(2019-05-04). French Yellow vest protesters travel to London to defend Julian Assange. wsws.org Protesters travelled across the English Channel to demand freedom for the persecuted Wikileaks journalist, who was sentenced Wednesday to spend 50 weeks in Belmarsh Prison while he is threatened with rendition to the United States.
(2019-05-04). Politicians celebrate "World Press Freedom Day" as Julian Assange languishes in prison. wsws.org No one associated with UNESCO or World Press Freedom Day made mention of the persecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during this week's events.
(2019-05-04). Guilt by Association? Arrest of Assange Friend Has No Basis. therealnews.com 
Cyber-security and privacy expert Ola Bini was arrested in Ecuador the same day that Ecuador revoked Julian Assange's asylum. A court now affirmed his pre-trial detention, while his parents and his lawyers say it has no basis…
(2019-05-04). Students march against University of Georgia's historical and present-day racism. liberationnews.org 
In November 2015, the expansion and reconstruction of Baldwin Hall came to a temporary halt when the University of Georgia uncovered the remains of former slaves.
(2019-05-04). Washington political warfare intensifies with lawsuits, looming contempt charges. wsws.org The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which would handle impeachment proceedings, warned that "the system of not having a president as a dictator is very much at stake."
(2019-05-04). Amid Surprise Jail Closure Announcement, Calls for Alameda Sheriff Accountability Grow. indybay.org Oakland community members demand a financial and performance audit of the Sheriff's office as budget shortfalls, civil lawsuits, and reports of substandard jail conditions continue to mount.
(2019-05-03). Black Women Political Prisoners of the Police State. dissidentvoice.org The Rev. Joy Powell says she was "raped, railroaded and bamboozled" by police. Her crime? Being a poor black woman who faced off against the police—protesting their violent brutality against black people in Rochester, NY. Once she defied them, she was warned, then targeted and framed for serious crimes. A few weeks ago, Australian Julian …
(2019-05-03). Black Women Political Prisoners of the Police State. counterpunch.org 
The Rev. Joy Powell says she was "raped, railroaded and bamboozled" by police. Her crime? Being a poor black woman who faced off against the police—protesting their violent brutality against black people in Rochester, NY. Once she defied them, she was warned, then targeted and framed for serious crimes. A few weeks ago, Australian Julian More
(2019-05-03). Trump's "Troika of Tyranny" Meddles in Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua. truthout.org Under the guise of protecting human rights, the Trump administration is illegally meddling in three countries it has dubbed the "troika of tyranny" — Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. National Security Adviser John Bolton claimed, "Miami is home to countless Americans, who fled the prisons and death squads of the Castro regime in Cuba, the murderous dictatorships of Chavez and Maduro in Venezuela, and the horrific violence of the 1980s and today und…
(2019-05-03). 'A Massive Chill On Investigative Journalism': First Hearing In Julian Assange's Extradition Case. shadowproof.com The first procedural hearing in WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition case was held in the United Kingdom. It was very brief, and Assange appeared via video link from Belmarsh prison. "I do not wish to surrender myself for extradition for doing journalism that has won many, many awards and protected…
(2019-05-03). Explosive new book dissects the soft coup that brought fascism to Brazil. thecanary.co On 28 October 2018, Brazil elected a fascist, racist, sexist, and homophobic president. And an explosive new book delves into how that happened, providing a crucial point of reference for resistance in the process. | Washingt…
(2019-05-03). NAACP Files Suit Challenging Restrictive Tennessee Voter Registration Law. naacp.org NASHVILLE, TN — The NAACP, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, pro bono firm Hogan Lovells US LLP, Memphis-based firm Burch, Porter, & Johnson PLLC, Bromberg Law LLC, and community practitioner Daniel Ayoade Yoon filed suit today challenging Tennessee's new third-party registration law. The complaint alleges that the law, which imposes burdensome requirements …
(2019-05-03). Gay and trans workers may soon lose work-place protections. peoplesworld.org 
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon determine whether federal employment law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The court agreed to hear three cases involving Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which currently prevents employers from discriminating based on "sex." This decision will have a monumental impact on …
(2019-05-03). "We Shall Overcome": Remembering Folk Icon Pete Seeger on What Would Have Been His 100th Birthday. democracynow.org 
It was 100 years ago today that the late folk singer and activist Pete Seeger was born. In 2004, Seeger came into our Firehouse studio for an in-depth interview. We play an excerpt to mark his centennial celebration, in which he recalls how he learned about the classic civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome," that he helped to popularize. Watch the "full interview": www.democracynow.org/2006/7/3/we_shall_overcome_an_hour_with and our "full archive of interviews": www.democracynow.org/appearances/pete_seeger with Seeger.
(2019-05-03). Remembering Folk Icon Pete Seeger on What Would Have Been His 100th Birthday. truthout.org It was 100 years ago today that the late folk singer and activist Pete Seeger was born. In 2004, Seeger came into our Firehouse studio for an in-depth interview. We play an excerpt to mark his centennial celebration, in which he recalls how he learned about the classic civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome," that he helped to popularize. Watch the full interview and our full archive of interviews with Seeger. | Transcript: | AMY GOODMAN: We end today's s…
(2019-05-03). Black News Weekly. naacp.org 
BET: Black 22-Year-Old Software Engineer Murdered By White Neighbor Months After Court Denied Request For Protective Order A 22-year-old Baltimore resident was gunned down by his 53-year-old white neighbor just months after trying to obtain a protective order against the man. According to ABC 11, Tyrique Hudson was fatally shot in the stairwell of his apartment complex …
(2019-05-03). Climate Change legislation passes the US House. naacp.org H.R. 9, which was authored by Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL), who is also the Chairwoman of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, would prohibit the U.S. from withdrawing from the accord and also would require the administration to develop a plan for the U.S. to meet its voluntary commitments under the Paris Agreement. …
(2019-05-03). What Officer Noor's Conviction Says About Racism in America. aclu.org For the first time, Minnesota convicted a police officer for killing someone. That he was Black and the woman he shot was white must not be ignored. | On Tuesday, April 30, a Minnesota jury convicted police officer Mohamed Noor of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for shooting and killing Justine Damond, a white Australian woman. Damond had called 9-1-1 to report a possible sexual assault near her apartment and then approached Noor's squad car when he and his partner responded to the call. Noor killed Damond, and he deserved to be found guilty. His decision to shoot and kill an unarmed person wit…
(2019-05-03). New Age of Criminal Justice Calls for a New Kind of District Attorney. commondreams.org A survey by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) found that 91% of people support criminal justice reform, and a majority of people acknowledge racial bias in the system. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-860971274.jpg…
(2019-05-03). 'Sick, Dystopian Stuff': Former Trump Adviser Kelly Joins Board of Company Running Immigrant Detention Centers. commondreams.org In what one critic deemed a "nauseating example of the revolving door" through which powerful political players often move into the private sector, former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly joined the board of a company which owns some of the largest detention centers for unaccompanied children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/33214947080_4b83233483_o11.jpg…
(2019-05-03). Venezuela: Lopez Arrest Warrant Issued as Military Show Strength for Maduro. globalresearch.ca Venezuela's judicial authorities have issued a new arrest warrant for fugitive opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez following his escape from house arrest early Tuesday morning. | Caracas' Fifth Court revoked Lopez's house arrest Thursday and ordered his immediate detention, indicating that once …
(2019-05-03). Migrants, asylum seekers detained in Hungary 'deliberately deprived of food': UN human rights office. un.org The UN human rights office (OHCHR) said on Friday it was alarmed by reports that migrants and asylum seekers who are being held in Hungarian detention centres are being "deliberately deprived of food in contravention of international laws and standards".
(2019-05-03). Spanish elections: Important battle won against the right. greenleft.org.au 
The question on everyone's lips in the last week of the Spanish election campaign was just how strongly the filthy brown tide of reaction would run — encapsulated in the vote for the racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, anti-feminist, pro-gun and, above all, anti-Catalan outfit Vox. | The average of legal polling, allowed by the Central Electoral Board until one week before the vote, had Vox at 11.2%, yielding around 30-35 seats in the 350-seat Congress of Deputies. | However, illegal and internal party polls in the last week of the campaign — or deliberately scary leaks about them — were assigning…
(2019-05-03). MintCast Episode 2: Failed Coup in Venezuela, Forgotten US Atrocities in the Koreas, and Joe Biden's Race Problem. mintpressnews.com MintCast co-hosts Alan MacLeod and Whitney Webb discuss current events in Sri Lanka, France and Venezuela and also delve into U.S. efforts to hide the real history of the Korean War, as well as Joe Biden's history of teaming up with notorious American racists.
(2019-05-03). San Diego PSL stands with workers everywhere on May Day. liberationnews.org 
Carrying signs printed with the words "Hands Off Venezuela," members of the PSL and the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) also stressed the need for solidarity with working class Venezuelans…
(2019-05-03). Two Members of Rise Above Movement Plead Guilty in Charlottesville 'Unite the Right' Rioting Case. splcenter.org The leader of the antisemitic and racist Rise Above Movement and a fellow member of the group pleaded guilty Friday to a federal charge of conspiracy to riot.
(2019-05-03). Angry Yemeni shop owners boycott NY Post after attack on Ilhan Omar. liberationnews.org 
Stand up to Islamophobia and all forms of racism, say with one voice, "We stand with Ilhan."
(2019-05-03). 'The Man Who Fell from the Sky', Bill Fletcher Jr.'s new crime novel. peoplesworld.org 
As I was finishing Bill Fletcher Jr.'s debut novel The Man Who Fell from the Sky, the Ralph Northam scandal was unfolding in Virginia, about which Fletcher powerfully weighed in. Northam's apparent participation in a racist episode some thirty years ago, documented in a photograph in his medical school yearbook that had lain dormant and …
(2019-05-03). Mass. Judge Refuses to Halt Pro-Palestinian Event at UMass Featuring Roger Waters & Linda Sarsour. democracynow.org 
"Not Backing Down: Israel, Free Speech, and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights." That's the title of an event set to take place Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After three anonymous UMass students filed a lawsuit to stop the event, a judge ruled Thursday the event can proceed, saying, "There's nothing that comes even close to a threat of harm or incitement to violence or lawlessness." We get an update from Sut Jhally, event organizer and professor of communication at the University of Massachusetts, and Rachel Weber, attorney and member Jewish Voice for Peace, Western Massachusetts chapt…
(2019-05-03). Roger Waters on Palestine: "You Have to Stand Up for People's Human Rights All Over the World" democracynow.org 
After a judge ruled a panel can move forward Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on "Israel, Free Speech, and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights," we speak with one of the event's scheduled participants: Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd, one of the most popular rock bands of all time. He says he welcomes the lawsuit that challenged the event, because "what it does is it serves to shine a light on the predicament of the Palestinian people."
(2019-05-03). Proposed new census question steps up Trump administration's racist attacks on immigrants. liberationnews.org 
Given the track record of the U.S. government, with its racist history of deportations, incarceration and family separations under both the Democratic and Republican parties, the citizenship question on the census is sure to incite anxieties and fear among immigrants who are repeatedly scapegoated by politicians for mass unemployment and poverty that are in fact products of the capitalist economic system.
(2019-05-03). On World Press Freedom Day, 10 Reasons Why Press Freedom Matters. commondreams.org Activists wear chains on their wrists as they protest outside the Egyptian Embassy to highlight the plight of jailed Egyptian photojournalist 'Shawkan', on August 14, 2017 in London, England. One photograph was taken for each of the 1,460 days that photographer 'Shawkan', whose real name is Mahmoud Abu Zeid, has spent in jail since being arrested while taking photographs during a military crackdown in 2013. (Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/world_press_freedom_day.png…
(2019-05-02). Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange Vows To Fight Charges At First Extradition Hearing. mintpressnews.com During the first hearing in what's expected to be a protracted legal battle over the US's extradition request, Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange told a British judge that he wished to fight extradition, and the hearing was concluded with the next court date set for May 30. | Assange, whom the US has charged with conspiring with Chelsea Manning to break into a government computer, a charge that carries a maximum prison term of 5.5 years, appeared on screen wearing a sports jacket. He wasn't handcuffed. And when asked if he would consent to surrender to the US, he replied that he did not wish to do so, according to…
(2019-05-02). Beyond Prisons: Voting Rights feat. Maya Schenwar. shadowproof.com Maya Schenwar returns to Beyond Prisons to discuss voting rights, the current political landscape, and her forthcoming book. | Maya is the Editor-in-Chief of Truthout. She is also the author of "Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn't Work and How We Can Do Better" and the co-editor of the Truthout anthology "Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States." She has written about the prison-industrial complex for Truthout, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Nation, Salon, Ms. Magazine, and others. Maya lives in Chicago and organizes with the abolitionist collective…
(2019-05-02). SPLC: Facebook and Instagram ban far-right and extremist figures, but still have more work to do against hateful content. splcenter.org Facebook and Instagram announced today that they have banned several far-right, antisemitic and extremist figures and organizations for being "dangerous," a sign that they are more aggressively enforcing their hate speech policies under pressure from civil rights organizations, including the SPLC.
(2019-05-02). "We Can't Be the Best Students if We're Not Put in the Proper Environment" therealnews.com 
Students, parents, and the ACLU and NAACP-LDF are suing Maryland for under-funding Baltimore's majority black school district…
(2019-05-02). Attorney General Barr Says ICE Has Power to Lock Up Asylum Seekers Without Hearings. aclu.org The Constitution does not allow the government to lock people up without due process of law. | Today the ACLU, the ACLU of Washington, the American Immigration Council, and Northwest Immigrant Rights Project launched a legal challenge to the Trump administration's latest assault on people who have come to the United States to seek refuge from persecution: jailing asylum seekers without even allowing a judge to decide if there's any reaso…
(2019-05-02). The racist dawn of capitalism. mronline.org 
The centrality of slavery to capitalism is not new, as any serious student of WEB Dubois is aware. | Source
(2019-05-02). Clevelanders horrified by deaths and conditions in county jail. workers.org 
The Cleveland Plain Dealer released a horrifying video to the public April 25. A guard at the Cuyahoga County jail is seen dragging an inmate, whom he has in a chokehold, from one room to another on Nov. 3. The guard, Christopher Perdue, then slams the inmate, who is not . . . | Continue reading Clevelanders horrified by deaths and conditions in county jail at Workers.org
(2019-05-01). NAACP Statement on William Barr Testimony. naacp.org The NAACP, the nation's foremost civil rights organization, released the following statement in response to Attorney General William Barr's testimony today: "Attorney General William Barr is unfit to serve. We opposed his confirmation because we believed he could not serve independently and would protect Donald Trump at all costs. Since taking office, Mr. Barr has demonstrated …
(2019-05-01). Hands Off Ilhan Omar: Angela Davis & Black Women Leaders Defend Congresswoman from Right-Wing Attacks. democracynow.org 
African-American women leaders gathered on Capitol Hill Tuesday in defense of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, one of the first two Muslim congresswomen in history and the first member of Congress to wear a hijab. Omar has been the target of numerous right-wing attacks since taking office, including by President Donald Trump himself. Omar says death threats against her have spiked in number since President Trump tweeted a video juxtaposing her image with footage of the 9/11 attacks. Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, civil rights icon Angela Davis and others addressed the crowd Tuesday to urge Congress to…
(2019-05-01). NAACP OPPOSES TRUMP JUDICIAL NOMINEE ANDREW BRASHER FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA. naacp.org President Trump has nominated Andrew Brasher to serve on the Federal Court for the Middle District of Alabama, and the full Senate is expected to vote on the nomination as soon as the middle of this week. The NAACP is strongly opposed to this nomination. Put simply, Mr. Brasher has demonstrated that he would put …
(2019-05-01). Finding Common Ground on Repealing the Death Penalty. aclu.org How ending capital punishment transcends the political divide. | What do Michael Bloomberg and Oliver North have in common? How about Michelle Malkin and Kim Kardashian West, or Ron Paul and Bernie Sanders? They may not share much turf when it comes to their political or social views, but they do all agree on one point that may surprise you. | They all oppose the death penalty. | Support for repealing the death penalty is diverse, it is growing, and it is bipartisan in nature. The brokenness of the death penalty system, long documented in local headlines and the cases they highlight, has hit a turning point with…
(2019-05-01). Headlines for May 1, 2019. democracynow.org Venezuelan President Says U.S.-Backed Coup Attempt Has Been Defeated, Julian Assange Sentenced to 50 Weeks in British Jail as U.S. Presses Extradition, Robert Mueller Sent Letter to Complain About AG William Barr's Summary of Report, Ady Barkan, Activist Dying of ALS, Testifies to Congress in Favor of Medicare for All, 2 Killed, 4 Injured as Gunman Opens Fire at University of North Carolina, Minnesota Cop Guilty of Murder, Manslaughter in Killing of Australian Woman, Prominent Black Women Rally on Capitol Hill in Defense of Rep. Ilhan Omar, Democratic Leaders Agree With Trump to Pursue $2 Trillion Infrastructure…
(2019-04-30). Seeking Justice at Home. progressive.org Virginia juvenile justice advocates envision a correctional system not about police and prisons but about stability, families, and a continuum of care.
(2019-04-30). Angela Davis: I Would Like to Accept Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Award After BDS Controversy. democracynow.org 
In February, Angela Davis returned to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. She originally planned the visit to receive the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, but the institute withdrew the award in January, soon after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring Davis due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Israeli government and Israeli institutions. Facing swift and widespread outcry, the institute then reversed its decision and reinstated the award. While Angela Davis…
(2019-04-30). We Got U.S. Border Officials to Testify Under Oath. Here's What We Found Out. aclu.org ICE and CBP allow unfettered, warrantless searches of travelers' digital devices, and empower officers to dodge the Fourth Amendment | In September 2017, we, along with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, sued the federal government for its warrantless and suspicionless searches of phones and laptops at airports and other U.S. ports of entry. | The government immediately tried to dismiss our case, arguing that t…
(2019-04-30). There's a Battle Brewing at Google Over Employee Speech. The Outcome Affects Us All. aclu.org Retaliating against Big Tech employees who push their employers to do the right thing is a threat to us all. | The outcome of a battle heating up at Google over the limits of employee free speech will have huge consequences for all of us. Will Google shut down internal dissent and silence whistleblowers? Or will the company live up to its initial motto, "Don't be evil?" | In 2017, researchers Meredith Whittaker and Kate Crawford founded the AI Now Institute at New York University, with the goal of "produc[ing] interdisciplinary research on the social implication…
(2019-04-30). Court certifies class action in lawsuit on behalf of children detained by Trump administration. splcenter.org A federal court certified as a class action an SPLC lawsuit challenging the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement's (ORR) policies and practices regarding the release of unaccompanied minors and the reunification of immigrant families — a ruling with the potential to help end the prolonged detention of immigrant children across the United States.
(2019-04-30). Long Beach, CA rally stands against far right. liberationnews.org 
"We have the power, as people, to stop racists from organizing and having a platform."