(2020-02-10). Russian 'anarchists' jailed for planning FIFA World Cup and presidential election terrorist attacks. rt.com 
A court in the central Russian city of Penza has handed down prison sentences of between six and 18 years to seven anarchists convicted on terrorism charges. | The men, all members of the group 'Network ('Set,' in Russian), were accused of possession of weapons and drugs, and of planning attacks during the FIFA World Cup and presidential election in 2018. They were arrested in 2017, in Penza and St. Petersburg. The Federal Security Service (FSB) claims that 'Network' also operated 'cells' in Moscow, Omsk and the capital of Belarus, Minsk. | Investigators asserted that Dmitry Pchelintsev and Ilya Shakursky were…
(2020-02-10). Greece to speed up creation of migrant holding centers after protests. rt.com 
The Greek government plans to accelerate the creation of detention centers on its outlying islands in the Aegean Sea after a backlash against overcrowded camps by some migrants and nearby residents. | Authorities in Athens said on Monday they would proceed with the purchase of land on the islands of Lesbos, Chios and Samos, and press ahead with plans to create holding facilities on state-owned land on Kos and Leros. | "The government has decided to close today's anarchic facilities and create controlled, closed facilities," spokesman Stelios Petsas said. The conservative New Democracy cabinet, elected last Jul…
(2020-02-10). Sick joke: Blogger arrested after brutal coronavirus prank on Moscow subway (VIDEO). rt.com 
A prankster is facing up to five years in prison for causing panic on the Moscow underground. That's the high price he may yet paying for an ill-conceived attempt to turn Chinese coronavirus hysteria into online likes. | A young man in a black tracksuit and a face mask was walking along the subway car on one of the busiest lines before suddenly collapsing on the floor and starting to convulse in agony. Several guys rushed to help the poor soul, but then quickly fled, shouting "Coronavirus! Coronavirus!" | The event had a strong effect on other passengers, who started rushing out of the car as soon as the train…
(2020-02-10). Spanish govt to ban glorification of Franco dictatorship — Socialist Party. rt.com 
The Spanish government plans to make it illegal to glorify the regime of former dictator General Francisco Franco as part of a reform of the criminal code, the Socialist Party said on Monday. | Franco, who ruled Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975, ordered the execution or imprisonment of tens of thousands of his enemies, while as many as 500,000 people died in the preceding civil war, Reuters said. His legacy still divides Spain and looms large over its political system. | "In a democracy you don't pay tribute to dictators or tyrants," parliamentary spokeswoman Adriana Lastra said. She did not spell out w…
(2020-02-10). The Truth About Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca A made-up rape allegation and fabricated evidence in Sweden, pressure from the UK not to drop the case, a biased judge, detention in a maximum security prison, psychological torture — and soon extradition to the U.S., where he could face …
(2020-02-10). Journalist Abby Martin Sues State of Georgia Over Law Requiring Pledge of Allegiance to Israel. mintpressnews.com "This censorship of my talk based on forced compliance to anti-BDS laws in Georgia is just one level of a nationwide campaign to protect Israel from grassroots pressure."
(2020-02-10). Germany: Trial in Hamburg for former SS security guard at Stutthof concentration camp. wsws.org In the lawsuit against Bruno D, several of the co-plaintiffs have stressed the significance of the trial, given the current resurgence of far-right extremism and fascism in Germany, Europe and worldwide.
(2020-02-10). Facebook Ads Should Face the Same Libel Law as Media Outlets. truthout.org Will Facebook run ads calling Donald Trump a "money launderer?" This is an interesting question to consider. If an individual or group proposed to run television or newspaper ads describing Trump as a money launderer, the outlet would almost certainly refuse to take it. In spite of the strong probability that the charge is true, these outlets would be afraid of a major lawsuit from Trump. Facebook has no such concerns, and that is a big problem. | Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made a big point…
(2020-02-10). Chinese Slams "Racist" Reports by German Media over Coronavirus. globalresearch.ca "Epidemic outbreaks must not be used as an excuse for discrimination and xenophobia, and press freedom must not become a reason for creating a racist opinion in German society," said the Chinese embassy in Germany in a statement. | *** | The …
(2020-02-10). Starting a Business is Hard, Discrimination Makes It Harder. counterpunch.org My parents came to the United States from India in 1971 to chase their "American Dream." They bought a small community grocery, liquor store, and deli called Renno's Quality Food Market in Shady Side, Maryland. My parents became entrepreneurs out of necessity. They hoped it would create a path towards wealth and security. Forty-six years
(2020-02-10). Kashmir Gov't Moves to Extend Detention of Ex-State Chief Under Tough Law Challenged in Top Court. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Indian-administered Kashmir took former chiefs of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into detention in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 to end the region's special status in early August 2019.
(2020-02-09). Three Extraordinary Australian Journalists: Burchett, Pilger and Assange. globalresearch.ca Australia has produced extraordinary journalists across three generations: Wilfred Burchett (deceased in 1983), John Pilger (80 years old but still active) and Julian Assange (48 years old, currently in London's Belmarsh prison). | Each of these journalists made unique contributions to …
(2020-02-08). Three Extraordinary Australian Journalists: Burchett, Pilger, Assange. dissidentvoice.org Australia has produced extraordinary journalists across three generations: Wilfred Burchett (deceased in 1983), John Pilger (80 years old but still active) and Julian Assange (48 years old, currently in London's Belmarsh prison). Each of these journalists made unique contributions to our understanding of the world. Although Australia is part of the western world, each of …
(2020-02-08). Former deputy jailer sentenced to prison after assaulting inmate. nationofchange.org "The FBI will not tolerate correctional officers who violate a person's civil rights."
(2020-02-08). Former UAW Region 5 Director Vance Pearson signs plea deal. wsws.org Pearson's testimony brings the federal corruption probe one step closer to a racketeering lawsuit and the possible federal takeover of the union.
(2020-02-07). Civil Rights Movement memories: Marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. peoplesworld.org 
The flight to Atlanta was bumpy. I was already apprehensive. I had imagined being on the receiving end of a two-by-four swung wildly by a Southern gentleman of the White Citizens Council. And then, when the plane suddenly plunged downward in what felt like a nosedive, I feared I would soon meet my fate, denying …
(2020-02-07). Discrimination Isn't Helping to Contain the Coronavirus. thenation.com Discrimination Isn't Helping to Contain the Coronavirus…
(2020-02-07). Detainee Tareq Qa'dan, Who Held Extended Hunger Strike In 2019, Released. imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners' Society has reported that Israeli soldiers released, Thursday, a Palestinian detainee, who held an extended hunger strike last year, before he was welcomed by hundreds of Palestinians in Jenin, in northern West Bank. The PPS stated that the detainee, Tareq Qa'dan, held an extended hunger strike, lasting …
(2020-02-06). The Government's Nightmare Vision for Face Recognition at Airports and Beyond. aclu.org The Department of Homeland Security has a
(2020-02-05). Using Bail as Ransom Violates the Core Tenets of Pretrial Justice. aclu.org Rebecca Gill was out of | options. At 39 years old, she was arrested and though not convicted of a crime | and presumed innocent, confined to a jail cell. This happened because of a cash | bail requirement that she couldn't afford. Her friends didn't have extra money | to help, and she was unlikely to see a judge until she'd been in jail for two | full weeks. | Stuck in jail, she was in | jeopardy of losing her job and her driver's license. Losing her license would result | in myriad consequences, such as preventing her from getting to work and making | it more difficult to take care of her son and mother. | T…
(2020-02-05). The Government is Using its Foreign Intelligence Spying Powers for Routine Domestic Investigations. aclu.org More than forty years ago, Congress | gave the executive branch a set of exceptional surveillance powers to pursue | foreign spies on U.S. soil. Now, the government is increasingly relying on those | powers to advance ordinary domestic criminal investigations. | In United States v. | Osseily, a fraud prosecution in California, the government appears to have used | this surveillance — which is conducted under the Foreign Intelligence | Surveillance Act (FISA) — to a longtime perm…
(2020-02-05). Free Bolivian political prisoner Facundo Molares! fightbacknews.org Bolivia suffered a vicious coup d'état on November 10, 2019 that was provoked by right-wing gangs rampaging in the street, traitorous police and military officers, the old guard political elite, and, of course, supported by the United States Embassy. As soon as Evo Morales was elected to a fourth term as president of Bolivia on October 20, with almost 47% of the vote, right-wing elements, centered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, started a campaign to destabilize the progressive government headed by Evo. | Directly after the results announcing that Morales won in the first round of the presidential election, reactiona…
(2020-02-04). Biden Threatens Lawsuit to Halt Release of Real Iowa Caucus Results. theantimedia.com American democracy—ain't it grand?>
(2020-02-04). Headlines for February 4, 2020. democracynow.org Delay in Iowa Democratic Primary Results Causes Confusion, Mixed Messages, Final Arguments Made in Impeachment Trial of President Trump Ahead of SOTU, Hong Kong Medical Workers Demand Border Closure as Coronavirus Claims Life of Hong Kong Man, Leaked Audio Shows Iran Knew It Downed Ukraine Jet Despite Early Denials, Syrian and Turkish Forces Escalate Attacks as Turkey Suffers First Losses from Direct Combat, Massachusetts Prisoners Allege Violent Retaliatory Abuse by Guards, Trial Begins For Ex-CIA Software Engineer Accused of "Vault 7" Leak, Weinstein Rape Accuser Breaks Down During Harsh Questioning, Shooting a…
(2020-02-03). ACLU: Trump Is Expanding His Racist Travel Ban, This Time Targeting Africans. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration has expanded its contested travel ban to six additional countries — most of which are African nations. Under the new restrictions, nationals of Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan will no longer be able to obtain visas to live and work in the U.S., while Sudan and Tanzania will no longer be able to participate in the diversity visa lottery program. The ban, commonly referred to as the "Muslim ban," already affects citizens from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela and North Korea. The expansion is expected to affect more than 350 million people. Democrats say they will…
(2020-02-03). Block the Vote: Voter Suppression in 2020. aclu.org 
Voting should be as easy and convenient as possible, and in many cases it is. But across the U.S., too many politicians are passing measures making it harder to cast a ballot. The goal is to manipulate political outcomes, and the result is a severely compromised democracy that doesn't reflect the will of the people. Our democracy works best when all eligible voters can participate and have their voices heard. | Suppression efforts range from the seemingly unobstructive, like voter ID laws and cuts to early voting, to mass purges of voter rolls and systemic disenfranchisement. And long before election cycles ev…
(2020-02-02). SPLC and the SPLC Action Fund Hire Internationally Renowned Human and Civil Rights Leader as New President and CEO. splcenter.org Margaret Huang brings 25 years of experience advocating against discrimination and oppression around the world.
(2020-01-30). The Government Is Trying to Strip Student Workers of the Ability to Unionize. aclu.org The federal government recently
(2020-01-29). We're Back in Court this Week Defending Access to Safe Abortion in Kentucky. aclu.org The ACLU is back | in court today once again to stop Kentucky's attempt to block access to | abortion. We've been here before. Over the past three years, the Kentucky | General Assembly has passed bill after bill that limits — and even bans — a | person's ability to get an abortion. And time after time, we've gone to court to | protect people's rights to get the care they need. | At issue this | week is a law that makes it a crime for doctors at Kentucky's last remaining | abortion clinic to perform an abortion procedure that is the standard of care. | In reality, the law is nothing more than a…
(2020-01-28). Asylum-Seekers Are Being Abandoned in Guatemala in a New Policy Officials Call a "Total Disaster" aclu.org In late November, U.S. immigration authorities began | deporting some Central American asylum-seekers to Guatemala under a new | policy that makes it nearly impossible for them to seek asylum in the U.S. | But Guatemalan human rights workers say that their country's | asylum system isn't capable of handling even the relatively small numbers that | have been sent there so far, and that asylum seekers' precarious status in the | country has already pushed many to leave. | "They're preferring to move on…
(2020-01-28). What You Need to Know About the Coronavirus Outbreak: A Civil Liberties Perspective. aclu.org The world is watching anxiously to see what happens with the | coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China. As scientists and public health | officials in the United States learn more about the virus, and as we all see | how bad the outbreak turns out to be, it is important that public policymaking | remain firmly centered around science. | Unfortunately, our history of reactions to infectious | disease outbreaks suggests that if this outbreak becomes severe, we're likely | to see strong pressure to the contrary. In particular, we can expect three | things: | We can expect some to | panic.: | Unfortu…
(2020-01-24). Alive and Well: Voter Suppression and Election Mismanagement in Alabama. splcenter.org …