Daily Archives: 2020-10-09

2020-10-09: News Headlines

Ramzy Baroud (2020-10-09). Black Lives Should Always Matter: Delinking Social Justice from Seasonal US Politics. counterpunch.org After viewing the first US Presidential debate on September 29, one is left with no doubt about the degenerating political discourse among America's ruling elites. Following the debate between US President, Donald Trump, and Democratic Presidential nominee, Joe Biden, most analyses focused mainly on the personal insults and name-calling, which, deservedly, earned the event the

Alex MacDonald (2020-10-09). Turkish prosecutors seek 'aggravated' life sentence for philanthropist Osman Kavala. middleeasteye.net Turkish prosecutors seek 'aggravated' life sentence for philanthropist Osman Kavala | New indictment also targets American academic Henri Barkey as conspirator in 2016 coup attempt | Fri, 10/09/2020 – 07: 30 | A journalist stands in front of a poster featuring jailed businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala during a press conference of his lawyers (AFP) | Turkish prosecutors are seeking an "a…

_____ (2020-10-09). Systemic Racism At Wells Fargo & Microsoft. strategic-culture.org Rod DREHER | Here's a letter the US Labor Department sent to Wells Fargo recently. (I had to screenshot it in parts, which is why it's broken up here): | The Labor Department sent a similar letter to Microsoft: | There is no chance at all that a Biden administration Labor Department would investigate major corporations for anti-white discrimination. Keep that in mind. Naturally, there has been negative press coverage.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-09). Prominent Hirak protester Yacine Mebarki sentenced to 10 years in jail in Algeria. peoplesdispatch.org Yacine Mebarki is the latest in a long line of Hirak protesters and supporters, and journalists to face the wrath of the Algerian establishment. He has been charged with inciting atheism and undermining national unity…

KPFA Radio 94.1 FM (2020-10-09). Tuesday 10/27: Gretchen Sorin: Driving While Black: African-American Travel & Civil Rights. indybay.org Online webinar…

Staff (2020-10-08). Rev. William Barber on Voter Suppression: Republicans Know They Can't Win If Everyone Casts a Ballot. 18.224.45.15 During Wednesday's debate, Vice President Mike Pence refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power if Biden wins the election. Instead, he referenced the Trump administration's legal efforts to restrict mail-in voting. Rev. William Barber says the Republican Party's voter suppression efforts ahead of the November election, aimed primarily at Black and Brown voters, amount to "surgical racism with surgical precision." The Poor People's Campaign, of which Barber is co-chair, is leading a major voter mobilization effort to combat voter disenfranchisement. "They know they cannot win if everybody votes. They are…

Mark Weisbrot (2020-10-08). Republican attempts to suppress the vote must be stopped. zcomm.org Democrats need to bring some "law and order" to these elections: people who deprive Americans of their constitutional right to vote, in order to steal an election, will be prosecuted, convicted, and imprisoned…

Tamara Pearson (2020-10-08). Guatemalan and Mexican Governments Use Pandemic to Turn Back Caravan of Thousands of Refugees. counterpunch.org Thousands of Honduran migrants and refugees have been beaten, arrested, threatened with prison, and deported as they tried to make their way through the closed borders of Guatemala and Mexico. Over the last few days the Mexican and Guatemalan governments collaborated to stop the migrant march or caravan, which left Honduras on 30 September, from reaching Mexico and the US.

Yasmina Allouche (2020-10-08). Algeria hands Hirak activist 10-year sentence for 'inciting atheism'. middleeasteye.net Algeria hands Hirak activist 10-year sentence for 'inciting atheism' | Sentencing against Yacine Mebarki the harshest of any activists convicted since the February 2019 protests began | Thu, 10/08/2020 – 16: 10 | Algeria has seen an increasing crackdown on activists, opposition figures and journalists (AFP/Ryad Kramdi) | An Algerian activist has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and fin…

MEE staff (2020-10-08). Palestinian prisoner's hunger strike against administrative detention hits 75 days. middleeasteye.net Palestinian prisoner's hunger strike against administrative detention hits 75 days | Maher al-Akhras has refused to cease his hunger strike unless 'freedom (is granted) to my family and my children' | Thu, 10/08/2020 – 13: 52 | Maher al-Akhras with one of his children before his arrest in July by Israeli forces (Screengrab) | A Palestinian prisoner has been on a hunger strike for 75 days in protest against his…

Al Neal (2020-10-08). GOP voter suppression efforts pop up in Texas, Indiana, North Carolina courts. peoplesworld.org With three weeks to go until Election Day, over four million voters have already cast their ballots—more than 50 times the 75,000 early ballots cast in October 2016, and those statistics are projected to grow as the nation grips for another wave of coronavirus to hit. The current projection for voter turnout is around 150 million, about …

MEE staff (2020-10-08). Egypt using special terror courts to silence dissent, UN experts say. middleeasteye.net Egypt using special terror courts to silence dissent, UN experts say | Cairo accused of 'gravely endangering' activists and infringing on their fundamental rights by imprisoning them during pandemic | Thu, 10/08/2020 – 18: 39 | Egypt has jailed more than 60,000 dissidents (AFP/File photo) | UN experts have accused Egypt of using special terrorism courts to imprison human rights defenders and silence dissent, w…

A Guest Author (2020-10-08). Election Defenders: call to action. workers.org Election Defenders: Call to Action: With the stakes being as high as they are, voter suppression already more rampant than ever, and the nationalist right emboldened by conspiracy theorists and the president himself, we can't depend on anyone else ensuring people are able to vote freely and safely. Election Defenders . . . |

Alex MacDonald (2020-10-08). 'Pain, suffering, cruelty': Islamic State 'Beatles' indictment paints damning picture. middleeasteye.net 'Pain, suffering, cruelty': Islamic State 'Beatles' indictment paints damning picture | US prosecutors detail Alexander Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh's involvement in filming executions and tormenting prisoners | Thu, 10/08/2020 – 14: 19 | Alleged Islamic State 'Beatles' arrive in US to face charges of hostage deaths (Reuters)

| Two former British citizens have been branded the "leading p…

Fight Back (2020-10-08). George Floyd's killer released on bond. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Derek Chauvin, the cop who knelt on George Floyd's neck until he died, was released from jail October 7 on a $1 million non-cash bond. Chauvin was being jailed at a maximum security prison while he awaited a March 2021 trial. He is the last former cop – all four have been fired – to get out on bail. | DeShaun McDonald, of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) stated, "It's a shame that all four killer cops of George Floyd are eating dinner with their families, awaiting their day in court. Yet George lays six feet under. The system created by white men is not broken. It is well and functi…

Ed Rampell (2020-10-08). Doing Time: Do Armed Bank Robbers Deserve Second Chances? progressive.org A new documentary shows how a Black abolitionist is fighting to free her husband from life in prison.

John C. A. Manley (2020-10-08). Resisting Corona "New Normal" Oppression: Every Civil Rights Movement Begins with a Shunned 5%. globalresearch.ca After a TV interview on

Green Party (2020-10-08). Sunday 10/11: Voter Suppression 2020 and the Cure. indybay.org Online, on Zoom: | us02web.zoom.us/j/82620271999?pwd=S3ZwUklteGI5YjJsMEtMSnJXRzU3UT09 | Meeting ID: 826 2027 1999 | Passcode: 2020 | One tap mobile | +16699009128,,82620271999#,,,,,,0#,,2020# US (San Jose) | +13462487799,,82620271999#,,,,,,0#,,2020# US (Houston) | Dial by your location | +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) | Meeting ID: 826 2027 1999 | Passcode: 2020 | Find your local number: us02web.zoom.us/u/kgrlxBN1m

No Justice Under Capitalism (2020-10-08). Saturday 10/10: Recognizing Prison Resistance : From George Jackson to the Agreement to End Hostilities. indybay.org San Quentin State Prison – West Gate, Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Meet at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal at 4: 30pm and we will march up to the West Gate at 5pm.

sputniknews (2020-10-08). Video: Rapper Tory Lanez Charged With Felony Assault in Megan Thee Stallion Shooting. sputniknews.com Canadian rapper and singer Tory Lanez is facing up to 22 years and eight months in prison for the July 12 incident in which he allegedly shot US rapper Megan Thee Stallion in both feet.

Staff (2020-10-08). Rev. William Barber: Republicans Can't Win Without Voter Suppression. truthout.org During Wednesday's debate, Vice President Mike Pence refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power if Biden wins the election. Instead, he referenced the Trump administration's legal efforts to restrict mail-in voting. Rev. William Barber says the Republican Party's voter suppression efforts ahead of the November election, aimed primarily at Black and Brown voters, amount to "surgical racism with surgical precision." The Poor People's Campaign, of which Barber is co-chair, is leading a major voter mo…

commondreams (2020-10-08). Lawsuit Targets Feds' Failure to Protect Frontline Workers From COVID-19. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Zoé Chevalier (2020-10-08). The Prisoners Who Were Convicted by Hung Juries. thenation.com The Prisoners Who Were Convicted by Hung Juries…

Staff (2020-10-07). "Don't Fear the Virus" Is Genocidal Rhetoric. We Mourn in Rebellion. truthout.org Trump holds up his recovery as evidence that the time for fear has passed. But migrant children and others caged in the path of COVID-19 will not be flown to Walter Reed Hospital. In this episode, Kelly Hayes explains why "don't fear the virus" is genocidal rhetoric. | In recognition of the National Week of Mourning for victims of COVID-19, and the plight of imprisoned people, this episode also features an audio vigil for people who have been lost to the coronavirus. "Let this Radicalize You: A COVID Memoria…

MEE staff (2020-10-07). Saudi trial resumes for Palestinian Hamas members detained by kingdom. middleeasteye.net Saudi trial resumes for Palestinian Hamas members detained by kingdom | At least 68 Palestinians – including veteran Hamas middleman Mohammed al-Khoudary – are standing trial on unknown charges with no access to lawyers, right group says | Wed, 10/07/2020 – 12: 18 | Mohammed Saleh al-Khoudary, and his eldest Hani have been in a Saudi prison since April 2019 (Screengrab) | Rights groups continue to raise the al…

Joe Piette (2020-10-07). Philly protesters demand 'Stop racist police murders!'. workers.org Hundreds of activists gathered at the "Rocky Steps" in Philadelphia on Oct. 3 to hear speakers from Black Lives Matter Philly, Black Philly Radical Collective, Black Alliance for Peace and Mobilization4Mumia condemn the racist police murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Mya Hall and countless others. March leaders used the . . . |

Dianne Mathiowetz (2020-10-07). On Jamil Al-Amin's birthday, Atlanta calls for his release. workers.org Atlanta Oct. 4 — Supporters of a new trial for Imam Jamil Al-Amin (the former H. Rap Brown) gathered in the West End Park today to mark his 77th birthday and to declare this will be the last birthday he spends unjustly held behind prison bars. Through the initiative of . . . |

Mirinda Crissman (2020-10-07). Challenging incarceration of women and trans people. workers.org The following are slightly edited opening remarks given during the Sept. 24 webinar Women & Gender Oppressed Prisoners, Survival & Resistance. In our global struggle for liberation from capitalism, imperialism, white supremacy and patriarchy, we cannot waver in our determination to 'Tear Down the Walls' of human cages. Since the . . . |

Dania Akkad (2020-10-07). British MPs probe 'disappearance' of senior Saudi royals. middleeasteye.net British MPs probe 'disappearance' of senior Saudi royals | Six months after arrests, lawmakers seeks answers about princes considered rivals to powerful crown prince | Wed, 10/07/2020 – 11: 48 | Former Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef (R, with current Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) was arrested in March with little known publicly about his detention (AFP) | A group of British MPs and lawyers have launc…

Fight Back (2020-10-07). Decision expected in the police murder of Alvin Cole. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – On the afternoon of October 7, it is expected that Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm will make a decision on the killing of Alvin Cole. The decision comes over eight months after Cole's murder. Milwaukee and Wauwatosa – the suburb where Cole was shot by Wauwatosa police – have been gripped by protests and actions of varying size and intensity since the resurgence of the movement for Black lives at the end of May. | While the initial local demonstrations largely centered around out-of-state cases like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, the focus quickly shifted when the…

WSWS (2020-10-07). Republican operatives indicted in voter suppression scheme in Michigan. wsws.org Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl are alleged to have orchestrated a mass robo-call voter suppression campaign that targeted minority voters in Detroit.

ACLU (2020-10-07). At the Polls, Episode 4: What Does it Take to Get Younger Voters to the Polls? aclu.org The younger you are, the less likely you are to vote. At least, that's been the

news.un (2020-10-07). Guinea: Steer clear of campaign hate speech, top UN officials warn. news.un.org Given the history of intercommunal violence in Guinea, two high-level UN Officials voiced concern on Tuesday over the risk of "incitement to hostility, discrimination or violence" as the country gears up for elections on 18 October.

Residents Show Up, Speak Out (2020-10-07). Small but Mighty Sunnyvale Demonstration for Black Lives Matter. indybay.org October 3 Black Lives Matter protest in Sunnyvale, California…

Sit.Walk.Listen. (2020-10-07). Sunday 10/11: Sit. Walk. Listen. Because Black Lives Matter. indybay.org Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park. Oakland, California. | (19th Street/Rashida Muhammad)…

sputniknews (2020-10-07). Ex-Jail Employees Charged for Allegedly Blasting 'Baby Shark' on Loop at US Detention Center. sputniknews.com Two ex-detention officers and a supervisor at Oklahoma's Oklahoma County Jail allegedly subjected prisoners to hours of the children's tune "Baby Shark" on loop.

sputniknews (2020-10-07). 'Not a Joke': Trump Campaign Reserves Ticket For Harris's Best Rapper 'Alive' Tupac at VP Debate. sputniknews.com Last month, during a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) virtual event, Democratic vice presidential nominee for the 3 November election, US Senator Kamala Harris, made a gaffe while responding to a question about her favorite "living" rapper. The Senator answered: Tupac Shakur, who was killed in 1996.

Alec Connon (2020-10-07). From the Jailhouse to Wall Street: How Change Happens. commondreams.org On the night before JPMorgan Chase's annual shareholders meeting in May of 2020, activists with Stop the Money Pipeline projected 30-foot-tall images of people holding protest signs with messages calling on CEO Jamie Dimon to "stop funding fossil fuels" on a wall across from his apartment in New York City. (Photo: Erik McGregor/Stop the Money Pipeline/Facebook) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/chase-protest.jpg

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-10-07). San Francisco Activists Sue City Over 'Illegal Dragnet Surveillance' of George Floyd, BLM Protests. commondreams.org Such practices by police are "completely at odds with the First Amendment and should never be allowed," said an ACLU lawyer on the case. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/blm_1.jpg

Ashley Smith (2020-10-06). Fighting for Black Lives at school. mronline.org This is an incredibly challenging situation for teachers and the education system because we know how important in-person learning is. There's no substitute for that online," says Jesse Hagopian…

Leinbach LI, Willink A. (2020-10-06). Oral Health in Medicare—Considerations for 21st-Century Coverage. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses the need to expand Medicare benefits to include coverage for oral health services given the inextricable connection between diseases of the mouth, gums, and teeth and systemic disease, such as with stem cell transplants and immunosuppression, prosthetic heart valves, and bisphosphonate use.

news.un (2020-10-06). UN rights chief urges Iran to release jailed human rights defenders, citing COVID-19 risk. news.un.org The top UN rights official has called on Iran to release imprisoned human rights defenders, lawyers and political prisoners, citing deep concerns over their situation and heightened risk of contracting COVID-19.

_____ (2020-10-06). Roger Waters At The Belmarsh Tribunal. popularresistance.org I have been following the extradition proceedings in the court in London with equal measures of disbelief and disgust. Some lyrics I wrote forty years ago for a theatrical piece called 'The Wall' come to mind, if I may. "The evidence before the court is incontrovertible there's no need for the jury to retire, the prisoner who now stands before you was caught red-handed showing feelings, showing feelings of an almost human nature, this will not do." Those lyrics fit the kangaroo court in London and would sound perfect coming out of the mouth of Judge Barraister.

_____ (2020-10-06). This Is Why Thousands Of Renters Are Evicted Each Year. popularresistance.org Joseph Gelletich's life began to unravel in September of 2018, 16 days after he missed a rent payment. | His landlord filed an eviction lawsuit, triggering the legal process that would eventually leave him homeless. But Gelletich says he didn't actually find out about the proceedings until months later—after many of his options for fighting to keep his apartment had already evaporated. | Gelletich had called Harvard Hall home since 1991. Almost 60 now, he moved into the stately, seven-story building at the southern end of Mount Pleasant as a young man, just starting a career remodeling kitchens and bathroom…

UPWA (2020-10-06). Friday 10/9: Stop The Racist Attacks On SF City Workers & Prosecute & Jail The Crooks. indybay.org CCSF Deparment of Human Resources DHR & MTA | 1 South Van Ness/Market St. | San Francisco…

sputniknews (2020-10-06). 'Persistent Eye in the Sky': Spy Drones Deployed Abroad Are Being Modified to Police US Cities. sputniknews.com Spy drones developed for use in US foreign wars have begun appearing over US cities as police forces and defense contractors push for new, lucrative contracts. One peace activist told Sputnik that the fights against their use abroad and their use at home should never have been separate, and are intricately linked to the Black Lives Matter movement.

WSWS (2020-10-06). UK plans to detain refugees on prison ships. wsws.org Repressive anti-immigration policies, in Britain and Australia alike, have been built up over decades by all political representatives of the ruling class.

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-10-06). 'On the Level of Guant√°namo': Oklahoma Jail Guards Accused of Torturing Inmates With 'Baby Shark' Song. commondreams.org Echoing a notorious Bush-era "enhanced interrogation technique," guards allegedly subjected prisoners to hours of the popular children's song. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cuffs.jpg