(2020-01-25). US officer who shot down Iranian plane received a medal, while the man guilty for downing Ukraine's jet is IN JAIL — FM Zarif. rt.com 
Iran has imprisoned the army officer who fired a missile that killed 176 on board a Ukrainian jet, Mohammad Javad Zarif has said, comparing Tehran's actions to that of the US when it downed an Iranian airliner 32 years ago. | The downing of a Ukraine International Airlines' Boeing 737 in early January was "a complicated situation in a complicated time," Zarif revealed in an interview with Germany's
(2020-01-25). French "yellow vests" protest for Assange outside Belmarsh prison in London. wsws.org The protests point to the deeply-rooted opposition among workers internationally to US and European governments' relentless campaign to destroy Assange.
(2020-01-25). FBI, King and the tremors of history. zcomm.org That the FBI — the agency that saw King and the civil rights movement as a communist plot, subjected him to merciless surveillance and may have tried to get him to commit suicide — should, 50-plus years after his murder, purport to honor him was simply too much…
(2020-01-25). Zarif Says Iran Jailed Person Who Downed Ukrainian Passenger Plane Over Tehran. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Iranian man who shot down the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 passenger plane near Tehran's airport is in prison, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Germany's Der Spiegel magazine.
(2020-01-25). SF Treasure Island Former Residents File Suit For Contamination /Injuries & For Shutdown. indybay.org Former residents of San Francisco Treasure Island filed a lawsuit for their contamination by radioactive and other chemicals on them and their families and for the shutdown of the development project. They also charged there was collusion by government agencies and City, State. and National politicians to push ahead with the multi-billion dollar condo/hotel development.
(2020-01-25). As strike struggles surge, US unions record lowest ever membership rate. wsws.org The highest unionization rate is in "protective services" (33.8 percent), including police, prison guards and border patrol agents, whose function is to suppress the working class.
(2020-01-24). I've Seen Firsthand the Heartbreak of ICE Detention. This Must End. truthout.org Five hours into the dark, rainy drive, Ana Hernandez and Edwin Loredo laugh about how they've never seen the sun in Georgia. It's their third trip in as many months, and every time, it storms the whole way — nearly nine hours — from their home in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. | Ana's younger brother, Carlos Hernandez, was transferred to Stewart Detention Center in Georgia shortly after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on August 13, 2019, and although this is Ana's an…
(2020-01-24). Waiting for Justice in New Jersey. counterpunch.org Ask 100 New Jersey residents who is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and more than 90 will quickly reply, a civil rights leader. Ask 100 New Jersey resident who is Peter McGuire and more than 90 will quickly reply, Peter who? King and McGuire both made historic accomplishments. Both the Atlanta born King and the
(2020-01-24). Federal Court Dismisses Youth Climate Lawsuit — But They're Not Giving Up. truthout.org A sharply divided panel of three federal judges on Jan. 17 dismissed a high-profile climate lawsuit brought on behalf of The
(2020-01-24). Scientists for Palestine Conference Hears Message of Palestinian Scholar, Political Prisoner Ubai Aboudi. imemc.org Hind Shraydeh protests for Ubai's release with their three children, Khaled, Ghassan and Basel. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network On the evening of 10 January, a packed hall at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, hosted the third international conference of Scientists for Palestine, a global initiative working …
(2020-01-24). Indigenous People in Brazil Vow to Defeat Bolsonaro After "Perverse" Attack Claiming Tribes Are Still "Evolving" Into Human Beings. commondreams.org Indigenous leaders in Brazil on Friday vowed to stop President Jair Bolsonaro's assault on their land and members of the country's 300 tribes, filing a lawsuit against the president for his latest racist statements about Indigenous people. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-01-24_at_11.06.54_am.jpg …
(2020-01-23). Defamation suit aims to stop Hillary and her 'powerful elite friends' from silencing patriotic Americans, Gabbard says. rt.com 
Suing Hillary Clinton for defamation is necessary in order to keep the former first lady and her powerful allies from smearing Americans who seek "peace and freedom" for all, Tulsi Gabbard has argued. | The Democratic presidential hopeful released a scathing statement in defense of her suit against Clinton, noting that the former secretary of state's attempt to smear her as "the favorite of the Russians" would have far-reaching consequences if left unchallenged. | "If Hillary Clinton and her allies can successfully destroy my reputation — even though I'm a war veteran and a sitting member of Congress …
(2020-01-23). In Latest Encryption Battle with Apple, Justice Department Still Wrong. aclu.org The | federal government is once again trying to force Apple to weaken the security | of millions of iPhones. On Wednesday, President Trump Switzerland for Apple to assist law enforcement in unlocking iPhones. Last week, | Trump made the same demand of Apple, company should unlock cell phones as a quid pro quo for any benefits it enjoys | as a result of favo…
(2020-01-23). Amendment 4 is Still on the Line. Here's What's New. aclu.org The right to vote cannot depend on how much money you have. That's what
(2020-01-23). Despite Lawsuit, Activists Find Evidence Plant in Texas Still Polluting Water. truthout.org On the afternoon of January 15, activist Diane Wilson kicked off a
(2020-01-22). 'Obvious malicious intent': Tulsi Gabbard hits Clinton with defamation suit over 'Russian asset' smear. rt.com 
Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard is suing two-time White House runner-up Hillary Clinton over her claim that Gabbard was a "Russian asset," alleging that the lie hurt not just her campaign but the entire election. | Clinton "lied about her perceived rival Tulsi Gabbard… publicly, unambiguously, and with obvious malicious intent" when she claimed Gabbard was "the favorite of the Russians," the campaign alleges in the
(2020-01-22). The National Archives Doctored A Women's March Photo Critical of Trump. We're Demanding Answers. aclu.org "God hates Trump." | "If my vagina could shoot bullets, it'd be less REGULATED." | "Trump & GOP — Hands Off." | "This pussy grabs back." | Last week, the Washington Post
(2020-01-22). 47 Years Later, We're Fighting to Make Roe a Reality Everywhere. aclu.org Today we commemorate the 47th | anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the | landmark Supreme Court case that recognized a constitutional right to abortion. | In the nearly five decades since, the decision has weathered numerous storms | and faced plenty of erosion, leaving too many without meaningful access to | abortion care. But 2020 could be its most consequential year yet. | This spring, the Supreme Court will hear | arguments in June Medical | Services v. Gee and could uphold state abortion re…
(2020-01-21). Voting Rights Advocate: The Impeachment of Trump Is Needed to Protect Our Elections & Democracy. democracynow.org 
The impeachment trial begins its proceedings in the Senate today amid accusations of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attempting to rush the impeachment process. Senators will have 16 hours for questions and four hours for debate, after 24 hours for opening arguments on each side. We speak with Rick Perlstein, historian and author, and Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Clarke says that thanks to the rules set by McConnell, Trump's impeachment trial could be over within a week, with much of the debate taking place in the evening. The proces…
(2020-01-21). CBP Deported an Iranian Student With Valid Visa, Defying Court Order. aclu.org Last night, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) deported an Iranian student with a valid visa, despite a federal court order prohibiting his removal. | Shahab Dehghani arrived at Boston Logan Airport on Sunday, January 19 to study at Northeastern University, where he was enrolled. Customs officials detained him and questioned him for hours, abruptly revoking his student visa, which the State Department granted after a year of intense vetting. | As CBP tried to put Shahab on the next available flight, supporters and friends gathered at night in the arrivals hall at Logan to demand that CBP stop deporting…
(2020-01-21). "Fight of the Century" Looks at 100 Years of Landmark ACLU Cases. aclu.org Liberty and equality are everywhere under attack. And that's why the work of the American Civil Liberties Union feels more precious to us than ever before. The ACLU lawyers and staff are the brave souls who suit up, blast off, and do what they can to divert and repel all those incoming meteors, or blow them right out of the sky. We admire them. We admire them the way you must admire people who devote themselves to doing, to the utmost of their ability, any thankless, impossible, and absolutely essential job. | Liberty and justice for all. We used to stand up with our classmates | every morning and timelessly…
(2020-01-20). SPECIAL: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in His Own Words. democracynow.org 
Today is the federal holiday that honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was born January 15, 1929. He was assassinated April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was just 39 years old. While Dr. King is primarily remembered as a civil rights leader, he also championed the cause of the poor and organized the Poor People's Campaign to address issues of economic justice. Dr. King was also a fierce critic of U.S. foreign policy and the Vietnam War. We play his "Beyond Vietnam" speech, which he delivered at New York City's Riverside Church on April 4, 1967, as well as his last speech, "I've Been to…
(2020-01-17). 2019 Proved We Can Stop Face Recognition Surveillance. aclu.org This piece originally appeared on In 2019, we proved face recognition surveillance isn't | inevitable. Now, it's time for Congress to rein in the technology once and for | all. | Last year, communities banded together to prove that they | can — and will — defend their privacy rights. As part of ACLU-led campaigns, three | California cities — Francisco,…
(2020-01-17). The Supreme Court Takes Up the Issue of Birth Control Coverage — Again. aclu.org The Supreme Court just announced that it will hear | yet another case about the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) birth control coverage | requirement. If you are experiencing déjà vu, you are not alone. Court battles | over the birth control coverage requirement have been raging for almost a | decade. How did we get here? | 2012: | The Birth Control Benefit is Established | Congress passed the Women's Health Amendment to the | ACA to try to close the disparity in health care costs that women have | historically experienced. In 2012, the independent, nonpartisan Institute of | Medicine was tasked with determining wh…
(2020-01-16). Arkansas Legislators' Attack on Abortion is Unconstitutional. aclu.org The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled time and again that | reproductive privacy is "central to personal dignity and autonomy, [which] are | central to the liberty protected by" the Constitution. The Court has made | eminently clear that under the Constitution, the right of a pregnant person to | terminate a pregnancy prior to viability is a right so essential to our freedom | that our government cannot ban or impose an undue burden on its exercise. But | despite the long-standing clarity of this principle, reproductive health and rights | continue to come under blistering, unrelenting attack. | Nowhere is this cl…
(2020-01-16). The White House's Dangerously Expansive Views on Trump's Powers That You Can't See. aclu.org A basic legal consensus about our democracy is that the Constitution assigns the "
(2020-01-10). Weekend Read: SPLC sues Trump administration over family separation policy. splcenter.org The SPLC and its allies have filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration policy that has separated and traumatized thousands of migrant families.
(2020-01-09). Despite horrific prison stay, a mother comes to understand her addiction. splcenter.org When Shanna Rainey was a mother to two young children, she began using methamphetamine.
(2020-01-06). Former Head of Identity Evropa Taken Into Custody for Contempt of Court. splcenter.org Elliott Kline, the onetime leader of Identity Evropa, is in federal custody after being found in contempt of court for failing to cooperate in a civil lawsuit stemming from the violent "Unite the Right" rally.
(2019-12-28). Prison gave me a greater will to fight. zcomm.org Interview on the reality that Brazil is experiencing and the social protests that have occurred in several Latin American countries…
(2019-12-02). Civil Rights Are on the Chopping Block in New Supreme Court Term. zcomm.org Hello, A very small proportion of ZNet content is available only to Sustainers. You can become a sustainer for a small repeating donation – monthly or yearly via the links for Sustaining, or Donating, available on the top page of ZNet.