(2020-09-11). Barbara Smith: The U.S. "Functions with White Supremacy as Its Engine." Here's How We Dismantle It. democracynow.org 
Since the police killing of George Floyd in May sparked a nationwide uprising against police brutality, armed white supremacists have taken to the streets of U.S. cities in response to Black Lives Matter protests. Organizing against systemic racism has been met with apparent attempts by the Trump administration to cover up white supremacist violence. We speak to legendary Black feminist scholar Barbara Smith, founder of the Combahee River Collective, about her proposal for an antiracist program called the Hamer-Baker Plan — named for Fannie Lou Hamer and Ella Baker — to eradicate white supremacy in th…
(2020-09-11). PDF of September 10 issue. workers.org 
Download the 12-page PDF. Anti-racists defy police, fascist terror Fight the right with united worker action! editorial ALSO: Kevin Zeese, °presente! Capitalist 'gifts': evictions and hunger. Battling racism on many fronts Pensacola and Greensboro; Sports focus on Black lives; Tribute to Chadwick Boseman. Labor's militant rank and file Save the . . . |
(2020-09-11). Outrage over death of Black trans woman in Cleveland jail. workers.org 
Cleveland Anger over the tragic death of 28-year-old Lea Rayshon Daye in Cleveland's Cuyahoga County Jail came out forcefully in a virtual press conference held Sept. 4. Daye's was the second jail death here in less than two months and the 11th in two years. Found unresponsive in her cell . . . |
(2020-09-11). George Jackson: Marxist-Leninist, abolitionist, revolutionary! workers.org 
As we commemorate the 49th anniversary of the Attica Uprising of 1971, the Prisoners Solidarity Committee of Workers World Party is inspired to once again raise the name of our comrade George Jackson. A revolutionary philosopher and communist militant, Jackson's writings have inspired workers on both sides of the prison . . . |
(2020-09-11). The Myth of the "Bad" Immigrant. aclu.org Immigrant communities are often asked to "get right with the law," but is the law right in the first place? That's what Alina Das asks in her new book, No Justice in the Shadows. She delves into her experience as the daughter of immigrants, an immigration attorney, and a clinical law professor to explore the intersection of immigration and the criminal justice system. , , Too often, she argues, our immigration system is used as a tool of discrimination and oppression, rather than as a tool of justice, and the consequences are dire. Our current immigration system is breaking up families, and forcing people to f…
(2020-09-11). Trump Tries to Change the Subject From Covid to Violence. counterpunch.org 
With over 185,000 covid corpses in the U.S., Trump needs to change the subject. What better way than promoting mayhem in American cities by routinely portraying Black Lives Matter protesters as violent, angry mobs intent on looting? Granted he gets a big assist on this from Fox News, which has screamed about black insurrection for
(2020-09-11). Elections and the Problem of Politics. counterpunch.org 
For most readers of political commentary, the human consequences of deindustrialization, the 1994 Crime Bill, the bailouts of Wall Street, etc., are abstractions. Deindustrialization left capable adults with the choice of taking low-wage, low-status service jobs or muddling through in the informal economy. The 1994 Crime Bill built out the infrastructure of policing and prisons
(2020-09-11). Israeli prison authorities confiscate fans of Palestinian prisoners for protests. peoplesdispatch.org Israeli forces stormed the cells of the approximately 850 prisoners who were part of the protest against the death of Daud Al-Khatib. They confiscated fans and electrical devices…
(2020-09-11). Beyond White Supremacist Groups, We Must Eradicate Systemic White Supremacy. truthout.org Image Credit: E. Mackey | Since the police killing of George Floyd in May sparked a nationwide uprising against police brutality, armed white supremacists have taken to the streets of U.S. cities in response to Black Lives Matter protests. Organizing against systemic racism has been met with apparent attempts by the Trump administration to cover up white supremacist violence. We speak to legendary Black feminist scholar Barbara Smith, founder of the Combahee River Collective, about her proposal fo…
(2020-09-10). Wikileaks helped end secret U.S. killings, Assange extradition hearing is told. mronline.org 
REVELATIONS published by Wikileaks helped to end a secret U.S. assassination programme and freed unlawfully detained prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, the Julian Assange extradition hearing was told today.
(2020-09-10). ATTICA REBELLION: Paris Commune of the Black Liberation struggle. workers.org 
The following excerpted article first appeared online Sept. 14, 2016, to mark the 45th anniversary of this historic uprising of incarcerated workers and revolutionaries. The story of Attica, Sept. 9, 1971, is the story of how prisons can be incubators of revolutionaries — like George Jackson, assassinated 2 Ω . . . |
(2020-09-10). Railroaded Underground: A voice from inside San Quentin. workers.org 
This is a slightly edited interview of a prisoner at San Quentin State Prison, by Tahir Asad, an Associated Press award-winning and Emmy-nominated journalist and educator in Philadelphia. By Tahir Asad San Quentin State Prison opened 168 years ago in July 1852, making it the oldest prison in California. Located . . . |
(2020-09-10). 'Racial discrimination': Beijing blasts Washington for revoking visas of 1,000 Chinese students. rt.com 
Chinese students whose visas were revoked by the US were persecuted for political reasons, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has said, adding that Beijing reserves the right to respond to the move. | The visa move by Washington amounts to "outright political persecution and racial discrimination" of Chinese students and a violation of their human rights, the ministry's spokesman, Zhao Lijian, The revocation of visas and other anti-Chinese steps by the US "run counter to its self-proclaimed openne…
(2020-09-10). Lower Courts Agree — It's Time to End Qualified Immunity. aclu.org Earlier this month, Mississippi federal court judge Carlton Reeves
(2020-09-10). Belarus: Ensure 'full respect' for workers' rights during protests, ILO urges President Lukashenko. news.un.org Voicing deep concern over detention and arrests of trade unionists in Belarus, the head of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) called on President Alexander Lukashenko to ensure a climate free from violence and intimidation against peacefully protesting workers.
(2020-09-10). The Trump Administration's Attack on Abortion Access Disproportionately Harms Communities of Color Already Devastated by COVID-19. aclu.org Six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, it is devastatingly apparent that the United States' longstanding racial inequalities have only been amplified during this crisis. Nowhere is that truer than in health care, including reproductive health care., , Even before the pandemic, people of color faced severe barriers to accessing essential reproductive health care as a result of interrelated factors such as structural racism, gendered oppression, and associated economic disparities. Abortion restrictions, such as bans on insurance coverage for abortion or laws mandating delays in abortion care and an extra unnec…
(2020-09-10). 'Green' Billionaires Behind Suppression Of 'Planet Of The Humans'. popularresistance.org It is hard to think of an American film that provoked a greater backlash in 2020 than "Planet of the Humans." Focused on the theme of planetary extinction and fanciful proposals to ward it off, the documentary was released for free on YouTube on April 21. The date was significant not only because it was the eve of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, but because a global pandemic was tearing through America's social fabric and exposing the human toll of the country's globalized, growth-obsessed economic model.
(2020-09-10). Protesters on GG Bridge Tell Police: "Take Off Your Riot Gear!" indybay.org 3 min mp4 video | Credit: @deathbywoodz (instagram) | Filmed on Labor Day 2020, protesters for Black Lives Matter and workers' rights demand entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge. A week earlier, Trump supporters held a rally at the same location with police protection.
(2020-09-10). MoD calls on UK to take practical actions to pay 40-year debt. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 09 (MNA) — Stating that the issue of paying off Iran's debt by the UK government has nothing to do with the release of some prisoners, Iran's Ministry of Defense called on UK to take immediate action to pay 40-year debt.
(2020-09-10). Prison Reforms Can Actually Increase Size and Scope of Incarceration. truthout.org Brian Sonenstein and Kim Wilson welcome back Maya Schenwar and Victoria Law to discuss their new book, The book provides a comprehensive and thought-provoking critical analysis of popular reforms to policing and incarceration, such as electronic monitoring, diversion courts, so-called sex worker rescue programs, and a lot more. Impor…
(2020-09-10). Faced With Rising Seas and Other Consequences of Climate Crisis, Low-Lying Delaware Sues 31 Fossil Fuel Companies. commondreams.org The state attorney general's move came just a day after Charleston, South Carolina became the first southern U.S. city to file a climate liability lawsuit. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/delaware_1.jpg …
(2020-09-10). Failed Mcconnell Bill Cared More About Lawsuits Than Keeping Kids Safe. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-09-09). Julian Assange, Prometheus Bound. strategic-culture.org 
He is being punished not for stealing fire — but for exposing power under the light of truth and provoking the god of Exceptionalism. | Pepe ESCOBAR | This is the tale of an Ancient Greek tragedy reenacted in AngloAmerica. | Amid thundering silence and nearly universal indifference, chained, immobile, invisible, a squalid Prometheus was transferred from the gallows for a show trial in a faux Gothic court built on the site of a medieval prison. | Kratos, impersonating Strength, and Bia, impersonating Violence, had duly chained Prometheus, not to a mountain in the Caucasus, but to solitary confinement in a h…
(2020-09-09). WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange May Face Up to 175 Years in Prison. truthout.org Image Credit: Julia Quenzler | As the long-awaited extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gets underway in London, his legal adviser, Jennifer Robinson, says the case could set a chilling precedent for press freedoms around the world. "He faces 175 years in prison for doing his job as a journalist and a publisher. That's why this case is so dangerous," says Robinson. Assange faces numerous charges, including under the U.S. Espionage Act, related to the release of diplomatic cables pu…
(2020-09-09). UN: Israel's Handling of Palestinian Prisoners Amid COVID-19 "Discriminatory" "Violation of Int'l Law" mintpressnews.com 
In hopes of reducing the risk of COVID-19 exposure for its Jewish population, the Israeli Prison Service approved the transfer of five hundred Israeli prisoners to house arrest, but have subsequently refused to provide the same for Palestinian prisoners.
(2020-09-09). ACLU Calls On Tech Companies to End Their Alliance with ICE and CBP. aclu.org Westlaw and Lexis databases are the backbone of every ACLU lawyer's job. Whether we're filing legal briefs in court, lobbying for legislative change, or compiling research, the duo hold information that's vital for our advocacy. Thomson Reuters, which owns Westlaw, and Reed Elsevier (RELX), which runs Lexis, are the two publicly-traded companies behind each of these products. Though they claim to "advance human welfare" and help their customers "move society forward" by providing the necessary knowledge, information, and analytical tools for researchers, lawyers, and government agencies, they are fueling the m…
(2020-09-09). Is "Black Lives Matter" (BLM) the Mask Behind Which the Oligarchs Operate? globalresearch.ca Here's your BLM Pop Quiz for the day: What do "Critical Race Theory", "The 1619 Project", and Homeland Security's "White Supremacist" warning tell us about what's going on in America today? | They point to deeply-embedded racism that shapes the behavior …
(2020-09-09). Protests follow yet another custodial death in Egypt. peoplesdispatch.org 26-year-old Islam Al-Ostraly was arrested after an an argument with a police officer last week. While the police claim that he fell ill in prison and died of a 'circulatory attack, signs of extreme torture were reportedly found on his body…
(2020-09-09). Sunday 9/13: Rise in Power – Recognizing Resistance San Quentin to Attica and Back Again. indybay.org Meet at Larkspur Ferry Terminal at 5: 30 pm, walk to San Quentin Prison West Gate at 6 pm.
(2020-09-09). Arrests at Labor Day GG Bridge Protest for Workers and BLM. indybay.org Last week Trump supporters held a rally on the Golden Gate Bridge. At that event, police were seen fist bumping with Trumpers. Fast forward to Labor Day and a workers' rights and Black Lives Matter protest at the same location. Protesters were greeted with a show of force by the California Highway Patrol inordinate to the number of demonstrators who were there for the cause of justice.
(2020-09-09). 'I Committed the Crime': Danish Inventor Confesses to Kim Wall Murder in New Documentary. sputniknews.com Peter Madsen, who was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall in 2017, admitted to the crime for the first time in a documentary series entitled "Secret Recordings with Peter Madsen," which was broadcast for the first time Wednesday.
(2020-09-09). Department of Justice Moves to Defend Trump in Rape Accuser's Defamation Suit. truthout.org The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) took the unprecedented step on Tuesday evening of seeking to defend President Trump against a private lawsuit by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll who has accused Trump of sexual assault. Carroll sued Trump for defamation after he denied ever having met her and accused her of lying. | Numerous legal analysts immediately decried the move as a "debasement" of the DOJ by Attorney General William Barr. | "So now Barr has decided (1) that Trump somehow was actin…
(2020-09-09). CCI Statement on Charleston Climate Lawsuit. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-09-09). Saudi regime declares Khashoggi assassination case "closed forever" after sham verdict. wsws.org After a closed trial, the Saudi court announced its sentencing of eight unnamed individuals to prison terms, while none of those who ordered the grisly murder were held accountable.
(2020-09-08). Rural America fights gun violence and Trump-backing thugs. peoplesworld.org 
SEQUIM, Wash. — Left and progressive forces in rural communities are fighting back against racist provocations in this election year, picketing in "Black Lives Matter" vigils on street corners, and at post offices in defense of the right to vote by mail. Small towns are a target because the right-wing extremists see rural America as …
(2020-09-08). Thailand's "Youth Protests" Made in USA. thealtworld.com 
US repeats "soft power" strategy targeting youths used to destroy North Africa and the Middle East amid the "Arab Spring" in 2011 to target China-friendly nations in Asia today. | Imagine the reaction if the Russian government funded programs and events for years inside the US to create youth groups indoctrinated in support of Moscow's interests — particularly in regards to voting in US elections and the shaping of the US government itself. | It would be considered up to and including an act of war, with Russian-funded organizations in the US dismantled, those involved jailed for sedition and even treason, a…
(2020-09-08). Black Lives Matter holds court in sports. workers.org 
Two months before George Floyd was publicly lynched May 25 by a Minneapolis police officer pressing a knee on his neck for almost nine minutes, Breonna Taylor was lynched in late March by three Louisville, Ky., police officers. Thousands attend Justice for Breonna Taylor protest outside Kentucky Derby, Sept. 5. . . . |
(2020-09-08). COVID-19 could be a death sentence for elderly prisoners. therealnews.com 
Members of the group Releasing Aging People in Prison talk about officials' refusal to release aging prisoners with violent offenses, although studies show the chances of someone reoffending as they age are minimal.
(2020-09-08). US envoy meets new Taliban chief negotiator as Afghan peace talks near. yenisafak.com U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has held a meeting in Doha with the head of the new Taliban team due to open peace talks with a team representing the Afghan government, the Islamist insurgent group said on Tuesday.The negotiations, the result of an agreement between Washington and the Taliban, are to begin in Doha after the release of the last half-dozen or so of 5,000 Taliban prisoners.The Afghan negotiators had been expected to fly from Kabul to Doha this week, but are awaiting a signal from the Afghan government that the release – to which Western governments have objected – is going ahead.In Doha, the hea…
(2020-09-08). UIC workers ready to strike. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – SEIU Local 73, which represents about 4000 workers at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) gave notice of their intent to strike September 3. Key demands of the workers include safety, pay and respect. 94 % of the members voted for the open-ended strike which is set to begin on September 14. | 1400 members of the Illinois Nurses Association at UIC have also voted to authorize a strike, which could begin as early as September 12. | The majority of UIC workers are Black or Latino who have faced a pattern of racist discrimination.
(2020-09-08). Rafael Correa barred from contesting in the 2021 elections in Ecuador. peoplesdispatch.org The court of cassation of the National Court of Justice of Ecuador, on September 7, ratified the 8-year prison sentence against former president Rafael Correa and 15 other officials from his government in the "Bribes 2012-2016" case. The court also confirmed that Correa will be barred from electoral politics for the next 25 years. With the confirmation of the sentence, Correa is officially and definitively disqualified from contesting as a vice-presidential candidate in the 2021 general elections in Ecuador. | The former president, who is currently residing in Belgium, rejected the ruling through his Twitter acco…
(2020-09-08). The Silence and Sorrow of Miscarriage. jamanetwork.com In this narrative medicine essay, a neurologist relates the story of her miscarriage while touring immigration detention centers in Texas documenting medical care and human rights violations and shares her deep sorrow for the women who lost children either by force or miscarriages while incarcerated.
(2020-09-08). Sunday 9/13: Sit. Walk. Listen. Because Black Lives Matter. indybay.org Frank H. Ogawa Plaza (14th Street/Broadway) | Oakland, CA…
(2020-09-08). Cohen Hints Falwell Jr.'s Trump Endorsement Was Quid Pro Quo for Preventing Explicit Photo Leak. sputniknews.com Disbarred attorney and former legal confidante to US President Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, serving 3 years in prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion and campaign finance violation, has written a book on his time with Trump during the latter's campaign and administration.
(2020-09-08). Tension mounts at Israeli prison after detainee's death. yenisafak.com Tension escalated inside Israel's Ofer prison on Tuesday following the death of a Palestinian detainee a few months before his release.According to the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPC), prison guards stormed two sections inside the prison and transferred many detainees to solitary confinement.It said that detainees were tortured by prison guards and their belongings were damaged."The situation is difficult and complicated inside the prison," PPC head Qadora Fares told Anadolu Agency.Last week, Palestinian detainee Daoud al-Khatib, 45, died inside the prison's section 20, a few months before he completes his 18-…
(2020-09-08). Saudi court revises sentence of convicts in Jamal Khashoggi murder case. peoplesdispatch.org The eight unidentified convicts in the Jamal Khashoggi murder case will spend between seven and 20 years in jail. Agnes Callamard, UN's special rapporteur, welcomed the commuting of death sentences but called the judgement a parody of justice…
(2020-09-07). Assange supporters gather outside Old Bailey ahead of extradition hearing. thecanary.co 
Dozens of Julian Assange supporters have gathered outside the Old Bailey, where the WikiLeaks founder is set to continue his fight against extradition to the US.The 49-year-old, who has been in high-security Belmarsh Prison for 16 months, is wanted over the publication of hundreds of thousands of classified documents in 2010 and 2011.He is expected to appear in court in person on Monday for the first time in months, facing 18 charges — including plotting to hack computers and conspiring to obtain and disclose national defence information.Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's father, John Shipton, arrives at the…
(2020-09-07). Owners of Oil Tankers Seized by the US File Lawsuits. globalresearch.ca The US unilaterally imposes its own sanctions universally as much as it can becoming the self-appointed global policeman. Many countries obey because of the financial and military power of the US. | *** | US must prove oil is from Iran and …
(2020-09-07). Papua New Guinea: Cop falls asleep, prisoners flee home. yenisafak.com At least 31 prisoners escaped jail in Papua New Guinea last week, according to local reports on Monday.Senior police official Peter Guinness said the officer on guard had allegedly fallen asleep while intoxicated, allowing detainees remanded in custody to flee Lae Central police station last Wednesday, The National daily reported.The guard was suspended after the prisoners reportedly took his keys while he was unconscious."As a young policeman serving [before] in Lae, I have never experienced such," Guinness said. Guinness added that after the guard was tried in court, authorities would submit a recommendation fo…
(2020-09-07). This Labor Day, 'Black Lives Matter' Means Justice for Black Workers. commondreams.org In 2012, members of the Chicago Teachers Union rocked the city with their historic strike. (Credit: flickr/cc/Sarah-Ji) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/cunninghamcook_ctpf_wall_street_850_593_1.jpg …
