congress for economic sanctions and "humanitarian" military intervention.
(2019-04-06). Lawsuit Aims to Protect West Coast Salmon for Starving Orcas. indybay.org Southern Resident Population Drops to 75 as Trump Administration Ignores Fisheries' Impact…
(2019-04-05). Chicago elections and what's coming next. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – The corporate media has missed what is most important about Chicago's April 2 elections. Its focus on the uninspiring mayoral contest between Toni Preckwinkle and Lori Lightfoot helped contribute to the lowest voter turnout ever. Only 29% of registered voters went to the polls. | What this election did see was a record number of young candidates challenging incumbents, and the greatest amount was in the Black wards of the city. According to Aislinn Pulley, an organizer with Black Lives Matter-Chicago, "What was significant were the young activists – mostly Black and Latino – that fought neighborhood…
(2019-04-05). I Was Arrested and Detained for Passing Out Fliers Near a Courthouse. aclu.org The government has no business criminalizing political speech just because it happens outside a courthouse. | In the land of the free, people still get arrested for speaking out about what they believe in., , A little over a year ago, I was arrested and detained for 10 hours in New York City because I was handing out leaflets advocating jury nullification. I was arrested under a state law that makes it a crime to talk about judicial proceedings within 200 feet of a courthouse. I filed a First Amendment lawsuit because political speech shouldn't be a crime, no matter where it takes place. | Jury nullification is a…
(2019-04-05). Willie McCoy Should Be Alive Today. aclu.org We need use of force bills to pass in California and nationwide to change police standards. | The events that led to the murder of Willie McCoy by City of Vallejo police began with a 911 call came from a Taco Bell employee. In the recording, the employee sounds perplexed: "I have a person unresponsive to car horn honks in my drive-through," he said. He then added, "He's unresponsive. I've already had, like people try to knock on the window. I have no idea what's going on." The dispatcher sent out Vallejo police officers for what's known as a "wellness check." Officers arrived…
(2019-04-05). Nurses Volunteering Medical Services See Sharp Increase in Numbers of Migrants Recently Released from Federal Detention. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-04-05). Calling Racism by Its Real Name. fair.org 
Note that the New York Times' headline ( 1/10/19) was not "Steve King Defends White Supremacy"—though that was surely the most newsworthy aspect of this profile. | It should go without saying that things we don't have names for…go without saying. For years, that's been the deal with corporate media and racism. Actions, policies, statements and ideas that regular people have no trouble identifying as racist become, in elite media hands, "racially tinged," "racially charged," "race-related." And if racism isn…
(2019-04-05). Meet the Family Suing Boeing in First U.S. Wrongful Death Suit Since Ethiopia Crash Kills 157. democracynow.org 
The first American lawsuit has been filed against Boeing for its role in the Ethiopian Airlines crash that left 157 people dead last month. The family of 24-year-old Samya Stumo, who died in the crash, sued Boeing and filed a claim against the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday. They filed the suit in federal court in Chicago, where Boeing is headquartered. It reads in part, "Blinded by its greed, Boeing haphazardly rushed the 737 MAX 8 to market, with the knowledge and tacit approval of the United States Federal Aviation Administration … Boeing's decision to put profits over safety … and the regulat…
(2019-04-05). The Case Against the CIA's Censors. counterpunch.org 
I have joined in a lawsuit with four former federal employees to end the government's censorship of our writings on national security issues. The current publications review system of our military and intelligence agencies is dysfunctional, inhibiting our ability to participate in national security debates. The government has a legitimate interest in protecting bona fide secrets, but the review system is opaque, exceeding legitimate national security boundaries and compromising free speech. More
(2019-04-05). Maisha Simmons to Lead NAACP Foundation Relations Efforts. naacp.org BALTIMORE (April 5, 2019)—Maisha Simmons, MPA recently joined the NAACP as the Deputy Chief Director of Development/ Sr. Director of Foundation Relations. Most recently Simmons served as a Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in an administrative role supporting the management of team operations and functions. "We are excited to have …
(2019-04-05). NAACP-supported bill updating the Violence Against Women Act passes the US House! naacp.org Earlier today the U.S. House of Representatives passed, by a margin of 263 yeas to 158 nays, H.R. 1585, a bill to update and strengthen the NAACP-supported and very successful Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA). VAWA has been reauthorized and strengthened by strong bipartisan majorities in 2000, 2005, and 2013. The law is seen today …
(2019-04-05). An Open Letter to Chelsea Manning: A Free Woman in An American Prison. dissidentvoice.org We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected …
(2019-04-05). An Open Letter to Chelsea Manning: A Free Woman in an American Prison. globalresearch.ca "We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination …
(2019-04-05). Democrats File Suit Against Border Wall Spending. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — The Latest on President Donald Trump and the border (all times local): | 5: 30 p.m. | House Democrats have filed a lawsuit aimed at preventing President Donald Trump from spending more money than Congress has approved to erect barriers along the southwestern border. | Democrats say Trump's attempt to transfer billions of dollars from several programs to wall construction violates the Constitution, which gives Congress control over spending. The 45-page complaint was filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls Trump's act a "brazen assa…
(2019-04-05). Lawsuit Seeks Records on Trump Administration's OK of Bee-killing Pesticides, GE Crops on National Wildlife Refuges. globalresearch.ca The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for public records on the Trump administration's decision to allow bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides and genetically engineered crops on national wildlife refuges. | Today's lawsuit follows an August 2018 …
(2019-04-05). Historic Climate Lawsuit Against Shell Filed in the Netherlands. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-04-05). Chelsea Manning's lawyers file the 'strongest appeal' possible to secure her release on bail. thecanary.co Chelsea Manning's lawyers have asked for her immediate release from jail. In a new filing seen by The Canary, they ask that the Fourth … | Read more Chelsea Manning's lawyers file the 'strongest appeal' possible to secure her release on bail | By Bryan Wall
(2019-04-05). Jeremy Corbyn calls for lawyers to be allowed to visit Abdullah àñcalan. greenleft.org.au 
British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn met with Kurdish solidarity activists on March 30, according to the campaign website freedomforocalan.org. | The activists have been working with Imam Sis, a Kurdish activist living in Wales who has been on hunger strike since December 17, protesting the isolation of imprisoned Kurdish leader, Abdullah à&ntil…
(2019-04-05). Federal report exposes horrific levels of abuse in Alabama prisons. wsws.org A more than two-year investigation exposed appalling violations of constitutional protections for the approximately 25,000 men locked up in facilities operated by the Alabama Department of Corrections.
(2019-04-05). Massive ÔªøICE workplace raid jails 280 immigrant workers in Texas. wsws.org The mass raid, the largest in the US in over a decade, has devastating consequences for immigrant workers and US-born workers alike.
(2019-04-05). Get out of jail card? Cohen dangles newly-unearthed trove in front of Congress, promising Trump dirt. rt.com 
Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen has offered lawmakers the data from a hard drive he "recently found," suggesting it might help with the many probes into the president's activities — and keep Cohen out of jail a little longer.
(2019-04-05). A Top Progressive Consulting Firm Is Doing PR for an Israeli Spy Company. theintercept.com 
A prominent political communications shop that works on Democratic campaigns, employs Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaign alums, and boasts of its role in the fight for gun control and LGBT equality is representing an Israeli firm notorious for selling powerful surveillance technology to authoritarian governments around the world. | NSO Group, which is facing multiple lawsuits charging that its technology was used to spy on journalists and dissidents, hired SKDKnickerbocker to help with media inquiries as the spy firm tri…
(2019-04-04). State Data Law Heightens Privacy Protection for Virginians. aclu.org This week a judge in Fairfax County banned police from creating privacy-eroding databases using information gathered from license plate readers. | Powerful new technologies make mass surveillance easier than ever for law enforcement. One such technology, automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), capture location data that can reveal people's religious, political, sexual, medical, and social activities. For years, law enforcement agencies across the country have collected and stored this data with very little oversight and few legal…
(2019-04-04). New Images From an Alabama Prison Reveal Horrific Conditions and Abuse. aclu.org Brutal conditions and violence are unseen hallmarks of our prison system. | A trove of photographs depicting brutalized and murdered prisoners in Alabama's St. Clair Correctional Facility has thrust the treatment of our nation's 2.3 million incarcerated people into public view. The first horror is what these people have endured in prison. The second horror is that while shocking, it is not a surprise. | As a lawyer who has represented prisoners for more than two decades, I have come to expect such violence and degradation of human…
(2019-04-04). We Are Fighting Maricopa County's Rampant Prosecutorial Misconduct. aclu.org The Arizona Supreme Court has a chance to address the way prosecutors use and abuse their power and hold them accountable. | The Arizona Supreme Court will soon consider the misconduct of one of Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery's top prosecutors: Juan Martinez. Martinez gained national notoriety when he prosecuted Jodi Arias for murder in 2008, but his aggressive and often unethical conduct was well-known in Arizona well before then…
(2019-04-04). How VAWA Takes on the Systems That Perpetuate Domestic and Sexual Violence. aclu.org VAWA goes beyond support for survivors to addressing laws that perpetuate violence | Today the House of Representatives passed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 (H.R. 1585). This VAWA bill authorizes programs and funding that support survivors of gender-based violence. But it also does more: It tackles some of the laws and institutions that perpetuate domestic violence and sexual assault across the country. Dismantling these structural causes of gender-based violence is essential to ensuring the security and dignity of survivors, their families, and communities. | Protecting the Right to…
(2019-04-04). White supremacist symbol found spray-painted at the site of fire, civil rights center says. mronline.org 
Someone painted a white supremacist symbol at the scene where fire ravaged a building tied to the civil rights movement, according to a statement from the Highlander Research and Education Center. | Source
(2019-04-04). Corporate Media More Worried About Avocado Toast Than Human Lives. fair.org 
by Naomi LaChance The New York Times ( 4/1/19) describes the impact that closing the southern border would have on "American manufacturers," "grocery shoppers and farmers," "business owners," "border residents" and, finally—in the last two paragraphs of a 33-paragraph story—on "migrants." | Trump's border policies display zero regard for human rights, but for several news outlets, as Trump foments xenophobia, what's at…
(2019-04-04). SPLC seeks release of detained journalist whose work challenged ICE, a year after he was arrested. splcenter.org Memphis journalist Manuel Duran filed a habeas petition yesterday, seeking his immediate release from detention.
(2019-04-04). Fascist-like attack hits Highlander Center. peoplesworld.org 
The deadly racist spree in Charlottesville in 2017 and the killing of 11 congregants at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg in 2018 were fire bells in the night, Another rang out in New Market, Tennessee on March 29 as the main building at the Highlander Research and Education Center burned to the ground, …
(2019-04-04). What California's Death Penalty Moratorium Means For The Marginalized. therealnews.com 
Davey D discusses Governor Gavin Newsom's executive order and California's prison industrial complex—from Tookie Williams to Prop 66…
(2019-04-04). Jussie Smollett and capitalist victim blaming. workers.org 
Charges brought against Black gay actor Jussie Smollett by the city of Chicago were dropped on March 26. But since then, not a day has gone by without his name being vilified by people who wish to see him in jail. Smollett is a star of the Fox network hit . . . | Continue reading Jussie Smollett and capitalist victim blaming at Workers.org
(2019-04-04). There are thousands of hunger strikers in prisons across Turkey. These are their 'last messages'. thecanary.co Thousands of prisoners across Turkey are on hunger strike. Kurdish MP Leyla Güven started the hunger strike while in prison. Now at home, Güven … | Read more There are thousands of hunger strikers in prisons across Turkey. These are their 'last messages'. | By Emily Apple
(2019-04-04). Mandatory detention: A history of bipartisan cruelty. greenleft.org.au 
How did Australia go from a place where its migrant hostels fostered some of the world's most famous bands to one where the detentions centres it presides over are described as "hell on Earth"? | Prior to May 1992, there was no mandatory detention in Australia. | At most, a couple of hundred people came via boat to seek asylum each year. They were housed in places such as the Villawood Migrant Hostel. | Some of the migrants who first met and jammed at these hostels went on to form iconic bands such as the Easybeats and AC/DC. It was…
(2019-04-03). Activists in Oshkosh, WI host vigil for Amber Evans. fightbacknews.org Oshkosh, WI – On March 31, local activists and members of United Action Oshkosh (UAO) held a vigil to honor and commemorate the life and work of activist Amber Evans. | Evans, whose body had been identified a week prior after being pulled from the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio, was a 28-year-old organizer involved heavily with movements such as Black Lives Matter, the Juvenile Justice Coalition, the People's Justice Project, and local anti-fascist projects. | Gathering in the Opera House Square in downtown Oshkosh, attendees of the vigil held a moment of silence for two minutes, symbolizing the two months…
(2019-04-03). Legislation Would End Debt-Based Driver's License Suspensions in Minnesota. aclu.org Courts are supposed to deliver justice, not act as debt collectors. | Minnesota is one of more than 40 states across the country that suspends people's driver's licenses for outstanding tickets and fees, a practice that disproportionately harms low-income people. But the Minnesota Legislature may act to end this wealth-based penalty through legislation introduced in both chambers. If it becomes law, more than 50,000 Minnesotans will have their licenses restored. | The bill would repeal the provision of Minnesota law that allows…
(2019-04-03). 'A Lot of That Science They Point to Is Science They Paid For' – CounterSpin interview with Carey Gillam on Monsanto lawsuit. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Carey Gillam about Hardeman v. Monsanto for the March 29, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2019-04-03). NAACP supported Violence Against Women Act reauthorization and strengthening coming to House floor tomorrow. naacp.org H.R. 1585, legislation to strengthen and support programs authorized by the hugely successful and NAACP-supported Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is expected to be voted on by the full U.S. House tomorrow, 4-4-19. We need to pass it by a strong majority of Members to demonstrate our support for strengthening VAWA and protecting all survivors. …
(2019-04-03). DOJ: Conditions in Alabama prisons likely unconstitutional. splcenter.org The Alabama prison system is already fighting a years-long SPLC lawsuit over the neglect of prisoners with medical and mental health needs. Now, the U.S. Justice Department is threatening to sue the state because its prisons are beset by "rampant violence," "unchecked extortion," and "severe and widespread sexual abuse."
(2019-04-03). Beyond Prisons: Rachel Herzing On Political Education. shadowproof.com Rachel Herzing joins Beyond Prisons for a conversation on political education, transformation, and more. | Rachel is the co-director of Center for Political Education, a resource for political organizations on the left, progressive social movements, the working class and people of color. She has been an organizer, activist, and advocate fighting the violence of policing and imprisonment for over 20 years. | She is a co-founder of Critical Resistance, a national grassroots organization dedicated to abolishing the prison industrial complex. She was also the director of research and training at Creative Intervention…
(2019-04-03). Supreme Court Deems Torture Of Prisoners During Executions Permissible. shadowproof.com The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Missouri may use lethal injection against a prisoner with a medical condition that will cause him to choke to death on his blood.
(2019-04-02). America's Pretrial System Is Broken. Here's Our Vision to Fix It. aclu.org We envision a country where pretrial incarceration is all but eliminated. | Every year, millions of people are arrested, required to pay money bail they cannot afford, separated from their families and loved ones, or subjected to long periods of incarceration based on the mere accusation of a crime. This all occurs while people are presumed innocent under the law. Black and brown people, their loved ones, and those without the economic resources to thrive suffer the worst harms. | Yet while there is broad consensus that our money bail system is in dir…
(2019-04-02). The Government's System of Censoring Its Former Employees Is Unconstitutional. aclu.org Our lawsuit argues that the government's review process for writings by millions of former government employees violates the First Amendment. | Individuals don't lose their First Amendment rights by entering into government service. By now, that is black letter law. You wouldn't know this, though, from the system of lifelong censorship that the government imposes on former intelligence agency employees and military personnel. | Under this system, known as "prepublication review," millions of former public servants must submit their writing to the government for review prior to publication. And the government can…
(2019-04-02). White Supremacist Symbol Found Spray-Painted at the Site of Fire, Civil Rights Center Says. splcenter.org Someone painted a white supremacist symbol at the scene where fire ravaged a building tied to the civil rights movement, according to a statement from the Highlander Research and Education Center.
(2019-04-02). Chelsea Manning's Attorneys Challenge Prolonged Solitary Confinement, Demand Her Release From Jail. shadowproof.com Chelsea Manning remains in conditions of prolonged solitary confinement, and her attorneys argue she should be released from jail pending her appeal. | "Ms. Manning's conditions of confinement must either be modified so as not to constitute punishment or she must be released," Manning's attorneys declared. "Since the jail cannot turn back the clock on punishment that has already occurred, her confinement in adseg in excess of 15 days already constitutes an incurable due process violation. She must therefore be released." | On March 8, Manning was detained at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center in Alex…
(2019-04-02). Young Black Excellence at 50th Image Awards. naacp.org 
Over the weekend we celebrated 50 years of the NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles, California. The Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in television, music, literature and film. Black excellence radiated through the theater as the stars celebrated their achievements over the past year. There was huge presence of young talent in …
(2019-04-02). Challenging South Carolina prison officials' lies. liberationnews.org 
On January 8, members of the Party For Socialism and Liberation secured a meeting with Bryan Sterling, the director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, along with Nena Walker-Staley and Wayne McCabe. This meeting came as the result of the months of struggle before, during and after the National Prison Strike of 2018.
(2019-04-02). NAACP Condemns GOP Rule-Breaking to Pack the Courts. naacp.org April 2, 2019 Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, made the following statement in response to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's reckless move to shorten the Senate's consideration for district court nominees and certain executive nominees. "The NAACP strongly condemns Senate Majority Leader McConnell's approach for breaking the rules once again to harm our justice system. "This power grab should fail. Contrary …