Daily Archives: 2020-02-22

2020-02-22: News Headlines

RT (2020-02-22). 'Disgusting joke' & mockery of the law: Julian Assange has ZERO chance of fair trial if extradited to US, Roger Waters tells RT. rt.com Julian Assange's extradition to the US would sound the death knell for both investigative journalism and the rule of law, Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters told RT ahead of a march organized in support of the WikiLeaks publisher. | With his extradition proceedings set to begin Monday, Assange faces 175 years in an American prison cell under the Espionage Act for his work with WikiLeaks, which has published thousands of pages of classified government documents since its founding — including evidence of US war crimes. But with the UK government intent to "feed him to the wolves," Waters said Assange's case…

BayAction2FreeAssange (2020-02-22). Global Protest Call Monday 24 Feb To Demand Freedom Of Julian Assange. indybay.org British Consulate General | 1 Sansome Street | San Francisco, CA | Along with Belmarsh Prison, London and UK embassies and consulates around the world…

WSWS (2020-02-22). European legal team will seek asylum for Julian Assange in France. wsws.org Members of imprisoned WikiLeaks journalist Julian Assange's legal team, together with Assange's father John Shipton, held a press conference on Thursday in Paris.

Dan Bacher (2020-02-22). Governor Newsom, AG Becerra say they will sue over Trump water plan. indybay.org Recreational and commercial salmon fishermen responded positively to Newsom's announcement of a lawsuit against the Trump administration, but John McManus, President of the Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA), cautioned that "a measure of Governor Newsom's sincerity will be if he orders his Department of Water Resources to pull their Trump-like water pumping plan back and rework so it's protective of the environment."

Dan Bacher (2020-02-22). Attorney General Becerrra and Governor Newsom file lawsuit against Trump water plan. indybay.org "As we face the unprecedented threat of a climate emergency, now is the time to strengthen our planet's biodiversity, not destroy it," said Attorney General Becerra. "California won't silently spectate as the Trump Administration adopts scientifically-challenged biological opinions that push species to extinction and harm our natural resources and waterways.

Staff (2020-02-21). Malcolm X's Daughter Ilyasah Shabazz on Her Father's Legacy & the New Series "Who Killed Malcolm X?" democracynow.org Fifty-five years ago today, Malcolm X was assassinated. The civil rights leader was shot to death on February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. He was only 39 years old. Details of his assassination remain disputed to this day. Earlier this month, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said he was considering reopening the investigation, just days after a new documentary series about the assassination was released on Netflix called "Who Killed Malcolm X?" It makes the case that two of the three men who were convicted for Malcolm X's murder are actually innocent and that his uncaught killers wer…

Staff (2020-02-21). American Women Seek Over $66M in Damages From U.S. Soccer. truthdig.com The lawsuit has drawn worldwide attention. When the U.S. women won the World Cup final last summer, fans chanted "Equal Pay! Equal Pay!"

Staff (2020-02-21). Headlines for February 21, 2020. democracynow.org Roger Stone Sentenced to 40-Month Prison Term, Trump Lashed at Intel Chief over Warning of Russian Meddling in 2020 Election, Germany Mourns Victims of Right-Wing Terror Attacks, Suspect Arrested in Stabbing at London Mosque, U.K. to Close Borders to "Unskilled" and Non-English-Speaking Immigrants, Protests Erupt as Acting ICE Director Challenges New York Pro-Immigrant Laws, Mexican Radio Journalist Murdered in Ciudad Juárez, February Flowers Bloom in Moscow Amid Record-High Winter Temperatures, 28 Arrested in Seattle Protesting Chase Bank Fossil Fuel Ties, Rail Blockades Continue as Protests Grow Against Coastal…

Staff (2020-02-21). Five Palestinian Detainees' Homes to be Demolished. imemc.org The Israeli Supreme Court today gave the go-ahead on Wednesday for the military to demolish the family homes of five Palestinian detainees allegedly involved in the killing of a settler in late August 2019. All five are from the Ramallah area, and are serving long terms in Israeli prison camps. …

WSWS (2020-02-21). UK Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell visits Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison. wsws.org McDonnell described the Assange case as "one of the most important and significant political trials of this generation," but made clear that his party will do nothing to mobilise the immense popular support that exists for the WikiLeaks publisher.

Staff (2020-02-21). Malcolm X's Daughter Ilyasah Shabazz on Her Father's Legacy and New Docuseries. truthout.org Fifty-five years ago today, Malcolm X was assassinated. The civil rights leader was shot to death on February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. He was only 39 years old. Details of his assassination remain disputed to this day. Earlier this month, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said he was considering reopening the investigation, just days after a new documentary series about the assassination was released on Netflix called Who Killed Malcolm X? It makes the case that…

Ezekiel Edwards (2020-02-21). Racist Drug Laws Lead to Racist Enforcement in Cities Across the Country. aclu.org The way which America enforces its drug laws has been Across racial and ethnic groups, Americans use and sell drugs at rates, but law enforcement has targeted Black and brown people for stops, arrests, prosecution, and | imprisonment at wildly disproportionate rates. | This race-…

teleSUR (2020-02-21). Femicide of Peruvian Activist Solsiret Rodriguez Still Unsolved. telesurenglish.net Three years and a half after the feminist activist Solsiret Rodriguez' femicide, the Prosecutor's Office of Peru asked for preventive detention against the confessed authors Andrea Aguirre and Kevin Villanueva, her friend and ex-brother-in-law, respectively. | RELATED: | Callao provincial prosecutor Jimmy Mansilla announced Thursday that he will request nine months of pretrial detention against Aguirre and Villanueva as alleged co-authors of the qualified…

Staff (2020-02-21). Chicago's Lightfoot Administration to Defend Jon Burge's Torture Henchmen. truthout.org Mayor Lori Lightfoot's administration is poised to embark on defending two of the most notorious of Jon Burge's midnight crew — former Chicago Police Sergeant John Byrne and Detective Peter Dignan — in a federal lawsuit brought on behalf of 65-year-old Stanley Wrice, whom they are alleged to have tortured and sent to prison for more than three decades. | Barring an unexpected last minute settlement, the trial will open February 27 in U.S. District Court Judge Harry D. Leinenweber's cou…

RT (2020-02-20). Roger Stone sentenced to serve 40 months in prison. rt.com Long-time political operative and Trump confidant Roger Stone has been sentenced to 6 years in prison for perjury and obstruction of the 'Russiagate' probe, in a process marked by controversy and accusations of partisanship. | Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Stone to 40 months in prison for obstruction of justice, another 18 months for witness tampering, and 12 months for making false statements to Congress — but the sentences are to run concurrently, so the maximum time Stone would spend in prison is three and a half years. | She also assessed a $20,000 penalty, for what she argued was wasting the gov…

Fight Back (2020-02-20). Minnesota House subcommittee passes bill to end local jail contracts with ICE. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On February 19, the House Subcommittee on Local Government voted to pass House File 3060. HF 3060 is a bill that would end contracts that local jails in Minnesota have with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain people facing civil immigration charges. Currently several county jails in Minnesota have contracts with ICE to hold hundreds of immigrants facing deportation. | The bill, sponsored by democrat Representative Fue Lee, who represents part of north Minneapolis, will now advance to the Government Operations Committee. | Before voting on the bill, the committee heard testimony fr…

Nicky Vogt (2020-02-20). The Supreme Court Will Decide Whether Asylum Seekers Receive Their Day in Court. aclu.org In March, we will be in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to defend the right to a day in court for asylum seekers and other vulnerable noncitizens. That decision w…

Jonathan Hafetz (2020-02-20). U.S. Resident Indefinitely Detained Without Charge Secures His Day In Court. aclu.org Adham Hassoun will | finally have his day in court. A federal judge has rejected the government's sweeping | claim that it can, on its own say-so, indefinitely imprison him without charge | and without a fair trial. | Adham is a long-time U.S. resident and a father of three. As we previously his criminal sentence and was set to be released from prison almost three years | ago. But the government — claiming unprecedented and unconstitutional…

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-02-20). Report: Palestinian Prisoner Describes Torture Inside Israeli Jail. imemc.org In a report issued, on Thursday, the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners' Affairs Authority released the testimony of the prisoner, Halima Khandakji, 45, from the town of Deir Sudan, Ramallah District, in which she tells details of her torture during interrogation inside the occupation detention cells. The report says "During her interrogation, …

Fight Back (2020-02-20). San Jose Day of Remembrance marks 40th anniversary with large turnout. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On February 16, the San Jose Day of Remembrance held its 40th annual event with the second-highest attendance ever – more than 550 people. The event started in 1981 as part of the nationwide movement of Japanese Americans demanded redress (an official apology) and reparations (monetary compensation) for their incarceration during World War II. | The San Jose Day of Remembrance is held on the Sunday of Presidents Day weekend, which is near the date of February 19, 1942 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which laid the legal basis for the incarceration of more than 120,…

teleSUR (2020-02-20). New Mexico Federal Judge Files Lawsuit Against Google. telesurenglish.net Once again giant tech company Google is under a legal suit, this time filed by New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas. The lawsuit allegates that Google acquired personal information from school children in the state violating their privacy rights. | RELATED: | The magistrate expressed that the company violated the Federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act by collecting informa…

Susan Price (2020-02-20). Venezuela files ICC lawsuit over US sanctions. greenleft.org.au

RT (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…

pip.hinman (2020-02-19). No to religious discrimination. greenleft.org.au

pip.hinman (2020-02-19). Uphold rainbow rights and kill the religious privilege bill. greenleft.org.au

ACLU (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

Staff (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…

Kate Oh (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…

Rose Saxe (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…

Staff (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…

Fight Back (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…

Staff (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…

splcenter (2020-02-14). Weekend Read: Department of Justice may force Mississippi to fix deadly prison system. splcenter.org

Staff (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,…

Staff (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.

Brian Tashman (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.

Yashica Robinson, MD (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…

Neema Singh Guliani (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

splcenter (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.

Tyler Durden (2020-02-04). Biden Threatens Lawsuit to Halt Release of Real Iowa Caucus Results. theantimedia.com American democracy—ain't it grand?>

splcenter (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.

2020-02-22: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

'Disgusting joke' & mockery of the law: Julian Assange has ZERO chance of fair trial if extradited to US, Roger Waters tells RT
rt.com | 2020-02-22
Julian Assange's extradition to the US would sound the death knell for both investigative journalism and the rule of law, Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters told RT ahead of a march organized in support of the WikiLeaks publisher. | With his extradition proceedings set to begin Monday, Assange faces 175 years in an American prison cell under the Espionage Act for his work with WikiLeaks, which has published thousands of pages of classified government documents since its founding

European legal team will seek asylum for Julian Assange in France
wsws.org | 2020-02-22
Members of imprisoned WikiLeaks journalist Julian Assange's legal team, together with Assange's father John Shipton, held a press conference on Thursday in Paris.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/22/euas-f22.html

Global Protest Call Monday 24 Feb To Demand Freedom Of Julian Assange
BayAction2FreeAssange | indybay.org | 2020-02-22
British Consulate General | 1 Sansome Street | San Francisco, CA | Along with Belmarsh Prison, London and UK embassies and consulates around the world…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/20/18830859.php

Governor Newsom, AG Becerra say they will sue over Trump water plan
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2020-02-22
Recreational and commercial salmon fishermen responded positively to Newsom's announcement of a lawsuit against the Trump administration, but John McManus, President of the Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA), cautioned that "a measure of Governor Newsom's sincerity will be if he orders his Department of Water Resources to pull their Trump-like water pumping plan back and rework so it's protective of the environment."
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/20/18830848.php

Attorney General Becerrra and Governor Newsom file lawsuit against Trump water plan
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2020-02-22
"As we face the unprecedented threat of a climate emergency, now is the time to strengthen our planet's biodiversity, not destroy it," said Attorney General Becerra. "California won't silently spectate as the Trump Administration adopts scientifically-challenged biological opinions that push species to extinction and harm our natural resources and waterways.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/21/18830880.php

Five Palestinian Detainees' Homes to be Demolished
Staff | imemc.org | 2020-02-21
The Israeli Supreme Court today gave the go-ahead on Wednesday for the military to demolish the family homes of five Palestinian detainees allegedly involved in the killing of a settler in late August 2019. All five are from the Ramallah area, and are serving long terms in Israeli prison camps. …
imemc.org/article/five-palestinian-detainees-homes-to-be-demolished/

Assange's US Extradition Hearing Opens Monday: Fight for the Free Press Is Now On
Nozomi Hayase | commondreams.org | 2020-02-21
Should Assange die in a UK prison, as the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has warned, he will effectively have been tortured to death. (Photo: Jack Taylor/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/100.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2020/02/21/assanges-us-extradition-hearing-opens-monday-fight-free-press-now?cd-origin=rss

UK Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell visits Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison
wsws.org | 2020-02-21
McDonnell described the Assange case as "one of the most important and significant political trials of this generation," but made clear that his party will do nothing to mobilise the immense popular support that exists for the WikiLeaks publisher.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/21/mcdd-f21.html

Malcolm X's Daughter Ilyasah Shabazz on Her Father's Legacy & the New Series "Who Killed Malcolm X?"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-21
Fifty-five years ago today, Malcolm X was assassinated. The civil rights leader was shot to death on February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. He was only 39 years old. Details of his assassination remain disputed to this day. Earlier this month, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said he was considering reopening the investigation, just days after a new documentary series about the assassination was released on Netflix called "Who Killed Malcolm X?" It makes the case that two of the three men who were convicted for Malcolm X's murder are actually innocent and that his uncaught killers wer…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/21/malcolm_xs_daughter_ilyasah_shabazz_on

Malcolm X's Daughter Ilyasah Shabazz on Her Father's Legacy and New Docuseries
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-21
Fifty-five years ago today, Malcolm X was assassinated. The civil rights leader was shot to death on February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. He was only 39 years old. Details of his assassination remain disputed to this day. Earlier this month, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said he was considering reopening the investigation, just days after a new documentary series about the assassination was released on Netflix called Who Killed Malcolm X? It makes the case that…
truthout.org/video/malcolm-xs-daughter-ilyasah-shabazz-on-her-fathers-legacy-and-new-docuseries/

Racist Drug Laws Lead to Racist Enforcement in Cities Across the Country
Ezekiel Edwards | aclu.org | 2020-02-21
The way which America enforces its drug laws has been racist since its inception. | Across racial and ethnic groups, Americans use and sell drugs at comparable | rates, but law enforcement has selectively | targeted Black and brown people for stops, arrests, prosecution, and | imprisonment at wildly disproportionate rates. | This race-…
aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/racist-drug-laws-lead-to-racist-enforcement-in-cities-across-the-country

Femicide of Peruvian Activist Solsiret Rodriguez Still Unsolved
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-21
Three years and a half after the feminist activist Solsiret Rodriguez' femicide, the Prosecutor's Office of Peru asked for preventive detention against the confessed authors Andrea Aguirre and Kevin Villanueva, her friend and ex-brother-in-law, respectively. | RELATED: | Suspects in Fatima Femicide Case Arrested in Mexico | Callao provincial prosecutor Jimmy Mansilla announced Thursday that he will request nine months of pretrial detention against Aguirre and Villanueva as alleged co-authors of the qualified…
telesurenglish.net/news/authors-of-solsiret-rodriguez-death-accused-of-homicide–20200220-0018.html

Chicago's Lightfoot Administration to Defend Jon Burge's Torture Henchmen
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-21
Mayor Lori Lightfoot's administration is poised to embark on defending two of the most notorious of Jon Burge's midnight crew

American Women Seek Over $66M in Damages From U.S. Soccer
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-02-21
The lawsuit has drawn worldwide attention. When the U.S. women won the World Cup final last summer, fans chanted "Equal Pay! Equal Pay!"
truthdig.com/articles/american-women-seek-more-than-66m-in-damages-from-u-s-soccer/

Minnesota House subcommittee passes bill to end local jail contracts with ICE
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-20
St. Paul, MN – On February 19, the House Subcommittee on Local Government voted to pass House File 3060. HF 3060 is a bill that would end contracts that local jails in Minnesota have with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain people facing civil immigration charges. Currently several county jails in Minnesota have contracts with ICE to hold hundreds of immigrants facing deportation. | The bill, sponsored by democrat Representative Fue Lee, who represents part of north Minneapolis, will now advance to the Government Operations Committee. | Before voting on the bill, the committee heard testimony fr…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/2/20/minnesota-house-subcommittee-passes-bill-end-local-jail-contracts-ice

The Supreme Court Will Decide Whether Asylum Seekers Receive Their Day in Court
Nicky Vogt | aclu.org | 2020-02-20
In March, we will be in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to defend the right to a day in court for asylum seekers and other vulnerable noncitizens. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) vs. Vijayakumar Thuraissigiam considers whether immigrants are entitled to seek judicial review of their expedited removal orders in federal court. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with our argument that the Constitution guarantees that individuals deprived of their liberty have their day in federal court. | That decision w…
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-supreme-court-will-decide-whether-asylum-seekers-receive-their-day-in-court

John McDonnell visits Julian Assange and slams his 'political persecution'
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-02-20
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell visited Julian Assange at Belmarsh Prison on Thursday. | McDonnell said of Assange's case: I think this is one of the most important and significant political trials of this generation, in fact longer. … | The way in which a person is being persecuted for political reasons, for simply exposing the truth for what went on in relation to recent wars. | And he stressed: We don't believe that extradition should be used for political purposes. And all the evidence… demonstrates that this is a political trial, and we're hoping…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/02/20/john-mcdonnell-visits-julian-assange-and-slams-his-political-persecution/

U.S. Resident Indefinitely Detained Without Charge Secures His Day In Court
Jonathan Hafetz | aclu.org | 2020-02-20
Adham Hassoun will | finally have his day in court. A federal judge has rejected the government's sweeping | claim that it can, on its own say-so, indefinitely imprison him without charge | and without a fair trial. | Adham is a long-time U.S. resident and a father of three. As we previously explained, Adham completed | his criminal sentence and was set to be released from prison almost three years | ago. But the government

Report: Palestinian Prisoner Describes Torture Inside Israeli Jail
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2020-02-20
In a report issued, on Thursday, the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners' Affairs Authority released the testimony of the prisoner, Halima Khandakji, 45, from the town of Deir Sudan, Ramallah District, in which she tells details of her torture during interrogation inside the occupation detention cells. The report says "During her interrogation, …
imemc.org/article/report-palestinian-prisoner-describes-torture-inside-israeli-jail/

San Jose Day of Remembrance marks 40th anniversary with large turnout
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-20
San José, CA – On February 16, the San Jose Day of Remembrance held its 40th annual event with the second-highest attendance ever – more than 550 people. The event started in 1981 as part of the nationwide movement of Japanese Americans demanded redress (an official apology) and reparations (monetary compensation) for their incarceration during World War II. | The San Jose Day of Remembrance is held on the Sunday of Presidents Day weekend, which is near the date of February 19, 1942 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which laid the legal basis for the incarceration of more than 120,…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/2/20/san-jose-day-remembrance-marks-40th-anniversary-large-turnout

Roger Stone sentenced to serve 40 months in prison
rt.com | 2020-02-20
Long-time political operative and Trump confidant Roger Stone has been sentenced to 6 years in prison for perjury and obstruction of the 'Russiagate' probe, in a process marked by controversy and accusations of partisanship. | Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Stone to 40 months in prison for obstruction of justice, another 18 months for witness tampering, and 12 months for making false statements to Congress

Israeli anarchist released despite refusing to 'play by the rules of a system that is rigged against justice'
Tom Anderson | thecanary.co | 2020-02-20
An Israeli anarchist has been released from prison today. Jonathan Pollak was imprisoned after a right-wing group filed a proceeding against him. He was released after the Israeli Attorney General's office ruled against the claim by right-win…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2020/02/20/israeli-anarchist-released-despite-refusing-to-play-by-the-rules-of-a-system-that-is-rigged-against-justice/

New Mexico Federal Judge Files Lawsuit Against Google
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-20
Once again giant tech company Google is under a legal suit, this time filed by New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas. The lawsuit allegates that Google acquired personal information from school children in the state violating their privacy rights. | RELATED: | UK Google Users to Lose EU Data Protection Due to Brexit | The magistrate expressed that the company violated the Federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act by collecting informa…
telesurenglish.net/news/new-mexico-federal-jugde-files-lawsuit-against-google-20200220-0017.html

Barrister says 'democracy at stake' in Assange trial
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-20
civil liberties Pip HinmanIssue 1254 Australia WhistleblowersFebruary 20, 2020February 24 is the first day of Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange's extradition hearing at Belmarsh Prison in London. The United States government will argue for his extradition to the US.
greenleft.org.au/content/barrister-says-democracy-stake-assange-trial

Reza Berati's struggle remembered
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-20
refugee rights Alex SalmonIssue 1254 Australia Nauru and Christmas Island detention centresFebruary 20, 2020The Refugee Rights Action Network WA (RRAN) organised a commemoration on February 17, the 6th anniversary of the death of Kurdish-…
greenleft.org.au/content/reza-beratis-struggle-remembered

Venezuela files ICC lawsuit over US sanctions
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-20
international solidarity Paul DobsonIssue 1254 Venezuela ICC International Court of Justice US blockadeFebruary 20, 202…
greenleft.org.au/content/venezuela-files-icc-lawsuit-over-us-sanctions

Europe's Human Rights Watchdog Opposes Assange's Extradition
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-20
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be extradited to the United States because it would have a chilling effect on press freedom, a European human rights chief said on Thursday. | RELATED: | Jailed Wikileaks Founder Assange's Health Improving: Spokesman | Dunja Mijatovic, the Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner, said Assange's case raised questions about the protection of people who publish classified information in the public interest, exposing human rights viol…
telesurenglish.net/news/Europes-Human-Rights-Watchdog-Opposes-Assanges-Extradition-20200220-0016.html

A year in jail & quarter million fine since, lawyers seek freedom for Chelsea Manning refusing to testify against WikiLeaks
rt.com | 2020-02-19
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 motion requesting her release filed on Friday. | Manning was jailed in March of 2019 for refusing to testify before a gran…
rt.com/usa/481233-chelsea-manning-wikileaks-grand-jury/

No to religious discrimination
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-19
LGBTI rights Chris JenkinsIssue 1254 Australia anti-discrimination law LGBTI communityFebruary 19, 2020As people were fleeing their burning homes and volunteer firefighters were crowdfundi…
greenleft.org.au/content/no-religious-discrimination

Uphold rainbow rights and kill the religious privilege bill
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-19
LGBTI rights Paul GregoireIssue 1254 Australia homophobia Anti-Discrimination lawsFebruary 19, 2020Mardi Gras season is upon us, a good time to reflect on the government that is about to table…
greenleft.org.au/content/uphold-rainbow-rights-and-kill-religious-privilege-bill

ICE's Destruction of Records Must Be Stopped
Kate Oh | aclu.org | 2020-02-18
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is | notorious for committing rampant unconstitutional and inhumane abuses in its | detention system

Our Vision to Transform What it Means to Be a Prosecutor
aclu.org | 2020-02-18
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 unlimited power to determine who ends up locked up and who goes free

Journalist: Harvey Weinstein's Defense Team Is Waging a War Against the #MeToo Movement
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-18
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…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/18/irin_carmon_harvey_weinstein_trial_nyc

There is a Coordinated Attack Against Trans Youth in State Legislatures
Rose Saxe | aclu.org | 2020-02-18
Less than a | month and a half into 2020, this state legislative session has seen unprecedented attacks on LGBTQ people, and an alarming focus | on bills that would harm trans youth. | Also | alarming: These bills, and the terminology used in them, use similar language and clearly come from a common | playbook. | Right now, | bills are pending in 10 states that | would criminalize l…
aclu.org/news/lgbt-rights/there-is-a-coordinated-attack-against-trans-youth-in-state-legislatures

Protest Julian Assange's extradition
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-18
civil liberties Kerry SmithIssue 1254 Australia whistleblowerFebruary 18, 2020Australian citizen Julian Assange's extradition hearing is set to start at Belmarsh Prison, London, on February 24. | The United States government wants to extradite the journalist and whis…
greenleft.org.au/content/protest-julian-assanges-extradition

MN: County Attorney Mike Freeman's house picketed after cops who killed Brian Quiñones escape charges
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-15
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…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/2/15/mn-county-attorney-mike-freeman-s-house-picketed-after-cops-who-killed-brian-qui-ones-esca

Weekend Read: Department of Justice may force Mississippi to fix deadly prison system
splcenter.org | 2020-02-14
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/14/weekend-read-department-justice-may-force-mississippi-fix-deadly-prison-system

Detroit Overtaxed Residents by $600M, Causing Foreclosure Crisis. Residents Are Now Fighting Back
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-14
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…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/14/detroit_class_action_lawsuit_foreclosures

The Corporate Media Is Directly Profiting from Mike Bloomberg's Rise as He Spends Fortune on TV Ads
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-14
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.
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/14/michael_bloomberg_tv_ads_corporate_media

Bill Barr Wants Sheriffs to Join His Attacks on State and Local Governments
Brian Tashman | aclu.org | 2020-02-13
Attorney General Bill Barr, speaking at the National Sheriffs' Association conference in Washington, D.C., encouraged sheriffs to join the Trump administration as it launches a "significant escalation" in the federal government's efforts to retaliate against cities and states with policies designed to protect immigrant communities. | For | Barr's Department of Justice, that escalation includes new lawsuits against | states and municipalities with immigrant-protective policies.
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-attorney-general-wants-sheriffs-to-join-his-attacks-on-state-and-local-governments

Deadline Looming, Strongest Surveillance Reform Bill Yet Emerges
Neema Singh Guliani | aclu.org | 2020-02-12
Congress has just five weeks to decide the fate of key foreign | intelligence surveillance powers

Congress Should Outlaw State Attacks on Abortion Access
Yashica Robinson, MD | aclu.org | 2020-02-12
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 |

Desperate asylum seekers 'starving for justice' in immigrant prison hunger strikes across Louisiana
splcenter.org | 2020-02-11
Guards shackled Sai Mahad to a chair, placed a mask over his mouth and snaked a long tube through one of his nostrils.
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/12/desperate-asylum-seekers-starving-justice-immigrant-prison-hunger-strikes-across-louisiana

Biden Threatens Lawsuit to Halt Release of Real Iowa Caucus Results
Tyler Durden | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-04
American democracy–ain't it grand?>…
theantimedia.com/biden-threatens-lawsuit-to-halt-release-of-real-iowa-caucus-results/

SPLC and the SPLC Action Fund Hire Internationally Renowned Human and Civil Rights Leader as New President and CEO
splcenter.org | 2020-02-02
Margaret Huang brings 25 years of experience advocating against discrimination and oppression around the world.
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/03/splc-and-splc-action-fund-hire-internationally-renowned-human-and-civil-rights-leader-new