Daily Archives: 2019-09-21

2019-09-21: News Headlines

WSWS (2019-09-21). Chelsea Manning imprisoned without charge for six months for refusing to testify against Julian Assange. wsws.org Manning helped expose the vast scale of the violence unleashed upon the people of the Middle East by the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

ACLU of Northern California (2019-09-21). Appeals Court Confirms Discrimination by Dignity Health. indybay.org Sacramento Area Hospital Illegally Refused Transition-Related Surgery…

Judith Granada-Dewey (2019-09-21). Imprisoning a Palestinian Generation: Film & Discussion. indybay.org Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists' Hall | 1924 Cedar (@Bonita), Berkeley www.bfuu.org

susan_p (2019-09-21). Victory as Jock Palfreeman released on parole. greenleft.org.au Pip HinmanIssue 1238 Bulgaria anti-racism prisoners' rights RomaSeptember 21, 2019Anti-fascist campaigner and Australian citizen Jock Palfreeman was unexpectedly granted parole on September 19 after serving…

Staff (2019-09-20). Ending Temp Workers Is at Center of Auto Workers Strike. therealnews.com Auto Worker Jesse Kelly talks about the oppression of being a temp worker, how it keeps workers impoverished & works to diminish unions…

Eric A. Gordon (2019-09-20). Outrage and lawsuits arise from Trump's attempt to ban emissions control. peoplesworld.org LOS ANGELES, FORMER SMOG CAPITAL OF THE WORLD—On Wednesday of this week, in the lead-up to the Global Climate Strike this weekend, President Donald Trump upped the ante on his satanic attempt to end civilized life on Earth. In a series of three tweets, he announced his "Administration is revoking California's Federal Waiver on emissions …

Danny Haiphong (2019-09-20). Late stage U.S. capitalism fosters death and despair, but can it foster class unity? mronline.org Self-determination is still an unknown concept to many despite the efforts of the movement for Black lives and related organizations. | Source

ACLU (2019-09-20). The Supreme Court Considers Mandatory Government Funding of Religious Education. aclu.org A case out of Montana could result in the church-state separation being stripped to the bone. | In Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the Supreme Court will address a question that would have been unthinkable to ask even until quite recently: Can a state be forced to underwrite religious education with taxpayer dollars? Although the court has previously allowed the government to adopt school-voucher programs that provide indirect government aid to religious schools, it has never suggested that the U.S. Cons…

Fight Back (2019-09-20). Workers want Chicago cops out of schools, parks. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On September 13, SEIU Local 73 demanded an end to the city of Chicago spending $33 million from the budget of the public schools, and $12 million from the Parks Department, for police officers. The union, which represents 7000 school workers and 3000 workers in the parks, called for more money for the students and community members. The union was joined by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Black Lives Matter and progressive alderpersons.

Staff (2019-09-20). Meet the Young Woman Suing the US Government Over the Climate Crisis. truthout.org | | Among those joining today's Global Climate Strike will be Kelsey Juliana, lead plaintiff in Juliana v. United States, the landmark youth climate lawsuit against the U.S. government. She joins us for a roundtable discussion, along with Jerome Foster II, White House Climate Strike organizer, founder and executive director of OneMillionOfUs. | TRANSCRIPT: | AMY GOODMAN: We're also joined in Washington, D.C., by two more youth climate organizers. Jerome Foster II is the White House Climate St…

Staff (2019-09-20). Kelsey Juliana v. U.S.: Meet the Young Woman Suing the Federal Government over the Climate Crisis. democracynow.org Among those joining today's Global Climate Strike will be Kelsey Juliana, lead plaintiff in Juliana v. United States, the landmark youth climate lawsuit against the U.S. government. She joins us for a roundtable discussion, along with Jerome Foster II, White House Climate Strike organizer, founder and executive director of OneMillionOfUs.

The Canary (2019-09-19). Indonesian police arrest scores of people linked to huge forest fires. thecanary.co Indonesian police said they have arrested 230 people suspected of starting fires that are spreading health-damaging haze across a large part of south-east Asia.They include three men caught on Monday trying to clear land to plant crops in the Tesso Nilo National Park, which is home to about 140 endangered wild elephants, said Dedi Prasetyo, the national police spokesman.Those arrested could be prosecuted under an environmental protection law that mandates a maximum 10-year prison sentence for setting fires to clear land.Firefighters in Riau province (Rafka Majjid/AP)Indonesia's fires are an annual problem that st…

ACLU (2019-09-19). California Is Ready to Ensure Every Public College Student Has Access to Abortion. aclu.org The state legislature has passed the first bill in the nation ensuring medication abortion is available on UC and CSU campuses. | In a year when we've seen states throughout the South and Midwest move to ban abortion and restrict access to reproductive health, California could soon cement its reputation as a leader in reproductive freedom. This past week, the state legislature passed SB 24 to ensure that medication abortion is available to college students in public universities. | Jessy Rosales, a UC student, stru…

Andrew Perez (2019-09-19). Purdue Pharma Hired PR Firm That Rebranded BP After Deepwater Horizon Spill. theintercept.com Purdue Pharma, the pharmaceutical firm that manufactures OxyContin and allegedly helped fuel widespread addiction to painkillers, has turned to some of the same corporate spin doctors hired by BP after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. | The relationship was revealed in a legal document disclosed on September 15 when Purdue filed for bankruptcy protection. The filing, designed to settle thousands of lawsuits over its role in the opioid epidemic, revealed creditors seeking payments from the Connecticut-based pharmaceutical giant. | Bankruptcy documents have offered a window into corporate dark money in recent y…

pip.hinman (2019-09-19). Australia's radical history of school strikes. greenleft.org.au civil rights Greg AdamsonIssue 1238 Australia high school students social conscienceSeptember 19, 2019What could 15-year-old School Strike 4 Climate activist Harriet O'Shea Carre possibly te…

Gilad Atzmon (2019-09-19). The Only Jewish Ghetto in the Middle East. dissidentvoice.org The results from Tuesday's Israeli elections have confirmed what many of us have known for a long while. The Jewish state is an ultra nationalist right wing swamp. Israel is more hawkish than more hawkish than ever. There is not a single Jewish Israeli Left wing party. The Democratic Party is led and mentored by a …

patrick (2019-09-18). Join the Global Climate Strike. Oppose Israel's climate apartheid. bdsmovement.net Join the Global Climate Strike. Oppose Israel's climate apartheid.: Action AlertTell multinational corporations to stop investing in fossil fuels and in Israel's oppression of the Palestinian people. | Economic BoycottSeptember 19, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…

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…

WSWS (2018-09-21). Jordanian teachers continue strike into second week. wsws.org The teachers' strike comes at a time of mounting anger over the soaring cost of living and the detention of activists calling for political reform.

2019-09-21: Social Media Postees

Chelsea Manning imprisoned without charge for six months for refusing to testify against Julian Assange
wsws.org | 2019-09-21
Manning helped expose the vast scale of the violence unleashed upon the people of the Middle East by the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/21/pers-s21.html

Chelsea Manning imprisoned without charge for six months for refusing to testify against Julian Assange
wsws.org | 2019-09-21
Manning helped expose the vast scale of the violence unleashed upon the people of the Middle East by the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/21/pers-s21.html

Appeals Court Confirms Discrimination by Dignity Health
ACLU of Northern California | indybay.org | 2019-09-21
Sacramento Area Hospital Illegally Refused Transition-Related Surgery…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/20/18826503.php

Imprisoning a Palestinian Generation: Film & Discussion
Judith Granada-Dewey | indybay.org | 2019-09-21
Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists' Hall | 1924 Cedar (@Bonita), Berkeley www.bfuu.org
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/20/18826499.php

Victory as Jock Palfreeman released on parole
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-09-21
Pip HinmanIssue 1238 Bulgaria anti-racism prisoners' rights RomaSeptember 21, 2019Anti-fascist campaigner and Australian citizen Jock Palfreeman was unexpectedly granted parole on September 19 after serving…
greenleft.org.au/content/victory-jock-palfreeman-released-parole

The Supreme Court Considers Mandatory Government Funding of Religious Education
aclu.org | 2019-09-20
A case out of Montana could result in the church-state separation being stripped to the bone. | In Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the Supreme Court will address a question that would have been unthinkable to ask even until quite recently: Can a state be forced to underwrite religious education with taxpayer dollars? Although the court has previously allowed the government to adopt school-voucher programs that provide indirect government aid to religious schools, it has never suggested that the U.S. Cons…
aclu.org/blog/religious-liberty/religion-and-public-schools/supreme-court-considers-mandatory-government

The Supreme Court Considers Mandatory Government Funding of Religious Education
aclu.org | 2019-09-20
A case out of Montana could result in the church-state separation being stripped to the bone. | In Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the Supreme Court will address a question that would have been unthinkable to ask even until quite recently: Can a state be forced to underwrite religious education with taxpayer dollars? Although the court has previously allowed the government to adopt school-voucher programs that provide indirect government aid to religious schools, it has never suggested that the U.S. Cons…
aclu.org/blog/religious-liberty/religion-and-public-schools/supreme-court-considers-mandatory-government

Workers want Chicago cops out of schools, parks
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-09-20
Chicago, IL – On September 13, SEIU Local 73 demanded an end to the city of Chicago spending $33 million from the budget of the public schools, and $12 million from the Parks Department, for police officers. The union, which represents 7000 school workers and 3000 workers in the parks, called for more money for the students and community members. The union was joined by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Black Lives Matter and progressive alderpersons.
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/9/20/workers-want-chicago-cops-out-schools-parks

Late stage U.S. capitalism fosters death and despair, but can it foster class unity?
Danny Haiphong | mronline.org | 2019-09-20
Self-determination is still an unknown concept to many despite the efforts of the movement for Black lives and related organizations. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/09/20/late-stage-u-s-capitalism-fosters-death-and-despair-but-can-it-foster-class-unity/

Workers want Chicago cops out of schools, parks
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-09-20
Chicago, IL – On September 13, SEIU Local 73 demanded an end to the city of Chicago spending $33 million from the budget of the public schools, and $12 million from the Parks Department, for police officers. The union, which represents 7000 school workers and 3000 workers in the parks, called for more money for the students and community members. The union was joined by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Black Lives Matter and progressive alderpersons.
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/9/20/workers-want-chicago-cops-out-schools-parks

Ending Temp Workers Is at Center of Auto Workers Strike
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-20
Auto Worker Jesse Kelly talks about the oppression of being a temp worker, how it keeps workers impoverished & works to diminish unions…
therealnews.com/stories/ending-temp-workers-is-at-center-of-auto-workers-strike

Outrage and lawsuits arise from Trump's attempt to ban emissions control
Eric A. Gordon | peoplesworld.org | 2019-09-20
LOS ANGELES, FORMER SMOG CAPITAL OF THE WORLD–On Wednesday of this week, in the lead-up to the Global Climate Strike this weekend, President Donald Trump upped the ante on his satanic attempt to end civilized life on Earth. In a series of three tweets, he announced his "Administration is revoking California's Federal Waiver on emissions …
peoplesworld.org/article/outrage-and-lawsuits-arise-from-trumps-attempt-to-ban-emissions-control/

Meet the Young Woman Suing the US Government Over the Climate Crisis
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-09-20
| Among those joining today's Global Climate Strike will be Kelsey Juliana, lead plaintiff in Juliana v. United States, the landmark youth climate lawsuit against the U.S. government. She joins us for a roundtable discussion, along with Jerome Foster II, White House Climate Strike organizer, founder and executive director of OneMillionOfUs. | TRANSCRIPT: | AMY GOODMAN: We're also joined in Washington, D.C., by two more youth climate organizers. Jerome Foster II is the White House Climate St…
truthout.org/video/meet-the-young-woman-suing-the-us-government-over-the-climate-crisis/

Kelsey Juliana v. U.S.: Meet the Young Woman Suing the Federal Government over the Climate Crisis
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-20
Among those joining today's Global Climate Strike will be Kelsey Juliana, lead plaintiff in Juliana v. United States, the landmark youth climate lawsuit against the U.S. government. She joins us for a roundtable discussion, along with Jerome Foster II, White House Climate Strike organizer, founder and executive director of OneMillionOfUs.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/20/youth_climate_lawsuit_juliana_v_united

California Is Ready to Ensure Every Public College Student Has Access to Abortion
aclu.org | 2019-09-19
The state legislature has passed the first bill in the nation ensuring medication abortion is available on UC and CSU campuses. | In a year when we've seen states throughout the South and Midwest move to ban abortion and restrict access to reproductive health, California could soon cement its reputation as a leader in reproductive freedom. This past week, the state legislature passed SB 24 to ensure that medication abortion is available to college students in public universities. | Jessy Rosales, a UC student, stru…
aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/abortion/california-ready-ensure-every-public-college-student-has-access

Indonesian police arrest scores of people linked to huge forest fires
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-09-19
Indonesian police said they have arrested 230 people suspected of starting fires that are spreading health-damaging haze across a large part of south-east Asia.They include three men caught on Monday trying to clear land to plant crops in the Tesso Nilo National Park, which is home to about 140 endangered wild elephants, said Dedi Prasetyo, the national police spokesman.Those arrested could be prosecuted under an environmental protection law that mandates a maximum 10-year prison sentence for setting fires to clear land.Firefighters in Riau province (Rafka Majjid/AP)Indonesia's fires are an annual problem that st…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2019/09/19/indonesian-police-arrest-scores-of-people-linked-to-huge-forest-fires/

Purdue Pharma Hired PR Firm That Rebranded BP After Deepwater Horizon Spill
Andrew Perez | theintercept.com | 2019-09-19
Purdue Pharma, the pharmaceutical firm that manufactures OxyContin and allegedly helped fuel widespread addiction to painkillers, has turned to some of the same corporate spin doctors hired by BP after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. | The relationship was revealed in a legal document disclosed on September 15 when Purdue filed for bankruptcy protection. The filing, designed to settle thousands of lawsuits over its role in the opioid epidemic, revealed creditors seeking payments from the Connecticut-based pharmaceutical giant. | Bankruptcy documents have offered a window into corporate dark money in recent y…
theintercept.com/2019/09/19/purdue-pharma-bp-deepwater-pr/

Australia's radical history of school strikes
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-09-19
civil rights Greg AdamsonIssue 1238 Australia high school students social conscienceSeptember 19, 2019What could 15-year-old School Strike 4 Climate activist Harriet O'Shea Carre possibly te…
greenleft.org.au/content/australias-radical-history-school-strikes

Join the Global Climate Strike. Oppose Israel's climate apartheid
patrick | bdsmovement.net | 2019-09-18
Join the Global Climate Strike. Oppose Israel's climate apartheid.: Action AlertTell multinational corporations to stop investing in fossil fuels and in Israel's oppression of the Palestinian people. | Economic BoycottSeptember 19, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) …
bdsmovement.net/news/join-global-climate-strike-oppose-israels-climate-apartheid

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/

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/

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

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

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/

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

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

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

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