Daily Archives: 2020-08-20

2020-08-20: News Headlines

Alan Macleod (2020-08-20). New FOIA Docs Expose Conditions in Private Immigration Prison So Bad That Even ICE Was Shocked. mintpressnews.com Documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests show a consistent pattern of abuse at the privately-run ICE facility in Farmville, where detainees suffered abuse, neglect, and threats of retaliation if they complained.

Staff (2020-08-20). Headlines for August 20, 2020. democracynow.org Kamala Harris Accepts Democratic Party's Nomination for Vice President, Hundreds of Wildfires Choke California, as Coronavirus Sidelines Prisoner Firefighters, U.S. Records Nearly 1,300 New Coronavirus Deaths as PPE Shortages Persist, NYC Teachers' Union Threatens Strike If Schools Reopen Without Safety Measures, New Zealand Deploys Troops to Enforce Quarantine; Zambian Vice President Positive for Coronavirus, Emails Reveal Swedish Epidemiologist Urged Coronavirus Spread to Attain Herd Immunity, Iran's Official COVID-19 Death Toll Passes 20,000 as Trump Pushes for New Sanctions, European Union Readies Sanctions A…

_____ (2020-08-20). Global South Calls For Sanctions On Apartheid Israel. popularresistance.org Israel's decades-old regime of apartheid and theft of Palestinian land is continuing unabated. Reports that Israel is "suspending" formal annexation are a smokescreen for continued colonisation and piecemeal ethnic cleansing of Indigenous Palestinians. | Around the world, advocates for justice are pushing back.The Global South response, initiated by South African civil society, brings together notable figures, intellectuals, policy makers, civil society leaders and experts from Africa, Latin America and Asia, in a joint effort to promote lawful sanctions on Israel to end its decades-old oppression of the Palestin…

Prabhat Patnaik (2020-08-20). Detainees during the Pandemic. mronline.org It is a common practice all over the world that when those incarcerated face a threat to life, the authorities send them home.

A Guest Author (2020-08-20). Prisoners' lives matter! 'Inmates cannot social distance'. workers.org Makinni Iyapo By Makini Iyapo This edited talk was given at an Aug. 13 Workers World Party webinar, "From Black August to Black Lives Matter," hosted by the WWP Prisoners Solidarity Committee. I am so honored to be here, in the company of people of like minds. I feel rejuvenated . . . |

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-20). Zambian Socialist Party Secretary General Cosmas Musumali released from detention. peoplesdispatch.org Musumali was arrested along with nearly 30 other party workers while conducting a meeting. With the parliamentary elections only a month away, the ruling Patriotic Front has been cracking down on mobilizations and meetings by the opposition…

Fight Back (2020-08-20). Green Bay police videos prompt march for Black lives. fightbacknews.org Green Bay, WI – On August 14, more than 30 community members gathered at Brown County Courthouse to protest the recent 'public service' videos put out by the Green Bay Police Department. The third video, titled "Hands Up, Don't Shoot," is particularly offensive. The videos are meant to portray change, while no actual change takes place, and a murderer, Officer Erik O'Brien, remains employed. | In fact, GBPD promoted O'Brien to sergeant after he murdered Jonathon Tubby, an Oneida man, on October 19, 2018. Police Chief Andrew Smith publicly defends O'Brien, while making comments that compare Jonathon Tubby's…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-20). Algerian journalist Abdulkrim Zeghileche faces prison term for "undermining national unity" peoplesdispatch.org Abdulkrim Zeghileche, an active supporter of the Hirak protests, has been in pre-trial detention since June 23 and his trial is expected to begin in a few days. He faces a three-year prison term if convicted…

Andrew Emett (2020-08-20). Former deputy sentenced to prison for ordering attack on inmate. nationofchange.org "The duty of correctional officers is to uphold the law and protect the people within their care. These actions are not only illegal and morally wrong, they go against the oath this officer took when he entered the job."

ACLU & partners (2020-08-20). Thursday 8/27: Supporting Voting Rights in California Jails: A Community Training. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Mike Garrity (2020-08-20). Battling "The Empire" of Gang Green Collaborators, Timber Industry, and Trump's Forest Service in the North Cascades. counterpunch.org Several pseudo environmental groups joined forces with the timber industry and the Forest Service against the Alliance for the Wild Rockies after it filed a lawsuit last year against the Mission Restoration Project on Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in the Methow Valley west of Twisp, Washington. This scenic, pristine, and remote rural area is sandwiched between the Pasayten

yenisafak (2020-08-20). California's notorious 'Golden State Killer' faces sentencing. yenisafak.com A former California police officer dubbed the "Golden State Killer" who confessed to 13 murders and dozens of rapes during the 1970s and '80s faces a life prison term when he is sentenced in Sacramento on Friday.Joseph James DeAngelo, 74, will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole following three days of emotional hearings in which victims or their family members confronted him in open court."What a gut punch it was that I had been brutally raped by a full-time police officer," victim Gay Hardwick said, according to the Sacramento Bee newspaper. She was attacked in her San Stockton home…

Staff (2020-08-19). Headlines for August 19, 2020. democracynow.org Joe Biden Formally Wins Democratic Presidential Nomination, Postmaster General Promises to Suspend Service Cuts Until After Election, Notre Dame Cancels In-Person Classes Amid COVID-19 Outbreak Linked to Party, Coronavirus Death Toll from U.S. Prisons and Jails Tops 1,000, World Health Organization Says Young People Are Driving Coronavirus Outbreaks, Malian President Deposed in Military Coup Following Weeks of Protests, Senate Intelligence Committee Alleges Trump Campaign Associate Was Russian Agent, Far-Right Activist, Banned from Twitter over Racism, Wins Florida House GOP Primary, RNC to Feature St. Louis Coup…

RT (2020-08-19). Goodyear backpedals on diversity virtue-signaling after Trump calls for boycott — but it's too late. rt.com Tire maker Goodyear is scrambling to do damage control after a leaked diversity-training slide suggested it'd fallen in with Black Lives Matter corporate virtue brigade, triggering calls for a boycott from President Donald Trump. | The company attempted to distance itself from the offending slide — which warned of "zero tolerance" for Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats or slogans such as "All Lives Matter" and "Blue Lives Matter," while deeming "Black Lives Matter" and LGBT pride attire acceptable — in a frantic tweet on Wednesday. | Cautioning that the slide had "created some misconceptions about…

Chad Marlow (2020-08-19). Stop the Police Surveillance State Too. aclu.org In the wake of George Floyd's murder, protestors throughout America march to demand an end to police abuse. Advocates for the compelling movement to divest from the police and reinvest in communities convincingly argue that significant portions of the tax dollars we spend on policing would be better spent supporting the needs of communities of color and on alternatives to policing itself. Continuing to rely on overfunded police departments, which seem all too happy to continue to enforce laws in a racist manner and unwilling to limit aggressive uses of force, does not advance public safety., , Consider how the…

Fight Back (2020-08-19). Tampa demands justice for Jonas Joseph, 'Community control now!'. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – Over 50 people rallied and marched through downtown Tampa August 15 to demand justice for Jonas Joseph, a 26-year-old Haitian-American man murdered by five Tampa Police Department officers after they fired 125 shots. The march was attended by the family of Jonas Joseph and members of the community and was hosted by the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC) and Black Lives Matter Restoration Polk Inc. | Jonas Joseph was murdered by Tampa officers the night of April 28 when he was pulled over for a traffic stop. Police accounts of the events leading up to the shooting have changed numerous times…

Rocco Galati (2020-08-19). Video: Trudeau and Canadian Government Sued over COVID Measures. Constitutional Lawyer Rocco Galati. globalresearch.ca Super Lawyer Rocco Galati sues the Canadian government, Trudeau, Health Ministers, and others in first of its kind superior court lawsuit. | Galati lays out for listeners why his client and others have decided to sue over the extreme COVID measures …

_____ (2020-08-19). Postal Service Halts Some Changes Amid Outcry, Protests And Lawsuits. popularresistance.org Facing mounting public pressure and a crush of state lawsuits, President Donald Trump's new postmaster general announced Tuesday he is halting some operational changes to mail delivery that critics blamed for widespread delays and warned could disrupt the November election. | Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he would "suspend" several of his initiatives — including the removal of the distinctive blue mail boxes that prompted an outcry — until after the election "to avoid even the appearance of impact on election mail." | "We will deliver the nation's election mail on time," DeJoy said in a statemen…

_____ (2020-08-19). $16.5M Settlement Reached In Class-Action Lawsuit Over Mass Arrests. popularresistance.org A $16.5-million settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit over mass arrests at the 2010 G20 summit. | The agreement comes after 10 years of court proceedings and negotiations between the Toronto Police Services Board and representatives for about 1,100 people who were arrested during the summit. | Under the settlement, those arrested will each be entitled to compensation between $5,000 and $24,700, depending on their experiences. | The deal also includes a public acknowledgment by police regarding the mass arrests and the conditions in which protestors where detained, as well as a commitment to changi…

sputniknews (2020-08-19). US Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. Accused of Raping NYC Woman Twice in 2013. sputniknews.com A civil lawsuit filed by a "Jane Doe" in the Southern District of New York claims Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. raped her twice in a hotel room back in 2013.

yenisafak (2020-08-19). What you need to know about the coronavirus right now. yenisafak.com Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Trump campaign sues New Jersey over mail-in ballotsThe re-election campaign of U.S. President Donald Trump has sued New Jersey, following a decision on Friday by its Democratic governor, Phil Murphy, to mail a ballot to every voter in the state for November's elections, as well as hold in-person voting amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.The lawsuit filed described the step taken by Murphy as "illegal" and made two charges – first, that Murphy exercised power that belonged to the state legislature in changing the state's election law, and sec…

commondreams (2020-08-19). Civil Rights and Good Government Groups Sue Postmaster General and Others for Actions That Will Disrupt the 2020 Election Cycle. commondreams.org ______________________________…

_____ (2020-08-18). 'What Happens If Julian Assange Dies In A British Prison?'. popularresistance.org For Assange however, justice delayed is not only justice denied. With global attention shifting from Wuhan to Washington, from Minneapolis to Lebanon, the father of two young children has spent another five months in incarceration without access to lawyers or family visitations. It follows what is approaching ten years of what the United Nations has repeatedly labeled arbitrary detention — the British government has so far failed to respond to three separate U.N. reports and correspondences on the matter. | Serena Tinari, a Switzerland-based investigative journalist, condemned Britain's handling of the case…

Staff (2020-08-18). Can California's Prison Firefighter Program Be Reformed? therealnews.com California's Conservation Camps put prisoners to work fighting climate change-fueled fires for pennies on the dollar.

RT (2020-08-18). Rebel soldiers detain Mali president & PM as political crisis boils into mutiny (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com Soldiers who have taken up arms in Mali have arrested the nation's top officials, including President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse, sparking concerns in the UN and the African Union. | Keita's detention came after a period of uncertainty amid reports suggesting that soldiers mutinied at the Kati military base outside of the Malian capital of Bamako and arrested a number of senior military and civil officials, including several ministers. | Both the president and the prime minister are "at the hands" of the rebelling military, according to various sources both within the government and…

Tom Coburg (2020-08-18). Looking back in anger: Stuart Christie, anarchist revolutionary, author and publisher, 1946 — 2020. thecanary.co Stuart Christie, who died on 15 August 2020, was an anarchist revolutionary, author and prolific publisher, famed for his role in a 1964 attempt to assassinate fascist dictator General Franco. He was accused of being a member of the revolutionary 'group', the Angry Brigade, but acquitted on all charges. He also co-founded the Anarchist Black Cross, which provided relief and other support to anarchist prisoners.I knew Stuart via our mutual friend

Susan N. Herman (2020-08-18). Votes for Women — and Everyone — Now! aclu.org When the 19th Amendment, ratified on August 18, 1920, finally allowed women to vote, ACLU founder Crystal Eastman, an ardent suffragist, was not interested in a victory celebration. She wanted women to use their newly minted political power to promote true freedom and equality, regardless of sex. "

David Stovall (2020-08-18). Condemnations of Chicago "Looting" Prioritize Property Over Black Lives. zcomm.org Anti-Blackness alerts us that the state will always value property over Black life.

Arvind Dilawar (2020-08-18). 'No One Is Allowed Out': How COVID-19 Is Spreading Through Wisconsin Prisons. progressive.org Wisconsin officials have put safety precautions in place, but that hasn't stopped prison guards from refusing to follow them.

teleSUR (2020-08-18). Mapuche Leader Celestino Córdova Agrees to End Hunger Strike. telesurenglish.net Mapuche leader Machi Celestino Córdova decided to end his 107 days fast after signing an agreement with the Government on Tuesday. | RELATED: | The spiritual leader accepted ending his hunger strike as Chilean authorities signed an eight-point understanding that includes a 30-hour visit to Celestino's home once he recovers. However, the conditions will be imposed by health and prison entities. | Moreover, the Mini…

MoveOn, SEIU, NAACP, Indivisible, others (2020-08-18). Saturday 8/22: Nationwide Protest: Save the Post Office from Trump, Save Our Votes Now! indybay.org Nationwide protests at local post offices across the country in support of USPS…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-08-18). Still 'Miles to Go' to Ensure a Safe and Fair Election, Rights Groups Say After DeJoy Announces Suspension of Changes to Mail Operations. commondreams.org Civil rights advocates vowed to continue fighting to thwart any attempt by the Trump administration to sabotage to U.S. Postal Service and the 2020 general election on Tuesday, after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced he would "suspend" changes to post office operations. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1228082630_1.jpg

yenisafak (2020-08-18). Merkel, Putin discuss Belarus over phone. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the recent political crisis in Belarus over the phone, her spokesman said on Tuesday.Steffen Seibert said in a press release that the two leaders discussed the latest situation in Belarus after the presidential elections held in Aug. 9."The chancellor has emphasized that the Belarusian government must refrain from using violence against peaceful demonstrators, release political prisoners immediately and initiate a national dialogue with the opposition and society in order to overcome the crisis," he said.In a separate statement, the Kr…

Lisa Newcomb, staff writer (2020-08-18). Watchdog Calls on Authorities to Drop 'Absurd' Charges Against Journalists Covering Black Lives Matter Protests. commondreams.org More than 600 attacks against members of the press covering the ongoing protests have been reported to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty_blm_protests.jpg

commondreams (2020-08-18). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Rejects General Louis DeJoy's Suspension Claims. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-08-18). Pentagon Secrecy Around Covid-19 at Guantanamo Just One More Reason to Shut Offshore Prison, Say Senate Dems. commondreams.org Eleven Democratic senators said Monday that the Pentagon's refusal to provide details about its Covid-19 mitigation strategy at Guantanamo Bay, where 40 detainees are currently being held, only bolsters the case for shutting down the prison. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/guantanamo_1.jpg

Cameron Hughey (2020-08-17). Facial recognition technology riddled with racial bias; cities are fighting back. peoplesworld.org In the wake of the George Floyd protests, many cities and technology conglomerates are banning police agencies from utilizing facial recognition technology, citing racial discrimination as a vital concern. While many believe these preventative measures need to be taken a step further, corporations such as IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon have restricted or at least halted …

Thomas Scripps (2020-08-17). The Show Trial of Julian Assange: A Cruel and Pseudolegal Farce. globalresearch.ca Yesterday's hearing in London made clear, if any further proof was needed, that the prosecution of Julian Assange is a shameful and degrading show trial, intended to railroad an innocent man to prison or death for revealing the crimes of …

_____ (2020-08-17). International Lawyers Make Urgent Appeal To British Government. popularresistance.org We write to you as legal practitioners and legal academics to express our collective concerns about the violations of Mr. Julian Assange's fundamental human, civil and political rights and the precedent his persecution is setting. We call on you to act in accordance with national and international law, human rights and the rule of law by bringing an end to the ongoing extradition proceedings and granting Mr. Assange his long overdue freedom — freedom from torture, arbitrary detention and deprivation of liberty, and political persecution. We remind the UK government that the right to a fair trial is a corner…

teleSUR (2020-08-17). Chile: Mapuche People Call for Actions Against Capitalism. telesurenglish.net Mapuche people Sunday condemned Chile's capitalist regime, which is the main responsible for the domination and oppression of this Indigenous people. | RELATED: | "We are calling on the people to carry out sabotage against capital, forestry industry, and other capitalist investments that threaten Mapuche People's lives," the Arauco-Malleco Coordination (CAM) stated. | This call was made amid the Mapuche people's…

teleSUR (2020-08-17). Ainu People Sues Japan to Confirm Salmon Fishing Rights. telesurenglish.net A cultural organization of the Ainu People Monday sued the Japanese State and the Hokkaido Island government so that the authorities recognize their indigenous rights and lift the ban on commercial salmon fishing in rivers. | RELATED: | The lawsuit is the first of its kind filed by members of this Indigenous people, who were subjected to forced assimilation more than a century ago. | Although Japanese law recognize…

Patricia Gorky (2020-08-17). Racist Soledad prison guards intentionally infect Black prisoners. liberationnews.org Racist prison guards brutalized more than 200 Black prisoners at Soledad in a violent 3 a.m. raid, forcing prisoners to sit shoulder-to-shoulder, with no masks. Guards in riot gear hurled racial slurs at the Black men who were targeted.

RT (2020-08-17). Twitter 'accidentally' suspends satirical site Babylon Bee after it mocked Kamala Harris and USPS conspiracies. rt.com Twitter suspended the account of parody news site The Babylon Bee after it mocked Democrat VP candidate Kamala Harris and 'mail vote suppression' conspiracies. It was shortly restored amid protests about censorship. | The Bee went dark around 6 pm on Monday. Archives showed that their last BREAKING: It appears the Babylon Bee's Twitter account has been suspe…

ACLU (2020-08-17). We've Filed 400 Legal Actions Against Trump. aclu.org Immediately after Trump's election, we put the president and his administration on notice: If they enacted unconstitutional and illegal policies,

Blair Wallace (2020-08-17). An Abortion Advocacy Movement for Everybody. aclu.org Abortion is legal in Texas and across the United States, but that doesn't stop anti-abortion politicians from doing whatever they can to interfere with access to reproductive healthcare. Local governments have added fuel to the fire by passing anti-abortion ordinances that confuse residents about their rights and increase the ever-present stigma around seeking abortion care., , That's why, for the first time, reproductive rights, health, and justice groups in our state are joining forces to expand essential health care access for all Texans by creating the Texas Abortion Access Network. Join us for TAAN'

yenisafak (2020-08-17). Belarus: Opposition leader says 'ready to lead country'. yenisafak.com The leader of the Belarusian opposition said Monday she is "ready to lead the nation" through a transitional period in order to end the unrest and organize "in the shortest terms" a new "fair and open presidential election".In a video message, published on her YouTube channel, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya promised to release all "political prisoners" and relax the election legislation so that the results of the new election are recognized by the international community.Tikhanovskaya, who is currently in Lithuania, also expressed solidarity with the people rallying against the results of the presidential election in Bel…

Ronald Newman, Louise Melling (2020-08-17). Why The Fight for Paid Sick Leave is a Civil Rights Issue. commondreams.org McDonald's workers and their supporters hold signs at a rally to protest what they allege is McDonald's attempts to silence a worker who spoke out about unsafe conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, August 7, 2020 outside a McDonald's in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/mcdonaldsprotest.jpg