(2021-01-30). New Surge of COVID Is Spreading "Like Wildfire" in Illinois Prisons. truthout.org 
With COVID-19 raging throughout the United States, there is a growing sense of desperation among people in prison. Pablo Mendoza, who recently got out of prison, said that those inside "are tired of the lockdown." They spend 23.5 hours a day in their cells. They have not had visits from their loved ones for almost a year. | Those who have caught COVID and are believed to be immune get out for yard time. Others are "weighing options," according to Mendoza: "Stay safe, or get the virus so they can get som…
(2021-01-30). Beauty queen cheerleader sues uni over drunk football fans who 'treated her as a sex object' by 'groping her breasts and buttocks'. rt.com 
A cheerleader and beauty pageant contestant has reportedly filed a lawsuit against a university in the US, claiming that dancers at football games were "presented as sex objects" to "titillate" men who made advances towards them. | 2019 Miss Nebraska entrant Hayden Richardson is said to have launched a 58-page federal suit against Northwestern University, where she said she had been groped by sozzled fans and alumni during university events and alleged that female cheerleaders had been told by the team's head coach to "mingle" with powerful figures. | After sending in videos of her stunts, Richardson was accep…
(2021-01-30). Amnesty slams Houthi ban on Yemeni women. yenisafak.com Amnesty International has condemned a Houthi decision banning Yemeni women from working in restaurants, calling it "shameful and discriminatory".In a thread on its Twitter account, the human rights organization said it stands with all Yemeni women "in their fight for their rights"."Institutionalizing discrimination increases oppression on women and impedes the foundation for sustainable and gender-equitable recovery and reconstruction in Yemen," it said.Amnesty stressed that UN efforts to achieve a "peaceful reconciliation" in Yemen are impossible "without safeguarding and protecting women's rights".There was no…
(2021-01-30). Fears Grow that Efforts to Combat US Domestic Terrorism Can Hurt Minorities. zcomm.org Civil rights advocates worry that moves to fight far-right extremism will be used against communities of color and leftwing activists…
(2021-01-30). Xiaomi sues US government over blacklist inclusion. laprensalatina.com Shanghai, China, Jan 30 (efe-epa).- Chinese technology firm Xiaomi has filed a lawsuit against the United States' defense and treasury departments over its inclusion on a blacklist of companies with alleged links to the Chinese military. In the move confirmed by Chinese state media Saturday, Xiaomi joins other Chinese technology companies such as ByteDance and …
(2021-01-30). ACLU Pressing Biden To Stick To His Promise Of Decarceration. popularresistance.org The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is launching a six-figure ad buy featuring both digital and print spots calling for President Biden to adhere to his campaign promise of decreasing the number of incarcerated persons in the country. | Specifically, the ACLU wants Biden to grant clemency to thousands of people who meet certain criteria, something that he could do through executive powers. | "We use criteria that reflect an evolution in our thinking around criminal justice," Cynthia Roseberry, deputy director of the ACLU's justice division, told The Hill. | "For example, calling for those who are now incarc…
(2021-01-30). Former Atlantic City Mayor sentenced to federal prison. nationofchange.org "The mistake that I made is not something that I am proud of. It is something that I'm very ashamed of…I want to apologize to this court for being in front of you when I knew better."
(2021-01-29). Militarized police attacked him on his own front porch. PAR helped him fight back. therealnews.com 
Nick Pettit was assaulted by Columbus, Ohio, police for filming a botched raid. We investigated on his behalf, and now evidence gathered by PAR is part of an ACLU lawsuit against the police department that violated his constitutional rights.
(2021-01-29). Demonstrators support ICE hunger strikers in Batavia, N.Y. workers.org 
by Arjae Red In November 2020, immigrants imprisoned at Bergen County Jail in New Jersey began a hunger strike to protest the filthy and inhumane conditions they were being housed in. Prisoners were experiencing a denial of access to water, medical care, heat and cleaning supplies. The facility had a . . . |
(2021-01-29). Unholy trinity: Courts, governors, legislators refuse to prevent COVID-19 deaths in prisons. workers.org 
By Wesley Massey The writer is an incarcerated worker in Indiana, Pa. COVID-19 has exposed the "cancel culture" in the American prison system in relation to how prisoners are treated like chattel. Prisons and their administrations have been given carte blanche authority to govern themselves on how they treat prisoners . . . |
(2021-01-29). Will Biden End America's Global War on Children? counterpunch.org 
Most people regard Trump's treatment of immigrant children as among his most shocking crimes as president. Images of hundreds of children stolen from their families and imprisoned in chain-link cages are an unforgettable disgrace that President Biden must move quickly to remedy with humane immigration policies and a program to quickly find the children's families
(2021-01-29). Will US policy on Palestine and Israel change under Biden? Florida students take on prison slave labor. therealnews.com 
When it comes to U.S. policy on Palestine and Israel, the Biden administration has sent some mixed and not-so-mixed signals. Also, student organizers are forcing the University of Florida to end its use of unpaid prison labor.
(2021-01-29). Toward A Revolutionary Left Framework On An Age-Old Debate. popularresistance.org Activists in the U.S. have debated race and class for decades to no resolution. Nonetheless, in this moment of U.S. imperial decay and crisis, the debate over whether race or class takes precedence in the struggle for liberation from U.S. capitalist and imperialist domination rages on. Two prominent strands of the debate have emerged over the last year which intersect with the rise of Bernie Sanders-led "democratic socialists" and the uprising against racist policing led by the slogan "Black Lives Matter." For many leaders of the Sanders camp, white supremacy is either a distraction or a secondary issue that can…
(2021-01-29). How to Do 'Regime Change' Correctly: a Blueprint for the Biden Administration. strategic-culture.org By Sasan FAYAZMANESH | In my college years, as a member of the Iranian Students Association, one of my political tasks was to dispatch progressive American attorneys to Iran to investigate human rights abuses by the Shah, including torture and murder of political prisoners. These trips and the subsequent reports submitted by the attorneys were often successful in reducing the pain and suffering of prisoners of conscience, since the Shah was cognizant of his image abroad. Afterall, he was a creature of the West and dependent on it. He owed his throne to the 1953 American-British backed coup and was nurtured by the…
(2021-01-29). No one's above the law? FBI lawyer who altered evidence to enable spying on Trump gets PROBATION instead of jail. rt.com 
The only FBI official charged in the improper use of FISA warrants to spy on President Donald Trump via campaign aide Carter Page got a slap on the wrist. Kevin Clinesmith's sentence was a year of probation, and community service. | Clinesmith worked at the FBI General Counsel's Office (GCO) and was assigned to Crossfire Hurricane, the probe of Trump's alleged ties with Russia during the 2016 election. In that capacity, he altered an email from the CIA that described Page as a source for the spy agency, to say he was "not" a source — enabling the FBI to request a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FIS…
(2021-01-29). 'Pharma bro' Martin Shkreli weighs in on GameStop-Robinhood saga, says he's 'willing to testify' to Congress. rt.com 
Infamous 'pharma bro' Martin Shkreli, who is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for securities fraud, has said he is "willing to testify" to Congress on the GameStop-Robinhood stocks controversy. | Shkreli weighed in on the raging controversy in an email to his ex-partner, former Bloomberg News reporter Christie Smythe, who made waves last month after giving an interview to Elle magazine about her relationship with the former hedge fund manager and Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO. | "LOL — this thing is so nuts," wrote Shkreli in the email posted by Smythe, adding: "You can let the world know, if y…
(2021-01-29). Black Lives Matter movement nominated for 2021 Nobel Peace Prize by Norwegian MP. rt.com 
The Black Lives Matter movement has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize by a Norwegian MP Petter Eide, who claims the impact of BLM's anti-racism rallies has been felt far beyond the US alone. | "I find that one of the key challenges we have seen in America, but also in Europe and Asia, is the kind of increasing conflict based on inequality," Eide said. | Black Lives Matter has become a very important worldwide movement to fight racial injustice. | In his nomination papers, the MP hailed the movement for its ability to "mobilize people from all groups of society," including in his native Norway, wher…
(2021-01-29). Will the Biden Administration End America's Global War on Children? juancole.com Most people regard Trump's treatment of immigrant children as among his most shocking crimes as president. Images of hundreds of children stolen from their families and imprisoned in chain-link cages are an unforgettable disgrace that President Biden must move quickly to remedy with humane immigration policies and a program to quickly find the children's families …
(2021-01-29). India frees 15 Iranian fishermen: Envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 30 (MNA) – Iran's ambassador to India announced the release of 15 Iranian fishermen who were imprisoned in the country since last year. ‚Äå…
(2021-01-29). Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Novel Genetically Engineered Color Additive That Makes Impossible Burger "Bleed" Moves Forward. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-01-29). Vilsack's Disturbing Suppression of USDA Science. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-01-29). Amid Broader Concerns Over Biden USDA Nominee, Watchdog Flags 'Disturbing Suppression' of Science by Vilsack. commondreams.org "Unless he pledges to implement significant safeguards for scientists, Tom Vilsack should not be confirmed. The days in which federal agencies function as scientific gulags should be behind us." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12300714871.jpg …
(2021-01-29). After Altercation, Rep. Cori Bush to Move Office Away From Far-Right Marjorie Taylor Greene for Team's Safety. commondreams.org Bush cited Greene's support for executing Democrats and "renewed, repeated antagonization of the movement for Black lives." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12296857061_0.jpg …
(2021-01-29). Joshua Wong pleads guilty to Hong Kong anti-mask protest charges. laprensalatina.com By Shirley Lau Hong Kong, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, currently in jail, appeared in a court Friday and pleaded guilty to charges related to a street protest held during the height of the city's pro-democracy movement in 2019. The 24-year-old, and renowned activist Koo Sze-yiu, 74, were accused of taking …
(2021-01-29). Scheer Intelligence: The FBI's Crusade Against MLK Was Darker Than You Think. popularresistance.org "You are done. There is only one way out for you. You better take it before your filthy, abnormal fraudulent self is bared to the nation." That's the shocking ending to the infamous letter Civil Rights hero Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. received in 1964 essentially urging him to commit suicide. The letter and accompanying package containing blackmail were sent by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as King quickly caught on. While the full, unredacted letter was finally published by the New York Times in 2014, the audio recordings of an extensive FBI wiretapping operation targeting King have been sealed until 2027…
(2021-01-29). Paraguay: Opposition Leader Efrain Alegre Faces Jail. telesurenglish.net A Paraguayan judge Thursday ordered pre-trial detention for the former presidential candidate Efrain Alegre, who is under investigation for an alleged corruption scandal related to his 2018 election campaign. | RELATED: | According to Guarantees Judge Cynthia Lovera, the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA) leader failed to comply with the alternative measures to prison imposed on him 20 days ago. | "Alegre syste…
(2021-01-29). Sam Pollard: The FBI's Crusade Against MLK Was Darker Than You Think. scheerpost.com Click to subscribe on: Apple / Spotify / Google Play "You are done. There is only one way out for you. You better take it before your filthy, abnormal fraudulent self is bared to the nation." That's the shocking ending to the infamous letter Civil Rights hero Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. received in 1964 essentially urging him to commit suicide. The letter and accompanying package containing… |
(2021-01-29). What Does Free Speech Mean Online? aclu.org Nearly three weeks ago, former President Donald Trump was banned from nearly every social media platform because of his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Just before Congress was set to certify Joe Biden as the next president of the United States, Trump instructed his supporters to, "fight much harder" against "bad people" and "show strength" at the Capitol. | The social media bans on Trump and his supporters ignited a debate about whether these social media companies have too much power over the speech of their users. Should they have banned Trump sooner? Are these bans legal? What kind of precedent does…
(2021-01-29). German court sentences far-right Làºbcke murderer: The fairytale of the lone wolf. wsws.org The Frankfurt Regional High Court sentenced Stephan Ernst, the killer of Kassel district president Walter Làºbcke, to the maximum prison term possible, but allowed his accomplices to walk free.
(2021-01-29). Catalan Pro-Independence Leaders Released From Prison. telesurenglish.net A few days before the regional elections, eight Catalan political prisoners who were convicted of sedition were released from prison on Friday. | RELATED: | The Catalan executive branch granted them a "semi-freedom" regime, which requires them to sleep in jail from Monday to Thursday. | This decision, however, could be challenged by the Prosecutor's Office, which may request that the Catalan politicians be returned to…
(2021-01-28). 'I Ain't Marching Anymore' chronicles 260 years of war resistance and conscientious objection. juancole.com From the American Revolution through the Global War on Terror, author Chris Lombardi tells the inspiring stories of people who refused to kill. By Frida Berrigan | — ( Waging Nonviolence) — Everywhere I look, violence is the answer. Geopolitics and foreign policy, criminal justice and incarceration, education and housing policy, entertainment — especially entertainment. …
(2021-01-28). Woman Arrested in Colombia Reveals 'Gideon Operation' Details. telesurenglish.net Yacsy Alvarez, a woman captured in Colombia over the Gideon Operation, revealed the complicity of President Ivan Duque's administration in the failed coup attempt against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro. | RELATED: | From La Picaleña prison in the Tolima Department, she assured that Colombian intelligence knew all the details of the paramilitary maritime incursion that took place in La Guaira state, Venezuela, on May 3, 2…
(2021-01-28). Washington Bullets: A History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations. peoplesworld.org 
The 20th century saw a wave of anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, national liberation movements transform the world, often with the aid of Soviet, Eastern European, and Cuban Communists. Just as often, these revolts against the old world — the racist, sexist world of subjugation and oppression of entire peoples — were violently suppressed. In the first two …
(2021-01-28). Freedom: The Burden of Accountability — Part 3. realprogressives.org 
"Great power involves great responsibility" -Franklin Delano Roosevelt | The following article is part of a larger, five—part series on accountability and reform as they pertain to freedom. Focusing primarily on American politics and history, the series draws on America's continual struggle towards that "more perfect society.""Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings. Homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, mental illness, and illiteracy are only a few of the problems that disappear from public view when the human beings contending with them are relegated to ca…
(2021-01-28). George Floyd "Narrated His Death," Says Attorney at International Inquiry. zcomm.org George Floyd, who was publicly tortured and lynched by Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020, narrated his own death, legendary civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump told the International Commission of Inquiry on Systemic Racist Police Violence Against People of African Descent in the United States…
(2021-01-28). Frank Biden touts his relationship to POTUS in Inauguration Day ad for Florida law firm. rt.com 
Joe Biden's brother Frank used the occasion of Inauguration Day to promote his relationship with the new president in an advertisement for the Florida law firm where he works as an adviser. | The ad appeared in the January 20 edition of Daily Business Review, a legal industry publication, and reportedly promoted Berman Law Group's work in leading a class-action lawsuit that accuses southern Florida sugar-cane growers of damaging the health of nearby residents through their controlled crop burns, CNBC News reported on Wednesday. | Frank Biden, who isn't a lawyer, says in the ad: "My brother is a model for how t…
(2021-01-28). Investors file CLASS ACTION SUIT against Robinhood over GameStop 'stonk' suppression. rt.com 
A group of investors has filed a class action complaint against the online brokerage Robinhood, after it stopped all buys of GameStop and other stocks. They call it a market manipulation aimed to protect short-selling hedge funds. | According to the lawsuit, filed on Thursday before a federal judge in the Southern District of New York, Robinhood "purposefully, willingly and knowingly" deprived retail investors of the ability to invest, accusing the brokerage of "manipulating" the market. | BREAKING: Class action complaint against
(2021-01-28). Saudi companies file lawsuit against Saad al-Jabri over embezzlement allegations. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi companies file lawsuit against Saad al-Jabri over embezzlement allegations | A campaign for Jabri's family said lawsuit was part of Saudi crown prince's 'desperate attempt' to distract world from Riyadh's human rights abuses | Thu, 01/28/2021 – 16: 15 | Mohammed bin Salman has centralised power and targeted any and all perceived foes and potential opponents since he outmanoeuvred more senior rivals in 20…
(2021-01-28). Saudi companies file Canadian lawsuit against Saad al-Jabri in embezzlement allegations. middleeasteye.net Saudi companies file Canadian lawsuit against Saad al-Jabri in embezzlement allegations | Campaign for Jabri's family says lawsuit is part of Saudi crown prince's 'desperate attempt' to distract world from Riyadh's human rights abuses | Thu, 01/28/2021 – 16: 15 | Mohammed bin Salman has centralised power and targeted any and all perceived foes since he outmanoeuvred more senior rivals in 2017 to become crown p…
(2021-01-28). Iranian press review: Outrage after lawmaker slaps and intimidates traffic officer. middleeasteye.net 
Iranian press review: Outrage after lawmaker slaps and intimidates traffic officer | Meanwhile, Iran's football federation tells a women's football referee to stop researching discrimination, and the true cost of Iran's brain drain | Thu, 01/28/2021 – 13: 50 | Iranian dailies accuse politicians of acting above the law without accountability (AFP) | Outrage after lawmaker slaps and i…
(2021-01-28). We're Suing to Restore Abortion Access to People in Guam. aclu.org Last week, we marked Roe Day, the 48th anniversary of the Supreme Court Yesterday, we filed a lawsuit in the federal district court in Guam, seeking to restore abortion access to the island. The lawsuit challenges two o…
(2021-01-28). 'Palestinian teen's health in danger in Israeli prison'. yenisafak.com Amal Nahla, 17, was taken into custody by Israeli forces on Jan. 21 and has been placed in administrative detention without any charge for six months, with the possibility of the duration being extended, according to Defense for Children International — Palestine.The teenager is suffering "shortness of breath" and a medical checkup showed that he has "chest and respiratory system" issues, the group said in a statement.Nahla has been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a long-term neuromuscular and autoimmune disease, it added.The statement also referred to a report by an Israeli hospital, Shaare Zedek Medical…
(2021-01-28). Israeli army detains 25 Palestinians in West Bank. yenisafak.com The Israeli army on Thursday detained 25 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian non-governmental organization said.In a press release, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said, the detention of Palestinians, including minors, took place at the dawn.It noted the detainees are from different provinces of the West Bank.The Israeli army frequently carries out wide-ranging arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem on the pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinians.Israel is holding about 4,400 Palestinian prisoners, including 40 women, in its prisons, while the number of child d…
(2021-01-28). NGOs | sue Macron gov't for 'humiliating, degrading' ID checks against | Blacks, Arabs. yenisafak.com Following long-lasting complaints by residents with diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds in France, a group of six non-governmental organizations (NGOs) decided to launch a rare class-action lawsuit against Macron's government, urging authorities to take concrete steps to end racial profiling in ID checks by law enforcement.The NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and four others, contended that French law enforcement particularly stop people of African or Arab descent more often than other ethnic groups during ID checks, an entrenched discriminatory problem, also acknowledged by President E…
(2021-01-28). German Neo-Nazi handed life sentence for 2019 murder of politician. laprensalatina.com Berlin, Jan 28 (efe-epa).- A Frankfurt court on Thursday sentenced Neo-Nazi Stephan Ernst to life in prison for the 2019 murder of conservative politician Walter Làºbcke in what was the first political murder trial in Germany since the 1970s. Làºbcke was a member of Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party and a regional governor in …
(2021-01-28). Florida Teachers Face Setback In Fight For Safe Schools. popularresistance.org The Broward Teachers Union's fight to secure work-from-home orders for about 1,100 teachers seems to have ended with an arbitrator's decision. | The BTU filed a lawsuit against Broward County Public Schools, demanding those teachers with health concerns be allowed to keep special accommodations which were granted in October. The district said only the most seriously ill teachers, about 600, would be allowed to teach from home as the rest were needed in the classroom. | The arbitrator sided with the district. | "This is a win for our students," said Superintendent Robert Runcie. "We recognize the health concerns o…
(2021-01-28). Gender Activists Protest Against Rape of a Teenager in Argentina. telesurenglish.net Over 300 women mobilized in Buenos Aires (Argentina) to demand the arrest of Humberto Garzon, who is accused of raping an 18-year-old Venezuelan girl. | RELATED: | Chanting "Garzon rapist, to jail aggressor", the demonstrators gathered peacefully in the Balvanera neighborhood to show solidarity with the victim identified as L.A.R. | The girl responded to a job offer at the "Garzon Uniformes" store specialized in clothing fo…
(2021-01-28). Uruguayan Human Rights Criminal Is Arrested in Spain. telesurenglish.net Spain's Police on Wednesday arrested ex-Colonel Eduardo Ferro who committed crimes against humanity during Uruguay's dictatorship (1973-1985). | RELATED: | His detention responded to an international arrest warrant issued by criminal judge Dolores Sanchez in 2017. He is accused of being responsible for the kidnapping and disappearance of communist militant Oscar Tassino in 1977. | NGO "Missing People Project" reported that…
(2021-01-28). The Unique Obstacles to Abortion Access in Guam. aclu.org Yesterday, I joined the ACLU in filing a lawsuit to restore abortion access to Guam. More than two years ago, the last known abortion provider in Guam retired, and thanks to outdated and medically unnecessary restrictions, island residents cannot use telemedicine — which over a decade of evidence and experience has shown to be a safe and effective means of providing medication abortion — to access legal abortion. In effect, these laws are operating as an abortion ban. | Unfortunately, this is not the first time advocates, like myself, have had to turn to the courts to defend access to safe and legal a…
(2021-01-28). Detroit City Council approves funding for counter-lawsuit against police violence protesters. wsws.org Democrats on the council approved funding for a lawsuit that charges protest organization Detroit Will Breathe with civil conspiracy, rioting and destruction of property during the George Floyd protests last summer and attacks their First Amendment rights.