Daily Archives: 2019-10-21

2019-10-21: News Headlines

San Diego PSL (2019-10-21). San Diego protest demands closure of migrant concentration camps. liberationnews.org "The detention of migrants and refugees seeking asylum is a direct result of U.S. imperialism."

John Malkin (2019-10-21). Facial Recognition Technology in Santa Cruz. indybay.org Interview with Northern California ACLU technology and civil rights attorney Matt Cagle about facial recognition technology. Cagle will be a panelist at a public forum sponsored by the Santa Cruz Chapter of the ACLU on Friday, October 25 at 7: 00 PM at the Santa Cruz Resource Center for Nonviolence. Additional panelists will be Santa Cruz City Councilmember Justin Cummings, Lee Hepner, aide to San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin and Tracy Rosenberg, Executive Director of Media Alliance.

commondreams (2019-10-21). ACLU Comment on Appeals Court Ruling in No Fly List Challenge. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Stephen Lendman (2019-10-21). US Syria Pullout? A Saigon Moment? globalresearch.ca The 1972 Church/Case amendment ended congressional funding for US military operations in Southeast Asia — except for withdrawal of Pentagon forces, subject to release of prisoners of war. | In June 1973, congressional legislation ended all funding after August 15. After …

Center for Biological Diversity (2019-10-21). Court Rejects Trump Administration Efforts to Avoid Curbing Risks From Dangerous Pesticide. indybay.org OAKLAND, Calif., October 15, 2019 — A federal district court in Oakland today rejected the Trump administration's efforts to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the failure of the Environmental Protection Agency to protect endangered wildlife and the environment from the dangerous pesticide malathion.

Nino Pagliccia (2019-10-21). Peace Restored in Ecuador. But Is Trust Restored? globalresearch.ca After ten people were reported killed on the streets of Ecuador, together with about 2,000 people injured and a large number imprisoned, an agreement was reached between the Lenin Moreno government and protesters against a controversial Decree 883 that had …

Staff (2019-10-21). Kings Bay Plowshares 7: Trial Begins for Liz McAlister & Others for Breaking Into Nuke Sub Base. democracynow.org Seven Catholic peace activists are going on trial in Georgia today for breaking into the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base on April 4, 2018. The activists, who are known as the Kings Bay Plowshares 7, face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. The activists entered the base armed with just hammers, crime scene tape, baby bottles containing their own blood and an indictment charging the U.S. government with crimes against peace. Over the past four decades activists in the Plowshares movement have taken part in about 100 similar actions at nuclear arms facilities, beginning in 1980 at the General Electric nuclear mis…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2019-10-21). Rejecting Challenge to No Fly List, Federal Appeals Court Leaves Men Charged With No Crime 'In an Indefinite Kafkaesque Nightmare'. commondreams.org The lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of four U.S. citizens. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/aclu-no-fly-list.jpg

Ben Norton (2019-10-20). Longest-held US political prisoner sends support from Puerto Rico to Venezuela. thegrayzone.com The world's longest-held political prisoner, Puerto Rican revolutionary Oscar López Rivera, who was incarcerated in the US for 36 years,…

Fred_F (2019-10-19). News and resources: Catalonia's struggle for self-determination. greenleft.org.au international solidarity Dick NicholsIssue 1241 Catalonia BarcelonaOctober 19, 2019After the Spanish Supreme Court sentenced nine political and social Catalan leaders on October 14 to a total of 99.5 years jail for organising the October 1, 2017 independence…

Staff (2019-10-18). NYC Council Votes to Build More Jails, Continue Mass Incarceration. therealnews.com Eddie Conway speaks with No New Jails organizer Pilar Maschi ahead of the NYC Council jail vote about what grassroots activists can do to continue the fight to keep new jails out of New York City.

Naureen Shah (2019-10-18). Why is the Trump Administration Trying to Tear This 26-Year-Old DACA Recipient Away From Her Child? aclu.org Anahi Jaquez —Estrada is scared. As soon as Monday, she may be deported to a country she hardly knows: away from her 8-year-old daughter and her husband, both of whom are United States citizens. She has lived in the U.S. almost her entire life and is in the process of becoming a lawful permanent resident. Her story is at once exceptionally tragic and a paradigmatic example of how our immigration legal system is failing — and tearing families apart. | I met Anahi in late July at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention site in Aurora, Colorado, where she has spent the last year and a…

Staff (2019-10-18). Spain Sentences Catalan Leaders in Contradictory Ruling. therealnews.com Police and protesters clash in Barcelona for a fourth consecutive day over a problematic, contradictory 9-13 year prison sentence for Catalan independence leaders.

Udi Ofer (2019-10-18). Unveiling a State-by-State Plan to End our Mass Incarceration Crisis. aclu.org The United States locks up more of its people than | any other nation in the world. A whopping 2.2 million people are living behind | bars in this country on any given day. Our national incarceration rate is four | times that of Australia, five times that of the United Kingdom, and six times that | of Canada. | This uniquely American problem is not one crisis | — rather, mass incarceration is a series of state-based catastrophes, each one | different from the next. While much attention was paid | to the federal reforms passed last year through the First Step Act, of | the 2.2 million people locked up on…

Zachary Small (2019-10-18). What Curators Don't Get About Prison Art. thenation.com What Curators Don't Get About Prison Art…

Staff (2019-10-18). Sentenced to Life in Prison as a Teen, How Cyntoia Brown Survived Sex Trafficking & Won Her Freedom. democracynow.org At the age of 16, she was arrested for killing a man who had picked her up for sex, after she had been forced into sexual slavery as a child. She was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder for shooting the man who bought her for sex when she feared for her life. Today Cyntoia Brown-Long joins us to share her experience, what has happened in the 15 years she was incarcerated, and how she won her release. In an incredible development, after a years-long campaign to win her freedom, Cyntoia was granted clemency in January after former Tennessee Governor Bill Ha…

Staff (2019-10-18). Headlines for October 18, 2019. democracynow.org Under U.S. Deal, Turkish Occupation of Northern Syria Continues; Ethnic Cleansing Feared, "We Do That All the Time": Mulvaney Admits to Quid Pro Quo over Ukraine, Ambassador Sondland Confirms Giuliani Pushed Ukraine Policy, Energy Secretary Rick Perry to Resign, U.S. to Host G7 at Trump Resort in Possible Violation of Constitution, Civilian Casualties Reach New High in Afghanistan, Corbyn Urges Labour Party Members to Reject New Brexit Deal, Chicago Teacher Strike Enters Second Day, NYC City Council Backs Plan to Close Rikers as Activists Call for No New Jails, Cuban Asylum Seeker Dies in Solitary Confinement in…

Lindsey Kaley (2019-10-18). Patients' Needs, Not Personal Beliefs, Come First in Health Care. aclu.org From the | start, the Trump administration has issued one regulation after another that uses | religion to deny people — particularly pregnant people, people with low-incomes, | and LGBTQ people — health care access and coverage. Today, we are asking | a federal district court in New York to strike down one of the most pernicious | of these regulations: the refusal of care rule. | The refusal | of care rule, issued by the Department of Health | and Human Services (…

Staff (2019-10-17). He Died in Jail From Dehydration. His Family Says a Leaked Video Shows it Was Murder. therealnews.com On this episode of the Police Accountability Report we examine the case of Shali Tilson, who died after he was jailed during a mental health crisis. But a leaked video shows he was denied water and medical treatment by GA prison authorities for a week—mistreatment his family says was criminal.

Staff (2019-10-17). The Real News' Marc Steiner Remembers Rep. Elijah Cummings. therealnews.com Cummings was a civil rights leader, a political powerhouse, and, most recently, an outspoken opponent of President Donald Trump.

Jennifer Bellamy (2019-10-17). Nebraskans Aim to End Predatory Lending with a Ballot Proposal to Slash Payday Interest Rates. aclu.org Nebraskans | for Responsible Lending announced this week that they will begin gathering | signatures to reduce the amount that payday lenders may charge to a maximum | annual interest rate of 36 percent. For loans with higher rates made in | violation of this rate cap, the payday lenders would be banned from collecting | principal, interest, or other charges. | Currently, | payday lenders in Nebraska, also known as delayed deposit lenders, can charge | predatory rates with an average annual percentage rate (APR) of 404 percent and | in some cases as high as 461 percent. To put this in context, this means | fa…

Staff (2019-10-17). Headlines for October 17, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Has "Meltdown" After Lawmakers Rebuke His Actions on Syria, Gordon Sondland to Testify in Impeachment Inquiry Today, Britain and European Union Reach Brexit Deal, Protests Continue in Catalonia After Sentencing of Separatist Leaders, Trump Admin Proposes Opening Up Tongass National Forest to Logging, 500,000 Kids Could Lose Free School Lunches Under Changes to Food Stamp Program, Chicago Public School Teachers on Strike Today, General Motors and UAW Reach Tentative Deal Aimed at Ending Strike, NYC Council Slated to Vote on $8 Billion Plan to Close Rikers & Build New Jails, Maryland Congressmember Elijah Cum…

susan_p (2019-10-17). Vindictive sentence in Catalan leaders' trial unleashes tsunami of protest. greenleft.org.au self-determination Dick NicholsIssue 1241 Catalonia Catalan independence struggle BarcelonaOctober 18, 2019The gap between the 75%—80% of Catalans who uphold their country's…

Dianne Mathiowetz (2019-10-16). Atlanta Pride says 'Free Chelsea Manning!'. workers.org For over three hours on Oct. 12, tens of thousands of Atlanta Pride marchers passed by stationary teams on both sides of Peachtree Street with banners and leaflets calling for freedom for Chelsea Manning, the anti-war whistleblower. Upon spotting the banners reading, "Free Chelsea Manning! Jail War Criminals,"countless participants reached . . . | Continue reading Atlanta Pride says 'Free Chelsea Manning!' at Workers.org

Staff (2019-10-16). Real Talk Tho: Is There a More Equitable Way to Fund Development? therealnews.com Encouraging development without big tax breaks to developers is possible in Baltimore. While Baltimore has used hefty tax subsidies for wealthy developers to fund development in the past, there are more equitable approaches to stimulating growth that do not exacerbate the inequities that plague our city and could repair decades of racial segregation and discrimination: …

Phebe Eckfeldt (2019-10-16). Hundreds pack State House to resist mass incarceration. workers.org Hundreds of families, friends and supporters of prisoners packed the Massachusetts State House Oct. 8 to support "An Act to Reduce Mass Incarceration." This bill, H3358, would eliminate life sentences without parole. A person serving a life sentence would be allowed to have a parole hearing after 25 years, then . . . | Continue reading Hundreds pack State House to resist mass incarceration at Workers.org

Heather L. Weaver (2019-10-16). Trump Cabinet Officials Double Down on Religious Favoritism. aclu.org Last Friday was a banner day for religious favoritism in the Trump administration. | In | Nashville, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a "speech" that was — for | all intents and purposes — a Christian sermon. Addressing an association of | Christian counselors, Secretary Pompeo discussed how to be a good Christian | leader, quoting scripture and urging audience members to conduct themselves in | accordance with his interpretation of biblical tenets. He also commandeered | State Department resources to advertise his sermon in advance, broadcast it live, | and disseminate a video of it after…

Jeffery Robinson (2019-10-16). Amber Guyger's Sentence Doesn't Highlight a More Empathetic Criminal Legal System. aclu.org "I'm sorry, | I can't explain that." | That's | what prosecutor Jason Hermus said to Botham Jean's parents after the jury gave | Amber Guyger a 10-year sentence for intentionally murdering their son. Jean's | father shook Hermus' hand and said, "You fought a good fight." | Jean's | brother hugged Guyger, saying he did not want her to go to jail. The judge also | embraced Guyger and gave her a Bible. Is this a sign of a new wave of racial | healing in the criminal legal system? Could it be the beginning of the end of | excessive sentences in America or a step down the road to prison abolition? | Unfortunately,…

Esteban Guevara (2019-10-16). Newark protesters: Democratic Party machine an accomplice in Trump's war on immigrants. liberationnews.org Protesters gathered in Newark, New Jersey for a rally and 3-mile march up to the detention center organized by the Resist the Deportation Machine Network on Oct. 12 to demand the closure of the ICE concentration camp in Essex county.

Staff (2019-10-15). California Lawmakers Passed a Bill Banning Private Prisons. therealnews.com Activist Amani Sawari talks about what the impact on people in private prisons and immigration detention centers will be if Governor Gavin Newsom signs AB32, which would phase out private prisons by 2028.

Liberation Staff (2019-10-15). Leonard Peltier subjected to unjust lockdown in prison: Write to the warden now! liberationnews.org The Party for Socialism and Liberation urges its supporters to write the warden to demand an end to this brutal lockdown.

Kate Ruane (2019-10-15). Our Online Speech Rights Are Under Threat. aclu.org Congress on Wednesday will examine a little-known law that has made the internet the space for self-expression and connection that it is today. The law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA 230), is one of the most speech protective laws Congress has ever enacted and it is now under threat. | The internet today provides us an indispensable platform to communicate freely with others who might otherwis…

Jay Stanley (2019-10-15). 'Smart' Cameras Are Now On the Lookout For Distracted Drivers in Australia. aclu.org "Smart" traffic cameras that use artificial intelligence to try to spot people using cell phones while driving are being rolled out in Australia. The devices take a high-resolution photograph through the front windshield of each passing vehicle, and also capture its license plate. Each photograph is then analyzed by an AI algorithm. If the algorithm decides that the driver is touching a mobile phone, tablet, or another device, it then forwards the photograph to a human reviewer who confirms the violation and issues a citation to the car's registered owner along with a hefty fine. | This technology represents…

Leslie Cooper (2019-10-15). Will the Supreme Court Sanction the Use of a Religious Litmus Test For Foster Parents? aclu.org There are currently 440,000 children in foster care across the | country. And the Supreme Court has been asked to hear Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, | a case that could profoundly impact all of them. | In a petition filed with the court, a taxpayer-funded foster care agency is claiming a constitutional right to exclude prospective foster families that don't meet its religious criteria when providing public child welfare services. The ACLU and the ACL…

Ahmed Abdulkareem (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.

Will Tucker (2019-10-11). Creative writing class in prison was 'light' in the darkness. splcenter.org

Staff (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…

Robin Savannah Carver (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."

Hatewatch Staff (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.

splcenter (2019-10-07). Beyond Bars: Life before and after incarceration in Alabama. splcenter.org As criminal justice and prison reform take center stage in Alabama politics, Alabamians for Fair Justice, a broad coalition of advocates supported by the SPLC and other organizations, are working to lift up the voices of people directly affected by the criminal justice system.

Kathryn Casteel (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.

2019-10-21: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

San Diego protest demands closure of migrant concentration camps
San Diego PSL | liberationnews.org | 2019-10-21
"The detention of migrants and refugees seeking asylum is a direct result of U.S. imperialism."
liberationnews.org/san-diego-protest-demands-closure-of-migrant-concentration-camps/

Facial Recognition Technology in Santa Cruz
John Malkin | indybay.org | 2019-10-21
Interview with Northern California ACLU technology and civil rights attorney Matt Cagle about facial recognition technology. Cagle will be a panelist at a public forum sponsored by the Santa Cruz Chapter of the ACLU on Friday, October 25 at 7: 00 PM at the Santa Cruz Resource Center for Nonviolence. Additional panelists will be Santa Cruz City Councilmember Justin Cummings, Lee Hepner, aide to San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin and Tracy Rosenberg, Executive Director of Media Alliance.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/10/19/18827453.php

ACLU Comment on Appeals Court Ruling in No Fly List Challenge
commondreams.org | 2019-10-21
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/10/21/aclu-comment-appeals-court-ruling-no-fly-list-challenge?cd-origin=rss

US Syria Pullout? A Saigon Moment?
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-10-21
The 1972 Church/Case amendment ended congressional funding for US military operations in Southeast Asia — except for withdrawal of Pentagon forces, subject to release of prisoners of war. | In June 1973, congressional legislation ended all funding after August 15. After …
globalresearch.ca/us-syria-pullout/5692607

Court Rejects Trump Administration Efforts to Avoid Curbing Risks From Dangerous Pesticide
Center for Biological Diversity | indybay.org | 2019-10-21
OAKLAND, Calif., October 15, 2019 — A federal district court in Oakland today rejected the Trump administration's efforts to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the failure of the Environmental Protection Agency to protect endangered wildlife and the environment from the dangerous pesticide malathion.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/10/18/18827445.php

Peace Restored in Ecuador. But Is Trust Restored?
Nino Pagliccia | globalresearch.ca | 2019-10-21
After ten people were reported killed on the streets of Ecuador, together with about 2,000 people injured and a large number imprisoned, an agreement was reached between the Lenin Moreno government and protesters against a controversial Decree 883 that had …
globalresearch.ca/peace-restored-ecuador/5692594

Kings Bay Plowshares 7: Trial Begins for Liz McAlister & Others for Breaking Into Nuke Sub Base
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-10-21
Seven Catholic peace activists are going on trial in Georgia today for breaking into the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base on April 4, 2018. The activists, who are known as the Kings Bay Plowshares 7, face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. The activists entered the base armed with just hammers, crime scene tape, baby bottles containing their own blood and an indictment charging the U.S. government with crimes against peace. Over the past four decades activists in the Plowshares movement have taken part in about 100 similar actions at nuclear arms facilities, beginning in 1980 at the General Electric nuclear mis…
www.democracynow.org/2019/10/21/kingsbay_plowshares_seven_activists_trial

Rejecting Challenge to No Fly List, Federal Appeals Court Leaves Men Charged With No Crime 'In an Indefinite Kafkaesque Nightmare'
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-10-21
The lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of four U.S. citizens. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/aclu-no-fly-list.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/10/21/rejecting-challenge-no-fly-list-federal-appeals-court-leaves-men-charged-no-crime?cd-origin=rss

Longest-held US political prisoner sends support from Puerto Rico to Venezuela
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2019-10-20
The world's longest-held political prisoner, Puerto Rican revolutionary Oscar López Rivera, who was incarcerated in the US for 36 years,…
thegrayzone.com/2019/10/20/us-political-prisoner-puerto-rico-venezuela-oscar-lopez-rivera/

News and resources: Catalonia's struggle for self-determination
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-10-19
international solidarity Dick NicholsIssue 1241 Catalonia BarcelonaOctober 19, 2019After the Spanish Supreme Court sentenced nine political and social Catalan leaders on October 14 to a total of 99.5 years jail for organising the October 1, 2017 independence…
greenleft.org.au/content/catalonia-news-and-resources

Why is the Trump Administration Trying to Tear This 26-Year-Old DACA Recipient Away From Her Child?
Naureen Shah | aclu.org | 2019-10-18
Anahi Jaquez –Estrada is scared. As soon as Monday, she may be deported to a country she hardly knows: away from her 8-year-old daughter and her husband, both of whom are United States citizens. She has lived in the U.S. almost her entire life and is in the process of becoming a lawful permanent resident. Her story is at once exceptionally tragic and a paradigmatic example of how our immigration legal system is failing — and tearing families apart. | I met Anahi in late July at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention site in Aurora, Colorado, where she has spent the last year and a…
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/why-is-the-trump-administration-trying-to-tear-this-26-year-old-daca-recipient-away-from-her-child

Unveiling a State-by-State Plan to End our Mass Incarceration Crisis
Udi Ofer | aclu.org | 2019-10-18
The United States locks up more of its people than | any other nation in the world. A whopping 2.2 million people are living behind | bars in this country on any given day. Our national incarceration rate is four | times that of Australia, five times that of the United Kingdom, and six times that | of Canada. | This uniquely American problem is not one crisis | — rather, mass incarceration is a series of state-based catastrophes, each one | different from the next. While much attention was paid | to the federal reforms passed last year through the First Step Act, of | the 2.2 million people locked up on…
aclu.org/news/smart-justice/unveiling-a-state-by-state-plan-to-end-our-mass-incarceration-crisis

NYC Council Votes to Build More Jails, Continue Mass Incarceration
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-10-18
Eddie Conway speaks with No New Jails organizer Pilar Maschi ahead of the NYC Council jail vote about what grassroots activists can do to continue the fight to keep new jails out of New York City.
therealnews.com/stories/new-york-city-votes-rikers-jails-mass-incarceration

Spain Sentences Catalan Leaders in Contradictory Ruling
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-10-18
Police and protesters clash in Barcelona for a fourth consecutive day over a problematic, contradictory 9-13 year prison sentence for Catalan independence leaders.
therealnews.com/stories/spain-sentences-catalan-leaders-contradictory-ruling

What Curators Don't Get About Prison Art
Zachary Small | thenation.com | 2019-10-18
What Curators Don't Get About Prison Art…
thenation.com/article/prison-art-shows-essay/

Sentenced to Life in Prison as a Teen, How Cyntoia Brown Survived Sex Trafficking & Won Her Freedom
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-10-18
At the age of 16, she was arrested for killing a man who had picked her up for sex, after she had been forced into sexual slavery as a child. She was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder for shooting the man who bought her for sex when she feared for her life. Today Cyntoia Brown-Long joins us to share her experience, what has happened in the 15 years she was incarcerated, and how she won her release. In an incredible development, after a years-long campaign to win her freedom, Cyntoia was granted clemency in January after former Tennessee Governor Bill Ha…
www.democracynow.org/2019/10/18/cyntoia_brown_long_sex_trafficking_survivor

Patients' Needs, Not Personal Beliefs, Come First in Health Care
Lindsey Kaley | aclu.org | 2019-10-18
From the | start, the Trump administration has issued one regulation after another that uses | religion to deny people — particularly pregnant people, people with low-incomes, | and LGBTQ people — health care access and coverage. Today, we are asking | a federal district court in New York to strike down one of the most pernicious | of these regulations: the refusal of care rule. | The refusal | of care rule, issued by the Department of Health | and Human Services (…
aclu.org/news/religious-liberty/patients-needs-not-personal-beliefs-come-first-in-health-care

The Real News' Marc Steiner Remembers Rep. Elijah Cummings
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-10-17
Cummings was a civil rights leader, a political powerhouse, and, most recently, an outspoken opponent of President Donald Trump.
therealnews.com/stories/marc-steiner-remembers-elijah-cummings

Nebraskans Aim to End Predatory Lending with a Ballot Proposal to Slash Payday Interest Rates
Jennifer Bellamy | aclu.org | 2019-10-17
Nebraskans | for Responsible Lending announced this week that they will begin gathering | signatures to reduce the amount that payday lenders may charge to a maximum | annual interest rate of 36 percent. For loans with higher rates made in | violation of this rate cap, the payday lenders would be banned from collecting | principal, interest, or other charges. | Currently, | payday lenders in Nebraska, also known as delayed deposit lenders, can charge | predatory rates with an average annual percentage rate (APR) of 404 percent and | in some cases as high as 461 percent. To put this in context, this means | fa…
aclu.org/news/racial-justice/nebraskans-aim-to-end-predatory-lending-with-a-ballot-proposal-to-slash-payday-interest-rates

He Died in Jail From Dehydration. His Family Says a Leaked Video Shows it Was Murder
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-10-17
On this episode of the Police Accountability Report we examine the case of Shali Tilson, who died after he was jailed during a mental health crisis. But a leaked video shows he was denied water and medical treatment by GA prison authorities for a week–mistreatment his family says was criminal.
therealnews.com/stories/he-died-jail-dehydration-his-family-says-leaked-video-shows-murder

Amber Guyger's Sentence Doesn't Highlight a More Empathetic Criminal Legal System
Jeffery Robinson | aclu.org | 2019-10-16
"I'm sorry, | I can't explain that." | That's | what prosecutor Jason Hermus said to Botham Jean's parents after the jury gave | Amber Guyger a 10-year sentence for intentionally murdering their son. Jean's | father shook Hermus' hand and said, "You fought a good fight." | Jean's | brother hugged Guyger, saying he did not want her to go to jail. The judge also | embraced Guyger and gave her a Bible. Is this a sign of a new wave of racial | healing in the criminal legal system? Could it be the beginning of the end of | excessive sentences in America or a step down the road to prison abolition? | Unfortunately,…
aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/amber-guygers-sentence-doesnt-highlight-a-more-empathetic-criminal-legal-system

Trump Cabinet Officials Double Down on Religious Favoritism
Heather L. Weaver | aclu.org | 2019-10-16
Last Friday was a banner day for religious favoritism in the Trump administration. | In | Nashville, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a "speech" that was — for | all intents and purposes — a Christian sermon. Addressing an association of | Christian counselors, Secretary Pompeo discussed how to be a good Christian | leader, quoting scripture and urging audience members to conduct themselves in | accordance with his interpretation of biblical tenets. He also commandeered | State Department resources to advertise his sermon in advance, broadcast it live, | and disseminate a video of it after…
aclu.org/news/religious-liberty/trump-cabinet-officials-double-down-on-religious-favoritism

Hundreds pack State House to resist mass incarceration
Phebe Eckfeldt | workers.org | 2019-10-16
Hundreds of families, friends and supporters of prisoners packed the Massachusetts State House Oct. 8 to support "An Act to Reduce Mass Incarceration." This bill, H3358, would eliminate life sentences without parole. A person serving a life sentence would be allowed to have a parole hearing after 25 years, then . . . | Continue reading Hundreds pack State House to resist mass incarceration at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/10/44054/

Atlanta Pride says 'Free Chelsea Manning!'
Dianne Mathiowetz | workers.org | 2019-10-16
For over three hours on Oct. 12, tens of thousands of Atlanta Pride marchers passed by stationary teams on both sides of Peachtree Street with banners and leaflets calling for freedom for Chelsea Manning, the anti-war whistleblower. Upon spotting the banners reading, "Free Chelsea Manning! Jail War Criminals,"countless participants reached . . . | Continue reading Atlanta Pride says 'Free Chelsea Manning!' at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/10/44051/

Real Talk Tho: Is There a More Equitable Way to Fund Development?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-10-16
Encouraging development without big tax breaks to developers is possible in Baltimore. While Baltimore has used hefty tax subsidies for wealthy developers to fund development in the past, there are more equitable approaches to stimulating growth that do not exacerbate the inequities that plague our city and could repair decades of racial segregation and discrimination: …
therealnews.com/stories/real-talk-tho-is-there-more-equitable-way-fund-development

Newark protesters: Democratic Party machine an accomplice in Trump's war on immigrants
Esteban Guevara | liberationnews.org | 2019-10-16
Protesters gathered in Newark, New Jersey for a rally and 3-mile march up to the detention center organized by the Resist the Deportation Machine Network on Oct. 12 to demand the closure of the ICE concentration camp in Essex county.
liberationnews.org/newark-protesters-democratic-party-machine-an-accomplice-in-trumps-war-on-immigrants/

California Lawmakers Passed a Bill Banning Private Prisons
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-10-15
Activist Amani Sawari talks about what the impact on people in private prisons and immigration detention centers will be if Governor Gavin Newsom signs AB32, which would phase out private prisons by 2028.
therealnews.com/stories/california-bans-private-prisons

'Smart' Cameras Are Now On the Lookout For Distracted Drivers in Australia
Jay Stanley | aclu.org | 2019-10-15
"Smart" traffic cameras that use artificial intelligence to try to spot people using cell phones while driving are being rolled out in Australia. The devices take a high-resolution photograph through the front windshield of each passing vehicle, and also capture its license plate. Each photograph is then analyzed by an AI algorithm. If the algorithm decides that the driver is touching a mobile phone, tablet, or another device, it then forwards the photograph to a human reviewer who confirms the violation and issues a citation to the car's registered owner along with a hefty fine. | This technology represents…
aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/smart-cameras-are-now-on-the-lookout-for-distracted-drivers-in-australia

Our Online Speech Rights Are Under Threat
Kate Ruane | aclu.org | 2019-10-15
Congress on Wednesday will examine a little-known law that has made the internet the space for self-expression and connection that it is today. The law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA 230), is one of the most speech protective laws Congress has ever enacted and it is now under threat. | The internet today provides us an indispensable platform to communicate freely with others who might otherwis…
aclu.org/news/free-speech/our-online-speech-rights-are-under-threat

Leonard Peltier subjected to unjust lockdown in prison: Write to the warden now!
Liberation Staff | liberationnews.org | 2019-10-15
The Party for Socialism and Liberation urges its supporters to write the warden to demand an end to this brutal lockdown.
liberationnews.org/leonard-peltier-subjected-to-unjust-lockdown-in-prison-write-to-the-warden-now/

Will the Supreme Court Sanction the Use of a Religious Litmus Test For Foster Parents?
Leslie Cooper | aclu.org | 2019-10-15
There are currently 440,000 children in foster care across the | country. And the Supreme Court has been asked to hear Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, | a case that could profoundly impact all of them. | In a petition filed with the court, a taxpayer-funded foster care agency is claiming a constitutional right to exclude prospective foster families that don't meet its religious criteria when providing public child welfare services. The ACLU and the ACL…
aclu.org/news/lgbt-rights/will-the-supreme-court-sanction-the-use-of-a-religious-litmus-test-for-foster-parents

Houthis Vow Retaliation As Saudi Naval Blockade Sparks Fresh Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen
Ahmed Abdulkareem | mintpressnews.com | 2019-10-11
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.
mintpressnews.com/yemen-retaliation-saudi-naval-blockade-humanitarian-crisis/262285/

Creative writing class in prison was 'light' in the darkness
Will Tucker | splcenter.org | 2019-10-11
splcenter.org/news/2019/10/15/creative-writing-class-prison-was-light-darkness

The Stanford Sexual Assault Case Made Her "Emily Doe." In New Memoir, Chanel Miller Tells Her Story
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-10-11
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/10/11/chanel_miller_know_my_name_interview

The Supreme Court Needs to Protect Trans People from Discrimination
Robin Savannah Carver | progressive.org | 2019-10-10
progressive.org/dispatches/SCOTUS-trans-people-deserve-job-protection-carver-191010/

White Supremacist William Fears to Get Five Years in Prison
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2019-10-10
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.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/10/11/white-supremacist-william-fears-get-five-years-prison

Beyond Bars: Life before and after incarceration in Alabama
splcenter.org | 2019-10-07
As criminal justice and prison reform take center stage in Alabama politics, Alabamians for Fair Justice, a broad coalition of advocates supported by the SPLC and other organizations, are working to lift up the voices of people directly affected by the criminal justice system.
splcenter.org/news/2019/10/15/beyond-bars-life-and-after-incarceration-alabama

Opportunity Costs: Community corrections program offers a roadmap for client success
Kathryn Casteel | splcenter.org | 2019-09-23
Positive client outcomes indicate promising investment for fiscally sound prison alternatives, rather than prison construction.
splcenter.org/news/2019/09/24/opportunity-costs-community-corrections-program-offers-roadmap-client-success