2020-02-21: News Headlines

BayAction2FreeAssange (2020-02-21). Global Protest Call Monday 24 Feb To Demand Freedom Of Julian Assange. indybay.org British Consulate General | 1 Sansome Street | San Francisco, CA | Along with Belmarsh Prison, London and UK embassies and consulates around the world…

WSWS (2020-02-21). UK Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell visits Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison. wsws.org McDonnell described the Assange case as "one of the most important and significant political trials of this generation," but made clear that his party will do nothing to mobilise the immense popular support that exists for the WikiLeaks publisher.

Dan Bacher (2020-02-21). Governor Newsom, AG Becerra say they will sue over Trump water plan. indybay.org Recreational and commercial salmon fishermen responded positively to Newsom's announcement of a lawsuit against the Trump administration, but John McManus, President of the Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA), cautioned that "a measure of Governor Newsom's sincerity will be if he orders his Department of Water Resources to pull their Trump-like water pumping plan back and rework so it's protective of the environment."

sputniknews (2020-02-21). Kosher Ride: Israeli Taxi Firm Gett Sued for 'Jewish Driver' Service — Report. sputniknews.com Campaigners are said to be claiming around $44 million in damages for what they call discrimination against Arab taxi drivers. The company insists that it picks drivers regardless of their religious beliefs.

RT (2020-02-20). Roger Stone sentenced to serve 40 months in prison. rt.com Long-time political operative and Trump confidant Roger Stone has been sentenced to 6 years in prison for perjury and obstruction of the 'Russiagate' probe, in a process marked by controversy and accusations of partisanship. | Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Stone to 40 months in prison for obstruction of justice, another 18 months for witness tampering, and 12 months for making false statements to Congress — but the sentences are to run concurrently, so the maximum time Stone would spend in prison is three and a half years. | She also assessed a $20,000 penalty, for what she argued was wasting the gov…

Fight Back (2020-02-20). Minnesota House subcommittee passes bill to end local jail contracts with ICE. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On February 19, the House Subcommittee on Local Government voted to pass House File 3060. HF 3060 is a bill that would end contracts that local jails in Minnesota have with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain people facing civil immigration charges. Currently several county jails in Minnesota have contracts with ICE to hold hundreds of immigrants facing deportation. | The bill, sponsored by democrat Representative Fue Lee, who represents part of north Minneapolis, will now advance to the Government Operations Committee. | Before voting on the bill, the committee heard testimony fr…

Nicky Vogt (2020-02-20). The Supreme Court Will Decide Whether Asylum Seekers Receive Their Day in Court. aclu.org In March, we will be in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to defend the right to a day in court for asylum seekers and other vulnerable noncitizens. That decision w…

WSWS (2020-02-20). Lawyers file new motion demanding release of Chelsea Manning. wsws.org Lawyers for Manning, the courageous whistleblower who has been in prison for eleven months for refusing to testify before a secret grand jury in the case of Julian Assange, have filed a new motion in federal court demanding her release.

Stephen Lendman (2020-02-20). Motion to US District Court to Release Chelsea Manning from Punitive Incarceration. globalresearch.ca Like Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning is a victim of police state injustice. | She's been imprisoned since last spring and fined $1,000 daily for invoking her constitutional right to remain silent — refusing to give grand jury testimony against Assange that …

Jonathan Hafetz (2020-02-20). U.S. Resident Indefinitely Detained Without Charge Secures His Day In Court. aclu.org Adham Hassoun will | finally have his day in court. A federal judge has rejected the government's sweeping | claim that it can, on its own say-so, indefinitely imprison him without charge | and without a fair trial. | Adham is a long-time U.S. resident and a father of three. As we previously his criminal sentence and was set to be released from prison almost three years | ago. But the government — claiming unprecedented and unconstitutional…

Fight Back (2020-02-20). San Jose Day of Remembrance marks 40th anniversary with large turnout. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On February 16, the San Jose Day of Remembrance held its 40th annual event with the second-highest attendance ever – more than 550 people. The event started in 1981 as part of the nationwide movement of Japanese Americans demanded redress (an official apology) and reparations (monetary compensation) for their incarceration during World War II. | The San Jose Day of Remembrance is held on the Sunday of Presidents Day weekend, which is near the date of February 19, 1942 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which laid the legal basis for the incarceration of more than 120,…

Staff (2020-02-20). Trump Ally Roger Stone Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — Trump loyalist and ally Roger Stone was sentenced Thursday to 40 months in federal prison, following an extraordinary move by Attorney General William Barr to back off his Justice Department's original sentencing recommendation. | U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Stone's crimes demanded a significant time behind bars, but she said the seven to nine years originally recommended by the Justice Department were excessive. | Stone's lawyers had asked for a sentence of probation, citing his age of 67 years, his health and his lack of criminal history. | Stone had no immediate reactio…

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-02-20). Commission of Detainees' Affairs Calls for Release of Dying Prisoner. imemc.org The Israeli occupation authorities transferred Palestinian prisoner suffering from cancer, Muwaffaq Arouq, 77, from Barzilai Medical Center, back to al-Ramleh prison clinic, despite his deteriorated health condition. Commission of Detainees' Affairs said in a statement, on Wednesday, that Arouq was transferred from Barzilai Medical Center, a 617-bed hospital in Ashkelon, …

Staff (2020-02-20). New Mexico Sues Google Over Collection of Children's Data. truthdig.com ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico's attorney general sued Google Thursday over allegations the tech company is illegally collecting personal data generated by children in violation of federal and state laws. | The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque claims Google is using its education services package that is marketed to school districts, teachers and parents as a way to spy on children and their families. | Attorney General Hector Balderas said that while the company touts Google Education as a valuable tool for resource-deprived schools, it is a means to monitor children while they browse th…

Susan Price (2020-02-20). Venezuela files ICC lawsuit over US sanctions. greenleft.org.au

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-02-20). Judge Sentences Roger Stone to 40 Months in Prison. commondreams.org Stone is expected to be pardoned by President Donald Trump. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/roger_stone_0.jpg

RT (2020-02-19). A year in jail & quarter million fine since, lawyers seek freedom for Chelsea Manning refusing to testify against WikiLeaks. rt.com Chelsea Manning's attorney has filed a new motion requesting her release from jail, where she has been for nearly a year for continuously refusing to testify before a grand jury against WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. | Manning's incarceration has "exceeded its lawful scope" by moving from being a coercive tactic to a criminal punishment, her lawyer Moira Meltzer-Cohen said in a Manning was jailed in March of 2019 for refusing to testify before a gran…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-02-19). Perversion of justice: Trump pardons more violators of the public trust. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—When it comes to perversions of justice, Donald Trump has done it again. On Feb. 18 he used the presidential pardon power, which is unlimited, to pardon four more sleazy jailbirds, some of whom have already served their sentences. Trump's pardons occurred one day after more than 1,000 former Justice Department prosecutors and top officials, …

Prof. Marjorie Cohn (2020-02-19). Extradition of Assange Would Set a Dangerous Precedent. globalresearch.ca The Trump administration is seeking extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States for trial on charges carrying 175 years in prison. On February 24, a court in the U.K. will hold a hearing to determine whether to …

IMEMC News (2020-02-19). PPS: "Israeli Soldiers Abduct Seven Palestinians In West Bank" imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday at dawn, at least seven Palestinians, including the father of a young man who was killed by army fire in October 2018, from their homes in several parts of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported. The PPS said several army …

PCHR (2020-02-19). PCHR: Child Killed and Young Man Wounded By Palestinian Security Service in Qabatia. imemc.org On Wednesday, a Palestinian minor is reported to have succumbed to gun-shot wounds he sustained, on Tuesday, when a Palestinian security force was dispatched to a gathering for a freed prisoner. The celebrating crowd allegedly threw stones at the security force, and some armed men in the group shot rounds …

pip.hinman (2020-02-19). No to religious discrimination. greenleft.org.au

pip.hinman (2020-02-19). Uphold rainbow rights and kill the religious privilege bill. greenleft.org.au

Global Research News (2020-02-19). Selected Articles: The Truth About Assange. globalresearch.ca By The Trump administration is seeking extradition of WikiLeaks founderJulian Assange to the United States for trial on charges carrying 175 years in prison. …

Staff (2020-02-18). Journalist: Harvey Weinstein's Defense Team Is Waging a War Against the #MeToo Movement. democracynow.org A jury of seven men and five women meet today in New York Supreme Court to begin deliberations on whether to find disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein guilty of sexual assault. The case has drawn international attention amid the #MeToo movement. If the jurors find Weinstein guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 100 women but in this case faces five charges based on evidence relating to two main accusers. One woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, alleges she was raped by Weinstein in a New York hotel, for which he has been charged wit…

ACLU (2020-02-18). Our Vision to Transform What it Means to Be a Prosecutor. aclu.org It's a long-established fact that the United States is the largest incarcerator in the world. Over two million people are behind bars, roughly a quarter of whom are simply awaiting trial. Millions more are under some form of state supervision, such as parole or probation. | Many players have a hand in our mass incarceration crisis, but there's one actor with almost

Kate Oh (2020-02-18). ICE's Destruction of Records Must Be Stopped. aclu.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is | notorious for committing rampant unconstitutional and inhumane abuses in its | detention system — something advocates, communities, and years. Public oversight of ICE detention is about to become even harder, | further eroding accountability and endangering the health and safety of more than | 50,000 people in ICE custody every day. That's because the National Archives | and R…

Rose Saxe (2020-02-18). There is a Coordinated Attack Against Trans Youth in State Legislatures. aclu.org Less than a | month and a half into 2020, this state legislative session has seen on bills that would harm trans youth. | Also | alarming: These bills, and the terminology used in them, use playbook. | Right now, | bills are pending in 10 states that | would criminalize l…

Staff (2020-02-17). Headlines for February 17, 2020. democracynow.org Americans Aboard Cruise Ship Repatriated as 71,000 Global Cases of Coronavirus Confirmed, 1,100+ Ex-DOJ Staff Call on Attorney General Barr to Resign, Sen. Klobuchar Can't Say Name of Mexican President, Sen. Sanders Calls Out Bloomberg on Campaign Trail, Bloomberg's Company Faced Years of Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Lawsuits, LGBT Activists of Color Call Out Pete Buttigieg for Ties to Big Money, Conservative Positions, Airstrikes Kill 31 People, Including Children, in Yemen, Intensifying Syrian Gov't Offensive Has Displaced 800,000 Civilians Since December, Airstrike Kills 8 Civilians in Afghanistan as U…

Fight Back (2020-02-15). MN: County Attorney Mike Freeman's house picketed after cops who killed Brian Quiñones escape charges. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – In response to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman's decision to not press charges against the Richfield and Edina police officers who killed Brian Quiñones, the groups Justice for Brian Quiñones, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar (TCC4J), the Racial Justice Network and others gathered for a spirited picket of Mike Freeman's residence the evening of February 11. | About 50 people chanted, sang and played clips of Brian's music for about an hour. The most popular chant was "Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail. The whole damn system is guilty as hell!" Family and friends o…

Staff (2020-02-14). Detroit Overtaxed Residents by $600M, Causing Foreclosure Crisis. Residents Are Now Fighting Back. democracynow.org In Detroit, a showdown between progressive lawmakers and the city is taking on racist housing policies that robbed African Americans in Detroit of their homes and widened the racial wealth gap. On Thursday, the Coalition for Property Tax Justice announced a class-action lawsuit against the city of Detroit, Wayne County and the state of Michigan in response to unfair property tax foreclosures. One in four Detroit properties have been subject to property tax foreclosure, a level comparable only to tax foreclosure rates during the Great Depression. According to legal experts, many of the foreclosures were caused by…

splcenter (2020-02-14). Weekend Read: Department of Justice may force Mississippi to fix deadly prison system. splcenter.org

Staff (2020-02-14). Headlines for February 14, 2020. democracynow.org Senate Passes Resolution Limiting Trump's War Powers Authority, Attorney General William Barr Criticizes Trump's Tweets, Bloomberg Criticized for Falsely Blaming 2008 Crisis on End of Redlining, Top Wall Street Executives on Biden Guest List for Manhattan Fundraiser, Ex-Ohio State Wrestler Says Rep. Jim Jordan Begged Him to Cover Up Sexual Abuse, Last Month Was Hottest January on Record, Indigenous Anti-Pipeline Blockades Cripple Canada's Rail Transportation, Intercept: Canadian Fossil Fuel Company "Bought" Oregon Sheriff Department Unit, Judge Temporarily Blocks Microsoft-Pentagon Contract After Amazon Lawsuit,…

Staff (2020-02-14). The Corporate Media Is Directly Profiting from Mike Bloomberg's Rise as He Spends Fortune on TV Ads. democracynow.org Billionaire Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is rising in the polls in the wake of the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Democracy Now! co-host Juan González speaks with us about Bloomberg's approach to campaign spending, the administration's policies during his three terms as mayor of New York City and the scores of lawsuits filed against Bloomberg and his company. "It's amazing to me that Michael Bloomberg is getting as much attention as he is," González says.

Staff (2020-02-13). Did Amy Klobuchar Send an Innocent Teenager to Life in Prison? Questions Mount over Her Record as DA. democracynow.org After a surprising third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is attempting to gain ground in the national polls. But Klobuchar is also facing mounting scrutiny over her record as a district attorney in Minnesota. The Minneapolis NAACP, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and other racial justice groups recently called on Klobuchar to suspend her presidential campaign following a shocking investigation by the Associated Press. The AP report centered on the case of Myon Burrell, an African-American teenager who was sentenced to life in prison over the 2002 murder of 11-year-old Tye…

Brian Tashman (2020-02-13). Bill Barr Wants Sheriffs to Join His Attacks on State and Local Governments. aclu.org Attorney General Bill Barr, For | Barr's Department of Justice, that escalation includes new lawsuits against | states and municipalities with immigrant-protective policies.

Yashica Robinson, MD (2020-02-12). Congress Should Outlaw State Attacks on Abortion Access. aclu.org Before I finished | high school, I learned I was pregnant. As a result of fear and a lack of | resources, by the time I confided in my mother and grandmother, I had no choice | — I was going to be a mother. Becoming a parent as a teenager came with many | harsh realities. I love my children with all my heart, but I know that everyone | should be able to make the decision to parent for themselves. | This personal | experience, along with my passion for young people, is how I came to my work at | the Alabama Women's Center. As a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and medical | director of a Huntsvil…

Neema Singh Guliani (2020-02-12). Deadline Looming, Strongest Surveillance Reform Bill Yet Emerges. aclu.org Congress has just five weeks to decide the fate of key foreign | intelligence surveillance powers — forcing a showdown between surveillance | reformers and defenders. And now, a group of Republicans and Democrats have | unveiled the strongest comprehensive reform proposal that we have seen | yet. | The Safeguarding Americans' Private Records Act of 2020, introduced by a

Meagan Burrows (2020-02-11). The Trump Administration Wants Health Insurance Companies to Drop Abortion Coverage from Your Insurance Plan. aclu.org From denying | access to abortion | for unaccompanied immigrant minors, to gutting | the Title X | family planning program, to trying to roll | back the Affordable Care Act's requirement that employers and universities cover | contr…

splcenter (2020-02-11). Desperate asylum seekers 'starving for justice' in immigrant prison hunger strikes across Louisiana. splcenter.org Guards shackled Sai Mahad to a chair, placed a mask over his mouth and snaked a long tube through one of his nostrils.

Tyler Durden (2020-02-04). Biden Threatens Lawsuit to Halt Release of Real Iowa Caucus Results. theantimedia.com American democracy—ain't it grand?>

splcenter (2020-02-02). SPLC and the SPLC Action Fund Hire Internationally Renowned Human and Civil Rights Leader as New President and CEO. splcenter.org Margaret Huang brings 25 years of experience advocating against discrimination and oppression around the world.

splcenter (2020-01-24). Alive and Well: Voter Suppression and Election Mismanagement in Alabama. splcenter.org