(2019-05-22). ICE Uses Solitary Confinement to Punish Marginalized Asylum Seekers. truthout.org Since 2012, ICE has used solitary confinement as a routine punishment for thousands of immigrants and asylum seekers locked up in immigration jails across the country. We look at a new, damning investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that has revealed this widespread abusive use of solitary confinement in immigration jails overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The United Nations special rapporteur on torture says solitary confinement should only be used in exceptional circumstances, and defines extended use of solitary as "inhuman and degrading treatment." Des…
(2019-05-22). How ICE Is Using Solitary Confinement to Punish Asylum Seekers, Including LGBT & Disabled Immigrants. democracynow.org 
Since 2012, ICE has used solitary confinement as a routine punishment for thousands of immigrants and asylum seekers locked up in immigration jails across the country. We look at a new, damning investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that has revealed this widespread abusive use of solitary confinement in immigration jails overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The United Nations special rapporteur on torture says solitary confinement should only be used in exceptional circumstances, and defines extended use of solitary as "inhuman and degrading treatment." Despit…
(2019-05-22). New York City's Early Voting Plan Will Favor White, Affluent Voters. truthout.org An analysis from three advocacy groups has found that New York City's plan for early voting for the 2020 national elections is grossly inadequate and, as designed, will favor white, affluent voters. | The New York Civil Liberties Union, Common Cause New York and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law last week sent a letter to the New York City Board of Elections decrying plans to staff 38 early voting locations in a city with some 5…
(2019-05-22). Despite Lawsuit, TBSC Leader Calls for Hosing Down a Sleeping Homeless Man. indybay.org Samantha Olden, a leader of the "public safety" group Take Back Santa Cruz (TBSC), recently made a comment on social media suggesting a homeless man be hosed down with water to discourage him from trespassing in the area in which he was sleeping. The comment from Olden comes just over a month after homeless residents in Santa Cruz named Take Back Santa Cruz in a federal civil rights lawsuit, which calls for TBSC to, "be enjoined from dangerous inflammatory hate speech and ordered to publicly alert its members and followers to refrain from performing or inciting acts of physical violence against homeless persons."
(2019-05-22). The author asks: Is America unredeemable? Rachel Kushner's novel The Mars Room. wsws.org Rachel Kushner's new novel centers on the grim conditions in a women's prison and draws connections between them and the general state of American society.
(2019-05-22). In a World of Legal Weed, Michael Thompson Languishes in Prison for Selling It in 1994. theintercept.com 
The criminal justice reform movement's focus on "nonviolent" offenders has hurt people like Michael Thompson: "Where's the violence coming in at?"
(2019-05-22). Watch: Interview With Brazil's Ex-President Lula From Prison, Discussing Global Threats, Neoliberalism, Bolsonaro, and More. theintercept.com 
Among the planet's significant political figures, no one is quite like Lula. Born into extreme poverty, illiterate until the age of 10, forced to quit school at the age of 12 to work as a shoe shiner, losing a finger at his factory job at 19, and then becoming a labor activist, union leader, and founder of a political party devoted to a defense of laborers (the Workers' Party, or PT), Lula has always been, in all respects, the exact opposite of the rich, dynastic, oligarch-loyal, aristocratic prototype that has traditionally wielded power in Brazil. | That's precisely what makes Lula's rise to power, and his i…
(2019-05-22). HUD Moves to Allow Anti-Trans Discrimination in Federally Funded Homeless Shelters. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-05-22). Trump's So-Called "Conscience Rule" Would Allow Dangerous Discrimination Against Marginalized Patients, State AGs Say. commondreams.org Denouncing the Trump administration's rule to protect so-called "conscience rights in healthcare" as an attack on reproductive rights and marginalized patients, two dozen states and cities filed a complaint against the Health and Human Services Department and demanded that the rule be lifted. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-05-22_at_2.28.31_pm1.jpg…
(2019-05-22). We're Suing Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery to Release the Records He's Hiding From Arizonans. aclu.org Prosecutorial transparency serves everyone. But in Maricopa County, Arizona, secrecy trumps transparency, and the people suffer for it. | Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery claims to be a big believer in data. As reported last year, Montgomery has blocked effective, commonsense criminal justice reform proposals from becoming law in part by criticizing them as having "no data to support" them, and as being "pet projects" "base…
(2019-05-22). Pro-choice marchers condemn abortion bans, vow retribution in 2020. peoplesworld.org 
(2019-05-22). CONTACT YOUR HOUSE MEMBER TO "VOTE YEA" FOR H.R. 1500, THE "CONSUMERS FIRST ACT" TODAY! naacp.org The NAACP worked with friends, colleagues, the Obama Administration and coalition partners on Capitol Hill, to create The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. It was crafted to help consumers navigate the often-complicated world of finances; to ensure that high-cost, unsustainable loans of …
(2019-05-22). Germany: Tens of thousands demonstrate against nationalism. wsws.org While many came to demonstrate against nationalism and racism, the organisers sought to mobilise support for pro-EU parties—the SPD, Greens and Left Party—a week before the European elections.
(2019-05-22). Federal Judge Refuses to Block Trump Bank Subpoenas. truthdig.com NEW YORK — The Latest on President Donald Trump's efforts to block congressional subpoenas seeking records from his banks (all times local): | 4 p.m. | A federal judge in New York is refusing to block congressional subpoenas seeking financial records from two banks that did business with President Donald Trump. | U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos said during a hearing Wednesday that Trump and his company were unlikely to succeed in a lawsuit arguing that the subpoenas were unlawful and unconstitutional. | Democrats in Congress have sought the information from Deutsche Bank and Capital One. | Deutsche Bank h…
(2019-05-22). Inmate Dies at Rountree Rehabilitation and Re-Entry Facility in Watsonville. indybay.org According to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, 35-year-old inmate Carlos Bolanos was found dead at 5: 30 am today in the Rehabilitation and Re-entry Facility located at the Rountree Lane Sheriff's Detention Facilities in Watsonville. Carlos was in custody at the Rehabilitation and Re-Entry facility since December of 2018.
(2019-05-21). Trump administration shipping immigrants to sanctuary cities as fifth child dies in ICE custody. wsws.org Trump is seeking to further inundate processing centers and jails to justify the border wall as the fifth Guatemalan child has died in ICE custody since December.
(2019-05-21). Jailed Pro-Independence Catalans Sworn in to Spanish Congress. telesurenglish.net Five Catalan pro-independence leaders who won election to the Spanish parliament last month were temporarily released from jail on Tuesday to be sworn in as lawmakers. | RELATED: | 'Independence is Inevitable', Says Catalonia's Oriol Junqueras | Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Sanchez, Jordi Turull and Josep Rull won seats in the Congress, the lower house of parliament, while Raul Romeva was elected to the Senate, the upper house. | They arrived at the two assemblies from a jail near Madri…
(2019-05-21). Family of Jailed Saudi Feminist Loujain Al-Hathloul: She Was Waterboarded, Flogged & Electrocuted. democracynow.org 
It's been a year since women's right activist Loujain Al-Hathloul was detained and jailed in Saudi Arabia for leading a movement to lift the kingdom's ban on female drivers and overhaul its male "guardianship" system. Despite international outcry, she's been imprisoned ever since. During that time, her family says, she's been held in solitary confinement and faced abuse, including electric shocks, flogging and threats of sexual violence. The Saudi government has resisted calls from human rights groups and lawmakers from around the world to release Loujain and the other jailed activists. We speak with two of Louja…
(2019-05-21). Detained, Abused & Denied Medical Care: How Trump Immigration Policies Led to Child Deaths at Border. democracynow.org 
A 16-year-old Guatemalan boy died in U.S. custody Monday after spending a week in immigration jail. Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez was found dead at a Border Patrol station at Weslaco, Texas, just one day after being diagnosed with the flu. He was not hospitalized. This marks the fifth death of a Guatemalan child apprehended by Border Patrol since December. Before last year, it had been more than a decade since a child died in the custody of U.S. immigration officials. We speak with Fernando Garcia, the founding director of the Border Network for Human Rights, an advocacy organization based in El Paso, and Jen…
(2019-05-21). A Homeland Security Whistleblower Goes Public About ICE Abuse of Solitary Confinement. theintercept.com 
Ellen Gallagher was stunned when she first learned that immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement were sometimes placed in isolation with no human contact for 22 hours a day. It was February 2014, only a few months into her stint as a policy adviser at the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, where she thought she'd be empowered to ensure that the department did not violate the rights of those who came into its crosshairs. | For the next several months, Gallagher educated herself on solitary confinement, a controversial practice used frequently in penal i…
(2019-05-21). India's Opposition Parties Allege Vote Machine Fraud. telesurenglish.net India's main opposition parties Tuesday alleged voting fraud in the country's general election, days after exit polls predicted a comfortable win for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling far right-wing party. | RELATED: | India's Brutal Torture of Kashmiri Prisoners an 'Instrument of Control': Report | Members of as many as 22 parties…
(2019-05-21). U.S. HOUSE PASSES THE NAACP-SUPPORTED EQUALITY ACT. naacp.org On May 17, 2019, by a bipartisan vote of 236 yeas to 173 nays the U.S. House voted to approve and send to the Senate H.R. 5, the NAACP-supported Equality Act. We must now do all we can to ensure the U.S. Senate takes up and passes the Equality Act as soon as possible, so …
(2019-05-21). How the 'war on gangs' feeds mass incarceration. liberationnews.org 
Why gang databases and raids are not a solution.
(2019-05-21). Children of ISIL terrorists likely held in 'secret detention facilities', UN human rights office warns. un.org In Syria, it is suspected that children whose fathers fought for terrorist group ISIL are being held in unidentified "settlements" and "secret detention facilities" away from their mothers, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) said on Tuesday.
(2019-05-21). Thousands of Immigrants Suffer in Solitary Confinement in ICE Detention. theintercept.com Dulce Rivera lived for the one hour a day she was allowed outside, to pace alone on a patch of concrete encased in metal fencing. | They called it "the yard," but it was really a metal cage. Still, it was far better than the misery she endured the other 23 hours a day, locked alone in a cell with no one to talk to and nothing to distract her from her increasingly dark thoughts. | Rivera, a 36-year-old transgender woman from Honduras and a longtime U.S. resident, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2017. She was placed in the Cibola County Correctional Center in New Mexico, and moved into s…
(2019-05-20). London hunger striker tells The Canary why she's prepared to die. thecanary.co The Canary recently spoke to a 48-year-old woman in London who's on hunger strike. And she explained exactly why she took this drastic step. | Nahide Zengin has a positive attitude which is so contagious that I can't help but grin. Like many others, she's in exile. Branded as a 'terrorist' by the Turkish state, she now lives in London. Along with roughly 7,000 other Kurdish people around the world, she is on an indefinite h…
(2019-05-20). Alabama's Abortion Ban Is a Political Stunt That Will Cost Its Taxpayers. aclu.org The draconian law is a flagrantly unconstitutional attack on more than 40 years of established Supreme Court precedent. | This piece originally appeared at the Alabama Political Reporter. | For years, the Alabama legislature has been passing laws that push abortion out of reach. Now politicians have finally shown their true colors and are trying to ban abortion outright. | On Wednesday, Governor Ivey signed H.B. 314 — one of the most extreme attacks on the ri…
(2019-05-20). What's Trending: Black News Recap. naacp.org 
Washington Post: Billionaire Robert F. Smith pledges to pay off Morehouse College Class of 2019‚Ä≤s student loans Smith told the graduates how he launched his lucrative career. He gave them wise words on grit and success. Then he deviated from his prepared remarks. "My family is going to create a grant to …
(2019-05-20). Headlines for May 20, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Threatens "Official End of Iran" Via Tweet If It Provokes the U.S., First Phase of Kushner's Middle East Peace Plan to Focus on Palestinian Economy, Sweden Requests Detention of Assange as WikiLeaks Accuses U.S. of Illegally Seizing His Property, Australian Voters Choose Conservative PM Morrison Over Opponent Who Vowed to Tackle Climate Change, Austria Calls Snap Election After Far-Right Leader Caught in Corruption Scandal, Protesters Take to the Streets Ahead of European Parliament Elections, Narendra Modi on Track for Second Term as Prime Minister as Voting Ends in India, Taiwan Legalizes Same-Sex Marriag…
(2019-05-19). Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Is Being Pushed By 'Islamophobia Industry'. therealnews.com 
Civil rights lawyer and activist Arjun Singh Sethi says, "Even the CIA actually came out and said it would be a mistake, because in many ways the Muslim Brotherhood more recently has been a force of moderation and democratization in the Middle East."
(2019-05-18). For the Latest News on WikiLeaks Watch the 30th Online Vigil. consortiumnews.com Host Elizabeth Vos led a discussion with author George Szamuely on Chelsea Manning returning to prison; Sweden reopening its case against Assange and the other big headlines of the week. Read more →
(2019-05-17). NAACP and Civil Rights Groups Hold Rally on the 65th Anniversary of Brown v. Board. naacp.org 
On May 16, NAACP along with civil rights organizations and members of Congress held a rally on Capitol Hill to make the promise of Brown v. Board of Education a reality for all. In honor of the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, speakers addressed the still urgent struggle for education equity as well …
(2019-05-17). Meet The Alabama Doctor Who Could Face 99 Years In Prison For Providing Abortions Under New Law. democracynow.org 
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed the nation's most restrictive abortion ban into law on Wednesday, effectively banning the procedure except in cases where a pregnant person's life is at serious risk. The law does not make exceptions in cases of rape or incest and doctors could face 99 years in prison for performing abortions. We speak with Dr. Yashica Robinson, the medical director of the Alabama Women's Center for Reproductive Alternatives, one of only three clinics left in the state that offer patients abortion services. She is one of only two abortion providers living and working in Alabama. Under the new Alab…
(2019-05-17). Headlines for May 17, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Immigration Plan Favors Job Skills Over Asylum Claims and Family Ties, Trump Officials Reportedly Clash Over U.S. Sabre-Rattling With Iran, UNICEF Chief Calls Yemen War "a Test of Our Humanity" That "We Are Badly Failing", Venezuelan Government Blasts U.S. Seizure of Embassy as Vienna Convention Violation, Brazilian Teachers and Students March Against Education Cuts, Mexican Journalist Francisco Romero Killed in Playa del Carmen, Lawyer Says Tennessee Prisoner "Suffered Excruciating Pain" During Execution, Alabama Prisoner Put to Death After "Pro-Life" Governor Denies Reprieve, Senate Confirms Anti-Choice A…
(2019-05-17). Ohio Lawmakers Ignored Us When They Banned Abortion. They Can't Ignore Us in the Courtroom. aclu.org When Ohio legislators decided to sign the bill into law, we knew we had to both continue to provide care and defend access to that care in the courts. | Last month, Gov. Mike DeWine signed the Ohio Legislature's abortion ban into law. The law recklessly prohibits abortions starting around six weeks. As an abortion provider, I can tell you this is, in fact, a ban on all abortions in Ohio. Approximately 90% of abortions in Ohio take place at or after six weeks. Before six weeks, most people do not even know they are pregnant. | In defense of people across Ohio, I knew that our clinic couldn't stand by and do nothin…
(2019-05-17). New York Passes a Bill to Ensure No One Loses Their Home for Calling the Police. aclu.org 
Americans shouldn't be threatened with losing housing because they called for help. | In cities and towns across New York state — and around the country — you can be evicted just for calling for police or emergency assistance. Fortunately, that's about to change in New York. The State Legislature recently passed a bill — unanimously in the Assembly and 58 to 1 in the Senate — to prote…
(2019-05-17). Far right winning the social media war. greenleft.org.au 
A decade ago the left believed that it could use social media to outflank the established mass media. But it is the far right that now dominates social media. | Two recent events have focused attention on extreme right social media. The shooter in the Christchurch massacre was an addict of white supremacist message boards on platforms like Reddit and 4Chan. Like the alt-right platform Gab, these noticeboards are filled with overt racism, homophobia, misogyny and Hitler worship. | A very different sort of hard-right social media fuels Vox, the Spanish neo-fascist party that won 13% of the vote in the April general…
(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). Chelsea Manning Faces More Jail And Steep Fines To Force Compliance With Grand Jury Subpoena. shadowproof.com *Listen to the story by clicking the above player. Unable to break Chelsea Manning's spirit by jailing her, the United States escalated efforts to force her to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks by imposing steep financial penalties. Judge Anthony Trenga held Manning in civil contempt and ordered her…
(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). 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). 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). 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…
(2019-05-15). 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…
(2019-05-15). 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). 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). 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). 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…
(2019-05-14). 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). 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.