Monthly Archives: April 2019

2019-04-15: News Headlines

Consortiumnews (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 →

WSWS (2019-04-15). Supporters protesting outside Belmarsh prison speak out in defense of Julian Assange. wsws.org Protesters at Saturday's demonstration to demand the release of Julian Assange from Belmarsh prison spoke to the World Socialist Web Site.

Al-Thawra (2019-04-15). 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.

WSWS (2019-04-15). Protest outside London's Belmarsh prison demands release of Julian Assange. wsws.org The WikiLeaks founder has been held at the maximum-security prison since his forcible seizure and arrest last Thursday.

Center for Biological Diversity (2019-04-15). 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.

WSWS (2019-04-15). Socialist Equality Party (UK) member Robert Stevens speaks at rally to demand release of Assange from Belmarsh prison. wsws.org Stevens said, "Join the fight to defend Assange, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden. Workers and youth internationally must mobilise immediately to defend these class war prisoners."

reposted (2019-04-15). Historic Lawsuit Filed by Homeless People in Santa Cruz to Block Eviction of Survival Camp. indybay.org Hero's Camp (behind Ross at the Gateway Plaza), River Street, Santa Cruz…

WSWS (2019-04-15). Yabu Bilyana addresses ICFI World Conference: "Genocide of indigenous peoples is still practiced throughout Australia" wsws.org Bilyana exposed the ongoing oppression of Australia's Aboriginal population and the whitewash carried out by the Royal Commission into Black Deaths in Custody.

Santa Cruz News (2019-04-15). Hero's Camp Plaintiffs Demand City Provide Indoor Shelter for Entire Homeless Population in Santa Cruz. indybay.org Today, homeless residents of the Hero's Camp, who are suing the City of Santa Cruz to prevent their eviction, held a press conference to officially announce the lawsuit. Following the press conference, representative Alicia Kuhl announced that the group is demanding the city provide indoor shelter space for for the "entire" homeless population in Santa Cruz before the encampment, which is located next to Ross Dress for Less and the Gateway Plaza, be vacated.

teleSUR (2019-04-14). Trump Faces Outcry over Video linking Ilhan Omar to 9/11. telesurenglish.net United States President Donald Trump has come under fire for posting a video on his Twitter linking 9/11 with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. | RELATED: | Trump 'Fuels Hate Against Muslims,' Ilhan Omar Says | The video spliced news footage of 9/11 with a clip from a speech Omar gave last month to Council of American-Islamic Relations, Muslim civil rights, and advocacy group. | Omar said that Muslims had "lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I'm tired of it, and…

Liliana Segura (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.

Charles Glass (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.

unitedEditor (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 …

Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet (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 …

Tyler Durden (2019-04-13). Assange Held at "Britain's Guantanamo Bay" as UN Urges Fair Trial. theantimedia.com (ZH) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces a likely extended extradition battle after this week's dramatic end to his seven-year asylum stay holed up in Ecuador's London embassy. He's now in a British jail, and though UK authorities have yet to confirm the precise place of his detention, multiple reports suggest that he's being held in what's dubbed "Britain's Guantanamo Bay" — or …

Joe Emersberger (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 …

WSWS (2019-04-13). Trump officials discussed using troops to run migrant detention camps. wsws.org Trump has been able to carry through his anti-immigrant program, despite popular opposition, because the Democrats have done nothing to seriously oppose it.

Democracy Now! (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…

Robert Fisk (2019-04-12). What Ivanka Told Us About Trump's Meeting With el-Sisi. counterpunch.org Ivanka Trump, daughter of the US president and wife of Middle East "expert" Jared Kushner — he who has supposedly produced a Middle East "peace plan" to be revealed after Benjamin Netanyahu wins the Israeli elections — has just given her support to a regime which has locked up women political prisoners, "disappeared" others, and whose army forcibly carried out virginity tests More

Al Neal (2019-04-12). No longer anonymous: MSU student breaks silence on campus sexual assault. peoplesworld.org Last year a courageous victim of sexual assault at Michigan State University, known only to the public as "Jane Doe," filed a lawsuit against her three attackers, and shined a light on MSU's culture of silence when allegations of sexual assault arise. On April 11, exactly one year after filing the legal complaint and four years …

Fréa Lockley (2019-04-12). Rapper Stormzy just made an epic stand against racism. thecanary.co Rapper and activist Stormzy just took an epic stand against racism. He cancelled a headline gig at an Austrian festival. And his reasons for … | Read more Rapper Stormzy just made an epic stand against racism | By Fréa Lockley

Robin D.G. Kelley, Makani Themba (2019-04-12). Why the Highlander Attack Matters. thenation.com Why the Highlander Attack Matters…

Binoy Kampmark (2019-04-12). Shredding Asylum: The Arrest of Julian Assange. dissidentvoice.org The man seemed like a bearded emissary, a holy figure nabbed in his sleep. He looked similarly pale as to how he did in 2013, but he cut a more shocking figure. Most prisoners would have had room to move in a compound. The Ecuadorean embassy in London only offered modest space and access to …

Jake Bleiberg (2019-04-12). Rise in suicide attempts in Texas prisons alarms advocates. peoplesworld.org

splcenter (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.

pip.hinman (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…

Alexander Rubinstein (2019-04-12). Protesters Call on UK to #FreeAssange Outside British Embassy in Washington DC. theantimedia.com (MPN) — Demonstrators gathered on Thursday — just hours after the arrest of Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange by UK authorities — outside of the British Embassy in Washington D.C. to denounce the unprecedented affront to freedom of the press. Protesters also took the opportunity to highlight the injustice of the jailing of Chelsea Manning over her refusal to …

pip.hinman (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…

RT (2019-04-12). Toe the line or go to jail: Tulsi Gabbard says Assange arrest is a message to Americans. rt.com 2020 candidate Tulsi Gabbard has spoken out against the US government's plans to extradite and punish WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, calling it a "blow to transparency and a blow to a free press." |

Derrick Broze (2019-04-12). The US Government is Still Fighting to Keep the Truth About CIA Torture Secret. theantimedia.com The U.S. government is still afraid to reveal the full extent of torture used on terror suspects in the years following the 9/11 attacks, but do the American people even care anymore? (TMU) — A recent report by The New York Times explores the case of Majid Khan, a prisoner of the United States who plead …

David Dayen (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.

Caitlin Johnstone (2019-04-12). How You Can Be Certain the US Charge Against Assange is Fraudulent. theantimedia.com (CJ Opinion) — Julian Assange sits in a jail cell today after being betrayed by the Ecuadorian government and his home country of Australia. A British judge named Michael Snow has found the WikiLeaks founder guilty of violating bail conditions, inserting himself into the annals of history by labeling Assange "a narcissist who cannot get beyond his own …

ACLU (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…

Rann Miller (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."

Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet (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 …

John McEvoy (2019-04-11). As Brazil descends into fascism, UK MPs call for the 'world's most prominent political prisoner' to be freed. thecanary.co Former presidential frontrunner Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — known as Lula — was jailed in April 2018. One year later, his prosecutors are … | Read more As Brazil descends into fascism, UK MPs call for the 'world's most prominent political prisoner' to be freed | By John McEvoy

Malcolm Harris (2019-04-11). 'Love After Lockup' and Its Subtle Message of Prison Abolition. thenation.com 'Love After Lockup' and Its Subtle Message of Prison Abolition…

Esty Dinur (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."

Beyond Prisons (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,…

ACLU (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…

ACLU (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…

ACLU (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…

Betsey Piette (2019-04-10). Freed MOVE 9 revolutionaries wed. workers.org Mike and Debbie Africa, MOVE 9 members unjustly imprisoned in 1978, were finally released in 2018. The MOVE 9 were falsely convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the killing of a white cop during a brutal police assault on their house. On April 6 Debbie and Mike were . . . | Continue reading Freed MOVE 9 revolutionaries wed at Workers.org

splcenter (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.

ACLU (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…

ACLU (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…

Democracy Now! (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…

Fight Back (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…

Susan Antilla (2019-04-09). A Harvard Professor Filed a Shareholder Lawsuit to Restrict Shareholder Rights. theintercept.com Over the past two years, some senior officials at the Securities and Exchange Commission have indicated that they would be open to corporations foisting mandatory arbitration on their shareholders, and now a team of pro-corporate players are ready to put them to the test. Two lawyers have joined with a high-profile Harvard professor on a pivotal case that could strip away shareholders' rights to sue public companies. The Harvard professor, Hal S. Scott, runs a Wall Street advocacy group support…

ACLU (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…

2019-04-15: Social Media Postees

Julian Assange's Nightmarish Future
Consortiumnews | consortiumnews.com | 2019-04-15
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 ?…
consortiumnews.com/2019/04/15/julian-assanges-nightmarish-future/

Socialist Equality Party (UK) member Robert Stevens speaks at rally to demand release of Assange from Belmarsh prison
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-04-15
Stevens said, "Join the fight to defend Assange, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden. Workers and youth internationally must mobilise immediately to defend these class war prisoners."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/04/15/spee-a15.html

Historic Lawsuit Filed by Homeless People in Santa Cruz to Block Eviction of Survival Camp
reposted | indybay.org | 2019-04-15
Hero's Camp (behind Ross at the Gateway Plaza), River Street, Santa Cruz…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/04/11/18822707.php

Basra struggles to tackle drug abuse problem filling prisons
Al-Thawra | indybay.org | 2019-04-15
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.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/04/13/18822740.php

Protest outside London's Belmarsh prison demands release of Julian Assange
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-04-15
The WikiLeaks founder has been held at the maximum-security prison since his forcible seizure and arrest last Thursday.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/04/15/belm-a15.html

Supporters protesting outside Belmarsh prison speak out in defense of Julian Assange
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-04-15
Protesters at Saturday's demonstration to demand the release of Julian Assange from Belmarsh prison spoke to the World Socialist Web Site.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/04/15/ints-a15.html

Hero's Camp Plaintiffs Demand City Provide Indoor Shelter for Entire Homeless Population in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz News | indybay.org | 2019-04-15
Today, homeless residents of the Hero's Camp, who are suing the City of Santa Cruz to prevent their eviction, held a press conference to officially announce the lawsuit. Following the press conference, representative Alicia Kuhl announced that the group is demanding the city provide indoor shelter space for for the "entire" homeless population in Santa Cruz before the encampment, which is located next to Ross Dress for Less and the Gateway Plaza, be vacated.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/04/12/18822715.php

Lawsuit Forces Federal Protection for Endangered Orcas' West Coast Habitat
Center for Biological Diversity | indybay.org | 2019-04-15
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.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/04/13/18822733.php

Yabu Bilyana addresses ICFI World Conference: "Genocide of indigenous peoples is still practiced throughout Australia"
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-04-15
Bilyana exposed the ongoing oppression of Australia's Aboriginal population and the whitewash carried out by the Royal Commission into Black Deaths in Custody.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/04/15/berl-a15.html

Trump Faces Outcry over Video linking Ilhan Omar to 9/11
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-04-14
United States President Donald Trump has come under fire for posting a video on his Twitter linking 9/11 with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. | RELATED: | Trump 'Fuels Hate Against Muslims,' Ilhan Omar Says | The video spliced news footage of 9/11 with a clip from a speech Omar gave last month to Council of American-Islamic Relations, Muslim civil rights, and advocacy group. | Omar said that Muslims had "lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I'm tired of it, and…
telesurenglish.net/news/Progressives-Democrats-Slam-Trump-over-Disgusting-Video-linking-Ilhan-Omar-to-911-20190414-0014.html

Julian Assange Languishes in Prison as His Journalistic Collaborators Brandish Their Prizes
Charles Glass | theintercept.com | 2019-04-14
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.
theintercept.com/2019/04/14/julian-assange-languishes-in-prison-as-his-journalistic-collaborators-brandish-their-prizes/

How a Former Death Row Prisoner and a Murder Victim's Daughter Joined Together To Fight the Death Penalty
Liliana Segura | theintercept.com | 2019-04-14
In the official narrative of capital punishment, there are victims and there are victimizers. The reality is far more complicated.
theintercept.com/2019/04/14/anti-death-penalty-advocates/

NAACP President Responds to President Trump's Islamophobic Tweet
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2019-04-13
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 …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-president-responds-president-trumps-islamophobic-tweet/

What Wikileaks and Assange have revealed to the world
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-04-13
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 …
uwidata.com/3068-what-wikileaks-and-assange-have-revealed-to-the-world/

Trump officials discussed using troops to run migrant detention camps
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-04-13
Trump has been able to carry through his anti-immigrant program, despite popular opposition, because the Democrats have done nothing to seriously oppose it.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/04/13/immi-a13.html

Assange's 'Conspiracy' to Expose War Crimes Has Already Been Punished
Joe Emersberger | theantimedia.com | 2019-04-13
(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 …
theantimedia.com/assange-conspiracy-war-crimes-punished/

Assange Held at "Britain's Guantanamo Bay" as UN Urges Fair Trial
Tyler Durden | theantimedia.com | 2019-04-13
(ZH) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces a likely extended extradition battle after this week's dramatic end to his seven-year asylum stay holed up in Ecuador's London embassy. He's now in a British jail, and though UK authorities have yet to confirm the precise place of his detention, multiple reports suggest that he's being held in what's dubbed "Britain's Guantanamo Bay" — or …
theantimedia.com/assange-britains-guantanamo-bay/

What Ivanka Told Us About Trump's Meeting With el-Sisi
Robert Fisk | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
Ivanka Trump, daughter of the US president and wife of Middle East "expert" Jared Kushner — he who has supposedly produced a Middle East "peace plan" to be revealed after Benjamin Netanyahu wins the Israeli elections — has just given her support to a regime which has locked up women political prisoners, "disappeared" others, and whose army forcibly carried out virginity tests…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/what-ivanka-told-us-about-trumps-meeting-with-el-sisi/

No longer anonymous: MSU student breaks silence on campus sexual assault
Al Neal | peoplesworld.org | 2019-04-12
Last year a courageous victim of sexual assault at Michigan State University, known only to the public as "Jane Doe," filed a lawsuit against her three attackers, and shined a light on MSU's culture of silence when allegations of sexual assault arise. On April 11, exactly one year after filing the legal complaint and four years …
peoplesworld.org/article/no-longer-anonymous-msu-student-breaks-silence-on-campus-sexual-assault/

Rapper Stormzy just made an epic stand against racism
Fréa Lockley | thecanary.co | 2019-04-12
Rapper and activist Stormzy just took an epic stand against racism. He cancelled a headline gig at an Austrian festival. And his reasons for … | Read more Rapper Stormzy just made an epic stand against racism | By Fréa Lockley…
thecanary.co/trending/2019/04/12/rapper-stormzy-just-made-an-epic-stand-against-racism/

Why the Highlander Attack Matters
Robin D.G. Kelley, Makani Themba | thenation.com | 2019-04-12
Why the Highlander Attack Matters…
thenation.com/article/highlander-attack-arson-racism/

Assange's 'Conspiracy' to Expose War Crimes Has Already Been Punished
Joe Emersberger | fair.org | 2019-04-12
by Joe Emersberger | 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 he…
fair.org/home/assanges-conspiracy-to-expose-war-crimes-has-already-been-punished/

Rise in suicide attempts in Texas prisons alarms advocates
Jake Bleiberg | peoplesworld.org | 2019-04-12
peoplesworld.org/article/rise-in-suicide-attempts-in-texas-prisons-alarms-advocates/

Weekend Read: Alabama's illegal – and deadly – prison system
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2019-04-12
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.
splcenter.org/news/2019/04/13/weekend-read-alabama%25E2%2580%2599s-illegal-and-deadly-prison-system

Shredding Asylum: The Arrest of Julian Assange
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-04-12
The man seemed like a bearded emissary, a holy figure nabbed in his sleep. He looked similarly pale as to how he did in 2013, but he cut a more shocking figure. Most prisoners would have had room to move in a compound. The Ecuadorean embassy in London only offered modest space and access to …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/04/shredding-asylum-the-arrest-of-julian-assange/

Single mother takes action against ParentsNext 'mission impossible'
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-04-12
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…
greenleft.org.au/content/single-mother-takes-action-against-parentsnext-mission-impossible

How You Can Be Certain the US Charge Against Assange is Fraudulent
Caitlin Johnstone | theantimedia.com | 2019-04-12
(CJ Opinion) — Julian Assange sits in a jail cell today after being betrayed by the Ecuadorian government and his home country of Australia. A British judge named Michael Snow has found the WikiLeaks founder guilty of violating bail conditions, inserting himself into the annals of history by labeling Assange "a narcissist who cannot get beyond his own …
theantimedia.com/us-charge-against-assange-fraudulent/

Toe the line or go to jail: Tulsi Gabbard says Assange arrest is a message to Americans
RT | rt.com | 2019-04-12
2020 candidate Tulsi Gabbard has spoken out against the US government's plans to extradite and punish WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, calling it a "blow to transparency and a blow to a free press." | …
rt.com/usa/456343-tulsi-gabbard-assange-arrest/

The US Government is Still Fighting to Keep the Truth About CIA Torture Secret
Derrick Broze | theantimedia.com | 2019-04-12
The U.S. government is still afraid to reveal the full extent of torture used on terror suspects in the years following the 9/11 attacks, but do the American people even care anymore? (TMU) — A recent report by The New York Times explores the case of Majid Khan, a prisoner of the United States who plead …
theantimedia.com/government-fighting-truth-cia-torture-secret/

Indian elections: the challenges of unseating a racist
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-04-12
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…
greenleft.org.au/content/indian-elections-challenges-unseating-racist

Protesters Call on UK to #FreeAssange Outside British Embassy in Washington DC
Alexander Rubinstein | theantimedia.com | 2019-04-12
(MPN) — Demonstrators gathered on Thursday — just hours after the arrest of Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange by UK authorities — outside of the British Embassy in Washington D.C. to denounce the unprecedented affront to freedom of the press. Protesters also took the opportunity to highlight the injustice of the jailing of Chelsea Manning over her refusal to …
theantimedia.com/protesters-free-assange-british-embassy/

The American Public Deserves to See the Mueller Report With as Few Redactions as Possible
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-04-11
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…
aclu.org/blog/executive-branch/american-public-deserves-see-mueller-report-few-redactions-possible

Betsy DeVos Uses a Racist Research Study to Defend Rescinding Obama-Era Discipline Guidance
Rann Miller | progressive.org | 2019-04-11
The researchers argued that disparities in disciplining of black and white students are due to "prior problem behavior."
progressive.org/public-school-shakedown/betsy-devos-uses-racist-research-study-miller-190411/

NAACP'S RESPONSE TO THE ARREST OF SUSPECT IN THE LOUISIANA CHURCH BURNINGS
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2019-04-11
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 …
naacp.org/latest/naacps-response-arrest-suspect-louisiana-church-burnings/

As Brazil descends into fascism, UK MPs call for the 'world's most prominent political prisoner' to be freed
John McEvoy | thecanary.co | 2019-04-11
Former presidential frontrunner Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — known as Lula — was jailed in April 2018. One year later, his prosecutors are … | Read more As Brazil descends into fascism, UK MPs call for the 'world's most prominent political prisoner' to be freed | By John McEvoy…
thecanary.co/discovery/analysis-discovery/2019/04/11/as-brazil-descends-into-fascism-uk-mps-call-for-the-worlds-most-prominent-political-prisoner-to-be-freed/

'Love After Lockup' and Its Subtle Message of Prison Abolition
Malcolm Harris | thenation.com | 2019-04-11
'Love After Lockup' and Its Subtle Message of Prison Abolition…
thenation.com/article/love-after-lockup-tv-show-reality-review/

Ahmed Abu Artema on the Palestinian Great March of Return
Esty Dinur | progressive.org | 2019-04-11
"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."
progressive.org/dispatches/ahmed-abu-artema-palestinian-great-march-of-return-dinur-190411/

Beyond Prisons: Message From Liberation Through Reading
Beyond Prisons | shadowproof.com | 2019-04-11
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,…
shadowproof.com/2019/04/11/beyond-prisons-message-from-liberation-through-reading/

Congressional Action to End the Bans–Now and Into the Future
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-04-10
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…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/congressional-action-end-bans-now-and-future

The American People Support LGBTQ Equality. Congress Should Too
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-04-10
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…
aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/lgbt-nondiscrimination-protections/american-people-support-lgbtq-equality-congress

The BE HEARD Act Will Overhaul Workplace Harassment Laws
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-04-10
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…
aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/womens-rights-workplace/be-heard-act-will-overhaul-workplace-harassment-laws

Cuban men thrown into Louisiana prisons despite legal asylum requests
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2019-04-10
Suicide. Self-harm. Medical neglect. Isolated in segregation. Quarantined and left without legal counsel.
splcenter.org/news/2019/04/10/cuban-men-thrown-louisiana-prisons-despite-legal-asylum-requests

Freed MOVE 9 revolutionaries wed
Betsey Piette | workers.org | 2019-04-10
Mike and Debbie Africa, MOVE 9 members unjustly imprisoned in 1978, were finally released in 2018. The MOVE 9 were falsely convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the killing of a white cop during a brutal police assault on their house. On April 6 Debbie and Mike were . . . | Continue reading Freed MOVE 9 revolutionaries wed at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/04/09/freed-move-9-revolutionaries-tie-the-knot/

Utah Passed a Law to Protect Noncitizens From Automatic Deportation
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-04-09
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…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/deportation-and-due-process/utah-passed-law-protect-noncitizens-automatic

Trump Picks Family Separation Advocate Kevin McAleenan to Be Acting Secretary of Homeland Security
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-04-09
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…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/trump-picks-family-separation-advocate-kevin-mcaleenan-be-acting-secretary

Kirstjen Nielsen's Cruel Legacy: Outgoing DHS Secretary Proudly Separated Families & Caged Children
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-04-09
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/4/9/kirstjen_nielsens_cruel_legacy_outgoing_dhs

Stephen Miller's Uncle: Trump's Anti-Immigrant Comments Demonize Asylum Seekers & Stir Racist Hatred
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-04-09
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/4/9/stephen_millers_uncle_trumps_anti_immigrant

Iran says U.S. military forces in Middle East are part of terrorist group, after U.S. puts terrorist tag on Iran's military
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-04-09
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…
fightbacknews.org/2019/4/9/iran-says-us-military-forces-middle-east-are-part-terrorist-group-after-us-puts-terrorist-t

A Harvard Professor Filed a Shareholder Lawsuit to Restrict Shareholder Rights
Susan Antilla | theintercept.com | 2019-04-09
Over the past two years, some senior officials at the Securities and Exchange Commission have indicated that they would be open to corporations foisting mandatory arbitration on their shareholders, and now a team of pro-corporate players are ready to put them to the test. Two lawyers have joined with a high-profile Harvard professor on a pivotal case that could strip away shareholders' rights to sue public companies. The Harvard professor, Hal S. Scott, runs a Wall Street advocacy group support…
theintercept.com/2019/04/09/shareholders-rights-lawsuit/

Kirstjen Nielsen's Brutal and Calamitous Leadership of the Department of Homeland Security Comes to an End
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-04-08
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…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/kirstjen-nielsens-brutal-and-calamitous-leadership-department-homeland