British family "emotionally and psychologically destroyed" by detention in US immigration prison
wsws.org | 2019-10-17
The tragic experience faced by the Connors family is a small glimpse into the horrors faced by those who flee their home countries, undertaking a perilous journey only to be detained, separated, and abused in America's brutal concentration camps.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/10/17/immi-o17.html

Nebraskans Aim to End Predatory Lending with a Ballot Proposal to Slash Payday Interest Rates
Jennifer Bellamy | aclu.org | 2019-10-17
Nebraskans | for Responsible Lending announced this week that they will begin gathering | signatures to reduce the amount that payday lenders may charge to a maximum | annual interest rate of 36 percent. For loans with higher rates made in | violation of this rate cap, the payday lenders would be banned from collecting | principal, interest, or other charges. | Currently, | payday lenders in Nebraska, also known as delayed deposit lenders, can charge | predatory rates with an average annual percentage rate (APR) of 404 percent and | in some cases as high as 461 percent. To put this in context, this means | fa…
aclu.org/news/racial-justice/nebraskans-aim-to-end-predatory-lending-with-a-ballot-proposal-to-slash-payday-interest-rates

Rep. Elijah Cummings Dies at 68
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-10-17
Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, died at Johns Hopkins Hospital at the age of 68 Thursday from "complications concerning longstanding health challenges," his office said in a statement. | Cummings played a significant role in numerous investigations into President Donald Trump's conduct and policies, including his mass detention of children at the U.S.-Mexico border. | The Maryland D…
truthout.org/articles/rep-elijah-cummings-dies-at-68/

Art In Struggle For Women & Prisoners In Iran: The Mural, The Artists & Women
Labor Video Project | indybay.org | 2019-10-17
An opening for an art mural about women and the prisoners of Iran was held on October 6, 2019 at Clarion Alley. The mural portrays the women who are fighting for human rights and worker rights in Iran…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/10/15/18827319.php

The jailing of Catalan nationalists: Spanish government builds a police state
wsws.org | 2019-10-17
The Spanish Supreme Court's sentencing Monday of a dozen Catalan nationalists to a decade in prison for sedition is a politically illegitimate ruling that will live in infamy.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/10/17/pers-o17.html

He Died in Jail From Dehydration. His Family Says a Leaked Video Shows it Was Murder
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-10-17
On this episode of the Police Accountability Report we examine the case of Shali Tilson, who died after he was jailed during a mental health crisis. But a leaked video shows he was denied water and medical treatment by GA prison authorities for a week–mistreatment his family says was criminal.
therealnews.com/stories/he-died-jail-dehydration-his-family-says-leaked-video-shows-murder

NAACP Mourns the Loss of Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
commondreams.org | 2019-10-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/10/17/naacp-mourns-loss-congressman-elijah-e-cummings?cd-origin=rss

Two Deaths in Two Days at Santa Cruz Main Jail
Santa Cruz Police News | indybay.org | 2019-10-17
In the past week, two inmates have died in custody at the Santa Cruz County Main Jail on Water Street. According to a press release from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, James Kohut was found deceased in his cell at the main jail on October 13. Correctional Officers say they found Kohut alone in his cell in a protective unit. He did not share a cell with any other inmates. On October 14, 24-year-old German Carrillo of Watsonville was found deceased in his cell at the Santa Cruz County main jail, according to a Sheriff's Office press release. Sheriffs say Carrillo shared a cell with other inmates and the ca…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/10/16/18827346.php

Intersectionality Is a Hot Topic — and So Is the Term's Misuse
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-10-17
Legal scholar Kimberlé Williams coined the term intersectionality 30 years ago to describe how Black women experience interlocking forms of oppression. She noticed a pattern in court rulings against Black women's anti-discrimination lawsuits; the legal system treated race and sex as separate issues, refusing to recognize how both compound and cont…
truthout.org/articles/intersectionality-is-a-hot-topic-and-so-is-the-terms-misuse/

Trump Cabinet Officials Double Down on Religious Favoritism
Heather L. Weaver | aclu.org | 2019-10-16
Last Friday was a banner day for religious favoritism in the Trump administration. | In | Nashville, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a "speech" that was — for | all intents and purposes — a Christian sermon. Addressing an association of | Christian counselors, Secretary Pompeo discussed how to be a good Christian | leader, quoting scripture and urging audience members to conduct themselves in | accordance with his interpretation of biblical tenets. He also commandeered | State Department resources to advertise his sermon in advance, broadcast it live, | and disseminate a video of it after…
aclu.org/news/religious-liberty/trump-cabinet-officials-double-down-on-religious-favoritism

Amber Guyger's Sentence Doesn't Highlight a More Empathetic Criminal Legal System
Jeffery Robinson | aclu.org | 2019-10-16
"I'm sorry, | I can't explain that." | That's | what prosecutor Jason Hermus said to Botham Jean's parents after the jury gave | Amber Guyger a 10-year sentence for intentionally murdering their son. Jean's | father shook Hermus' hand and said, "You fought a good fight." | Jean's | brother hugged Guyger, saying he did not want her to go to jail. The judge also | embraced Guyger and gave her a Bible. Is this a sign of a new wave of racial | healing in the criminal legal system? Could it be the beginning of the end of | excessive sentences in America or a step down the road to prison abolition? | Unfortunately,…
aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/amber-guygers-sentence-doesnt-highlight-a-more-empathetic-criminal-legal-system

Hundreds pack State House to resist mass incarceration
Phebe Eckfeldt | workers.org | 2019-10-16
Hundreds of families, friends and supporters of prisoners packed the Massachusetts State House Oct. 8 to support "An Act to Reduce Mass Incarceration." This bill, H3358, would eliminate life sentences without parole. A person serving a life sentence would be allowed to have a parole hearing after 25 years, then . . . | Continue reading Hundreds pack State House to resist mass incarceration at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/10/44054/

Real Talk Tho: Is There a More Equitable Way to Fund Development?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-10-16
Encouraging development without big tax breaks to developers is possible in Baltimore. While Baltimore has used hefty tax subsidies for wealthy developers to fund development in the past, there are more equitable approaches to stimulating growth that do not exacerbate the inequities that plague our city and could repair decades of racial segregation and discrimination: …
therealnews.com/stories/real-talk-tho-is-there-more-equitable-way-fund-development

Atlanta Pride says 'Free Chelsea Manning!'
Dianne Mathiowetz | workers.org | 2019-10-16
For over three hours on Oct. 12, tens of thousands of Atlanta Pride marchers passed by stationary teams on both sides of Peachtree Street with banners and leaflets calling for freedom for Chelsea Manning, the anti-war whistleblower. Upon spotting the banners reading, "Free Chelsea Manning! Jail War Criminals,"countless participants reached . . . | Continue reading Atlanta Pride says 'Free Chelsea Manning!' at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/10/44051/

Newark protesters: Democratic Party machine an accomplice in Trump's war on immigrants
Esteban Guevara | liberationnews.org | 2019-10-16
Protesters gathered in Newark, New Jersey for a rally and 3-mile march up to the detention center organized by the Resist the Deportation Machine Network on Oct. 12 to demand the closure of the ICE concentration camp in Essex county.
liberationnews.org/newark-protesters-democratic-party-machine-an-accomplice-in-trumps-war-on-immigrants/

Moroccan King Pardons Journalist in Abortion Case
telesurenglish.net | 2019-10-16
Morocco's king has pardoned Hajar Raissouni, a journalist sentenced to a year in prison last month for extramarital sex and an abortion, along with her fiance, a doctor and two of his colleagues, the justice ministry said on Wednesday. | RELATED: | Thousands of Argentinian Women Demand Legal Abortion | The case of Raissouni, who had denied the charges against her, outra…
telesurenglish.net/news/Moroccan-King-Pardons-Journalist-in-Abortion-Case-20191016-0024.html

California Lawmakers Passed a Bill Banning Private Prisons
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-10-15
Activist Amani Sawari talks about what the impact on people in private prisons and immigration detention centers will be if Governor Gavin Newsom signs AB32, which would phase out private prisons by 2028.
therealnews.com/stories/california-bans-private-prisons

Our Online Speech Rights Are Under Threat
Kate Ruane | aclu.org | 2019-10-15
Congress on Wednesday will examine a little-known law that has made the internet the space for self-expression and connection that it is today. The law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA 230), is one of the most speech protective laws Congress has ever enacted and it is now under threat. | The internet today provides us an indispensable platform to communicate freely with others who might otherwis…
aclu.org/news/free-speech/our-online-speech-rights-are-under-threat

'Smart' Cameras Are Now On the Lookout For Distracted Drivers in Australia
Jay Stanley | aclu.org | 2019-10-15
"Smart" traffic cameras that use artificial intelligence to try to spot people using cell phones while driving are being rolled out in Australia. The devices take a high-resolution photograph through the front windshield of each passing vehicle, and also capture its license plate. Each photograph is then analyzed by an AI algorithm. If the algorithm decides that the driver is touching a mobile phone, tablet, or another device, it then forwards the photograph to a human reviewer who confirms the violation and issues a citation to the car's registered owner along with a hefty fine. | This technology represents…
aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/smart-cameras-are-now-on-the-lookout-for-distracted-drivers-in-australia

Leonard Peltier subjected to unjust lockdown in prison: Write to the warden now!
Liberation Staff | liberationnews.org | 2019-10-15
The Party for Socialism and Liberation urges its supporters to write the warden to demand an end to this brutal lockdown.
liberationnews.org/leonard-peltier-subjected-to-unjust-lockdown-in-prison-write-to-the-warden-now/

Will the Supreme Court Sanction the Use of a Religious Litmus Test For Foster Parents?
Leslie Cooper | aclu.org | 2019-10-15
There are currently 440,000 children in foster care across the | country. And the Supreme Court has been asked to hear Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, | a case that could profoundly impact all of them. | In a petition filed with the court, a taxpayer-funded foster care agency is claiming a constitutional right to exclude prospective foster families that don't meet its religious criteria when providing public child welfare services. The ACLU and the ACL…
aclu.org/news/lgbt-rights/will-the-supreme-court-sanction-the-use-of-a-religious-litmus-test-for-foster-parents

Tampa Bay demands Supreme Court uphold LGBT job rights
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-10-14
Tampa, FL – On October 7 and 8, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) rallied against the lack of federal job protections for LGBT workers. On October 8, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) began discussions on three cases that relate to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which protects against job discrimination on the basis of "race, color, religion, sex, or national origin," in order to decide whether sexual orientation and gender identity are also protected under Title VII. Tampa Bay SDS held two rallies in response to this, as a part of a National SDS call to action. SDS demanded that…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/10/14/tampa-bay-demands-supreme-court-uphold-lgbt-job-rights

Houthis Vow Retaliation As Saudi Naval Blockade Sparks Fresh Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen
Ahmed Abdulkareem | mintpressnews.com | 2019-10-11
Saudi Arabia has stepped up its seizure and detention of ships carrying food and fuel into Yemen, sparking shortages that experts warn will push the country's civilians into even more dire straits.
mintpressnews.com/yemen-retaliation-saudi-naval-blockade-humanitarian-crisis/262285/

Creative writing class in prison was 'light' in the darkness
Will Tucker | splcenter.org | 2019-10-11
splcenter.org/news/2019/10/15/creative-writing-class-prison-was-light-darkness

The Stanford Sexual Assault Case Made Her "Emily Doe." In New Memoir, Chanel Miller Tells Her Story
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-10-11
We spend the hour with author Chanel Miller speaking about her recently published remarkable memoir, "Know My Name." The book chronicles how Miller reclaimed her name, her story and her life after being sexually assaulted by Brock Turner, a member of the Stanford University swim team, in 2015. At the time, she was known as "Emily Doe." The case gained national prominence when a California judge sentence Turner to just six months in a county jail after he was convicted of three counts of felony sexual assault. He ended up spending only three months locked up. The sentencing sparked outrage. Voters in California la…
www.democracynow.org/2019/10/11/chanel_miller_know_my_name_interview

White Supremacist William Fears to Get Five Years in Prison
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2019-10-10
William Henry Fears IV, an avowed racist with a lengthy criminal record, has agreed to a plea deal of five years for choking his former girlfriend.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/10/11/white-supremacist-william-fears-get-five-years-prison

The Supreme Court Needs to Protect Trans People from Discrimination
Robin Savannah Carver | progressive.org | 2019-10-10
progressive.org/dispatches/SCOTUS-trans-people-deserve-job-protection-carver-191010/

SCOTUS Deeply Divided on LGBTQ Rights
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-10-10
The Justices heard cases that would broaden sex discrimination under Civil Rights Act to include Gays, Lesbians and Transgender citizens.
therealnews.com/stories/scotus-deeply-divided-lgbtq-rights

Divided Supreme Court Hears Landmark LGBTQ Workplace Discrimination Case
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-10-09
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in three cases that will determine whether LGBTQ people can be fired from their jobs due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Among the court's conservative justices, only Neil Gorsuch appeared open to prohibiting such workplace discrimination. One of the cases centers on a transgender woman from Michigan named Aimee Stephens, who was fired from her job at a funeral home in 2013. The Supreme Court is expected to hand down its decision in the three cases by early next summer. We speak to James Esseks, director of the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project, who attended Tu…
www.democracynow.org/2019/10/9/supreme_court_lgbtq_sex_discrimination_cases

Julián Castro Backs Impeachment Effort & Condemns Trump's "Betrayal" of Kurds in Northern Syria
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-10-09
Turkey's government says its troops are prepared for an imminent assault on Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, after President Trump ordered U.S. troops to fall back from their positions on the Turkish-Syrian border. Kurdish fighters said they're bracing for a "humanitarian catastrophe." This follows warnings that former Kurdish allies of the U.S. who feel betrayed by President Trump will abandon thousands of prisoners captured during the U.S.-backed war against ISIS over the past two years. We speak to former housing secretary and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro, who says Trump's move is a…
www.democracynow.org/2019/10/9/2020_presidential_candidate_julian_castro_syria

Beyond Bars: Life before and after incarceration in Alabama
splcenter.org | 2019-10-07
As criminal justice and prison reform take center stage in Alabama politics, Alabamians for Fair Justice, a broad coalition of advocates supported by the SPLC and other organizations, are working to lift up the voices of people directly affected by the criminal justice system.
splcenter.org/news/2019/10/15/beyond-bars-life-and-after-incarceration-alabama

Opportunity Costs: Community corrections program offers a roadmap for client success
Kathryn Casteel | splcenter.org | 2019-09-23
Positive client outcomes indicate promising investment for fiscally sound prison alternatives, rather than prison construction.
splcenter.org/news/2019/09/24/opportunity-costs-community-corrections-program-offers-roadmap-client-success