(2019-10-13). Civil Rights Are on the Chopping Block in New Supreme Court Term. truthout.org | | This term, the Supreme Court will decide whether people can be fired for being transgender or LGBQ, if people brought to the U.S. as children can be deported, whether states can impose restrictions on abortion that disproportionately harm poor women, how firm the separation between church and state is, the scope of the Second Amendment and whether criminal defendants can be convicted by less-than-unanimous juries. | Millions of people will be impacted by the results of these cases. "The court's de…
(2019-10-13). Jeremy Corbyn slams the Tories for trying to rig election results with voter ID checks. thecanary.co 
The government recently announced plans to introduce ID checks at polling stations ahead of the next general election. The move is said to be an attempt to "safeguard against electoral fraud". | However, only allowing people with photo ID to vote will have a massive impact. It may well block the poorest and most vulnerable people from voting. | Voter suppression and election rigging: | The number of people likely to be affe…
(2019-10-12). Calls rise to demand the release of Julian Assange. thecanary.co 
Singer MIA has joined the call to demand the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after visiting him in London's high-security Belmarsh prison.The rapper and songwriter — real name Mathangi Arulpragasam — is one of a number of celebrity supporters who have been to see Assange since he was sent to Belmarsh earlier this year after spending seven years in the Ecuadorean embassy in the capital to avoid extradition.Asked how the whistleblower was faring, the musician said: It's difficult to describe… he shouldn't be in there.Julian Assange is facing extradition to the US (Victoria Jones/PA)She also s…
(2019-10-12). Six months since the brutal arrest of WikiLeaks' publisher Julian Assange. wsws.org While Assange is subjected to what amounts to torture in a British prison, the war criminals he has done so much to expose walk free.
(2019-10-12). Ecuador: 'No Place to Hide', More Cities Reject Neoliberalism. telesurenglish.net For the first time in the history of the Republic of Ecuador, the government headquarters was transferred from Quito, the capital city, to Guayaquil on October 7. | President Lenin Moreno made the decision amid growing protests against the policy package implemented to secure an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan. | The decision also happened a week after Moreno declared a State of Exception, a legal move which allows the government to restrict civil and political rights. | Closure of alternative media, detention of hundreds of people and other measures to halt citizen protest, however, would appear to have h…
(2019-10-12). Alaska Supreme Court hears oral arguments in kids' climate change lawsuit. nationofchange.org 'Is there a time to declare that air that sustains life is a fundamental right?'
(2019-10-12). An Aperspectival View of the Culture War. dissidentvoice.org 
Each stage in the history of the civil rights movement has had a specific theme and focus. In the 19th century it was race and gender, in the 20th it was race, gender, gay, bi, trans, queer, in the 21st it is all of them +. One could say that these are ideas whose time …
(2019-10-11). Montgomery, Alabama has first Black mayor in its two-century history. peoplesworld.org 
(2019-10-11). Cleveland Protest hits county jail conditions, demands end to cash bail. workers.org 
Coalition to Stop the Inhumanity at the Cuyahoga County Jail rallies outside Cleveland so-called "Justice Center" October 8. The Coalition to Stop the Inhumanity at the Cuyahoga County Jail held a march and rally in downtown Cleveland on Oct. 8 to spotlight the deplorable conditions in the local jail. After . . . | Continue reading Cleveland Protest hits county jail conditions, demands end to cash bail at Workers.org
(2019-10-11). Houthis Vow Retaliation As Saudi Naval Blockade Sparks Fresh Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen. mintpressnews.com 
Saudi Arabia has stepped up its seizure and detention of ships carrying food and fuel into Yemen, sparking shortages that experts warn will push the country's civilians into even more dire straits.
(2019-10-11). Under capitalism, even water is a tool of oppression. mronline.org 
All life depends on water. It covers 71 percent of the Earth's surface, makes up 60 percent of our bodies and literally falls from the sky. It's abundant and indispensable. But under capitalism, even water is a tool of social domination. | Source
(2019-10-11). Administrative Torture: Free Heba al-Labadi, a Jordanian Citizen in Israeli Prison. counterpunch.org On August 20, Heba Ahmed al-Labadi fell into the dark hole of the Israeli legal system, joining 413 Palestinian prisoners who are currently held in so-called administrative detention. On September 26, Heba and seven other prisoners declared a hunger strike to protest their unlawful detention and horrific conditions in Israeli prisons. Among the prisoners is More
(2019-10-11). WikiLeaks source Jeremy Hammond held in contempt by grand jury. wsws.org Information activist Jeremy Hammond has been found in contempt of court for refusing to answer questions before the same judge and grand jury that imprisoned Chelsea Manning.
(2019-10-11). Chicago actors Theo Germaine and Daniel Kyri push boundaries of queer representation. peoplesworld.org 
Friday, Oct. 11, marks the annual recognition of National Coming Out Day. First observed in 1988, the day is dedicated to raising awareness of civil rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community. With the current administration occupying the White House threatening to strip away LGBTQ rights, being "visible" remains an inherently political …
(2019-10-11). The Stanford Sexual Assault Case Made Her "Emily Doe." In New Memoir, Chanel Miller Tells Her Story. democracynow.org 
We spend the hour with author Chanel Miller speaking about her recently published remarkable memoir, "Know My Name." The book chronicles how Miller reclaimed her name, her story and her life after being sexually assaulted by Brock Turner, a member of the Stanford University swim team, in 2015. At the time, she was known as "Emily Doe." The case gained national prominence when a California judge sentence Turner to just six months in a county jail after he was convicted of three counts of felony sexual assault. He ended up spending only three months locked up. The sentencing sparked outrage. Voters in California la…
(2019-10-10). Elizabeth Warren Shows Us How to Fight a Smear. thenation.com 
But Democrats shouldn't have to keep refuting garbage stories, especially sexist ones.
(2019-10-10). The Supreme Court Needs to Protect Trans People from Discrimination. progressive.org "I wasn't hired because I am trans. And in more than half the country—twenty-nine states, in fact —that's perfectly legal."
(2019-10-10). The Actual Laws Trump Has Broken, Just With the Ukraine and China Affairs, Could Land Him 10 Years in Prison. theintercept.com Take 18 U.S. Code ß 872: "Extortion by officers or employees of the United States." Or 18 U.S. Code ß 610: "Coercion of political activity."
(2019-10-10). White Supremacist William Fears to Get Five Years in Prison. splcenter.org William Henry Fears IV, an avowed racist with a lengthy criminal record, has agreed to a plea deal of five years for choking his former girlfriend.
(2019-10-10). SCOTUS Deeply Divided on LGBTQ Rights. therealnews.com 
The Justices heard cases that would broaden sex discrimination under Civil Rights Act to include Gays, Lesbians and Transgender citizens.
(2019-10-10). Trump impeachment inquiry reveals deep ruling class divisions. greenleft.org.au 
US politics Barry SheppardIssue 1240 United States Donald Trump impeachmentOctober 10, 2019The House of Representatives impeachment inquiry into United States President Donald Trump was launched by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on September 24 an…
(2019-10-09). Divided Supreme Court Hears Landmark LGBTQ Workplace Discrimination Case. democracynow.org 
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in three cases that will determine whether LGBTQ people can be fired from their jobs due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Among the court's conservative justices, only Neil Gorsuch appeared open to prohibiting such workplace discrimination. One of the cases centers on a transgender woman from Michigan named Aimee Stephens, who was fired from her job at a funeral home in 2013. The Supreme Court is expected to hand down its decision in the three cases by early next summer. We speak to James Esseks, director of the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project, who attended Tu…
(2019-10-09). Headlines for October 9, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Won't Cooperate with Impeachment Probe, Prompting Constitutional Crisis, Turkish Attack on Kurds in Syria Imminent After U.S. Steps Aside, Afghanistan Claims al-Qaeda Leader Died in U.S.-Led Attack That Killed 40 Civilians, Trump Admin Planning Withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty, Wife of U.S. Diplomat Claims Immunity After Crash That Killed Motorcyclist, Supreme Court Hears Arguments in LGBTQ Workplace Discrimination Cases, 800,000 Californians Face Blackouts as PG&E Cuts Power Amid Wildfire Fears, Steven Reed Elected First Black Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama, NBC Producer Says Matt Lauer Raped Her in 2014, U…
(2019-10-09). Reaction to Jock Palfreeman's illegal detention continues to grow. greenleft.org.au 
civil rights Pip HinmanIssue 1240 Bulgaria political prisoner paroleOctober 9, 2019On October 7, three Bulgarian judges from the Supreme Court of Cassation decided they would need up to two months to review…
(2019-10-09). Julián Castro Backs Impeachment Effort & Condemns Trump's "Betrayal" of Kurds in Northern Syria. democracynow.org 
Turkey's government says its troops are prepared for an imminent assault on Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, after President Trump ordered U.S. troops to fall back from their positions on the Turkish-Syrian border. Kurdish fighters said they're bracing for a "humanitarian catastrophe." This follows warnings that former Kurdish allies of the U.S. who feel betrayed by President Trump will abandon thousands of prisoners captured during the U.S.-backed war against ISIS over the past two years. We speak to former housing secretary and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro, who says Trump's move is a…
(2019-10-08). The Trump Administration Is Fighting at the Supreme Court to Let Employers Fire Queer and Trans Workers. theintercept.com 
Three cases before the Supreme Court threaten to gut sex discrimination laws. Already imperiled transgender and queer workers could be the hardest hit.
(2019-10-07). "We Have to Mass Mobilize": Laverne Cox & Chase Strangio Sound the Alarm on Major LGBTQ SCOTUS Cases. democracynow.org 
At the start of its new term, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Tuesday in three cases to determine whether LGBTQ people can be fired from their jobs due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers cannot discriminate against employees on the basis of sex, as well as race, color, national origin and religion, but the Trump administration claims the law does not cover discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The cases mark the first time the Supreme Court will rule on LGBTQ rights since conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh re…
(2019-10-04). Labor unions to join national civil rights conference with Angela Davis in November. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Unions are on the march in defense of their members across the country, with the autoworker strike against GM and strike authorization votes by teachers and other city employees in Chicago. Unions are also defending their members when they leave work and find their lives in danger from the very people paid to protect them: the police. | Labor is joining a new effort to hold the police accountable for the killing, wrongful conviction, and even torture of young Blacks and Latinos. On November 22-24, veteran human rights activist Angela Davis will be in Chicago to re-establish the National Alliance Ag…
(2019-10-04). Headlines for October 4, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Publicly Calls on Ukraine and China to Investigate the Bidens, Trump Discussed Campaign Rivals in June Call with China's Xi Jinping, FEC Chair: Illegal for Candidates to Solicit Foreign Help in U.S. Elections, Messages Detail How U.S. Officials Pressured Ukraine on Trump's Behalf, IRS Whistleblower: Treasury Official Tried to Interfere with Trump or Pence Tax Audit, Trump Administration to Collect DNA of All Immigrants Jailed in U.S., Iraq Death Toll at 44 as Violent Repression of Protests Continues, Honduran President Denies Narcotrafficking Ties as His Brother Faces U.S. Trial, Protests Rock Ecuador as IM…
(2019-10-03). Young Lords remember martyrs and march for the future. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – A standing room only crowd filled the Holy Covenant United Methodist Church on September 29 to commemorate Reverend Bruce Johnson and Eugenia Johnson. The reverend and his wife Eugenia were remembered for supporting the Young Lords and their role in the struggle against poverty, war and oppression. They were savagely murdered in their own home 50 years ago, stabbed to death, during a U.S. government campaign of repression known as COINTELPRO or the Counterintelligence Program. | Ministers of the United Methodist Church, the Bishop of Chicago's Episcopal Church and leaders from the Presbyterian McCo…
(2019-10-03). Headlines for October 3, 2019. democracynow.org House Democrats Prepare White House Subpoena in Impeachment Probe, Trump Rages Against Impeachment Probe with Profanity and Insults, Bernie Sanders Has Surgery to Clear Blocked Artery, Deaths and Injuries Mount as Iraqi Police and Soldiers Fire on Protesters, EU Officials Wary as British PM Boris Johnson Unveils Brexit Plan , Hong Kong Teen Shot During Protests Charged with Assaulting Officer, Record-Breaking Hurricane Lorenzo Lashes Azores, Heads for Ireland, London Climate Protesters Spray British Treasury with Fake Blood, Cameroonian Asylum Seeker Dies in For-Profit Immigration Jail, Plácido Domingo Quits L.A.
(2019-10-03). As Man Dies in ICE Custody, California Moves to Ban For-Profit Prisons, Including Immigrant Jails. democracynow.org 
A Cameroonian immigrant died this week in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in California. The man, identified as 37-year-old Nebane Abienwi, died on Tuesday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. This comes as California lawmakers passed a bill last month that would ban private prisons statewide, a major blow to the for-profit prison industry in the U.S. that is deeply entangled in immigration detention. The legislation also orders the closure of four ICE prisons that can jail up to 4,500 immigrants. The bill is currently awaiting the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom, who said in his January…
(2019-10-03). Trump vs. California: In Blow to Climate, U.S. Revokes State's Stricter Auto Emissions Standards. democracynow.org 
California is in a legal battle with the Trump administration over tailpipe emissions, air quality and climate change. California recently joined nearly two dozen other states to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration after it revoked the state's air pollution standards for cars and light trucks, in its latest regulatory rollback of laws aimed at slowing the climate crisis. Auto emissions are California's single largest source of greenhouse gases. From Los Angeles, we're joined by Mary Nichols, the longtime chair of the California Air Resources Board. She has led the board in crafting California's intern…
(2019-09-23). Opportunity Costs: Community corrections program offers a roadmap for client success. splcenter.org Positive client outcomes indicate promising investment for fiscally sound prison alternatives, rather than prison construction.
(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)
(2019-09-18). Safe For Whom? How the MSD Commission is putting Florida's Children in Danger. splcenter.org The commission appointed by politicians to study school safety in Florida after the mass shooting in Parkland in 2018 has recommended—without evidence to support them—measures that place children at greater risk of being shot or wrongfully arrested; put children's privacy and liberty in jeopardy and strip them of civil rights; create school environments that are more tense, anxiety-provoking, and traumatic; breed distrust between students and faculty; and absorb funds needed for programs that have actually been proven to make schools safer for all students. | Lacking needed expertise and diversity, th…