New PR Group Pushes Private Prison Industry Talking Points
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-05
In late 2019, the three largest private prison operators joined forces to establish a new group to push pro-industry talking points to the press and on social media: the Day 1 Alliance. Why is the private prison industry going on the offensive to improve its public image and secure positive earned media? | In the wake of the family separation and detention crisis of summer 2018, a broad array of organizations joined forces under the banners of #FamiliesBelongTogether and #BackersOfHate. This coalition specific…
truthout.org/articles/new-pr-group-pushes-private-prison-industry-talking-points/
Huge rally of Catalans greets exiled independence leaders
Kathy Fairfax | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-05
Dick NicholsIssue 1256 Spain BarcelonaMarch 5, 2020Whenever supporters of Catalan sovereignty and independence have been asked to travel far from home to champion their country's democratic rights, they have always rallied to the cause. | In December 2017, with half the leaders of the October 1 independence referendum in jail and the other ha…
greenleft.org.au/content/huge-rally-catalans-greets-exiled-independence-leaders
Kaia Rolle, Handcuffed and Arrested at 6: How Many More, and for How Long Will This Happen in America?
B. Nimri Aziz | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-04
While fretting over refugee children in freezing tents along Turkey's border, or Nargis Fazili's family fleeing Afghanistan across Asia to Europe, or lone migrant children caged in U.S. detention centers, we may barely register what happens to American children like Kaia Rolle; she's a 6-year-old student at a not unusual neighborhood school in Florida. I…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/04/kaia-rolle-handcuffed-and-arrested-at-6-how-many-more-and-for-how-long-will-this-happen-in-america/
Kaia Rolle, Handcuffed and Arrested at 6: How Many More, and for How Long Will This Happen in America?
B. Nimri Aziz | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-04
While fretting over refugee children in freezing tents along Turkey's border, or Nargis Fazili's family fleeing Afghanistan across Asia to Europe, or lone migrant children caged in U.S. detention centers, we may barely register what happens to American children like Kaia Rolle; she's a 6-year-old student at a not unusual neighborhood school in Florida. I…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/04/kaia-rolle-handcuffed-and-arrested-at-6-how-many-more-and-for-how-long-will-this-happen-in-america/
Even the Machines Are Racist. Facial Recognition Systems Threaten Black Lives
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-04
Facial recognition technology promises to alert us if our children are skipping out on their college classes, to zip us past all the suckers waiting in line at the airport and to create nationwide databases to catch the "bad guys." This newest biometric data is sold as a shortcut to utopia: technology that delivers responsible kids, quick service and safe streets
After Biden's Super Tuesday Surge, Sanders Campaign Faces Questions About African-American Support
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-04
On Super Tuesday, former Vice President Joe Biden swept the South and Midwest, winning Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Texas, propelled by a huge majority of African-American votes in several states. We host a roundtable discussion on the results with Barbara Ransby, historian, author and activist adviser to the Movement for Black Lives; Rev. Dr. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign and president of Repairers of the Breach; and Elie Mystal, the justice correspondent for The Nation.
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/4/super_tuesday_african_american_voters_roundtable
After Super Tuesday, Sanders Faces Questions About African American Support
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-04
On Super Tuesday, former Vice President Joe Biden swept the South and Midwest, winning Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Texas, propelled by a huge majority of African-American votes in several states. We host a roundtable discussion on the results with Barbara Ransby, historian, author and activist adviser to the Movement for Black Lives; Rev. Dr. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign and president of Repairers of the B…
truthout.org/video/after-super-tuesday-sanders-faces-questions-about-african-american-support/
Chile: Total Arrests Rise to 283 After Day of Protests
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-04
The protests in Chile gained force on Monday, March 2, when the repressive forces of President Sebastian Piñera's government left 283 people in detention after 28 cases of "very serious" violence, according to local media. | RELATED: | Police Violently Assault Protesters in Chile, Nearly 300 Arrested | During the protests, which took place in a town south of the capital, there were very violent episodes, clashes between demonstrators and security forces, barricades and attac…
telesurenglish.net/news/chile-arrested-numbers-rises-to-283-after-day-of-protests-20200304-0014.html
Super Tuesday round-up: Biden surges, Sanders takes the top prize & Bloomberg quits as complaints of 'voter suppression' mount
rt.com | 2020-03-04
The stage looks set for a drawn-out Democratic contest between an establishment centrist and a socialist agitator, after Super Tuesday voting saw Joe Biden sweep the south while Bernie Sanders claimed the top prize in California. | The biggest voting day in the Democrats' primary calendar, Super Tuesday brings in vote tallies from 14 states, as well as from American Samoa, and has a major impact on shaping the race to nab the party nomination. | So, what happened and what does it all mean? | Biden's (finally) in the game: | After a poor showing in early states like Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, forme…
rt.com/usa/482331-super-tuesday-roundup-biden-sanders/
Israeli Troops Invade West Bank; Abduct 21 Palestinians
Celine Hagbard | imemc.org | 2020-03-04
Israeli forces invaded several parts of the West Bank in pre-dawn raids Wednesday March 3rd, abducting 21 Palestinian citizens from their homes while they were asleep in bed. In addition, the troops seized funds from the homes of several freed prisoners. According to the Palestinian Wafa News Agency, the occupation …
imemc.org/article/israeli-troops-invade-west-bank-abduct-21-palestinians/
Librarians Could Be Jailed or Fined Under Proposed Censorship Law
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-04
A bill pending in Missouri's legislature takes aim at libraries and librarians who are making " age-inappropriate sexual material" available to children. | The measure, championed by Ben Baker, a Republican lawmaker, calls for establishing review boards who would determine whether materials in…
truthout.org/articles/librarians-could-be-jailed-or-fined-under-proposed-censorship-law/
Labor and the social crisis at France Telecom
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-03-04
The French courts recently found the telecommunications firm Orange/France Telecom and its top managers guilty of "moral harassment" connected to a wave of worker suicides a decade ago. The former management team, including the former CEO, face jail time and fines, while the company was ordered to pay 3 million euros in damages to the […] | Source…
mronline.org/2020/03/04/labor-and-the-social-crisis-at-france-telecom/
One in 20 Girls Aged 15-19 Has Experienced Rape: UNICEF Report
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-04
Around 13 million, or one in 20 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 worldwide have experienced rape during their lifetime, according to a report published Tuesday by the United Nations' Children's Agency ( Unicef). | RELATED: | New York Jury Convicts Harvey Weinstein of Sexual Assault, Rape | Despite progress in many areas, girls and women continue to face violence and discrimination, revealed the U.N. Children's Agency. | The study took…
telesurenglish.net/news/One-in-20-Girls-Aged-15-19-Has-Experienced-Rape-UNICEF-Report-20200304-0026.html
Grammys and fired female CEO locked in a battle of ugly finger-pointing
rt.com | 2020-03-04
'Get woke, go broke' might be an entertainment industry cliche, but the Grammys are getting a dose of reality, battling with a terminated first female CEO in a perfect storm of opposing narratives and discrimination accusations. | Deborah Dugan was hired in 2019 as the first female CEO and president of the Recording Academy, the organization that runs the Grammy Awards for music. The decision was hailed as a historic moment for diversity in the music industry. However, she was placed on leave in January, just five months into her tenure, with the governing board explaining that she had "consistent management d…
rt.com/usa/482245-grammy-ceo-fired-discrimination/
TRAP Laws are the Threat to Abortion Rights You Don't Know About
Ashoka Mukpo | aclu.org | 2020-03-03
This week, the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a case | that will have wide-reaching consequences for reproductive freedom and abortion | rights in America. It's the first time the Court has weighed those rights since | gaining a new conservative majority with the appointments of Justices Neil | Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. And the stakes are high. | The case that the court will | hear, June Medical Services LLC v. Russo, | is being argued by the Center for Reproductive Rights (CCR), and it involves a | law in Louisiana known as a "TRAP"
LA District Attorney Lacey's husband brandishes firearm at Black Lives Matters activists
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-03-03
Los Angeles, CA – For nearly three years, activists have been trying to get Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey to open her doors to them. This morning, March 2, the front door to Lacey's house was indeed opened, but with a gun pointed at the activists. | In the early morning, numerous activists from Black Lives Matter (BLM) Los Angeles staged a protest outside of Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey's house. David Lacey, husband of Jackie Lacey, opened the door, and without warning aimed a gun at the activists. His finger on the trigger, Mr. Lacey repeatedly yelled, "Get off of my porch!" | Dr. Meli…
fightbacknews.org/2020/3/3/la-district-attorney-lacey-s-husband-brandishes-firearm-black-lives-matters-activists
'We Are Going to Be Back to Where We Were After Reconstruction–Unless We Stop It' – CounterSpin interview with Carol Anderson about voter suppression
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2020-03-03
Janine Jackson interviewed Emory University's Carol Anderson about voter suppression for the February 28, 2020, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
fair.org/home/we-are-going-to-be-back-to-where-we-were-after-reconstruction-unless-we-stop-it/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=we-are-going-to-be-back-to-where-we-were-after-reconstruction-unless-we-stop-it
Trump campaign sues Washington Post for 'millions of dollars' over 'false and defamatory' statements on 'Russia collusion'
rt.com | 2020-03-03
Donald Trump's 2020 campaign has reportedly filed a libel suit against the Washington Post for "millions of dollars," accusing the newspaper of publishing "false and defamatory" statements about alleged collusion with Russia. | The lawsuit, which was filed in the US District Court in Washington DC on Tuesday, highlights two articles published by…
rt.com/usa/482235-trump-sues-washington-post/
Extradition of Assange Would Set a Dangerous Precedent
Marjorie Cohn | zcomm.org | 2020-03-02
The Trump administration is seeking extradition of WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, to the United States for trial on charges carrying 175 years in prison…
zcomm.org/zmagazine/extradition-of-assange-would-set-a-dangerous-precedent/
Julian Assange Lawyer: What's at Stake in Extradition Case Is Freedom of the Press
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-02
British Judge Vanessa Baraitser has suspended the extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange until mid-May. This comes after four days of intense deliberations last week between Assange's legal team and attorneys representing the United States government. Assange faces 18 charges of attempted hacking and breaches of the Espionage Act for his role in publishing classified documents exposing U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. He could be sentenced to up to 175 years in prison. Assange has been held in London's Belmarsh prison since last April, when he was removed from the embassy by British poli…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/2/julian_assange_extradition_case_uk
Contra-supporting CNN pundit Ana Navarro lobbied for corrupt right-wing Latin American governments
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-02
Bernie-bashing "Never Trump conservative" CNN pundit Ana Navarro lobbied for El Salvador's right-wing government, whose president was imprisoned for corruption,…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/01/contras-cnn-ana-navarro-lobbying-corruption/
Can We Trust the Government to Respond to the Coronavirus in a Fair and Effective Manner?
Jay Stanley | aclu.org | 2020-03-02
A group of over 450 public health experts signed a public letter today warning that widespread transmission of the Covid-19 coronavirus within the United States is "inevitable." Their letter urges government decisionmakers to enact policies that will have the best chance of minimizing the effects of the virus: those based strictly on the best available scientific information, and those that are imposed in a fair and equitable fashion. | It is essential that all govern…
aclu.org/news/national-security/can-we-trust-the-government-to-respond-to-the-coronavirus-in-a-fair-and-effective-manner
Klobuchar rally canceled, rally to free Myon Burrell takes center stage
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-03-02
St. Louis Park, MN – Amy Klobuchar supporters couldn't fill the gymnasium, March 1, at Saint Louis Park High School, even with the help of some 250 protesters demanding freedom for Myon Burrell, an innocent Black teen she sent to prison for life when she was the county district attorney. Myon Burrell's family, the Racial Justice Network, Minneapolis NAACP, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar, Communities United Against Police Brutality, and Black Lives Matter Minnesota called for community members to mobilize to protest at the Klobuchar rally, two days before the primary vo…
fightbacknews.org/2020/3/2/klobuchar-rally-canceled-rally-free-myon-burrell-takes-center-stage
In Case of Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak, New York Plans To Use Prison Labor to Dig Mass Graves
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-03-02
"The city has plans to send corpses to Hart Island in the Long Island Sound where, in the late 19th century, yellow-fever patients were quarantined. Prisoners from Rikers Island would be ferried over to do the digging."
mintpressnews.com/coronavirus-outbreak-new-york-prison-labor-dig-mass-graves/265427/
In Case of Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak, New York Plans To Use Prison Labor to Dig Mass Graves
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-03-02
"The city has plans to send corpses to Hart Island in the Long Island Sound where, in the late 19th century, yellow-fever patients were quarantined. Prisoners from Rikers Island would be ferried over to do the digging."
mintpressnews.com/coronavirus-outbreak-new-york-prison-labor-dig-mass-graves/265427/
Refugee rights supporters rally for freedom outside detention hotel
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-02
Refugees & migrants Chris SleeIssue 1256 Australia detention centre MelbourneMarch 2, 2020Two hundred people joined a protest organised by the Refugee Action Collective outside the Mantra hotel…
greenleft.org.au/content/refugee-rights-supporters-rally-freedom-outside-detention-hotel
Why are 1000s of Americans Being Detained for Dissent?
RT | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-01
Author and civil rights attorney John Whitehead of the Rutherford Institute joins Rick Sanchez to discuss the enduring effects of the PATRIOT Act and erosion of civil liberties in the US. He also explains "Operation Vigilant Eagle," a surveillance program to keep tabs on US veterans and track what they say online.
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/why-are-1000s-of-americans-being-detained-for-dissent/
Protest demands reversal of decision in Chicago police torture survivor case
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-29
Chicago, IL – In an attack on the human rights movement to stop police torture in Chicago, a Cook County judge ordered a torture survivor back to prison for life on February 14. In doing so, Judge Thomas Hennelly ignored irrefutable X-ray evidence of Gerald Reed's torture at the hands of the infamous Jon Burge "midnight crew," flouted the findings of the governor-appointed Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission
US and OAS lobby for Nicaraguan 'political prisoners' who butcher their pregnant girlfriends
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-28
Ben Norton reports from Nicaragua, where the US embassy and OAS successfully lobbied for the release of violent criminals who…
thegrayzone.com/2020/02/28/us-oas-nicaragua-political-prisoners-murder/
Carol Anderson on Voter Suppression
CounterSpin | fair.org | 2020-02-28
Media…
fair.org/home/carol-anderson-on-voter-suppression/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=carol-anderson-on-voter-suppression
Defending Immigrants' Rights and Reproductive Freedom in the U.S. Supreme Court
Eva Lopez | aclu.org | 2020-02-27
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a number of cases this term that will have a crucial impact on civil rights and civil liberties
Family Separation, Two Years After Ms. L
Leila Rafei | aclu.org | 2020-02-26
When the ACLU filed Ms. L v. ICE exactly two years ago, it was clear what was going on at the border was shocking and unprecedented: A Congolese mother and her six-year-old daughter had been torn apart by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for seemingly no reason at all. ICE sent them to detention sites thousands of miles away from one another, where for four months they had hardly any contact and didn't know whether they'd ever see each other again. It was an act of senseless cruelty
Stopping the Anti-Abortion Ordinances of East Texas
Anjali Salvador | aclu.org | 2020-02-26
Waskom. | Naples. Joaquin. Tenaha. Rusk. Gary. Wells. These names might sound unfamiliar | now, but you'll be hearing more about them soon enough. | They | are seven cities in East Texas that, within the last several months, each | passed so-called "sanctuary city for the unborn" ordinances
As Alabama primary nears, voter suppression is alive and well
splcenter.org | 2020-02-26
All across this country, the right to vote is under attack. But with your support, we're fighting back in Southern courts and state legislatures with a newly formed team of legal, policy, and grassroots advocates.
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/25/alabama-primary-nears-voter-suppression-alive-and-well
From Being Tortured in Sri Lanka to the U.S. Supreme Court
Ashoka Mukpo | aclu.org | 2020-02-24
On a frigid day in early February, Vijayakumar Thuraissigiam | stands under an awning on a street corner in lower Manhattan along with one of | his attorneys, Celso Perez of the ACLU. Both are bundled in heavy winter | jackets. Perez is holding his phone up and squinting as he concentrates on the | tinny voice of a translator emanating from its speaker. | "I want them to be aware that you're traveling," Perez says | into the phone. | The voice on the other line translates what Perez said into | Tamil, the native language of Sri Lanka's largest ethnic minority. Thuraissigiam, | heavyset in his late 40s with a…
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/from-being-tortured-in-sri-lanka-to-the-u-s-supreme-court
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
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
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/