Daily Archives: 2020-11-22

2020-11-22: News Headlines

MEE staff (2020-11-22). Imprisoned spy Jonathan Pollard flying to Israel after US parole ends. middleeasteye.net Imprisoned spy Jonathan Pollard flying to Israel after US parole ends | Cold War spy passed on information about American intelligence agencies to Israel | Sun, 11/22/2020 – 09: 30 | Jonathan Pollard spent 30 years in prison for spying for Israel (AFP) | The spy Jonathan Pollard, who was jailed for spying against the United States in the 1980s, has been cleared to fly to Israel, where he will be welcomed by th…

Prison Radio (2020-11-22). "The Prison within the Prison": Lockdown and Social Distancing in America's Prisons. globalresearch.ca Our people inside are robbed of privacy, autonomy, safety, and human contact; why would their health in a pandemic be any different? Because of the poor standards and oversight of prison conditions in the U.S., each facility is largely responsible …

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-22). Resistance cinema should portray global oppression. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 22 (MNA) — American documentarian and Press TV anchor Marzieh Hashemi said that the Resistance International Film Festival brings together the currents of resistance in the world.

Susan Jaffe (2020-11-21). [World Report] US Supreme Court poised to keep the Affordable Care Act. thelancet.com A lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act may be floundering after Supreme Court justices questioned why the law should be dismantled. Susan Jaffe reports from Washington, DC.

Loretta Graceffo (2020-11-21). Why Indigenous activists are occupying the Hamptons until Thanksgiving. nationofchange.org As a leader of Sovereignty Camp 2020, Shinnecock attorney Tela Troge discusses why they are protesting a lawsuit by New York state.

_____ (2020-11-21). New York Times Job Listing Shows How Western Propaganda Operates. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | People who are only just beginning to research what's wrong with the world often hold an assumption that mainstream news reporters are just knowingly propagandizing people all the time. That they sit around scheming up ways to deceive their audiences into supporting war, oligarchy and oppression for the benefit of their plutocratic masters. | Once you've learned a bit more you realize it's not quite happening that way. Most mainstream news reporters are not really witting propagandists—those are to be found more in plutocrat-funded think tanks and other narrative management firms, and in…

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-11-21). New York Times Job Listing Shows How Western Propaganda Operates. thealtworld.com People who are only just beginning to research what's wrong with the world often hold an assumption that mainstream news reporters are just knowingly propagandizing people all the time. That they sit around scheming up ways to deceive their audiences into supporting war, oligarchy and oppression for the benefit of their plutocratic masters. | Once you've learned a bit more you realize it's not quite happening that way. Most mainstream news reporters are not really witting propagandists—those are to be found more in plutocrat-funded think tanks and other narrative management firms, and in the opaque governmen…

MEE correspondent (2020-11-21). Egypt: Female political prisoners beaten during inspection mission. middleeasteye.net Egypt: Female political prisoners beaten during inspection mission | Rights group says Qanatir prison security force attacked number of female prisoners during inspection by a newly appointed official | Sat, 11/21/2020 – 14: 33 | The Qanatir women's prison in Qalyubia governorate holds dozens of female political prisoners (Twitter) | Egyptian officials physically assaulted a number of f…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-21). Lebanon: Five prisoners die as dozens escape in jail break. middleeasteye.net Lebanon: Five prisoners die as dozens escape in jail break | At least 69 prisoners escaped Baabda prison, east of Beirut, on Saturday; only 15 have been arrested, according to state media | Sat, 11/21/2020 – 10: 05 | Lebanese security forces outside the Palace of Justice in Baabda after the prison break on 21 November (Reuters) | Five Lebanese prisoners died when their car crashed into a t…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-21). Human rights organizations condemn arrest of Egyptian activists. peoplesdispatch.org Three functionaries of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, Gasser Abdel-Razek, Karim Ennarah and Mohammed Basheer, have been arrested over the past week. They have been sent into pre-trial detention…

Roger Sollenberger (2020-11-21). Plaintiffs in Trump's lawsuits embrace conspiracy theories — one has even violated election laws. salon.com One of the plaintiffs was once accused of election fraud and fined for multiple violations of campaign laws…

sputniknews (2020-11-21). Councilman, Parents File Lawsuit to Reopen NYC Schools After de Blasio's Announcement. sputniknews.com The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the US hardest of all, with over 12Mln confirmed cases to date. Initially the Big Apple took the brunt of the virus, although later the daily number of new cases dropped significantly. With numbers now almost doubling in the last two weeks, Mayor Bill de Blasio has again shuttered all the schools within the city.

WSWS (2020-11-21). As workers confront rampant COVID-19 in auto plants, former UAW VP Joe Ashton gets wrist-slap prison term. wsws.org Ashton, who pocketed $250,000 in kickbacks, is being sent to a country club prison with a seven-month delay for COVID-19 while workers are forced to confront the exploding pandemic every day in the factories.

_____ (2020-11-21). Over 100 Rebellions In Jails And Prisons Over COVID19 Conditions. popularresistance.org U.S jails and prisons, already death traps, have been completely ravaged by COVID-19. Crowded quarters, a lack of PPE, inadequate medical care, an aging population, and unsanitary conditions have contributed to an infection rate 5.5 times higher than the already ballooned average in the U.S. As of this writing, over 252,000 people in jails and prisons have been infected and at least 1,450 incarcerated people and officers have died from the novel coronavirus. Evidence suggests these figures are underreported, however.

Martha Grevatt (2020-11-20). Yet another death in Cleveland jail. workers.org Cleveland On Nov. 9 Shone Trawick became the third person to die in Cleveland's Cuyahoga County Jail this year and the 12th jail death since June 2018. Trawick is the first casualty to be blamed on violence by another prisoner. Those in nearby cells reportedly screamed for help on hearing . . . |

Betsey Piette (2020-11-20). Pennsylvania prisons: Breeding grounds for coronavirus. workers.org Philadelphia When the coronavirus first became a global pandemic in the spring of 2020, there were widespread demands, met with promises from state officials, to release particularly vulnerable incarcerated workers. Some states and municipalities did release people, but never in the numbers the situation warranted. In April, protesters in Philadelphia . . . |

A Guest Author (2020-11-20). 'Accelerate our efforts' to free Mumia. workers.org By Angela Davis Professor Angela Davis, herself once a political prisoner, is a founding member of Critical Resistance, a national organization dedicated to dismantling the prison industrial complex. On Nov. 16, Davis delivered the following remarks during the virtual press conference "Freedom & Abolition: A critical moment in the fight . . . |

Sheren Khalel (2020-11-20). 'The French government has no right': CAIR slams Macron's 'ultimatum' to Muslims. middleeasteye.net 'The French government has no right': CAIR slams Macron's 'ultimatum' to Muslims | Muslim-American civil rights group labels French president's order to establish 'National Council of Imams' under government parameters 'hypocritical and dangerous' | Fri, 11/20/2020 – 19: 58 | "> | The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned French President Emmanuel Macro…

MEE staff (2020-11-20). UN experts warn 50 people face possible executions in Iraq after unfair trials. middleeasteye.net UN experts warn 50 people face possible executions in Iraq after unfair trials | After 21 executions this week, UN experts urge Baghdad to halt mass capital punishment | Fri, 11/20/2020 – 22: 08 | Statement by UN experts notes there are currently about 4,000 prisoners slated for execution (AFP/File photo) | UN human rights experts have said 50 Iraqi prisoners face possible execution next week following convict…

MEE staff (2020-11-20). US senators urge Egypt to take action in case of detained Christian activist. middleeasteye.net US senators urge Egypt to take action in case of detained Christian activist | Legislators ask Cairo to allow fair trial for Ramy Kamel or drop charges and release him | Fri, 11/20/2020 – 19: 02 | Ramy Kamel is prominent Coptic Christian activist and founder of rights group Maspero Youth Union (Twitter) | A pair of bipartisan senators called on the Egyptian government to take action in the case of an imprisone…

commondreams (2020-11-20). Black Lives Matter D.C. v. Trump Must Proceed, Defendants Need to Be Held Accountable. commondreams.org ______________________________…

_____ (2020-11-20). Dozens File Federal Suit Alleging Chicago Police Abuse This Year. popularresistance.org "The (Chicago Police Department) and other city agencies responded to these demonstrations with brutal, violent, and unconstitutional tactics that are clearly intended to injure, silence and intimidate plaintiffs and other protesters," according to the more than 200-page lawsuit. "These abuse tactics include beating protesters with batons — often striking them in the head; tackling and beating protesters while on the ground; using chemical agents against protesters; falsely arresting protesters; and trapping protesters in enclosed areas."

Karl Grossman (2020-11-20). BNL lawsuit and the impacts of national nuclear laboratory. nationofchange.org Brookhaven National Laboratory "continues to show almost no regard for its neighbors…Is this any way for a government-funded agency to treat its neighbors?"

Common Cause (2020-11-20). Thursday 12/3: What's Next for Civil Rights: Democracy in the 117th Congress Town Hall w/ Common Cause. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Staff (2020-11-19). Headlines for November 19, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Passes 250,000; Nearly 1% of U.S. Population Currently Infectious, Pfizer to Seek Emergency Authorization of COVID-19 Vaccine, Touting 95% Efficacy, Lawsuit Alleges Tyson Foods Managers Wagered on Meatpackers' Coronavirus Infection Rate, COVID-19 Surge Overwhelms Hospitals as Healthcare Workers Fall Ill, Biden Says Trump's Refusal to Concede Could Set Back Vaccine Rollout by Months, Arizona Secretary of State Faces Death Threats as Trump Promotes Election Conspiracy Theories, Democratic Congressmembers Reelect Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House, Australian Military Apologizes to Afghan…

Bryant Arroyo (2020-11-19). COVID-19 protocols: Recipe for disaster in Pennsylvania prisons. workers.org Bryant Arroyo (left) with Joe Piette of WWP Prisoners Solidarity Committee. Incarcerated workers across Pennsylvania are demanding that Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel reverse his disastrous decision to begin mass transfers of prisoners at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The following commentary is from jailhouse organizer and environmentalist . . . |

MEE staff (2020-11-19). Saudi court sentences Salman al-Odah's brother to five years in prison. middleeasteye.net Saudi court sentences Salman al-Odah's brother to five years in prison | Khaled al-Odah's sentencing comes three and a half years after he was detained for showing solidarity with his brother on social media | Thu, 11/19/2020 – 17: 39 | Khaled al-Odah was also issued a travel ban preventing him from leaving the country (Abdullah Alaoudh/Twitter) | Saudi Arabia sentenced the brother of jailed cleric Salman al-O…

Tim Wheeler (2020-11-19). Karl Yoneda and Elaine Black—star-crossed lovers in a class war. peoplesworld.org In October 1987, I covered a rally in Washington, D.C., for the People's Daily World celebrating the federal government's apology for the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. The event, which drew hundreds to the U.S. Capitol steps, was sponsored by the Japanese American Citizens League. Among those who flew into town …

Gloria Rubac (2020-11-19). Ramsey Prison terrorizes Texas incarcerated. workers.org Just like in this 1970s Houston Chronicle photo, Texas prisoners still pick cotton with armed guards on horseback overseeing them. Prisoners earn $0.00 an hour. "We're already stressed out because of the virus. We've all had it, and now there are new threats that it's returning. On top of that, . . . |

MEE staff (2020-11-19). Amnesty urges G20 leaders to 'stand up for brave activists' jailed in Saudi Arabia. middleeasteye.net Amnesty urges G20 leaders to 'stand up for brave activists' jailed in Saudi Arabia | Women's empowerment features prominently on G20 Agenda, despite several activists languishing in jail or facing trial | Thu, 11/19/2020 – 18: 17 | Protesters gather at Saudi embassy in Washington to remember slain Middle East Eye columnist Jamal Khashoggi (AFP/File photo) | Member states of the Group of 20 (G20) meeting in thi…

Elise Swain (2020-11-19). Anti-Nuclear Pacifists Get Federal Prison Terms for Nonviolent Protest. zcomm.org The most dedicated peace activists you've never heard of are headed to federal prison amid a deadly pandemic…

_____ (2020-11-19). Inmate Kitchen Workers Forced To Serve Expired Meat In Prison. popularresistance.org Arizona – Incarcerated people who work in the kitchens at the Eyman, Lewis and Yuma state prisons claim they were forced to serve expired meat to their fellow inmates, resulting in foodborne illnesses. | Several inmates report being diagnosed with H. pylori infections, which they attribute to the food and unsanitary conditions in the kitchens. The inmates say they were subsequently put on antibiotics in recent days and weeks to treat the infections. | KJZZ is not naming the inmates because they fear retaliation for speaking out about the prison conditions.

Spencer Garcia (2020-11-19). Remembrance, Resilience, and Response: Addressing An Epidemic of Violence Against Trans and Non-Binary People. aclu.org Each year on Nov. 20,

Staff (2020-11-18). As COVID Deaths Soar, El Paso at Breaking Point with Hospitals & Mobile Morgues Filling Up. 18.224.45.15 Some Republican governors are dropping their resistance to mask mandates, as public health officials in the United States brace for a COVID-19 surge from the Thanksgiving holiday amid already record-high infection rates. However, Republican resistance to other public health safety measures continues as coronavirus cases in Texas reach record highs for a second time during the pandemic. El Paso County, an area along the U.S.-Mexico border where 80% of residents are Latinx, is also facing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S. and now has 10 mobile morgues to hold bodies. Some prisoners are being paid just…

Nathaniel Chase (2020-11-18). The white vote for Trump: Is multinational working class solidarity possible? workers.org Why did nearly 73 million people vote for Trump, given his disastrous pandemic response and the economic collapse? The answer, simply put, is racism. In a country built on white supremacy, from slavery and genocide to mass incarceration and imperialist war, it should come as no surprise that a substantial . . . |

Eds. (2020-11-18). Tutu, Gandhi, King descendants call for clemency for NYS imprisoned elder activist. mronline.org The Open Letter, coordinated by Fellowship of Reconciliation former Chairperson Matt Meyer, is one of many such efforts throughout the U.S. calling for relief for over-age inmates facing fatal consequences in light of multiple health crises, and throughout the world calling for freedom for all political prisoners.

Laura Flanders (2020-11-18). The Media's Quadrennial Eclipse. counterpunch.org Whatever will he do next? The cable newscasters cry, eager to ply their audiences with more of the drip, drip that keeps advertisers hooked. If you're feeling withdrawal from Disaster Don's tweets, there are pictures of his golf cart and non-news of his non-lawsuits. And Joe, oh Joe, and the next four years. How will