(2020-05-14). Beijing signals harsh counter-sanctions for US lawmakers & STATES targeting China over Covid-19 outbreak. rt.com 
China will not submit to US lawsuits and legislation aimed at blaming Beijing for the coronavirus crisis, state media has warned, suggesting that counter-sanctions against officials and entire states are already in the works. | Numerous members of Congress and other officials will be put onto China's sanctions list for their involvement in efforts to demonize China for its alleged responsibility for the pandemic, the Global Times The "painful" countermeasures will likely target Senator John Haw…
(2020-05-14). PDF download of May 14 issue. workers.org 
Download entire 12-page PDF here. Justice for Ahmaud Arbery. Kent State and Jackson State. Also: COVID‚Äë19: capitalism's end stage; workers resist. Editorial: Changing narrative in Michigan. World: China, Vietnam, Haiti, Ecuador. Tear down prisons: victory in PA; San Quentin caravan; No cages for migrants; Global prisons & white supremacy; Solidarity . . . |
(2020-05-14). Bay Area car caravan: Stop state executions by COVID-19! liberationnews.org 
More than 80 cars drove around San Quentin prison in Marin County, California on Sat. May .
(2020-05-14). U.S. global prison model: white supremacy on display. workers.org 
The United States has institutionalized white supremacist violence at home and abroad through its use of police and prisons. This does not come as revelation, but as a call to action. Whether we examine photographs coming out of El Salvador's prisons, or surveillance software used by U.S. police and Immigration . . . |
(2020-05-14). ACLU of California Legislative Webinar: COVID-19, Current Bills, & Building Community. indybay.org Online via Zoom…
(2020-05-14). Adventures in Digital Organizing With Mariame Kaba. truthout.org Kelly Hayes talks with Mariame Kaba about storytelling and building power. | Note: This a rush transcript and has been lightly edited for clarity. Copy may not be in its final form. | TRANSCRIPT: | Kelly Hayes: Welcome to movement memos, a Truthout podcast about things you should know if you want to change the world. I'm your host, Kelly Hayes. Today's guest is Mariame Kaba. Mariame is an abolitionist organizer, educator, and curator whose groundbreaking work has helped free countless people from jails, prisons a…
(2020-05-14). 21-Year-Old Dies in Santa Cruz County Jail. indybay.org The Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office says on Sunday evening, May 10, correctional officers discovered 21-year-old Tamario Smith was unresponsive in his cell at the County Jail. At about 6pm, paramedics administered medical aid, however Smith was pronounced deceased at the scene. According to the Sheriff's Office, Smith did not share a cell, and foul play is not suspected. The Sheriff's Office states there were no signs of trauma or visible injuries, and that Smith did not show signs of COVID-19 symptoms.
(2020-05-14). There Is Only One Way to Prevent Mass Deaths in Prisons: Let Them Out. thenation.com There Is Only One Way to Prevent Mass Deaths in Prisons: Let Them Out…
(2020-05-13). China reacts with zero tolerance for racist incidents. workers.org 
Reports surfaced in April of cases of discrimination against African workers in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong as pictures appeared on the internet of a sign refusing service to Africans at a McDonald's restaurant and allegations that Africans were being evicted from hotels. Ambassador Liu Yuxi, head of Mission . . . |
(2020-05-13). Oops! FBI accidentally reveals name of Saudi diplomat who helped 9/11 hijackers after years of 'national security' stonewalling. rt.com 
The FBI has accidentally revealed the name of a Saudi official believed to have aided two Al-Qaeda hijackers involved in the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon, after going to absurd lengths to keep it secret for years. | The name was unintentionally left unredacted in a court filing unsealed last week in the ongoing lawsuit by 9/11 victims' families against the Saudi government, which they accuse of complicity in the terrorist attacks. The 'error' was reported by Yahoo News on Tuesday — at which point the Justice Department withdrew the filing, refusing to comment on how the mistake had been made. | Also on rt.
(2020-05-13). At San Quentin: 'No state execution by COVID-19!'. workers.org 
May 9 — It was no coincidence or geographical convenience that prisoners' rights advocates organized a car caravan today to San Quentin State Prison in Marin County, Calif. San Quentin, a mere 11 miles from San Francisco, is the state prison where death row prisoners are incarcerated. It is also . . . |
(2020-05-13). Contact Tracing, Immunity Cards and Mass Testing: Are We on The Fast Track to a National ID? mintpressnews.com CHARLOTTESVILLE ( That's the message being broadcast 24/7 with every new piece of government propaganda, every new law that criminalizes otherwise lawful activity, every new policeman on the beat, every new surveillance camera casting a watchful eye, every sensationalist news story that titillates and distracts, every new prison or detention center built to house troublemake…
(2020-05-13). History of Ghana: The Tragedy of One-time Military Ruler Ignatius Acheampong: Visionary and Kleptocrat. globalresearch.ca "Beloved Ghana, born with a deep sense of pride, nurtured with unshakeable courage, has said goodbye forever to reaction, to timidity and hypocrisy in Government, and to the suppression of the interests and welfare of the people. Together we shall …
(2020-05-13). Striking sanitation workers in New Orleans replaced by prison laborers. wsws.org A private waste management company in New Orleans has used inmates to replace striking workers demanding hazard pay and safer working conditions.
(2020-05-12). "Losing the Fabric of the City": COVID-19 Took Chicago Black Lives First & Exposed Structural Racism. democracynow.org 
We look at the coronavirus pandemic's disproportionate toll on African Americans through the story of Chicago's first 100 recorded deaths. A report by ProPublica found that 70 of the first 100 people to die were African American. Black people account for 30% of Chicago's population and 72% of COVID-19 deaths. We speak with ProPublica reporter Adriana Gallardo, who contributed to the report "COVID-19 Took Black Lives First. It Didn't Have To." She says the story paints a picture of "sophisticated structural racism" in Chicago.
(2020-05-12). During COVID-19 Crisis, We Must Prioritize the Release of Pregnant People. aclu.org 
This piece was first published on
(2020-05-12). Facebook paying $52 million settlement to moderators who claim they developed PTSD through work. rt.com 
Current and former moderators for Facebook will each be receiving $1,000 or more, as part of a settlement in a lawsuit that claimed having to deal with censoring content made them develop post traumatic stress disorder. | The social media giant will be paying out extra to individuals for additional mental health issues stemming from their jobs, such as depression. The settlement, first reported by
(2020-05-12). Crime doesn't pay but prison does, even amidst a pandemic. peoplesworld.org 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As factories and other businesses remain shuttered across America, people in prisons in at least 40 states continue going to work. Sometimes they earn pennies an hour, or nothing at all, making masks and hand sanitizer to help guard others from the coronavirus. Those same men and women have been cut off …
(2020-05-12). Political Prisoners Teach-In: Mumia, migrant rights and cages. workers.org 
These slightly edited remarks were made April 24 at the "U.S. Empire vs. Political Prisoners" teach-in webinar sponsored by Mobilization4Mumia and held in honor of the 66th birthday of political prisoner and revolutionary Mumia Abu-Jamal, incarcerated for 39 years by the U.S. state. Teresa Gutierrez First of all, happy . . . |
(2020-05-12). Saharawi political prisoner Bachir Khada: "I only dream of my freedom" peoplesdispatch.org 
The story of Saharawi journalist Bachir Khada, political prisoner condemned to more than 20 years in Morocco because of his participation in the struggle to free Western Sahara. Today he is one of the thousands of prisoners that demands to be freed amid the pandemic…
(2020-05-12). Fight Mass Incarceration Amidst the Pandemic. thenation.com Fight Mass Incarceration Amidst the Pandemic…
(2020-05-12). Fight Mass Incarceration Amid the Pandemic. thenation.com Fight Mass Incarceration Amid the Pandemic…
(2020-05-12). Minneapolis vigil honors Carlos Ernesto Escobar-Mejia, first person to die of COVID-19 in ICE detention. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – After dark on Monday, May 11, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) held a candlelight vigil at the Minneapolis Federal Courthouse to remember Carlos Ernesto Escobar-Mejia. He is the first person reported to die of COVID-19 while in jail detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The speakers at the vigil called on people to remember Carlos and called on government officials to free all ICE detainees. | Because of COVID-19, all vigil participants wore a mask and maintained social distance. | During the vigil, Escobar-Mejia's name was also projected on a large wall o…
(2020-05-12). Dallas County Officials are Leaving Vulnerable People to Catch COVID-19 in Jail. aclu.org Wykivia and Ideare Bailey were taking every precaution. Worried for their asthmatic daughter due to the spread of COVID-19, the couple was meticulous in cleaning, sanitizing, and social distancing to reduce every possible threat. However, when Ideare was arrested for property theft and booked into the Dallas County Jail on April 6, there was no way to adhere to those precautions. Held in a crowded intake room, he could not maintain six feet of distance from other people. Forced to live in a dormitory with 60 other people — for meals, downtime, sleeping, bathing, everything — Mr. Bailey knew that he…
(2020-05-12). President Trump's Assault On Inspectors General Threatens Our Civil Liberties. aclu.org One recent Friday night, President Trump quietly nominated a replacement inspector general (IG) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). But this was no ordinary nomination. If confirmed by the Senate, it will force out the acting IG after her office released a
(2020-05-12). COVID-19 Took Chicago Black Lives First and Exposed Structural Racism. truthout.org We look at the coronavirus pandemic's disproportionate toll on African Americans through the story of Chicago's first 100 recorded deaths. A report by ProPublica found that 70 of the first 100 people to die were African American. Black people account for 30% of Chicago's population and 72% of COVID-19 deaths. We speak with ProPublica reporter Adriana Gallardo, who contributed to the report "COVID-19 Took Black Lives First. It Didn't Have To." She says the story paints a picture of "sophisticated struct…
(2020-05-12). Court hears appeal of dismissed lawsuit by family of man killed by Salt Lake police. fightbacknews.org Salt Lake City, UT – On May 6, the U.S. 10th Circuit heard the name Dillon Taylor for the first time. | Taylor was unarmed and likely could not hear Salt Lake City cop Bron Cruz when he was murdered by Cruz on August 11, 2014 outside a convenience store in South Salt Lake. The killing was quickly ruled justified, but the family filed a lawsuit roughly a year later. That suit was dismissed in 2019, and the hearing on May 6 was an appeal of that dismissal. | Gina Thayne, Taylor's aunt and legal guardian, recalls how difficult it was waiting to hear anything about their lawsuit before it was dismissed. | "The report…
(2020-05-12). Russian court keeps historian of Stalinist massacres jailed amid COVID-19 outbreak. wsws.org The vendetta against Dmitriev is part of the campaign by Russia's state and ruling oligarchy to suppress all efforts to uncover the truth about the crimes of Stalinism.
(2020-05-12). Bolivia: Inmates Riot Due to COVID Outbreak in Prison. telesurenglish.net Bolivian police forces repressed May 11 an inmate riot in Palmasola prison, in Santa Cruz city. Convicts protested due to a Covid-19 outbreak among the prison population. | RELATED: | The authorities at the Palmasola penitentiary said two inmates who died last week after presenting respiratory distress. Local news media reported first deceased autopsy revealed he was COVID positive and was buried acco…
(2020-05-12). FM spox rejects US claims over Tehran's delay in prisoner swap. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 12 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman strongly rejected a claim put forward by a US official who had said that Iran is delaying the process of the prisoner swap.
(2020-05-12). Video: Plandemic Documentary: The Hidden Agenda Behind COVID-19. globalresearch.ca Humanity is imprisoned by a killer pandemic. People are being arrested for surfing in the ocean and meditating in nature. Nations are collapsing. Hungry citizens are rioting for food. The media has generated so much confusion and fear that people …
(2020-05-12). US must stop acting callously, let Iranian hostages go: Foreign Ministry. iranian.com Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman has urged the US to stop acting callously and release the Iranian "hostages" jailed in America and other parts of the world upon Washington's request. Abbas Mousavi made the remarks on Monday in reaction to remarks made by US Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli, who claimed the Iranian …
(2020-05-11). In Haiti ICE is spreading COVID-19. workers.org 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency charged with deporting people from the United States, scheduled five deportations to Haiti on May 11 from the Pine Prairie Detention Center in Louisiana. The agency claims the five individuals have either tested positive for COVID-19 or show signs of having the disease. (Miami . . . |
(2020-05-11). The Execution of Julian Assange. mintpressnews.com 
I do not respect anyone who has not been to prison." Julian Assange once said to Renata Avila, a Guatemalan human rights activist who serves as legal counsel for WikiLeaks. "What he meant," Avila After a decade of being shuttled from house arrest to confinement in an embassy to Belmarsh Prison to, if the United States government ge…
(2020-05-11). Rights Groups Work to Stop 'Unnecessary and Potentially Disenfranchising Purges' of Voter Rolls in Pennsylvania. commondreams.org American civil rights groups on Monday moved to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the right-wing activist group Judicial Watch that critics warn could result in "the unnecessary and potentially disenfranchising purges" of voter rolls in three Pennsylvania counties ahead of the November elections. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/vote_here.jpg …
(2020-05-11). Tampa Bay SDS demands justice for Ahmaud Arbery. fightbacknews.org "Trayvon Martin, Emmett Till. How many Black lives will you kill?" This was one of many chants heard across downtown Tampa on Saturday, May 9, as protesters gathered to demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery. The South Georgia resident was murdered by two white supremacist vigilantes, father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael, while he out for a jog. | Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), along with members of the community, parked outside the Sam M. Gibbons Federal Courthouse to participate in the socially-distanced protest. After the protesters were forced to leave by the building's security, the ral…
(2020-05-11). We Also Face a Pandemic of Racism. progressive.org COVID-19 sheds light on America's systemic oppression of people of color.
(2020-05-11). Doctors Speak Out About COVID 19 & The Violent Suppression Of Your Rights. thelastamericanvagabond.com The only question, is whether We The People have the courage to stand for what we know to be right, or if we will allow ourselves to be scared into passively accepting the "new normal," a locked down controlled society that was prepped for, planned out, and designed years ago. I for one, will never …
(2020-05-11). Sat. May 16, Last KBP7 Webinar Before Sentencing, 12 Noon to 1 PM EDT. kingsbayplowshares7.org MAY 16, Noon ET WEBINAR: Disarm and Divest The Kings Bay Plowshares defendants will hold their final webinar before sentencing this Saturday, May 16 at noon, ET. The six defendants who are out of jail will speak for a few minutes and then take some questions. Lead attorney Bill Quigley will also be…
(2020-05-11). Palestinian PM Seeks to Counter Israel's Threats over Prisoners' Monthly Allowances. imemc.org Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh asserted, on Monday, that his cabinet has recently sought some prospects for solutions to the standoff of Palestinian prisoners' monthly allowances, created by a recent Israeli decision. During a weekly cabinet session, held in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Dr. Shtayyeh said that Israel …
(2020-05-11). Israeli Troops Shoot, Injure and Abduct Two Palestinian Youths. imemc.org Israeli troops abducted, early on Monday, two Palestinian youths, shortly after they shot and wounded them, in the Qafeen village, north of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem. The Tulkarem-based Palestinian Prisoners' Committee reported that Arqam Harsha, 20 and Awni T'oma, 24, were been abducted during invasion of their …