(2019-09-17). The Untold Story: Joe Biden Pushed Ronald Reagan to Ramp Up Incarceration — Not the Other Way Around. theintercept.com 
Biden has argued that the focus on his 1994 crime bill as a driver of mass incarceration is misplaced. He's right — it was his earlier push that was responsible.
(2019-09-17). The Southern Strategy and Donald Trump. counterpunch.org 
Contemporary Republican politicians like to invoke the legacy of Ronald Reagan to bolster their policies. However, the type of White nationalism being espoused by Donald Trump and his supporters more accurately traces back to two less appealing Republican personalities: Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon, and to the backlash created by the Civil Rights Movement of the nineteen sixties. More
(2019-09-17). Inspector general report details Trump's abuse of immigrant children. wsws.org Thousands of children have been subjected to intense trauma in the detention facilities of the Trump administration.
(2019-09-17). The Big American Bribery Scandal Isn't Felicity Huffman's $15,000. truthdig.com The American media world—both social media and "news" media—is afire with the news that actor Felicity Huffman is going to jail for spending $15,000 to bribe her daughter's way into college. | But a much bigger bribery scandal is played out every day in America with nary a peep from the media. It's the way billionaires and big corporations buy not just college admissions but tax cuts, deregulation, and hundreds of billions in government subsidies paid for with our ta…
(2019-09-17). You Say You Want a Revolution: a Prison Letter to Yoko Ono. counterpunch.org Dear Yoko Ono, Years, years, and years ago, in 1980, a pathetically deranged man murdered the love of your life. You were walking home, into the Manhattan building where you lived, and suddenly this man, seeking the world's adoration, gunned down your husband, John Lennon. Mark Chapman was given a 20-to-life sentence. After almost four decades, he remains in prison. You want to More
(2019-09-17). Iran: Labour and student activists sentenced to more than 100 years. greenleft.org.au 
Workers rights Susan PriceIssue 1238 Iran Haft-Tappeh sugar mill workersSeptember 17, 2019Esmail Bakhshi, a union leader, Sepideh Gholian, a student and civil rights activist and four activist journalists were sentenced to long prison sentences by the Ira…
(2019-09-17). Selected Articles: Drone Attack on Saudi Oil. 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 …
(2019-09-16). OxyContin maker files for bankruptcy faced with over 2,000 lawsuits over opioid epidemic. rt.com 
Purdue Pharma, accused of fostering the US opioid crisis with its drug OxyContin, filed for bankruptcy protection in a New York court, after a tentative settlement deal faced opposition from multiple states. | The company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in White Plains, New York on Sunday evening, as part of its efforts to finalize a settlement with state and local governments, which sued the pharmaceutical giant en mass for its role in the nation's deadly opioid crisis. | The much-anticipated filing aims to help the company to shield itself from 2,600 lawsuits, including from 26 states. | Also on rt.com…
(2019-09-16). Voter suppression documentary 'Rigged' screens at Congressional Black Caucus. peoplesworld.org 
ROCKSPRINGS, Texas—Pam Elliott doesn't look like a villain. But to people concerned about the right to vote, the blonde, petite sheriff in a rural and deep-red Republican Edwards County, Texas, is. That's because, in the documentary film Rigged, Elliott showcases just one of many tactics the right wing now uses to suppress the vote from …
(2019-09-16). Three Men Accused of Torturing Migrants Are Arrested in Italy. telesurenglish.net Three men were arrested Monday in Italy over accusations of rape, torture and human trafficking of migrants at a prisoners camp in Libya after several witnesses recognized them in Sicily, as reported by The Guardian. | The three men allegedly ran the notorious Zawiya prison, a former military base where they retained those trying to sail through the Mediterranean until they could pay a ransom. | RELATED | Rwanda to Take in Refugees Trapped in Libya's Detention Centers | The ac…
(2019-09-16). Chicago elected officials to join human rights delegation to Philippines Consulate. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On September 16, community, civil rights, faith-based and peace activists will join 35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 33rd Ward Alderman Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez and State Representative Jaime Andrade (40th District) in a delegation to the Consulate General of the Philippines, 11: 00 a.m.,122 S. Michigan Avenue. | The delegation will deliver a letter to Consul General Gina Jamoralin with regards to Brandon Lee, an American citizen who was shot in Ifugao, Philippines. Lee is a human rights activist and a native of San Francisco. | Lee was attacked by suspected elements of the 54th Infantry Batt…
(2019-09-16). AmeriCorps Adopts Health Screening Process That's Fair to Candidates with Disabilities. aclu.org Susie was disqualified from AmeriCorps NCCC for seeking therapy. Now they're changing their screening process so everyone can apply to serve. | Susie Balcom was overjoyed when she received a conditional offer to serve as a support team leader in Mississippi with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), a national, residential service program for young adults. After graduating from college with a 4.0 GPA and spending two terms in the AmeriCorps state program, Susie was ready, willing, and able to fulfill her dream of serving in the national program. | However, a few weeks later, AmeriCorps NCCC to…
(2019-09-16). Venezuela Gov't Announces Agreements with Opposition. telesurenglish.net The Venezuelan government and several opposition parties announced multiple agreements and the beginning of a new round of dialogue that deals with issues relating to future elections, prisoners release and the rejection of U.S. blockade against the country. | RELATED: | Cuba, Uruguay, Nicaragua Reject TIAR Treaty Against Venezuela | Venezuelan Communication Minister Jorge Rodriguez announced the points agreed on which include the return of lawmakers from the ruling party PSUV to the country's National As…
(2019-09-16). Freedom in Sight for Mumia Abu-Jamal? globalresearch.ca Freedom is now in sight. New evidence, recently found, and surpressed for decades could be the key to relief for Mumia Abu-Jamal. | Joe McGill and Ed Rendell, trial prosecutor and DA, respectively, manipulated evidence and framed Mumia Abu-Jamal …
(2019-09-16). Headlines for September 16, 2019. democracynow.org U.S. Threatens Military Action Against Iran After Oil Attacks in Saudi Arabia, United Auto Workers Strike to Demand Fair Wages, Healthcare & Job Security from GM, Purdue Pharma Files for Bankruptcy, Calls Mount to Impeach Justice Kavanaugh After NYT Report on Sexual Misconduct, Hong Kong Protesters Appeal to U.S., U.K. as Uprising Shows No Sign of Slowing Down, Outsiders Lead Tunisia's Presidential Exit Polls, Algeria Announces Elections Amid Ongoing Protests Against Ruling Elite, U.K. Judge Says Julian Assange a Flight Risk, Must Remain in Prison, Appeals Court Revives Emoluments Case Against Trump, Felicity Huf…
(2019-09-16). 'Choose People Over Profits': Never Again Action Fights ICE Detention Center in Rhode Island. commondreams.org "We once again call on the members of the board of directors to fulfill their obligation to the communities they represent by either voting against this agreement or resigning from their positions immediately." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/never_again_ri_0.jpg …
(2019-09-15). Remembering the Birmingham church bombing. splcenter.org Fifty-six years ago today, four precious little girls were murdered in one of the most heinous acts of white supremacist terror of the civil rights era.
(2019-09-14). Sackler family behind OxyContin busted trying to hide $1bn as lawsuits over opioid crisis pile up. rt.com 
New York's attorney general has uncovered over $1 billion in wire transfers by the Sackler family and accused the OxyContin magnates of trying to shield their wealth from mounting lawsuits over their role in the opioid crisis. | The prodigious stash was discovered in the records of just one of the 33 financial institutions Attorney General Letitia James subpoenaed last month in an effort to trace the extent of the Purdue Pharma owners' wealth, James' office said in a statement on Friday. The money passed through several Swiss bank accounts, indicating the family may have tried to hide profits from the sale of…
(2019-09-13). Felicity Huffman's 14-DAY sentence shows you can get away with ANYTHING if you're rich & famous. rt.com 
That actress Felicity Huffman will go to jail for only 14 days over college entrance fraud shows there are really two justice systems in the US: one for the rich, famous and politically correct — and another for everyone else. | The 'Desperate Housewives' star pleaded guilty to paying $15,000 to falsify her daughter Sophia's SAT — a college admissions test — and was sentenced to two weeks in jail, 250 hours of community service, a $30,000 fine and a year of supervised release. Altogether, a slap on the wrist to a Hollywood celebrity. | Judge Indira Talwani has sentenced Felicity Huffman to 14 d…
(2019-09-13). Challenging the NDP on Palestine During the Election Campaign. dissidentvoice.org Last week I interrupted Jagmeet Singh at a public event to criticize the NDP's suppression of Palestine solidarity activism. Holding a placard with the words "Jagmeet, Palestinian Lives Matter", I demanded the NDP leader apologize for overturning the vote of members who elected Rana Zaman to represent the Dartmouth-Cole Harbour ridding because she defended Palestinians …
(2019-09-13). West Papua: End Australian and US training of Indonesian military. greenleft.org.au 
civil rights Peter BoyleIssue 1237 Australia West Papua independence Indonesian repressionSeptember 13, 2019″We are winning the struggle with Indonesia," said Benny Wenda, chair of the…
(2019-09-12). 48 States to Investigate Google: Anti-Trust or Politicking? therealnews.com 
While there are real reasons to be concerned about Google's immense power, this investigation is quite politically motivated, explains former financial regulator Bill Black…
(2019-09-11). Incarcerated Pregnant Women Face Enormous Challenges With Few Reproductive Rights. therealnews.com 
Kimberly Haven, Reproductive Justice Inside Coalition Director, talks about the horror stories from pregnant women in prisons that were originally designed for men. Haven talks about what needs to change to protect women and their unborn children that will eventually come home to the community.
(2019-09-11). Being Black is Not a Crime: Yunek's Story of Police Brutality. aclu.org A personal story of police brutality at the hands of the police in Peoria, Illinois. | My name is Yunek Moore. I am a Black woman, a college graduate, and a survivor of police brutality. I'm choosing to tell my story because, sadly, this wasn't the last time something like this happened to a person of color in Peoria, Illinois, and that must change. | On June 4, 2013, I was a happy 17-year-old looking forward to attending college at Millikin University. I had just graduated high school, where I was ranked 11th in my entire class and spoke at graduation as one of my final duties as Senior Class President. | That n…
(2019-09-11). Chrystul Kizer bail reduction and justice denied. fightbacknews.org Kenosha, WI – When Cyntoia Brown's case was brought forward to the media, there was a large public outcry for justice. How could a victim of human trafficking be imprisoned for killing her rapist and trafficker? Unfortunately, her case is not novel. Chrystul Kizer, a Milwaukee native, has been charged with multiple counts for defending herself against a sexual predator, Randall Volar III. | Only 17 years old at the time of the incident, Kizer's case is incredibly similar to Cyntoia Brown's. Even more concerning is the fact that they were young, Black teenagers, charged with killing older white males who had sexua…
(2019-09-08). Guaido on the verge of imprisonment: Why does the US have its eye on Essequibo? uwidata.com 
Self-proclaimed Venezuelan president Juan Guaido and his team have been convicted of holding talks with Guyana on the territorial issue of Essequibo. According to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Bolivarian Republic, the opposition has offered to surrender Venezuelan's historical claims to the territory of Essequibo. El presidente venezolano @NicolasMaduro anunció que el gobierno se …
(2019-09-05). Was the imprisonment of Iranian-American journalist Marzieh Hashemi spun into expanded US sanctions? thegrayzone.com The relationship between former Air Force analyst-turned-Iranian spy Monica Witt and Hashemi — who was jailed by US authorities this…
(2019-09-05). Judge blocks ICE from denying parole to asylum-seekers. splcenter.org A federal judge ordered the Trump administration today to change its blanket policy of locking up people lawfully seeking asylum in the United States as a lawsuit filed by the SPLC and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana makes its way through the federal courts.
(2019-09-03). No' Money, Mo' Problems: Militiaman's Fundraising Plea Devolves into Lawsuit and Mistrust. splcenter.org The jailed militiaman had an interesting fundraising appeal.
(2019-09-03). A New York Jail Forced a Trans Woman Into a Men's Facility. aclu.org Trans women routinely face harassment and discrimination in jails and prisons. | Jena Faith's experience in the Steuben County Jail was a living nightmare. | The military veteran spent four weeks in the jail awaiting trial last spring. She was initially housed in the jail's women's facility without incident, but things changed when officials suddenly transferred her to the men's facility, despite the fact that she is a woman. | During the weeks that Jena spent as a woman in a men's jail, she was routinely targeted with physical and verbal harassment from other incarcerated people and guards. On her first day in t…
(2019-08-29). Taxpayers Have Been Ordered to Pay Over $2 Million For Discriminating Against LGBTQ People. aclu.org Government officials should know that discrimination comes with a cost to taxpayers. | Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that the Commonwealth of Kentucky was liable for $224,000 for the actions of Kim Davis, who refused to do her job and issue marriage licenses (to same-sex or different-sex couples) as county clerk. | While Davis' story made national headlines, her case isn't the only one in the past year where a court case filed by the ACLU has led to a bill for discriminatio…
(2019-08-27). Stripped of Their Rights. aclu.org In 2011, guards at an Illinois prison violated the constitution when they carried out a mass strip-search of incarcerated women. | In March 2011, a tactical team of guards at a state prison in Lincoln, Illinois gathered 200 women and ushered them into a gymnasium, where they were brought in small groups into a separate room nearby. Inside that room, they were told to strip naked in plain view of other guards, cadets, and civilians, without any explanation. Women on their periods were ordered to remove their tampons and sanitary pads. One-by-one, each woman was ordered to lift her breasts, cough and squat, and dis…
(2019-08-27). New Resource Tool Sheds Light on Government's Prepublication Review System. aclu.org Millions of current and former government employees are subjected to this far-reaching censorship system. | This piece was originally published in Just Security. | For more than three years, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University have been litigating a series of Freedom of Information Act requests relating to "prepublication review." Under this far-reaching censorship system, millions of current and former government employees, con…
(2019-08-23). Will North Carolina's Supreme Court Allow Racism to Remain a Persistent Factor in its Death Penalty? aclu.org North Carolina's Supreme Court will determine whether evidence of racism in capital punishment can be swept under the rug. | In 2009, North Carolina passed the Racial Justice Act (RJA), which allowed defendants to strike the death penalty from their cases if they could show that racial discrimination was a factor in their prosecution. The law came as a response to a series of exonerations of Black people who were falsely convicted of crimes they did not commit by all-white or nearly all-white juries. The legislature took a bold step to address was what suspected to be deeply troubling evidence of racism infe…
(2019-08-22). A Louisiana Parish Jailed a U.S. Citizen for Being Latinx. We're Suing. aclu.org Officers in a Louisiana jail held a U.S. citizen for four days on an immigration hold simply because of his skin color and name. | Ramon Torres had been a U.S. citizen for nearly ten years when he was detained for four days on an immigration hold — despite having a U.S. passport, a Louisiana driver's license, and a Social Security card, and despite that fact that a court ordered his release. | Torres' ordeal began in August 2018, when he was pulled over and arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Torres, a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2009, was carrying multiple forms of identification, inclu…
(2019-08-21). An Arizona Law Requires Surveillance of People Who Are Presumed Innocent. aclu.org The government cannot take shortcuts around constitutional rights. | A pillar of our democracy is the presumption of innocence: before a person has been convicted of a crime, they are considered completely innocent under the law. Yet across the country, people who have not been convicted are punished—both explicitly and implicitly—based on the mistaken assumption that they are dangerous, purely on the basis of an accusation. We do not live in a society where you can be incarcerated or monitored simply because you have been accused of a crime. Doing so violates constitutional rights, fuels mass incarce…
(2019-08-19). Trump is Taking More Money for Raids and Detention. Congress Should Stop Him. aclu.org Without congressional checks, ICE and CBP will continue to overspend and overstep. | 08/27/19 Update: Congress made public today a document outlining the Department of Homeland Security's plan to take nearly $280 million in funds meant for FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the TSA, among other critical priorities. Over $115 million of these funds will go towards President Trump's growing detention and deportations of immigrants, with the rest being used for sham border courts to…
(2019-08-15). The BDS movement calls to boycott three anti-Palestinian German clubs. bdsmovement.net 
The BDS movement calls to boycott three anti-Palestinian German clubs: PACBI StatementConne Island, Golden Pudel and : //about blank are complicit in Israel's oppression of Palestinians | Cultural Boycott Right To BoycottAugust 15, 2019…
(2019-08-14). BDS condemns antisemitic, fascist forces in Germany and worldwide. bdsmovement.net 
BDS condemns antisemitic, fascist forces in Germany and worldwide: BNC StatementOur nonviolent movement opposes all forms of racism and racial discrimination. | Right To BoycottAugust 14, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC)