(2020-09-16). Assange's Sixth Day at the Old Bailey: US Prison Conditions and Politicised Prosecutions. globalresearch.ca September 15. Central Criminal Court, London. Today, witnesses appearing in the extradition trial of Julian Assange fleshed out some points touched upon the previous day: the fate awaiting the WikiLeaks publisher in the US prison system, and the political nature …
(2020-09-16). Assange on Trial: Supermax Prisons and Special Administrative Measures. counterpunch.org DAY FIVE Having had a coronavirus scare towards the end of last week, necessitating a brief suspension of proceedings for September 11, the extradition proceedings for Julian Assange resumed with Eric Lewis. The chairman of the board of Reprieve, who has cut his teeth on representing Afghan detainees in US custody and those in Guantánamo,
(2020-09-16). Day Nine: Julian Assange Extradition Hearing. popularresistance.org Things became not merely dramatic in the Assange courtroom today, but spiteful and nasty. There were two real issues, the evidence and the procedure. On the evidence, there were stark details of the dreadful regime Assange will face in US jails if extradited. On the procedure, we saw behaviour from the prosecution QC that went well beyond normal cross examination and was a real attempt to denigrate and even humiliate the witness. I hope to prove that to you by a straightforward exposition of what happened today in court, after which I shall add further comment.
(2020-09-16). Noura Erakat: Trump's Bahrain-UAE-Israel Deal Won't Advance Palestinian Peace & Will Up Repression. democracynow.org 
As the Trump administration celebrates deals establishing diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, we speak with Palestinian American legal scholar Noura Erakat, who says Trump's "peace" agreements are a sham. "This is not about advancing any kind of meaningful, enduring peace, but instead about entrenching a geopolitical alliance that would otherwise increase oppression for people of the Middle East," says Erakat, assistant professor at Rutgers University and author of "Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine."
(2020-09-16). Continue to Say Her Name: Breonna Taylor's Family Wants Cops Arrested After Historic $12M Settlement. democracynow.org 
The city of Louisville, Kentucky, will pay a historic $12 million settlement to the family of Breonna Taylor, more than six months after police shot and killed the 26-year-old Black emergency room technician in her own apartment and Taylor became a household name as part of the nationwide uprising in defense of Black lives. It is one of the largest payouts ever for a police killing of a Black person in the U.S. The city will also institute major reforms to the police department responsible for Taylor's death. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced the settlement at a press conference, where he was joined by memb…
(2020-09-16). Nearly 3,500 Palestinians killed during Netanyahu era. yenisafak.com During the prime ministry of Benjamin Netanyahu, who signed an agreement with the UAE and Bahrain to normalize relations, nearly 3,500 Palestinians, including many women and children, were martyred and thousands of others injured in the attacks of Israeli forces.Netanyahu, shown as one of the chief architects of Israel's oppression and violations against Palestine, served as the prime minister during the two bloody attacks on the Gaza Strip under the blockade by the Israeli army.According to the data of the Israeli rights group B'Tselem, nearly 3,500 Palestinian Palestinians have been martyred in the attacks of t…
(2020-09-16). Nurse alleges forced sterilizations, medical malpractice at Georgia immigrant detention center. wsws.org The chilling report provides further evidence of the sadistic abuse meted out by the Trump administration in its fascistic war on immigrants.
(2020-09-16). I'm not voting for my favorite candidate this year. peoplesworld.org 
In 1968, I was persecuted for voting for civil rights activist and comedian Dick Gregory who ran for president as a write-in candidate of the Freedom and Peace Party. Well, actually I didn't vote for him, but I said I would in a straw poll conducted in my 5th-grade class. The teacher objected that Gregory …
(2020-09-16). Why We Want to Vote By Mail. aclu.org 
Voting by mail is the safest way to cast a ballot for many voters, whether they are immunocompromised, have a disability, or simply want to protect the health of their community. Six voters from across the country shared with us why they want to vote by mail, and why it should be an option for all voters. No excuses. |
(2020-09-16). Philadelphia houseless activists demand 'Housing now!'. workers.org 
As Philadelphia city officials and cops threaten eviction, hundreds of people come out to defend #HousingNow encampment, here Sept. 9. Philadelphia Sept. 14 — For over three months, "BLACK LIVES MATTER" was shouted in hand-painted white letters across a massive banner on 21st St. at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, near . . . |
(2020-09-16). Media narratives about China endanger world peace. peoplesworld.org 
In recent months, Americans have received a barrage of news on TV, social media, and even late-night talk shows discussing the "aggressive" actions of the People's Republic of China. Whether it's the disputed waters of the South China Sea, the Hong Kong protests, or accusations of religious discrimination and genocide, the presentations of the national …
(2020-09-16). Prisoners denied the right to vote, a new form of poll tax — WW commentary. workers.org 
Voting in Lower Peach Tree, Ala., in Wilcox County, on May 3, 1966, after passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Voter suppression in the United States is as "American as apple pie," especially when it comes to Black, Brown and other marginalized communities. Despite the passing of the Voting . . . |
(2020-09-16). Los trabajadores piden un paro laboral para las vidas negras. workers.org 
Esta declaración de Labor for Black Lives fue emitida el 31 de agosto y firmada por más de 50 organizaciones sindicales. Entre los firmantes figuran United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE), United Auto Workers Region 9A (del este de Nueva York, Nueva Inglaterra y Puerto Rico), Fight . . . |
(2020-09-16). Growing old in prison after COVID-19. workers.org 
By Major Tillery Major Tillery is an innocent man who has spent 35 years in prison because gross prosecutorial and judicial misconduct led to his fraudulent conviction for murder in 1985. He has spent 20 years in solitary confinement. Major has become an advocate for prisoners' rights against the injustice . . . |
(2020-09-16). Feds worried drones might AIRLIFT prisoners over walls, says new DOJ report seeking permission to SHOOT THEM DOWN. rt.com 
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is worried drones might eventually be used in jailbreak attempts by physically lifting inmates out of the prison yard, a new report has revealed, adding that some drones can already elevate people. | Drones are hated and feared by prison guards for their capacity to serve as flying drug mules. But the Bureau of Prisons is also worried that drones may soon be used to carry prisoners themselves to freedom, according to a report published on Tuesday by the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General. | Federal prison employees say they're worried that at some point, drones m…
(2020-09-16). 'Palestinian Self-Determination Not For Sale'. popularresistance.org As US President Donald Trump brought together leaders from Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates to sign deals to establish diplomatic relations, just outside of the White House, hundreds of Palestinians, civil rights and advocacy groups gathered in protest of the occasion, accusing the leaders of ignoring the voices of Palestinians. | Coming together with waves of Palestinian flags, donning traditional keffiyehs, and some wearing masks with the words "Free Palestine", the demonstrators shouted slogans: "No hate, no fear, Bibi is not welcome here", and "Occupation is a crime, normalisation is a crime".
(2020-09-16). Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks Green Party presidential campaign from 2020 ballot. wsws.org The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 to reject a lawsuit by the Green Party candidates seeking an injunction against the distribution of ballots to voters without their names on them.
(2020-09-16). Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni's prison term reduced but only by a year. peoplesdispatch.org The term of Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni, who was earlier sentenced to three years in prison, has been reduced by a year. Activists and journalists condemned the ruling, demanding his freedom…
(2020-09-16). Voting in the United States: A Constant Uphill Battle. progressive.org A new documentary produced by Stacey Abrams explores the history of voter suppression, today's tactics, and what we need to do to fight it.
(2020-09-16). South Los Angeles continues to seek justice for Dijon Kizzee. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – Thousands of supporters from South LA, along with multiple political forces, continued to denounce the killing of 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) at a protest on September 12. Kizzee was shot 20 times by deputies from LASD's South LA station for an alleged vehicle code violation that ended in a fatal altercation on August 31. Kizzee's family called for murder charges against the sheriff deputies responsible for his death. | Organized by Coalition for Community Control of Police, Black Lives Matter-LA and several other organizations, the action started…
(2020-09-16). Wednesday 9/16: Emergency Action: Forced Sterilizations in ICE Detention Centers (urgent webinar). indybay.org Online via zoom…
(2020-09-16). Lawsuit Challenges Logging Threat to Endangered Wildlife in Northern California Redwoods. indybay.org The proposed logging, on 342 acres of private land in Sonoma County, would remove mature redwoods from the lower Gualala River watershed.
(2020-09-16). Trump's "Peace" Deals Will Worsen Oppression in Middle East, Legal Scholar Says. truthout.org As the Trump administration celebrates deals establishing diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, we speak with Palestinian American legal scholar Noura Erakat, who says Trump's "peace" agreements are a sham. "This is not about advancing any kind of meaningful, enduring peace, but instead about entrenching a geopolitical alliance that would otherwise increase oppression for people of the Middle East," says Erakat, assistant professor at Rutgers University and auth…
(2020-09-16). How to Do More Than Panic About Voter Suppression. truthout.org Trump's attacks on Black protesters and Black people are inextricably bound to the arguments he will make to try to invalidate the election. In this episode, Truthout's Kelly Hayes talks with voting rights activist Anoa Changa about how you can defend voting rights in the homestretch of the presidential race. | Note: This is a rush transcript and has been lightly edited for clarity. Copy may not be in its final form. | TRANSCRIPT: | Kelly Hayes: Welcome to Movement Memos, a Truthout podcast about things you should…
(2020-09-16). 'Hotel Rwanda' hero could face maximum life in prison, prosecution says. yenisafak.com Rusesabagina, who once called for armed resistance to the government in a YouTube video, was charged in a Kigali court on Monday with 13 counts including terrorism, complicity in murder and forming or joining an irregular armed group."For some of the crimes, he may face 25 years, and some even go up to life imprisonment," Faustin Nkusi, spokesman of Rwanda's prosecution authority, told Reuters on phone.Rusesabagina declined to respond to all the charges on Monday, saying he wanted to take a plea to each individual count. The court will rule on bail on Thursday.His case has thrust a spotlight on to President Paul…
(2020-09-16). Palestinian inmate contracts COVID-19 in Israeli prison. yenisafak.com Another Palestinian detainee has been infected with coronavirus in an Israeli prison, raising the total count to 31, according to a Palestinian commission on Wednesday. In a statement, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-detainees Affairs said Eyad Abu Hashhash, who is held at the prison of Ashkelon, tested positive for COVID-19.The prisoner was transferred to Remon prison in southern Israel for isolation, it said.Around 4,500 Palestinians, including 41 women and 140 minors, are currently held in Israeli prisons, according to Palestinian figures.
(2020-09-16). EU Says Poland "LGBTQ-Free Zones" Violates Gay Community Rights. telesurenglish.net European Union Chief executive Ursula Von der Leyen on Wednesday rejected bloc members' discrimination against the LGBTQ community, precisely Poland's "LGBT-free zones" policy, violating queer people's rights. | RELATED: | "LGBTQI-free zones are humanity free zones. And they have no place in our (European) Union," Von der Leyen said in her annual allocution to the European Parliament. | In August, Poland Justice Mi…
(2020-09-16). Jails Are Designed to Keep Inmates Hidden. thenation.com Jails Are Designed to Keep Inmates Hidden…
(2020-09-15). Assange's Fifth Day at the Old Bailey: Supermax Prisons and Special Administrative Measures. dissidentvoice.org Having had a coronavirus scare towards the end of last week, necessitating a brief suspension of proceedings for September 11, the extradition proceedings for Julian Assange resumed with Eric Lewis. The chairman of the board of Reprieve, who has cut his teeth on representing Afghan detainees in US custody and those in Guantánamo, has not …
(2020-09-15). Headlines for September 15, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Doubles Down on Climate Crisis Denial as West Coast Burns, World's Largest Vaccine Maker Says It Could Take 5 Years for Universal COVID-19 Vaccination, Trump Calls COVID-19 "The Plague" in April Interview with Woodward as He Called for U.S. to Reopen, Nevada City Fines Venue That Hosted Trump Rally Which Violated State's Coronavirus Restrictions, Appeals Court Gives Trump Greenlight to End Immigration Protections for 400,000 TPS Holders, Whistleblowing Nurse Says Georgia Immigration Jail Performing Forced Hysterectomies, Palestinians Form Unified Front as Israel, UAE and Bahrain Sign Deal Normalizing Relati…
(2020-09-15). For Palestinians and Their Supporters, Arab-Israeli Pacts Are 'A Stab in The Back' Amid Ongoing Oppression. commondreams.org From the West Bank and Gaza to Washington, D.C. and beyond, Palestinians and their allies stress that only an end to Israel's illegal occupation can bring peace to the Middle East. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/demo.jpg …
(2020-09-15). Indigenous Stewardship of the Land Would Help to Prevent Raging Climate Fires. truthout.org We examine California's history of forest management and how a century of fire suppression has made the current climate fires even more destructive. For thousands of years, Native American tribes in California would regularly burn the landscape to steward the land, but colonization led to the suppression of these tactics and decades of misguided policy. A return to these Indigenous practices could help better steward the land and foster greater climate resiliency, says Don Hankins, a pyrogeogra…
(2020-09-15). Remembering Kevin Zeese: A fighter for peace and justice. therealnews.com 
Peace activist and human rights attorney Kevin Zeese died of a heart attack on the morning of September 6. As his life partner, Dr. Margaret Flowers, and their community grieve, they celebrate his life by carrying on the work that they began together. | Zeese was known for organizing around many human rights issues, centering opposition to U.S. imperialism abroad and mass incarceration at home. He brought national attention to
(2020-09-15). The revolutionary answers of C.L.R. James. mronline.org 
The Black Lives Matter movement across the U.S. against police violence and racist inequality is one of the most dynamic political developments in years.
(2020-09-15). Ashland, Wisconsin rallies for student safety, demands end to SRO program. peoplesworld.org 
ASHLAND, Wisc.—Signs reading "Black Lives Matter" and "Keep Ashland Safe—Don't Arrest Our Kids" greeted traffic as scores of Wisconsinites rallied for racial justice this past Saturday. The event was organized by the Communist Party of Chequamegon Bay Area as part of its continuing stand with the people of northern Wisconsin for trust and racial equity …
(2020-09-15). Steve Bannon's Plans for a Privately-Funded Border Wall Are Crumbling. mintpressnews.com 
As Steve Bannon faces 40 years in prison for wire fraud and money laundering, the trend of privately-funded border walls his organization started comes up against federal, international, and political barriers…
(2020-09-15). Rev. Barber: Poor people can produce top to bottom change on Election Day. peoplesworld.org 
With 50 days to go until the November election, the New Poor People's Campaign is embarking on a double-pronged mass mobilization campaign: Energizing a large share of the nation's poor and low-income people to vote on or better yet, before, November 3, and helping the NAACP to activate its structure to protect that right and …
(2020-09-15). In Buffalo, N.Y., Black Lives Matter protest cop brutality. workers.org 
On Sept. 4, hundreds of protesters took to the streets and gathered outside the district police station in North Buffalo in the busy Hertel Avenue shopping area. The demonstrators demanded the firing of over a dozen cops with histories of police brutality and called for their salaries of almost $1.5 . . . |
(2020-09-15). We as workers are powerful'. workers.org 
By Dominic Harris The following article is based on a talk given during a Sept. 10 webinar,"Workers Defend Black lives," sponsored by Workers World Party. Dominic Harris is president of UE Local 150, Charlotte, N.C. United Electrical Workers has been in the leadership of U.S. labor organizing to defend Black . . . |
(2020-09-15). Labor calls for work stoppage for Black Lives. workers.org 
This statement by Labor for Black Lives was issued Aug. 31 and signed by over 50 labor organizations. Signers include United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE), United Auto Workers Region 9A (covering eastern New York, New England and Puerto Rico), Fight for $15, International Coalition of Black . . . |
(2020-09-15). ITV praises Diversity's 'authentic and heartfelt' Black Lives Matter BGT routine. thecanary.co 
ITV has praised Diversity for the group's "authentic, heartfelt" performance on Britain's Got Talent, which was inspired by Black Lives Matter and has since … | By | ITV has praised Diversity for the group's "authentic, heartfelt" performance on Britain's Got Talent, which was inspired by Black Lives Matter and has since been the subject of thousands of complaints to the broadcasting watchdog.
(2020-09-15). Jailed former Tory MP Elphicke is a 'sexual predator who told pack of lies', judge says. thecanary.co 
Charlie Elphicke was sentenced after being convicted of three counts of sexual assault on two women. | By | Former Dover MP Charlie Elphicke has been described by a judge as a "sexual predator" who "told a pack of lies" as he was jailed for two years for sexually assaulting two women, nearly a decade apart.The disgraced 49-year-old father of two showed no emotion as judge justice Whipple sentenced him to an immediate prison term for three counts of sexual assault, following a month-long trial which heard trained lawyer Elphicke lied to police,…
(2020-09-15). No More Forced Prayers in School. aclu.org For years, the Smith County School System in Carthage, Tennessee,
(2020-09-15). Federal Judges are Failing Incarcerated People During the Pandemic. aclu.org I am tired of members of my profession dismissing my clients' humanity. Sadly, it happens a lot: , , "Your clients are probably lying to you, which is unsurprising," reads an email from a representative of the Texas State government., , "People get better medical care in jail," claim people who have never been incarcerated a day in their lives as reason to keep people locked up during this pandemic., , "We can't trust inmates to follow the law, so how could we trust them to quarantine from others if they were released?" asks a judge who swore an oath to protect the fundamental rights of these "inmates.", , It s…
(2020-09-15). On Its 27th Anniversary: Defeat Oslo, Confront Normalization, Escalate BDS. popularresistance.org The agreement signed on the White House lawn and the famous handshake of Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat was falsely billed as a promise of peace and hope for Palestinians, denied both for decades upon decades, but was in reality a program for continued and intensified colonization and the suppression of the Palestinian liberation struggle. The entire project of Oslo was always intended to intensify the repression, division and fragmentation of the Palestinian people, while imposing a Palestinian "security" framework over the Palestinian people struggling for their rights, for return and liberation.
(2020-09-15). At the Polls, Episode 1: What to Expect on Election Day 2020. aclu.org We usually know what to expect on any given presidential Election Day. After all, they happen every four years. But this is the first election in our lifetime to occur during a global pandemic, and there have already been significant changes to the electoral process as more voters plan to mail in their ballots than ever before. How will that change our quintessential American tradition of watching the results roll in on election night? | Today, the ACLU's At Liberty podcast launches
(2020-09-15). Fighting Evictions: The 1930s and Now. zcomm.org The fight for housing security has already become a part of the general struggle against inequality made possible by the epochal rise of the Black Lives Matter movement…
(2020-09-15). Louisville to pay millions to Breonna Taylor's mother and reform police. thecanary.co The black woman was shot dead by police at her apartment. | By | The city of Louisville will pay several million dollars to the mother of Breonna Taylor and introduce police reforms as part of a settlement of a lawsuit from her family. | The settlement is reportedly the largest sum paid by the city for a police misconduct case. | Taylor's fatal shooting by police serving a narcotics warrant at her home sparked months of protests in Louisville and calls nationwide for the officers to be charged. | State attorney general Daniel Cameron is investi…
(2020-09-15). Ableism and White Supremacy Are Intertwined — We Must Confront Them Together. truthout.org Ableism, broadly defined, is any expression of discrimination that favors nondisabled people, but it is not a prejudice that harms only those with disabilities. Ableism is a systemic oppression that finds common ancestry with white supremacy. | Disabled people are often asked to give an account of themselves to quell nondisabled people's discomfort, while striving toward conformity. It is understood that our lives do not matter enough to fund robust public transportation infrastructure, rethink…
(2020-09-15). Louisville Will Pay $12 Million to Breonna Taylor's Family. telesurenglish.net To settle the wrongful-death lawsuit brought against the city for the March 13 shooting of Breonna Taylor—a 26-year-old Black woman murdered by the police in a botched raid on her apartment—Louisville will pay Taylor's family the largest sum in city history for police misconduct. | While the state's attorney general Daniel Cameron continues investigating police actions during the shooting, protestors nationwide, Taylor's family, their high-profile attorney Ben Crump, and even celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and LeBron James are calling for the arrest of and criminal charges against the officers invo…