(2019-02-13). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to Deliver Closing Arguments in SFFA v. Harvard. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-02-13). In Prison, the Power's On, But There's No Accountability. counterpunch.org The power is back on at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and the street outside is relatively silent, but it shouldn't take a week without heat during a polar vortex and hour after hour of hands hammering on windows, to sound an alarm about conditions in federal lock up. The Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn More
(2019-02-13). New Hampshire Law Illegally Targets Young Voters Ahead of 2020 Primary. aclu.org The state wants students to face criminal penalties if they don't pay to change their out-of-state licenses after voting. | The New Hampshire 2020 primary is still almost a year away, but state legislators are already working to disenfranchise voters. HB 1264, a law set to go into effect in July 2019, will change the definition of what it means to be a "resident" of New Hampshire, forcing people with out-of-state driver's licenses or car registrations to switch to the state versions if they register to vote. | While it may sound like an archaic DMV issue, it's actually a burden on the right to vote. In New Hamps…
(2019-02-13). Georgia Republican, Rep. Ferguson, proudly displays pro-slavery material in D.C. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON — This week, while members of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) were in D.C. for the union's 2019 Legislative & Grassroots Mobilization Conference and Capitol Hill visits, several members were stunned to see a racist book open and on display in the Longworth office of Rep. Drew Ferguson of Georgia. "As a …
(2019-02-13). War on Drugs Failed Even with 'El Chapo' Facing Prison for Life. telesurenglish.net Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman may end up with a life sentence after a U.S. jury found him guilty of running a criminal enterprise but it looks like business as usual for cartels, hinting to the failure of years of the U.S.-led militarized approach known as the "war on drugs." | RELATED: | Mexico a 'Huge Clandestine Grave,' Says Gov't on Disappearances | Guzman, 61, was found guilty on all 10 charges in federal court in New York after an 11-week trial that revealed…
(2019-02-13). Finally One of Trump's Racist Dog-Whistles May Come Back to Bite Him. counterpunch.org As a study in contrasts, it will be educational to watch the Democratic contenders in next year's primary debates. Unlike the 2016 Republican debates in which Donald Trump insulted, intimidated and lied his way to the GOP nomination while making up degrading nicknames for his various opponents, I strongly suspect U.S. senators Kamala Harris, Cory More
(2019-02-13). Incarcerated Immigrants Are Being Tortured. truthout.org In El Paso, Texas, not far from where President Trump delivered a speech riddled with falsehoods and jingoism at a pro-wall rally on Tuesday, at least nine Sikh men reportedly fleeing persecution in India have been on hunger strike in an immigration jail known for weeks. | The asylum seekers are protesting their detention and the conditions of the jail, and Immigration and Customs Enfo…
(2019-02-13). Trump pushes for more anti-immigrant concessions from the Democrats. wsws.org The government funding agreement represents a capitulation by the Democrats to Trump's demand for a border wall and his mass detention of undocumented immigrants.
(2019-02-13). China: Prisoner of conscience ill-treated in prison: Lee Ming-che. amnesty.org Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che has been given rotten food and insufficient clothing in his freezing prison cell. As a result of exposing these prison conditions, his wife is not allowed to visit him again until 22 April 2019. Sentenced in 2017 to five years' imprisonment for "subverting state power", Lee Ming-che is a prisoner of conscience and should be immediately and unconditionally released.
(2019-02-13). Venezuela's Maduro Denounces Warmongering by 'White Supremacist' Trump and His 'Gang of Extremists' Promoting Fascism Worldwide. commondreams.org Calling President Donald Trump a person who is "publicly and openly" a white supremacist and accusing the current U.S. government of being run by a racist "gang of extremists," Venezuelan President Nicol√°s Maduro called on the people and leaders of the world to speak out against foreign intervention and instead back efforts for the nation to solve its problems peacefully from within. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-02-13_at_9.49.02_am.png…
(2019-02-13). Egypt steps up executions as six people put to death within two weeks. amnesty.org Egyptian authorities today hanged three prisoners convicted of killing a police officer during clashes that erupted in the weeks following the deadly Rabaa massacre. The executions brought the total number of executions in Egypt to six within a span of two weeks. | Responding to the news, Amnesty International's North Africa Campaigns Director Najia Bounaim said: | "These executions, which come just days after three other people were put to death in separate cases, mark an alarming escalation in executions so far this year. | "The death pe…
(2019-02-12). 'Policing For Profit' Is Alive and Well in South Carolina. aclu.org An investigative series finds that police have amassed millions through civil asset forfeiture, mostly affecting the poor and people of color. | In Conway, South Carolina, a 72-year-old widow hides inside, her curtains drawn, fearing that local law enforcement will attempt to take away her home for a third time. Ella Bromell has never been convicted of a crime. So how has her house been at risk of seizure for over a decade? | The answer is simple, but the process is obscure, discriminatory, and all-too commonplace: civil asset forfeiture. | Civil asset forfeiture grants law enforcement officers the authority to t…
(2019-02-12). SPLC responds to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey's prison construction plan. splcenter.org Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced today that her administration will seek bids for building three regional prisons for men, at an estimated cost of nearly $1 billion — part of a larger effort to address the state's dangerous and overcrowded prison system…
(2019-02-12). Notorious Drug Lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Convicted. truthdig.com NEW YORK—Mexico's most notorious drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, was convicted Tuesday of running an industrial-scale smuggling operation after a three-month trial packed with Hollywood-style tales of grisly killings, political payoffs, cocaine hidden in jalapeno cans, jewel-encrusted guns and a naked escape with his mistress through a tunnel. | Guzman faced a drumbeat of drug-trafficking and conspiracy convictions that could put the 61-year-old escape artist behind bars for decades in a maximum-security U.S. prison selected to thwart another one of the breakouts that made him a folk hero in his nativ…
(2019-02-12). Aussie PM Suffers Historic Defeat Over Health Refugees Bill. telesurenglish.net Australia's conservative minority government suffered a damaging political defeat Tuesday, becoming the first administration in nearly a century to lose a vote on major legislation and sparking calls for a snap election. | RELATED: | Australian Senator Bills Taxpayers to Attend 'Racist' Rally | It is the first time in decades that an Australian government has lost a vote on a substantive piece of legislation, sparking applause and cheers from observers in the parliamentary viewing…
(2019-02-12). In Venezuela, White Supremacy Is a Key Driver of the Coup. venezuelanalysis.com Greg Palast examines the relationship between racism and right-wing politics in the Latin American nation.
(2019-02-12). Feminist sues Twitter after getting banned for saying 'men aren't women'. rt.com 
Canadian feminist writer Meghan Murphy is taking Twitter to court over its policy on transgender-related speech after she was booted from the platform for questioning the prevailing gender dogma.
(2019-02-12). Mexican drug cartel leader El Chapo found guilty, faces life in prison. rt.com 
Joaquin Guzman, the notorious Mexican drug cartel boss known under nickname 'El Chapo' is to face life in jail after a US court found him guilty on all charges in a high-profile narcotics trial.
(2019-02-12). (Another) Mockery of Justice in Russia. hrw.org 
Oyub Titiev, a Chechen human rights activist, has been behind bars for more than 13 months on bogus drug charges and his trial is now drawing to a close. Today, the defense filed its last motion, and the judge declined it — just as she has declined all other defense motions. | | | Oyub Titiev at the Shali court in Chechnya, February 12, 2019. | © 2019 Tanya Lokshina/Human Rights Watch | When Oyub's trial began last summer, we had little, if any, expectations for a fair hearing. A man jailed by Chechen authorities in…
(2019-02-11). Why Trump Won't Get the Black Vote. progressive.org By failing to address issues such as housing, maternal mortality, and mass incarceration, Trump will continue to marginalize black constituents.
(2019-02-11). The Supreme Court Is Playing Favorites With Religion. aclu.org The court's recent decisions threaten religious neutrality — the "clearest command" of the Establishment Clause. | Last week, the Supreme Court permitted the state of Alabama to execute a Muslim man, Domineque Ray, without his religious advisor present. The court's 5-4 decision reversed an emergency lower-court order that had temporarily delayed the execution because of grave concerns that Alabama's pr…
(2019-02-11). Fact-Checking Common Myths on Transition-Related Care for Trans People. aclu.org 
Transition-related care is medically necessary for many transgender people, yet insurance companies continue to deny coverage for these treatments. | Dashir Moore, a transgender man from Georgia, wanted a fresh start in life. So at the age of 31, he packed up and moved to Colorado, a state that offered both a great lifestyle and trans healthcare. He hoped he could finally be himself. | Things went well at first. Almost immediately after Dashir arrived in Colorado, he was able to update the gender marker on his driver's license. He got a job as a customer service rep. | Then he scheduled chest surgery. No strang…
(2019-02-11). Judge: Alabama's prison system violates Eighth Amendment, "deliberately indifferent" to mental health of people in solitary confinement. splcenter.org In another stunning rebuke of Alabama's prison system, a federal judge ruled today that the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) violated the Eighth Amendment and that it was "deliberately indifferent" in its failure to adequately monitor the mental health of incarcerated people in solitary confinement.
(2019-02-11). Headlines for February 11, 2019. democracynow.org Shutdown Talks Stall as Friday Deadline Looms, Virginia: Gov. Northam Refuses to Step Down Amid Racism Crisis, Second Woman Accuses Virginia Lt. Gov. Fairfax of Rape, Venezuela: U.S. and Russia Dig In at U.N. with Rival Resolutions, Venezuela: Standoff over Aid Pits Military Against Guaidó Supporters, Rio: At Least 13 Dead in Shootout, Haiti: At Least 2 Killed in Anti-Government Protests, Gaza: Israeli Forces Kill 2 Teenage Protesters, Acting Pentagon Chief: No Orders to Withdraw U.S. Troops from Afghanistan, AMI, Saudi Official Respond After Bezos Accuses Nat'l Enquirer of Blackmail, Denver Public School Teacher…
(2019-02-11). Cubs Ownership Has a Racism Problem. thenation.com Cubs Ownership Has a Racism Problem…
(2019-02-11). ICE Detainees on Hunger Strike Being Force-Fed Like Those at Guantánamo. consortiumnews.com Organizations ranging from the ACLU to Human Rights Watch condemn the practice as "inherently cruel, inhuman, and degrading," writes A. Naomi Paik. Protesters depicting detainees of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) By A. Naomi… Read more →
(2019-02-11). Rape Victim Who Smuggled DNA Evidence Out of Rikers Wins Settlement. theintercept.com 
A woman raped by Rikers guards has settled a lawsuit against New York City, which she accused of "deliberate indifference" to sexual abuse at the jail.
(2019-02-11). Racism or just an ugly shoe? Katy Perry's new 'blackface' footwear sparks outrage. rt.com 
Retailers have been removing Katy Perry's new sandals and loafers, designed to resemble a human face, after their 'black' version got slammed for being racially insensitive. The news has received a mixed response on Twitter.
(2019-02-10). Author Chris Wilson Unveils his Master Plan with New Book. therealnews.com 
Chris Wilson, convicted as an adult at 17 and sentenced to life in prison without parole, tells his harrowing story in his new book, The Master Plan. The book details him turning his life around in prison, including teaching himself 5 languages and helping other youth offenders re-enter society.
(2019-02-09). Why the Justice Department Can't Be Trusted to Investigate Abysmal Conditions in Federal Prisons. theintercept.com 
"This recent crisis at MDC has brought new attention to an old reality. What has taken place at MDC is not exceptional."
(2019-02-09). Victim Lands Behind Bars in Tunisia. hrw.org 
| Correction/Clarification: Contrary to what Human Rights Watch reported, the authorities arrested and prosecuted the alleged assailants along with A.F., the complainant. The court sentenced all three on February 11 to six months in prison for "sodomy" under article 230 of the penal code. It also sentenced the alleged assailants to an additional two months for robbery and violence. According to one defense lawyer, A.F. retracted his allegation of rape, both during his interrogation at the police station and during his appearance before the judge. He also denied having…
(2019-02-08). It's Not Just Ralph Northam—Anti-Blackness is 'Vintage Americana'. progressive.org It's Black Lives Matter at School Week, but black children in continue to suffer because America isn't ready to confront its anti-blackness.
(2019-02-08). New Bill Limits When California Police Can Use Deadly Force. aclu.org State legislators must pass legislation to stem California's wider epidemic of police violence and to specifically protect communities of color. | As a nation, we must address the brutal reality and deadly consequences of police violence. We have seen far too many people, particularly Black and brown people, killed by police. We have seen too many families and communities shattered by loss and tragedy. Enough is enough. We must limit when police officers can use deadly force and take someone's life. | Current laws in California fail to protect against unnecessary killings by police officers. Officers here —…
(2019-02-08). In Alabama, a Muslim Man Was Denied the Presence of His Imam During His Execution. aclu.org The Supreme Court's ruling to move forward with Domineque Ray's execution violates the Establishment Clause's principle of religious neutrality. | Domineque Ray was pronounced dead last night at 10: 12 p.m. Thirty minutes prior, his execution by lethal injection began. | His last words were a proclamation of his Muslim faith in Arabic. But Ray's imam was missing from the room, despite Ray's repeated requests to the state for his imam's presence. In the days leading up to his death, Ray w…
(2019-02-08). Headlines for February 8, 2019. democracynow.org Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Louisiana Abortion Law, Green New Deal: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez & Sen. Markey Introduce Landmark Resolution, U.S. Spy Agencies: Saudi Crown Prince Said He Would Go After Khashoggi "With a Bullet", Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of "Extortion and Blackmail", Report: U.S.-Based Plane Caught Bringing Arms into Venezuela, U.S. Special Envoy Elliott Abrams Rules Out Negotiations with Maduro, Senate Judiciary Committee Narrowly Backs William Barr to Become Attorney General, Acting AG Matthew Whitaker to Testify on Capitol Hill, Arizona Prisoner Dies Weeks After Warning "I Am…
(2019-02-08). League of the South Member Tyler Davis Takes Plea for Beating Man After 'Unite the Right'. splcenter.org A member of the neo-Confederate group League of the South has taken a plea for his role in the beating of DeAndre Harris in the hours after the racist "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
(2019-02-08). Final Senate vote on NAACP-opposed US Attorney General nominee William Barr may be as soon as 2/12/19. naacp.org On February 7, 2019, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted, by a margin of 12 yeas to 10 nays and along straight party lines, to send the nomination of William P. Barr to the floor of the full Senate with a positive recommendation for consideration. We now need to contact the entire Senate and urge that […]
(2019-02-08). Rising Star Matt Gaetz Represents Everything That's Wrong With Trump's Republican Party. theintercept.com 
The Florida congressperson tried to expel a grieving father from a hearing on gun violence, and he has voiced racist ideas and conspiracy theories.
(2019-02-08). Indonesia: Free Three Papuan Activists. hrw.org 
| | Yanto Awerkion (far left) detained in the Timika police station in September 2017 for his role in organizing a petition calling on the UN to organize a referendum in Papua. | (Jakarta) — Indonesian authorities should release and drop treason charges against three Papuan activists for peaceful advocacy in the Papua mining town of Timika, Human Rights Watch said today. The Indonesian government is currently imprisoning at least nine people…
(2019-02-08). Kurdish activist: 'I'm on hunger strike for freedom'. greenleft.org.au 
Leyla Guven, a member of Turkey's parliament for the left-wing, Kurdish-led People's Democratic party (HDP), launched an indefinite hunger strike on November 7 from Amed Prison, where she was held jailed by Turkey's regime. Her demand is for an end to the isolation of jailed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan. | Jailed by Turkey since 1999, Ocalan is the recognised leader of the Kurdish liberation movement. Since 2011, his lawyers have been unable to met with him. | Guven's hunger strike, which entered its 81st day on February 6, has sparked protests by Kurdish communities and their supporters…
(2019-02-08). Bangladesh Opposition Leader Zia in Prison a Year. hrw.org 
| | Bangladesh's former prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia, center, leaves after a court appearance in Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 28, 2017. | © 2017 AP Photo/A.M. Ahad, File | One year ago, Khaleda Zia, the leader of Bangladesh's main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sent to prison. Zia was convicted ahead of the December 2018 elections when the courts acted on longstanding cases against her. | While Human Rights Watch takes no position on the underlying merits of the ca…
(2019-02-07). The South Dakota Legislature's Transphobia. aclu.org Members of the legislature have renewed their attack on transgender students with three separate bills targeting their civil rights. | After a short-lived victory in January, transgender students in South Dakota are once again being targeted with legislation that would put them at greater risk and, at the same time, cause serious damage to the state's reputation and economy. | On Jan. 24, lawmakers in the state Senate scuttled a bill requiring transgen…
(2019-02-07). Anti-LGBT Groups Launch Movement Against Federal Equality Act. splcenter.org Anti-LGBT hate group leaders and activists recently launched a new project, the #Gone2Far movement (GTFM), to oppose H.R. 2282, the federal Equality Act, which seeks to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include protections for the categories of a person's sex, sexual orientation and gender identity.
(2019-02-07). Pennsylvania Can't Be a Model for Reform if We Undermine People's Rights. aclu.org Members of the state's General Assembly should deny ballot access to a "victims' rights" constitutional amendment that threatens due process. | Elected officials and corrections administrators in Pennsylvania have been doing a bit of a victory lap after the recent announcement that our state prison population dropped by 1,000 people in 2018. On the heels of the passage of the Clean Slate Act — a new law to automatically seal some people's criminal records from public view — some ha…
(2019-02-07). Lawsuit Dismissed Against American Studies Association Over Israel Boycott. bdsmovement.net 
Lawsuit Dismissed Against American Studies Association Over Israel Boycott: In the NewsUS federal judge dismisses lawsuit seeking to deter academic associations from adopting boycotts for Palestinian rights. | Academic Boycott Right To BoycottFebruary 5, 2019 | By: | | Palestine Legal
(2019-02-07). Political Scientist: Blackface Is a National Problem & Virginia's Top Officials Must Step Down. democracynow.org 
A reckoning about racism and sexual assault has left Virginia's government in disarray, with the state's top three elected officials—all Democrats—facing political crises that threaten to upend their careers and the state's leadership. The controversy that has enveloped Virginia since Governor Ralph Northam admitted last week to wearing blackface took a shocking turn Wednesday, when Attorney General Mark Herring also admitted to wearing blackface at a college party. Just days prior, Herring—who is second in line for Virginia's governorship—had called for Governor Northam to resign. The fir…
(2019-02-07). Spanish state vs Catalonia: putting a political trial on trial. greenleft.org.au 
On February 12, the trial of 12 Catalan politicians and social movement leaders involved in the October 1, 2017 independence referendum is set to begin in the Spanish Supreme Court. | The leaders face sanctions as harsh as 25 year's jail for their alleged offences — rebellion, sedition and embezzlement of public funds. | It is the first of three trials. Other defendants, including former police chief, José Lluís Trapero, will face the National High Court. Those members of the Catalan parliament who allowed discussion and voting on the referendum enabling law will face the High Court of Justice of Catalonia…
(2019-02-07). Support grows to free Hakeem Al-Araibi. greenleft.org.au 
The campaign to stop the refoulment of refugee Hakeem al-Araibi from Thailand to Bahrain is growing, with many football authorities taking a stand. | Sports stars, trade unionists, the Bahraini community, human rights organisations and politicians gathered in Melbourne and Sydney on February 1 to demand that Araibi be freed from a Thai prison. | Meanwhile, the Bahraini government has formally lodged a request to extradite Araibi from Thailand to Bahrain to face trumped up charges. If this happens, his life will be in danger. | Araibi is a semi-professional footballer and former member of the Bahraini national foo…
(2019-02-06). NYT Reports on 'Perception' of Subway Danger—but Can't Perceive Racism. fair.org 
As is usually the case, the answer to the headline's question (New York Times, 2/4/19) is "no." | In recent months, most of the media coverage of New York's subway system has been focused on the staggering cost to keep it in good working order and whether there's a better way to run city transit.
(2019-02-06). This Lawsuit Hopes To Stop Identity Evropa's Founder From Hiding Behind Bankruptcy. splcenter.org A group of Charlottesville, Virginia, residents is asking a federal judge to block white nationalist and founder of Identity Evropa Nathan Damigo from protecting his assets by filing for bankruptcy.