(2019-05-16). Protesters say 'Dutton out, refugees in'. greenleft.org.au 
Refugee rights activists rallied outside home affairs minister Peter Dutton's electorate office in Queensland on May 11. They are hoping Dutton will lose his seat at the federal election on May 18. | Regardless of who wins the election, the Refugee Action Coalition is organising another protest on July 19 — six years after the Rudd Labor government announced that, from that point on, all refugees who arrived by boat would be sent to offshore detention. | Mark Gillespie, spokesperson for RAC, said that the movement needs to continue to press its demands for refugee rights no matter which party forms governme…
(2019-05-16). How Assad's Torture Machine Crushed Dissent in Syria. truthout.org A shocking exposé by the New York Times looks at how Bashar al-Assad's government has jailed and tortured tens of thousands of Syrians since the uprising began in 2011. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, nearly 128,000 people have disappeared. They are presumed to be either dead or still in custody. The group estimates almost 14,000 individuals have died under torture. The detentions are continuing even as the fighting winds down. More than 5,600 Syrians were reportedly arbitrarily detained last year in a 25 percent jump from the previous year. While the Syrian government has denied runni…
(2019-05-16). "Inside Syria's Secret Prisons": A Harrowing Account of How Assad's Torture Machine Crushed Dissent. democracynow.org 
A shocking exposé by the New York Times looks at how Bashar al-Assad's government has jailed and tortured tens of thousands of Syrians since the uprising began in 2011. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, nearly 128,000 people have disappeared. They are presumed to be either dead or still in custody. The group estimates almost 14,000 individuals have died under torture. The detentions are continuing even as the fighting winds down. More than 5,600 Syrians were reportedly arbitrarily detained last year in a 25 percent jump from the previous year. While the Syrian government has denied running a secre…
(2019-05-16). Iranian Communists rally progressive forces to prevent war. peoplesworld.org 
Iranian Communists have called for unity among the country's progressives striving for peace in response to U.S. saber-rattling intent on provoking war with Tehran. The Tudeh Party noted "a very worrying rise of tensions between the racist, pseudo-fascist, and reactionary Trump administration and the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran" in recent days. It …
(2019-05-16). Right-wing outcry over student protest against anti-Muslim "headscarf conference" at German university. wsws.org Legitimate criticisms of right-wing and racist positions are criminalised and denounced as "attacks on academic freedom" and "ideological terror."
(2019-05-16). Our Government Has Failed to Defend the Sixth Amendment. aclu.org There is a crisis in our nation of disregard for protecting the right to counsel for people accused of crimes. | On May 8, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) elevated the crisis of federal and state governments' disregard for protecting the right to counsel for people charged with crimes. She did so by introducing the Ensuring Quality Access to Legal Defense Act (EQUAL Defense Act) a bill that uses federal money — $250 million dollars annually for five years — to incentivize pay parity between public defenders and prosecutors, ensure manageable defender caseloads, and reauthorize the student loan repayment pro…
(2019-05-16). Arizona Officials Say It's Unsafe for Prisoners to Read About Race and Criminal Justice. They're Wrong. aclu.org The ban is not only unnecessary and inhumane, it's unconstitutional. | For many people behind bars, books can be a lifeline to the outside world. In the words of poet, attorney, and former prisoner Reginald Dwayne Betts, "Books weren't really magic when I was a child, they were just something that I [enjoyed] reading. I thought it was important, but when I got locked up it became magic,…
(2019-05-16). 'Senseless death must stop': Five states sue Purdue Pharma for driving opioid crisis. rt.com 
Fives US states have filed lawsuits against OxyContin producer Purdue Pharma for the company's role in driving the opioid epidemic. They join some 1,600 other lawsuits brought against Purdue in recent years.
(2019-05-16). As EPA Insists Weed Killer Roundup is Safe, a Jury Orders Monsanto to Pay $2B to Couple With Cancer. democracynow.org 
U.S. agribusiness giant Monsanto has been ordered to pay its highest damages yet in a massive lawsuit over the popular weedkiller Roundup. A jury ordered Monsanto to pay more than $2 billion in punitive damages to Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a couple who were both diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer after using Roundup on their properties for decades. Monsanto is owned by German pharmaceutical giant Bayer. The main ingredient in the weed killer Roundup, glyphosate, is said to cause the cancer. Attorneys estimate that there are thousands of similar cases against Roundup pending in courts around the country.
(2019-05-16). GOP-Led Efforts to Crush Unions Have a New Target: Home Health Care Workers. theintercept.com Five states are suing the Trump administration for a rule that would impede home care workers' ability to deduct union fees from Medicaid-funded paychecks.
(2019-05-16). Bolivia Presents ICJ With Reply to Chile's Silala Lawsuit. plenglish.com La Paz, May 16 (Prensa Latina) The Bolivian representative before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Eduardo Rodriguez, presented the high court a reply to Chile as part of the trial for the use of the waters of the Silala.
(2019-05-16). 'Worst-of-its-kind:' Alabama abortion ban could punish providers with 99 years in prison. nationofchange.org The Alabama Senate passed legislation this week that will outlaw abortion and punish women and doctors. The "total ban on abortion" is being called the worse-of-its-kind and pro-choice groups warn that it is a "blatant effort to overturn Roe v. Wade." | "What I'm trying to do here is get this case in front of the Supreme Court so Roe v. Wade can be overturned," says Alabama state Rep. Terri Collins (R). Republican lawmakers hope that advocacy groups fight back against Alabama's ban so that the Supreme Court will take up the lawsuit and the conservative justices who are currently the majority will eliminate the…
(2019-05-16). Oakland Hotel Travelers Tenants Settle Wrongful Eviction Suit. indybay.org Plaintiffs Peter Howe, Joshua Daniels, William Prather and Orlando Chavez (through his successor) have settled their lawsuit for tenant harassment and wrongful eviction against the owners and management of Oakland's Hotel Travelers, including defendants Danny Haber, Dion Ross and Alon Gutman, for a total payment of $575,000!
(2019-05-16). Audience members at London meeting discuss way forward in fight for Assange and Manning's freedom. wsws.org Last Sunday's public meeting in London convened by the Socialist Equality Party to defend jailed WikiLeaks publisher and journalist Julian Assange and whistleblower Chelsea Manning provoked a wide-ranging discussion.
(2019-05-16). Support the Hunger Strikers at Santa Cruz County Jail. indybay.org Santa Cruz County Jail, 259 Water St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060…
(2019-05-16). Committee Condemns Irregularities in Milagro Sala's New Sentence. plenglish.com Buenos Aires, May 16 (Prensa Latina) The committee for the freedom of Argentine social leader Milagro Sala condemned on Thursday that the new four-year-jail-sentence against the leader shows irregularities in the judicial processes, which advance without truce.
(2019-05-16). 'I'd rather starve to death': Manning jailed again for refusing to testify against WikiLeaks. rt.com 
A federal judge has ordered Chelsea Manning to be jailed again for refusing to testify in a grand jury probe of Julian Assange, threatening the whistleblower with fines if the defiance continues. Manning says she would rather die.
(2019-05-16). Author of Flattering Trump Biography Gets Pardon From President. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday granted a full pardon to Conrad Black, a former newspaper publisher who has written a flattering political biography of Trump. | Black's media empire once included the Chicago Sun-Times and The Daily Telegraph of London. He was convicted of fraud in 2007 and spent three and a half years in prison. An appeals court reversed two convictions, but left two others in place. | White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Black "has made tremendous contributions to business, and to political and historical thought." | In 2018, Black published "Donald J. Trump: A P…
(2019-05-16). Muslim group files discrimination, retaliation complaint against Amazon. peoplesworld.org 
SHAKOPEE, Minn.—Amazon, notorious for the mistreatment of its thousands of warehouse workers from coast to coast, is in legal hot water over it again — this time for rampant racial and religious discrimination at its Shakopee, Minn., warehouse in the Twin Cities suburbs, and retaliation against three black Muslim-American Somali refugee working women there. Amazon …
(2019-05-16). Fight Against Voter Suppression Continues in Georgia. therealnews.com 
Plaintiffs argue before the GA Supreme Court that malfunctioning voting machines caused tens of thousands of missing votes in the Georgia Lt. Gov. race. What could it mean if this case goes forward?
(2019-05-15). Trump planning nationwide military round-up of 10,000 immigrants. wsws.org The unprecedented scope of the raid would require de facto martial law and serve as a test run for the mass arrest and detention of political dissidents.
(2019-05-15). Police Unions Should Never Undermine Constitutional Policing. aclu.org Seattle's consent decree was meant to bolster accountability and transparency by law enforcement; it needs to have teeth to be effectuated properly. | In 2017, the Seattle City Council adopted an ordinance establishing a number of progressive police reforms aimed at strengthening community trust in police and ensuring police accountability. Fast forward to today and these reforms are under fire by a familiar opponent: Police unions. | The comprehensive reforms in Seattle…
(2019-05-15). New Homeland Security Secretary, Same Anti-Immigrant Agenda. aclu.org Beware of walls, money grabs, and other sham solutions as DHS leadership shifts. | Kevin McAleenan, the new acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, abruptly assumed office in April because his predecessor reportedly wasn't tough enough for President Trump. Ironically, McAleenan claims that "you can be tough and compassionate at the same time." But actions speak louder than words., , Don't be fooled, McAleenan does not represent a new leaf. He is d…
(2019-05-15). We're Suing to Block Ohio's Abortion Ban. aclu.org Abortion is a constitutional right. | Today we filed a lawsuit challenging Ohio's ban on abortion starting at six weeks of pregnancy. Our lawsuit comes a day after Alabama passed a similar law and weeks after Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi passed similar measures. | A ban on abortion starting at six weeks is a ban on almost all abortions. Before six weeks, most people do not even know that they are pregnant. | Legally, this case is…
(2019-05-15). New Orleans Prosecutors Routinely Violate Defendants' Right to Counsel to Keep Them in Jail. theintercept.com Prosecutors are sidestepping the Sixth Amendment by seeking bail hikes in undisclosed meetings with judges, according to a new report by Court Watch NOLA.
(2019-05-15). Alabama governor signs draconian abortion ban punishing doctors with up to 99 years in prison. rt.com 
Alabama governor Kay Ivey has signed the US' strictest abortion law into effect, criminalizing the procedure even in cases of rape or incest and slapping abortion providers with a possible life sentence.
(2019-05-15). Alabama Senate passes bill criminalizing abortion, with no exceptions for rape & incest. rt.com 
Alabama is poised to pass the strictest abortion law in the US after its Senate voted to criminalize the procedure even in cases of rape or incest and send doctors performing it to prison for up to 99 years.
(2019-05-15). Justice Department: If FDA Regulated Execution Drugs, They Would Ban Them. shadowproof.com The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel drafted an opinion that definitively argues the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may not ban or regulate drugs used to execute prisoners. | As state governments that have yet to abolish the death penalty struggle to obtain drugs for lethal injections, a key issue is whether certain lethal injection protocols violate the Constitution's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. | Texas sued the FDA in 2017 after the agency blocked [ PDF] a shipment of lethal in…
(2019-05-15). Alabama Passes Near Total Ban on Abortion as Part of "Stealth Campaign" to Overturn Roe v. Wade. democracynow.org 
Alabama lawmakers voted to effectively ban abortion Tuesday, passing the most restrictive anti-choice law in the country in a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. The bill approved by the Senate Tuesday and the Alabama House last month bans abortions at all phases. Doctors could face up to 99 years in prison for performing abortions. The bill's only exception is grave risk to the mother's life — not cases of rape and incest. The legislation is now heading to the desk of anti-choice Republican Governor Kay Ivey, and many expect she'll sign it. Opponents say they'll challenge the bill in court should it become la…
(2019-05-14). Pesticide Lawsuits and the Threat Hiding in the Perfect Lawn. progressive.org More than 13,400 consumer lawsuits against Monsanto and Bayer AG, which manufacture the weed-killer Roundup, allege it is the cause of various cancers. Now, a new judgment has awarded one couple $2 billion in damages.
(2019-05-14). NAACP Opposes Wendy Vitter and all Nominees Who Refuse to Affirm Brown v Board of Education. naacp.org BALTIMORE — Today, the NAACP announced its opposition to the nomination of Wendy Vitter to the Eastern District of Louisiana and all nominees refusing to endorse the Supreme Court's seminal ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. "This week, we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of …
(2019-05-14). The heat intensifies on Michael Gove to bring an end to this 'archaic, cruel and devastating industry'. thecanary.co CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article was headlined: "The heat intensifies on Michael Gove to make sure one 'disgraceful' British practice 'follows slavery and apartheid into the history books'". We were wrong to run that headline because it draws a comparison between animal cruelty and the oppression of people of colour that is at best unhelpful and at worst hurtful. We took a quote out of context, and we are grateful to the reader who contacted us to point out our mistake. We updated both the headline and the article at 1140 on 16 May 2019. We are sincerely sorry for our mistake and any hurt we may hav…
(2019-05-13). I've Been to Guantanamo. It's No Place for Kids. aclu.org The Administration's proposal of sending immigrant children to Guantanamo Bay is dangerous and inhumane. | Over the last year, the country has been shocked by reports of the inhumane treatment of children and families in immigrant detention. Now, the Trump administration appears to be increasing the scope and severity of its immigrant detention scheme by potentially detaining immigrants at Guantanamo Bay. | News broke last week that the Defense Department awarded a $23 million dollar contract to construct a "Contingency Mass Migra…
(2019-05-13). What's Trending: Black News Recap. naacp.org 
Blavity: Civil Rights Organizations Are Fighting For Crystal Mason, Who Was Imprisoned For Voting, To Be Released From Prison Crystal Mason, a Texas woman who was sent to prison for voting, is fighting for her freedom with the help of new additions to her legal team.The Texas Civil Rights Project, American …
(2019-05-13). SPLC launches voting rights legal team, testifies before U.S. House panel in Alabama. splcenter.org Ever since state and local law enforcement officers attacked peaceful civil rights marchers with billy clubs and tear gas on "Bloody Sunday" in 1965, Alabama has been at the epicenter of the fight for voting rights.
(2019-05-13). Following SPLC lawsuit, judge grants New Orleans students the chance to walk on graduation day. splcenter.org A state court in Louisiana issued an injunction today that allowed six high school seniors to participate in graduation ceremonies at their New Orleans charter school after they were banned from doing so following a minor senior prank last month.
(2019-05-13). Arundhati Roy on Why She Admires WikiLeaks & Opposes Assange's Extradition to the U.S. democracynow.org 
In Sweden, prosecutors are reopening an investigation into sexual assault allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and are seeking his extradition to face charges in Sweden. Prosecutors had dropped the investigation in 2017 because they said the case could not proceed while Assange was holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he lived for seven years before being forcibly removed by British police last month. Assange has since been sentenced to 50 weeks in jail in Britain for skipping bail in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden. Assange has denied the sexual assault accusations. Assange pr…
(2019-05-11). Newest Beto O'Rourke Hire Lobbied for Keystone XL, Seaworld, and Private Prisons. theintercept.com Beto O'Rourke's hiring of Jeff Berman is the latest step his presidential campaign has taken away from the insurgent energy of his Senate run.
(2019-05-10). Iraqi Immigrants Deserve Their Day in Court. aclu.org My dad was almost deported without a fair hearing. But a new bill could ensure that doesn't happen again. | This week, two of my home-state congressmen introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure that approximately 1,000 Iraqis who are now at risk of deportation or detention are given two years to have their immigration cases heard. I'm so grateful to Congressman Andy Levin (D-Mich.) and Congressman John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) for their action because no other family should h…
(2019-05-10). The Mueller Report Isn't The Only Thing That William Barr Is Hiding. aclu.org Barr's attempt to block a report detailing how often the government seeks to spy on Twitter's users is inappropriate and dangerous. | Attorney General William Barr recently invoked a powerful, rarely used privilege to withhold information from the public, marking a dramatic turn of events in a battle over the release of a highly contested report. | Only this time, we're talking about a report that would provide much-needed information on the government's spying activities. | For the past five years, Twitter has been trying to make public a transparency report with detailed statistics about how often the U.S. gove…
(2019-05-10). House Funding Bill Shows How Far We've Come in the Fight for Reproductive Freedom—And How Far We Have to Go. aclu.org A key bill makes important strides for reproductive health, and shows why we need presidential candidates to show leadership on abortion coverage. | This week the House Appropriations Committee advanced the Labor, Health, and Human Services appropriations bill, the annual bill that funds federal health and education programs. It makes important strides forward on reproductive health and rights–and it also shines a light on the need for presidential leadership on abortion coverage…
(2019-05-10). NAACP to Hold People's Hearing for Voting Rights in Birmingham. naacp.org On May 13, the NAACP, a member of the W.K. Kellogg Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative, will hold a People's Hearing on voting rights in Birmingham, Alabama. At the hearing, Birmingham-area residents will publicly share their personal experiences facing voting rights interference and barriers at the polls — which disproportionately impact historically disenfranchised voters and communities …
(2019-05-10). Headlines for May 10, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Increases Tariffs on $200 Billion of Chinese Goods, Trump Nominates Patrick Shanahan as Pentagon Chief, Former U.S. Intel Analyst Charged Over Whistleblowing About Drone Program, Chelsea Manning Freed from Jail After 62 Days as WikiLeaks Grand Jury Expires, Dozens of Civilians Die as Syrian and Russian Warplanes Pound Idlib, Baghdad Suicide Bomb Claimed by ISIS Kills 8, French Activists Contest Saudi Arms Shipment, Citing Civilian Deaths in Yemen, U.S. Seizes North Korean Ship, Accusing it of Violating Sanctions, Water and Power Cut to Venezuelan Embassy in D.C. as Activists Continue Occupation, Alabama Sen…
(2019-05-10). "We Have No Reason to Trust the Police": Sandra Bland Arrest Video Reignites Anger Over Her Death. democracynow.org 
The family of Sandra Bland is calling for authorities to reopen the investigation into her death. The 28-year-old African-American woman died in a Texas jail cell in 2015, three days after she was arrested for allegedly failing to signal a lane change. Authorities have claimed Sandra Bland committed suicide while in jail by hanging herself with a garbage bag, but her family has long rejected this claim. On Monday, the Dallas TV station WFAA aired cellphone video filmed by Bland capturing the moment when she was pulled over. In the 39-second video you can see the officer — Brian Encinia — drawing his s…
(2019-05-10). Chelsea Manning Released From Jail But Received Another Subpoena To Testify Before WikiLeaks Grand Jury. shadowproof.com Chelsea Manning was released from a jail in Alexandria, Virginia, on May 9, but according to her defense attorneys, she received another subpoena to testify before the grand jury investigating WikiLeaks prior to her release.
(2019-05-10). "Black Mama's Bail Out Day": Movement Grows to Free Black Women From Jail for Mother's Day. democracynow.org 
Racial justice groups around the country are bailing black women out of jail so they can spend Mother's Day with their families. For the third year in a row, "Black Mama's Bail Out Day" is raising money to bail out as many black women from jail as possible. The effort is taking place in dozens of cities to call attention to the injustice of cash bail. We speak to Mary Hooks, the co-director of Southerners On New Ground, which is part of the National Bail Out Collective.
(2019-05-10). Trump Steps up War on Whistleblowers: Air Force Vet Daniel Hale Arrested For Leaking Drone War Info. democracynow.org 
A former U.S. intelligence analyst was arrested Thursday and charged with violating the Espionage Act for allegedly leaking documents about the secretive U.S. drone program. | Daniel Hale, 31, was arrested in Nashville. He faces up to 50 years in prison. Hale is accused of disclosing 11 top secret or secret documents to a reporter. The indictment does not name the reporter but unnamed government sources have told media outlets that the reporter is investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill of The Intercept. In 2015, The Intercept published a special report called the Drone Papers exposing the inner workings of the U…
(2019-05-10). SPLC Action Fund: Alabama House Bill 380 would limit paroles, increase prison overcrowding. splcenter.org The Alabama House of Representatives this week passed House Bill 380 (HB 380), which would give the governor more control over the state parole board and set minimum sentences that incarcerated people must serve before they can be released on parole.
(2019-05-09). After Judge's Ruling, Charlottesville May Be Stuck With Statues of Confederate Generals Lee, Jackson. splcenter.org A judge has ruled that a civil rights-era law forbidding the removal of "war memorials" applies to Confederate statues that became flashpoints during a deadly Virginia gathering of white nationalists and neo-Nazis.
(2019-05-09). Congress, Laws Suppressing Boycotts of Israel Are Unconstitutional. Sincerely, Three Federal Courts. aclu.org Congress has a constitutional duty to protect the rights of the American people, including the First Amendment right to participate in boycotts. | Congress just got yet another reminder that the First Amendment right to political boycotts is alive and well in the United States, and any legislative attempt to infringe on that right puts them squarely against the Constitution. | Last week a federal district court in Texas blocked as unconstitutional a state law that required government contractors to certify that they d…