(2021-02-05). The Struggle Inside Senator Mitch McConnell's Brain. counterpunch.org Since 2015, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell has ruled the Senate with an iron hand, describing himself as "the Guardian of Gridlock." He was Senator "NO," except for confirming over 200 mostly corporatist federal judges. Now comes a new challenge for Mitch McConnell as he leads 49 other Republican Senators, twenty of whom are up
(2021-02-05). COVID lockdown fuels prison suicide. workers.org 
By Miley Selena Fletcher The following letter is from a transgender incarcerated worker at SCI Forest in Pennsylvania. On Jan. 6, an inmate nicknamed Brother Bernie (Bernie Shank), who was in his 60s and doing a life sentence, came out of his cell at State Correctional Institution (SCI) Forest on . . . |
(2021-02-05). Perpetrator of French apartment fire sentenced to 25 years. yenisafak.com A French court on Thursday sentenced the perpetrator of the 2017 fire in Mulhouse to 25 years in prison.Six people, four of them Turkish, died in the fire in an apartment building. Two Algerian nationals also died.The Colmar High Criminal Court found French defendant Aurelien Roellinger guilty of arson.A lawyer of the Turkish families, Gulcan Yasin, told Anadolu Agency that Roellinger is a dangerous and criminal person."Those who lost their lives will not come back, but justice has been served," she said, adding the families welcomed the decision.Ertun and Aksu families' house in Mulhouse's Bourtzwiller District…
(2021-02-05). UN Security Council urges democratic return in Myanmar. yenisafak.com The UN Security Council voiced "deep concern" Thursday at the situation in Myanmar after the military overthrew the civilian government and jailed political and civil society leaders.The council decided what it said was the "arbitrary" detentions of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, as well as the military's unilateral imposition of a state of emergency. It called for the "immediate release" of all those swept up in military raids and urged a return to democratic norms."The members of the Security Council emphasized the need for the continued support of the democratic transition in Myanma…
(2021-02-04). DeRay Mckesson — Policing is the laziest response. therealnews.com 
This week, civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson highlights some alarming statistics about police violence, which continued unabated in 2020 despite nationwide protests, and recounts his years as a teacher, connecting his pedagogical practice to his calling as an activist.
(2021-02-04). Tehran slams Iranian diplomat's 20-year jail term for bomb plot as 'violation of international law'. rt.com 
The 20-year jail term handed down to an Iranian diplomat by a Belgian court for his role in a foiled bomb plot is illegal and a clear violation of international law, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. | Assadolah Assadi, 49, who served as Iran's envoy in Vienna, was given the maximum sentence on Thursday in Europe's first trial of an Iranian official on terrorism charges since the Iranian revolution of 1979. | "As we have stated many times before, Assadolah Assadi's detention, the judicial process and the recent sentencing are illegal and a clear violation of international law, especially t…
(2021-02-04). Anita Torrez, Southwestern labor leader and Communist activist, dies at 94. peoplesworld.org 
The American working class suffered a great loss on Jan. 31 with the passing of Anita Torrez. Torrez, who celebrated her 94th birthday last fall, spent almost her entire adult life in the struggles for economic justice and against racist and sexist discrimination. Born and raised by farmworkers in the small farming village of Gila, in Southwestern New …
(2021-02-04). The Heat: Russia politics. america.cgtn.com 
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny sentenced to jail in a move criticized by western nations. How will his arrest impact U.S.-Russia relations?>
(2021-02-04). I Was Shackled to My Bed After Giving Birth. Then They Took My Baby Away. truthout.org 
I'm R87914. Even though I'm no longer in prison, that number, just like my social security number and name, will never change. I'm also a proud mom and a new one at that. There were no balloons or cards, no flowers or family allowed in the delivery room at the time of my daughter Aniela's birth. | The prison where I was incarcerated wouldn't allow mothers-to-be to go into labor naturally. Too inconvenient. Each birth was scheduled ahead of time. Mothers were not told until the morning of their sch…
(2021-02-04). Keeley Schenwar Memorial Essay Prize. truthout.org 
Truthout is proud to launch the Keeley Schenwar Memorial Essay Prize. | This prize will go to a formerly incarcerated person for an essay of 1,500 words or less on the topic of prisons, policing or a related subject. It may be written as a first-person narrative (although that is not a requirement). Two winners will be chosen and awarded a prize of $3,000 each. The essays will be published on Truthout. | This prize is in honor of Keeley Schenwar, who was a devoted mother, daughter, sister, friend, writer and advocate for incarcerat…
(2021-02-04). Bay Area movement: 'Mass releases, not mass deaths!'. workers.org 
Oakland, Calif. Courtney Morris of No Justice Under Capitalism speaks at Port of Oakland rally. Jan. 31 — Today as a plane pulled a banner, "Newsom: Free prisoners 2 stop Covid deaths," through the sky over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, protesters held signs against "State execution by COVID 19" . . . |
(2021-02-04). 111 NGOs Call On Biden To Close Guantánamo. popularresistance.org On February 2, more than a hundred non-governmental organizations joined a letter led by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Center for Victims of Torture, urging President Joe Biden to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba and end indefinite military detention. The letter is signed by organizations ranging from those working to end anti-Muslim discrimination and torture to immigrant rights organizations and organizations working broadly on civil rights, civil liberties, and racial justice at the national and local level. It emphasizes the devastating and ongoing consequences of the prison, including…
(2021-02-04). Mass Rapes. Sweeping Surveillance. Forced Labor. Exposing China's Crackdown on Uyghur Muslims. democracynow.org 
China faces widespread condemnation following a BBC report about the mass rape and sexual torture of Uyghur women and other Muslims detained in the province of Xinjiang. Women who spoke with the BBC described gang rapes, routine sexual torture using electrocution tools, forced sterilizations and men outside the prison camps paying for access to the detainees. China has rejected the report as "wholly without factual basis" and claims its mass detention of Muslim minorities is part of a "vocational training" program to counter extremism. Meanwhile, The Intercept has obtained a massive police surveillance database u…
(2021-02-04). Voting software firm Smartmatic files $2.7 billion suit against Fox, Giuliani & Sidney Powell over election-fraud claims. rt.com 
Fox News is facing a rise of the machines, voting machines that is, as election software firm Smartmatic is suing the network, three of its anchors and lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell for allegedly false claims of fraud. | The defamation
(2021-02-04). Belgium court sentences Iranian envoy to 20 years in jail over Paris bomb plot. middleeasteye.net 
Belgium court sentences Iranian envoy to 20 years in jail over Paris bomb plot | Antwerp trial was the first of an Iranian official for suspected terrorism in Europe since Iran's 1979 revolution | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 14: 08 | A heavily armed policeman stands outside the courthouse in Antwerp (AFP) | An Iranian diplomat accused of planning to bomb a meeting of an exiled opposition group was s…
(2021-02-04). Moscow officials deny conditions at post-protest detention centers are overcrowded as journalist live-blogs time behind bars. rt.com 
A row has broken out over conditions in Russian jails as facilities struggle to accommodate the large number of arrests made at protests earlier this week in support of imprisoned opposition figure Alexey Navalny. | A series of photographs published on Thursday, purportedly taken by detainees at the Sakharovo immigration detention center in the Moscow Region, which has been co-opted to house arrested demonstrators, show them sleeping two to a bunkbed, or resting at picnic tables. One cell, equipped with four metal beds without mattresses, reportedly housed 28 people. The scenes sparked concern for the wellbein…
(2021-02-04). Iran: Human rights experts condemn execution of Baloch minority prisoner. news.un.org United Nations independent human rights experts on Thursday, condemned the hanging of a prisoner from the Baloch minority in Iran, voicing fear that a "disturbing" recent increase in executions of community members "will continue".
(2021-02-04). 50 Bangladesh opposition leaders jailed for attack on Hasina 2 decades ago. laprensalatina.com Dhaka, Feb 4 (efe-epa).- A Bangladesh court on Thursday sent 50 opposition members up to 10 years in jail after finding them guilty in an attack on a motorcade of Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina nearly two decades ago. The motorcade of the incumbent prime minister came under attack in August 2002, when she was …
(2021-02-04). I'm for Abolition. And Yet I Want the Capitol Rioters in Prison. thenation.com I'm for Abolition. And Yet I Want the Capitol Rioters in Prison.
(2021-02-04). Dehumanization Through the Dynamics of Racial Discrimination. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | "It is race, is it not, that puts the hundred millions …
(2021-02-04). New report shows persistent racial and ethnic disparities in youth incarcerations. nationofchange.org While youth incarceration has dropped by almost half over the last decade, Back and American Indian youth are more likely to be incarcerated than white youth.
(2021-02-04). Black Lives Matter Deserves Nobel Prize. progressive.org The organization touched a chord in this land and overseas by making us acknowledge that racism is a scourge on human progress.
(2021-02-03). November 17th, 1973 and the Legacy of State Terror. dissidentvoice.org 
In a prison hospital in Athens, Greece, a man named Dimitris Koufontinas lies unconscious most of the time. Almost a month into a water-only hunger strike, one of his tremendously weakened organs could fail, and he could die at any moment. As always, there's a lot happening in the world. Ongoing wars between countries, civil …
(2021-02-03). South Carolina prison denies medication to incarcerated women. liberationnews.org 
Being incarcerated greatly increases the risk of contracting COVID-19. In fact, prisoners are 550% more likely to contract the virus and 300% more likely to die from it.
(2021-02-03). The time is now for Leonard Peltier's freedom! liberationnews.org 
February 6, 2021 will mark 45 years of Leonard's unjust imprisonment. In 1976 the FBI's false claims led to Leonard's extradition from Canada to face trial in the United States. It is not time to be discouraged, it is time to continue the fight!
(2021-02-03). The Lesson Of The BLM Protests: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com Remember when Americans shook the earth with massive protests demanding an end to the police state and the entire liberal establishment just kept saying "I hear you, I agree with you" and then did absolutely nothing to even reduce police brutality? It's important to remember such lessons. | People would ask me "Why are you supporting Black Lives Matter Caitlin? Don't you see all the corporations and corporate Dems support it? Why would they do that if it didn't serve them?" This is why they did it. Empty words of support can defuse a situation far easier than open opposition. | Imagine if all the plutocrats, pun…
(2021-02-03). MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell gets his company banned from Twitter, provokes Newsmax host to WALK OFF SET with election-fraud claims. rt.com 
Twitter has banished MyPillow after company founder Mike Lindell used the account to reiterate claims of election fraud and accuse the social media platform's chief executive, Jack Dorsey, of being "tied into" the alleged crimes. | "Jack Dorsey is trying to cancel me (Mike Lindell) out," Lindell tweeted through MyPillow's account on Sunday, in a message thanking supporters who ordered pillows after Kohl's and other major retailers stopped carrying the company's products. "We are extremely busy and hiring as fast as we can to handle all the shipping. Jack (Dorsey) will be found out and should be put in prison w…
(2021-02-03). Supreme Court pauses Trump immigration cases, as Biden plans to overturn Trump policies & orders a review of 'kids in cages'. rt.com 
The US Supreme Court has canceled arguments on two Trump-era immigration and border security cases, as President Joe Biden eases Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" policies. However, the controversial detention of minors continues. | The cases related to Trump's use of military funding to build his long-promised wall on the US-Mexico border, and his "remain in Mexico" asylum policy that required Central American migrants to wait in Mexico while their US asylum claims were processed. Both cases had been challenged by lower courts, and the Supreme Court was preparing to hear oral arguments in their favor until the…
(2021-02-03). Russian journalist Sergey Smirnov jailed for 25 days on charges of inciting people to attend pro-Navalny protests. rt.com 
The editor of Moscow-based news website Mediazona, founded by members of the Pussy Riot punk band, has been handed 25 days behind bars for promoting demonstrations in support of imprisoned opposition figure Alexey Navalny. | On Wednesday, the Tverskoy Court in Moscow read out the sentence for charges relating to repeated violation of a ban on holding mass events. Protests and other unauthorized public gatherings are banned in the capital, and many other Russian regions, under rules aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19. The charges could have carried up to 30 days in prison. | Mediazona claims that Smirnov w…
(2021-02-03). Headlines for February 3, 2021. democracynow.org Democrats Say Trump "Singularly Responsible" for Jan. 6 Insurrection in Impeachment Brief, U.S. to Start Sending Vaccines to Pharmacies; Single AstraZeneca Shot Cuts Transmission by 67%, Senate Confirms Alejandro Mayorkas as DHS Chief, Pete Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary, Senator Warren to Introduce Wealth Tax on Households Worth Over $50 Million, Kevin McCarthy Weighs Removing Marjorie Taylor Greene from Education Committee After Bipartisan Condemnation, Alexei Navalny Receives 3.5 Years in Prison Amid Mass Protests, Healthcare Workers in West Bank Receive Vaccines from Israel While Other Palestinians Mad…
(2021-02-03). Lawsuit Filed Over Migrant Deaths at U.S.-Mexico Border. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-02-03). The Struggle Inside Senator Mitch McConnell's Brain. commondreams.org Allowing the Trumpian half of his brain to overpower his judgment and vote to acquit Dangerous Donald would spell disaster for the Republican Party (assuming the Democratic Party doesn't go to sleep as it did after Obama's win in 2008). | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/mcconnell_biden_0.jpg …
(2021-02-03). 'Martyr Soleimani expanded Iran's experience in resistance'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 03 (MNA) — Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General said that Lt. General Soleimani internationalized the Iranian experience in resisting oppression.
(2021-02-03). Tackling Prison Profiteers Will Take More Than Banning Private Prisons. zcomm.org To fully address profit-driven punishment, the Biden administration will need to take aim at every tendril of the private prison industry — including immigration detention centers…
(2021-02-03). Biden's Private Prison Reform Must Include Immigration Detention Centers. commondreams.org To fully address profit-driven punishment, the Biden administration will need to take aim at every tendril of the private prison industry. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/privateprisons.jpg …
(2021-02-03). Russia: UN rights office 'deeply dismayed' by Navalny sentencing. news.un.org The UN human rights office, OHCHR, expressed dismay on Wednesday over the sentencing of Russian opposition politician and activist Aleksei Navalny, and urged the authorities to release scores of his supporters arrested during rallies protesting his detention.
(2021-02-03). Detained Medevac refugees call for support. greenleft.org.au Refugee rights supporters gathered outside the Park Hotel prison again to demand the detainees be released and for all detention centres to be closed down. Chloe DS reports.
(2021-02-03). Over 1,400 arrested after Putin critic Navalny jailed in Russia. laprensalatina.com Moscow, Feb 3 (efe-epa).- Russian police have arrested more than 1,400 people from various places during overnight protests to support jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, a rights monitoring group said on Wednesday. The OVD-Info that keeps track of political persecutions in Russia said the police detained 1,145 protesters from Moscow streets. Nearly 250 were arrested …
(2021-02-03). I Don't Just Want Trump Impeached. I Want Him Jailed. thenation.com I Don't Just Want Trump Impeached. I Want Him Jailed.
(2021-02-03). DOJ Drops Trump Initiated Lawsuit Accusing Yale of Discrimination Against Asian, White Applicants. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US government dropped a Trump administration lawsuit accusing Yale University of discriminating against Asian and White applicants for undergraduate admission, the Justice Department said on Wednesday.
(2021-02-03). Friday 2/19: UC Berkeley Day of Remembrance of E.O. 9066 Japanese American Prison Camps WWII. indybay.org Virtual event…
(2021-02-03). Saturday 2/13: Remembering EO 9066: The Suvivors of U.S. Japanese American Prison Camps WWII. indybay.org Online event…
(2021-02-03). Racial Inequality, Institutional Discrimination: The "Great Awokening" in Global and Class Context. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | From 1972 to 2010, at three church-related colleges and one public …
(2021-02-03). Sunday 2/7: Free Nasrin and ALL Iran's Political Prisoners: Heroism for These Times. indybay.org Revolution Books, 2444 Durant Ave. Berkeley CA 94704…
(2021-02-02). Defend Boƒüaziàßi University students against police state repression! wsws.org The Socialist Equality Group in Turkey condemns the police attacks and detention of more than 150 students yesterday at Boƒüaziàßi University and in ƒ∞zmir.
(2021-02-02). Facility for 'Quarantine Objectors' in Germany Ready for Inmates. anti-empire.com 
Machine translated from German | Today is the official start, but so far the rooms have not been used. Until Friday afternoon it was not foreseeable that the districts would already make use of the accommodation, said a spokeswoman for the district assembly. In the building on the grounds of the Moltsfelde juvenile detention center in Neumàºnster, there is space for up to six quarantine objectors. The cells are each twelve square meters in size and the facility is closed from the outside. The operator is the Segeberg district and makes them available to the other districts and independent cities. | Housi…
(2021-02-02). Alexey Navalny jailed for over 2.5 years as Moscow Court says he violated terms of suspended sentence in 'Yves Rocher' fraud case. rt.com 
Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny will serve two years and almost eight months in prison after being found guilty of breaking the terms of a suspended sentence, handed down for an embezzlement case in 2014. | On Tuesday, Moscow City Court ruled that Navalny had failed to regularly report to the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), and his excuse for non-appearance was deemed insufficient. Therefore, the judge decided that the suspended judgment should be converted into a real one. | The anti-corruption activist was originally sentenced in 2014 to three-and-a-half years, but he has already served close t…
(2021-02-02). Moscow slams West's 'foreign interference' as US & EU issue statements condemning jail sentence for opposition figure Navalny. rt.com As condemnation poured in from western leaders after a Moscow court sentenced opposition figure Alexey Navalny to nearly three years in prison, the Russian government cautioned the concerned westerners to mind their own business. | "Don't meddle in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. And we recommend that everyone deals with their own problems," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Moscow news outlet RBK on Tuesday. | "Believe me," she added, "there are enough of their own problems in these countries, there are plenty of issues to deal with." | Shortly before Zakharova spoke, Moscow's Simon…
(2021-02-02). 'Slow-motion genocide': West Papuan liberation leader describes Indonesian occupation. peoplesworld.org 
This article was first published in Morning Star on Jan. 29, 2021. It has been an incredible journey for exiled West Papuan leader Benny Wenda. From a childhood spent living in poverty in the mountains where he witnessed his auntie being raped by Indonesian soldiers to a daring escape from prison in 2002, his "long …
(2021-02-02). Illinois May Be First State to Eliminate Money Bail, But the Fight Isn't Over. truthout.org 
On January 13, the Illinois legislature passed the Once fully implemented in 2023, the Pretrial Fairness Act will make Illinois's pretrial syste…