(2019-04-17). To Ola Bini, a Political Prisoner Caught Up in the Assange Debacle. counterpunch.org 
Dear Ola, The last time we had a long conversation, it was about the night. We were at a hotel in South America, where the ambient noise near your room was fairly loud. By ambient noise, I mean music. There was a band playing, a bar in motion, people happy for the evening. You said More
(2019-04-17). Opening Tombs and Resurrecting Lives. counterpunch.org Easter is about opening tombs and resurrecting lives. Today's tombs include the Trump administration's walls and bans and lies that confine people, threaten their safety, and block their aspirations and fulfillment. Thus, in this life, Easter is celebrated whenever people, fleeing such oppression, are offered the safety of sanctuary. Here, people of faith not only More
(2019-04-17). Deposed Sudanese President Transferred to New Prison. telesurenglish.net The deposed President of Sudan Omar Al-Bashir was transferred to a new prison in the capital city of Khartoum Wednesday, the AFP News Agency reported. | RELATED: | African Union Presses Sudan's Army to Transfer Power in 15 Days | Al-Bashir was reportedly transferred to the notorious Kober Prison, which is a maximum security prison that was once used by the deposed president to detain and execute political dissidents. | "Last night, Bashir was transferred to Kober prison in Kh…
(2019-04-17). Hilfiger, Klein Owner Probe Abuse Claims at Ethiopian Factories. telesurenglish.net PVH Corp., the U.S. clothing company that owns Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, has announced plans to probe reports of Ethiopian employees facing verbal abuse, discrimination and inadequate wages. | REUTERS: | Ivanka Trump Visits Ethiopia to 'Empower Women' | According to the Workers Rights Consortium, employees in PVH factories in Ethiopia are often obligated to work overtime without pay, despite receiving an hourly wage of about 12 cents and basic human function,…
(2019-04-17). Trump Administration Ignores Environmental Impacts of Mining 30 Million Tons of Coal Near Bryce Canyon National Park. globalresearch.ca A lawsuit against the Trump Administration's approval of Alton Coal's mine expansion near Bryce Canyon National Park was filed today by Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), Grand Canyon Trust, Utah Physicians for …
(2019-04-17). Lawsuit Forces Federal Protection for Endangered Orcas' West Coast Habitat. indybay.org SEATTLE, April 12, 2019 — The Center for Biological Diversity has won a victory in the legal battle to force the Trump administration to protect the West Coast habitat of the last remaining Southern Resident killer whales.
(2019-04-17). Basra struggles to tackle drug abuse problem filling prisons. indybay.org The southern Iraqi city of Basra is struggling to cope with a growing drug problem that has overcrowded prisons and strained police resources, only months after violent protests over poor municipal services. Basra's prison system is clogged up.
(2019-04-17). May 3rd Day Of Action For Journalists &Whistleblowers -Stand Up For Assange & Manning. indybay.org On World Press Freedom Day on May 3 actions will take place around the world to demand the freedom of Journalist Julian Assange, Whistleblower Chelsea Manning and all jailed journalists and whistleblowers…
(2019-04-16). Arizona Lawmakers Running Scared After Anti-Boycott Law Ruled Unconstitutional. aclu.org If legislators know these laws violate the First Amendment, they should repeal them, not pass half-measures designed to thwart judicial review | Last year, an Arizona federal court blocked the state from enforcing its anti-boycott law, ruling that the law — which requires government contractors to certify that they are not participating in boycotts of Israel or Israeli settlements in the West Bank — violates the First Amendment. In response, the state appealed the court's decision and…
(2019-04-16). Julian and Martin: Reflections on the Arrest of Assange. counterpunch.org 
Will someone please explain to me why Martin Luther King, Jr. is considered a hero for violating laws sustaining the system of racial discrimination, while Julian Assange is considered a villain for violating laws sustaining the system of imperial war? Democratic Party bigwigs are celebrating the arrest of the Wikileaks founder in London and the More
(2019-04-16). Why Is This Seder Different From All Other Seders? dissidentvoice.org 
The idea of making a different type of seder came about because of my discomfort with a ceremony that in many ways glorifies many unattractive aspects of American Jewish culture and also serves as a justification for the Israeli dispossession and suppression of the Palestinian people and their culture. Passover now appears to me to …
(2019-04-16). Right wing attacks project labor agreements—in court. peoplesworld.org 
MINNEAPOLIS (PAI)—In a case whose outcome could set a precedent elsewhere, the radical right is trying to destroy construction workers' labor protections, in federal court. Their vehicle: A lawsuit, filed last month by a non-union contractors' association and a right-wing legal foundation in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, charging that Project Labor Agreements—and specifically one …
(2019-04-16). What 1919 Taught Us. thenation.com What 1919 Taught Us…
(2019-04-16). We All Need Sanctuary From Donald Trump. truthout.org There is no missing the messages Donald Trump has been sending even before white nationalist senior adviser Stephen Miller was given control over the administration's immigration policy: Go away, migrants and asylum seekers, the country is full. That this is nonsense — Nordics need not apply? I don't think so — is inconsequential to him and the people who carry his dank water. Cruelty is the coin of the realm, racism the language spoken to his devout base, and the rule of law broken and…
(2019-04-16). Trump's Racist Policies Make 2019 Look Like 1919. truthout.org Reading about immigration policy, religious and racial bigotry, and terrorism fears in America in 1919 offers an eerie sense of decades melting away and past and present blurring together. | The blend isn't exact. Bigotry was expressed much more explicitly a century ago, not in code as it usually is now. Jim Crow laws in the South and other forms of racial segregation in the rest of the country were seen by most white Americans as the normal state of affairs. In the national debate on immigration, the most inflammatory rhetoric was largely aimed at immigrants from Asia, not Latin America or the Middle East; Sl…
(2019-04-16). Cash bail system drives mass incarceration of the poor — lawsuit against Detroit. rt.com 
Detroit's bail system disproportionately harms poor defendants and violates their constitutional rights, according to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU in that city, where a third of the population lives below the poverty line. |
(2019-04-16). US workers demand the release of Julian Assange. wsws.org Workers in the United States have reacted with outrage over the jailing of Julian Assange and the efforts of the Trump administration to illegally seize the WikiLeaks founder and subject him to detention, possible torture and even death.
(2019-04-16). Youth at climate rally in Leeds, England speak out to defend Julian Assange. wsws.org WSWS reporters spoke about the arrest and imprisoning of Julian Assange with young people who attended last Friday's rally against climate change in Leeds, England.
(2019-04-15). The Assange Indictment and Press Freedoms. aclu.org The indictment seems to have been drafted not to justify the prosecution of Assange, but to tar legitimate journalistic activities by association. | This piece originally appeared at Just Security. | What to make of the indictment of Julian Assange? | The Justice Department hasn't crossed the line that many feared it would: It hasn't charged Julian Assange for publishing truthful information about matters of public concern. That kind of prosecution would have been unprecedented in the nation's history and…
(2019-04-15). Ohio's Mayor's Courts Increase Injustice Across the State. aclu.org Revenue-oriented mayor's courts subvert justice. They must be reformed to protect the rights of Ohioans. | Karen G.'s daughter still remembers the day when "mommy had her pink bracelets on." Unfortunately, Karen was wearing pink handcuffs, not bracelets. | On May 10, 2010, the day of Karen's youngest daughter's birthday, Karen and her daughters were on their way to pick up a birthday cake. They stopped by Lockland Mayor's Court to present documentation that Karen had renewed her driver's license. But once she arrived at the court, Karen was told that she had to pay a $600 fine for driving without a license before…
(2019-04-15). Jailhouse Lawyers Speak: One year since Lee Prison massacre that sparked nationwide strike. liberationnews.org 
This statement was issued by Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, an organization of incarcerated activists fighting the brutal, racist prison system, to mark the one-year anniversary of the deaths of seven inmates at Lee Prison in South Carolina — an incident that led to the historic 2018 nationwide prison strike.
(2019-04-15). Demonstrators denounce the arrest of Julian Assange outside Belmarsh prison. thecanary.co 
Dozens of people attended a demonstration to express solidarity with Julian Assange outside Belmarsh prison, on Sunday 14 April. The Canary attended the event, … | Read more Demonstrators denounce the arrest of Julian Assange outside Belmarsh prison | By Mohamed Elmaazi
(2019-04-15). Julian Assange's Nightmarish Future. consortiumnews.com The WikiLeaks publisher is in a maximum-security prison that has been called the UK's Guantanamo Bay, Elizabeth Vos reports. By Elizabeth Vos Special to Consortium News While Julian Assange waits for what comes next — sentencing on skipping bail in England… Read more →
(2019-04-15). Stop that Gucci and Prada Talk: Chinese and Russian People want to live too!! dissidentvoice.org I hear this again and again, whenever I speak in the West: "What kind of Communism is that in China? In all big cities, they have Prada and Gucci in every major department store." Western leftists are obsessed with this topic. They do not even realize how ridiculous, how racist their arguments actually are! China, …
(2019-04-15). Airbnb May Have Caved to Israel's Settler Movement, but Palestinians Aren't Giving Up. thenation.com Airbnb May Have Caved to Israel's Settler Movement, but Palestinians Aren't Giving Up…
(2019-04-14). How a Former Death Row Prisoner and a Murder Victim's Daughter Joined Together To Fight the Death Penalty. theintercept.com 
In the official narrative of capital punishment, there are victims and there are victimizers. The reality is far more complicated.
(2019-04-14). Julian Assange Languishes in Prison as His Journalistic Collaborators Brandish Their Prizes. theintercept.com If Trump's Justice Department ups the ante to charge Julian Assange under the Espionage Act, he may spend the rest of his life in prison.
(2019-04-13). What Wikileaks and Assange have revealed to the world. uwidata.com 
UWI reviews Wikileaks most important revelations On April 11, 2019, Wikileaks co-founder and editor Julian Assange was imprisoned. After his Ecuadorian citizenship being annulled, he was arrested inside the South American country's embassy in London where he had lived for 7 years. His next court date is set to take place on May 2. While …
(2019-04-13). NAACP President Responds to President Trump's Islamophobic Tweet. naacp.org NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson, released the following statement in response to President Trump's Islamophobic tweet: "Trump's recent tweet invokes painful memories to promote his racist agenda. This is maddening but not surprising for a President whose presidential campaign and presidency has been based on hate, xenophobia, and bigotry. The President needs to realize that his …
(2019-04-13). Assange's 'Conspiracy' to Expose War Crimes Has Already Been Punished. theantimedia.com (FAIR) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should never have been punished for working with a whistleblower to expose war crimes. Chelsea Manning, the whistleblower, has done more time in prison, under harsher conditions, than William Calley, a key perpetrator of the My Lai massacre. Remarkably, Manning is in jail again, failed by organizations that should unreservedly defend her, as the US …
(2019-04-12). Headlines for April 12, 2019. democracynow.org Julian Assange's Lawyers Vow to Fight His Extradition to the United States, Ecuadorean Ex-President Criticizes Successor for Allowing Assange to Be Arrested, Trump Claims "I Know Nothing About WikiLeaks" Despite Praising Site Repeatedly in 2016, Sudanese Protesters Denounce Military Rule, Call for Civilian Government, Report: White House Pushed Plan to Send Migrants to Sanctuary Cities to Punish Dems, Official Who Compared Family Detention Centers to Summer Camps Set to Become Head of ICE, More Offshore Drilling Feared as Senate Confirms Ex-Oil Lobbyist to Head Interior, Report: Amazon, Netflix, IBM, Chevron Paid…
(2019-04-12). Weekend Read: Alabama's illegal – and deadly – prison system. splcenter.org We've been locked in a legal battle with the state of Alabama for the past five years over the sickening mistreatment of people in its prisons who have medical and mental health needs.
(2019-04-12). Indian elections: the challenges of unseating a racist. greenleft.org.au 
Elections in India will take place from April 11 to May 23. Green Left Weekly's Susan Price spoke to Kavita Krishnan, a member of the politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPI-ML) about their campaign to challenge Narendra Modi's far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. | In which seats is the CPI-ML fielding candidates? Are there opportunities for the left to coordinate efforts to defeat the BJP? | The CPI-ML is contesting 22 seats [across 10 states]: 4 in Bihar; 3 each in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab; 2 each in West Bengal, Jharkand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu…
(2019-04-12). Betsy DeVos Quietly Making It Easier for Dying For-Profit Schools to Rip Off a Few More Students on the Way Out. theintercept.com 
The Obama administration initially dithered while for-profit colleges preyed on students, but eventually it cracked down on the sector. Not Betsy DeVos.
(2019-04-12). Single mother takes action against ParentsNext 'mission impossible'. greenleft.org.au 
Single mother of three Juanita McLaren lodged a complaint in the United Nations in March against the Australian government over its discrimination against single mothers. | McLaren is being supported by the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children which wants the parenting payments' scheme and the newly-introduced ParentsNext program to be held up to greater scrutiny. | Since 2012, single parents have been moved from the single parenting payment (now $384.25 a week) to the News…
(2019-04-11). The American Public Deserves to See the Mueller Report With as Few Redactions as Possible. aclu.org Considering the "extraordinary public interest" in the Mueller report, any redactions made by Attorney General Barr must be limited and defensible. | Few matters are of greater public interest than the contents of the report produced by Special Counsel Robert Mueller on his recently completed investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, alleged collusion with the Trump administration, and any interference with the Mueller investigation. Attorney General William Barr has conceded that there is extraordinary public interest in the report. Yet there remain grave concerns that he will r…
(2019-04-11). NAACP'S RESPONSE TO THE ARREST OF SUSPECT IN THE LOUISIANA CHURCH BURNINGS. naacp.org BALTIMORE — The NAACP issued the following statement regarding the arrest of Holden Matthews in connection to fires at three historically Black churches in Louisiana: "The arrest of Holden Matthews for the horrific burnings of Black churches in Louisiana is just another example of the hate-fueled times that we live in. In African-American communities in …
(2019-04-11). Beyond Prisons: Message From Liberation Through Reading. shadowproof.com The following is a quick message delivered on behalf of our friends at Liberation Through Reading. | They have an event coming up in Philadelphia, PA on Saturday, April 13th at the A-Space (4722 Baltimore Avenue) from 12PM-4PM, gifting Black children with free Black books. Details are below. | Contact Erica Caines at ericacaines@gmail.com |
| In almost 2 years, #LiberationThroughReading has gifted well over 1000 BRAND NEW representative books to Black children of all reading levels. Each book gifted features Black characters and written by Black authors. | After hosting several events in Anne Arundel County,…
(2019-04-11). Ahmed Abu Artema on the Palestinian Great March of Return. progressive.org "The only possible option for them is to continue knocking on the walls of their prison with the hope that the world will hear them."
(2019-04-11). Betsy DeVos Uses a Racist Research Study to Defend Rescinding Obama-Era Discipline Guidance. progressive.org The researchers argued that disparities in disciplining of black and white students are due to "prior problem behavior."
(2019-04-10). The American People Support LGBTQ Equality. Congress Should Too. aclu.org Opponents of equality are spewing myths about transgender people and nondiscrimination protections on Capitol Hill. | In the past seven days, the House of Representatives has held two historic hearings on the Equality Act, HR 5, a bipartisan bill that would add explicit protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity to our civil rights laws, and update the laws to provide increased protection for all women and people of color. What was most notable from…
(2019-04-10). The BE HEARD Act Will Overhaul Workplace Harassment Laws. aclu.org The groundbreaking, comprehensive bill takes on workplace harassment and discrimination. | For more than a decade, Tarana Burke and survivors across the country have used #MeToo to share their experiences of sexual violence, raise women's voices, and respond to the needs of survivors. In its current incarnation, #MeToo has sparked an unprecedented examination of sexual harassment, including sexual assault, in our workplaces, and illuminated the multiple manifestations of workplace discrimination. | In the midst of this historic reckoning, the ACLU and coalition partners drafted and shared with members of Congress…
(2019-04-10). Congressional Action to End the Bans—Now and Into the Future. aclu.org Trump thought he won, but Members of Congress are pushing back. | For the first time since President Trump issued his Muslim ban, Congress proposed a legislative solution today to protect immigrant communities from discriminatory bans, immediately and permanently. | The long-awaited NO Ban Act, introduced by Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Representative Judy Chu (D-Calif.), would immediately rescind the Muslim ban as well as President Trump's asylum ban and refugee ban, definitively ending these discriminatory abus…
(2019-04-10). Cuban men thrown into Louisiana prisons despite legal asylum requests. splcenter.org Suicide. Self-harm. Medical neglect. Isolated in segregation. Quarantined and left without legal counsel.
(2019-04-09). Trump Picks Family Separation Advocate Kevin McAleenan to Be Acting Secretary of Homeland Security. aclu.org By elevating McAleenan, the president has signaled that he seeks to maximize cruelty. | With his selection of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan to serve as acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), President Trump has once again shown that he has no regrets over his administration's disastrous policy of separating families. | McAleenan was one of the three DHS officials to recommend the cruel and inhumane policy to outgoing Secretary Kirstjen…
(2019-04-09). Utah Passed a Law to Protect Noncitizens From Automatic Deportation. aclu.org By reducing the maximum penalty for a misdemeanor by one day, lawmakers reduced the harm of an unfair federal immigration law | Utah is known for its red rock canyons, steep ski slopes, and a mega-majority Republican legislature. And now it can be recognized as one of just a handful of states to pass legislation that helps noncitizens avoid deportation if they are convicted of a misdemeanor. | The bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Gary Herbert on March 25, clarifies that misdemeanor convictions in Utah can no longer be interpreted as aggravate…
(2019-04-09). Kirstjen Nielsen's Cruel Legacy: Outgoing DHS Secretary Proudly Separated Families & Caged Children. democracynow.org 
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has been forced out of her role at the helm of President Trump's immigration policy after reportedly resisting a move by the president to revive his family separation policy at the U.S. border. We look at Nielsen's legacy with Renée Feltz, a Democracy Now! correspondent and producer who has long reported on the criminalization of immigrants, family detention and the business of detention. Nielsen oversaw Trump's "zero tolerance" family separation policy last year and came under fire by Democrats for lying to Congress about the policy, as well as for withh…
(2019-04-09). Stephen Miller's Uncle: Trump's Anti-Immigrant Comments Demonize Asylum Seekers & Stir Racist Hatred. democracynow.org 
As his administration intensifies anti-immigrant policies at the border, President Trump has reportedly put adviser Stephen Miller in charge of the administration's immigration policy. The Wall Street Journal reports Miller has backed the reinstatement of Trump's family separation policy and has been pushing officials at the Homeland Security and Justice Departments to "get in line" with a more hard-line immigration approach. This news comes as Trump told the Republican Jewish Coalition leadership Saturday, "Our country's full. What can you do? We can't handle any more. Our country is full." We speak with Stephen…
(2019-04-09). Iran says U.S. military forces in Middle East are part of terrorist group, after U.S. puts terrorist tag on Iran's military. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Iran's authoritative FARS News Agency is reporting the Supreme National Security Council has designated the United States Central Command as a terrorist entity, following a decision by the U.S. to put the terrorist tag on an important part of Iran's military – the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps. | The U.S. move to designate Iran's military as 'terrorist' violates international law and raised concerns about future treatment of prisoners of war. | The U.S. administration has been angered by Iran's support for progressive and anti-imperialist movements in Yemen, Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon. Iran ha…
(2019-04-08). Kirstjen Nielsen's Brutal and Calamitous Leadership of the Department of Homeland Security Comes to an End. aclu.org She implemented some of the Trump administration's most vicious policies and repeatedly violated the law. | Late yesterday, President Trump announced that Kirstjen Nielsen has resigned as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Trump said that Kevin McAleenan, the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), will serve as Acting Secretary. | Nielsen's tenure as head of one of the country's largest government agencies was a humanitarian catastrophe, consistently showing a clear disregard for civil rights and people's lives. Indeed, just over a week prior to her resignation, CBP age…