2020-10-07: News Headlines

WSWS (2020-10-07). Republican operatives indicted in voter suppression scheme in Michigan. wsws.org Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl are alleged to have orchestrated a mass robo-call voter suppression campaign that targeted minority voters in Detroit.

Fight Back (2020-10-07). Decision expected in the police murder of Alvin Cole. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – On the afternoon of October 7, it is expected that Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm will make a decision on the killing of Alvin Cole. The decision comes over eight months after Cole's murder. Milwaukee and Wauwatosa – the suburb where Cole was shot by Wauwatosa police – have been gripped by protests and actions of varying size and intensity since the resurgence of the movement for Black lives at the end of May. | While the initial local demonstrations largely centered around out-of-state cases like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, the focus quickly shifted when the…

Residents Show Up, Speak Out (2020-10-07). Small but Mighty Sunnyvale Demonstration for Black Lives Matter. indybay.org October 3 Black Lives Matter protest in Sunnyvale, California…

No Justice Under Capitalism (2020-10-07). Saturday 10/10: Recognizing Prison Resistance : From George Jackson to the Agreement to End Hostilities. indybay.org San Quentin State Prison – West Gate, Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Meet at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal at 4: 30pm and we will march up to the West Gate at 5pm.

Sit.Walk.Listen. (2020-10-07). Sunday 10/11: Sit. Walk. Listen. Because Black Lives Matter. indybay.org Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park. Oakland, California. | (19th Street/Rashida Muhammad)…

Ashley Smith (2020-10-06). Fighting for Black Lives at school. mronline.org This is an incredibly challenging situation for teachers and the education system because we know how important in-person learning is. There's no substitute for that online," says Jesse Hagopian…

MEE staff (2020-10-06). UK academic Matthew Hedges slams UAE general's bid to head Interpol. middleeasteye.net UK academic Matthew Hedges slams UAE general's bid to head Interpol | Hedges was detained by the Emirati government in 2018 and says he was kept in solitary confinement and subject to torture | Tue, 10/06/2020 – 17: 46 | Hedges was detained in 2018 when on a doctoral research trip to the Gulf state (AFP/File photo) | A British academic previously jailed in the United Arab Emirates on espionage charges has crit…

Leinbach LI, Willink A. (2020-10-06). Oral Health in Medicare—Considerations for 21st-Century Coverage. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses the need to expand Medicare benefits to include coverage for oral health services given the inextricable connection between diseases of the mouth, gums, and teeth and systemic disease, such as with stem cell transplants and immunosuppression, prosthetic heart valves, and bisphosphonate use.

news.un (2020-10-06). UN rights chief urges Iran to release jailed human rights defenders, citing COVID-19 risk. news.un.org The top UN rights official has called on Iran to release imprisoned human rights defenders, lawyers and political prisoners, citing deep concerns over their situation and heightened risk of contracting COVID-19.

_____ (2020-10-06). This Is Why Thousands Of Renter Are Evicted Each Year. popularresistance.org Joseph Gelletich's life began to unravel in September of 2018, 16 days after he missed a rent payment. | His landlord filed an eviction lawsuit, triggering the legal process that would eventually leave him homeless. But Gelletich says he didn't actually find out about the proceedings until months later—after many of his options for fighting to keep his apartment had already evaporated. | Gelletich had called Harvard Hall home since 1991. Almost 60 now, he moved into the stately, seven-story building at the southern end of Mount Pleasant as a young man, just starting a career remodeling kitchens and bathroom…

_____ (2020-10-06). This Is Why Thousands Of Renters Are Evicted Each Year. popularresistance.org Joseph Gelletich's life began to unravel in September of 2018, 16 days after he missed a rent payment. | His landlord filed an eviction lawsuit, triggering the legal process that would eventually leave him homeless. But Gelletich says he didn't actually find out about the proceedings until months later—after many of his options for fighting to keep his apartment had already evaporated. | Gelletich had called Harvard Hall home since 1991. Almost 60 now, he moved into the stately, seven-story building at the southern end of Mount Pleasant as a young man, just starting a career remodeling kitchens and bathroom…

_____ (2020-10-06). Racist Roots: Origins Of North Carolina's Death Penalty. popularresistance.org Right now, our nation is in a moment of reckoning with our criminal punishment system. We are finally seeing clearly what should have been obvious long ago: The system has its knee on the necks of Black people. | In North Carolina, as we begin a long-overdue conversation about the future of police and prisons, we must confront the punishment that sits at the top of that system, condoning all its other cruelties — the death penalty. | When citizens have acclimated to the state strapping a person to a gurney and killing them in front of an audience, it becomes harder to shock them.

_____ (2020-10-06). Roger Waters At The Belmarsh Tribunal. popularresistance.org I have been following the extradition proceedings in the court in London with equal measures of disbelief and disgust. Some lyrics I wrote forty years ago for a theatrical piece called 'The Wall' come to mind, if I may. "The evidence before the court is incontrovertible there's no need for the jury to retire, the prisoner who now stands before you was caught red-handed showing feelings, showing feelings of an almost human nature, this will not do." Those lyrics fit the kangaroo court in London and would sound perfect coming out of the mouth of Judge Barraister.

UPWA (2020-10-06). Friday 10/9: Stop The Racist Attacks On SF City Workers & Prosecute & Jail The Crooks. indybay.org CCSF Deparment of Human Resources DHR & MTA | 1 South Van Ness/Market St. | San Francisco…

sputniknews (2020-10-06). 'Persistent Eye in the Sky': Spy Drones Deployed Abroad Are Being Modified to Police US Cities. sputniknews.com Spy drones developed for use in US foreign wars have begun appearing over US cities as police forces and defense contractors push for new, lucrative contracts. One peace activist told Sputnik that the fights against their use abroad and their use at home should never have been separate, and are intricately linked to the Black Lives Matter movement.

WSWS (2020-10-06). UK plans to detain refugees on prison ships. wsws.org Repressive anti-immigration policies, in Britain and Australia alike, have been built up over decades by all political representatives of the ruling class.

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-10-06). 'On the Level of Guant√°namo': Oklahoma Jail Guards Accused of Torturing Inmates With 'Baby Shark' Song. commondreams.org Echoing a notorious Bush-era "enhanced interrogation technique," guards allegedly subjected prisoners to hours of the popular children's song. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cuffs.jpg

Staff (2020-10-05). Headlines for October 5, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Breaks Isolation, Endangers Secret Service as WH Sends Mixed Messages on Trump's Condition, GOP Vows to Push Through SCOTUS Hearings as 3 Senators Test Positive for COVID-19, Coronavirus Cases on the Rise Across the Country as NYC Seeks to Shut Down 9 Neighborhoods, ICE Prisoners in Washington Tested for COVID-19 After Exposure from a Guard, Police in Chile Throw Teenager Off Bridge During Anti-Government Protest, Fighting in Disputed Nagorno-Karabakh Region Escalates, Killing at Least One, Guatemala Deports Thousands of Central American Migrants Headed Toward U.S., ICE Erects Billboards with Faces of Immig…

ACLU (2020-10-05). Learn About Where the Cobb County Sheriff Candidates Land on Civil Liberties Issues. aclu.org The Cobb County Detention Center is in crisis. Fifty people have died in custody since 2003, and others have experienced deadly neglect, misconduct by deputies, inhumane conditions, extended lockdowns, and inadequate medical care. The sheriff's office also works with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a program to detain immigrants who live in Cobb County, splitting apart families and promoting racial profiling. To make an informed decision, make sure you know where the candidates land on the issues. | ACLU of Georgia asked the candidates: | IssuesCraig OwensNeil Warren (inc.) | Has pledged to e…

calvin deutschbein (2020-10-05). Voter rights: Pushing back fascists in North Carolina. workers.org Chapel Hill, N.C. During this election season, the struggle for "Defend the Vote" protection is especially sharp in the South, where ballot access has historically been a powerful organizing tool in the Black freedom struggle, including the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. A 24-foot 'Black Lives Matter' . . . |

MEE correspondent (2020-10-05). Egypt executes 15 'political prisoners' in new crackdown. middleeasteye.net Egypt executes 15 'political prisoners' in new crackdown | Latest executions raise the total number of political prisoners killed under Sisi's rule to 79, says monitor
| Mon, 10/05/2020 – 16: 26 | Protesters hold a banner reading 'Sisi kills the youth' in front of the Egyptian consulate in Istanbul during a demonstration against executions in Egypt in March 2019 (AFP) | Egyptian aut…

Tim Libretti (2020-10-05). Privatization agenda for Trump isn't just about capitalism; it's about assaulting civil rights. peoplesworld.org Walking down Main Street, couples, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, cannot be legally denied the right to hold hands, share a hug, or kiss—if Main Street is part of the public square, that is. Move Main Street onto private property, in our America that as a general rule gives precedence to property rights …

Andrew Emett (2020-10-05). Former Chicago police sergeant sentenced to 13 years in federal prison. nationofchange.org Hicks and his robbery crew stole thousands of dollars in cash, multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, hundreds of pounds of marijuana, and several firearms.

Reiner Fuellmich (2020-10-05). Video: The Corona Scandal: "Crimes against Humanity"? Corrupt Agenda, International Class Action Lawsuit. globalresearch.ca Millions of people around the World are victims of the fear campaign. Panic prevails. Day after day, the persistent impact of media disinformation concerning the Killer Virus is overwhelming. | Fear and panic, coupled with outright lies prevent people from …

_____ (2020-10-05). College Chastised For Dumping On Sacred Land. popularresistance.org A state department tasked with preserving historic landmarks recently criticized Cal State Long Beach for depositing soil and debris from a construction zone on a parcel of land called Puvungna that is sacred to local Native American tribes. | Construction to expand student housing near the site sparked outcry, protests and a lawsuit from tribal leaders last year. And in an August letter, the California Office of Historic Preservation, which reviews construction projects near archaeological landmarks, weighed in on the controversy.

WSWS (2020-10-05). Israel: 130,000 protesters demand resignation of Netanyahu government. wsws.org Israeli workers now face measures long associated with the suppression of the Palestinians in the territories illegally occupied by Israel since their seizure in the June 1967 war.

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-10-05). An International Group of Lawyers Have Brought a Lawsuit that the Covid Pandemic Is an Orchestrated Hoax in Behalf of Pharmaceutical Profits and Police State Control. thealtworld.com This will be taken down. Watch the video and save it before it is disappeared. An International …

Royal Thomas (2020-10-04). Philadelphia: Court moves to preserve secrecy in bail hearings. liberationnews.org A recent federal court decision has ruled that the right to record bail hearings is not protected by the constitution, overturning a lower court decision. In July 2019, a representative for the Philadelphia Bail Fund filed a lawsuit against several city officials in order to reserve the right to record bail hearings. Currently, the official …

30 Days to Go (2020-10-04). 11/3/20 Election: The Stakes; The Cal & S.F Propositions. indybay.org What is at stake in this election are the very existence of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, food stamps, the right to abortion and birth control pills, funding Planned Parenthood, funding the Violence Against Women Act, the existence of all environmental regulations, all consumer protection laws, all gun control laws, all civil rights laws, all labor laws, an efficient, patronage-free mail system, federally funded affordable housing, public school education, federal funds for state governments and raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. Further, all progress we have made in…

Staff (2020-10-04). Abolition Is Not Merely a Demand, But a Long-Term Struggle. truthout.org Recently, I received this text from a longtime comrade: "You're not gonna believe this but the governor is on TV saying they are going to shut down all the juvenile prisons in Illinois." | Not exactly. This text, and the statement by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, was more than an overreach.

Raymond Tyler (2020-10-03). Ren Zhiqiang was not arrested for 'anti-communism'. workers.org When influential, former property executive Ren Zhiqiang was given an 18-year sentence in China, the Western media were quick to label his imprisonment as due to alleged "anti-communist" activity. The Washington Post, CNN, the Guardian, and the New York Times parroted the same message: that Zhiqiang was imprisoned for being . . . |

Judy Greenspan (2020-10-03). Jalil Muntaqim scheduled for release — Free them all! workers.org The New York State Parole Board has finally ordered the release of Jalil Muntaqim, aka Anthony Bottom, a former member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. Imprisoned for nearly 50 years, since he was 19, Muntaqim is one of the longest-held political prisoners in the world. . . . |

David Rovics (2020-10-03). The Next Steps in Eviction Defense. dissidentvoice.org A few thoughts on intentions, tactics, and building eviction defense networks. Here in Portland, there are signs that the movement for Black lives and the movement for actually affordable housing are increasingly intersecting in all kinds of ways. Among the networks engaged in popular education and resistance organizing efforts around housing issues, you'll find groups …

Fight Back (2020-10-03). Communist and Workers Party's declaration for the repatriation and freedom of Simon Trinidad. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following declaration demanding the release of Ricardo Palmera (Simon Trinidad). Freedom Road Socialist Organization is one of the signers. | The Communist Parties and Workers signed by this declaration, we demand from the Government of the United States of America the immediate repatriation and release of political prisoner Ricardo Palmera Pineda, better known as Simon Trinidad in his militancy in the insurgent organization FARC-EP. | Simón Trinidad was captured in January 2004 in Quito, Ecuador, while advancing contacts for future peace talks. It was immediately hande…

teleSUR (2020-10-03). Peru Orders Arrest of Officials Linked to Corruption Case. telesurenglish.net Peruvian Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office requested preventive detention for some of the people linked to the singer Richard Swing's case. | RELATED: | Ten people, who were previously under pre-trial detention, will comply with other seven days of preliminary detention as part of the investigations. Among them, there are two former secretaries of Peru's President Martin Vizcarra. | "This case is still under evaluation an…

Carole J Lee, Sheridan Grant, Elena A Erosheva (2020-10-03). [Correspondence] Alternative grant models might perpetuate Black—White funding gaps. thelancet.com The White Coats for Black Lives and #ShutDownSTEM movements have galvanised biomedical practitioners and researchers to eliminate institutional and systematic racism, including barriers faced by Black researchers in biomedicine and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In our study on Black—White funding gaps for National Institutes of Health Research Project grants, we found that the overall award rate for Black applicants is 55% of that for white applicants.1 How can systems for allocating research grant funding be made more fair while improving their efficiency?