(2020-10-22). US federal judge says Trump's tweet calling to release Russiagate docs with 'no redactions' was NOT official order amid FOIA suits. rt.com 
A US judge has ruled that a tweet sent by President Donald Trump earlier this month did not constitute an order to declassify material linked to the Russiagate probe, as CNN and Buzzfeed press for the docs in ongoing lawsuits. | US District Judge Reggie Walton said on Wednesday that, while the tweet appeared to order the release of new material free of any redactions, a clarification from White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows qualified as a reversal of the move. The judge was also critical of the administration for a lack of clarity on the question. | "It is unfortunate that we are in this situation because,…
(2020-10-22). Racism, democracy in the 'land of the free'. greenleft.org.au The racism and lack of democracy that underpins the institutions of the United States has been exposed thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement and President Donald Trump's rush to confirm a new Supreme Court justice ahead of the election, writes Barry Sheppard.
(2020-10-22). Yemen: Prisoner Swap and What May be Behind It. dissidentvoice.org Transcript of an Interview with Press TV Background The fourth batch of Yemeni detainees has arrived in Sana'a as part of the largest prisoner swap between the country's warring sides. The residents in the capital received 112 prisoners after their plane landed in the Sana'a international airport. 1,081 men will be released in two days. …
(2020-10-22). Explained: The antitrust case against Google. peoplesdispatch.org Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha examines the reasons for the US justice department filing a landmark antitrust lawsuit against Internet giant Google. He talks about how Google has achieved a near monopoly and the risks of such an approach.
(2020-10-22). Voter Suppression and Right-wing Threats Fail to Keep Millions Away from the Polls. globalresearch.ca Efforts aimed at thwarting the fundamental bourgeois democratic rights of the majority of people in the United States are well underway. | President Donald J. Trump has said repeatedly that mail-in voting and early opportunities to cast ballots are inherently fraudulent …
(2020-10-22). Wednesday 10/21: Voting Plan, CA Ballot Info, & Voting Rights During COVID-19 Webinar w/ ACLU. indybay.org Online voter webinar and online volunteering opportunities…
(2020-10-22). Sunday 10/25: The Value of a Black Woman's Vote Rountable w/ NAACP. indybay.org Online roundtable…
(2020-10-22). Eight Black workers sue S.F. health department for racial discrimination. indybay.org Eight Black workers in the City and County of San Francisco filed suit against the city for systemic racism and bullying.
(2020-10-22). Justice for Eric Briceno, killed by ELA Sheriffs. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – Family, neighbors, supporters and Centro Community Service Organization (CSO) attended an October 16 press conference, rally and celebration of the life of Eric Briceno, who was killed by East LA Sheriffs in Maywood, California. Other families who have lost loved ones to police killings also joined the Briceno family. Well-known civil rights attorney Samuel Paz had asked Centro CSO to help the Briceno family. | Briceno was killed on March 16 after his parents called 911 for help with a mental health crisis. Briceno was beaten and tased to death in his bedroom, after he woke up to sheriffs shouti…
(2020-10-21). "Break 'Em Up": As DOJ Targets Google, Zephyr Teachout Urges Breakup of More Big Tech Monopolies. democracynow.org 
The Department of Justice and 11 states have filed a major antitrust lawsuit against Google in a move that could lead to the breakup of the company's business and holds major implications for other tech giants. The lawsuit accuses Google of engaging in illegal practices to maintain a monopoly on the search market, which fuels its dominance in online advertising. Fordham law professor Zephyr Teachout, who has long advocated for breaking up Big Tech monopolies, says it's "an incredibly important lawsuit" that should be the start of a wave of legal and legislative action to tackle "this incredible democratic crisis…
(2020-10-21). Headlines for October 21, 2020. democracynow.org Nigerian Soldiers Open Fire on Protesters Opposing Police Brutality, As U.S. Faces Third Coronavirus Surge, CDC Reports 300,000 Excess Deaths in 2020, Pope Wears Mask at Public Event for First Time as EU Coronavirus Cases Surge, Justice Department and 11 States Sue Google in Biggest Antitrust Lawsuit in Decades, ACLU Can't Find Hundreds of Asylum-Seeking Parents Separated from Children by Trump Admin, L.A. Times: Just Three of 265 Reported Crimes at California ICE Jails Led to Prosecutions, Early Voting Opens for Pretrial Prisoners in Chicago's Cook County Jail , Armed Poll Watchers Deploy to Democratic Precincts…
(2020-10-21). Malcolm and Martin come to the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. peoplesworld.org 
[To enhance the reading of this review, I suggest you play this classic in the background.] A couple of new films on the lives of two of the most prominent figures in the civil rights movement, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, were released at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. …
(2020-10-21). European MPs tell Egypt's Sisi to release prisoners of conscience. middleeasteye.net 
European MPs tell Egypt's Sisi to release prisoners of conscience | Egyptian president facing mounting calls by lawmakers from the US and Europe to end his government's rights violations | Wed, 10/21/2020 – 11: 17 | Egypt's President Sisi has been accused by international rights groups of presiding over the country's worst crackdown on human rights in its modern history (AFP/file photo)…
(2020-10-21). Syria still not sharing information on missing US journalist Austin Tice, Pompeo says. middleeasteye.net 
Syria still not sharing information on missing US journalist Austin Tice, Pompeo says | Secretary of State says Washington will not change policy towards Syria to obtain release of detained Americans | Wed, 10/21/2020 – 19: 24 | Austin Tice was detained checkpoint near Damascus in August 2012 while covering Syrian conflict (AFP/File photo) | The Syrian government has not shared any information on the whereabou…
(2020-10-21). Eco activists sue federal govt., alleging 'grave' environmental impact of 'excessive' tear gas used amid Portland protests. rt.com 
The ACLU and five environmental groups have taken the DHS to court over what they deemed an "excessive" use of chemical munitions against protesters in Portland, arguing the substances may inflict a dire ecological toll. | The Oregon branch of the ACLU filed a
(2020-10-21). Too Many Apologists, Time to Silence Trump's Proven Pedo-Rapist Bullshit. thealtworld.com 
Let's begin with some quotes from a legal document in a lawsuit dropped after Michael Cohen has someone's family threatened. This is just a few highlights, the accusations are made against Donald Trump. The victim was 13 years old. The full legal document is below. VT has considerable corroborating evidence that everything here is true and that the rape parties such as those described below took place in New York, by both Epstein and Trump, many times. | Why was Jeffrey Epstein placed in an unguarded cell at the orders of Attorney General William Barr, where he was murdered after camera's were turned off and staf…
(2020-10-21). Fair Wayne Bryant, jailed for life for stealing hedge clippers, granted parole by Louisiana Pardon Board. wsws.org Imprisoned for life at the notorious Angola State Penitentiary in Louisiana on one count of attempted simple burglary, he was granted parole by a 3-0 vote of the state Parole Board, after being denied parole on three previous occasions.
(2020-10-21). Lawsuit Challenges Inadequate Federal Review of Endangered Species in Gulf of Mexico. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-10-21). Calling Trump a 'Clear Threat to Our Democracy,' Civil Rights Group Sues Admin. Over Voter Intimidation. commondreams.org "The court should protect the fundamental right to vote by blocking Trump's attempt to prevent a free and fair election." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/voting_4.jpg …
(2020-10-21). ACLU Sues Trump Admin. to Obtain Key Records on 'Dishonest and Incompetent' Federal Handling of Coronavirus Pandemic in Prisons. commondreams.org The suit seeks "the immediate release of improperly withheld agency records related to federal government's failed response to the spread of Covid-19 in prisons in jails." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/carvajal_0.jpg …
(2020-10-20). Headlines for October 20, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Continues Attack on Fauci as U.S. Coronavirus Cases Surge and Death Toll Mounts, SCOTUS Deadlock Hands Victory to Voters in Pennsylvania as Floridians Break Early Voting Record, Debate Commission Announces Changes Ahead of Final Presidential Face-Off, Evo Morales Celebrates Victory of MAS Party, Says He Will Return to Bolivia, Trump Admin to Remove Sudan from U.S. List of Terrorist States, At Least 15 People Killed as Nigerian Protests Against Police Violence Continue, WSJ: U.S. Held Talks with Syrian Intelligence About Missing U.S. Citizens, Palestinian Prisoner in Critical Condition After Nearly 3 Months…
(2020-10-20). Afghanistan, Black Lives Matter, and Antiwar Activism. zcomm.org Interview on a variety of topics…
(2020-10-20). Trump's Google antitrust lawsuit: Blow against monopoly or political theater? peoplesworld.org 
Eager to portray the president as a populist enemy of big business, Attorney General William Barr unveiled the Trump administration's long-expected antitrust lawsuit against search engine giant Google's parent company, Alphabet, on Tuesday morning. Filed jointly with 11 Republican state attorneys general, the Department of Justice's suit alleges Google maintains monopolies in "general search services, …
(2020-10-20). Google and Justice Department headed for legal showdown over monopoly practices. liberationnews.org 
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against tech giant Google today, claiming the company was functioning as an illegal monopoly. The DoJ claims that Google is "a monopoly gatekeeper for the internet" through its dominance in the field of online search and related businesses. The case against Google is based on antitrust law — …
(2020-10-20). Oregon prisoners resist denial of Covid-19 protocol. workers.org 
Portland, Ore. On four successive days in late September, four prisoners in Oregon state prisons died of Covid-19. On Oct. 17, two more prisoners died of the virus. Family members protest Covid conditions in Oregon prisons, Pendleton, July. Credit: Bob Lonergan In mid-September more than 3,000 prisoners, including over 1,000 . . . |
(2020-10-20). US Justice Department & 11 states file antitrust lawsuit against Google, say giant pays 'billions each year' to sideline rivals. rt.com 
Google has been hit by a lawsuit which alleges that the internet giant engaged in anticompetitive behavior, giving its search engine an unfair advantage over rival services. | The US government has accused Google, a unit of the tech giant's umbrella company Alphabet Inc., of paying "billions" each year to distributors, including mobile phone companies and web browser developers, to secure default status for its search engine. | For years, Google has entered into exclusionary agreements, including tying arrangements, and engaged in anticompetitive conduct to lock up distribution channels and block rivals. | T…
(2020-10-20). 'Hold me responsible' for drug war killings — Philippines leader Duterte. rt.com 
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has said he takes responsibility for the thousands of killings by police in his anti-drug crackdown, claiming he was ready to go to jail if it served his country. | In a televised speech on Monday night, Duterte, whose government has been heavily criticized by international organizations for nearly 6,000 killings committed during anti-drug police operations, said he was ready to be punished. | If there's killing there, I'm saying I'm the one… you can hold me responsible for anything, any death that has occurred in the execution of the drug war. | "Bring me to court to be…
(2020-10-20). Khashoggi fiancee sues Saudi Crown Prince & 20 others for journalist's killing in US court. rt.com 
The fiancee of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi has sued Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and more than two dozen aides and officials in an American court, accusing them of planning and executing the assassination. | The "The suit seeks to hold accountabl…
(2020-10-20). Khashoggi's fiancee sues Saudi crown prince over journalist's murder. middleeasteye.net 
Khashoggi's fiancee sues Saudi crown prince over journalist's murder | Lawsuit seeks discovery from US officials to prove that the killing was ordered from the top of the Saudi leadership | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 16: 31 | Jamal Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice Cengiz filed the civil lawsuit against Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other officials (AFP/File photo) | Hatice Cengiz, the fiance…
(2020-10-20). US Seeks to Prolong Terrorism in Syria, Not Defeat It. globalresearch.ca Recent attacks on Syrian positions from terrorists of the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" (ISIS) and the release of thousands of prisoners in US-occupied eastern Syria illustrate how Washington is demonstratably prolonging instability in Syria as part of its promise to transform …
(2020-10-20). Poughkeepsie march against violence facing Black women and Black trans women. fightbacknews.org Poughkeepsie, NY – More than 100 people gathered in Poughkeepsie in upstate New York for a vigil and protest march, October 17, centered on the endemic violence facing Black women and Black trans women in the United States. | Protesters came from across the Hudson Valley, a popular tourist destination 90 minutes north of New York City. The Hudson Valley is noted for its spectacular fall foliage, its apple orchards, microbreweries, rock climbing and hiking trails. But the Hudson Valley is also a prison economy with nine of the largest prisons in the state of New York. Many of the towns suffer economic underdevelop…
(2020-10-20). Nigerian anti-police protests continue and garner international support. wsws.org The dire social conditions are the product of colonial and neocolonial oppression by the imperialist powers on behalf of their banks and corporations, exacerbated by the venal and corrupt rule of the national bourgeoisie.
(2020-10-20). Two Weeks Until Election Day PLUS Google Lawsuit Filed. sputniknews.com On today's episode, Lee discussed current events, including the new Hunter Biden information to be released by Bannon and Giuliani, the Justice Department's lawsuit against Google, France's closing of a mosque after the beheading of a teacher, an H1B1 visa lawsuit filed by the Chamber of Commerce, and new debate rules announced for debates.
(2020-10-20). COVID-19 in Prisons Is Far Worse Than Previously Thought, Data Trackers Say. truthout.org James King was incarcerated in California's San Quentin State Prison for roughly six years. He spent much of that time analyzing the politics of incarceration by chronicling his experiences living in one of the country's most notorious prisons. When he was released from prison in December 2019, he joined the staff of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, where he has campaigned for decarceration. | While incarcerated, King endured life in a cramped and racially segregated prison — a sit…
(2020-10-20). Voter Suppression Has Spread Like Fire Across the US — Far Beyond the South. truthout.org As tens of millions of people across the U.S. cast their ballots in early voting ahead of the November 3 election, we look at voter suppression efforts with journalist and academic Jelani Cobb. His new Frontline documentary Whose Vote Counts examines the long lines, record number of mail-in ballots and the legal fights that have marked voting during the pandemic, with a focus on Wisconsin. "This is a state where the presidency was essentially decided in the last election," says Cobb, a professor of…
(2020-10-20). Unequal Justice: Confirmation Hearings Exposed Barrett as a Hardcore Rightwing Activist. progressive.org Her goal on the court will be to drive America back to the days before the New Deal and the civil rights movement.
(2020-10-19). Large San Francisco Counter-Protest Overwhelms Tiny Ultra-Right Rally. indybay.org On Saturday, October 17, 2020, labor union members, anti-police brutality campaigners, advocates for release of prisoners affected by COVID-19, and leftists from Oakland and San Francisco came together to form a counter-demonstration against a rally of far-right demonstrators.
(2020-10-19). Democrats urge Egypt's Sisi to free dissidents before jail terms 'become death sentences'. middleeasteye.net 
Democrats urge Egypt's Sisi to free dissidents before jail terms 'become death sentences' | More than 50 lawmakers issued a letter to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi urging him to release prisoners of conscience during the coronavirus pandemic | Mon, 10/19/2020 – 17: 02 | An Egyptian police officer at the entrance of the Tora prison in the Egyptian capital Cairo on 11 February (AFP/File photo) | More t…
(2020-10-19). People Need to Reclaim the Internet. globalresearch.ca No matter how much you dislike Trump, only a fool can fail to see the implications for public access to information of the massive suppression on the internet of the Hunter Biden leaks. | This blog has been suffering a ratcheting …
(2020-10-19). Eye on Civil Liberties: Where You Can Have an Impact in Elections Closer to Home. aclu.org The intense focus on the presidential race can easily obscure policies that could have more of a direct impact on communities in both red and blue states, but they are no less important. Many voters don't engage with the electoral process because they don't think their votes make a difference or count for much. Down-ballot races are where voters can make a real impact in shaping policies and spark a broader public debate. , , The ACLU is nonpartisan, so our goal with down-ballot campaigns is to ensure that voters are educated about the potential consequences of an election, not to support specific candidates.
(2020-10-19). The Long Tail of Voter Suppression. zcomm.org As the growing number of Black and Latinx voters threaten the GOP's stranglehold on power, attempts to limit safe voting options during the pandemic reveal a deeper sickness in Texas politics…
(2020-10-19). Embracing The Gifts Of Conflict For Social Change. popularresistance.org As a collective, we are living in unprecedented times. The triple pandemic of COVID-19, white supremacy, and capitalist-driven climate crisis has intensified survival fears and made the structural oppression we are living under more palpable and unbearable. We are coming face to face with the fact of our interdependence, and the stakes are high. Either we as a species learn to live well with each other and the earth now, or die trying. | As so many wise souls are reminding us, our liberation is bound together, and we need each other, now, more than ever.
(2020-10-19). Thursday 10/22: Immigration, Equal Protection, and the Promise of Racial Justice (Day 1). indybay.org Virtual conference (FREE)…
(2020-10-19). Friday 10/23: Immigration, Equal Protection, and the Promise of Racial Justice (Day 2). indybay.org Virtual conference (FREE)…
(2020-10-19). At least 56 US lawmakers urge Egypt's Sisi to release prisoners. yenisafak.com In a letter being sent to the Egyptian leader on Monday, the 55 Democrats and one Independent — Senator Bernie Sanders — said al-Sisi should free detained lawyers, activists, journalists and other prisoners of conscience amid a COVID outbreak in Egypt's prison system.Led by Democratic lawmakers Ro Khanna, Jim McGovern and Sherrod Brown, the bicameral letter urges Sisi "to immediately and unconditionally release those prisoners whose cases we have cited, and all other prisoners of conscience unjustly detained for exercising their fundamental human rights.""These are people who should never have been im…
(2020-10-19). Sydney Black Lives Matter rally called for October 26. greenleft.org.au First Nations advocates and families of people who have died in custody are planning a Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney on October 26, reports Jim McIlroy.