2019-04-23: News Headlines

Michelle Zacarias (2019-04-23). Illinois House votes to block immigrant detention center construction. peoplesworld.org

commondreams (2019-04-23). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Responds to Supreme Court Argument Regarding 2020 Census. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Democracy Now! (2019-04-23). Headlines for April 23, 2019. democracynow.org Sri Lankan Minister Says Easter Bombings Were Retaliation for NZ Mosque Attacks, Trump Admin to Ratchet Up Unilateral U.S. Sanctions on Iranian Oil, House Democrats Subpoena Former White House Counsel Don McGahn, Trump Sues to Quash Subpoena Requesting 10 Years of Financial Records, Sen. Kamala Harris Calls for Trump's Impeachment, Breaking from Democratic Leaders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren Proposes Canceling Student Loan Debt, Making Public Colleges Free, Supreme Court to Weigh Citizenship Question on 2020 Census, Supreme Court to Decide If LGBTQ Workers Are Protected by Civil Rights Act, Charges Dropped Against 3 A…

Democracy Now! (2019-04-23). Right-Wing Vigilantes Hold Migrants Hostage on U.S. Border. Did Border Patrol Give Tacit Approval? democracynow.org The FBI has arrested the head of an armed vigilante group that has repeatedly filmed itself detaining migrant border crossers at gunpoint. Sixty-nine-year-old Larry Mitchell Hopkins is the leader of the far-right, pro-Trump group calling itself United Constitutional Patriots, which the American Civil Liberties Union described as an "armed fascist militia organization." His arrest came just days after the ACLU accused the vigilantes of illegally detaining 300 migrants, including young children, near Sunland Park, New Mexico, last week. We speak to Peter Simonson, executive director of the ACLU of New Mexico.

Patrick Cockburn (2019-04-23). What Revolutionaries in the Middle East Have Learned Since the Arab Spring. counterpunch.org Two very different political waves are sweeping through the Middle East and north Africa. Popular protests are overthrowing the leaders of military regimes for the first time since the failed Arab Spring of 2011. At the same time, dictators are seeking to further monopolise power by killing, jailing or intimidating opponents who want personal and More

Staff (2019-04-23). 'Mafioso Capitalism' and the Suicide of Peru's President. therealnews.com Prof. Gerardo Renique discusses the three other ex-presidents already in jail over the Odebrecht scandal, and Alan Garcia's death, just as he was about to be arrested for corruption…

teleSUR (2019-04-23). Mother of Julian Assange: Not Even Lawyers Can Visit Him. telesurenglish.net The mother of Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, decried that even lawyers have been unable to visit her son in the London jail where he has been held since his being arrested and taken out of Ecuador's U.K. embassy two weeks ago. | RELATED: | Letter To Swedish PM From Int'l Figures On Behalf of Ola Bini | "My son has still not been able to recieve (sic) any visits. Not even from his lawyers!" Ms. Christine Assange wrote on Twitter S…

teleSUR (2019-04-23). China Goes Green: Will Produce Hydrogen Vehicles. telesurenglish.net China will push ahead with the development of its hydrogen energy and fuel cell vehicle industry, a government official said Tuesday as part of wider efforts to promote green energy in the world's largest auto market. | RELATED: | US: Lawsuit Moves to Block Cleanup Order As Oil Spill Continues | "Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and pure electric vehicles with lit…

Fight Back (2019-04-23). Jury falls for LAPD lies, excuses 2-time killer cop. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – An LA jury took less than 24 hours to reject the wrongful death claims of a man killed by LAPD. The civil lawsuit needed a minimum of nine jurors to rule that the killer cop used excessive force in killing victim Omar González. However, all 12 jurors rejected the claim and ruled that police did not use negligence nor excessive force. In other words, the jury unanimously accepted the lies of two-time killer cop Eden Medina and his legal team. | The trial of The Estate of Omar González v. City of Los Angeles, et al started-on April 5 and ended April 17. Omar González was a 36-year-old Chicano from…

Randy L. Gori (2019-04-23). RoundUp Cancer Lawsuits Filed against Monsanto. globalresearch.ca Roundup lawsuits claim the weed killer caused several types of cancer like non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, b-cell lymphoma, leukemia, and others. | Monsanto faces 11,200+ Roundup lawsuits, including one in which the plaintiff received a jury award of $78.5 million in compensatory and …

Jen Sorensen (2019-04-23). The 'New York Post' Cover Generator. thenation.com The 'New York Post' Cover Generator…

teleSUR (2019-04-23). Bernie Sanders Calls Out Netanyahu's 'Racist Government'. telesurenglish.net U.S. Senator and presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders blasted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government in a recent discussion with CNN. | RELATED: | Bernie Sanders Hopes for Netanyahu's Loss in Israeli Election | The presidential hopeful said while he supports Israel's right to exist and considers himself to be pro-Israel, he does not support Netanyahu's policies. "I have family in Israel. I am not anti-Israel. But the fact of the matter is that Netanyahu is a…

Stephen Kearse (2019-04-23). Maurice Carlos Ruffin Confronts the Horror and Spectacle of Racism. thenation.com Maurice Carlos Ruffin Confronts the Horror and Spectacle of Racism…

Fight Back (2019-04-23). FRSO: Building a new and revolutionary student movement. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL – The Student Commission of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) recently met to discuss building a revolutionary student movement to challenge President Trump and the Republicans' reactionary and racist agenda. | FRSO leader Chrisley Carpio explained, "Excitingly, about 30 students filled the room, many are new recruits at their first Student Commission meeting. They expressed nervousness, but delivered detailed, precise reports with confidence. We heard new voices during every part of the meeting. In a time of countless attacks from Trump's administration, students are joining th…

Consortiumnews (2019-04-23). New CN Series: The Revelations of WikiLeaks: No. 1—The Video that Put Assange in US Crosshairs. consortiumnews.com "Collateral Murder" created a media sensation in 2010 and led to Chelsea Manning's imprisonment and to a DOJ investigation of Julian Assange, reports Elizabeth Vos. But the war crimes the video exposed got no one else in trouble. Consortium News today begins… Read more →

Helen Benedict (2019-04-23). The Greek Island That Became an Open-Air Prison for Refugees. thenation.com The Greek Island That Became an Open-Air Prison for Refugees…

WSWS (2019-04-23). US court orders Chelsea Manning to remain in prison. wsws.org The courageous whistleblower has been held in jail since March 8 in an effort to force her to testify against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Andrea Germanos (2019-04-23). Chelsea Manning Remains in Jail Indefinitely. theantimedia.com (CD) — Chelsea Manning remained in jail on Monday after a federal appeals court rejected her bid to be released and affirmed a lower court's finding of contempt. The whistleblower was sent to jail March 8, and has spent part of the detention in solitary confinement for contempt due to her refusal to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. "Appellant …

RT (2019-04-23). Teen sues Apple for $1 billion, claims in-store AI led to his wrongful arrest. rt.com A NY college student is suing Apple for $1 billion because he says the company's secret in-store artificial intelligence incorrectly marked him as a thief, leading to his wrongful arrest.

WSWS (2019-04-23). Judge rules former Michigan Governor Snyder, EPA can be sued by Flint residents. wsws.org Recent federal court rulings allow Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and the US Environmental Protection Agency to be sued in class action lawsuits filed on behalf of Flint residents.

Freedom Socialist Party Bay Area (2019-04-23). May Day Speak Out: Stand up to Workplace Discrimination! indybay.org 4: 00 to 5: 00 — March from Justin Herman Plaza | 5: 00 to 6: 30 — Speak Out @ San Francisco Civic Center Plaza…

Caitlin Johnstone (2019-04-23). The Prosecution of Julian Assange is Infinitely Bigger Than Assange. theantimedia.com (CJ Opinion) — Julian Assange's mother reported yesterday that the WikiLeaks founder has not been permitted any visitors during his detention in Belmarsh Prison, including from doctors and his lawyers. Doctors who visited Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy have attested that he urgently needs medical care. Belmarsh is a maximum security prison sometimes referred to as "the UK's Guantanamo Bay". And …

WSWS (2019-04-23). SEP (Australia) election candidates win strong support for the immediate release of Assange and Manning. wsws.org The SEP is the only political party in the election defending Julian Assange and US whistleblower Chelsea Manning and fighting to mobilise workers and youth to demand their immediate release from prison.

Register Peace & Freedom or Green (2019-04-23). Affordable Housing Means No on S.B.50. indybay.org The famous writer, James Baldwin, is back, in our San Francisco mailboxes on a fabulous, urgently needed slick mailer denouncing the racist, anti-labor SB50 luxury housing bill promoted by Democrat State Senator of San Francisco, formerly the worst San Francisco Supervisor in memory, Scott Weiner.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-04-23). As Supreme Court's Right-Wing Justices Indicate Siding With Trump, Opponents Denounce 'Bald-Faced Attempt to Racially Rig' US Census. commondreams.org Decrying the Trump administration's attack on immigrant rights and marginalized communities across the country, civil rights advocates gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday as the court heard arguments regarding the potential addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-04-23_at_3.12.28_pm.jpg

Kevin Gosztola (2019-04-22). In Rejecting Chelsea Manning's Appeal, Court Essentially Ignores All Arguments For Release From Jail. shadowproof.com The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an appeal from Chelsea Manning, which challenged a district court's order that found her in civil contempt. | On March 8, a federal district court jailed Manning for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigation into WikiLeaks. She was held in prolonged solitary confinement for around 27 days before authorities at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center moved her to general population. | Judges for the appeals court offered no explanation [ PDF] as to wh…

Democracy Now! (2019-04-22). Dallas Goldtooth: Hold Banks Accountable for Financing Climate Chaos & Violating Indigenous Rights. democracynow.org As millions celebrate Earth Day around the globe, we speak with organizer Dallas Goldtooth about indigenous-led anti-pipeline activism in the United States. President Trump signed two executive orders earlier this month to facilitate the approval of pipeline projects at a federal level, limiting states' ability to regulate such projects. The move is intended in part to clear the way for permitting on the northeastern Constitution pipeline, which has stalled after New York invoked the Clean Water Act to reject the project on environmental grounds. This comes as climate activists have filed a federal lawsuit with t…

George Galloway (2019-04-22). Video: George Galloway on Julian Assange: "Brits Know Something's Wrong Here" globalresearch.ca "The British public know there is something wrong here when the whistleblower is in jail while the perpetrators are on TV" says former MP George Galloway who talks to In Question's Manila Chan as many in mainstream media stay mum …

Austyn Ross (2019-04-22). 2019 NAACP Convention in Detroit Announces Diversity Career Fair. naacp.org The NAACP has announced it will feature a Diversity Career Fair as part of the 110th NAACP National Convention in Detroit, Michigan July 20-24 at Cobo Center. The NAACP Diversity Career Fair will be held on July 23 from 12pm — 6pm and will be open to NAACP delegates as well as the entire community. …

Democracy Now! (2019-04-22). Headlines for April 22, 2019. democracynow.org Easter Sunday Attacks Kill Nearly 300 Across Sri Lanka, House Judiciary Chair Subpoenas Unredacted Mueller Report, Sen. Elizabeth Warren Calls on Congress to Impeach President Trump, Afghanistan: 10 Killed in Suicide Attack as Taliban Peace Talks Collapse, Libya Death Toll Climbs to 227 as Trump Backs Renegade General, Hundreds of Thousands of Algerians March Demanding Democratic Reforms, Thousands March on Morocco's Parliament, Demanding Release of Political Prisoners, Sudan Protest Leaders End Talks with Ruling Military Council, Volodymyr Zelensky, Who Played a President on TV, Elected to Lead Ukraine, France:…

RT (2019-04-22). Chelsea Manning to stay in jail after federal court rejects appeal. rt.com A federal appeals court has struck down whistleblower Chelsea Manning's bid to be released from jail, where she has been held indefinitely after refusing to testify to a grand jury probe into WikiLeaks.

WSWS (2019-04-22). Legal experts: Assange likely faces espionage charges if extradited to US. wsws.org If he is extradited to the US, Assange will be denied genuine due process and will likely face charges carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

ACLU (2019-04-22). Supreme Court Takes Cases of People Fired for Being LGBTQ. aclu.org The court will consider whether to take anti-discrimination protections away from LGBTQ people. | Can a business fire someone because they're LGBTQ? The Supreme Court will soon tell us. | After a funeral home outside Detroit fired Aimee Stephens because she is transgender, Aimee won a federal appeals court ruling that the firing violated the federal law barring sex discrimination in the workplace. After Don Zarda was fired from his job as a skydiving instr…

RT (2019-04-22). Trump sues to block Democrats' subpoena to look into his personal finances. rt.com US President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit to block a subpoena issued by the chairman of the US House Oversight Committee, which is seeking information about his personal and business finances.

Binoy Kampmark (2019-04-22). Julian Assange as Neuroses. counterpunch.org Julian Assange continues to ripple and roam as a cipher through the political and media scape of the world. Detained in Belmarsh maximum security prison, the sort of stately abode only reserved for the most dangerous of criminals, many with indeterminate sentences, he electrifies and concerns. The US political classes continue to simmer with an More

ACLU (2019-04-20). Marijuana Legalization Is a Racial Justice Issue. aclu.org When it comes to legalizing weed, economic justice for communities of color must be our guiding principle. | Marijuana has been a key driver of mass criminalization in this country and hundreds of thousands of people, the majority of whom are Black or Latinx, have their lives impacted by a marijuana arrest each year. But the tide is turning a…

Democracy Now! (2019-04-19). Headlines for April 19, 2019. democracynow.org Mueller Report Shows No Trump-Russia Conspiracy But Leaves Open Question of Obstruction, Trump Admin to Spend $40 Million on New Immigration Detention Camps, Central American Migrants Claim Assault by Mexican Authorities, ACLU Warns of "Fascist Militia" Holding Migrant Border Crossers at Gunpoint, Nicaragua Bans Anti-Government Protests, Arresting Dozens, Mali's Government Resigns as Protesters Condemn Ethnic Violence, Sudan: Mass Protests Demand Civilian Rule After Omar al-Bashir's Ouster, Bangladeshi Teen Burned to Death After Reporting Sexual Assault, Saudi Court Suspends Hearing for 11 Women's Rights Activist…

Staff (2019-04-19). Arsonists Leave Fascist Symbols at the Highlander Center. therealnews.com The Highlander Center has been at the heart of civil rights, labor, and poor people's struggles in this country for the last 87 years. Some people see this arson as an act of war…

ACLU (2019-04-19). We Sued to End the Evils of Cash Bail in Michigan. aclu.org Money bail traps people of color in a maze that is not justice, and perpetuates mass incarceration and its racial disparities. | Imagine being poor and being arrested by the police in Detroit. You are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but with no money, you will remain in jail for up to 3 days before you can see a judge called a magistrate. | That's just the beginning of the harm visited on one of our clients in the 36th District Court in Detroit, Davontae Ross. He spent days behind bars because he couldn't afford to pay $200 of bail relating to a 5-year old ticket for allegedly staying in a park after…

Consortiumnews (2019-04-19). 26th Vigil Held With Assange in Jail. consortiumnews.com The 26th Vigil for Julian Assange was held Friday with the latest news on the WikiLeaks founder and the Mueller Report. Watch it here. Read more →

Beyond Prisons (2019-04-19). Beyond Prisons: Native Feminisms feat. Dr. Kimberly Robertson. shadowproof.com Kim Wilson interviews Dr. Kimberly Robertson on her work on Native feminisms and practices, use of beadwork and zine making to generate knowledge, and the uncompensated emotional labor of Black and women of color in the academy and liberatory work. | Kimberly Robertson is a citizen of the Mvskoke nation, an artivist, scholar, teacher, and mother who works diligently to employ Native feminist theories, practices, and methodologies in her hustle to fulfill the dreams of her ancestors and to build a world in which her daughters can thrive. | She was born in Bakersfield, CA and currently lives on unceded Tongva lands…

Binoy Kampmark (2019-04-19). Julian Assange as Neuroses. dissidentvoice.org Julian Assange continues to ripple and roam as a cipher through the political and media scape of the world. Detained in Belmarsh maximum security prison, the sort of stately abode only reserved for the most dangerous of criminals, many with indeterminate sentences, he electrifies and concerns. The US political classes continue to simmer with an …

ACLU (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 fo…

Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet (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 …

United Nations (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.

Democracy Now! (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…

ACLU (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 "…

ACLU (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…

ACLU (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 its 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 h…

Democracy Now! (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…