Daily Archives: 2020-10-31

2020-10-31: News Headlines

Minnie Bruce Pratt (2020-10-31). Waukegan, Ill.: Black Lives Matter protests continue. workers.org Black Lives Matter protests are continuing in Waukegan, Ill., after police shot an unarmed young Black couple on Oct. 20. Marcellis Stinnette, 19, was killed. His partner, Tafara Williams, 20, was seriously injured. Waukegan is 15 miles from Kenosha, Wis., where police shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times . . . |

John Malkin (2020-10-31). VISUALIZING ABOLITION – An Interview with Gina Dent. indybay.org Interview with Gina Dent, UCSC associate professor of Feminist Studies, on police and prison abolition.

Tim Schermerhorn (2020-10-31). The Movement for Black Lives and Labor's Revival. zcomm.org It's a huge fight. But it always has been. The Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 give labor activists the opportunity to revive that tradition…

_____ (2020-10-31). Peace Organizations Win Fight For Records On Explosives At Naval Base. popularresistance.org Washington – On August 31, 2020, Judge Ronald B. Leighton ordered the release of eleven records that the Navy had provided to Plaintiffs in 2012 in the course of a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) lawsuit that were sealed later in 2012 in a secret court hearing. Judge Leighton also lifted a gag order imposed upon Plaintiffs over seven years ago. | Following the ruling by Judge Leighton, on October 23, 2020, Judge Thomas S. Zilly in the U.S. District Court in Tacoma ordered the Navy to pay legal fees incurred by two peace…

_____ (2020-10-31). Kentucky Police Training Slideshow Quoted Hitler. popularresistance.org A training slideshow used by the Kentucky State Police (KSP) — the second largest police force in the state — urges cadets to be "ruthless killer[s]" and quotes Adolf Hitler advocating violence. | The slideshow was included in KSP documents obtained via an open records request by local attorney David Ward of Adams Landenwich Walton during the discovery phase of a lawsuit. Ward requested KSP materials used to train a detective who shot and killed a man in Harlan County, and Ward shared the presentation with Manual RedEye.

Andrew Emett (2020-10-31). City Councilman charged with assault and impersonating an officer. nationofchange.org Warren City Councilman Eddie Kabacinski chased down a young woman after she placed three Black Lives Matter stickers on Trump-Pence signs posted along the road.

Judy Greenspan (2020-10-30). Self-defense is a right! California protest hits domestic violence. workers.org Bakersfield, Calif. Oct. 23 — The chant of "Self-defense is not a crime! Free our sisters doing time!" rang out at the Kern County Superior Court Building today in support of two women who defended themselves and their families against abusive partners. The domestic violence survivors, formerly incarcerated people, prison . . . |

Staff (2020-10-30). "Fighting for Democracy": Carol Anderson on Voter Suppression & Why Georgia Could Go Blue. democracynow.org As the 2020 campaign enters its final days, we go to Georgia, where two Senate seats are up for grabs and both Republican incumbents face stiff opposition. Joe Biden is also spending significant time in the state, which no Democratic presidential candidate has won since 1992. "Georgia is truly in play," says Emory University professor Carol Anderson. "We have had grassroots organizing and mobilizing, registering folks to vote, working through getting through all of the voter suppression barriers to bring people out to the polls in unprecedented numbers." Anderson is the author of "One Person, No Vote: How Voter S…

Staff (2020-10-30). Bankers stole millions. He defied a cop. Guess who went to jail? therealnews.com The settlement between Goldman Sachs for stealing hundreds of millions compared to the treatment of Blind Justice an activist for the disabled who refused to provide ID to a cop illustrates the vast gap between justice for the rich and everyone else.

Sarah Aziza (2020-10-30). For Persian Gulf Migrant Workers, the Pandemic Has Amplified Systemic Discrimination. thenation.com For Persian Gulf Migrant Workers, the Pandemic Has Amplified Systemic Discrimination…

Manar Waheed (2020-10-30). Moving Forward: Muslims Belong Here. aclu.org Four years ago, an election altered the reality of Muslims in America and all over the globe. As president, Donald Trump made real his promise to

Virginia Rodino (2020-10-30). Why I'm Voting Green in 2020. globalresearch.ca Author's note: Kevin and I worked on this article together right before his untimely passing on September 6. I met Kevin during Ralph Nader's 2004 presidential campaign. Throughout the years since, I appreciated seeing his anti-imperialist and eco-socialist arguments strengthen …

commondreams (2020-10-30). National Black Civil Rights Groups to Gather Ahead of Expected Push to Vote on Election Day 2020. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Pip Hinman (2020-10-30). Nathan Reynolds' coronial inquiry hears evidence of systemic neglect, cruelty. greenleft.org.au The coronial inquest into the death of Dunghutti man Nathan Reynolds has heard a litany of evidence of gross medical neglect and prison indifference, reports Rachel Evans.

Staff (2020-10-30). WH Chief of Staff Allegedly Gave Taxpayer Funds to Wife's Friend's Campaign. truthout.org White House chief of staff Mark Meadows appears to have tapped into federal resources to help a friend of his wife's raise money for her campaign to fill his congressional seat, government records show. | The revelation sharpens questions that election law experts raised in Salon's previous report on Meadows' possible use of tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds for personal expenses after announcing he would not seek re-election, a crime that earned prison time for former Rep. Duncan H…

Eesha Pandit (2020-10-30). The Many Abuses at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia. thenation.com The Many Abuses at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia…

Sandra Park (2020-10-30). The Dangers of Expanding What Can Be Patented In the Age of COVID-19. aclu.org As the COVID-19 crisis takes its devastating toll, the need for scientific collaboration is self-evident. After the first outbreaks, scientists in China

Alicia Garza (2020-10-29). Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Alicia Garza on GOP's Supreme Court Power Grab. zcomm.org The rushed confirmation shows that the Supreme Court "is not a neutral body — it is incredibly political."

Steve Champion (2020-10-29). My San Quentin Death Row Coronavirus Experience. counterpunch.org In late January 2020, President Donald Trump was fully aware of the potential danger and present threat of Coronavirus, even as it would take the WHO until March 11 to declare a pandemic. In that same month, San Quentin prisoners received an administrative notification that one of the guards tested positive. At the time, I was not overly concerned because I was healthy and in good shape, but of course viruses, pathogens with the sole aim of wreaking havoc on healthy cells, don't care about that.

Workers World Philadelphia bureau (2020-10-29). Free Ant Smith! Drop the charges now! Defend the Philly rebellion! workers.org Ant Smith leading chants in Philadelphia at the Oct. 3rd "Fists Up! Fight Back! Rally & Teach In" in honor of Breonna Taylor and in solidarity with Louisville and all communities mobilizing in defense of Black lives. Workers World Party strongly condemns the outrageous arrest of Anthony "Ant" Smith, a . . . |

Sit. Walk. Listen (2020-10-29). Sunday 11/1: Sit. Walk. Listen. Because Black Lives Matter. indybay.org Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-29). Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul relaunches hunger strike. peoplesdispatch.org Loujain al-Hathloul, who has been in prison since may 2018, launched a hunger strike against prison officials' decision to deny her regular contact with her family. She had undertaken a similar strike in September…

_____ (2020-10-29). FBI Raids Home Of Activist, Teacher Anthony Smith, Arrests Him. popularresistance.org An activist and West Philadelphia teacher is facing federal charges related to rioting surrounding the George Floyd protests in Philadelphia this past June. Eyewitness News has learned that Anthony Smith, of West Philadelphia, has been arrested and faces multiple federal charges related to the civil unrest. | Law enforcement sources confirmed Smith's arrest, along with the community group he represents, Philly for Real Justice. | "Early Wednesday morning Federal agents raided the West Philadelphia home of Anthony Smith, an outspoken community activist and a leader in the movement for Black lives in Philadelphia..

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-10-29). Federal Court Ruling in Rhode Island Suit Targeting Polluters Called 'More Evidence of the Momentum Behind Climate Accountability Cases'. commondreams.org The appeals court decision dealt a blow to the fossil fuel giants named as defendants in the Ocean State's historic climate liability lawsuit. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-981471031_0.jpg

John Bachtell (2020-10-28). Texas voter turnout hotter than any Texas BBQ. peoplesworld.org Across the country, neither the resurgent COVID 19 pandemic nor GOP voter suppression is deterring millions of voters from casting their ballots. Early voter turnout is shattering records (as of this writing, 71 million, or over half of total turnout in 2016, have already voted), and at this pace, the U.S. will experience the highest …

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-10-28). Arabic press review: Hundreds of Kuwaiti companies face bankruptcy amid coronavirus. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Hundreds of Kuwaiti companies face bankruptcy amid coronavirus | Meanwhile, Moroccan politician says Macron waging war on Islam, Egypt jails activist over tweet and IMF warns of 'challenging' times for poorer nations | Wed, 10/28/2020 – 17: 09 | Kuwaiti man stops at a currency exchange shop in Kuwait City (AFP) | Kuwaiti companies threatened with bankruptcy: | Hundre…

A Guest Author (2020-10-28). Ableism and voter suppression: struggles are intertwined. workers.org Kristin Turgeon By Kristin Turgeon This is a lightly edited version of a talk given on the Oct. 22 Workers World Party webinar, "Voter suppression and COVID and their impact on disabled people." Voting has always been a hot topic, and in the 2020 election many people see it as . . . |

WSWS (2020-10-28). The WSWS and the fight to free political prisoners. wsws.org The remarks below were given by Oscar Grenfell, a member of the Socialist Equality Party (Australia) national committee.

John Stanton (2020-10-28). Liquid Capitalism: Everyone Drinks It, Swims in It, Drowns in It. globalresearch.ca The most radical socialists, Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters (Black, White, Latino or Asian), liberal and conservative zealots, diversity and equity gurus, pacifists, denizens of corporates and non-profits, rappers, rockers and country western musicians, Bernie Sanders, racists and White guilt …

_____ (2020-10-28). Whistleblower Sues EPA Over Retaliation. popularresistance.org An Environmental Protection Agency whistleblower, whose disclosures ultimately led to former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt's resignation, filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging his free speech and due process rights were violated. | The lawsuit [PDF] says Kevin Chmielewski was a political appointee and worked as Pruitt's deputy chief of staff for operations. He faced a retaliatory investigation from the EPA's Office of the Inspector General that "falsely accused" him of "not having a security clearance and covering up a past arrest."

Khaled Iskef (2020-10-28). Syrians Talk About Their Suffering Inside Turkish Prisons. globalresearch.ca The Turkish authorities arbitrary arrests are no longer limited to Turkish opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, inside and outside the country, but also reached Syrians within Turkish territory, whether they are displaced, opponents to the Syrian state or …

Greg Wilkinson (2020-10-28). Between Chaos and Commonwealth. commondreams.org We may call this state of affairs Capitalism, but the rot goes back deep into the history of Civilization, a history of conquest, colonization, and oppression of the many by the few. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1802162571_1.jpg

CFJPIME (2020-10-28). "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)" against Israel: Resolution of Defamation Lawsuit by CJPME. globalresearch.ca Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is pleased to announce that its defamation lawsuit with Ezra Levant and Rebel Media News Network Ltd. has been settled. Launched in 2016, CJPME's suit was based on a series …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-28). Evo Morales will return to Bolivia on November 9. peoplesdispatch.org On Monday, a Bolivian judge annulled the arrest warrant that had been issued against former president Evo Morales for alleged crimes of sedition and terrorism, clearing the way for him to return to his country without facing the risk of detention…

_____ (2020-10-28). The Last Smash And Grab At The Federal Communications Commission. popularresistance.org When the Department of Justice successfully broke up the AT&T monopoly into regional companies, it needed Congress to pass a law to open up the regional companies (known as Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers or ILECs) to competition. To do that, the Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that established bedrock competition law and reaffirmed non-discrimination policies that net neutrality is based on. The law Congress created a new industry that would interoperate with the ILECs.