(2019-10-02). How Laws Targeting Clinics Could End Abortion Access. aclu.org Abortion could become inaccessible in entire states even without an explicit abortion ban. | Abortion rights captured the nation's attention earlier this year when seven states passed early abortion bans. With the changes in the Supreme Court, and President Trump's promise to appoin…
(2019-10-02). Oakland files lawsuit to block Oakland Athletics from buying Coliseum complex. indybay.org Indeed, billionaire John J. Fisher's plan to build a stadium at Howard Terminal will result in the loss of many present and future middle class jobs, and will result in higher priced housing and condominiums that most Oaklanders cannot afford. Despite all their promises, the A's and multi-billionaire John Fisher have never built any affordable housing near the Coliseum, or anywhere in the Bay Area. The Oakland City Council sold out Oaklanders by voting to support the A's stadium plan for Howard Terminal!
(2019-10-02). Sheriffs Release Sick People From Jail to Avoid Paying Hospital Bills. truthout.org | | This article was produced in partnership with AL.com, which is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network.Michael Tidwell's blood sugar reading was at least 15 times his normal level when sheriff's deputies took him to the hospital. But before they loaded the inmate into the back of a car, deputies propped up his slumping body and handed him a pen so he could sign a release from the Wa…
(2019-10-02). How Can We End Child Sexual Abuse Without Prisons? truthout.org | | One in four girls and at least one in six boys experience sexual abuse before their 18th birthdays. Ninety-three percent of sexual assaults of children are by family members or the child's acquaintances, not strangers lurking in the shadows. | How can we disrupt and end child sexual abuse without turning to police and a racist prison industrial complex…
(2019-10-01). Dangerous Detentions: Julian Assange and Remaining in Belmarsh. dissidentvoice.org 
Much ink has been spilled in textbooks describing situations where autocratic states can behave badly. They abuse rights; they ignore international law and they ride roughshod over conventions. Liberal democracies may boast that they follow matters to the letter of the law, and make sure that citizens are given their fair and just cause in …
(2019-10-01). Young doctor being told to leave UK 'defies basic common sense'. thecanary.co Campaigners have said the UK's immigration system "defies basic common sense" after a young doctor who has spent the majority of her life in the country was asked to leave.Mu-Chun Chiang, 27, has lived in the UK for over 13 years but, due to what she describes as "a nonsensical administrative issue", her application for a new visa was rejected and the home office told her to leave the UK or risk up to six months' imprisonment."When I got the letter I was shocked, all these things were going on in my head," Chiang told the PA news agency."I was worried because we were already understaffed on our ward and leaving a…
(2019-10-01). Catalans Call for Independence on 2nd Anniversary of Referendum. telesurenglish.net Supporters of Catalan independence chanting "Freedom for the political prisoners" and "Independence!" took part of a peaceful rallies Tuesday that failed to draw massive crowds at a time when the restive Spanish region has come to a crossroads. | RELATED: | Catalonia: Guilty Verdict of Leaders Will Fuel Independence Bid | The protesters were commemorating the second anniversary of a banned independence referendum just ahead of the verdict, expected in the next two weeks, for 12…
(2019-10-01). Newark Water Crisis: Mayor Ras Baraka Responds to Critics & Promises City Is Working on Solution. democracynow.org 
Newark, New Jersey, city officials recently announced thousands of water filters handed out to residents have significantly reduced lead in drinking water to safe levels. Lead contamination has plagued the city for years, spiking even higher in 2019. Over the summer, the Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit against Newark, accusing it of violating federal safe drinking water laws. The crisis came to a head last month following revelations that water filters distributed to residents may not have been effective. Meanwhile, New Jersey officials have signed off on a $120 million bond with Essex County to…
(2019-10-01). Moroccan Court Jails Journalist on Abortion Charge. telesurenglish.net Reporter Hajar Raissouni was sentenced Monday to a year in prison on charges she had an abortion and engaged in sex outside marriage. | RELATED: | Latin American Women Mark International Safe Abortion Day | The 28-year-old reporter's fiance, Sudanese national Rifaat al-Amin, was likewise condemned to spend a year behind bars. | The doctor accused…
(2019-09-30). Yemen prisoner release boosts hopes of peace at last for war-weary civilians. un.org Hopes for a possible end to the war in Yemen grew slightly on Monday, following the news that nearly 300 detainees have been released as a gesture of goodwill by Houthi forces, pitted against the Government of Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
(2019-09-30). Monday's Daily Brief: Hopes rise for peace in Syria and Yemen, UNGA speeches end, Guterres saddened by India flood deaths. un.org 'Sign of hope' for long-suffering Syrians as new committee forms; Yemen prisoner release signals hope for Yemen; Assembly President closes formal Debate; Refugees evacuated from Libya to Rwanda; Multilingualism observed on World Day.
(2019-09-29). Big pharma + big money = no blame. workers.org 
This commentary was originally posted on prisonradio.org on Sept. 15. In recent days, we've heard of proposed settlements in civil suits involving big pharmaceutical companies, the very sources of opioid products (like OxyContin Æ, for example) that have left tens of thousands of people gripped in the hold of addiction. Similarly, . . . | Continue reading Big pharma + big money = no blame at Workers.org
(2019-09-27). Millions Fear Loss of Indian Citizenship and Detention. therealnews.com 
Concern is growing in India's northeastern state of Assam that people excluded from a new citizens' registry could be sent to detention camps under construction across the state. The government says it created the registry to root out undocumented migrants, but almost 2 million people, many of whom have spent their entire lives in India,…
(2019-09-27). Trump Announces Plan to Admit Fewer Refugees Than Any Previous President. aclu.org Another attack on Muslims and communities of color seeking safety. | The Trump administration yesterday announced its plan to admit 18,000 refugees this fiscal year, taking another step in its agenda to dismantle the program that has long provided protection for people and families seeking safety from persecution. This sickening announcement is consistent with Trump's attacks on refugees, Muslims, and immigrants across the board — particularly those who are Brown or Black. | The U.S. has long been a global leader in refugee admissions. By the end of the Obama administration, the United States' annual refuge…
(2019-09-27). The Trump Administration Can't Force Colleges to Further Its Anti-Muslim Agenda. aclu.org We're demanding the administration end its politicized investigation into Duke-UNC's Middle East Studies program, and turn over all related records. | In a move that would make even Senator McCarthy blush, the Trump administration is threatening to pull federal funding from a Middle East Studies program for failing to toe the government's line on Islam and Muslims. | Last week, Betsy DeVos's Department of Education sent a letter to administrators…
(2019-09-27). Time to stand up for public healthcare. greenleft.org.au 
civil rights Mischa FrankIssue 1239 Australia Medicare private health insurance funding cutsSeptember 27, 2019The federal Coali…
(2019-09-26). Israel Seizes Property from Palestinian Prisoner Rights Organization. therealnews.com 
Sahar Francis, leader of Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights, talks about Israeli soldiers raiding her office at 2: 00 a.m., causing extensive damage and seizing computers, valuable documents, and materials.
(2019-09-26). Kentucky's Abortion Law Forces Me to Humiliate My Patients. aclu.org H.B. 2 is cruel, offensive, and the Supreme Court should strike it down. | I'm a doctor at the only abortion clinic in Kentucky. Providing safe, compassionate medical care has been my life's calling, and my patients' well-being is always my first priority. But Kentucky politicians — determined as usual to interfere with access to reproductive healthcare — are trying to force me to harm and humili…
(2019-09-26). "Financial Censorship Is Still Censorship": Edward Snowden Slams Justice Dept. Lawsuit Against Him. democracynow.org 
As a whistleblower complaint filed against President Trump rocks Washington and threatens Trump's presidency, one of the world's most famous whistleblowers, Edward Snowden, joins us from Moscow, Russia. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Snowden alleging that his newly released memoir, "Permanent Record," violates the nondisclosure agreements he signed with the federal government when he was a National Security Agency employee. The Justice Department also argued that they are entitled to all of Snowden's book profits. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman and Juan González speak with Sno…
(2019-09-25). They're Murdering My Son: Father of Julian Assange Tells of Pain and Anguish. mintpressnews.com 
John Shipton, the father of imprisoned whistleblower Julian Assange, says that if his son is extradited to the US, "They will murder Julian one way or the other."
(2019-09-25). White Supremacist Violence Is On the Rise. Expanding the FBI's Powers Isn't the Answer. aclu.org Expanding law enforcement's powers will harm the communities of color that white supremacist violence targets—and undermine our constitutional rights. | In response to the increase in white supremacist violence, Congress has been holding hearings — including one today — on the urgent need to address it. But, rather than getting to the bottom of why our law enforcement agencies have failed to address white supremacist violence, some lawmakers are rushing to give law enforcement agencies harmful additional powers and creating new crimes. That approach ignores the way power, racism, and nation…
(2019-09-24). International Human Rights Bodies Provide a Case for Reparations. aclu.org International human rights programs provide models for reparations. | It is common for nations where mass atrocities have taken place to engage in the process of reparation and repair. This process happened in Germany after the Holocaust, South Africa after apartheid, and here in the United States, forty years after the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. As a result, international human rights bodies have sought to lend their expertise to the process, often by holding hearings an…
(2019-09-23). We're in Court to Protect Family Planning Care for Millions of Low-Income Patients. aclu.org The Trump Administration is dismantling the Title X family planning program and compromising crucial health care for millions of people. | Title X is a federally funded family planning program that guarantees low-income people can receive critical health care services for free or at a reduced cost. For decades it's been one of the most effective federal health care programs, providing a wide range of vital reproductive and other services for millions of people across the country who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford them. | However, the Trump administration wants to undermine that success as part of an overall…
(2019-09-23). Opportunity Costs: Community corrections program offers a roadmap for client success. splcenter.org Positive client outcomes indicate promising investment for fiscally sound prison alternatives, rather than prison construction.
(2019-09-18). Join the Global Climate Strike. Oppose Israel's climate apartheid. bdsmovement.net 
Join the Global Climate Strike. Oppose Israel's climate apartheid.: Action AlertTell multinational corporations to stop investing in fossil fuels and in Israel's oppression of the Palestinian people. | Economic BoycottSeptember 19, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC)
(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.
(2019-09-05). 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.