(2020-05-20). Political Prisoners Teach-In: 'Greetings from Texas, death penalty capital'. workers.org 
These slightly edited remarks were given April 24 at the "U.S. Empire vs. Political Prisoners" webinar teach-in sponsored by Mobilization4Mumia and held in honor of the 66th birthday of political prisoner and revolutionary Mumia Abu-Jamal, incarcerated for 39 years by the U.S. state. By Gloria Rubac Greetings from the state . . . |
(2020-05-20). "Weapons of mass incompetence" workers.org 
By Vijay Prashad These slightly edited remarks were given April 24 at the "U.S. Empire vs. Political Prisoners" webinar teach-in sponsored by Mobilization4Mumia and held in honor of the 66th birthday of political prisoner and revolutionary Mumia Abu-Jamal. We are in Corona shock. The bourgeois order has become a prison. . . . |
(2020-05-20). Those Most in Need Of Mercy: Why Melissa Tanis Works to Get Elders Out of Prison. counterpunch.org For 25 years, Shakespeare Behind Bars, an organization whose charter states, "All human beings are born inherently good," has entered prisons and cast people convicted of serious crimes in Shakespeare's plays. The most notable effort so far has been at the Luther Luckette Correctional Facility in Kentucky, where a production of The Tempest became the
(2020-05-19). Technology and Liberties in the Fight Against Coronavirus. aclu.org 
There have been disease outbreaks throughout human history, but never one that has taken place in the era of high-tech tracking tools and "big data." , , Policymakers and technologists have proposed a number of ideas for leveraging such technologies to help suppress the spread of COVID-19. At the ACLU, we recognize the urgency of stemming the pandemic and re-opening America, and don't think we should immediately write off any tools that may offer public health benefits. But we shouldn't give up critical rights and freedoms unless a proposal is necessary, effective, and proportionate. We are particularly wary…
(2020-05-19). Remembering the Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education. commondreams.org Near the Capitol in Washington, people attend a rally in 2019 to mark the 65th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling that ended public school segregation and fueled the civil rights movement. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-05-19_at_1.23.56_pm.png …
(2020-05-19). When a Two-Year Sentence Becomes a Death Sentence. aclu.org Andrea Circle Bear wasn't given a death sentence. , , She plead guilty last year to maintaining a drug-involved premises. She was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison. , , But shortly after being transferred from a jail in South Dakota to a federal prison in Texas, Circle Bear died of COVID-19 while in custody, just 28 days after giving birth via C-section while on a ventilator. The 30-year-old member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota was the first federally incarcerated woman to die from COVID-19. , , Just how did a pregnant woman serving time for a drug offense get sent to a crowded f…
(2020-05-19). [Commentary] Corona crisis fuels racially profiled hate in social media networks. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic has the world firmly in its grip with more than 2.5 million confirmed cases worldwide [1] and over 100 countries in full or partial lockdown [2] (as of April 24th, 2020). Although political leaders call for solidarity and people all over the world have started support initiatives, various incidents prove that the corona outbreak has also given rise to a series of discrimination and racist attacks against Chinese people and people with Asian looking features [3—5]. These attacks are not restricted to the physical space but pertain to social media networks as well.
(2020-05-18). Philadelphia: #FreeBlackMamas demand prisoner release. workers.org 
Philadelphia Protesters, led by currently and formerly incarcerated women, trans and non gender-binary people, held a rally on May 15 in a city park next to Riverside Correctional Facility to demand the release of people held in Philadelphia jails and an end to unjust cash bail. The action featured speeches . . . |
(2020-05-18). Coronavirus 'Immunity Passports' are not the Answer. aclu.org As governments the world over seek ways to jumpstart economic activity, one proposal is a so-called "immunity passport" that would allow certain people who test positive for COVID-19 antibodies to return to work before others. We at the ACLU have serious concerns about the adoption of any such proposal, because of its potential to harm public health, incentivize economically-vulnerable people to risk their health by contracting COVID-19, exacerbate racial and economic disparities, and lead to a new health surveillance infrastructure that endangers privacy rights. , , An immunity passport system is fundamentall…
(2020-05-18). Israeli Military Court Extends Detention of a Palestinian Teen Boy. imemc.org The Israeli military court of Salem, near Jenin city in the West Bank, ordered on Monday, the extension of the detention of Palestinian teenager, Qasem Abu Baker, 17, from the Palestinian village of Y'abad, south of Jenin city. The mother of Qasem, told media outlets that Monday's extension is the …
(2020-05-15). The Secretive Police Commission The Justice Department Doesn't Want You To Notice. therealnews.com 
PAR learns about life under lockdown with COVID-19 from a guest just released from 10 months of incarceration, and examines the secretive police commission created by Attorney General Barr.
(2020-05-15). Ari Berman on Voter Suppression and Coronavirus. fair.org 
Media…
(2020-05-15). Lancaster, Penn. mobilizes to save prisoners' lives amid COVID outbreak. liberationnews.org 
Members of Party for Socialism and Liberation in Lancaster, Pennsylvania recently initiated a campaign to demand action to protect the lives of incarcerated people.
(2020-05-15). DeRay McKesson on the Threat to Protesters' Rights. aclu.org Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, protests have erupted across the country. Some are related to the virus: Protestors in Ohio and Michigan took to the streets and state capitols to call for an end to their governors' stay-at-home orders. Others are calling out an ongoing injustice: the killing, often at the hands of the state, of Black Americans. Now, the rights of participants in protests across the spectrum could be at stake unless the Supreme Court weighs in on an important decision., , In this episode of At Liberty, we speak with DeRay McKesson, an activist at the center of an important ACLU…
(2020-05-14). In Fear of Falling Behind and Privacy Invasions, Students Demand Action on Remote Learning. aclu.org 
Mia's high school peers are completing class assignments from their school parking lot because they, like many families in their rural Maryland community, lack access to internet at home. Delina, a high school junior from Arizona, has to wait until all her younger siblings finish their schoolwork using the one computer at home before she can use it to start hers. One student from New Jersey fears that the lack of privacy protections for students using remote learning technology puts their mom at increased risk of deportation. , , This is the reality of education in America during the COVID-19 crisis, accordin…
(2020-05-14). Bay Area car caravan: Stop state executions by COVID-19! liberationnews.org 
More than 80 cars drove around San Quentin prison in Marin County, California on Sat. May .
(2020-05-14). Israel Strips Financial Aid From Palestinian Prisoners, Leaving Them To Face COVID-19 Alone. therealnews.com 
Calls and visits are denied to many of Israel's Palestinian prisoners, leaving their fate in the pandemic unknown.
(2020-05-14). Prisons Are Using the Pandemic to Impose Lockdowns. progressive.org Advocates say the extreme restrictions on movement are punitive and dangerous.
(2020-05-12). Dallas County Officials are Leaving Vulnerable People to Catch COVID-19 in Jail. aclu.org Wykivia and Ideare Bailey were taking every precaution. Worried for their asthmatic daughter due to the spread of COVID-19, the couple was meticulous in cleaning, sanitizing, and social distancing to reduce every possible threat. However, when Ideare was arrested for property theft and booked into the Dallas County Jail on April 6, there was no way to adhere to those precautions. Held in a crowded intake room, he could not maintain six feet of distance from other people. Forced to live in a dormitory with 60 other people — for meals, downtime, sleeping, bathing, everything — Mr. Bailey knew that he…
(2020-05-12). President Trump's Assault On Inspectors General Threatens Our Civil Liberties. aclu.org One recent Friday night, President Trump quietly nominated a replacement inspector general (IG) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). But this was no ordinary nomination. If confirmed by the Senate, it will force out the acting IG after her office released a
(2020-05-14). DeVos is Rolling Back Protections for Sexual Harassment and Assault Survivors in Schools. We're Suing to Put a Stop to It. aclu.org By the time a student graduates from college — particularly if they are a woman, LGBTQ, a person of color, or have a disability — the odds are high that they have experienced sexual harassment and assault.
(2020-05-18). Detainees call for their release from Mantra prison. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-05-19). Headlines for May 19, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Claims He Is Taking Hydroxychloroquine Despite FDA Warnings, Navajo Nation Has Highest Coronavirus Infection Rate in the U.S., 60-Year-Old Burmese Refugee Becomes Eighth COVID-19 Victim at Colorado Meat Plant, 74-Year-Old Man at California ICE Prison Dies of Suicide, Trump Attacks WHO as U.S. and China Trade Barbs over Pandemic Response, Early COVID Vaccine Trials Show Positive Results, Outbreak at Refugee Center in Germany Infects at Least 70 people, France and Germany Propose 500 Billion-Euro Coronavirus Assistance Fund for EU, Sà£o Paulo's Hospitals "Near Collapse" as Brazil Becomes Third Most Infe…
(2020-05-12). "Losing the Fabric of the City": COVID-19 Took Chicago Black Lives First & Exposed Structural Racism. democracynow.org 
We look at the coronavirus pandemic's disproportionate toll on African Americans through the story of Chicago's first 100 recorded deaths. A report by ProPublica found that 70 of the first 100 people to die were African American. Black people account for 30% of Chicago's population and 72% of COVID-19 deaths. We speak with ProPublica reporter Adriana Gallardo, who contributed to the report "COVID-19 Took Black Lives First. It Didn't Have To." She says the story paints a picture of "sophisticated structural racism" in Chicago.
(2020-05-11). Headlines for May 11, 2020. democracynow.org COVID-19 Cases Mount as States Reopen Economies, NY Investigating Deaths of at Least 3 Children Linked to COVID-19, Bronx Hospital Investigating Nurse Who Shared Video of Medical Staff Speaking Out About Lack of PPE, Cheyenne River Sioux Defies South Dakota Order to Remove Coronavirus Checkpoints, Another COVID-19 Case Confirmed at White House as Barack Obama Blasts Trump's "Chaotic" Response, Hunger-Striking Immigrant Women Released from California Prison, U.S. Continues to Deport Haitian Immigrants, Including Those with COVID-19 Infections, WSJ: Trump Planning to Ban H-1B Visas, Three Prisoners Die at Chino Fac…
(2020-05-20). Santa Cruz Needs Community Control of Surveillance. indybay.org Santa Cruz has a community control of surveillance law in front of the City Council. We need transparency, advanced notice and joint decisionmaking about pervasive surveillance everywhere. Sign the petition (from ACLU) action.aclu.org/petition/cn-santa-cruz-surveillance-petition…
(2020-05-20). As the Death Toll Rises, We Demand: Trump/Pence Out Now! indybay.org Refuse Fascism in the SF Bay Area is carrying out a series of actions in response to the dangerous situation we are in. We will deliver body bags to the Federal Building in San Francisco (on Seventh St.) on May 27 protest escalating deaths in prisons and detention camps, and we will do freeway bannering on May 20, with banners saying "Trump=Fascism=Death" and "Trump Pence Out Now" along with other actions. These will be protests that support and preserve social distancing.
(2020-05-20). California Proposes Regulations to Prevent Whale Entanglements in Crab Gear. indybay.org SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 15, 2020 — California state officials released a proposed rule today to reduce the number of endangered whales and sea turtles that get entangled in commercial Dungeness crab gear. The Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP) was prompted by steep annual increases in reported whale entanglements and a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity.
(2020-05-20). Jail Tesla Billionaire Elon Musk & Defend Health & Safety: Workers Speak Out At Tesla. indybay.org Workers spoke out against the bullying and intimidation of billionaire Elon Musk who has started his Tesla factory violating a shelter in place law. He challenged the Fremont police and Governor Newsom to arrest him but they are allowing him to open without any CA-OSHA inspections. Newsom has continued the destruction of CA-OSHA and there are less than 200 inspectors for the 18 million workers in California and only 1 doctor and 1 nurse at CA. OSHA.
(2020-05-20). Johnson & Johnson ends baby powder sales in US & Canada after lawsuits posit links to cancer… but will keep selling it elsewhere. rt.com 
Johnson & Johnson will halt all sales of its talc-based baby powder in North America, after years of lawsuits claiming the product causes cancer — but, undeterred, the firm says it won't stop selling it to the rest of the world.
(2020-05-11). SPLC fights to keep children out of juvenile detention, other confined settings during pandemic. splcenter.org …
(2020-05-11). We Also Face a Pandemic of Racism. progressive.org COVID-19 sheds light on America's systemic oppression of people of color.
(2020-05-11). Doctors Speak Out About COVID 19 & The Violent Suppression Of Your Rights. thelastamericanvagabond.com The only question, is whether We The People have the courage to stand for what we know to be right, or if we will allow ourselves to be scared into passively accepting the "new normal," a locked down controlled society that was prepped for, planned out, and designed years ago. I for one, will never …
(2020-05-09). Women In Prisons Say They're Being Punished For Speaking Out About COVID-19 Risks. therealnews.com 
Women say they're being punished for contacting people outside about their living conditions. Activists are planning an action May 23 at Jessup Correctional Facility in response.
(2020-05-08). HIGH-FREQUENCY failure of combination antiretroviral therapy in paediatric HIV infection is associated with unmet maternal needs causing maternal NON-ADHERENCE. thelancet.com The success of early infant testing and cART initiation strategies is severely limited by subsequent cART non-adherence in HIV-infected children. Although there are practical challenges to administering paediatric cART formulations, these are overcome by mothers who themselves are cART-adherent. These findings point to the ongoing obligation to address the unmet needs of the mothers. Eliminating the particular barriers preventing adequate treatment for these vulnerable women and infants need to be prioritised in order to achieve durable suppression of viraemia on cART, let alone HIV cure/remission, in HIV-infecte…
(2020-05-07). How being a passenger almost put a man behind bars for life in Alabama. splcenter.org When Roberto Cruz dozed off in the passenger seat of a blue Jeep Cherokee on June 23, 2003, he had no idea that he'd end up in Alabama, let alone sentenced to life without parole in a prison there.
(2020-05-06). SPLC's Civil Rights Memorial Center publishes children's activity book online. splcenter.org …
(2020-05-04). Venezuela: 45 Killed in Guanare Prison Riot. venezuelanalysis.com The government pledged to investigate the May 1 riot, which it described as an attempted breakout.
(2020-04-29). [Correspondence] Preventing major outbreaks of COVID-19 in jails. thelancet.com Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections are now being found in jails throughout the USA. Conditions in jails are very conducive to the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and social distancing is impossible. Therefore, there is widespread concern that there could be major outbreaks in jails and that jails could amplify transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in surrounding communities.
(2020-02-04). Biden Threatens Lawsuit to Halt Release of Real Iowa Caucus Results. theantimedia.com American democracy—ain't it grand?>