(2020-02-18). Journalist: Harvey Weinstein's Defense Team Is Waging a War Against the #MeToo Movement. democracynow.org 
A jury of seven men and five women meet today in New York Supreme Court to begin deliberations on whether to find disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein guilty of sexual assault. The case has drawn international attention amid the #MeToo movement. If the jurors find Weinstein guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 100 women but in this case faces five charges based on evidence relating to two main accusers. One woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, alleges she was raped by Weinstein in a New York hotel, for which he has been charged wit…
(2020-02-18). Trump Commutes Blagojevich Sentence, Pardons Others. truthdig.com 
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has gone on a clemency blitz, commuting the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and pardoning former NYPD commissioner Bernie Kerik, among a long list of others. | Trump also told reporters that he has pardoned financier Michael Milken, who pleaded guilty for violating U.S. securities laws and served two years in prison in the early 1990s. Trump also pardoned Edward DeBartolo Jr., the former San Francisco 49ers owner convicted in a gambling fraud scandal who built one of the most successful NFL teams in the game's history. | Related Article…
(2020-02-18). 'Doctors for Assange' worry he may die in UK prison having 'effectively been tortured to death'. rt.com 
Over 100 doctors are urging the UK government to stop the "psychological torture" of Julian Assange, and send him to a hospital. It's their fourth such letter since the journalist appeared in court. | WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange may die in a UK prison, having "effectively been tortured to death," claim Doctors for Assange, a group of 117 doctors from 18 countries, in a recent letter The letter says that Assange requires urgent med…
(2020-02-18). Boy Scouts' Future Uncertain After Bankruptcy Filing. truthdig.com 
Barraged with sex-abuse lawsuits, the Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday in hopes of working out a potentially mammoth victim compensation plan that will allow the 110-year-old organization to carry on. | The Chapter 11 filing in federal bankruptcy court in Wilmington, Delaware, sets in motion what could be one of the biggest, most complex bankruptcies ever seen. Scores of lawyers are seeking settlements on behalf of several thousand men who say they were molested as scouts by scoutmasters or other leaders decades ago but are only now eligible to sue because of recent changes in their s…
(2020-02-18). Amazon offers free shipping for illegal Israeli settlements, but not Palestinian Territories. peoplesworld.org 
Amazon has been accused of discrimination by offering free shipment to illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank, but not for Palestinians living there. The practice was discovered by the Financial Times as it entered illegal settlement addresses into the global online retailer's delivery portal. Amazon's website offered free shipping for orders, saying: "If your …
(2020-02-18). Like the 'Titanic,' the glory of the US won't prevent it from sinking… and it will sink — Iran's Khamenei. rt.com 
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has denounced the US ahead of Iran's elections, likening Washington to a sinking ocean liner, and calling it out as a mass oppressor. | Pulling no punches, Khamenei tweeted that the country's arch rival is a clear "manifestation of oppression" that is "abhorred by the world." | Not stopping there, he also likened the US to the 'Titanic,' and promised its fate may be no less grim. | "The Americans decorate a facade to deceive others and to scare some. But, just as the magnificence of the 'Titanic' didn't prevent her from sinking, the glory of the US won't prevent it from sink…
(2020-02-18). 2020 Films of Remembrance of Japanese Descent Imprisonments WWII (San Jose). indybay.org San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, 640 N. 5th Street, San Jose Japantown…
(2020-02-18). 2020 Films of Remembrance of Japanese Descent Imprisonments WWII (San Francisco). indybay.org New People Cinema, 1746 POST ST., San Francisco Japantown 94115…
(2020-02-18). Harvey Weinstein's Defense Team Is Waging a War Against the #MeToo Movement. truthout.org A jury of seven men and five women meet today in New York Supreme Court to begin deliberations on whether to find disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein guilty of sexual assault. The case has drawn international attention amid the #MeToo movement. If the jurors find Weinstein guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 100 women but in this case faces five charges based on evidence relating to two main accusers. One woman, who…
(2020-02-18). Bolsonaro Hails Killer of Marielle Franco As 'Hero'. telesurenglish.net In a press conference in Río de Janeiro, the right-wing Brazilian President said: "I requested my son to decorate ( to Nóbrega), to clear all doubts. He was a hero, I commanded him, you can put that on me". | RELATED: | Flavio Bolsonaro, Jair Bolsonaro ¥s first born son, gave the Tiradentes Medal to Adriano Magalhà£es da Nóbrega back in 2005, when he was in prison and accused of the assassination. The ex-…
(2020-02-18). Alleged ethnic discrimination left Gypsies and Travellers out in Storm Dennis. thecanary.co Reports have emerged suggesting that a group of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) young people were denied entry to a nightclub on 15 February. It also alleges further discrimination from the local police force. This comes amid wider attacks against GRT communities from Boris Johnson's government. | Ethnic discrimination: | A Facebook
(2020-02-18). Syrian dad helps little girl avoid trauma by teaching her to laugh as bombs fall. yenisafak.com Italian screenwriter and director Roberto Benigni's 1999 Academy Award-winning movie "Life is Beautiful" centers around a father and son who were imprisoned at a Nazi concentration camp during World War II.In an effort to protect his son from the unbearable conditions, the father, Guido, turns the Nazi death camps into an imaginary playing field.However, the nine-year conflict in Syria that the world has been watching live on TV and the internet is nothing like a blockbuster.A Syrian father, who fled toward the Turkish border due to recent shelling by the Assad regime in Idlib's de-escalation zone, turned the hor…
(2020-02-18). Wikileaks founder Assange's health improving in prison. yenisafak.com WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is no longer being held in solitary confinement and his health is improving, his colleague and spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson told reporters on Tuesday.Assange, 48, is in prison in London, fighting an extradition request from the United States, where he faces 18 counts including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law. He could spend decades in prison if convicted.His supporters had expressed concern about the state of his health after he appeared confused during a court hearing in October, struggling to recall his age and name and saying he was unable…
(2020-02-17). Extradition of Assange Would Set a Dangerous Precedent. truthout.org The Trump administration is seeking extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States for trial on charges carrying 175 years in prison. On February 24, a court in the U.K. will hold a hearing to determine whether to grant Trump's request. The treaty between the U.S. and the U.K. prohibits extradition for a "political offense." Assange was indicted for exposing U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is a classic political offense. Moreover, Assange's extradition would violate the legal pr…
(2020-02-17). Former State Dept employee sentenced to 7 years in prison for accepting bribes. nationofchange.org "This is a tragedy for you, for your family, for the government."
(2020-02-17). Soldiers Abduct Eight Palestinians In West Bank. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Monday at dawn, at least eight Palestinians from their homes, in several parts of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported. The PPS said the soldiers invaded and ransacked homes in the al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah, and abducted Othman Nakhla, …
(2020-02-17). Chile: Chief of Police to Be Questioned Over 30 Lawsuits. telesurenglish.net Chile's Police General Director Mario Rozas will be questioned this week about the 30 accusations against him, of which 21 are lawsuits filed for crimes against humanity. | RELATED: | According to La Tercera, nine other criminal charges have been pressed against him for crimes such as torture and unlawful coercion, all in the context of the mobilizations that have taken place since the popular uprising began. | The a…
(2020-02-17). Headlines for February 17, 2020. democracynow.org Americans Aboard Cruise Ship Repatriated as 71,000 Global Cases of Coronavirus Confirmed, 1,100+ Ex-DOJ Staff Call on Attorney General Barr to Resign, Sen. Klobuchar Can't Say Name of Mexican President, Sen. Sanders Calls Out Bloomberg on Campaign Trail, Bloomberg's Company Faced Years of Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Lawsuits, LGBT Activists of Color Call Out Pete Buttigieg for Ties to Big Money, Conservative Positions, Airstrikes Kill 31 People, Including Children, in Yemen, Intensifying Syrian Gov't Offensive Has Displaced 800,000 Civilians Since December, Airstrike Kills 8 Civilians in Afghanistan as U…
(2020-02-16). Yemen's Warring Sides to Exchange Thousands of Prisoners. telesurenglish.net Yemen's warring sides agreed to exchange thousands of prisoners at the start of critical peace talks sponsored by the United Nations (U.N.) and started Thursday morning in the locality of Rimbo, north of Sweden's capital Stockholm. | RELATED: | The announcement was made Sunday by the U.N. which said in a statement that both sides decided to "immediately begin with exchanging the lists for the upcoming release" of prisoners. | "Today…
(2020-02-15). MN: County Attorney Mike Freeman's house picketed after cops who killed Brian Quiñones escape charges. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – In response to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman's decision to not press charges against the Richfield and Edina police officers who killed Brian Quiñones, the groups Justice for Brian Quiñones, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar (TCC4J), the Racial Justice Network and others gathered for a spirited picket of Mike Freeman's residence the evening of February 11. | About 50 people chanted, sang and played clips of Brian's music for about an hour. The most popular chant was "Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail. The whole damn system is guilty as hell!" Family and friends o…
(2020-02-14). Detroit Overtaxed Residents by $600M, Causing Foreclosure Crisis. Residents Are Now Fighting Back. democracynow.org 
In Detroit, a showdown between progressive lawmakers and the city is taking on racist housing policies that robbed African Americans in Detroit of their homes and widened the racial wealth gap. On Thursday, the Coalition for Property Tax Justice announced a class-action lawsuit against the city of Detroit, Wayne County and the state of Michigan in response to unfair property tax foreclosures. One in four Detroit properties have been subject to property tax foreclosure, a level comparable only to tax foreclosure rates during the Great Depression. According to legal experts, many of the foreclosures were caused by…
(2020-02-14). Weekend Read: Department of Justice may force Mississippi to fix deadly prison system. splcenter.org …
(2020-02-14). Headlines for February 14, 2020. democracynow.org Senate Passes Resolution Limiting Trump's War Powers Authority, Attorney General William Barr Criticizes Trump's Tweets, Bloomberg Criticized for Falsely Blaming 2008 Crisis on End of Redlining, Top Wall Street Executives on Biden Guest List for Manhattan Fundraiser, Ex-Ohio State Wrestler Says Rep. Jim Jordan Begged Him to Cover Up Sexual Abuse, Last Month Was Hottest January on Record, Indigenous Anti-Pipeline Blockades Cripple Canada's Rail Transportation, Intercept: Canadian Fossil Fuel Company "Bought" Oregon Sheriff Department Unit, Judge Temporarily Blocks Microsoft-Pentagon Contract After Amazon Lawsuit,…
(2020-02-14). Major anti-war groups join the Coalition to March on the DNC. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – As the July 13 start of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) draws closer, the Coalition to March on the DNC has risen to the occasion. Since the start of the new year, the coalition has seen tremendous gains. | Between leading a 2000-person demonstration against Donald Trump when he visited Milwaukee on January 14 and butting heads with the city while trying to host a press conference to announce a lawsuit for our right to protest, traffic to the Facebook page has increased dramatically, including numerous inquiries about how people can get more involved. | Perhaps the most significant indica…
(2020-02-14). Reconciliation Is Dead: RCMP Invade Unist'ot'en Territory. dissidentvoice.org Canada invades. Invades on behalf of industry. Invades during ceremony. Canada tears us from our land. Tears us from our families, from our homes. Takes our drums away. Takes our women away. Jails us for protecting the land, for being in ceremony, for honouring our ancestors. On February 10, RCMP invaded unceded Unist'ot'en territory, arresting …
(2020-02-14). The Corporate Media Is Directly Profiting from Mike Bloomberg's Rise as He Spends Fortune on TV Ads. democracynow.org 
Billionaire Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is rising in the polls in the wake of the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Democracy Now! co-host Juan González speaks with us about Bloomberg's approach to campaign spending, the administration's policies during his three terms as mayor of New York City and the scores of lawsuits filed against Bloomberg and his company. "It's amazing to me that Michael Bloomberg is getting as much attention as he is," González says.
(2020-02-13). Did Amy Klobuchar Send an Innocent Teenager to Life in Prison? Questions Mount over Her Record as DA. democracynow.org 
After a surprising third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is attempting to gain ground in the national polls. But Klobuchar is also facing mounting scrutiny over her record as a district attorney in Minnesota. The Minneapolis NAACP, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and other racial justice groups recently called on Klobuchar to suspend her presidential campaign following a shocking investigation by the Associated Press. The AP report centered on the case of Myon Burrell, an African-American teenager who was sentenced to life in prison over the 2002 murder of 11-year-old Tye…
(2020-02-13). "Traumatizing from the Get-Go": Weinstein Trial Exposes Flawed Approach to Sexual Assault Cases. democracynow.org 
We continue our conversation about the trial of alleged sexual predator Harvey Weinstein, ahead of the scheduled start of opening arguments today. Weinstein is facing five felony charges, based on accusations brought forth by two women in the case, and, if convicted, could face up to life in prison. Last week, one of his accusers, Jessica Mann, broke down and went into an apparent panic attack during questioning from Weinstein's lawyers, forcing the judge to adjourn proceedings for the day. Mann was made to read past emails to a boyfriend, in which she disclosed she had been sexually assaulted before meeting Wein…
(2020-02-13). Time's Up for Harvey Weinstein? Closing Arguments Begin in Rape Trial in NYC. democracynow.org 
Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Thursday in the trial of disgraced Hollywood mogul and accused sexual predator Harvey Weinstein. The jury is expected to begin deliberating on Tuesday. Weinstein faces five felonies based on accusations by two women and, if convicted, could face up to life in prison. The trial comes more than two years after initial accusations against the film producer were published in The New Yorker and The New York Times, fueling the #MeToo movement that swept Hollywood and beyond. Since then, over 100 women have accused Weinstein of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment. During t…
(2020-02-13). 'Pay them triple' U.S. soccer men's union backs women's team's call for pay equity. peoplesworld.org 
The U.S. men's national team player's union publicly challenged the U.S. Soccer Federation to do right by all its players: Significantly increase the pay of the women's team, and stop low-balling during contract negotiations. Clean and simple. The players union for the women's national team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the USSF last year …
(2020-02-13). Bill Barr Wants Sheriffs to Join His Attacks on State and Local Governments. aclu.org Attorney General Bill Barr, For | Barr's Department of Justice, that escalation includes new lawsuits against | states and municipalities with immigrant-protective policies.
(2020-02-13). FRSO calls for the immediate release and repatriation of political prisoner Facundo Molares. fightbacknews.org Facundo Molares Schoenfeld is an Argentinian photojournalist who was illegally arrested by the Bolivian dictatorship, and who is currently held in terrible conditions in a Bolivian prison. His life is in danger, as he does not receive adequate medical attention for a life-threatening condition. | This photojournalist was on assignment, for the Argentinian left-wing magazine El Centenario, in Bolivia to document the election of Evo Morales and its aftermath in October, 2019. Bolivia suffered a coup d'état by fascist elements and the military, with the support of the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, on November 10, 2019. A…
(2020-02-12). Deadline Looming, Strongest Surveillance Reform Bill Yet Emerges. aclu.org Congress has just five weeks to decide the fate of key foreign | intelligence surveillance powers — forcing a showdown between surveillance | reformers and defenders. And now, a group of Republicans and Democrats have | unveiled the strongest comprehensive reform proposal that we have seen | yet. | The Safeguarding Americans' Private Records Act of 2020, introduced by a
(2020-02-12). Congress Should Outlaw State Attacks on Abortion Access. aclu.org Before I finished | high school, I learned I was pregnant. As a result of fear and a lack of | resources, by the time I confided in my mother and grandmother, I had no choice | — I was going to be a mother. Becoming a parent as a teenager came with many | harsh realities. I love my children with all my heart, but I know that everyone | should be able to make the decision to parent for themselves. | This personal | experience, along with my passion for young people, is how I came to my work at | the Alabama Women's Center. As a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and medical | director of a Huntsvil…
(2020-02-12). Gruesome Details Emerge of Israel's Torture of Palestinian Prisoners. mintpressnews.com One prisoner was hospitalized for kidney failure and 11 broken ribs. Another had his genitals bitten by a security dog while a third man was left wheelchair-bound and unrecognizable.
(2020-02-11). The Trump Administration Wants Health Insurance Companies to Drop Abortion Coverage from Your Insurance Plan. aclu.org From denying | access to abortion | for unaccompanied immigrant minors, to gutting | the Title X | family planning program, to trying to roll | back the Affordable Care Act's requirement that employers and universities cover | contr…
(2020-02-11). Desperate asylum seekers 'starving for justice' in immigrant prison hunger strikes across Louisiana. splcenter.org Guards shackled Sai Mahad to a chair, placed a mask over his mouth and snaked a long tube through one of his nostrils.
(2020-02-10). How Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Broke Through in Iowa. aclu.org 
Our next president | must be committed to protecting and advancing the civil liberties and civil | rights guaranteed to all of us in the Constitution, and the current goal for | our key issues. We now have most of the results from the Iowa caucuses last week, | and one thing stood out to us: Voters overwhelmingly supported candidates who | made specific commitments to Rights for All policies. | When we launched | the Rights for All effort last year, we were determined to elevate ke…
(2020-02-10). Hey Clearview, Your Misleading PR Campaign Doesn't Make Your Face Surveillance Product Any Less Dystopian. aclu.org 
In the last few weeks, a company called Clearview has been
(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…
(2020-02-04). Biden Threatens Lawsuit to Halt Release of Real Iowa Caucus Results. theantimedia.com American democracy—ain't it grand?>
(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.
(2020-01-24). Alive and Well: Voter Suppression and Election Mismanagement in Alabama. splcenter.org …