(2019-04-18). Dialing 911 Can Get You Evicted. aclu.org The eviction of Beverley Somai for calling the police is part of a disturbing trend | Last year, Beverley Somai learned a brutal truth that too many people across the country face: Calling the police can get you evicted. | In 2017, Ms. Somai and her adult disabled son moved to Bedford, Ohio, to seek housing stability and better educational and employment opportunities. However, a few months after settling in, Ms. Somai discovered that her neighbor played loud music at all hours of the night, making it impossible for her and her son to rest. Even worse, the neighbor began to intimidate Ms. Somai and her son by fol…
(2019-04-18). Faked Emissions May Send Volkswagen CEO to Prison. therealnews.com 
Bill Black examines the corrupt corporate worlds of Germany and the U.S. and how Trump ignores corporate malfeasance…
(2019-04-18). NAACP BLASTS WOEFULLY DEFICIENT RELEASE OF MUELLER REPORT. naacp.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 18, 2019 CONTACTS: NAACP@sunshinesachs.com BALTIMORE — Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, issued the following statement regarding U.S. Attorney General William Barr's release of the redacted version of Special counsel Robert Mueller's report: "The report released today by Attorney General William Barr falls woefully short of what is owed to Congress and …
(2019-04-18). Death of Free Speech: Criticizing Israel Will Land You in Prison. globalresearch.ca Soon, this blog will be illegal. | No, I'm not selling drugs or peddling child pornography. I write about America's wars and the primary objective of those illegal and immoral wars—to make Israel the hegemon of the Middle East along with …
(2019-04-18). US attorney general orders denial of bond, indefinite detention of asylum seekers. wsws.org The action by William Barr overturns more than a decade of legal precedent and sets the stage for the criminalization of refugees seeking asylum.
(2019-04-18). May 3rd Day Of Action For Journalists &Whistleblowers -Stand Up For Assange & Manning. indybay.org On World Press Freedom Day on May 3 actions will take place around the world to demand the freedom of Journalist Julian Assange, Whistleblower Chelsea Manning and all jailed journalists and whistleblowers…
(2019-04-17). To Ola Bini, a Political Prisoner Caught Up in the Assange Debacle. counterpunch.org 
Dear Ola, The last time we had a long conversation, it was about the night. We were at a hotel in South America, where the ambient noise near your room was fairly loud. By ambient noise, I mean music. There was a band playing, a bar in motion, people happy for the evening. You said More
(2019-04-17). Headlines for April 17, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Vetoes Resolution Ending U.S. Support for War on Yemen, DOJ Orders Denial of Bond to Migrants, Allowing for Indefinite Detention, Trump Admin Resumes "Remain in Mexico" Policy, Dems Probing Report of Trump Pardon for Blocking Entry to Migrants, U.K.: Police Arrest 200+ Climate Activists Occupying Central London, D.C.: Extinction Rebellion Stages Protest in Front of RNC, French President Macron Vows to Rebuild Notre-Dame in 5 Years, Sudan: Al-Bashir Moved to Prison as African Union Sets Deadline to Install Civilian Gov't, Egypt: MPs Vote to Extend President Sisi's Rule to 2030, Indonesia: President Joko Wido…
(2019-04-17). Progress against torture in Afghan detention centres, but Government needs to do more, says UN report. un.org Torture is likely still widespread in Afghanistan's State-run prisons for detainees linked to ongoing conflict there, the UN said on Wednesday, while also noting an "encouraging reduction" in the level of abuse since 2016.
(2019-04-17). Armed Bounty Hunters Raided Our Clients' Home to Prevent Private Companies from Losing $1,670. aclu.org The for-profit bail industry condones trauma and incentivizes violence to improve their bottom line. | Around 9: 20 p.m. on Sunday, April 23, 2017, Eugene Mitchell, Shayleen Meuchell, and their four-year-old daughter were in bed at their home in Lolo, Montana, when they heard a violent crash. "It sounded like a truck had driven straight into our house," Mitchell later said. In a surreal flash, armed bounty hunters kicked in the front door, broke into the bedroom, pointed assault rifles and pistols at the family, and shouted at them not to move. | The bounty hunters terrorized the Montana family. But the trauma and…
(2019-04-17). There's No Such Thing as a Right Not to be Called a Nazi. aclu.org Gavin McInnes' attempt to silence those who have every right to call him out for his bigoted views should fall flat. | For years, Gavin McInnes has spewed bigoted views on everything from race and religion to gender and immigration. He has described a transgender person as "…
(2019-04-17). South Dakota Can't Silence Our Protest Against the Keystone XL Pipeline. aclu.org The "Riot-Boosting" Act Constitutes Self-Censorship and a Loss of our First Amendment Rights. | This piece originally appeared at NDN Collective. | For Indigenous Peoples in South Dakota, the land is more than just the ground beneath our feet. | We believe in and act upon the notion that people, nature, society and all living things are interconnected, in relation to one another, and operate as a system. Our Indigenous cultures have taught us through our languages, stories a…
(2019-04-17). Julian Assange and the Agenda for Global War. dissidentvoice.org 
For almost a decade Washington has sought to silence, jail and eliminate the world's most prominent investigative journalist, Julian Assange (JA) and his team of co-workers at WikiLeaks (WL). Never has the mass media been so thoroughly discredited by official documents which directly contradict the official propaganda, mouthed by political leaders and parroted by 'leading' …
(2019-04-17). ICC Makes "Dangerous Decision" to Drop Probe into U.S. War Crimes in Afghanistan After U.S. Pressure. democracynow.org 
The International Criminal Court has announced it will not investigate possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the United States and other actors in Afghanistan. The court suggested the U.S.'s lack of cooperation with the investigation was behind the decision. Earlier this month, the U.S. revoked the visa of the ICC's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda. A 2016 report by the ICC accused the U.S. military of torturing at least 61 prisoners in Afghanistan during the ongoing war. The report also accused the CIA of subjecting at least 27 prisoners to torture, including rape, at CIA prison sites in A…
(2019-04-17). Between Yes and No, Heaven and Earth with Albert Camus on a Spring Morning. dissidentvoice.org To give up beauty and the sensual happiness that comes with it and devote one's self exclusively to unhappiness requires a nobility I lack. However, after all, nothing is true that compels us to make it exclusive. Isolated beauty ends in grimaces, solitary justice in oppression. Anyone who seeks to serve the one to the …
(2019-04-17). Opening Tombs and Resurrecting Lives. counterpunch.org Easter is about opening tombs and resurrecting lives. Today's tombs include the Trump administration's walls and bans and lies that confine people, threaten their safety, and block their aspirations and fulfillment. Thus, in this life, Easter is celebrated whenever people, fleeing such oppression, are offered the safety of sanctuary. Here, people of faith not only More
(2019-04-17). Julian Assange and the Agenda for Global War. globalresearch.ca Introduction | For almost a decade Washington has sought to silence, jail and eliminate the world's most prominent investigative journalist, Julian Assange (JA) and his team of co-workers at WikiLeaks (WL). | Never has the mass media been so thoroughly discredited by …
(2019-04-17). National Republicans Bankrolled Lawyer for GOP Congressional Candidate Accused of Election Fraud. theintercept.com National Republicans picked up the tab for the legal defense of a North Carolina congressional candidate whose campaign illegally solicited and forged absentee ballots in the state's 9th District, according to disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission. The attorney has been accused by the North Carolina State Board of Elections of improperly withholding documents that would help expose the fraud. | Financing the legal defense implicates national Republicans in the scandal, but it hasn't stopped them from exploiting it to push new voter suppression laws. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Hous…
(2019-04-17). Selected Articles: Preventing the Sale of Venezuelan Oil to Cuba. globalresearch.ca Online independent analysis of US-led wars, rampant corruption, corporate greed, civil rights and fraudulent monetary transactions is invariably relegated to the bottom rung of search engine results. | As a result we presently do not cover our monthly running costs which …
(2019-04-17). Snubbing UN and Fight Against Racism, Trump Admin Blocks Seat on Key Committee From Being Filled. commondreams.org Not only did it not renominate Gay McDougall, appointed under Obama, it decided to leave the seat vacant | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gaymcdougall_un.jpg…
(2019-04-16). Arizona Lawmakers Running Scared After Anti-Boycott Law Ruled Unconstitutional. aclu.org If legislators know these laws violate the First Amendment, they should repeal them, not pass half-measures designed to thwart judicial review | Last year, an Arizona federal court blocked the state from enforcing its anti-boycott law, ruling that the law — which requires government contractors to certify that they are not participating in boycotts of Israel or Israeli settlements in the West Bank — violates the First Amendment. In response, the state appealed the court's decision and…
(2019-04-16). Why Is This Seder Different From All Other Seders? dissidentvoice.org 
The idea of making a different type of seder came about because of my discomfort with a ceremony that in many ways glorifies many unattractive aspects of American Jewish culture and also serves as a justification for the Israeli dispossession and suppression of the Palestinian people and their culture. Passover now appears to me to …
(2019-04-16). What 1919 Taught Us. thenation.com What 1919 Taught Us…
(2019-04-16). Cash bail system drives mass incarceration of the poor — lawsuit against Detroit. rt.com 
Detroit's bail system disproportionately harms poor defendants and violates their constitutional rights, according to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU in that city, where a third of the population lives below the poverty line. |
(2019-04-15). Ohio's Mayor's Courts Increase Injustice Across the State. aclu.org Revenue-oriented mayor's courts subvert justice. They must be reformed to protect the rights of Ohioans. | Karen G.'s daughter still remembers the day when "mommy had her pink bracelets on." Unfortunately, Karen was wearing pink handcuffs, not bracelets. | On May 10, 2010, the day of Karen's youngest daughter's birthday, Karen and her daughters were on their way to pick up a birthday cake. They stopped by Lockland Mayor's Court to present documentation that Karen had renewed her driver's license. But once she arrived at the court, Karen was told that she had to pay a $600 fine for driving without a license before…
(2019-04-15). The Assange Indictment and Press Freedoms. aclu.org The indictment seems to have been drafted not to justify the prosecution of Assange, but to tar legitimate journalistic activities by association. | This piece originally appeared at Just Security. | What to make of the indictment of Julian Assange? | The Justice Department hasn't crossed the line that many feared it would: It hasn't charged Julian Assange for publishing truthful information about matters of public concern. That kind of prosecution would have been unprecedented in the nation's history and…
(2019-04-15). Stop that Gucci and Prada Talk: Chinese and Russian People want to live too!! dissidentvoice.org I hear this again and again, whenever I speak in the West: "What kind of Communism is that in China? In all big cities, they have Prada and Gucci in every major department store." Western leftists are obsessed with this topic. They do not even realize how ridiculous, how racist their arguments actually are! China, …
(2019-04-15). Julian Assange's Nightmarish Future. consortiumnews.com The WikiLeaks publisher is in a maximum-security prison that has been called the UK's Guantanamo Bay, Elizabeth Vos reports. By Elizabeth Vos Special to Consortium News While Julian Assange waits for what comes next — sentencing on skipping bail in England… Read more →
(2019-04-14). Julian Assange Languishes in Prison as His Journalistic Collaborators Brandish Their Prizes. theintercept.com If Trump's Justice Department ups the ante to charge Julian Assange under the Espionage Act, he may spend the rest of his life in prison.
(2019-04-14). How a Former Death Row Prisoner and a Murder Victim's Daughter Joined Together To Fight the Death Penalty. theintercept.com 
In the official narrative of capital punishment, there are victims and there are victimizers. The reality is far more complicated.
(2019-04-13). NAACP President Responds to President Trump's Islamophobic Tweet. naacp.org NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson, released the following statement in response to President Trump's Islamophobic tweet: "Trump's recent tweet invokes painful memories to promote his racist agenda. This is maddening but not surprising for a President whose presidential campaign and presidency has been based on hate, xenophobia, and bigotry. The President needs to realize that his …
(2019-04-13). What Wikileaks and Assange have revealed to the world. uwidata.com 
UWI reviews Wikileaks most important revelations On April 11, 2019, Wikileaks co-founder and editor Julian Assange was imprisoned. After his Ecuadorian citizenship being annulled, he was arrested inside the South American country's embassy in London where he had lived for 7 years. His next court date is set to take place on May 2. While …
(2019-04-12). Headlines for April 12, 2019. democracynow.org Julian Assange's Lawyers Vow to Fight His Extradition to the United States, Ecuadorean Ex-President Criticizes Successor for Allowing Assange to Be Arrested, Trump Claims "I Know Nothing About WikiLeaks" Despite Praising Site Repeatedly in 2016, Sudanese Protesters Denounce Military Rule, Call for Civilian Government, Report: White House Pushed Plan to Send Migrants to Sanctuary Cities to Punish Dems, Official Who Compared Family Detention Centers to Summer Camps Set to Become Head of ICE, More Offshore Drilling Feared as Senate Confirms Ex-Oil Lobbyist to Head Interior, Report: Amazon, Netflix, IBM, Chevron Paid…
(2019-04-12). Weekend Read: Alabama's illegal – and deadly – prison system. splcenter.org We've been locked in a legal battle with the state of Alabama for the past five years over the sickening mistreatment of people in its prisons who have medical and mental health needs.
(2019-04-12). Single mother takes action against ParentsNext 'mission impossible'. greenleft.org.au 
Single mother of three Juanita McLaren lodged a complaint in the United Nations in March against the Australian government over its discrimination against single mothers. | McLaren is being supported by the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children which wants the parenting payments' scheme and the newly-introduced ParentsNext program to be held up to greater scrutiny. | Since 2012, single parents have been moved from the single parenting payment (now $384.25 a week) to the News…
(2019-04-12). Indian elections: the challenges of unseating a racist. greenleft.org.au 
Elections in India will take place from April 11 to May 23. Green Left Weekly's Susan Price spoke to Kavita Krishnan, a member of the politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPI-ML) about their campaign to challenge Narendra Modi's far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. | In which seats is the CPI-ML fielding candidates? Are there opportunities for the left to coordinate efforts to defeat the BJP? | The CPI-ML is contesting 22 seats [across 10 states]: 4 in Bihar; 3 each in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab; 2 each in West Bengal, Jharkand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu…
(2019-04-11). The American Public Deserves to See the Mueller Report With as Few Redactions as Possible. aclu.org Considering the "extraordinary public interest" in the Mueller report, any redactions made by Attorney General Barr must be limited and defensible. | Few matters are of greater public interest than the contents of the report produced by Special Counsel Robert Mueller on his recently completed investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, alleged collusion with the Trump administration, and any interference with the Mueller investigation. Attorney General William Barr has conceded that there is extraordinary public interest in the report. Yet there remain grave concerns that he will r…
(2019-04-11). Betsy DeVos Uses a Racist Research Study to Defend Rescinding Obama-Era Discipline Guidance. progressive.org The researchers argued that disparities in disciplining of black and white students are due to "prior problem behavior."
(2019-04-11). NAACP'S RESPONSE TO THE ARREST OF SUSPECT IN THE LOUISIANA CHURCH BURNINGS. naacp.org BALTIMORE — The NAACP issued the following statement regarding the arrest of Holden Matthews in connection to fires at three historically Black churches in Louisiana: "The arrest of Holden Matthews for the horrific burnings of Black churches in Louisiana is just another example of the hate-fueled times that we live in. In African-American communities in …
(2019-04-11). Ahmed Abu Artema on the Palestinian Great March of Return. progressive.org "The only possible option for them is to continue knocking on the walls of their prison with the hope that the world will hear them."
(2019-04-11). Beyond Prisons: Message From Liberation Through Reading. shadowproof.com The following is a quick message delivered on behalf of our friends at Liberation Through Reading. | They have an event coming up in Philadelphia, PA on Saturday, April 13th at the A-Space (4722 Baltimore Avenue) from 12PM-4PM, gifting Black children with free Black books. Details are below. | Contact Erica Caines at ericacaines@gmail.com |
| In almost 2 years, #LiberationThroughReading has gifted well over 1000 BRAND NEW representative books to Black children of all reading levels. Each book gifted features Black characters and written by Black authors. | After hosting several events in Anne Arundel County,…
(2019-04-10). The BE HEARD Act Will Overhaul Workplace Harassment Laws. aclu.org The groundbreaking, comprehensive bill takes on workplace harassment and discrimination. | For more than a decade, Tarana Burke and survivors across the country have used #MeToo to share their experiences of sexual violence, raise women's voices, and respond to the needs of survivors. In its current incarnation, #MeToo has sparked an unprecedented examination of sexual harassment, including sexual assault, in our workplaces, and illuminated the multiple manifestations of workplace discrimination. | In the midst of this historic reckoning, the ACLU and coalition partners drafted and shared with members of Congress…
(2019-04-10). The American People Support LGBTQ Equality. Congress Should Too. aclu.org Opponents of equality are spewing myths about transgender people and nondiscrimination protections on Capitol Hill. | In the past seven days, the House of Representatives has held two historic hearings on the Equality Act, HR 5, a bipartisan bill that would add explicit protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity to our civil rights laws, and update the laws to provide increased protection for all women and people of color. What was most notable from…
(2019-04-10). Cuban men thrown into Louisiana prisons despite legal asylum requests. splcenter.org Suicide. Self-harm. Medical neglect. Isolated in segregation. Quarantined and left without legal counsel.
(2019-04-09). Iran says U.S. military forces in Middle East are part of terrorist group, after U.S. puts terrorist tag on Iran's military. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Iran's authoritative FARS News Agency is reporting the Supreme National Security Council has designated the United States Central Command as a terrorist entity, following a decision by the U.S. to put the terrorist tag on an important part of Iran's military – the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps. | The U.S. move to designate Iran's military as 'terrorist' violates international law and raised concerns about future treatment of prisoners of war. | The U.S. administration has been angered by Iran's support for progressive and anti-imperialist movements in Yemen, Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon. Iran ha…
(2019-04-08). La violencia contra las mujeres negras: aprendiendo de feministas socialistas negras. liberationnews.org 
Solo mediante un movimiento socialista revolucionario anti-sexista, antirracista lograremos las mujeres negras nuestra liberación colectiva; °Un futuro libre de explotación y violencia!
(2019-04-08). NAACP TROUBLED BY BLACK CHURCH BURNINGS IN THE SOUTH. naacp.org BALTIMORE — Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, made the following statement in response to recent outbreak of Black church burnings: "What is happening in Tennessee and Louisiana is domestic terrorism and we must not turn a blind eye to any incident where people are targeted because of the color of their …
(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). 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 …
(2019-04-04). 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.