2019-10-04: News Headlines

The Canary (2019-10-04). Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who's jailed in Iran, to 'send daughter home to UK'. thecanary.co A British-Iranian woman jailed in Iran is to send her daughter home to the UK to start school, it has been reported.Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been visited in prison by five-year-old Gabriella at least once a week for the past three years.The youngster will be back in London before Christmas, according to the Times.Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in April 2016 and sentenced to five years in jail after being accused of spying, which she vehemently denies.Richard Ratcliffe, husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, outside the Iranian Embassy (Jonathan Brady/PA)Her fight for freedom has seen her endure hunger strikes…

Michelle Zacarias (2019-10-04). Former Dallas police officer gets 10 years after shooting neighbor in his home. peoplesworld.org A former Dallas police officer, Amber Guyger, was sentenced to serve ten years in prison on Wednesday afternoon. Guyger was arrested in September 2018 after she shot and killed Botham Jean, 26. Jean lived in the unit directly below Guyger's apartment, which she alleged led her to believe that an intruder had entered "her" home. …

Alleen Brown (2019-10-04). Dakota Access Pipeline Activists Face 110 Years in Prison, Two Years After Confessing Sabotage. theintercept.com Two women who vandalized the Dakota Access pipeline in an effort to halt construction have been indicted on charges that carry up to 110 years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. They are among the harshest penalties environmental activists have faced in the last decade. | Civil liberties lawyers say the charges are in line with industry-inspired scare tactics meant to deter citizens from participating in direct-action protests or acts of sabotage against oil and gas companies. As the deadly impacts of carbon emissions grow ever clearer, the fossil fuel industry has increased pressure on lawm…

Glenn Greenwald (2019-10-04). Fearful of Lula's Exoneration, His Once-Fanatical Prosecutors Request His Release From Prison. But Lula Refuses. theintercept.com Lula's accusers are desperately trying to get him out of prison, while he insists on staying there until he's fully exonerated.

Staff (2019-10-04). US Supreme Court to Decide Fate Of Baltimore v. Big Oil Suit. therealnews.com The city sued 26 oil and gas companies over their role in the climate crisis, but the companies have appealed to the Supreme Court to stop the case from proceeding at the state level.

Amy Goodman (2019-10-04). As man dies in ICE custody, California moves to ban for-profit prisons, including immigrant jails. nationofchange.org A Cameroonian immigrant died this week in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in California. The man, identified as 37-year-old Nebane Abienwi, died on Tuesday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. This comes as California lawmakers passed a bill last month that would ban private prisons statewide, a major blow to the for-profit prison …

True Publica (2019-10-04). What Julian Assange Really Represents. globalresearch.ca Julian Assange is facing extradition to the United States after he was forcibly dragged from the Ecuadorian embassy in London by police mid-April this year. On the 1st May, he was imprisoned for breaching bail conditions. His sentence is now …

Fight Back (2019-10-04). Labor unions to join national civil rights conference with Angela Davis in November. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Unions are on the march in defense of their members across the country, with the autoworker strike against GM and strike authorization votes by teachers and other city employees in Chicago. Unions are also defending their members when they leave work and find their lives in danger from the very people paid to protect them: the police. | Labor is joining a new effort to hold the police accountable for the killing, wrongful conviction, and even torture of young Blacks and Latinos. On November 22-24, veteran human rights activist Angela Davis will be in Chicago to re-establish the National Alliance Ag…

Stephen Lendman (2019-10-04). Torture and Killing of Palestinians in Israeli Prisons. globalresearch.ca B'Tselem published numerous reports on Israeli use of torture and other forms of abuse against Palestinian detainees — arrested and imprisoned for political reasons. | In November 2017, the organization said the following: | "The Israel Security Agency's (ISA) interrogation regime relies …

Andrew Emett (2019-10-04). Third correctional officer pleads guilty following assault of mentally ill inmate. nationofchange.org A third former Tennessee correctional officer pleaded guilty to a federal offense and admitted concealing other correctional officers' assault of an inmate by covering up a prison security camera with his hand. Three out of at least five correctional officers have pleaded guilty to federal charges, while the remaining officers remain unidentified. On February 1, Carl Spurlin Jr., Tanner Penwell, Nathaniel Griffin, and two other correctional officers at the Northwest County Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, identified only as …

Staff (2019-10-04). Headlines for October 4, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Publicly Calls on Ukraine and China to Investigate the Bidens, Trump Discussed Campaign Rivals in June Call with China's Xi Jinping, FEC Chair: Illegal for Candidates to Solicit Foreign Help in U.S. Elections, Messages Detail How U.S. Officials Pressured Ukraine on Trump's Behalf, IRS Whistleblower: Treasury Official Tried to Interfere with Trump or Pence Tax Audit, Trump Administration to Collect DNA of All Immigrants Jailed in U.S., Iraq Death Toll at 44 as Violent Repression of Protests Continues, Honduran President Denies Narcotrafficking Ties as His Brother Faces U.S. Trial, Protests Rock Ecuador as IM…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2019-10-04). For Their Efforts to 'Save Our Planet,' Dakota Access Pipeline Opponents Face More Than 100 Years in Prison. commondreams.org "I wish the government would use the same resources to go after the oil companies and pipeline companies, but clearly they're not interested in that." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/77-groups-letter-trump-resincd-order-advisory-committees_0.jpg

ACLU (2019-10-03). Trump's War on Asylum-Seekers is Endangering Pregnant Women. aclu.org CBP officers are forcibly returning pregnant asylum-seekers to Mexico in violation of their own rules. | The view from the Matamoros, Mexico side of the Rio Grande — just across from Brownsville, Texas — reveals an unsettling scene. | Young women and children bathe openly in the murky green water, while others wash their clothes on the bank of the river that has claimed so many lives — most recently those of Idalia and her 21-month-old son Iker. This is the new painful reality of seeking asylum in the U…

The Canary (2019-10-03). 'The fight goes on' over state pension age changes, as campaigners urge parliament to intervene. thecanary.co Women affected by controversial changes to the state pension age have called on parliament to intervene after they lost their landmark High Court fight.Campaigners outside the Royal Courts of Justice (Kirsty O'Connor/PA)Unlawful discrimination case dismissed: Nearly four million women born in the 1950s have been affected by the changes, introduced by successive governments in an attempt to ensure "pension age equalisation", which have raised the state pension age from 60 to 66.Julie Delve, 61, and Karen Glynn, 63 — supported by campaign group Backto60 — took the Department for Work and Pensions (…

WSWS (2019-10-03). Algerian regime jails top generals, Workers Party leader Louisa Hanoune. wsws.org The trial covered up the historic crimes of the military defendants and sets a precedent for cracking down on workers in struggle against the bloody Algerian military regime.

Fight Back (2019-10-03). Young Lords remember martyrs and march for the future. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – A standing room only crowd filled the Holy Covenant United Methodist Church on September 29 to commemorate Reverend Bruce Johnson and Eugenia Johnson. The reverend and his wife Eugenia were remembered for supporting the Young Lords and their role in the struggle against poverty, war and oppression. They were savagely murdered in their own home 50 years ago, stabbed to death, during a U.S. government campaign of repression known as COINTELPRO or the Counterintelligence Program. | Ministers of the United Methodist Church, the Bishop of Chicago's Episcopal Church and leaders from the Presbyterian McCo…

Staff (2019-10-03). Headlines for October 3, 2019. democracynow.org House Democrats Prepare White House Subpoena in Impeachment Probe, Trump Rages Against Impeachment Probe with Profanity and Insults, Bernie Sanders Has Surgery to Clear Blocked Artery, Deaths and Injuries Mount as Iraqi Police and Soldiers Fire on Protesters, EU Officials Wary as British PM Boris Johnson Unveils Brexit Plan , Hong Kong Teen Shot During Protests Charged with Assaulting Officer, Record-Breaking Hurricane Lorenzo Lashes Azores, Heads for Ireland, London Climate Protesters Spray British Treasury with Fake Blood, Cameroonian Asylum Seeker Dies in For-Profit Immigration Jail, Plácido Domingo Quits L.A.

Staff (2019-10-03). As Man Dies in ICE Custody, California Moves to Ban For-Profit Prisons, Including Immigrant Jails. democracynow.org A Cameroonian immigrant died this week in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in California. The man, identified as 37-year-old Nebane Abienwi, died on Tuesday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. This comes as California lawmakers passed a bill last month that would ban private prisons statewide, a major blow to the for-profit prison industry in the U.S. that is deeply entangled in immigration detention. The legislation also orders the closure of four ICE prisons that can jail up to 4,500 immigrants. The bill is currently awaiting the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom, who said in his January…

Staff (2019-10-03). Trump vs. California: In Blow to Climate, U.S. Revokes State's Stricter Auto Emissions Standards. democracynow.org California is in a legal battle with the Trump administration over tailpipe emissions, air quality and climate change. California recently joined nearly two dozen other states to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration after it revoked the state's air pollution standards for cars and light trucks, in its latest regulatory rollback of laws aimed at slowing the climate crisis. Auto emissions are California's single largest source of greenhouse gases. From Los Angeles, we're joined by Mary Nichols, the longtime chair of the California Air Resources Board. She has led the board in crafting California's intern…

Editor (2019-10-03). Bigot Trump's real crimes. workers.org Let us count the crimes the current U.S. president has committed against the working class and all the oppressed masses. His campaign vilified Mexicans and other Central American migrants and refugees, calling them gangsters and rapists. In office, he shut down legal asylum, jailing migrants and separating parents from children, . . . | Continue reading Bigot Trump's real crimes at Workers.org

Staff (2019-10-03). Why Do Black People Always Have to Forgive? therealnews.com As Botham Jean's brother makes headlines for "forgiving" Amber Guyger, Real News hosts Jacqueline Luqman and Lisa Snowden-McCray discuss what Christian forgiveness in the face of oppression means.

Binoy Kampmark (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 …

Staff (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…

Staff (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,…

ACLU (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…

ACLU (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…

pip.hinman (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…

ACLU (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…

Staff (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…

Finian Cunningham (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."

ACLU (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…

ACLU (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…

Kathryn Casteel (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.

patrick (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)

splcenter (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.