(2020-02-20). 'Journalism is not a crime': Australian MP says charges against Assange must be dropped after visiting him in UK prison. rt.com 
Continued persecution of the WikiLeaks co-founder is a "crazy situation," Australian lawmaker George Christiansen told RT, adding that Julian Assange did not commit any crime aside from running afoul of US elites. | Christiansen, a member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland, questioned the integrity of the legal process against Assange, who is now facing the possibility of extradition to the US over "unlawfully obtaining and disclosing classified documents related to the national defense." | The journalist was hauled out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London after his asylum was revoked in April 2019, an…
(2020-02-19). Perversion of justice: Trump pardons more violators of the public trust. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—When it comes to perversions of justice, Donald Trump has done it again. On Feb. 18 he used the presidential pardon power, which is unlimited, to pardon four more sleazy jailbirds, some of whom have already served their sentences. Trump's pardons occurred one day after more than 1,000 former Justice Department prosecutors and top officials, …
(2020-02-19). A year in jail & quarter million fine since, lawyers seek freedom for Chelsea Manning refusing to testify against WikiLeaks. rt.com 
Chelsea Manning's attorney has filed a new motion requesting her release from jail, where she has been for nearly a year for continuously refusing to testify before a grand jury against WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. | Manning's incarceration has "exceeded its lawful scope" by moving from being a coercive tactic to a criminal punishment, her lawyer Moira Meltzer-Cohen said in a Manning was jailed in March of 2019 for refusing to testify before a gran…
(2020-02-19). Extradition of Assange Would Set a Dangerous Precedent. globalresearch.ca 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 …
(2020-02-19). Australian MPs visit Julian Assange at Belmarsh Prison. wsws.org Andrew Wilkie and George Christensen said they agreed with UN official Nils Melzer's assessment that Assange is the victim of psychological torture.
(2020-02-19). San Jose's 40th Annual Day of Remembrance: Recalling Life Under Executive Order 9066. indybay.org Executive Order 9066 led to the World War II-era incarceration of more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent, two-thirds of whom were American citizens. Survivors shared recollections and re-enactors performed morale boosting era swing dance styles in Japantown on February 16th.
(2020-02-19). 2020 Films of Remembrance of Japanese Descent Imprisonments WWII (San Francisco). indybay.org New People Cinema, 1746 POST ST., San Francisco Japantown 94115…
(2020-02-19). Compliance 101: Gun-Toting Cops Endanger Students and Turn the Schools into Prisons. globalresearch.ca "Every day in communities across the United States, children and adolescents spend the majority of their waking hours in schools that have increasingly come to Just when you …
(2020-02-19). 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…
(2020-02-19). South Korean Court Sentences Ex-President to 17 Years in Prison. telesurenglish.net A South Korean appellate court on Wednesday sentenced former President Lee Myung-bak to 17 years in jail over a set of corruptions, including bribery and embezzlement. | RELATED: | The Seoul High Court handed down the ruling on Lee, who served as the country's head of state for five years from early 2008, fining him 13 billion won (10.9 million U.S. dollars). | It was heavier than the verdict by the lower court, which sen…
(2020-02-19). Mexico's Chamber of Deputies Increases Penalty for Femicides. telesurenglish.net The Chamber of Deputies of Mexico approved Tuesday to increase the maximum penalties of years in prison for femicide after the murder of a 7-year-old girl, whose body was found in a plastic bag in the capital. | RELATED: | The reformed law was approved with 415 votes in favor and one against. With this measure, the minimum penalty for those who commit feminicide in Mexico went from 40 to 45 years. | Likewise, the deputies a…
(2020-02-19). Russian state frame-up results in draconian prison sentences for left-wing youth. wsws.org Under conditions of staggering social inequality and rising class tensions, the harsh punishment is aimed at intimidating all opposition to the Russian state from the left.
(2020-02-19). Lawsuit Launched Over Trump's Massive Rollback of Pollution Protections for Rivers, Wetlands. globalresearch.ca Conservation groups filed a formal notice of intent to
(2020-02-19). Uphold rainbow rights and kill the religious privilege bill. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-02-19). No to religious discrimination. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-02-19). Selected Articles: The Truth About Assange. globalresearch.ca 
By The Trump administration is seeking extradition of WikiLeaks founderJulian Assange to the United States for trial on charges carrying 175 years in prison. …
(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). 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). Our Vision to Transform What it Means to Be a Prosecutor. aclu.org 
It's a long-established fact that the United States is the largest incarcerator in the world. Over two million people are behind bars, roughly a quarter of whom are simply awaiting trial. Millions more are under some form of state supervision, such as parole or probation. | Many players have a hand in our mass incarceration crisis, but there's one actor with almost
(2020-02-18). ICE's Destruction of Records Must Be Stopped. aclu.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is | notorious for committing rampant unconstitutional and inhumane abuses in its | detention system — something advocates, communities, and years. Public oversight of ICE detention is about to become even harder, | further eroding accountability and endangering the health and safety of more than | 50,000 people in ICE custody every day. That's because the National Archives | and R…
(2020-02-18). Jailed Wikileaks Founder Assange's Health Improving: Spokesman. telesurenglish.net Jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is no longer being kept in solitary confinement and his health is improving, his spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson told reporters Tuesday. | RELATED: | Assange, 48, is in Belmarsh high-security 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…
(2020-02-18). Including Children, Soldiers Abduct Twelve Palestinians In West Bank. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Tuesday at dawn, twelve Palestinians, including children, after the army stormed and ransacked many homes in several parts of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported. The PPS said the soldiers invaded and searched homes in Beit Doqqo and Qotna towns, in …
(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). 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). Coronavirus Prompts 'Atmosphere of Hate' In Italy. telesurenglish.net The deadly outbreak of the new coronavirus in China has triggered a "hysterical" and "shameful wave of sinophobia" in Italy, according to members of the Chinese-Italian community. | RELATED: | A human rights group, as well as tourists of Chinese and Asian origin, have reported acts of violence, discrimination and harassment that include assaults, calls for sexual violence, insults, and boycotts of companies. | Chinese-It…
(2020-02-18). Russia Suspends Entry of Chinese Citizens Amid Virus Threat. telesurenglish.net Russia will suspend entry of Chinese citizens to its territory starting from Feb. 20 in response to the growing threat of the new coronavirus (Covid-19), Russia's Prime Minister Mijail Mishustin decreed Tuesday. | RELATED: | The Vice-Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova, head of the crisis cabinet to prevent the coronavirus infection, announced the measure. This policy includes those who traveled under private, educative, labor and tourist…
(2020-02-18). There is a Coordinated Attack Against Trans Youth in State Legislatures. aclu.org Less than a | month and a half into 2020, this state legislative session has seen on bills that would harm trans youth. | Also | alarming: These bills, and the terminology used in them, use playbook. | Right now, | bills are pending in 10 states that | would criminalize l…
(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…
(2020-02-15). 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). 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). "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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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
(2020-02-04). 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.