(2019-08-07). Headlines for August 7, 2019. democracynow.org Dems and Grieving Communities Voice Resistance to Trump Visits to El Paso and Dayton, FBI Investigating Gilroy Mass Shooting as Domestic Terror, Dems Call on Congressional Leaders to Pass Bills Addressing White Supremacy, Civil Rights Groups Rally Against Gun Violence and White Supremacy at White House, Walmart Workers Plan Walkout to Protest Gun Sales, Toni Morrison, Visionary Author and Nobel Laureate, Dies at 88, Nigerian Journalist and Political Activist Omoyele Sowore Arrested After Calling for Revolution, U.S Warns Turkey Against Syria Attacking Kurdish Forces in Syria, 25% of World's Population Under "Extr…
(2019-08-07). Toni Morrison's Black Art Spoke in a Nation That Would Silence Us. truthout.org | | "To create art amid sorrow or oppression is to insist on excavating meaning from the dull senselessness of pain. It is to be alive and speaking back. Art dives headfirst into the uncharted perils and delights of the human condition. For people whose humanity is often denied, taking that plunge with an audience is inherently rebellious." —Hannah GiorgisMy mother called to tell me T…
(2019-08-07). Brazil's PT Warns Lula Prison Transfer Is Political Persecution. telesurenglish.net The substitute judge of the 12th Federal Court of Curitiba Carolina Lebbos decided Wednesday morning to transfer former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from a federal jail in Curitiba to a prison in the state of Sao Paulo. | RELATED: | 'Resistance Caravan' Travels Brazil in Support of Lula | A few minutes after this information was released, the Worker's Party (PT) president Gleisi Hoffmann explained that such ruling did not respect the request made by Lula's lawyers, who had asked…
(2019-08-07). 17 million U.S. voters purged from voter rolls. nationofchange.org A new report published by the Brennan Center for Justice has stated at least 17 million people were removed from voter poles between 2016 and 2018. This report also shows a particularly significant increase in purged U.S. voter rolls in states with a history of racial discrimination. "As the country prepares for the 2020 election, …
(2019-08-07). After Demands for Justice Drove Her Clemency, Cyntoia Brown Released From Prison. commondreams.org Sex trafficking victim spent roughly half her life in prison | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cyntoia-brown-released.jpg …
(2019-08-07). Selected Articles: The US-China Trade War. globalresearch.ca Online independent analysis of US-led wars, rampant corruption, corporate greed, civil rights and fraudulent monetary transactions is invariably relegated to the bottom rung of search engine results. | As a result we presently do not cover our monthly running costs which …
(2019-08-07). Cyntoia Brown, Symbol of Unfair Sentencing, Is Freed From Prison. truthdig.com 
She won clemency after celebrities rallied for her release as she served a life sentence for killing a man who picked her up for sex at 16.
(2019-08-07). #WhiteSupremacyKills: 100+ civil rights groups rally to reject GOP's excuses for massacres and demand concrete action. nationofchange.org 
More than 100 civil rights groups rallied outside the White House Tuesday to unequivocally state that white supremacy, easy access to guns, and indifference from policymakers about both were to blame for the massacres in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio over the weekend. Gun control and racial justice advocates assembled in the nation's capital …
(2019-08-06). Trump, Republican Party Sue Over California Tax Return Law. truthdig.com The rule requiring presidential candidates to release such data to run in the primary is "a naked political attack" on Trump, lawsuits say.
(2019-08-06). All States have 'primary responsibility' to protect against hate attacks. un.org The UN's top rights official has added her voice to condemnation of the weekend mass-shootings in the cities of El Paso and Dayton, insisting on Tuesday that "not just the US, but all States" should do more to stop discrimination.
(2019-08-06). #WhiteSupremacyKills: 100+ Civil Rights Groups Rally to Reject GOP's Excuses for Massacres and Demand Concrete Action. commondreams.org More than 100 civil rights groups rallied outside the White House Tuesday to unequivocally state that white supremacy, easy access to guns, and indifference from policymakers about both were to blame for the shootings. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-08-06_at_2.44.10_pm.jpg …
(2019-08-06). Judge lets bribe-taking UAW bureaucrat Norwood Jewell off with a slap on the wrist. wsws.org The former head of the union's Fiat Chrysler department was sentenced to 15 months in a minimum-security prison for his role in the illegal bribery scheme.
(2019-08-06). Labour-controlled Tower Hamlets council refused to host Palestinian charity event, citing "anti-Semitism" fears. wsws.org The decision is a blatant attack on free speech and confirms that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism provides a mechanism for censoring, silencing and even criminalising individuals and organisations that oppose Israel's brutal suppression of the Palestinians, while slandering the entire left as "anti-Semitic."
(2019-08-05). Stuck abroad: U.S. child begs Trump and Congress to save his life. peoplesworld.org 
On Sun., July 7, 2019, Egyptian authorities arrested a U.S. citizen, Reem Desoky, and her child, Mustafa Hamed, when they arrived at the airport in Cairo. The mother and her son live in Lancaster, Penn. Reem was sent to jail and Mustafa was given to his uncle Noor Desoky. Reem was arrested over Facebook posts, …
(2019-08-05). New Civil Rights Memorial to be installed on 54th anniversary of Voting Rights Act. splcenter.org Jimmie Lee Jackson was beaten and shot by Alabama state troopers during a peaceful voting rights march on Feb. 18, 1965.
(2019-08-04). Biden His Time. workers.org 
This column by political prisoner and journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal was posted on Prison Radio.com on July 24. The candidacy of Joseph R. Biden Jr. for President of the United States has caused multiple reactions across the land. Biden, who enters his 77th year of life, draws warm feelings from Blacks . . . | Continue reading Biden His Time at Workers.org
(2019-08-03). 'You don't have any rights': CBP agents interrogate US citizen and seize his phone after Venezuela solidarity trip. thegrayzone.com The detention of a US citizen returning from Venezuela was an apparent extension of the US government's efforts to punish…
(2019-08-03). United Church of Canada should Come Clean on Anti-Palestinian Accord. dissidentvoice.org Toronto church Trinity-St. Paul's shameful suppression of a Palestinian youth cultural event highlights anti-Palestinian rot festering in the United Church of Canada. It ought to also shine a light on a little discussed anti-Palestinian accord UCC leaders signed with Israel lobby groups five decades ago. Under pressure from B'nai B'rith and the Jewish Defence League …
(2019-08-02). "You're Gonna Kill Me": Bodycam Video Shows Dallas Officers Mocking Man as He Died Pinned to Ground. democracynow.org 
In August 2016, 32-year-old Tony Timpa called 911 to ask for help. Timpa had schizophrenia and depression, and was off his medication for schizophrenia. Timpa told the Dallas dispatcher that he was scared. The police responded, and within 20 minutes Timpa was dead. For the past three years, the city of Dallas has fought efforts to release police bodycam footage showing what happened, but the video was finally released this week after a prolonged legal battle. The shocking video contains disturbing footage, with officers arriving on the scene where Timpa was already handcuffed by a private security guard. In the v…
(2019-08-02). The Lines Between Us: The Modern History of Baltimore Apartheid (2/2). therealnews.com 
In part two, Lawrence Lanahan says the fight for fair housing did not end after the civil rights movement.
(2019-08-02). Update: Devonia Inman's Chance to Prove His Innocence. theintercept.com More than eight years after DNA evidence revealed the state of Georgia sent the wrong man to prison for murder, Inman may have a chance to prove his innocence.
(2019-08-02). Boycott HP products to show solidarity with Palestinians. greenleft.org.au 
Not many people know about the role of IT giant HP in Israel's grave violations of Palestinian rights and its system of military occupation, racial segregation and oppression. | Just as many companies profited from the South African Apartheid regime, HP is today profiting from Israel's apartheid policies towards Palestinians. It supplies Israel with technology, equipment and information that is used in its ongoing violations of Palestinians' rights. | July marked a year since Israel adopted its Jewish "nation-state" law, giving constitutional status to its apartheid policies towards Palestinian citizens of Israel…
(2019-08-01). "You're Dipping into the Kool-Aid": Booker Accuses Biden of Helping Drive Mass Incarceration. democracynow.org 
In one of the most heated exchanges of the debate, Senator Cory Booker criticized Joe Biden's role in backing several key crime bills during his time in the Senate. Biden fought back, attacking Booker's record as mayor of Newark, New Jersey.
(2019-08-01). 2nd Dem Debate Pt 2: Takes on Police Reform, Shows Divide on Criminal Justice (2/4). therealnews.com 
Julian Castro demands police accountability for first time in a presidential debate while candidates attack each other over their mass incarceration policies. With Kimberly Moffitt, Jacqueline Luqman, and Marc Steiner as host…
(2019-08-01). receiving our inheritance.jpg. progressive.org A legendary civil rights organization comes face-to-face with white supremacy—again.
(2019-08-01). Inside the Hive Mind. progressive.org After several years submerged in violent prison racism, I became a fascist.
(2019-07-31). Los Angeles demands justice for Anthony Vargas — #JailKillerCops! liberationnews.org 
On July 27, over 60 members of the Los Angeles community gathered outside the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department to celebrate the life of Anthony Daniel Vargas, who would have been celebrating his 22nd birthday that day.
(2019-07-31). Oklahoma Victims Compensation Program Disproportionately Denies Funds for Black Victims. aclu.org Data shows that Black victims are often denied compensation for the very same crimes as committed against white victims, who did receive compensation. | Tiras Johnson, age 23, was unarmed when he was shot and killed in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His family was devastated by his death, and they were struggling to pay for Tiras' funeral. Like many victims' families, Tiras' mother applied for financial compensation through the Oklahoma Crime Victims Compensation Act in order to cover his funeral costs, but instead received a surprising response in the mail. | The letter, addressed to Tiras' mother, Netarsha, explained that h…
(2019-07-29). Supreme Court Order No 'Big Victory' For Trump's Border Wall. The Fight Continues. aclu.org The Supreme Court has not yet decided the case, or given Trump's abuse of emergency powers the stamp of approval. | Late Friday evening, the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration a temporary green light to begin construction of the border wall using military funds Congress denied. The order, while temporary and limited to specific wall projects where fencing already exists, threatens to permanently damage border communities, the environment, and our Constitution's separation of powers. | But it's not the "big victory" President Trump q…
(2019-07-26). Family of Herbert Lee to visit Civil Rights Memorial that honors his sacrifice. splcenter.org Clifton Franklin was a high school football running back who — at 16 — wanted to play in a big game between Louisiana rivals. His mother, however, had other plans.
(2019-07-26). When Kicking Around an Orange Gets You On Probation. aclu.org I was in 8th grade. I just didn't want to get in more trouble, so I signed the papers, like I was told to. | I was in 8th grade when it happened. I'll never forget the feeling of those cold, clanky pairs of metal constraints. I was being handcuffed in front of my friends and classmates. | As a lot of middle school students do, I was fooling around with my friends outside at lunch. We found an orange and started kicking it around like a soccer ball. It turns out I picked a bad day to fool around, and a bad person to tick off. A school resource officer — basically a cop — was stationed in the cafeteria,…
(2019-07-25). This County Criminalized Students for Bad Grades — Until Now. aclu.org Today, we filed a landmark settlement that will end the relationship between the probation department and school districts in Riverside. | Since 2001, the Riverside County, California probation department has been needlessly funneling young people struggling with grades, behavior, trauma, and mental health into the criminal justice system. | This direct line to the criminal system is the product of a partnership between local school districts and the county probation department called the Youth Accountability Team (YAT). Instead of counselors or other school and community-based supports stepping in to support and…
(2019-07-25). Hawaiians are Taking to the Streets and Exercising their First Amendment Rights. aclu.org We're ensuring the right to protest and cultural access at the world's tallest mountain. | Driving up Daniel K. Inouye Highway on the Big Island of Hawai'i at 4: 30 in the morning is a sight few will forget: a silent, pitch-black road, with black lava and sparse trees. The dark air is a chilly 50 degrees. In our backpacks are packaged tuna, crackers, water, walkie talkies, and a voice recorder. However, the most important items are without a doubt our blue ACLU of Hawai'i legal observer vests and first aid kit, which is stocked with goods like antacid (to rinse our eyes of pepper spray) and earbuds. Sitting in the…
(2019-07-25). SPLC: Resuming barbaric practice of federal executions serves no useful purpose. splcenter.org The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that it plans to resume the executions of people who are awaiting the death penalty in federal prisons, ending nearly two decades in which the federal government had not imposed capital punishment.
(2019-07-24). Trans People Led the Fight Against HB2 in North Carolina. And We're Winning. aclu.org Transgender people in North Carolina cannot be banned from facilities based on their gender under H.B. 2 replacement law. | It's been more than three years since North Carolina lawmakers passed House Bill 2, the hateful North Carolina law that compromised the ability of transgender people like me to safely navigate our daily lives. | As the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit the ACLU and Lambda Legal filed to stop this measure, I've spent the last three years fighting alongside LGBTQ North Carolinians and others to mitigate the harm caused by H.B. 2…
(2019-07-22). Arkansas Wants to Make Sure You Know 'Almonds Don't Lactate'. aclu.org An Arkansas law censoring plant-based products isn't just absurd and unnecessary, it's unconstitutional. | The state of Arkansas thinks you're confused about whether a veggie burger comes from a cow. In fact, it thinks you're so confused that it passed a law making it illegal for companies to use words like "meat," "roast," and "sausage" to describe products that are not made from animals. Under the law, it doesn't matter if those words are modified by "vegan…
(2019-07-19). BDS Movement welcomes U.S. Congress resolution affirming right to boycott. bdsmovement.net 
BDS Movement welcomes U.S. Congress resolution affirming right to boycott: UpdateIn a historic move, Congress members Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and US civil rights veteran John Lewis introduce resolution affirming the right to boycott. | Right To BoycottJuly 19, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC)
(2019-07-12). Pompeo's New 'Human Rights' Commission is Up To No Good. aclu.org The Trump administration appears to be trying to find new moral footing for the president's discriminatory policies. | This week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo formally announced the creation of a "Commission on Unalienable Rights." Its stated purpose, according to a notice published in the Federal Register in May, is to provide "fresh thinking about human rights discourse where such discourse has departed from our nation's founding principles of natural law and natural rights." | Th…
(2019-06-24). UN Human Rights Head Visits Venezuela, Meets Maduro and Guaido. venezuelanalysis.com Michelle Bachelet commented on access to food and medicine, allegations of political prisoners, and the impact of sanctions, among other issues.
(2019-06-21). Brian Mier on Brazilian Political Scandal. fair.org 
The Brazilian anti-corruption crusade, called Car Wash or Lava Jato, that put popular ex-president Lula da Silva in prison and paved the way for fascist president Jair Bolsanaro—all while being celebrated in the US corporate press—was actually, as critics contended, less interested in corruption than in keeping Lula's Workers Party out of power.