(2020-05-05). Headlines for May 5, 2020. democracynow.org Dire Forecasts Warn U.S. Death Toll Could Surge in Coming Weeks as States Move to Relax Restrictions, China Rebukes Trump Admin Claim That Coronavirus Was Man-Made, Report Says Brooklyn Jail Destroying Medical Records to Hide Toll of COVID-19, J. Crew Files for Bankruptcy, Betsy DeVos Sued for Garnishing Wages of Student Loan Holders During Pandemic, EU, World Leaders Pledge Billions to Fund Coronavirus Vaccine; U.S. Sits Out, Questions Raised After 3 Healthcare Workers in Russia Fall from Hospital Windows, U.K. May Have Second-Highest Coronavirus Death Toll; France Identifies COVID-19 Case from December, Venezue…
(2020-05-05). The Case for Prison Abolition: Ruth Wilson Gilmore on COVID-19, Racial Capitalism & Decarceration. democracynow.org 
The spread of COVID-19 threatens the lives of more than 2.3 million people locked up in prisons and jails throughout the United States. We look at how the call to release prisoners during the coronavirus pandemic makes the case for prison abolition, with scholar Ruth Wilson Gilmore, co-founder of California Prison Moratorium Project and Critical Resistance and the author of "Golden Gulag: Prison, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California." Her forthcoming book is "Change Everything: Racial Capitalism and the Case for Abolition."
(2020-05-05). Calls Grow for Mass Release from Ohio's Marion Prison as 80% of Prisoners Test Positive for COVID-19. democracynow.org 
We get an update on one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the United States, at the Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio, where 11 prisoners and one staff member have died, and at least 80% of prisoners and half of the prison staff tested positive. Despite growing calls to release thousands of Ohio's nearly 50,000 incarcerated people as the coronavirus spreads, Governor Mike DeWine has only approved the release of more than 100 people in the state's prisons. "We're seeing a few people being released … but not anywhere near the 20,000 [we are] demanding," says Azzurra Crispino, whose husband, James, is in…
(2020-05-05). Solitary Confinement Used For Children As Young As 11 After COVID-19 Exposure. therealnews.com 
Lawyers say Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services and the Department of Correctional Services aren't being transparent about conditions in juvenile detention centers.
(2020-05-05). GOP Senate to hold stimulus hostage; demands coronavirus lawsuit immunity for bosses. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—If you go to work and get sick from coronavirus on the job, because of little protective gear and no social distancing, Mitch McConnell wants to make sure your boss walks, scot-free. That's his "line in the sand" in the next economic aid package to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and its massive closures. The …
(2020-05-05). Detainees put at high risk for COVID-19 at Madison, Wi., jail. liberationnews.org 
To protect them from COVID-19, incarcerated people must be freed.
(2020-05-05). One year on, pilot of fatal Aeroflot Flight 1492 rejects all blame for deaths of 41 people. rt.com 
It's a year to the day since Aeroflot Flight 1492 burst into flames upon landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, taking the lives of 41 people. Now facing prosecution and jail time, the plane's pilot wants to clear his name. | Speaking to Russian news outlet Lenta, pilot Denis Evdokimov explained his version of events. According to Evdokimov, the fault lies with the airplane's non-compliance with standards of airworthiness, and he rejects all personal blame. | On May 5, 2019, a Sukhoi Superjet 100 plane operating Aeroflot Flight 1492 was gaining altitude when it was hit by lightning. As a result, the plane s…
(2020-05-05). Paying the Price for Defeating Chevron: an Interview with Steven Donziger. counterpunch.org U.S. attorney Steven Donziger has been in house arrest in Manhattan for almost eight months. His pre-trial detention stems from a judgement he and a team of Ecuadorian lawyers won over Chevron that could cost the company billions of dollars — and combat climate change. In 1993, Donziger and other lawyers filed a lawsuit in
(2020-05-05). COVID-19 and the Left: an Ignored Civil Rights Crisis; a Missed Opportunity. zcomm.org The very last thing we should be doing is sitting back and watching while business elites manipulate working class protesters with appeals to their civil-rights concerns, steadily corralling all forms of pro-democracy resistance into the politics of the Republican right…
(2020-05-05). Trump, Pence, G W Bush, Hannity and Sen. Rick Scott's best sheriff fried under DOJ investi. indybay.org The Justice Department and Florida Department of Health are investigating Sheriff Carmine Marceno for civil rights abuses, human rights abuses, ADA violations and felony abuse of a disabled adult.
(2020-05-05). SFPD Wore "Blue Lives Matter" Face Masks While Responding to Protests. indybay.org Photos of the scene at a May 1 housing protest in San Francisco show a row of police wearing face masks that depict the Blue Lives Matter flag. At least one policeman at a reopen rally the same day wore the same mask. Police regulation states that officers cannot alter their uniform. City Police Chief Bill Scott says he is seeking "neutral" face coverings for the city's rank and file.
(2020-05-05). May Day Caravan in Santa Cruz. indybay.org #COLA4ALL activists in Santa Cruz organized a May Day Caravan to support those "striking and fighting for their right to live in this city". Beginning on the UC Santa Cruz campus to support the striking COLA graduate students, the caravan traveled downtown to the Santa Cruz Main Jail, and then on to support Food Not Bombs at Front and Laurel Streets. (Photos taken downtown by Keith McHenry of Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs.)…
(2020-05-05). Iran hands over prisoners to China, Indonesia. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 05 (MNA) — Iranian Deputy Justice Minister for Human Rights and International Affairs Mahmoud Abbasi informed on Tuesday that Iran has handed over 15 Indonesian and one Chinses prisoners to their home countries.
(2020-05-05). A united world must break out of prison. zcomm.org The prison system doesn't work. To say this is not to shrug and advocate doing nothing at all, but to rethink the matter at a level deeper than the cynics believe is possible…
(2020-05-05). 80 Percent of People Held in Ohio's Marion Prison Test Positive for COVID-19. truthout.org We get an update on one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the United States, at the Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio, where 11 prisoners and one staff member have died, and at least 80% of prisoners and half of the prison staff tested positive. Despite growing calls to release thousands of Ohio's nearly 50,000 incarcerated people as the coronavirus spreads, Governor Mike DeWine has only approved the release of more than 100 people in the state's prisons. "We're seeing a few people bein…
(2020-05-04). Headlines for May 4, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Makes Up a Third of Known Cases as Trump Revises Predicted Death Toll, NYC Nursing Home Reports Nearly 100 Deaths Linked to COVID-19, Trump Admin Continues Attack on China, Insists COVID-19 Developed in Wuhan Lab, White House Blocks Anthony Fauci from Testifying to House, Senators Return to Work in Coronavirus Hot Spot Washington, D.C., SCOTUS to Hear Cases by Phone, Arguments Will Be Open to Public, NYPD Violently Attack Two Black Men During Social Distancing Enforcement, Guards Sue ICE Jail for Failing to Protect Workers, Georgia Restaurants Refuse to Reopen After Gov. Kemp Lifts Lockdown, Spain, Italy Eas…
(2020-05-04). Spy Plane Resumes Flights Over Baltimore Amid COVID-19. therealnews.com 
The expensive aerial surveillance program won't help heavily disinvested Baltimore, say Ceasefire co-founder Erricka Bridgeford and author Brandon Soderberg.
(2020-05-04). Judge tosses out equal pay discrimination claims made by Women's soccer. peoplesworld.org 
On International Workers' Day, May 1, a federal judge quietly tossed out part of the U.S. Women's National Team's pay discrimination lawsuit—the unequal pay argument—while allowing their allegations of discriminatory working conditions to proceed to trial. It was a shocking judgment and a loss for players. Led by Alex Morgan, players filed their lawsuit in March …
(2020-05-04). Boyle Heights celebrates May Day for the 6th consecutive year. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – On Friday, May 1, a car protest of over 40 vehicles driven by workers, teachers and activists took to the streets for the sixth consecutive year to celebrate International Workers Day, May Day, in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. Organized by Centro CSO, this year's May Day protest focused on Trump's attacks on immigrants and called for free healthcare for COVID-19 patients, support for public education, jailing killer cops and community control over the police. | "The coronavirus pandemic has affected oppressed nationalities like African Americans, Chicanos and American Indians the most. Unsafe…
(2020-05-04). Return of Iranian scientist in US jail to country confirmed: MP. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 04 (MNA) — Referring to the latest status of Iranian scientist imprisoned in the US, Spokesman for the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee, Hossein Naghavi Hosseini said according to representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Intelligence, Asgari's return to the country has been confirmed.
(2020-05-04). Venezuela: 45 Killed in Guanare Prison Riot. venezuelanalysis.com The government pledged to investigate the May 1 riot, which it described as an attempted breakout.
(2020-05-04). The COVID-19 Crisis Profoundly Exposes African Americans to the Scourge of Poverty and Racism. globalresearch.ca They live below the poverty level. They are prison …
(2020-05-04). 24-year-old Egyptian filmmaker Shady Habash dies in prison. peoplesdispatch.org Habash was in a Cairo prison since 2018 after directing a music video which mocked and ridiculed Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and spoke out against government corruption…
(2020-05-04). Israeli Troops Abduct Eight Palestinians, Ransack Home of Former Prisoner. imemc.org Israeli troops reportedly abducted, on Monday, eight Palestinian residents from different areas of the West Bank. Local Palestinian media sources said that those abducted were identified as Ziyad Abu Salem from the Abu Shkhaidem village, north of Ramallah city, Nawras Ferras from Markaba village, south of Jenin city. The sources …
(2020-05-03). Israeli Troops Abduct Twelve Palestinians, Including Former Prisoner. imemc.org Israeli troops reportedly abducted, early on Sunday, a dozen Palestinians from different parts of the Palestinian territories, prisoners sources said. The Ramallah-based Palestinian prisoners forum said that Israeli troops invaded the al-"Isawiya neighborhood of the old city of Jerusalem, which is internationally-recognized as an Israeli-occupied Palestinian area. The forum added …
(2020-05-02). Louisiana prisons are 'death concentration camps'. workers.org By Quess Moore This slightly edited talk is by Quess Moore speaking at the April 9 Workers World Party webinar. Moore organizes with New Orleans Workers Group and Take 'Em Down NOLA, a group which has been working to take down symbols of white supremacy and slavery. View all the . . . |
(2020-05-02). New York caravan celebrates May Day. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – Dozens of cars gathered in different boroughs of New York City on Friday May 1 in honor of May Day, or International Workers Day. Due to the city being on pause, protesters used a caravan to display signs and drive through different neighborhoods in the city, showing solidarity with workers and other oppressed groups. A special focus was put on COVID-19 and how workers, prisoners and immigrants lack protection from COVID-19. | The three contingents started in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Their demands included cancel the rents, hazard pay and PPE, free healthcare and COVID testing, free them al…
(2020-05-02). [Editorial] COVID-19: remaking the social contract. thelancet.com "Allegiance, after all, has to work two ways; and one can grow weary of an allegiance which is not reciprocal." The British playwright David Hare quoted this line by the American writer James Baldwin in his recent reflections on the UK Government's response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Baldwin's reminder and warning in the context of civil rights in the mid-20th century USA speak now in the pandemic to communities the world over who are unsure of their governments' allegiances to them.
(2020-05-04). Coronavirus-positive scientist to return home from U.S. jail: Tehran. iranian.com Sirous Asgari, an Iranian scientist imprisoned in the United States who has contracted the novel coronavirus, will return home soon, according to Iran's Foreign Ministry. During a press conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said the ministry is following up on Asgari's case both in Iran and in the U.S. Asgari, who has …
(2020-05-03). Iran Under Siege from Humanitarian Imperialism amid Pandemic. iranian.com Iran is once again under siege from humanitarian imperialism. The United Nations (UN) has released multiple reports in recent weeks criticizing the Iranian government for supposed human rights violations in relation to the treatment of prisoners and its lockdown procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nazanin Boniadi, a board of director at the Center for Human …
(2020-05-02). Sudan bans female genital mutilation, UNICEF vows to help support new law. news.un.org The United Nations Childen's Fund (UNICEF) welcomed the landmark move by Sudan's transitional government this week to criminalize female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), with a three-year jail sentence for offenders.
(2020-05-02). [World Report] Prisons are "in no way equipped" to deal with COVID-19. thelancet.com Prisons are a hotspot for COVID-19. In theory, prisoners have the same right to health as anyone else, but the reality is very different. Talha Burki reports.
(2020-05-02). PA prisoners tortured for protesting racist policies. workers.org Eric McGill was locked up in Lebanon County Correctional Facility in Lebanon, Pa., on Jan. 19, 2019. For 15 months now he has been held there, not because he has been convicted of a crime, but because he cannot afford the preposterous $1 million bail the judge set. And during . . . |
(2020-05-02). [Perspectives] Death of a courtier. thelancet.com A plague sweeps the nation, the head of state's health is threatened, and the business of government is rendered fragile and unsteady. It has been over a decade since Hilary Mantel began her Thomas Cromwell trilogy with Wolf Hall in 2009, and 8 years since 2012's Bring Up the Bodies, but what felt like an arduous wait now seems like nothing but impeccable timing. Cromwell even ends the novel under his own version of lockdown as a prisoner in the Tower of London. The world has been uncannily prepared for The Mirror & the Light.
(2020-05-01). How to Protest in a Pandemic. aclu.org 
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(2020-05-01). A County Jail Battles COVID-19 and the Opioid Crisis—At the Same Time. progressive.org The pandemic and an increase in immigration detainees create a double whammy for the rural Ohio jail.
(2020-05-01). A COVID-19 Balancing Act: Public Health and Privacy. aclu.org Some states are officially loosening their stay at home restrictions, and more will join in the coming months as Americans attempt to inch their way back to pre-COVID-19 life. Some of us will return to work, gather in small groups, and maybe even dine at a neighborhood restaurant. , , As we proceed, what will it take to keep us safe and prevent new spikes in infections? Many experts say we won't be out of the woods until there's a vaccine, but how would a national vaccination plan even work? At the same time, technological solutions are being proposed, especially related to contact tracing, the process b…
(2020-05-01). What Happened When I Needed an Abortion During the Pandemic. aclu.org I am a 30-year-old woman and mother of three kids living in Tennessee. My oldest is just over two years old. My two girls are nine-month-old twins. Because the twins were born prematurely, they have significant medical needs. I have no family living nearby, and very little caregiving support. I tried to get my son into daycare earlier this year, but the childcare facility — anticipating that they might have to shut down temporarily because of COVID-19 — declined to accept new enrollments., , After my girls were born, I knew I could not handle another child; I am already stretched almost to the brea…
(2020-05-01). McDonald's Employees are Working through the COVID-19 Pandemic. So Why Don't They Have Access to Paid Sick and Family Leave? aclu.org Essential workers are on the front-lines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and have suffered
(2020-05-01). McConnell's Stimulus Scam: Vaccinate Businesses, Expose Workers. thenation.com McConnell's Stimulus Scam: Vaccinate Businesses, Expose Workers…
(2020-05-01). Chicago Tribune lends its press to racism. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – The headline in the Chicago Tribune Wednesday, April 19 blared: "Two charities have bailed scores of felony defendants out of Cook County Jail. Some were soon charged with new crimes." The headline could have said, with equal validity, that "Millions of Chicagoans were not arrested last year. Some were charged with new crimes." | The article is filled with racist 'dog whistles' about [Black and brown] people with guns and hysteria regarding violent crime. In actual fact, in the past three years the rate of violent crime in Chicago has declined significantly. The Tribune is blowing the racist 'get to…
(2020-04-30). How the ACLU is Responding to the Pandemic, Visualized. aclu.org 
The COVID-19 pandemic has closed down many businesses, but the ACLU's work of defending and expanding civil liberties and civil rights continues, essential as ever. At the ACLU, our most immediate focus has been on issues arising from the government's response — or lack thereof — to the pandemic., , Since the start of the outbreak, we've filed over 90 legal actions and have seen thousands of people released from prisons, jails, and immigration detention. | We and ACLU offices across the country are working in nearly every state to save lives, advocate for vulnerable communities, safeguard the r…
(2020-04-30). Utah's Shiny Surveillance Technology to Address COVID-19 Fails Miserably. aclu.org 
How many times have you failed to get a new digital device working properly the first time? While toddlers can (amazingly) master iPhones in minutes, some tech gadgets require many troubleshooting attempts to activate. And even then, they might fizzle., , Last month, the state of Utah learned that simple tech lesson in a very public way., , As part of a series of measures to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert issued an executive order requiring every adult crossing the Utah border to submit an electronic State of Utah Travel Self-Declaration Form with details about their contact info…
(2020-04-30). Four Myths About Trans Athletes, Debunked. aclu.org For years state lawmakers have pushed legislation attempting to shut trans people out of public spaces. In 2020, lawmakers zeroed in on sports and introduced
(2020-04-29). CARES Act Funding For Native Tribes Reveals Continued US Colonization. therealnews.com 
The recent CARES Act is another example of the continued effort to dismiss Indigenous peoples' sovereignty, and doesn't provide adequate funding to fight COVID-19.
(2020-04-29). Federal Bill Would Release Vulnerable People from Prisons to Help Stop Spread of COVID-19. aclu.org A month ago, Congress gave the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
(2020-04-28). Headlines for April 28, 2020. democracynow.org Known U.S. Deaths Top 56,000 as New Study Shows True Number Likely Much Higher, Trump Ignored Early Intelligence Reports as Coronavirus Spread, Trump Denies Responsibility for Spike in Disinfectant Poisonings, Texas Reopens Businesses, California Warns Against Violating Restrictions | , Trump's Plan to Give Commencement Address at West Point Could Bring Back 1,000 Cadets to Campus, NY Cancels Primary After Removing Bernie Sanders from the Ballot , U.N. Calls for Release of Immigrant Prisoners as San Diego Facility Refuses to Allow Face Mask Delivery, More Cases Reported at Prisons as New Study Shows 96% of Inmate…
(2020-04-28). Trump attacks trans health access during a pandemic. liberationnews.org 
Under an expected rewrite of part of the ACA, discrimination against trans people in health care would be legally permitted.
(2020-04-28). White Collar Criminals, Celebrities, Wealthy Use Privilege For Early Release Amidst Pandemic. therealnews.com 
Michael Cohen and Michael Avenatti were released, and some Los Angeles prisons offer pay-to-stay rooms for celebrities. But a huge number of people are still imprisoned and at risk of COVID-19 just because they can't afford cash bail.
(2020-04-28). Long-Acting Injectable HIV Therapy Noninferior to Daily Pills. jamanetwork.com A pair of trials in the New England Journal of Medicine found that long-acting monthly injectable therapy for HIV-1 infection was noninferior to standard daily oral regimens for maintaining viral suppression.