2020-12-04: News Headlines

Tony Pecinovsky (2020-12-04). REVIEW: 'Ballad of an American'—Civil rights giant Paul Robeson's illustrated bio. peoplesworld.org This has been a tumultuous year. Millions marched in the streets against police brutality and violence after the killing of George Floyd. They were tear-gassed, shot with rubber bullets and percussion grenades, and run over, among any number of other civil liberties abuses. Their demand was "Black Lives Matter!" Their persistence has scored some gains. …

Devin C (2020-12-04). Free Alabama Movement calls 'economic blackout' on prison system. workers.org Occupied Muscogee Creek, Choctaw, Cherokee, Shawnee, Yuchi lands The Free Alabama Movement, led primarily by Black men who are incarcerated in the state of Alabama, has declared a 30-day economic blackout — a boycott of for-profit prison services and a work strike — to protest inhumane conditions at prisons across . . . |

Tony McKenna (2020-12-04). Death of a Liberal and Black Lives Matter. counterpunch.org The criminalization of black people had been shaped as a clear strategy on the part of the state to target and cripple expressions of popular power, to coerce labour along explicitly racial and class lines, while facilitating the enrichment of an elite which — ever more parasitical — grew bloated and septic having gorged itself on such unremitting suffering. It is in this context that the horror of what had happened to George Floyd forms a link in a chain of systematic oppression and mass murder.

Mirinda Crissman (2020-12-04). Remembering Leslie Feinberg — trans warrior, communist revolutionary. workers.org Six years since hir passing on Nov. 15, 2014, Leslie Feinberg's presence is still unshakable. Leslie Feinberg with Workers World Party founding members Dorothy Ballan and Sam Marcy in 1991. The struggle against oppressions that stem from capitalism rages on. That struggle for liberation has literally been pushed forward by . . . |

The Canary (2020-12-04). Priti Patel is furious that campaigners are daring to challenge deportation flights. thecanary.co Home secretary Priti Patel has called comments from campaigners who linked the deportation of Black people to Jamaica "deeply offensive" because they linked it to the Windrush scandal. Said scandal involved the deportation of Black people to Jamaica.The government has defended the action as it claims those deported are criminals with no right to be in the UK. Campaigners argue there should be no deportations until "justice has been delivered for all Commonwealth Windrush victims".Thirteen prisoners were deported to Jamaica in a flight on 2 December, but lawyers successfully moved to have another 23 removed from t…

Princess Harmony (2020-12-04). WW Commentary/Harm reduction, not jails! workers.org In addressing addiction, harm reduction comes in many forms. Some include drug decriminalization, safe injection sites, spreading of Narcan and other forms of naloxone, distribution of medicines for medication assisted treatment along with pure drugs, fentanyl test kits, distribution of clean needles, and the diversion of methadone and buprenorphine. We . . . |

Ajamu Baraka (2020-12-04). Will This Be the Radicalization of Black Lives Matter? counterpunch.org On Monday a group of local Black Lives Matter chapters issued a statement to the public calling for more transparency and accountability from the Black Lives Matter Global Network (BLMGN), the umbrella structure for the Black lives matter structures. In what appears to be an ongoing internal discussion, the chapters claimed that BLMGN not only

Harry Blain (2020-12-04). America's Lame Duck Period is Palestine's Nightmare. counterpunch.org The political scientist William Adler recently argued that the main risk of our current lame duck period is inaction, rather than action. So far as the United States is concerned, it's hard to argue otherwise. Sure, President Trump will pardon his buddies, maintain the relentless grift of frivolous lawsuits, and do his best to undermine

ACLU Northern California (2020-12-04). Thursday 12/17: Bill of Rights Day 2020 Celebration Webinar w/ ACLU NorCal. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

_____ (2020-12-04). Prison Strikers Suspend Starvation, Continue Work Strike. popularresistance.org Corcoran, CA – CDCr's negligent and careless response to the COVID-19 outbreak at CSATF has now killed at least three people. Active cases at the prison continue to hover near 1000 and now over half of the facility has contracted the disease. Guards and staff members are still failing to follow safety protocols and continue to move people around the facility creating more and more exposure. | The hunger strikers in D have decided to suspend their starvation in order to recover their health for an ongoing fight.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-03). Palestinian student activist released from Israeli prison after 15 months. peoplesdispatch.org 23-year-old Mays Abu Ghosh, a student of Birzeit university, was arrested by the Israeli security forces on charges of being a member of the Democratic Progressive Student Pole, a student group affiliated to the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)…

Pip Hinman (2020-12-03). Right-wing extremist jailed for targeting left, Muslims. greenleft.org.au Far-right figure Phillip Galea, who was just sentenced to jail on terrorism charges, also threatened Socialist Alliance activist and local councillor Sue Bolton after having done reconnaissance in the Resistance Bookshop.

Staff (2020-12-03). 200K wrongfully purged GA voters fight to be heard in Senate runoffs. therealnews.com Civil rights groups are seeking an injunction against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to allow those voters to participate in the Jan. 5 runoff senate election, which will determine the balance of power in Congress.

MEE staff (2020-12-03). Egypt releases three human rights advocates after international outcry. middleeasteye.net Egypt releases three human rights advocates after international outcry | Arrests of top advocates at Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights drew rebuke from rights groups and Western governments | Thu, 12/03/2020 – 20: 01 | Rights advocates Gasser Abdelrazek, Karim Ennarah and Mohamed Basheer were released on Thursday (AFP/File photo) | Egypt has released three prominent rights defenders whose detention last…

_____ (2020-12-03). Will This Be The Radicalization Of Black Lives Matter? popularresistance.org On Monday a group of local Black Lives Matter chapters issued a statement to the public calling for more transparency and accountability from the Black Lives Matter Global Network (BLMGN), the umbrella structure for the Black lives matter structures. | In what appears to be an ongoing internal discussion, the chapters claimed that BLMGN not only did not collaborate on political visioning and collective analysis with the chapters but shockingly, with the millions reported in the media that was raised from foundations and corporations, "most chapters have received little to no financial support since the launch in…

Glen Ford (2020-12-03). Black Lives Matter (BLM) Chapters Demand "Accountability" from Trio that Cashed in on the Movement. globalresearch.ca Ten chapters of the national Black Lives Matter organization are in open revolt against the individuals that have treated the mass movement as their personal vehicle for upward political, professional and financial advancement. | In 2013 three Black women social activist …

Staff (2020-12-03). Under CARES Act, These Moms Should Be Home. They Remain in COVID-Filled Prisons. truthout.org When COVID entered the federal medical prison in Carswell, Texas, it ballooned within weeks — of the Shoulders has severe diabetes, respiratory problems, and, since entering prison in 2015, chronic kidney disease, leaving her at only 30 percent kidney function. All of these make her more vulnera…

sputniknews (2020-12-03). Ivanka Trump Slams Inauguration Lawsuit as 'Politically Motivated', Shares Email in Her Defense. sputniknews.com President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, testified as witness in the offices of the Washington DC Attorney General and was deposed in a lawsuit over allegations of the misuse of funds originally designated for the presidential inauguration of her father in 2016.

Victoria Law (2020-12-03). The Graying of Mass Incarceration. progressive.org Prisons, ill-suited for providing health care, are facing an explosion of elderly inmates.

Andrew Emett (2020-12-03). Former police officers sentenced to prison for framing innocent man. nationofchange.org "These officers shattered the victims' lives and dishonored the Honolulu Police Department. This community deserved so much better from these officers."

Pip Hinman (2020-12-03). Right-wing extremist jailed for targeting left, Muslims. greenleft.org.au Far-right activist Phillip Galea has been jailed on terrorism charges after threatening to commit violence against left-wing activists and Muslims. Sue Bolton discusses what it will take to defeat such extremists.

Keith Lamb (2020-12-02). Australian War Crimes in Afghanistan Go All the Way to the Top. globalresearch.ca The Australian Defense Force's (ADF) recent inquiry into Australian special forces conduct in Afghanistan, between 2005 and 2016, reveals that 39 Afghan prisoners and civilians were killed outside of battle, as part of a culture of "competition killings," where commanders …

Dana Drugmand (2020-12-02). Here's how big oil wants the Supreme Court to help delay and derail climate lawsuits. nationofchange.org This industry push is a concerted effort to squash climate liability lawsuits.

Naureen Shah (2020-12-02). Separated Families, Death, and Despair — All at the Hands of CBP. We Need Action, Now. aclu.org Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is at the heart of some of the greatest moral horrors of the last four years, personified in stories that we cannot forget: the

Ted Kelly (2020-12-02). Palestinian prisoner Maher al-Akhras released after 103-day hunger strike. workers.org Hunger striker Maher al-Akhras Palestinian political prisoner Maher al-Akhras was released from Israeli prison Nov. 26. He had staged a hunger strike for 103 days in protest of his arrest and incarceration. He was held by occupation forces under "administrative detention" and was never charged with a crime. Akhras, who . . . |

Ted Kelly (2020-12-02). Palestinian prisoner Maher-al-Akhras released after 103-day hunger strike. workers.org Hunger striker Maher al-Akhras Palestinian political prisoner Maher al-Akhras was released from Israeli prison Nov. 26. He had staged a hunger strike for 103 days in protest of his arrest and incarceration. He was held by occupation forces under "administrative detention" and was never charged with a crime. Akhras, who . . . |

Ted Kelly (2020-12-02). Palestinian prisoner Maher al-Akhras released after 103-day hunger strike. workers.org Palestinian political prisoner Maher al-Akhras was released from Israeli prison Nov. 26. He had staged a hunger strike for 103 days in protest of his arrest and incarceration. He was held by occupation forces under "administrative detention" and was never charged with a crime. Akhras, who was transferred to a . . . |

The Tricontinental (2020-12-02). Dossier 35: The Legacy of Lekra: Organising revolutionary culture in Indonesia. mronline.org Martin Aleida recalls the moment he was released from prison at the end of 1966. At twenty-two, Martin emerged from nearly a year behind bars to Jakarta, unable to find his friends and comrades.

Staff (2020-12-02). Update: Forced-hysterectomy victims in ICE detention deported. therealnews.com Eddie Conway talks to Azadeh Shahshahani, Project South Legal and Advocacy Director and lawyer for Dawn Wooten, a nurse at Irwin County Detention Center and the whistleblower who sounded the alarm on ICE abuses, including the case of ICE detainees being forced to have hysterectomies while in custody…

Princess Harmony (2020-12-02). How prisons contribute to opioid crisis. workers.org Prisons, which serve the purposes of the capitalist bourgeoisie, are filled to the brim with people who suffer from addiction and other substance use disorders. Among them are opioid users. The gold-standard treatments for opioid use disorders (opioid addictions) are methadone (Diskets, Methadose) and buprenorphine (Suboxone, Subutex, Sublocade, Zubsolv, Bunavail). . . . |

MEE and agencies (2020-12-02). Egypt: Amnesty condemns 'horrifying execution spree'. middleeasteye.net Egypt: Amnesty condemns 'horrifying execution spree' | Dozens of people have been put to death in the past two months according to UK-based rights group | Wed, 12/02/2020 – 08: 14 | Amnesty said the 'execution spree' followed an incident in September at Cairo's Tora prison in which several policemen and death-row prisoners were killed in a botched breakout attempt (AFP) | Amnesty Internati…

Ajamu Baraka (2020-12-02). Will This Be the Radicalization of Black Lives Matter? dissidentvoice.org On Monday a group of local Black Lives Matter chapters issued a statement to the public calling for more transparency and accountability from the Black Lives Matter Global Network (BLMGN), the umbrella structure for the Black Lives Matter structures. In what appears to be an ongoing internal discussion, the chapters claimed that BLMGN not only …

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (2020-12-02). Now Is the Time to Make Good on the Promise of Justice for All. thenation.com Now Is the Time to Make Good on the Promise of Justice for All…

_____ (2020-12-02). Iran Calls On The International Community To Confront Israel. popularresistance.org Iran is asking the international community to confront the Israeli regime's actions, "a murderer of children" and "a violator of human rights." | In a message sent on Tuesday to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Iranian President Hasan Rohani has declared Iran's strong support for the Palestinian people to achieve their ideals. | Rohani condemned the recent actions of the Israeli regime against the Palestinians, including the killing of Palestinians in custody and the torture of prisoners, especially women and children…

sputniknews (2020-12-02). US Congress Settles on Final Version of NDAA Without Termination of Section 230 Demanded by Trump. sputniknews.com Earlier on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced that he would veto the National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA) unless the bill it contains guarantees the termination of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) – legislation protecting tech companies from lawsuits over user content.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-12-02). ACLU Sues to Find Out How and Why Federal Agencies Are Accessing Americans' Cell Phone Location Data. commondreams.org "We're suing to bring some much-needed transparency to these disturbing practices," explained one ACLU staff attorney. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-8817662801.jpg

Haymarket Books (2020-12-02). Wednesday 12/2: #BLM Book Launch: "Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice" indybay.org Online Event…

H. Patricia Hynes (2020-12-02). Book Review of The Inner Level. zcomm.org As this book both documents and generously discusses, rising income inequality leads to a plague of ills: higher rates of people in prison, higher teenage birth rates, higher rates of mental illness, more child neglect and bullying…

Oakland Privacy (2020-12-02). Solano Court Requires Public Approval Process for Cell Site Simulator Usage Policies. indybay.org Oakland Privacy's Lawsuit Against the City of Vallejo Upholds 2015 Legislation…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-12-01). Israel Releases Mays Abu Ghosh, Palestinian Student Jailed for Membership in Leftist Campus Group. commondreams.org Abu Ghosh—imprisoned for 15 months after joining a banned college organization that opposes Israel's illegal occupation—described torture by her jailers. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/mays.jpg