Attorney General Becerrra and Governor Newsom file lawsuit against Trump water plan
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2020-02-23
"As we face the unprecedented threat of a climate emergency, now is the time to strengthen our planet's biodiversity, not destroy it," said Attorney General Becerra. "California won't silently spectate as the Trump Administration adopts scientifically-challenged biological opinions that push species to extinction and harm our natural resources and waterways.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/21/18830880.php

Bid to free Manning launched as explosive new evidence threatens to end Assange extradition
Tom Coburg | thecanary.co | 2020-02-22
Lawyers acting on behalf of imprisoned whistleblower Chelsea Manning have lodged a motion, arguing for her release. This comes as WikiLeaks tweeted that Julian Assange's lawyers intend to produce 'bombshell' evidence at next week's extradition hearing. | Meanwhile, more evidence has emerged to further the argument that the extradition hearings should end on th…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2020/02/22/bid-to-free-manning-launched-as-explosive-new-evidence-threatens-to-end-assange-extradition/

Govt wants 'what looks like a free press', not 'dissidents': Eno, Westwood & others speak about fighting for Assange's freedom
rt.com | 2020-02-22
Prominent public figures like designer Vivienne Westwood and musician Brian Eno, joined mass protesters against Julian Assange's extradition, saying his fate will have impact on press freedom and holding governments accountable. | "Julian is the Trojan horse. If he knocks a crack in that wall, we can get government to do all the other things they need to be doing, which they are doing the opposite of [right now]," British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood told RT. Thousands took to the streets near the British Parliament to protest the imprisonment of the WikiLeaks founder ahead of a hearing next week to dete…
rt.com/uk/481475-assange-protest-brian-eno/

European legal team will seek asylum for Julian Assange in France
wsws.org | 2020-02-22
Members of imprisoned WikiLeaks journalist Julian Assange's legal team, together with Assange's father John Shipton, held a press conference on Thursday in Paris.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/22/euas-f22.html

How Wall Street and Real Estate Exploited Anti-Housing Discrimination Policies
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-22
In 1970, Janice Johnson, a Black single mother in Philadelphia, was facing eviction from an old apartment building condemned by the city. She was desperately seeking a place for her and her 8-year-old son to live, and her attempts to rent nearby apartments were coming up short. A landlord suggested she buy rather than rent a home, and just two weeks later, Johnson was approved for a Federal Housing Administration-backed mortgage loan of $5,800. | Conditions in their new home quickly deterio…
truthout.org/articles/how-wall-street-and-real-estate-exploited-anti-housing-discrimination-policies/

Minnesota progressives say 'Don't vote for Amy Klobuchar'
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-22
Minneapolis, MN

Five Palestinian Detainees' Homes to be Demolished
Staff | imemc.org | 2020-02-21
The Israeli Supreme Court today gave the go-ahead on Wednesday for the military to demolish the family homes of five Palestinian detainees allegedly involved in the killing of a settler in late August 2019. All five are from the Ramallah area, and are serving long terms in Israeli prison camps. …
imemc.org/article/five-palestinian-detainees-homes-to-be-demolished/

UK Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell visits Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison
wsws.org | 2020-02-21
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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/21/mcdd-f21.html

Assange's US Extradition Hearing Opens Monday: Fight for the Free Press Is Now On
Nozomi Hayase | commondreams.org | 2020-02-21
Should Assange die in a UK prison, as the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has warned, he will effectively have been tortured to death. (Photo: Jack Taylor/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/100.jpeg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/02/21/assanges-us-extradition-hearing-opens-monday-fight-free-press-now?cd-origin=rss

Weekend Read: SPLC files civil rights complaints as asylum seekers wage hunger strikes
splcenter.org | 2020-02-21
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/22/weekend-read-splc-files-civil-rights-complaints-asylum-seekers-wage-hunger-strikes

Malcolm X's Daughter Ilyasah Shabazz on Her Father's Legacy & the New Series "Who Killed Malcolm X?"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-21
Fifty-five years ago today, Malcolm X was assassinated. The civil rights leader was shot to death on February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. He was only 39 years old. Details of his assassination remain disputed to this day. Earlier this month, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said he was considering reopening the investigation, just days after a new documentary series about the assassination was released on Netflix called "Who Killed Malcolm X?" It makes the case that two of the three men who were convicted for Malcolm X's murder are actually innocent and that his uncaught killers wer…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/21/malcolm_xs_daughter_ilyasah_shabazz_on

Racist Drug Laws Lead to Racist Enforcement in Cities Across the Country
Ezekiel Edwards | aclu.org | 2020-02-21
The way which America enforces its drug laws has been racist since its inception. | Across racial and ethnic groups, Americans use and sell drugs at comparable | rates, but law enforcement has selectively | targeted Black and brown people for stops, arrests, prosecution, and | imprisonment at wildly disproportionate rates. | This race-…
aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/racist-drug-laws-lead-to-racist-enforcement-in-cities-across-the-country

American Women Seek Over $66M in Damages From U.S. Soccer
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-02-21
The lawsuit has drawn worldwide attention. When the U.S. women won the World Cup final last summer, fans chanted "Equal Pay! Equal Pay!"
truthdig.com/articles/american-women-seek-more-than-66m-in-damages-from-u-s-soccer/

The Supreme Court Will Decide Whether Asylum Seekers Receive Their Day in Court
Nicky Vogt | aclu.org | 2020-02-20
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. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) vs. Vijayakumar Thuraissigiam considers whether immigrants are entitled to seek judicial review of their expedited removal orders in federal court. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with our argument that the Constitution guarantees that individuals deprived of their liberty have their day in federal court. | That decision w…
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-supreme-court-will-decide-whether-asylum-seekers-receive-their-day-in-court

Minnesota House subcommittee passes bill to end local jail contracts with ICE
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-20
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…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/2/20/minnesota-house-subcommittee-passes-bill-end-local-jail-contracts-ice

John McDonnell visits Julian Assange and slams his 'political persecution'
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-02-20
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell visited Julian Assange at Belmarsh Prison on Thursday. | McDonnell said of Assange's case: I think this is one of the most important and significant political trials of this generation, in fact longer. … | The way in which a person is being persecuted for political reasons, for simply exposing the truth for what went on in relation to recent wars. | And he stressed: We don't believe that extradition should be used for political purposes. And all the evidence… demonstrates that this is a political trial, and we're hoping…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/02/20/john-mcdonnell-visits-julian-assange-and-slams-his-political-persecution/

U.S. Resident Indefinitely Detained Without Charge Secures His Day In Court
Jonathan Hafetz | aclu.org | 2020-02-20
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 explained, Adham completed | his criminal sentence and was set to be released from prison almost three years | ago. But the government

San Jose Day of Remembrance marks 40th anniversary with large turnout
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-20
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,…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/2/20/san-jose-day-remembrance-marks-40th-anniversary-large-turnout

Barrister says 'democracy at stake' in Assange trial
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-20
civil liberties Pip HinmanIssue 1254 Australia WhistleblowersFebruary 20, 2020February 24 is the first day of Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange's extradition hearing at Belmarsh Prison in London. The United States government will argue for his extradition to the US.
greenleft.org.au/content/barrister-says-democracy-stake-assange-trial

Reza Berati's struggle remembered
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-20
refugee rights Alex SalmonIssue 1254 Australia Nauru and Christmas Island detention centresFebruary 20, 2020The Refugee Rights Action Network WA (RRAN) organised a commemoration on February 17, the 6th anniversary of the death of Kurdish-…
greenleft.org.au/content/reza-beratis-struggle-remembered

Venezuela files ICC lawsuit over US sanctions
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-20
international solidarity Paul DobsonIssue 1254 Venezuela ICC International Court of Justice US blockadeFebruary 20, 202…
greenleft.org.au/content/venezuela-files-icc-lawsuit-over-us-sanctions

Uphold rainbow rights and kill the religious privilege bill
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-19
LGBTI rights Paul GregoireIssue 1254 Australia homophobia Anti-Discrimination lawsFebruary 19, 2020Mardi Gras season is upon us, a good time to reflect on the government that is about to table…
greenleft.org.au/content/uphold-rainbow-rights-and-kill-religious-privilege-bill

No to religious discrimination
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-19
LGBTI rights Chris JenkinsIssue 1254 Australia anti-discrimination law LGBTI communityFebruary 19, 2020As people were fleeing their burning homes and volunteer firefighters were crowdfundi…
greenleft.org.au/content/no-religious-discrimination

ICE's Destruction of Records Must Be Stopped
Kate Oh | aclu.org | 2020-02-18
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is | notorious for committing rampant unconstitutional and inhumane abuses in its | detention system

Our Vision to Transform What it Means to Be a Prosecutor
aclu.org | 2020-02-18
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 unlimited power to determine who ends up locked up and who goes free

Journalist: Harvey Weinstein's Defense Team Is Waging a War Against the #MeToo Movement
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-18
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…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/18/irin_carmon_harvey_weinstein_trial_nyc

Protest Julian Assange's extradition
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-18
civil liberties Kerry SmithIssue 1254 Australia whistleblowerFebruary 18, 2020Australian citizen Julian Assange's extradition hearing is set to start at Belmarsh Prison, London, on February 24. | The United States government wants to extradite the journalist and whis…
greenleft.org.au/content/protest-julian-assanges-extradition

There is a Coordinated Attack Against Trans Youth in State Legislatures
Rose Saxe | aclu.org | 2020-02-18
Less than a | month and a half into 2020, this state legislative session has seen unprecedented attacks on LGBTQ people, and an alarming focus | on bills that would harm trans youth. | Also | alarming: These bills, and the terminology used in them, use similar language and clearly come from a common | playbook. | Right now, | bills are pending in 10 states that | would criminalize l…
aclu.org/news/lgbt-rights/there-is-a-coordinated-attack-against-trans-youth-in-state-legislatures

Detroit Overtaxed Residents by $600M, Causing Foreclosure Crisis. Residents Are Now Fighting Back
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-14
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…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/14/detroit_class_action_lawsuit_foreclosures

Weekend Read: Department of Justice may force Mississippi to fix deadly prison system
splcenter.org | 2020-02-14
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/14/weekend-read-department-justice-may-force-mississippi-fix-deadly-prison-system

The Corporate Media Is Directly Profiting from Mike Bloomberg's Rise as He Spends Fortune on TV Ads
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-14
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.
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/14/michael_bloomberg_tv_ads_corporate_media

Bill Barr Wants Sheriffs to Join His Attacks on State and Local Governments
Brian Tashman | aclu.org | 2020-02-13
Attorney General Bill Barr, speaking at the National Sheriffs' Association conference in Washington, D.C., encouraged sheriffs to join the Trump administration as it launches a "significant escalation" in the federal government's efforts to retaliate against cities and states with policies designed to protect immigrant communities. | For | Barr's Department of Justice, that escalation includes new lawsuits against | states and municipalities with immigrant-protective policies.
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-attorney-general-wants-sheriffs-to-join-his-attacks-on-state-and-local-governments

Deadline Looming, Strongest Surveillance Reform Bill Yet Emerges
Neema Singh Guliani | aclu.org | 2020-02-12
Congress has just five weeks to decide the fate of key foreign | intelligence surveillance powers

Congress Should Outlaw State Attacks on Abortion Access
Yashica Robinson, MD | aclu.org | 2020-02-12
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 |

Desperate asylum seekers 'starving for justice' in immigrant prison hunger strikes across Louisiana
splcenter.org | 2020-02-11
Guards shackled Sai Mahad to a chair, placed a mask over his mouth and snaked a long tube through one of his nostrils.
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/12/desperate-asylum-seekers-starving-justice-immigrant-prison-hunger-strikes-across-louisiana

Biden Threatens Lawsuit to Halt Release of Real Iowa Caucus Results
Tyler Durden | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-04
American democracy–ain't it grand?>…
theantimedia.com/biden-threatens-lawsuit-to-halt-release-of-real-iowa-caucus-results/

SPLC and the SPLC Action Fund Hire Internationally Renowned Human and Civil Rights Leader as New President and CEO
splcenter.org | 2020-02-02
Margaret Huang brings 25 years of experience advocating against discrimination and oppression around the world.
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/03/splc-and-splc-action-fund-hire-internationally-renowned-human-and-civil-rights-leader-new