Daily Archives: 2019-03-18

2019-03-18: News Headlines

Ipek S. Burnett (2019-03-18). Black Lives on Trial. counterpunch.org March 18, 2018. Sacramento, California. Two police officers, Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet, respond to a 9-1-1 call about an individual breaking car windows. They track the suspect down. They see the suspect is holding a gun. Or a tool bar. They fire twenty rounds. | Seven bullets enter Stephon Clark's body from the back. One hits his chest. | Clark, a 22 year-old black man in his grandmother's backyard, falls to his death. | Turns out what he was holding was not a gun or a tool bar, but a cell phone. | Almost a year goes by. On March 2, 2019, Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert announce…

commondreams (2019-03-18). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the National Action Network Call on NY General Assembly To Tie NY Marijuana Legalization to Economic Equity Requirements. commondreams.org ______________________________…

teleSUR (2019-03-18). 'Bolsonaro is a Murderer' Signs Greet Brazilian President in US. telesurenglish.net The Brazilian far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was greeted with protests against him in the United States Sunday. He is visiting the country to meet the U.S. President Donald Trump Tuesday. | RELATED: | Brazil: Bolsonaro Lawmaker Requests 'Deleftification Ministry' | For the protestors, the meeting between the two leaders "will mean only bad things to the oppressed people in their countries," as "the sexism, racism, and homophobia that come from Trump is the same thing that come…

WSWS (2019-03-18). Two years since Indian court condemned autoworkers to life-in-prison in monstrous frame-up. wsws.org The Maruti Suzuki 13 are class war prisoners, who have already had to endure six and a half years in the nightmare that is India's penal system.

WSWS (2019-03-18). Millions of American youth attend schools with police but no support staff. wsws.org The "Cops and No Counselors" report released last week by the ACLU reveals the decay of American public schools and the growing militarization of society.

Shared by Jocelyn Dombroski (2019-03-18). Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Sentenced to 38 Years and 148 Lashes. therealnews.com Nasrin Sotoudeh defended political prisoners and worked to abolish Iran's death penalty. Human rights groups are worried her sentence could signal increased repression of peace activism in Iran under a judiciary with a history of human rights violations…

Robert Norse (2019-03-18). Back the Lawsuit! No Homeless Buldozing on April 17th ! indybay.org In front of City Council chambers at City Hall 809 Center St.

WSWS (2019-03-18). The guilty silence over the jailing of Chelsea Manning. wsws.org The jailing of Chelsea Manning has been met with silence in the establishment media, the "liberal" press, the "progressive" wing of the Democratic Party, and the middle-class pseudo-left.

Lee Siu Hin, Immigrant Solidarity Network (2019-03-18). Spring 2019 National Immigrant Solidarity Network News Alert! indybay.org Trump's Racist Immigrant Detention Camp: Child Sex Abuse, Lies, Chaos and Abuse…

WSWS (2019-03-18). Protesters speak out at UN Anti-Racist Day rally in London. wsws.org The United Nations Anti-Racism Day march was held just hours after fascist terrorists murdered 50 people at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch.

Bay Area Poor People's Campaign (2019-03-18). Poor People's Hearing Bay Area. Against Racism, Poverty, War Economy, Climate Change. indybay.org Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church, 1188 12th St. West Oakland…

Rachel M. Cohen (2019-03-18). A Federal Civil Rights Office Wants to Limit Access to Emotional-Support Animals That Can Help With Depression. theintercept.com Housing industry groups have been lobbying the Department of Housing and Urban Development to make it harder for tenants to have emotional-support animals.

Adam Lee (2019-03-17). We must override this veto! naacp.org On 2-26-2019, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of H. J. Res 46, a resolution to reject and nullify President Donald Trump's declaration of an emergency so he could shift as much as $6.7 billion of previously appropriated monies away from their intended recipients and used instead to build a wall along the …

Fight Back (2019-03-17). Frank Chapman condemns political repression against Rasmea Odeh. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Frank Chapman, Field Organizer of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | Rasmea Odeh, an historic figure in the Palestine national movement, is being threatened by German authorities with denial of her right to speak in Germany, as well as attempting to take away her visa. | The Chicago Alliance once again expresses our complete solidarity with our dear sister, Rasmea, and with her beloved Palestine. For a number of years, the Alliance and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network marched together to defend Rasmea from the p…

Tyler Durden (2019-03-17). New Zealand Threatens 10 Years In Prison For 'Possessing' Mosque Shooting Video. theantimedia.com (ZH) — New Zealand authorities have reminded citizens that they face up to 10 years in prison for "knowingly" possessing a copy of the New Zealand mosque shooting video — and up to 14 years in prison for sharing it. Corporations (such as web hosts) face an additional $200,000 ($137,000 US) fine under the same law. …

Shared by Anton Woronczuk (2019-03-17). Facing Wrongful Detention and Threats, Afro-Colombian Women Call for Justice. truthout.org "Sara y Tulia Libres!" ("Free Sara and Tulia!") declared a colorful butcher-paper sign. It was taped to the floor next to a ceremonial centerpiece composed of flowers, leaves, seeds and other natural elements surrounded by candles that burned throughout the day. | It was late February, and around 30 Afro-Colombian human rights defenders from around the country had gathered in the western Colombian city of Cali for a conference. They were taking stock of their efforts toward meaningful peace and security, and toward racial and gender justice in a country still experiencing violence despite being in a post-peace…

Murtaza Hussain (2019-03-17). Guantánamo Bay "Forever" Prisoner Speaks Out — to Praise Congress, Lindsey Graham, and Thomas Friedman. theintercept.com Considered for years an unrepentant militant, Ghassan al-Sharbi is locked up at Guantánamo Bay. He has never spoken to the media — until now.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-03-17). Trump Defends Fox Hosts' Racist Remarks As White House Dismisses Reports That President Inspired Christchurch Attacker. commondreams.org "This is a president who peddled the birther conspiracy about President Obama, called for a complete and total shutdown of Muslims…if that's not white nationalism then I don't know what is." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/26675172288_90a91465ca_o1.jpg

Zach Carlson (2019-03-15). Council approves ICE immigrant prison in central Illinois. peoplesworld.org DWIGHT, Ill.—Activists from the "No ICE Dwight" coalition rallied here on Monday, March 11, for the town council's vote on a $20 million private ICE detention facility. Proposed by the Immigrant Centers of America (ICA), construction of the facility was approved in February by the town's planning commission and then went to the full council …

ACLU (2019-03-15). ICE's 'Bait and Switch' Policies Tear Apart Families for Following the Rules. aclu.org Wanrong Lin went to his green card marriage interview and proved he was married to a U.S. citizen. ICE deported him anyway. | On Nov. 20, 2018, Wanrong Lin was stranded at an airport in Shanghai, China, almost 7,000 miles away from his wife, kids, and home in St. Mary's County, Maryland. He found himself wandering China — with no money, no cell phone, and no goodbyes exchanged — after Immigration and Customs Enforcement illegally arrested and deported him when he and his wife showed up for his "marriage interview." Alone back at home for weeks, Lin's wife, Hui Fang Dong, tended to their three children…

ACLU (2019-03-15). Keeping Civilian Drone Deaths Secret Keeps Them Going. aclu.org What's behind Trump's order reversing a transparency requirement to release information on civilian deaths? | This piece was originally published by The Washington Post. | In an executive order last week, President Trump ended a requirement for…

Rachel Johnson (2019-03-15). Dear Young Ardelia Walker… naacp.org As we continue to celebrate Women's History Month, we would like to share another "Letter To Our Younger Self". The NAACP will be sharing letters written by our regional Women In the NAACP (WIN) Coordinators to their younger self. Our second highlight comes from Ardelia Walker of Region 6. Dear Ardelia: I have several messages for …

Kristen Gelineau (2019-03-15). Self-declared fascist carries out racist terror attack in NZ mosques. peoplesworld.org SYDNEY (AP)—The gunman behind at least one of the mosque shootings in New Zealand that left 49 people dead on Friday tried to make a few things clear in the manifesto he left behind: He is a 28-year-old Australian white nationalist who hates immigrants. Though he claimed not to covet fame, the gunman—whose name was …

Janine Jackson (2019-03-15). Colleagues Defend Tucker Carlson's 'Ideas'—That Iraqis Are 'Monkeys,' Child Rape Is 'Commitment to Love'. fair.org David French's claim (National Review, 3/11/19) that no one was really offended by Tucker Carlson's defense of raping 12-year-olds, or his calling Iraqis "primitive monkeys," was <...

Consortiumnews (2019-03-15). Watch the 20th Vigil for Assange. consortiumnews.com With Chelsea Manning still in jail for refusing to testify about Julian Assange, who remains arbitrarily detained in London, the 20th webcast vigil for Assange took place on Friday. Among the guests were Australian broadcaster Mary Kostakidis, James Cogan of the… Read more →

Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet (2019-03-15). Tom Joyner to Receive Vanguard Award at 50th NAACP Image Awards. naacp.org PRESENTERS TO INCLUDE AMANDLA STENBERG, KERRY WASHINGTON, KIKI LAYNE, LENA WAITHE, LETITIA WRIGHT, THANDIE NEWTON, TREVOR NOAH AND MORE! LIVE TV Special to Air on TV One Saturday, March 30, 2019 Hosted by Anthony Anderson LOS ANGELES (March 14, 2019) — The NAACP today announced that mass media icon Tom Joyner will be honored with the Vanguard Award at the …

splcenter (2019-03-15). After New Zealand Shooting, Far-right, Racists Claim Victimhood, Hail Killer as Hero. splcenter.org Andrew Anglin found humor in the livestreamed video of a man in New Zealand storming into the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, then shooting and killing 49 people.

pip.hinman (2019-03-15). Australia pays Indonesia to detain refugees. greenleft.org.au Refugee Action Collective organised a forum on refugees in Indonesia on March 4. | Mozhgan Moaref, a co-founder of the Refugees and Asylum Seekers Information Centre in Jakarta, spoke by video link. She said some of the refugees are living in detention, others are in "community housing" provided by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), while yet others are homeless and living on the street. | Those living in community housing are subject to a curfew and some have protested about bad treatment, extortion and torture. Homeless refugees have held protests demanding housing. Some have even asked to be p…

pip.hinman (2019-03-15). Malaysian socialists warn of rise of racism. greenleft.org.au The Malaysian Socialist Party (PSM) contested the Semenyih by-election in the state seat of Selangor on March 2. Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Zakaria Hanafi defeated Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Muhammad Aiman Zainali. Green Left Weekly's Alex Salmon spoke to PSM's campaign media coordinator Nalini Elumalai about the campaign and result. | What is PSM's assessment of this result and its wider implication for Malaysian politics? | PSM accepts the fact that we have lost. Though painful, the outcome reflects the state of the country's political situation, where voters are still not ready to accept third force r…

RT (2019-03-15). Sandy Hook massacre: Court rules it's OK to sue gun maker. rt.com In a landmark ruling on Thursday, Connecticut's top court has given the go-ahead to a lawsuit by the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting, which blames the manufacturer of the AR-15 style rifle used in the massacre.

Aaron Ross Coleman (2019-03-14). How Black Lives Matter to the Green New Deal. thenation.com How Black Lives Matter to the Green New Deal…

ACLU (2019-03-14). Kentucky Just Banned Abortion. aclu.org Two new laws passed this week are part of coordinated effort to ban abortion nationwide. | The Kentucky Legislature passed two bills on this week, and unless a court blocks them, abortion will effectively be banned in the state. | One bill, passed on Thursday night, prohibits abortion after six weeks in pregnancy before most women even know that they are pregnant. The other, passed late Wednesday night, bans abortion if a woman is seeking it because of a fetal diagnosis. The ACLU is challenging both laws, asking a judge to block them immediately to ensure that the only abortion provider in Kentucky, EMW Women's S…

Democracy Now! (2019-03-14). Until We Reckon: Mass Incarceration, Violence & the Radical Possibilities of Restorative Justice. democracynow.org A staggering 2.2 million people are locked up in America's sprawling prison system, and more than half of those currently confined in state prisons have been convicted of violent crime. In order to radically reduce the prison population and transform criminal justice in this country, author and community organizer Danielle Sered argues that reformers must reckon with violent crime and come up with radically new ways to address it. She lays out a path for this transformation in her new unflinching book, "Until We Reckon." Sered has spent nearly a decade working directly with people that have committed violent acts…

Sarah Lahm (2019-03-14). Billionaire-Backed Lawsuit Against Teacher Tenure Fails in Minnesota. progressive.org Trump has proposed to slash funding for public education in his 2020 budget. In courts across the country, however, public schools are holding up in lawsuits brought by pro-charter interests.

Democracy Now! (2019-03-14). Headlines for March 14, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Orders Boeing 737 MAX Planes Grounded After Fatal Crashes, Senate Votes to End U.S. Support for Saudi-Led War on Yemen, Pompeo Defends Support for Saudi Arabia Amid Reports of Torture, Senate Poised to Block Trump's National Emergency Declaration, Former Trump Campaign Chair Sentenced to 43 More Months in Prison, U.N. Warns Arctic on Pace to Warm by 5 Degrees Celsius by 2050, Spanish Investigators Link CIA to Attack on North Korean Embassy, Brazil: Two Gunmen Kill 8, Reportedly Inspired by Columbine Massacre, Nigeria: Lagos Building Collapse Kills 10 and Traps Schoolchildren, British MPs Reject "No-Deal" Br…

pip.hinman (2019-03-14). 'Our feminism is anti-racist and internationalist'. greenleft.org.au Elections in Berlin in September 2016 returned a coalition government made up of the Social Democratic Party, the socialist Left Party and the Green Party. Early this year, the city declared International Women's Day (IWD) a public holiday. | Internationally, the call for a women's strike on IWD has been gathering momentum. In Berlin on March 8, an alliance of feminist organisations organised a Women's Fighting Day rally and march with the theme "celebrating, striking, keep on fighting". About 20,000 people attended. | Sibylle Kaczorek, a member of Socialist Alliance and the Left Party who is currently living in…

pip.hinman (2019-03-14). Chelsea Manning jailed again and not a squeak from the Democrats. greenleft.org.au Chelsea Manning, a transgender soldier who blew the whistle on US war crimes, and spent four years in an army stockade from 2013 as a result, is back in prison again. | This time it is because she refuses to join a bipartisan campaign against Wikileaks that seeks to bring its founder Julian Assange from his refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to the US to put him on trial and send him to prison. | In 2010, Manning leaked hundreds of thousands of documents about the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. She first tried to get mainstream media to publish them, to no avail, before turning to Wikileaks, which did p…

kathy_f (2019-03-14). NSW Not 4 Sale. greenleft.org.au Is anything really going to change in NSW on March 23? | Let's assume Glad the Impaler [NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian] gets up and we are subjected to another four years of the Coalition's neo-conservative brutality. | Everything that hasn't already been sold is then put up for sale, forgoing any pretence of morality or acting in the public good. Public assets segue into private property. | The entire state becomes a private entity, run purely for profit — even the prisons. | The public service is further eviscerated with the few remaining public assets given over to the multinational corporates and the sc…

ACLU (2019-03-13). It's High Time Congress Passed the Equality Act. aclu.org The legislation would expand federal civil rights protections to explicitly include LGBTQ people. | On Wednesday, the Equality Act — legislation that would provide LGBTQ people with explicit and comprehensive nondiscrimination protections — was introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives with the support of nearly 300 members of Congress. If passed, it would transform the civil rights landscape in the United States. | The harsh reality — despite increasing support among the public and representation in popular culture — is that discrimination remains a persistent problem for…

ACLU (2019-03-13). Press Freedom Groups Urge Court to Uphold Core First Amendment Protection in DNC-Russia Lawsuit. aclu.org The First Amendment protects Wikileaks from being sued over the release of the DNC's hacked emails. | In the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, the Democratic National Committee was hacked, and thousands of its emails and other private documents were stolen. Those documents were eventually released to the public through a website run by "Guccifer 2.0" (an online persona allegedly maintained by the Russian government) and through WikiLeaks. Early last year, the DNC sued those it believes are responsible for the hack, including the Trump campaign and Russian officials. | The DNC also sued WikiLeaks and Juli…

ACLU (2019-03-13). California Halts the Use of the Death Penalty. aclu.org Gov. Newsom's moratorium on the use of the fatally flawed death penalty is the latest victory for the repeal movement. | Gov. Gavin Newsom dealt a major blow to the nation's already anemic death penalty on Wednesday when he announced a moratorium on the practice in California. With 737 death row prisoners, the state has by far the nation's largest death row, dwarfing the next largest states, Florida with 353 and Texas with 232. The d…

ACLU (2019-03-13). Documents Reveal ICE Using Driver Location Data From Local Police for Deportations. aclu.org Records obtained in an ACLU lawsuit show how ICE is accessing billions of location data points from license plate scanners in over a dozen states. | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is using mass location surveillance to target immigrants. And local governments like Merced and Union City, California, are helping — feeding their residents' personal information to ICE, even when it violates local privacy laws or sanctuary policies. Today, the ACLU is urging an immediate end to this information sharing. | Records obtained by the ACLU of Norther…

Whitney Webb (2019-03-13). Israel's DNA Screening for 'Jewishness' Epitomizes the Discriminatory Spirit of the EthnoState. mintpressnews.com Perhaps these latest revelations on DNA testing will serve as a wake-up call to Israeli Jews of Soviet origin that the discrimination they are facing has its roots in the state-sanctioned discrimination against Israeli Arabs and Palestinians.

Joshua Cho (2019-03-13). 'What Is Terrorism?' NYT Asks—but Offers No Answers. fair.org The New York Times story ( 3/7/19) called the query in the headline a "fundamental question"—but never gave readers anyone's definition of "terrorism." | "What is terrorism, and who is a terrorist?" the New York Times ( 3/7/19) asked in a recent report on the hindering of peace negotiations between the United States government and the Taliban in Afghanistan—without suggesting any possible answers to these ques…

Aba Blankson (2019-03-13). NAACP Issues Letters to Congress Calling for Hearings on Domestic Terrorism and Government Surveillance of Black Activists. naacp.org Letters sent to chairs of House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees BALTIMORE (March 13, 2019)—Today, the nation's foremost civil rights organization issued letters addressed to the chairs of the House Committees on Homeland Security and the House Judiciary Committee to request hearings on the issues of domestic terrorism; and regarding the ways in which Black …

Aba Blankson (2019-03-12). NAACP LAWSUIT SUPPORTING PROTECTED STATUS FOR HAITIANS MOVES FORWARD FEDERAL COURT REFUSES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REQUEST TO DISMISS CASE. naacp.org BALTIMORE (March 12, 2019)—A federal court in Maryland today denied the government's attempt to block the NAACP's lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals residing in the United States since the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. "This is a win for Haitians, NAACP members and immigrants of color," …

Adam Lee (2019-03-12). NAACP-Opposed judicial nominee coming up this week. naacp.org President Trump has nominated Ms. Neomi Rao to serve as a judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Rao has an extraordinarily long record of hostility to the rights of people of color and other historically marginalized people. The NAACP is strongly opposed to this nomination, which may come before the full Senate for …

Fight Back (2019-03-12). International Women's Day in Tampa: Fight Trump's war on women. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – On March 10, over a dozen Tampa community, student and labor leaders gathered at Lykes Gaslight Park for a protest against President Donald Trump's anti-woman agenda. Since coming into office, Trump has led an all-out assault on women's rights, including defunding abortion services, erasing sections of Title IX that protect women from sexual assault and discrimination, and locking asylum-seeking women and children in cages in the southwestern United States. In the spirit of the women's marches that occurred in response to Trump's inauguration, protesters chanted "Pro-life is a lie, you don't care if p…

Aída Chávez (2019-03-12). Tucker Carlson on Rupert Murdoch in 2010 Radio Segment: "I'm 100 Percent His Bitch" theintercept.com "I only have, you know, American, white servants," Carlson said in 2009. "It's not because I'm racist, it's because I'm not. It's because I feel better beating them."

Aba Blankson (2019-03-11). NAACP 110th Convention Mobilizing in Detroit. naacp.org NAACP 110th Convention Mobilizing in Detroit Thousands Expected to Join in Setting NAACP 2020 Agenda Fighting Racism and Defending the Vote, Among Key Issues to be Discussed BALTIMORE (March 8, 2019) — The nation's foremost civil rights organization will kick off its 110th national convention on July 20-24, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. "In a country shaped by race relations, pollution and polarizing political struggles, Detroit stands out as the …

2019-03-18: Social Media Postees

Black Lives on Trial
Ipek S. Burnett | counterpunch.org | 2019-03-18
March 18, 2018. Sacramento, California. Two police officers, Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet, respond to a 9-1-1 call about an individual breaking car windows. They track the suspect down. They see the suspect is holding a gun. Or a tool bar. They fire twenty rounds. | Seven bullets enter Stephon Clark's body from the back. One hits his chest. | Clark, a 22 year-old black man in his grandmother's backyard, falls to his death. | Turns out what he was holding was not a gun or a tool bar, but a cell phone. | Almost a year goes by. On March 2, 2019, Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert announce…
counterpunch.org/2019/03/18/black-lives-on-trial/

Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the National Action Network Call on NY General Assembly To Tie NY Marijuana Legalization to Economic Equity Requirements
commondreams | commondreams.org | 2019-03-18
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/03/18/lawyers-committee-civil-rights-under-law-and-national-action-network-call-ny?cd-origin=rss

'Bolsonaro is a Murderer' Signs Greet Brazilian President in US
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-03-18
The Brazilian far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was greeted with protests against him in the United States Sunday. He is visiting the country to meet the U.S. President Donald Trump Tuesday. | RELATED: | Brazil: Bolsonaro Lawmaker Requests 'Deleftification Ministry' | For the protestors, the meeting between the two leaders "will mean only bad things to the oppressed people in their countries," as "the sexism, racism, and homophobia that come from Trump is the same thing that come…
telesurenglish.net/news/Bolsonaro-is-a-Murderer-Signs-Greet-Brazilian-President-in-US-20190318-0010.html

Spring 2019 National Immigrant Solidarity Network News Alert!
Lee Siu Hin, Immigrant Solidarity Network | indybay.org | 2019-03-18
Trump's Racist Immigrant Detention Camp: Child Sex Abuse, Lies, Chaos and Abuse…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/03/18/18822027.php

Poor People's Hearing Bay Area. Against Racism, Poverty, War Economy, Climate Change
Bay Area Poor People's Campaign | indybay.org | 2019-03-18
Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church, 1188 12th St. West Oakland…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/03/16/18821975.php

Two years since Indian court condemned autoworkers to life-in-prison in monstrous frame-up
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-03-18
The Maruti Suzuki 13 are class war prisoners, who have already had to endure six and a half years in the nightmare that is India's penal system.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/03/18/msse-m18.html

Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Sentenced to 38 Years and 148 Lashes
Shared by Jocelyn Dombroski | therealnews.com | 2019-03-18
Nasrin Sotoudeh defended political prisoners and worked to abolish Iran's death penalty. Human rights groups are worried her sentence could signal increased repression of peace activism in Iran under a judiciary with a history of human rights violations…
therealnews.com/stories/iranian-human-rights-lawyer-sentenced-to-38-years-and-148-lashes

Millions of American youth attend schools with police but no support staff
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-03-18
The "Cops and No Counselors" report released last week by the ACLU reveals the decay of American public schools and the growing militarization of society.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/03/18/poli-m18.html

Back the Lawsuit! No Homeless Buldozing on April 17th !
Robert Norse | indybay.org | 2019-03-18
In front of City Council chambers at City Hall 809 Center St.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/03/17/18822026.php

The guilty silence over the jailing of Chelsea Manning
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-03-18
The jailing of Chelsea Manning has been met with silence in the establishment media, the "liberal" press, the "progressive" wing of the Democratic Party, and the middle-class pseudo-left.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/03/18/mann-m18.html

Protesters speak out at UN Anti-Racist Day rally in London
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-03-18
The United Nations Anti-Racism Day march was held just hours after fascist terrorists murdered 50 people at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/03/18/raci-m18.html

A Federal Civil Rights Office Wants to Limit Access to Emotional-Support Animals That Can Help With Depression
Rachel M. Cohen | theintercept.com | 2019-03-18
Housing industry groups have been lobbying the Department of Housing and Urban Development to make it harder for tenants to have emotional-support animals.
theintercept.com/2019/03/18/hud-emotional-support-animal/

We must override this veto!
Adam Lee | naacp.org | 2019-03-17
On 2-26-2019, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of H. J. Res 46, a resolution to reject and nullify President Donald Trump's declaration of an emergency so he could shift as much as $6.7 billion of previously appropriated monies away from their intended recipients and used instead to build a wall along the …
naacp.org/latest/must-override-veto/

Frank Chapman condemns political repression against Rasmea Odeh
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-03-17
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Frank Chapman, Field Organizer of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | Rasmea Odeh, an historic figure in the Palestine national movement, is being threatened by German authorities with denial of her right to speak in Germany, as well as attempting to take away her visa. | The Chicago Alliance once again expresses our complete solidarity with our dear sister, Rasmea, and with her beloved Palestine. For a number of years, the Alliance and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network marched together to defend Rasmea from the p…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/3/17/frank-chapman-condemns-political-repression-against-rasmea-odeh

Guantánamo Bay "Forever" Prisoner Speaks Out — to Praise Congress, Lindsey Graham, and Thomas Friedman
Murtaza Hussain | theintercept.com | 2019-03-17
Considered for years an unrepentant militant, Ghassan al-Sharbi is locked up at Guantánamo Bay. He has never spoken to the media — until now.
theintercept.com/2019/03/17/guantanamo-bay-prisoners-al-sharbi/

Facing Wrongful Detention and Threats, Afro-Colombian Women Call for Justice
Shared by Anton Woronczuk | truthout.org | 2019-03-17
"Sara y Tulia Libres!" ("Free Sara and Tulia!") declared a colorful butcher-paper sign. It was taped to the floor next to a ceremonial centerpiece composed of flowers, leaves, seeds and other natural elements surrounded by candles that burned throughout the day. | It was late February, and around 30 Afro-Colombian human rights defenders from around the country had gathered in the western Colombian city of Cali for a conference. They were taking stock of their efforts toward meaningful peace and security, and toward racial and gender justice in a country still experiencing violence despite being in a post-peace…
truthout.org/articles/facing-wrongful-detention-and-threats-afro-colombian-women-call-for-justice/

New Zealand Threatens 10 Years In Prison For 'Possessing' Mosque Shooting Video
Tyler Durden | theantimedia.com | 2019-03-17
(ZH) — New Zealand authorities have reminded citizens that they face up to 10 years in prison for "knowingly" possessing a copy of the New Zealand mosque shooting video — and up to 14 years in prison for sharing it. Corporations (such as web hosts) face an additional $200,000 ($137,000 US) fine under the same law. …
theantimedia.com/new-zealand-threatens-mosque-shooting-video/

Trump Defends Fox Hosts' Racist Remarks As White House Dismisses Reports That President Inspired Christchurch Attacker
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-03-17
"This is a president who peddled the birther conspiracy about President Obama, called for a complete and total shutdown of Muslims…if that's not white nationalism then I don't know what is." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/26675172288_90a91465ca_o1.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/03/17/trump-defends-fox-hosts-racist-remarks-white-house-dismisses-reports-president?cd-origin=rss

Did Dallas Police and Local Media Collude to Cover Up Terrorist Threats against Journalist Barrett Brown?
Eric Draitser | counterpunch.org | 2019-03-15
Barrett Brown is an award-winning journalist and author who spent time in federal prison for work he did exposing various elements of the military-industrial complex, including publicizing the hacked emails of private intelligence company Stratfor. Since being released from prison, Brown has worked to establish the Pursuance Project, an initiative aimed at developing a new…
counterpunch.org/2019/03/15/did-dallas-police-and-local-media-collude-to-cover-up-terrorist-threats-against-journalist-barrett-brown/

Council approves ICE immigrant prison in central Illinois
Zach Carlson | peoplesworld.org | 2019-03-15
DWIGHT, Ill.–Activists from the "No ICE Dwight" coalition rallied here on Monday, March 11, for the town council's vote on a $20 million private ICE detention facility. Proposed by the Immigrant Centers of America (ICA), construction of the facility was approved in February by the town's planning commission and then went to the full council …
peoplesworld.org/article/council-approves-ice-immigrant-prison-in-central-illinois/

ICE's 'Bait and Switch' Policies Tear Apart Families for Following the Rules
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-03-15
Wanrong Lin went to his green card marriage interview and proved he was married to a U.S. citizen. ICE deported him anyway. | On Nov. 20, 2018, Wanrong Lin was stranded at an airport in Shanghai, China, almost 7,000 miles away from his wife, kids, and home in St. Mary's County, Maryland. He found himself wandering China — with no money, no cell phone, and no goodbyes exchanged — after Immigration and Customs Enforcement illegally arrested and deported him when he and his wife showed up for his "marriage interview." Alone back at home for weeks, Lin's wife, Hui Fang Dong, tended to their three children…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/deportation-and-due-process/ices-bait-and-switch-policies-tear-apart-families

Keeping Civilian Drone Deaths Secret Keeps Them Going
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-03-15
What's behind Trump's order reversing a transparency requirement to release information on civilian deaths? | This piece was originally published by The Washington Post. | In an executive order last week, President Trump ended a requirement for…
aclu.org/blog/national-security/targeted-killing/keeping-civilian-drone-deaths-secret-keeps-them-going

Watch the 20th Vigil for Assange
Consortiumnews | consortiumnews.com | 2019-03-15
With Chelsea Manning still in jail for refusing to testify about Julian Assange, who remains arbitrarily detained in London, the 20th webcast vigil for Assange took place on Friday. Among the guests were Australian broadcaster Mary Kostakidis, James Cogan of the… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2019/03/15/watch-the-20th-vigil-for-assange-here-live-at-4-pm-est/

Dear Young Ardelia Walker
Rachel Johnson | naacp.org | 2019-03-15
As we continue to celebrate Women's History Month, we would like to share another "Letter To Our Younger Self". The NAACP will be sharing letters written by our regional Women In the NAACP (WIN) Coordinators to their younger self. Our second highlight comes from Ardelia Walker of Region 6. Dear Ardelia: I have several messages for …
naacp.org/latest/dear-young-ardelia-walker/

Tom Joyner to Receive Vanguard Award at 50th NAACP Image Awards
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2019-03-15
PRESENTERS TO INCLUDE AMANDLA STENBERG, KERRY WASHINGTON, KIKI LAYNE, LENA WAITHE, LETITIA WRIGHT, THANDIE NEWTON, TREVOR NOAH AND MORE! LIVE TV Special to Air on TV One Saturday, March 30, 2019 Hosted by Anthony Anderson LOS ANGELES (March 14, 2019) — The NAACP today announced that mass media icon Tom Joyner will be honored with the Vanguard Award at the …
naacp.org/latest/tom-joyner-receive-vanguard-award-50th-naacp-image-awards/

Self-declared fascist carries out racist terror attack in NZ mosques
Kristen Gelineau | peoplesworld.org | 2019-03-15
SYDNEY (AP)–The gunman behind at least one of the mosque shootings in New Zealand that left 49 people dead on Friday tried to make a few things clear in the manifesto he left behind: He is a 28-year-old Australian white nationalist who hates immigrants. Though he claimed not to covet fame, the gunman–whose name was …
peoplesworld.org/article/self-declared-fascist-carries-out-racist-terror-attack-in-nz-mosques/

After New Zealand Shooting, Far-right, Racists Claim Victimhood, Hail Killer as Hero
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2019-03-15
Andrew Anglin found humor in the livestreamed video of a man in New Zealand storming into the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, then shooting and killing 49 people.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/03/15/after-new-zealand-shooting-far-right-racists-claim-victimhood-hail-killer-hero

Malaysian socialists warn of rise of racism
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-03-15
The Malaysian Socialist Party (PSM) contested the Semenyih by-election in the state seat of Selangor on March 2. Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Zakaria Hanafi defeated Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Muhammad Aiman Zainali. Green Left Weekly's Alex Salmon spoke to PSM's campaign media coordinator Nalini Elumalai about the campaign and result. | What is PSM's assessment of this result and its wider implication for Malaysian politics? | PSM accepts the fact that we have lost. Though painful, the outcome reflects the state of the country's political situation, where voters are still not ready to accept third force r…
greenleft.org.au/content/malaysian-socialists-warn-rise-racism

Australia pays Indonesia to detain refugees
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-03-15
Refugee Action Collective organised a forum on refugees in Indonesia on March 4. | Mozhgan Moaref, a co-founder of the Refugees and Asylum Seekers Information Centre in Jakarta, spoke by video link. She said some of the refugees are living in detention, others are in "community housing" provided by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), while yet others are homeless and living on the street. | Those living in community housing are subject to a curfew and some have protested about bad treatment, extortion and torture. Homeless refugees have held protests demanding housing. Some have even asked to be p…
greenleft.org.au/content/australia-pays-indonesia-detain-refugees

Sandy Hook massacre: Court rules it's OK to sue gun maker
RT | rt.com | 2019-03-15
In a landmark ruling on Thursday, Connecticut's top court has given the go-ahead to a lawsuit by the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting, which blames the manufacturer of the AR-15 style rifle used in the massacre. | …
rt.com/usa/453856-sandy-hook-lawsuit-manufacture/

How Black Lives Matter to the Green New Deal
Aaron Ross Coleman | thenation.com | 2019-03-14
How Black Lives Matter to the Green New Deal…
thenation.com/article/reparations-green-new-deal-aoc/

Kentucky Just Banned Abortion
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-03-14
Two new laws passed this week are part of coordinated effort to ban abortion nationwide. | The Kentucky Legislature passed two bills on this week, and unless a court blocks them, abortion will effectively be banned in the state. | One bill, passed on Thursday night, prohibits abortion after six weeks in pregnancy before most women even know that they are pregnant. The other, passed late Wednesday night, bans abortion if a woman is seeking it because of a fetal diagnosis. The ACLU is challenging both laws, asking a judge to block them immediately to ensure that the only abortion provider in Kentucky, EMW Women's S…
aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/abortion/kentucky-just-banned-abortion

Until We Reckon: Mass Incarceration, Violence & the Radical Possibilities of Restorative Justice
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-03-14
A staggering 2.2 million people are locked up in America's sprawling prison system, and more than half of those currently confined in state prisons have been convicted of violent crime. In order to radically reduce the prison population and transform criminal justice in this country, author and community organizer Danielle Sered argues that reformers must reckon with violent crime and come up with radically new ways to address it. She lays out a path for this transformation in her new unflinching book, "Until We Reckon." Sered has spent nearly a decade working directly with people that have committed violent acts…
www.democracynow.org/2019/3/14/until_we_reckon_mass_incarceration_violence

Billionaire-Backed Lawsuit Against Teacher Tenure Fails in Minnesota
Sarah Lahm | progressive.org | 2019-03-14
Trump has proposed to slash funding for public education in his 2020 budget. In courts across the country, however, public schools are holding up in lawsuits brought by pro-charter interests.
progressive.org/public-school-shakedown/billionaire-lawsuit-against-teacher-tenure-fails-lahm-190314/

Chelsea Manning jailed again and not a squeak from the Democrats
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-03-14
Chelsea Manning, a transgender soldier who blew the whistle on US war crimes, and spent four years in an army stockade from 2013 as a result, is back in prison again. | This time it is because she refuses to join a bipartisan campaign against Wikileaks that seeks to bring its founder Julian Assange from his refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to the US to put him on trial and send him to prison. | In 2010, Manning leaked hundreds of thousands of documents about the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. She first tried to get mainstream media to publish them, to no avail, before turning to Wikileaks, which did p…
greenleft.org.au/content/chelsea-manning-jailed-again-and-not-squeak-democrats

NSW Not 4 Sale
kathy_f | greenleft.org.au | 2019-03-14
Is anything really going to change in NSW on March 23? | Let's assume Glad the Impaler [NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian] gets up and we are subjected to another four years of the Coalition's neo-conservative brutality. | Everything that hasn't already been sold is then put up for sale, forgoing any pretence of morality or acting in the public good. Public assets segue into private property. | The entire state becomes a private entity, run purely for profit — even the prisons. | The public service is further eviscerated with the few remaining public assets given over to the multinational corporates and the sc…
greenleft.org.au/content/nsw-not-4-sale

'Our feminism is anti-racist and internationalist'
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-03-14
Elections in Berlin in September 2016 returned a coalition government made up of the Social Democratic Party, the socialist Left Party and the Green Party. Early this year, the city declared International Women's Day (IWD) a public holiday. | Internationally, the call for a women's strike on IWD has been gathering momentum. In Berlin on March 8, an alliance of feminist organisations organised a Women's Fighting Day rally and march with the theme "celebrating, striking, keep on fighting". About 20,000 people attended. | Sibylle Kaczorek, a member of Socialist Alliance and the Left Party who is currently living in…
greenleft.org.au/content/our-feminism-anti-racist-and-internationalist

It's High Time Congress Passed the Equality Act
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-03-13
The legislation would expand federal civil rights protections to explicitly include LGBTQ people. | On Wednesday, the Equality Act — legislation that would provide LGBTQ people with explicit and comprehensive nondiscrimination protections — was introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives with the support of nearly 300 members of Congress. If passed, it would transform the civil rights landscape in the United States. | The harsh reality — despite increasing support among the public and representation in popular culture — is that discrimination remains a persistent problem for…
aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/lgbt-nondiscrimination-protections/its-high-time-congress-passed-equality-act

California Halts the Use of the Death Penalty
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-03-13
Gov. Newsom's moratorium on the use of the fatally flawed death penalty is the latest victory for the repeal movement. | Gov. Gavin Newsom dealt a major blow to the nation's already anemic death penalty on Wednesday when he announced a moratorium on the practice in California. With 737 death row prisoners, the state has by far the nation's largest death row, dwarfing the next largest states, Florida with 353 and Texas with 232. The d…
aclu.org/blog/capital-punishment/california-halts-use-death-penalty

Documents Reveal ICE Using Driver Location Data From Local Police for Deportations
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-03-13
Records obtained in an ACLU lawsuit show how ICE is accessing billions of location data points from license plate scanners in over a dozen states. | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is using mass location surveillance to target immigrants. And local governments like Merced and Union City, California, are helping — feeding their residents' personal information to ICE, even when it violates local privacy laws or sanctuary policies. Today, the ACLU is urging an immediate end to this information sharing. | Records obtained by the ACLU of Norther…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/ice-and-border-patrol-abuses/documents-reveal-ice-using-driver-location-data

Press Freedom Groups Urge Court to Uphold Core First Amendment Protection in DNC-Russia Lawsuit
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-03-13
The First Amendment protects Wikileaks from being sued over the release of the DNC's hacked emails. | In the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, the Democratic National Committee was hacked, and thousands of its emails and other private documents were stolen. Those documents were eventually released to the public through a website run by "Guccifer 2.0" (an online persona allegedly maintained by the Russian government) and through WikiLeaks. Early last year, the DNC sued those it believes are responsible for the hack, including the Trump campaign and Russian officials. | The DNC also sued WikiLeaks and Juli…
aclu.org/blog/free-speech/freedom-press/press-freedom-groups-urge-court-uphold-core-first-amendment

Israel's DNA Screening for 'Jewishness' Epitomizes the Discriminatory Spirit of the EthnoState
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2019-03-13
Perhaps these latest revelations on DNA testing will serve as a wake-up call to Israeli Jews of Soviet origin that the discrimination they are facing has its roots in the state-sanctioned discrimination against Israeli Arabs and Palestinians.
mintpressnews.com/israel-dna-screening-for-jewishness-epitomizes-the-discriminatory-spirit-of-the-ethnostate/256216/

NAACP Issues Letters to Congress Calling for Hearings on Domestic Terrorism and Government Surveillance of Black Activists
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2019-03-13
Letters sent to chairs of House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees BALTIMORE (March 13, 2019)–Today, the nation's foremost civil rights organization issued letters addressed to the chairs of the House Committees on Homeland Security and the House Judiciary Committee to request hearings on the issues of domestic terrorism; and regarding the ways in which Black …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-issues-letters-congress-calling-hearings-domestic-terrorism-government-surveillance-black-activists/

NAACP-Opposed judicial nominee coming up this week
Adam Lee | naacp.org | 2019-03-12
President Trump has nominated Ms. Neomi Rao to serve as a judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Rao has an extraordinarily long record of hostility to the rights of people of color and other historically marginalized people. The NAACP is strongly opposed to this nomination, which may come before the full Senate for …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-opposed-judicial-nominee-coming-week/

NAACP LAWSUIT SUPPORTING PROTECTED STATUS FOR HAITIANS MOVES FORWARD FEDERAL COURT REFUSES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REQUEST TO DISMISS CASE
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2019-03-12
BALTIMORE (March 12, 2019)–A federal court in Maryland today denied the government's attempt to block the NAACP's lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals residing in the United States since the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. "This is a win for Haitians, NAACP members and immigrants of color," …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-lawsuit-supporting-protected-status-haitians-moves-forward-federal-court-refuses-trump-administration-request-dismiss-case/

International Women's Day in Tampa: Fight Trump's war on women
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-03-12
Tampa, FL – On March 10, over a dozen Tampa community, student and labor leaders gathered at Lykes Gaslight Park for a protest against President Donald Trump's anti-woman agenda. Since coming into office, Trump has led an all-out assault on women's rights, including defunding abortion services, erasing sections of Title IX that protect women from sexual assault and discrimination, and locking asylum-seeking women and children in cages in the southwestern United States. In the spirit of the women's marches that occurred in response to Trump's inauguration, protesters chanted "Pro-life is a lie, you don't care if p…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/3/12/international-women-s-day-tampa-fight-trump-s-war-women

Tucker Carlson on Rupert Murdoch in 2010 Radio Segment: "I'm 100 Percent His Bitch"
Aída Chávez | theintercept.com | 2019-03-12
"I only have, you know, American, white servants," Carlson said in 2009. "It's not because I'm racist, it's because I'm not. It's because I feel better beating them."
theintercept.com/2019/03/12/tucker-carlson-tapes-rupert-murdoch/

NAACP 110th Convention Mobilizing in Detroit
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2019-03-11
NAACP 110th Convention Mobilizing in Detroit Thousands Expected to Join in Setting NAACP 2020 Agenda Fighting Racism and Defending the Vote, Among Key Issues to be Discussed BALTIMORE (March 8, 2019) — The nation's foremost civil rights organization will kick off its 110th national convention on July 20-24, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. "In a country shaped by race relations, pollution and polarizing political struggles, Detroit stands out as the …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-110th-convention-mobilizing-detroit/

"I Know No One More Patriotic": Daniel Ellsberg Praises Chelsea Manning After She Is Jailed Again
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-03-11
U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning has been sent back to jail after refusing to answer questions before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange. Manning had been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors in Virginia's Eastern District to appear for questioning about her 2010 leak to WikiLeaks of hundreds of thousands of State Department and Pentagon documents about the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Manning was imprisoned from 2010 to 2017 for the leak. President Obama commuted her sentence before he left office. We speak with Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg about the s…
www.democracynow.org/2019/3/11/i_know_no_one_more_patriotic

Glenn Greenwald: Chelsea Manning's Refusal to Testify Against WikiLeaks Will Help Save Press Freedom
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-03-11
Chelsea Manning has been sent back to jail after refusing to answer questions before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange. Manning, a U.S. Army whistleblower, had been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors in Virginia's Eastern District to appear for questioning about her 2010 leak to WikiLeaks of hundreds of thousands of State Department and Pentagon documents about the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We speak with Glenn Greenwald, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the founding editors of The Intercept.
www.democracynow.org/2019/3/11/glenn_greenwald_chelsea_mannings_refusal_to