(2019-12-24). Trump boasts of Democrats' backing for his assault on immigrants. wsws.org With bipartisan support, conditions on the US-Mexico border and in detention centers for immigrants have become increasingly hellish.
(2019-12-24). Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf orders mass arrest of Housing Justice protesters. indybay.org An inspirational day of solidarity with unhoused Oaklanders turned into a traumatic night after mayor Libby Schaaf directed a small army of police and DPW workers to smash a housing rights protest held on the doorstep of City Hall. For daring to challenge the Oakland's never ending war against the homeless — the city's encampment demolitions and evictions, the towing of residential vehicles, and a lack of earnestness and urgency in addressing the housing crisis — twenty-two people were arrested and sent to Santa Rita jail, some for over two days.
(2019-12-24). Jury backs pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson in case examining talc-cancer link. rt.com 
A jury in St. Louis in the US has ruled in favor of pharma giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J), in the latest of several lawsuits alleging that the drug company's baby powder caused ovarian cancer. | The verdict involves claims from plaintiff Vickie Forrest, one of 13 women whose case was halted by the Missouri Supreme Court earlier this year. | This time the jury ruled 9-3, denying 56-year-old Forrest's allegation that more than 30 years of use of the talcum-based powder had caused her illness. The woman was diagnosed with stage-two ovarian cancer in 2012 and is in remission, after surgery and chemotherapy. | "It's…
(2019-12-23). Growing Movement Calls Out Elites at Prestigious Cultural Institutions. truthout.org A host of recent campaigns aimed at board members of prestigious cultural institutions have exposed how major arts organizations take money from, and award prominent positions to, wealthy elites profiting from mass incarceration, pushing deadly and addictive drugs, poisoning the environment, and pillaging public resources. The most well known of these fights has been the effort that removed Warren Kanders, owner and CEO of the body armor and chemical weapons manufacturer Safariland, from the board…
(2019-12-23). Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Compound on 2nd Day of Hanukkah. telesurenglish.net To mark the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, nearly 300 Israeli settlers stormed Monday Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, guarded by Israeli military police, according to local media. | RELATED: | Israeli Minister Calls for Elimination of Palestinian Authority‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã | The director of Al-Aqsa Mosque Omar al-Kiswani said more than 280 Israeli…
(2019-12-23). Exonerate the Innocent; Incarcerate the Guilty. counterpunch.org The U.S. "justice" system, first and foremost, protects police and prosecutors. The Supreme Court has held that while cops have only limited immunity from lawsuits, prosecutors enjoy what's known as absolute immunity for their conduct under most circumstances. Only in the most extreme cases of abuse — including killings and with bodycam videos as evidence — do police get arrested and prosecuted. Still less are prosecutors prosecuted for questionable, if not illegal, practices. More
(2019-12-23). Much work needed to 'target unacceptable levels' of racism in Ecuador: UN experts. news.un.org Ecuador must implement and enforce laws and policies to protect the rights of Afro-Ecuadorians, the UN Working Group on People of African Descent said on Monday, calling for an end to the "discrimination, exclusion and extreme poverty they suffer."
(2019-12-23). Saudi Arabia Sentences 5 to Death Over Jamal Khashoggi's Murder. telesurenglish.net Saudi Arabia on Monday sentenced five people to death and three more to jail terms totaling 24 years over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last year. | RELATED: | Saudi Arabia Ends Sex-Segregated Entrances for Restaurants | Saudi Deputy Public Prosecutor and spokesman Shalaan al-Shalaan, reading out the trial verdict, said the court dismissed charges against the remaining three of the 11 people that had been on trial, finding them n…
(2019-12-23). EU court rules jailed Catalan nationalist Junqueras had immunity. wsws.org Madrid nevertheless kept Junqueras in jail over his role in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum and did not allow him to take his European parliament seat.
(2019-12-23). Addameer Collects Hard Evidence on Torture and Ill-Treatment Committed against Palestinian Detainees at Israeli Interrogation Centers. imemc.org By Ad-Dameer Prisoner Support And Human Rights Association: Since its creation, the occupying state developed and enforced laws and practices that led to both the systematic use of torture and to absolute impunity for the perpetrator of this crime. There has never been any individual or agency held accountable for …
(2019-12-23). Saudis Sentence 5 to Death in Jamal Khashoggi's Killing. truthdig.com RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death Monday for the killing of Washington Post columnist and royal family critic Jamal Khashoggi, whose grisly slaying in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul drew international condemnation and cast a cloud of suspicion over Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. | Three other people were found guilty by Riyadh's criminal court of covering up the crime and were sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison, according to a statement read by the Saudi attorney general's office on state TV. | In all, 11 people were put on trial in Saudi Arabia over t…
(2019-12-23). Soldiers Abduct Four Palestinians In Jerusalem. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, Sunday, four Palestinians, including a former political prisoner, from the al-'Isawiya town, in occupied East Jerusalem. Media sources said the soldiers invaded Obeid street in the town, and abducted Ahmad Monir Obeid and Maher Obeid while walking near their homes. They added that the soldiers also invaded …
(2019-12-23). 'Antithesis of Justice': Five Saudi Kill Squad Members Sentenced to Death for Khashoggi Murder While Crown Prince Untouched. commondreams.org Human rights advocates criticized Saudi Arabia Monday following an announcement from the nation's public prosecutor that five people were sentenced to death and three others given various prison terms in connection with the brutal murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey last year. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11732487971.jpg …
(2019-12-22). Israeli Minister Calls for Elimination of Palestinian Authority. telesurenglish.net Israel's Minister of Transport Bezalel Smotrich took on social media Saturday to demand his government to dismantle the Palestinian Authority (PA) government after the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to probe into alleged Israeli war crimes in Palestine. | RELATED: | ICC May Investigate British War Crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan | Smotrich, who…
(2019-12-21). Medical Opinion, Torture, and Julian Assange. dissidentvoice.org 
On November 27 this year, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, delivered an address to the German Bundestag outlining his approach to understanding the mental health of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. These comprised two parts, the initial stage covering his diplomatic asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy, the second dealing with his formal detention in …
(2019-12-21). Steelworkers sue Alcoa to keep retiree life insurance benefits. fightbacknews.org Washington, DC – The United Steelworkers (USW) filed a lawsuit, December 19, in the Southern District of Indiana to protest Alcoa USA Corporation's terminating life insurance benefits for approximately 8900 union-represented retirees. | Alcoa informed the retirees by letter on December 4 that it would eliminate life insurance coverage effective December 31, 2019. The company included with the letter a check equal to a fraction of the face value of their life insurance coverage and a federal 1099 tax form, since the payment would be taxable. | The lawsuit was filed as a class action, and three Alcoa retirees have…
(2019-12-20). Public housing residents sue NYC over slum conditions. liberationnews.org 
In addition to demanding repairs, residents involved in this lawsuit are demanding full public funding for NYCHA.
(2019-12-20). 'Silent plight' carolers show solidarity with county jail inmates. workers.org 
Cleveland Question: Where are holiday carolers unwelcome this time of year? Answer: In the Cuyahoga County "Justice Center," when they represent the Coalition to Stop the Inhumanity at the Cuyahoga County Jail, and they have changed the words "Silent night, holy night" to "Silent plight, violated rights." Singing rewritten . . . | Continue reading 'Silent plight' carolers show solidarity with county jail inmates at Workers.org
(2019-12-20). Samsung boss sent to prison for union busting. peoplesworld.org 
There are roughly 7,111 languages spoken around the world. As we close out 2019 and enter 2020, that number will increase (or decrease) as we continue to understand, grasp, and document what constitutes a spoken or written language. In any case, and in any language, we can all agree: Union busting is disgusting. And, unlike …
(2019-12-20). Women Politicals: Still Defiant. dissidentvoice.org As Australian activist John Pilger recounts his visit to the world's most abused US/UK political prisoner, Julian Assange, he gives us the brutal details of how the friends and families of political prisoners also face punishment, gauntlets, humiliation. And he tells of the terrible conditions and terrible treatment meted out to Assange, and the weakened, …
(2019-12-20). A Fair Chance at Opportunity: The U.S. Government Bans the Box. aclu.org When Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) reintroduced the Fair Chance Act earlier this year, he | said: "This bill would give individuals who are reentering society from prison | a fair chance at truly achieving the American dream." The Fair Chance Act would | ban the box that employers use to ask about arrest and conviction history on | job applications. It also requires that federal agencies and contr…
(2019-12-20). The Stink and Injustice of Life Next to an Industrial Hog Farm. thenation.com The Stink and Injustice of Life Next to an Industrial Hog Farm…
(2019-12-20). Friday's Daily Brief: Pope Francis, Lesotho, Iran, world corruption. news.un.org Our top stories for Friday include: Pope Francis receives the UN chief in Rome, Lesotho famine threat, concern for jailed Iranian protestors, and strengthened global action to prevent corruption.
(2019-12-20). US 'disappointed' with UK charging diplomat's wife involved in fatal crash who 'won't return voluntarily'. rt.com 
The wife of a US diplomat who killed a teenage motorcyclist in a fatal crash in August has said through a lawyer that she won't return to the UK to face a possible jail sentence after prosecutors announced charges against her.
(2019-12-20). Ex-FBI employee gets 7 DAYS in jail for hacking emails of right-wing activist 'to protect Mueller'. rt.com 
The DC Swamp is so small that people on both sides of the aisle are bound to rub elbows, such as the ex-FBI official who tried stopping his neighbor from harming special counsel Robert Mueller's reputation by hacking his email. | Mark Tolson, 60, was sentenced to seven days in jail and 50 hours of community service on Friday, even though the judge called his crime 'very serious.' The former FBI analyst hacked into the email account of his neighbor, right-wing activist Jack Burkman, and tried to publish that information in the media. | Tolson pleaded guilty in September to illegally hacking Burkman's email acco…
(2019-12-20). Four Lawyers. Four Projects. One Non-Stop Year. aclu.org 
It isn't news that the Trump administration has kept ACLU attorneys working at breakneck speed for the past three years. In 2019 alone, we saw historic moments and victories—from defeating the citizenship question on the 2020 census and bringing the first trans civil rights case to the Supreme Court, to blocking a wave of abortion bans and many of the administration's attempts to dismantle the asylum system. To name a few. | Here are some of our attorneys' takes on 2019 and the year ahead—what's changed for the better and for the worse, and how the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will a…
(2019-12-20). Expert Q&A: Trump's executive order on campus antisemitism. mronline.org 
Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order requiring federal agencies to use a definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism when investigating civil rights complaints alleging antisemitism on campus. | Source
(2019-12-19). FBI Surveillance of Trump Aide Reflects Flaws in Secretive FISA System That Mostly Targets Muslims. democracynow.org 
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said Wednesday the FBI should have considered halting its surveillance of Trump's campaign aide Carter Page months before it did, after it was revealed that accusations against him may not be credible. Horowitz made the comments while testifying to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, saying the FBI used false information to obtain approval to wiretap Trump campaign adviser Carter Page and raising wider concerns about the agency's use of surveillance. He testified a day after the highly secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Co…
(2019-12-19). 10 LGBTQ Moments that Defined 2019. aclu.org 
1. Aimee Stephens goes to the Supreme Court: | In October, the Supreme Court heard its first trans civil rights case ever. The case was brought by our client Aimee Stephens, who was fired from her job at a funeral home solely for being transgender. That's sex discrimination and it violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. , | We have yet to see whether the Supreme Court will uphold the civil rights of trans people. But no matter what, history has already been made. , | "I'll never forget the feeling of coming out of the Supreme Court and seeing a crowd of trans people and allies chanting to…
(2019-12-18). A Secret CBP Team is Targeting and Detaining Innocent Travelers. We're Suing. aclu.org U.S. Customs and Border Protection is deploying secret teams that target, detain, and interrogate innocent travelers. We're suing to expose their activities. | In November 2018, three CBP officers detained Andreas | Gal, a former chief | technology officer at Mozilla Corporation and current Apple employee, at San | Francisco International Airport after he landed from a business trip to Sweden. | Andr…
(2019-12-18). Whistleblower Chelsea Manning Spends Her Birthday Imprisoned. mintpressnews.com Military whistleblower Chelsea Manning spent her 32nd birthday behind bars yesterday for continuing to refuse to testify against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. She has been in prison since May after a U.S. District Judge ordered her incarceration for not recognizing the legitimacy of the grand jury. She tweeted that she was grateful for t…
(2019-12-18). A Little-Known Privacy Battle Is Being Waged Over Encrypting the Nuts and Bolts of the Internet. aclu.org An important fight is brewing over the nuts and bolts of the | Internet that has significant implications for the privacy and security of all Internet | users. The fight has already pitted Google and Cloudflare against American | telecommunications companies, which are lobbying | Congress | to complain about the search giant. The fight is complicated, but at its core | are questions about c…
(2019-12-18). A Tennessee City Banned Surgical Abortion Within the City Limits. We're Taking Them to Court. aclu.org For 30 years, I have | worked in reproductive health care. In my current role as Chief Operating | Officer of carafem, a nonprofit with a national network of health centers, I | know the difference compassionate and comprehensive reproductive health care | makes in the lives of our clients. I have witnessed the personal impact when | people who have the legal right to have a child or to have an abortion are denied | those rights due to outrageous societal barriers. Abortion providers are used | to opposition, but we've never experienced the kind of explicit targeting we | received from politicians in the city…
(2019-12-18). Headlines for December 18, 2019. democracynow.org House to Hold Historic Impeachment Vote Today, Top U.S. Diplomat to Ukraine William Taylor to Step Down, Rick Gates Sentenced to 45 Days in Jail and $20,000 Fine, FISA Court Orders FBI to Change National Security Wiretaps After DOJ Report, Democratic Primary Debate to Go Forward After Labor Dispute Resolved, Senate Approves One of the Most Expensive Military Spending Bills in U.S. History, Trump Meets with Outgoing Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, Indian Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Controversial Citizenship Law, Strikes Continue Nationwide in France over Pension Overhaul, Bolivia's Evo Morales Names Two…
(2019-12-17). Democratic Candidates Focus on Public Education at Historic Forum with Civil Rights & Labor Groups. democracynow.org 
Ahead of the last Democratic presidential debate of the year this Thursday, seven candidates appeared Saturday at the historic Democratic Presidential Forum on Public Education in Pittsburgh, an event organized by public education organizations, unions, civil rights organizations and community groups. We play highlights from the forum and get response from Keron Blair, director of the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools in Atlanta; Jitu Brown, national director of the Journey for Justice Alliance; and Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education Action. She recently authored a report titled "S…
(2019-12-17). In the Midst of Trump's Attacks, Offshoots of Progress in Congress for Immigrants' Rights. aclu.org From the continued separation of families, to attacks on asylum-seekers, to the largest immigration raid ever in a state, to an unprecedented number of immigrants jailed by ICE, this year was filled with new lows for the…
(2019-12-17). US Venezuelan embassy protectors denied right to fair trial. thegrayzone.com Four US activists protecting Venezuela's embassy in Washington, DC face prison time after the Trump administration illegally arrested them. And now…
(2019-12-17). It's Clear: In Oklahoma Cash Bail is Being Used as Ransom to Keep People Who Are Poor Behind Bars. aclu.org Imagine you are one of the 4,000 people arrested every year in Canadian County, Oklahoma, a county with less than 200,000 people. Maybe the police find marijuana in your car during a traffic stop, maybe the police have mistaken you for someone else, or perhaps you can't afford the $40 per month you owe the court from a different charge. | After you're arrested, things will go one of two ways. You may | spend an hour or two in the jail for booking and then go home until your court | date. Or, you might sit in jail for weeks or months until your court date, | eating substandard food and sleeping on a linoleum fl…
(2019-12-16). He spent 36 years in prison because he stole $100 in cash and $4 in food stamps. Now Willie Parker is free. splcenter.org It was pouring rain the day Willie Parker left William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility after 36 years in prison.
(2019-12-14). Cop Charged with Making Multiple False Arrests. therealnews.com 
Baltimore Police Sgt Ethan Newberg is facing 32 counts of false imprisonment and assault for using illegal arrests to intimidate the community, prosecutors allege.
(2019-12-13). The Inside Story of an Elite Law Enforcement Unit Which Ran a Criminal Gang Inside a US Jail. therealnews.com 
The police accountability report talks to a first-hand witness to the alleged crimes of a group of corrections officers charged with brutalizing inmates as part of a larger criminal scheme.
(2019-12-13). Eddie Conway Tells It Like It Is. therealnews.com 
Please donate and help Eddie—Real News Executive Producer and former Black Panther—continue to expose issues relating to the prison-industrial complex.
(2019-12-13). Weekend Read: Amid Alabama's prison crisis, the voices of the people living through it should be heard. splcenter.org For years, Alabama's prison system has been under a microscope. Harsh sentencing laws coupled with chronic underfunding have led to horrific conditions for people behind bars.
(2019-12-04). SPLC lawsuit seeks to restore Mississippi citizens' right to vote. splcenter.org When they were children, Herman Parker and his three sisters went to their grandparents' house every election day.
(2019-12-02). Prison By Any Other Name: A Report on South Florida Detention Facilities. splcenter.org …
(2019-12-02). Civil Rights Are on the Chopping Block in New Supreme Court Term. zcomm.org Hello, A very small proportion of ZNet content is available only to Sustainers. You can become a sustainer for a small repeating donation – monthly or yearly via the links for Sustaining, or Donating, available on the top page of ZNet.
(2019-11-24). Just Trying to Get It. zcomm.org Front page of the Guardian Review I'm trying to get it: a US president who waged war against 7 Muslim countries; droned, murdered and terrorized thousands of civilians in some of the poorest countries on earth; just by the way got rid of habeas corpus; spent a trillion dollars on "modernizing" the US military and Read more…
(2019-11-21). After parole, Alabama man gets life back on track, helps others. splcenter.org Chris "Champ" Napier started speaking to students and at-risk youth about his experience in prison before he knew he would ever regain his freedom.
(2019-11-13). Neo-Nazi Group NSM Faces New Upheaval After James Hart Stern's Death. splcenter.org The leadership of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement (NSM) has been thrown into chaos again following the death of self-described civil rights activist James Hart Stern.
(2019-10-24). Julian Assange's Extradition Case is a Show Trial. zcomm.org Interview on the lack of mainstream media coverage of Julian's persecution, his health and conditions in Belmarsh prison, CIA spying on Julian Assange and more…