Daily Archives: 2019-09-18

2019-09-18: News Headlines

The Canary (2019-09-18). Controversial moments from John Humphrys' Today programme career. thecanary.co John Humphrys has divided opinion during his long tenure on the Today programme.His years of interviewing have produced moments that provoked criticism from listeners.While many listeners see Humphrys as the voice of Today and praise his interrogation of politicians, some critics have claimed a tactless approach in some conversations in his long BBC radio career.These are some of the presenter's controversial moments: — Pay cutFormer BBC China editor Carrie Gracie alleged pay discrimination (Dominic Lipinski/PA)The veteran Radio 4 broadcaster was revealed to have earned between £600,000 and £649,0…

The Mind Unleashed (2019-09-18). Kevin Spacey Accuser Dies After Finalizing Sexual Assault Lawsuit. theantimedia.com No details yet on the circumstances of death.

RT (2019-09-17). US sues Snowden for violating 'CIA & NSA non-disclosure pact' with his new book, but it also wants the proceeds. rt.com The US government has filed a lawsuit against the National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden, alleging that his newly-published memoir 'Permanent Record' violates nondisclosure agreements he signed with the CIA and NSA. | The civil lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, claims that Snowden violated these agreements by not sending a draft of the book to the spy agencies for review — and presumably redaction — before publication. It also alleges that the whistleblower's public speeches on "intelligence-related matters" violated the agreements. | Rather than pull the book from the shelves, the government…

Susie Day (2019-09-17). You Say You Want a Revolution: a Prison Letter to Yoko Ono. counterpunch.org Dear Yoko Ono, Years, years, and years ago, in 1980, a pathetically deranged man murdered the love of your life. You were walking home, into the Manhattan building where you lived, and suddenly this man, seeking the world's adoration, gunned down your husband, John Lennon. Mark Chapman was given a 20-to-life sentence. After almost four decades, he remains in prison. You want to More

Mark Gruenberg (2019-09-17). Trump Labor Dept. to OK hiring discrimination against gays. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Disregarding popular opposition, especially from civil libertarians and the lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender community, the GOP Trump-run Labor Department appears ready to OK discrimination in hiring — based on religion, gender orientation or both — by enterprises that receive federal contracts. That would fulfill a goal of the anti-worker religious right, progressive analysts note. And since those enterprises …

Brenda Ryan (2019-09-17). 70 arrested in NYC demanding 'close the camps!'. workers.org Hundreds of people demanding the closing of detention camps on the U.S.-Mexico border joined in an energetic protest that began at the New York Public Library in Manhattan on Sept. 14. Protesters marched to Microsoft's 5th Avenue store where they sat in the entrance demanding that the company stop doing . . . | Continue reading 70 arrested in NYC demanding 'close the camps!' at Workers.org

Mario Barrera (2019-09-17). The Southern Strategy and Donald Trump. counterpunch.org Contemporary Republican politicians like to invoke the legacy of Ronald Reagan to bolster their policies. However, the type of White nationalism being espoused by Donald Trump and his supporters more accurately traces back to two less appealing Republican personalities: Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon, and to the backlash created by the Civil Rights Movement of the nineteen sixties. More

David Stein (2019-09-17). The Untold Story: Joe Biden Pushed Ronald Reagan to Ramp Up Incarceration — Not the Other Way Around. theintercept.com Biden has argued that the focus on his 1994 crime bill as a driver of mass incarceration is misplaced. He's right — it was his earlier push that was responsible.

commondreams (2019-09-17). ACLU Comment on Edward Snowden Lawsuit. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Tina Vasquez (2019-09-17). How to Send a Message of Solidarity to People in Migrant Detention. thenation.com How to Send a Message of Solidarity to People in Migrant Detention…

WSWS (2019-09-17). Inspector general report details Trump's abuse of immigrant children. wsws.org Thousands of children have been subjected to intense trauma in the detention facilities of the Trump administration.

teleSUR, LA (2019-09-17). US Sues Edward Snowden Over New Book, Seeks to Sale Profits. telesurenglish.net The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that they were suing NSA data leaker Edward Snowden over his new book "Permanent Record". | RELATED: | Snowden Hopes France Will Grant Him Asylum | "The United States today filed a lawsuit against Edward Snowden, a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA), who published a book entitled Permanent Record in violation of the non-disclosure agreements he signed with both CIA and N…

Staff (2019-09-17). Federal Appeals Court Rules Trump Can Be Sued for Unconstitutional Profiteering. truthout.org | | A federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Trump can be sued for unconstitutionally benefiting from his ongoing ownership of the Trump Organization. The ruling by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York reverses a district court decision th…

teleSUR (2019-09-17). Trump to Revoke California's Authority to Set Vehicle Standards. telesurenglish.net United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)is set to revoke California's authority to regulate gas emissions from automobiles, according to sources familiar with the matter Tuesday. | RELATED: | California Outlaws For-Profit Prisons Including ICE Facilities | The sources said the announcement could be made as soon as this Wednesday, and mark another increase in the rising tensions between the state of California and U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. | Trump administration's plan to freeze federal emission standards, a rollback of tightened standards created by the…

teleSUR (2019-09-17). Tunisia: Saied, Karoui To Runoff Elections. telesurenglish.net Tunisia's Electoral Commission (ISIE) confirmed Tuesday that law professor Kais Saied and jailed media mogul Nabil Karoui won the most votes in Sunday's presidential election, heading thus to the runoff. | RELATED: | Absence Of Political Agreement Pushes Spain Back to Elections | The date of the second and final round has not been announced, but it must happen by Oct. 23. | "Tunisians have written a new and brilliant page in the history of the country," Saied told reporters at his headquar…

Global Research News (2019-09-17). Selected Articles: Drone Attack on Saudi Oil. 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 …

susan_p (2019-09-17). Iran: Labour and student activists sentenced to more than 100 years. greenleft.org.au Workers rights Susan PriceIssue 1238 Iran Haft-Tappeh sugar mill workersSeptember 17, 2019Esmail Bakhshi, a union leader, Sepideh Gholian, a student and civil rights activist and four activist journalists were sentenced to long prison sentences by the Ira…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-09-17). Edward Snowden Responds After Trump DOJ Sues Whistleblower Over New Memoir the US Government 'Does Not Want You to Read'. commondreams.org Citing what First Amendment advocates call an "unconstitutional" system of controlling what federal employees can and cannot say about their work, President Donald Trump's Justice Department on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden over the publication of his memoir. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/26213764531_fb2a8ef6fd_o1.jpg

RT (2019-09-16). OxyContin maker files for bankruptcy faced with over 2,000 lawsuits over opioid epidemic. rt.com Purdue Pharma, accused of fostering the US opioid crisis with its drug OxyContin, filed for bankruptcy protection in a New York court, after a tentative settlement deal faced opposition from multiple states. | The company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in White Plains, New York on Sunday evening, as part of its efforts to finalize a settlement with state and local governments, which sued the pharmaceutical giant en mass for its role in the nation's deadly opioid crisis. | The much-anticipated filing aims to help the company to shield itself from 2,600 lawsuits, including from 26 states. | Also on rt.com

Fight Back (2019-09-16). Chicago elected officials to join human rights delegation to Philippines Consulate. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On September 16, community, civil rights, faith-based and peace activists will join 35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 33rd Ward Alderman Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez and State Representative Jaime Andrade (40th District) in a delegation to the Consulate General of the Philippines, 11: 00 a.m.,122 S. Michigan Avenue. | The delegation will deliver a letter to Consul General Gina Jamoralin with regards to Brandon Lee, an American citizen who was shot in Ifugao, Philippines. Lee is a human rights activist and a native of San Francisco. | Lee was attacked by suspected elements of the 54th Infantry Batt…

ACLU (2019-09-16). AmeriCorps Adopts Health Screening Process That's Fair to Candidates with Disabilities. aclu.org Susie was disqualified from AmeriCorps NCCC for seeking therapy. Now they're changing their screening process so everyone can apply to serve. | Susie Balcom was overjoyed when she received a conditional offer to serve as a support team leader in Mississippi with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), a national, residential service program for young adults. After graduating from college with a 4.0 GPA and spending two terms in the AmeriCorps state program, Susie was ready, willing, and able to fulfill her dream of serving in the national program. | However, a few weeks later, AmeriCorps NCCC to…

Staff (2019-09-16). Headlines for September 16, 2019. democracynow.org U.S. Threatens Military Action Against Iran After Oil Attacks in Saudi Arabia, United Auto Workers Strike to Demand Fair Wages, Healthcare & Job Security from GM, Purdue Pharma Files for Bankruptcy, Calls Mount to Impeach Justice Kavanaugh After NYT Report on Sexual Misconduct, Hong Kong Protesters Appeal to U.S., U.K. as Uprising Shows No Sign of Slowing Down, Outsiders Lead Tunisia's Presidential Exit Polls, Algeria Announces Elections Amid Ongoing Protests Against Ruling Elite, U.K. Judge Says Julian Assange a Flight Risk, Must Remain in Prison, Appeals Court Revives Emoluments Case Against Trump, Felicity Huf…

splcenter (2019-09-15). Remembering the Birmingham church bombing. splcenter.org Fifty-six years ago today, four precious little girls were murdered in one of the most heinous acts of white supremacist terror of the civil rights era.

Michaela Warnsley (2019-09-13). NYC: Fight continues for 'No new jails!'. liberationnews.org "It's up to us to keep the pressure on these shameless, opportunistic politicians, hold them accountable, and fight back!"

Yves Engler (2019-09-13). Challenging the NDP on Palestine During the Election Campaign. dissidentvoice.org Last week I interrupted Jagmeet Singh at a public event to criticize the NDP's suppression of Palestine solidarity activism. Holding a placard with the words "Jagmeet, Palestinian Lives Matter", I demanded the NDP leader apologize for overturning the vote of members who elected Rana Zaman to represent the Dartmouth-Cole Harbour ridding because she defended Palestinians …

pip.hinman (2019-09-13). West Papua: End Australian and US training of Indonesian military. greenleft.org.au civil rights Peter BoyleIssue 1237 Australia West Papua independence Indonesian repressionSeptember 13, 2019″We are winning the struggle with Indonesia," said Benny Wenda, chair of the…

ACLU (2019-09-11). Being Black is Not a Crime: Yunek's Story of Police Brutality. aclu.org A personal story of police brutality at the hands of the police in Peoria, Illinois. | My name is Yunek Moore. I am a Black woman, a college graduate, and a survivor of police brutality. I'm choosing to tell my story because, sadly, this wasn't the last time something like this happened to a person of color in Peoria, Illinois, and that must change. | On June 4, 2013, I was a happy 17-year-old looking forward to attending college at Millikin University. I had just graduated high school, where I was ranked 11th in my entire class and spoke at graduation as one of my final duties as Senior Class President. | That n…

Fight Back (2019-09-11). Chrystul Kizer bail reduction and justice denied. fightbacknews.org Kenosha, WI – When Cyntoia Brown's case was brought forward to the media, there was a large public outcry for justice. How could a victim of human trafficking be imprisoned for killing her rapist and trafficker? Unfortunately, her case is not novel. Chrystul Kizer, a Milwaukee native, has been charged with multiple counts for defending herself against a sexual predator, Randall Volar III. | Only 17 years old at the time of the incident, Kizer's case is incredibly similar to Cyntoia Brown's. Even more concerning is the fact that they were young, Black teenagers, charged with killing older white males who had sexua…

Max Blumenthal (2019-09-05). Was the imprisonment of Iranian-American journalist Marzieh Hashemi spun into expanded US sanctions? thegrayzone.com The relationship between former Air Force analyst-turned-Iranian spy Monica Witt and Hashemi — who was jailed by US authorities this…

splcenter (2019-09-05). Judge blocks ICE from denying parole to asylum-seekers. splcenter.org A federal judge ordered the Trump administration today to change its blanket policy of locking up people lawfully seeking asylum in the United States as a lawsuit filed by the SPLC and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana makes its way through the federal courts.

splcenter (2019-09-03). No' Money, Mo' Problems: Militiaman's Fundraising Plea Devolves into Lawsuit and Mistrust. splcenter.org The jailed militiaman had an interesting fundraising appeal.

ACLU (2019-09-03). A New York Jail Forced a Trans Woman Into a Men's Facility. aclu.org Trans women routinely face harassment and discrimination in jails and prisons. | Jena Faith's experience in the Steuben County Jail was a living nightmare. | The military veteran spent four weeks in the jail awaiting trial last spring. She was initially housed in the jail's women's facility without incident, but things changed when officials suddenly transferred her to the men's facility, despite the fact that she is a woman. | During the weeks that Jena spent as a woman in a men's jail, she was routinely targeted with physical and verbal harassment from other incarcerated people and guards. On her first day in t…

ACLU (2019-08-29). Taxpayers Have Been Ordered to Pay Over $2 Million For Discriminating Against LGBTQ People. aclu.org Government officials should know that discrimination comes with a cost to taxpayers. | Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that the Commonwealth of Kentucky was liable for $224,000 for the actions of Kim Davis, who refused to do her job and issue marriage licenses (to same-sex or different-sex couples) as county clerk. | While Davis' story made national headlines, her case isn't the only one in the past year where a court case filed by the ACLU has led to a bill for discriminatio…

ACLU (2019-08-27). Stripped of Their Rights. aclu.org In 2011, guards at an Illinois prison violated the constitution when they carried out a mass strip-search of incarcerated women. | In March 2011, a tactical team of guards at a state prison in Lincoln, Illinois gathered 200 women and ushered them into a gymnasium, where they were brought in small groups into a separate room nearby. Inside that room, they were told to strip naked in plain view of other guards, cadets, and civilians, without any explanation. Women on their periods were ordered to remove their tampons and sanitary pads. One-by-one, each woman was ordered to lift her breasts, cough and squat, and dis…

ACLU (2019-08-27). New Resource Tool Sheds Light on Government's Prepublication Review System. aclu.org Millions of current and former government employees are subjected to this far-reaching censorship system. | This piece was originally published in Just Security. | For more than three years, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University have been litigating a series of Freedom of Information Act requests relating to "prepublication review." Under this far-reaching censorship system, millions of current and former government employees, con…

ACLU (2019-08-23). Will North Carolina's Supreme Court Allow Racism to Remain a Persistent Factor in its Death Penalty? aclu.org North Carolina's Supreme Court will determine whether evidence of racism in capital punishment can be swept under the rug. | In 2009, North Carolina passed the Racial Justice Act (RJA), which allowed defendants to strike the death penalty from their cases if they could show that racial discrimination was a factor in their prosecution. The law came as a response to a series of exonerations of Black people who were falsely convicted of crimes they did not commit by all-white or nearly all-white juries. The legislature took a bold step to address was what suspected to be deeply troubling evidence of racism infe…

ACLU (2019-08-22). A Louisiana Parish Jailed a U.S. Citizen for Being Latinx. We're Suing. aclu.org Officers in a Louisiana jail held a U.S. citizen for four days on an immigration hold simply because of his skin color and name. | Ramon Torres had been a U.S. citizen for nearly ten years when he was detained for four days on an immigration hold — despite having a U.S. passport, a Louisiana driver's license, and a Social Security card, and despite that fact that a court ordered his release. | Torres' ordeal began in August 2018, when he was pulled over and arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Torres, a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2009, was carrying multiple forms of identification, inclu…

ACLU (2019-08-21). An Arizona Law Requires Surveillance of People Who Are Presumed Innocent. aclu.org The government cannot take shortcuts around constitutional rights. | A pillar of our democracy is the presumption of innocence: before a person has been convicted of a crime, they are considered completely innocent under the law. Yet across the country, people who have not been convicted are punished—both explicitly and implicitly—based on the mistaken assumption that they are dangerous, purely on the basis of an accusation. We do not live in a society where you can be incarcerated or monitored simply because you have been accused of a crime. Doing so violates constitutional rights, fuels mass incarce…

ACLU (2019-08-19). Trump is Taking More Money for Raids and Detention. Congress Should Stop Him. aclu.org Without congressional checks, ICE and CBP will continue to overspend and overstep. | 08/27/19 Update: Congress made public today a document outlining the Department of Homeland Security's plan to take nearly $280 million in funds meant for FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the TSA, among other critical priorities. Over $115 million of these funds will go towards President Trump's growing detention and deportations of immigrants, with the rest being used for sham border courts to…

SAMIR (2019-08-15). The BDS movement calls to boycott three anti-Palestinian German clubs. bdsmovement.net The BDS movement calls to boycott three anti-Palestinian German clubs: PACBI StatementConne Island, Golden Pudel and : //about blank are complicit in Israel's oppression of Palestinians | Cultural Boycott Right To BoycottAugust 15, 2019…

patrick (2019-08-14). BDS condemns antisemitic, fascist forces in Germany and worldwide. bdsmovement.net BDS condemns antisemitic, fascist forces in Germany and worldwide: BNC StatementOur nonviolent movement opposes all forms of racism and racial discrimination. | Right To BoycottAugust 14, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC)

2019-09-18: Social Media Postees

Kevin Spacey Accuser Dies After Finalizing Sexual Assault Lawsuit
The Mind Unleashed | theantimedia.com | 2019-09-18
No details yet on the circumstances of death.
theantimedia.com/kevin-spacey-accuser-dies-after-finalizing-sexual-assault-lawsuit/

Controversial moments from John Humphrys' Today programme career
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-09-18
John Humphrys has divided opinion during his long tenure on the Today programme.His years of interviewing have produced moments that provoked criticism from listeners.While many listeners see Humphrys as the voice of Today and praise his interrogation of politicians, some critics have claimed a tactless approach in some conversations in his long BBC radio career.These are some of the presenter's controversial moments: — Pay cutFormer BBC China editor Carrie Gracie alleged pay discrimination (Dominic Lipinski/PA)The veteran Radio 4 broadcaster was revealed to have earned between £600,000 and £649,0…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/09/18/controversial-moments-from-john-humphrys-today-programme-career/

70 arrested in NYC demanding 'close the camps!'
Brenda Ryan | workers.org | 2019-09-17
Hundreds of people demanding the closing of detention camps on the U.S.-Mexico border joined in an energetic protest that began at the New York Public Library in Manhattan on Sept. 14. Protesters marched to Microsoft's 5th Avenue store where they sat in the entrance demanding that the company stop doing . . . | Continue reading 70 arrested in NYC demanding 'close the camps!' at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/09/17/70-arrested-in-nyc-demanding-close-the-camps/

The Southern Strategy and Donald Trump
Mario Barrera | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-17
Contemporary Republican politicians like to invoke the legacy of Ronald Reagan to bolster their policies. However, the type of White nationalism being espoused by Donald Trump and his supporters more accurately traces back to two less appealing Republican personalities: Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon, and to the backlash created by the Civil Rights Movement of the nineteen sixties.
counterpunch.org/2019/09/17/the-southern-strategy-and-donald-trump/

ACLU Comment on Edward Snowden Lawsuit
commondreams.org | 2019-09-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/09/17/aclu-comment-edward-snowden-lawsuit?cd-origin=rss

Inspector general report details Trump's abuse of immigrant children
wsws.org | 2019-09-17
Thousands of children have been subjected to intense trauma in the detention facilities of the Trump administration.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/17/immi-s17.html

How to Send a Message of Solidarity to People in Migrant Detention
Tina Vasquez | thenation.com | 2019-09-17
How to Send a Message of Solidarity to People in Migrant Detention…
thenation.com/article/flowers-inside-migrant-detention/

The Untold Story: Joe Biden Pushed Ronald Reagan to Ramp Up Incarceration — Not the Other Way Around
David Stein | theintercept.com | 2019-09-17
Biden has argued that the focus on his 1994 crime bill as a driver of mass incarceration is misplaced. He's right — it was his earlier push that was responsible.
theintercept.com/2019/09/17/the-untold-story-joe-biden-pushed-ronald-reagan-to-ramp-up-incarceration-not-the-other-way-around/

US Sues Edward Snowden Over New Book, Seeks to Sale Profits
teleSUR, LA | telesurenglish.net | 2019-09-17
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that they were suing NSA data leaker Edward Snowden over his new book "Permanent Record". | RELATED: | Snowden Hopes France Will Grant Him Asylum | "The United States today filed a lawsuit against Edward Snowden, a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA), who published a book entitled Permanent Record in violation of the non-disclosure agreements he signed with both CIA and N…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Sues-Edward-Snowden-Over-New-Book-Seeks-to-Sale-Profits-20190917-0016.html

US sues Snowden for violating 'CIA & NSA non-disclosure pact' with his new book, but it also wants the proceeds
rt.com | 2019-09-17
The US government has filed a lawsuit against the National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden, alleging that his newly-published memoir 'Permanent Record' violates nondisclosure agreements he signed with the CIA and NSA. | The civil lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, claims that Snowden violated these agreements by not sending a draft of the book to the spy agencies for review — and presumably redaction — before publication. It also alleges that the whistleblower's public speeches on "intelligence-related matters" violated the agreements. | Rather than pull the book from the shelves, the government…
rt.com/usa/469017-snowden-book-cia-nsa/

Trump to Revoke California's Authority to Set Vehicle Standards
telesurenglish.net | 2019-09-17
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)is set to revoke California's authority to regulate gas emissions from automobiles, according to sources familiar with the matter Tuesday. | RELATED: | California Outlaws For-Profit Prisons Including ICE Facilities | The sources said the announcement could be made as soon as this Wednesday, and mark another increase in the rising tensions between the state of California and U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. | Trump administration's plan to freeze federal emission standards, a rollback of tightened standards created by the…
telesurenglish.net/news/Trump-to-Revoke-California-from-Setting-Vehicle-Emission-Rules-20190917-0037.html

You Say You Want a Revolution: a Prison Letter to Yoko Ono
Susie Day | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-17
Dear Yoko Ono, Years, years, and years ago, in 1980, a pathetically deranged man murdered the love of your life. You were walking home, into the Manhattan building where you lived, and suddenly this man, seeking the world's adoration, gunned down your husband, John Lennon. Mark Chapman was given a 20-to-life sentence. After almost four decades, he remains in prison. You want to…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/17/you-say-you-want-a-revolution-a-prison-letter-to-yoko-ono/

Tunisia: Saied, Karoui To Runoff Elections
telesurenglish.net | 2019-09-17
Tunisia's Electoral Commission (ISIE) confirmed Tuesday that law professor Kais Saied and jailed media mogul Nabil Karoui won the most votes in Sunday's presidential election, heading thus to the runoff. | RELATED: | Absence Of Political Agreement Pushes Spain Back to Elections | The date of the second and final round has not been announced, but it must happen by Oct. 23. | "Tunisians have written a new and brilliant page in the history of the country," Saied told reporters at his headquar…
telesurenglish.net/news/Tunisia-Elections-Saied-Karoui-Go-to-to-2nd-Round-20190917-0027.html

Trump Labor Dept. to OK hiring discrimination against gays
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2019-09-17
WASHINGTON–Disregarding popular opposition, especially from civil libertarians and the lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender community, the GOP Trump-run Labor Department appears ready to OK discrimination in hiring — based on religion, gender orientation or both — by enterprises that receive federal contracts. That would fulfill a goal of the anti-worker religious right, progressive analysts note. And since those enterprises …
peoplesworld.org/article/trump-labor-dept-to-ok-hiring-discrimination-against-gays/

Selected Articles: Drone Attack on Saudi Oil
Global Research News | globalresearch.ca | 2019-09-17
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 …
globalresearch.ca/selected-articles-blowback-aggressive-foreign-policy-saudi-drone-attack/5689504

Iran: Labour and student activists sentenced to more than 100 years
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-09-17
Workers rights Susan PriceIssue 1238 Iran Haft-Tappeh sugar mill workersSeptember 17, 2019Esmail Bakhshi, a union leader, Sepideh Gholian, a student and civil rights activist and four activist journalists were sentenced to long prison sentences by the Ira…
greenleft.org.au/content/iran-labour-and-student-activists-sentenced-more-100-years

Edward Snowden Responds After Trump DOJ Sues Whistleblower Over New Memoir the US Government 'Does Not Want You to Read'
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-17
Citing what First Amendment advocates call an "unconstitutional" system of controlling what federal employees can and cannot say about their work, President Donald Trump's Justice Department on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden over the publication of his memoir. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/26213764531_fb2a8ef6fd_o1.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/17/edward-snowden-responds-after-trump-doj-sues-whistleblower-over-new-memoir-us?cd-origin=rss

Chicago elected officials to join human rights delegation to Philippines Consulate
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-09-16
Chicago, IL – On September 16, community, civil rights, faith-based and peace activists will join 35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 33rd Ward Alderman Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez and State Representative Jaime Andrade (40th District) in a delegation to the Consulate General of the Philippines, 11: 00 a.m.,122 S. Michigan Avenue. | The delegation will deliver a letter to Consul General Gina Jamoralin with regards to Brandon Lee, an American citizen who was shot in Ifugao, Philippines. Lee is a human rights activist and a native of San Francisco. | Lee was attacked by suspected elements of the 54th Infantry Batt…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/9/15/chicago-elected-officials-join-human-rights-delegation-philippines-consulate

AmeriCorps Adopts Health Screening Process That's Fair to Candidates with Disabilities
aclu.org | 2019-09-16
Susie was disqualified from AmeriCorps NCCC for seeking therapy. Now they're changing their screening process so everyone can apply to serve. | Susie Balcom was overjoyed when she received a conditional offer to serve as a support team leader in Mississippi with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), a national, residential service program for young adults. After graduating from college with a 4.0 GPA and spending two terms in the AmeriCorps state program, Susie was ready, willing, and able to fulfill her dream of serving in the national program. | However, a few weeks later, AmeriCorps NCCC to…
aclu.org/blog/disability-rights/americorps-adopts-health-screening-process-thats-fair-candidates-disabilities

OxyContin maker files for bankruptcy faced with over 2,000 lawsuits over opioid epidemic
rt.com | 2019-09-16
Purdue Pharma, accused of fostering the US opioid crisis with its drug OxyContin, filed for bankruptcy protection in a New York court, after a tentative settlement deal faced opposition from multiple states. | The company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in White Plains, New York on Sunday evening, as part of its efforts to finalize a settlement with state and local governments, which sued the pharmaceutical giant en mass for its role in the nation's deadly opioid crisis. | The much-anticipated filing aims to help the company to shield itself from 2,600 lawsuits, including from 26 states. | Also on rt.com
rt.com/usa/468880-oxycontin-bankruptcy-opioid-crisis/

Remembering the Birmingham church bombing
splcenter.org | 2019-09-15
Fifty-six years ago today, four precious little girls were murdered in one of the most heinous acts of white supremacist terror of the civil rights era.
splcenter.org/news/2019/09/15/remembering-birmingham-church-bombing

Remembering the Birmingham church bombing
splcenter.org | 2019-09-15
Fifty-six years ago today, four precious little girls were murdered in one of the most heinous acts of white supremacist terror of the civil rights era.
splcenter.org/news/2019/09/15/remembering-birmingham-church-bombing

Challenging the NDP on Palestine During the Election Campaign
Yves Engler | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-09-13
Last week I interrupted Jagmeet Singh at a public event to criticize the NDP's suppression of Palestine solidarity activism. Holding a placard with the words "Jagmeet, Palestinian Lives Matter", I demanded the NDP leader apologize for overturning the vote of members who elected Rana Zaman to represent the Dartmouth-Cole Harbour ridding because she defended Palestinians …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/09/challenging-the-ndp-on-palestine-during-the-election-campaign/

NYC: Fight continues for 'No new jails!'
Michaela Warnsley | liberationnews.org | 2019-09-13
"It's up to us to keep the pressure on these shameless, opportunistic politicians, hold them accountable, and fight back!"
liberationnews.org/nyc-fight-continues-for-no-new-jails/

West Papua: End Australian and US training of Indonesian military
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-09-13
civil rights Peter BoyleIssue 1237 Australia West Papua independence Indonesian repressionSeptember 13, 2019″We are winning the struggle with Indonesia," said Benny Wenda, chair of the…
greenleft.org.au/content/west-papua-end-australian-and-us-training-indonesian-military

West Papua: End Australian and US training of Indonesian military
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-09-13
civil rights Peter BoyleIssue 1237 Australia West Papua independence Indonesian repressionSeptember 13, 2019″We are winning the struggle with Indonesia," said Benny Wenda, chair of the…
greenleft.org.au/content/west-papua-end-australian-and-us-training-indonesian-military

Being Black is Not a Crime: Yunek's Story of Police Brutality
aclu.org | 2019-09-11
A personal story of police brutality at the hands of the police in Peoria, Illinois. | My name is Yunek Moore. I am a Black woman, a college graduate, and a survivor of police brutality. I'm choosing to tell my story because, sadly, this wasn't the last time something like this happened to a person of color in Peoria, Illinois, and that must change. | On June 4, 2013, I was a happy 17-year-old looking forward to attending college at Millikin University. I had just graduated high school, where I was ranked 11th in my entire class and spoke at graduation as one of my final duties as Senior Class President. | That n…
aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police-practices/being-black-not-crime-yuneks-story-police

Chrystul Kizer bail reduction and justice denied
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-09-11
Kenosha, WI – When Cyntoia Brown's case was brought forward to the media, there was a large public outcry for justice. How could a victim of human trafficking be imprisoned for killing her rapist and trafficker? Unfortunately, her case is not novel. Chrystul Kizer, a Milwaukee native, has been charged with multiple counts for defending herself against a sexual predator, Randall Volar III. | Only 17 years old at the time of the incident, Kizer's case is incredibly similar to Cyntoia Brown's. Even more concerning is the fact that they were young, Black teenagers, charged with killing older white males who had sexua…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/9/11/chrystul-kizer-bail-reduction-and-justice-denied

Guaido on the verge of imprisonment: Why does the US have its eye on Essequibo?
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-09-08
Self-proclaimed Venezuelan president Juan Guaido and his team have been convicted of holding talks with Guyana on the territorial issue of Essequibo. According to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Bolivarian Republic, the opposition has offered to surrender Venezuelan's historical claims to the territory of Essequibo. El presidente venezolano @NicolasMaduro anunció que el gobierno se …
uwidata.com/5251-guaido-on-the-verge-of-imprisonment-why-does-the-us-have-its-eye-on-essequibo/

Was the imprisonment of Iranian-American journalist Marzieh Hashemi spun into expanded US sanctions?
Max Blumenthal | thegrayzone.com | 2019-09-05
The relationship between former Air Force analyst-turned-Iranian spy Monica Witt and Hashemi — who was jailed by US authorities this…
thegrayzone.com/2019/09/05/was-the-imprisonment-of-iranian-american-journalist-marzieh-hashemi-spun-into-expanded-us-sanctions/

Judge blocks ICE from denying parole to asylum-seekers
splcenter.org | 2019-09-05
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration today to change its blanket policy of locking up people lawfully seeking asylum in the United States as a lawsuit filed by the SPLC and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana makes its way through the federal courts.
splcenter.org/news/2019/09/05/judge-blocks-ice-denying-parole-asylum-seekers

No' Money, Mo' Problems: Militiaman's Fundraising Plea Devolves into Lawsuit and Mistrust
splcenter.org | 2019-09-03
The jailed militiaman had an interesting fundraising appeal.
splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2019/no-money-mo-problems-militiamans-fundraising-plea-devolves-lawsuit-and-mistrust

A New York Jail Forced a Trans Woman Into a Men's Facility
aclu.org | 2019-09-03
Trans women routinely face harassment and discrimination in jails and prisons. | Jena Faith's experience in the Steuben County Jail was a living nightmare. | The military veteran spent four weeks in the jail awaiting trial last spring. She was initially housed in the jail's women's facility without incident, but things changed when officials suddenly transferred her to the men's facility, despite the fact that she is a woman. | During the weeks that Jena spent as a woman in a men's jail, she was routinely targeted with physical and verbal harassment from other incarcerated people and guards. On her first day in t…
aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/criminal-justice-reform-lgbt-people/new-york-jail-forced-trans-woman-mens-facility

Taxpayers Have Been Ordered to Pay Over $2 Million For Discriminating Against LGBTQ People
aclu.org | 2019-08-29
Government officials should know that discrimination comes with a cost to taxpayers. | Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that the Commonwealth of Kentucky was liable for $224,000 for the actions of Kim Davis, who refused to do her job and issue marriage licenses (to same-sex or different-sex couples) as county clerk. | While Davis' story made national headlines, her case isn't the only one in the past year where a court case filed by the ACLU has led to a bill for discriminatio…
aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/lgbt-nondiscrimination-protections/taxpayers-have-been-ordered-pay-over-2-million

Taxpayers Have Been Ordered to Pay Over $2 Million For Discriminating Against LGBTQ People
aclu.org | 2019-08-29
Government officials should know that discrimination comes with a cost to taxpayers. | Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that the Commonwealth of Kentucky was liable for $224,000 for the actions of Kim Davis, who refused to do her job and issue marriage licenses (to same-sex or different-sex couples) as county clerk. | While Davis' story made national headlines, her case isn't the only one in the past year where a court case filed by the ACLU has led to a bill for discriminatio…
aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/lgbt-nondiscrimination-protections/taxpayers-have-been-ordered-pay-over-2-million

Stripped of Their Rights
aclu.org | 2019-08-27
In 2011, guards at an Illinois prison violated the constitution when they carried out a mass strip-search of incarcerated women. | In March 2011, a tactical team of guards at a state prison in Lincoln, Illinois gathered 200 women and ushered them into a gymnasium, where they were brought in small groups into a separate room nearby. Inside that room, they were told to strip naked in plain view of other guards, cadets, and civilians, without any explanation. Women on their periods were ordered to remove their tampons and sanitary pads. One-by-one, each woman was ordered to lift her breasts, cough and squat, and dis…
aclu.org/blog/prisoners-rights/women-prison/stripped-their-rights

New Resource Tool Sheds Light on Government's Prepublication Review System
aclu.org | 2019-08-27
Millions of current and former government employees are subjected to this far-reaching censorship system. | This piece was originally published in Just Security. | For more than three years, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University have been litigating a series of Freedom of Information Act requests relating to "prepublication review." Under this far-reaching censorship system, millions of current and former government employees, con…
aclu.org/blog/free-speech/employee-speech-and-whistleblowers/new-resource-tool-sheds-light-governments

Will North Carolina's Supreme Court Allow Racism to Remain a Persistent Factor in its Death Penalty?
aclu.org | 2019-08-23
North Carolina's Supreme Court will determine whether evidence of racism in capital punishment can be swept under the rug. | In 2009, North Carolina passed the Racial Justice Act (RJA), which allowed defendants to strike the death penalty from their cases if they could show that racial discrimination was a factor in their prosecution. The law came as a response to a series of exonerations of Black people who were falsely convicted of crimes they did not commit by all-white or nearly all-white juries. The legislature took a bold step to address was what suspected to be deeply troubling evidence of racism infe…
aclu.org/blog/capital-punishment/racial-disparities-and-death-penalty/will-north-carolinas-supreme-court

A Louisiana Parish Jailed a U.S. Citizen for Being Latinx. We're Suing
aclu.org | 2019-08-22
Officers in a Louisiana jail held a U.S. citizen for four days on an immigration hold simply because of his skin color and name. | Ramon Torres had been a U.S. citizen for nearly ten years when he was detained for four days on an immigration hold — despite having a U.S. passport, a Louisiana driver's license, and a Social Security card, and despite that fact that a court ordered his release. | Torres' ordeal began in August 2018, when he was pulled over and arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Torres, a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2009, was carrying multiple forms of identification, inclu…
aclu.org/blog/racial-justice/race-and-criminal-justice/louisiana-parish-jailed-us-citizen-being-latinx-were

An Arizona Law Requires Surveillance of People Who Are Presumed Innocent
aclu.org | 2019-08-21
The government cannot take shortcuts around constitutional rights. | A pillar of our democracy is the presumption of innocence: before a person has been convicted of a crime, they are considered completely innocent under the law. Yet across the country, people who have not been convicted are punished–both explicitly and implicitly–based on the mistaken assumption that they are dangerous, purely on the basis of an accusation. We do not live in a society where you can be incarcerated or monitored simply because you have been accused of a crime. Doing so violates constitutional rights, fuels mass incarce…
aclu.org/blog/privacy-technology/surveillance-technologies/arizona-law-requires-surveillance-people-who-are

Trump is Taking More Money for Raids and Detention. Congress Should Stop Him
aclu.org | 2019-08-19
Without congressional checks, ICE and CBP will continue to overspend and overstep. | 08/27/19 Update: Congress made public today a document outlining the Department of Homeland Security's plan to take nearly $280 million in funds meant for FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the TSA, among other critical priorities. Over $115 million of these funds will go towards President Trump's growing detention and deportations of immigrants, with the rest being used for sham border courts to…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/immigrants-rights-and-detention/trump-taking-more-money-raids-and-detention