(2019-01-28). The Empire's "Left Intellectuals" Call for Regime Change. The Role of "Progressives" and the Antiwar Movement. globalresearch.ca What is now unfolding in both North America and Western Europe is fake social activism, controlled and funded by the corporate establishment. This manipulated process precludes the formation of a real mass movement against war, racism and social injustice.
(2019-01-28). Headlines for January 28, 2019. democracynow.org U.S. & Taliban Agree to Path for Afghan Peace Deal, Federal Employees Return to Work as Gov't Agencies Temporarily Reopen, Venezuela: Maduro Gov't Defies U.S. and European Calls to Support Opposition, Philippines: Twin Bombs Rock Cathedral, Killing At Least 20, U.N. Condemns Killing of Palestinian by Israeli Settlers, Israeli Forces Kill 3 Palestinians Across Occupied Territories, Brazil: Mining Dam Collapse Kills At Least 58, Hundreds Still Missing, France: Protesters Take Streets for 11th Week, Call Out Police Brutality, Germany to Shut Down All Coal Plants by 2038, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Reinstates…
(2019-01-28). Why More Americans Are Breaking Their Silence on Israel. counterpunch.org Most folk outside the United States — and until this month, most Americans — won't have heard of Michelle Alexander. She's a civil rights lawyer and academic and has written a book called The New Jim Crow, and a few months ago The New York Times took her on as a regular columnist. Like millions of black — and More
(2019-01-28). Remembering Ramona Ripston, the ACLU Leader Who Reimagined Civil Liberties. thenation.com Remembering Ramona Ripston, the ACLU Leader Who Reimagined Civil Liberties…
(2019-01-28). Indian politician jailed for Facebook post on PM Narendra Modi. aljazeera.com A politician from southern India arrested for lampooning prime minister in what critics say is clampdown on free speech.
(2019-01-28). Those MAGA-Hatted Covington Kids. counterpunch.org Yes, the Black Hebrew Israelites spat racist taunts at the MAGA-hatted Kentucky high school kids. And yes, the drumming Native American inserted himself between the two groups. But the head MAGA boy did block the drummer's path and stood there with a defiant smirk that exactly duplicated the sneers of his predecessors a couple generations More
(2019-01-28). 7 Racist Exclusions that Reveal America's Ugly Side. truthdig.com The two-year anniversary of Trump's Muslim visa ban and Holocaust Remembrance Day have arrived more or less together, and it is worthwhile reviewing how they reveal an ugly side to America. US history is replete with racism as public policy. It has been more often our history than not, and the era since 1965 has been unusual inasmuch as there has been widespread public pushback against the use of race for policy purposes. Trump's movement is an attempt to see whether that widespread US consensus of the past few decades can be reversed. Just as the Ku Klux Klan took over the Democratic Party in the 1920s, includin…
(2019-01-28). Bahrain: Verdict on opposition leader is bitter blow to freedom of expression. amnesty.org Responding to the news that Bahrain's Court of Cassation has upheld the conviction of opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman, Amnesty International's Middle East Campaigns Director Samah Hadid said: | "Today's verdict is yet another nail in the coffin for the right to freedom of expression in Bahrain and exposes the country's justice system as a complete farce. The decision to uphold Sheikh Ali Salman's conviction and life prison sentence following an unfair trial highlights the authorities' determination to silence critical voices. |
(2019-01-28). China: Disgraceful 4 and a half years prison term for human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang. amnesty.org | Responding to the 4 and a half years prison sentence handed down by a Chinese court to human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, who was found guilty of "subverting state power", Doriane Lau, China Researcher at Amnesty International, commented: | "Today's verdict is a gross injustice. It's outrageous that Wang Quanzhang is being punished for peacefully standing up for human rights in China.
(2019-01-27). Yemeni Mothers Protest Detentions of Sons in UAE-run Prisons. telesurenglish.net Women are demanding Yemen's officials deliver information on their imprisoned sons detained in an UAE-run prison, the Association of Mothers of Abductees said during a protest in Aden Sunday. | RELATED: | Yemen: Saudi-led Coalition Bombs Capital, Residents Say 'Deadliest in a Year' | "We call on the government, the minister of the interior and the Attorney-General to reveal the fate of the dozens of missing prisoners a…
(2019-01-27). New Yorkers rally for Marzieh Hashemi. fightbacknews.org New York, NY — On January 25 several dozen activists gathered in Grand Central Station to bring attention to the case of Marzieh Hashemi. Hashemi is a Muslim, African-American journalist who was imprisoned on January 13 when she was arrested by the FBI at the Saint Louis International Airport. She was on her way to visit her sick brother in Denver. For almost two weeks she as held as a "material witness" for an undisclosed investigation. | Hashemi was finally released shortly before the protest, but her family asked for the protesters who were mobilizing to continue their plans, so they could bring awarenes…
(2019-01-27). Netanyahu Forms Alliances with Far-Right Authoritarian Leaders. therealnews.com 
Shir Hever says Netanyahu is abusing his image as a protector of the Jewish people, and cuts deals with far-right and anti-Semitic heads of state, absolving them of their racism towards Jews in exchange for their superficial support for the State of Israel. All this, to win the upcoming Israeli elections
(2019-01-26). What the mountain taught the mouse. mronline.org 
Inequality is sexist. It is also transphobic and racist. This is a reality demonstrated by Oxfam's recent report on wealth and inequality, and a reality well understood by the people who live it. | Source
(2019-01-25). Trump Administration Puts Religious Beliefs Over the Best Interests of Children. aclu.org The Department of Health and Human Services has exempted South Carolina from federal nondiscrimination requirements for child welfare programs. | Across the United States, there are over 440,000 children in the public child welfare system. Nearly a quarter of these children are awaiting adoption with many living in group homes because no family is available to care for them. In the end, too many of these children will age out of the system without ever becoming part of a loving family. Despite these facts, the Trump administration this week made it even harder for these children to find foster and adoptive parent…
(2019-01-25). Data Reveals Driving as a Person of Color in Illinois Leads to More Unjustified Searches. aclu.org Baseless traffic stops and inconsistent search standards harm the public trust and damage police-community relationships. | In January 2016, Richard Jackson, a Black man, was driving to his home on Chicago's West Side when he noticed a car trailing him. As he turned into the alley leading to his driveway, the unmarked police car pulled him over and four officers leapt out, demanding that he lower all four of his car's windows. Jackson's grandparents, who live with him, watched from their home's window in fear. | After running his license, one officer told Jackson he would be let go with a warning. But when Jackso…
(2019-01-25). It's Time to Update Aging Voting Equipment Before the 2020 Election. aclu.org Sixteen million voters encountered problems voting in 2016. A big culprit was aging voting equipment. | When Ronald Campbell went to his polling location in Horry County, South Carolina, to vote in the 2018 midterms, he wasn't expecting it to become an odyssey. But when he and his wife arrived at their polling location, the lines were so long that Ronald feared he and his wife wouldn't be physically able to stand for the amount of time it would take to get to the voting booth. Nevertheless, they returned to the polling location four separate times throughout the day until the line had become reasonable — th…
(2019-01-25). Roaming Charges: American Hunger Games. counterpunch.org 
Gary Webb and I both grew up in Indianapolis. As teens we spent a lot of time in the nearby cultural mecca (for baseball fans) of Cincy. One of Webb's first gigs as a young reporter was covering crime and politics in Covington, just across the Ohio River. He said it was one of the most corrupt & racist cities in the US and told me those years in northern Kentucky were the best training he got for probing the CIA. The antics of those punks wouldn't surprise him. More
(2019-01-25). 'You're Going to Let Me Die From This': Prisoners Fight to Access a Hepatitis-C Cure. thenation.com 'You're Going to Let Me Die From This': Prisoners Fight to Access a Hepatitis-C Cure…
(2019-01-25). Weekend Read: 'I'm going to be paying it down until I die.'. splcenter.org The women incarcerated in Corinth, Mississippi, have a phrase for it: "sitting it out." We have another name for it: "debtors' prison."
(2019-01-25). My Time as an NAACP LAW Fellow. naacp.org I applied for the NAACP's law fellows program because of the organization's legacy in protecting the rights of people of color and in doing so the rights of all people. Law school has allowed me to more fully contextualize the history of race in the United States, and I recognized the crucial role the NAACP has played […]
(2019-01-25). South Dakota Rejects Restrictions on Trans Athletes. hrw.org 
| | Rainbow flags for sale are photographed on June 24, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters | South Dakota lawmakers have rejected a bill which would have barred transgender students from participating in athletics consistent with their gender identity. | The ACLU and other organizations spoke out against the bill, with the South Dakota High School Activities Association, the Association of School Boards in South Dakota, the South Dakota Education Associa…
(2019-01-25). Egypt's LGBT Crackdown Expands to Stifle Journalists. hrw.org 
| | Screenshot of an August 2018 television segment in which Egyptian anchor Mohamed Al-Ghaity interviewed an unidentified gay guest. Al-Ghaity was sentenced to one year in prison for the interview in January 2019. | © 2018 LTC TV/YouTube | An Egyptian television anchor was unexpectedly sentenced to one year in prison for interviewing a gay man on TV last week. The conviction of Mohamed Al-Ghaity,…
(2019-01-25). Saudi Arabia: Access for independent monitors urgently needed amid more reports of torture of activists. amnesty.org Amnesty International has obtained new reports of torture and abuse inflicted on a group of Saudi Arabian human rights activists who have been in arbitrary detention since May 2018. These reports follow similar testimonies from November 2018 into the torture of a number of the activists, and highlight the urgent need to allow independent monitors access to those in detention, the organization said today. | According to the testimonies, a total of ten human rights defenders were tortured, sexually abused, and subjected to other forms of ill-treatment during their first three months of detention, when they were hel…
(2019-01-25). Zimbabwe: Security forces must be held accountable for the brutal assault on human rights. amnesty.org The Zimbabwean authorities must act swiftly to ensure security forces are held to account for ongoing brutal human rights violations, including torture, rape, beatings and killings of civilians, Amnesty International said today as the crackdown continues against last week's 'stay-away'. | | Dozens o…
(2019-01-24). Arizona Provides Me Unequal Healthcare Because I'm Transgender. aclu.org I'm part of a class-action lawsuit to ensure that the state of Arizona includes transition-related health care in its insurance coverage. | I'm a professor of family studies and human development at the University of Arizona, and I have dedicated my career to studying how discrimination impacts LGBTQ adolescents. I'm also transgender, and I know from experience that growing up is different — and still much more difficult — for LGBTQ youth. So it came as a disappointment when I learned that the state university where I work does not cover transition-related healthcare for its employees or their depende…
(2019-01-24). A Disturbing Number of Missouri Towns Evict Residents for Calling the Police. aclu.org The ACLU is urging towns across Missouri to repeal unjust 'nuisance ordinances.' | Over the last few decades in towns and cities across America, local authorities have passed laws that punish people for calling 911 with steep fines and eviction, even when they are seeking police protection. Known as nuisance ordinances, these laws present victims of crime with an impossible choice. As a domestic violence survivor in St. Louis put it: "If I…
(2019-01-24). A Trans Woman Was Charged With 'False Personation' for Giving the NYPD Her Real Name. aclu.org 
While in custody, officers cuffed Linda Dominguez to her cell using pink handcuffs and repeatedly called her by her old first name. | On her way home from the bus stop on a spring night in the Bronx last year, Linda Dominguez cut across a park because it was the most direct route to her apartment. Even though others leaving the bus were also crossing the park, three officers from the New York City Police Department singled out and arrested Linda, a Latina transgender woman, and took her to the precinct. | Linda, who doesn't speak English, had no idea why the police had stopped her or what they were arresting her…
(2019-01-24). My NAACP Law Fellowship. naacp.org I thoroughly enjoyed my 1L summer at the NAACP and I cannot speak highly enough about my experience there. I decided to go to law school because I wanted to learn how to address the ways systemic issues such as housing discrimination and mass incarceration adversely affect the African American community. Working for the NAACP […]
(2019-01-24). Lawyer Wolfgang Kaleck: Bush, Rumsfeld & Cheney Are a Troika of Tyranny & Should Be in Prison. democracynow.org 
As Venezuela faces an attempted coup supported by the U.S., Brazil and the European Union, we speak with human rights attorney Wolfgang Kaleck. In November, John Bolton accused Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua of being part of a "troika of tyranny." Kaleck says the real "troika of tyranny" is George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, who should be in prison for war crimes. Kaleck is a human rights attorney who for decades has been at the forefront of the legal fight to hold powerful actors and governments around the world accountable for human rights abuses. His new book, titled "Law Versus Power: Our Global…
(2019-01-24). 3 Members of a Kansas Militia Once Plotted To Bomb a Mosque, Now Are Going to Prison. splcenter.org Three members of a militia group known as "the Crusaders" were sentenced Friday to a total of 81 years in prison for plotting to bomb Somali and Muslim communities in Kansas.
(2019-01-24). Five Years After Ferguson, St. Louis County's New Prosecutor Confronts a Racist Criminal Justice System. theintercept.com 
The 2014 police killing of Michael Brown inspired a nationwide movement to elect progressive prosecutors. Now, Wesley Bell will try to reform St. Louis.
(2019-01-24). Decades of Financial Deregulation & Racist Housing Policy Brought Us 2007 Meltdown, with More to Come (Pt 1/3). therealnews.com 
Carter, Reagan, Clinton, the Bushes, Obama, and now Trump deregulated Wall Street and did nothing to help Black and Brown homeowners in America. White collar criminologist Bill Black discusses the social structure of mortgage discrimination. Part 1: The History
(2019-01-24). Decades of Financial Deregulation & Racist Housing Policy Brought Us 2007 Meltdown, with More to Come (Pt 2/3). therealnews.com 
Carter, Reagan, Clinton, the Bushes, Obama, and now Trump deregulated Wall Street and did nothing to help Black and Brown homeowners in America. White collar criminologist Bill Black discusses the social structure of mortgage discrimination. Part 2: The Effects
(2019-01-24). Iran: Prominent Labor Activist Rearrested. hrw.org 
(Beirut) — Iranian authorities on January 20, 2019 arrested two activists who had alleged that authorities tortured them in detention, Human Rights Watch said today. The arrests of Ismael Bakhshi, a prominent labor rights activist, and Sepideh Gholian, a journalist and labor rights activist, came the day after Iranian state television broadcast confessions that they said they were forced to make in detention. | | | Screen shot from Islamic Republic of Iran Broad…
(2019-01-24). Russian Federation: Human rights defender under house arrest: Anastasia Shevchenko. amnesty.org On 23 January, Anastasia Shevchenko, an Open Russia human rights defender from Rostov-on-Don, in southern Russia, was put under house arrest and may face up to six years in prison if convicted. This is the first time the Russian authorities have opened a criminal case under the repressive "undesirable organizations" law. It is a worrying precedent and could open the floodgates to the prosecution of hundreds of Open Russia members across the country. Anastasia Shevchenko is a prisoner of conscience. She must be immediately and unconditionally released.
(2019-01-24). China: Secret detention places writer at risk of torture. amnesty.org Responding to the Chinese authorities' confirmation that Australian-Chinese writer Yang Hengjun has been detained on suspicion of "endangering national security", Joshua Rosenzweig, East Asia Research Director at Amnesty International commented: | "The Chinese authorities have serious questions to answer over the detention of Yang Hengjun, but it could be months before we find out anything more about his condition or what they're accusing him of doing. | "If it's true that Yang is being held under 'residential surveillance in a designated location', then there is cause for serious concern over his wellbeing. Faci…
(2019-01-23). ACLU: Trump's Anti-Trans Ban Has No Military Justification, Is Driven by Animus & Discrimination. democracynow.org 
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court revived President Donald Trump's plan to ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court lifted two lower court rulings that had blocked the ban from going into effect on constitutional grounds. Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan dissented. A third injunction remains in place for now. We speak to Chase Strangio, staff attorney at the ACLU, which is challenging the Trump administration's ban on servicemembers who are transgender.
(2019-01-23). In Montana, the Practice of Suspending People's Licenses for Outstanding Court Debt Could Soon Be Over. aclu.org Lawmakers are considering a bill that would repeal a Montana policy that permits driver's licenses to be suspended for failure to pay court debt. | In more than 40 states across the country, state governments suspend people's driver's licenses for outstanding court debts, a practice that disproportionately harms low-income people. But if a Republican legislator has his way, this destructive and counterproductive policy may soon be null and void in Montana. | On Jan. 9, Rep. Casey Knudsen (R-Malta) introduced a bill
(2019-01-23). Angola Decriminalizes Same-Sex Conduct. hrw.org 
| | LGBT Rainbow Flag | © 2008 Ludovic Berton (Wikimedia Commons) | Angola has finally shed the divisive "vices against nature" provision in its law, widely interpreted to be a ban on homosexual conduct. | Taking things one step further, the government has also prohibited discrimination against people on the basis of sexual orientation. And so anyone refusing to employ or provide services to individuals based on their sexual o…
(2019-01-23). Baltimore Rejects Plan to Arm School Police During School Day. therealnews.com 
The Baltimore school board rejected the proposal amid heated debate. Meanwhile, we get a response to an ACLU and NAACP-LDF letter demanding Maryland adequately fund Baltimore schools
(2019-01-23). Indonesia: Ex-Governor's Blasphemy Sentence Ends. hrw.org 
| | Former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama is released from prison but Indonesia keeps its notorious blasphemy law. | ©2019 Toni Malakian/Human Rights Watch | (Jakarta) — The expected release of the former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama from a Jakarta prison on January 24, 2019 underscores Indonesia's dangerous and discriminatory blasp…
(2019-01-22). Uniting against racism. greenleft.org.au 
A collective of alt-right and neo-Nazi groups organised what they called a "political meeting" at St Kilda beach on January 5. It was done a week after the neo-Nazi Neil Erikson led a group of acolytes down to the same beach to harass and film African Australians in an attempt to incite violence. | Various hate-filled Facebook pages promoted the "meeting", including one described as "Rise Up Australia — Romper Stomper 2.0", a reference to a film about white supremacists in Footscray who attacked and violently assaulted Vietnamese Australians. | The event was not a "political meeting" nor was it ever intende…
(2019-01-21). MLK Day Special: Rediscovered 1964 King Speech on Civil Rights, Segregation & Apartheid South Africa. democracynow.org 
As the nation marks 90 years since the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we air a rediscovered speech he delivered on December 7, 1964, days before he received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. In a major address in London, King spoke about segregation, the fight for civil rights and his support for Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. The speech was recorded by Saul Bernstein, who was working as the European correspondent for Pacifica Radio. Bernstein's recording was rediscovered by Brian DeShazor, director of the Pacifica Radio Archives.
(2019-01-20). How to Spend MLK Day. naacp.org 
Tomorrow, our nation will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man whose dream of an America that was truly equal for all its people has inspired generations of people to fight to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice. From the Montgomery Bus Boycott to marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, […]
(2019-01-19). For the People Act. naacp.org The first legislation to be introduced in the 116th Congress is H.R. 1, the For the People Act. H.R. 1 is a comprehensive bill with provisions to protect and support eligible American citizens to cast a free and unfettered vote and for the American people to be sure their vote was counted. The For the […]
(2019-01-18). Oppose William Barr Nomination. naacp.org The United States Senate is considering the nomination of William P. Barr to be the next Attorney General of our United States in extraordinary times. The next Attorney General of our United States has the opportunity to reverse course and place the Justice Department back on track to fulfill its historic role in safeguarding our civil […]
(2019-01-18). NAACP to Participate in Women's March to Empower and Uplift Black Women Voices. naacp.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BALTIMORE (January 18, 2019) —NAACP is proud to support the Women's March and uplift the voices of all black women, and as such, Spelman NAACP Chapter President, Amari Fennoy, will speak at the Women's March in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, January 19. Fennoy will be speaking to ensure that the voice of […]
(2019-01-18). Spectre Unmasked: Racist 'Alt-Right' Podcaster Used To Be Local Reporter. splcenter.org A notorious white nationalist podcaster with a history of instigating harassment campaigns and threats of violence against reporters is in fact a journalist himself, Hatewatch has learned.
(2019-01-17). Campaign to free Aboriginal women jailed for unpaid fines. greenleft.org.au 
An online crowdfunding campaign set up to help Aboriginal women in Western Australia avoid jail for unpaid fines has raised $230,000 in its first four days and already settled the debts of 30 imprisoned women, with another 50 expected to be free in coming weeks. | The campaign is being organised by the Queensland-based Sisters Inside advocacy group. | In a statement calling for donations, Sisters Inside explained: "Western Australia refuses to change the laws where people who have no criminal convictions are imprisoned if they do not have the capacity to pay a fine. | "Single Aboriginal mothers make up the majori…
(2019-01-16). Imprisoned Neo-Nazi Leader Says His Hate Group Is a Religion, Court Says No. splcenter.org A federal appeals court has ruled that Matthew Hale's hate philosophy, Creativity, isn't a religion because it focuses almost exclusively on preserving the white race and lacks a coherent set of "ultimate ideas."