2021-02-13: News Headlines

Hi'Keem Mobley (2021-02-13). $3 billion to spare? Alabama's governor spends on prisons. liberationnews.org Alabama is making one of the largest public expenditures in the state's history—on building new prisons. Governor Ivey should put $3 billion dollars towards making Alabamians' lives better, and not towards justifying mass incarceration.

Ryan Hamby (2021-02-13). Interview: Formerly incarcerated organizer on Feb. 6 St. Louis jail protest. liberationnews.org On February 10, Liberation News interviewed Ronnie Amiyn, an organizer with EXPO (Ex-Incarcerated People Organizing) St. Louis about the organization, the conditions in St. Louis jails, the protests and organizing of incarcerated people and the responses of jail officials and the media.

Gabriela Silva (2021-02-13). Wrongly jailed Queens youth organized own defense from prison: Free Prakash Churaman! liberationnews.org The Free Prakash Alliance continues to demand that the Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz drop all charges against Prakash Churaman.

yenisafak (2021-02-13). ANALYSIS – Palestinian elections to test Fatah's cohesion. yenisafak.com Abbas is facing stiff competition from two candidates — Marwan Barghouti, a member of the central committee currently serving a life sentence in an Israeli jail, and Muhammad Dahlan, a controversial figure who was dismissed and is currently harbored by the United Arab Emirates as he faces legal cases from Palestine and Turkey on several charges, including murder, corruption, and involvement in a 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.Palestinian factions agreed Tuesday in Cairo to establish an elections court based on a national consensus among judges from Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.- Barred from runningAbdullah K…

RT (2021-02-13). Biden to 'review' Guantanamo prison with 'intention' to close facility by end of term — 12 years after Obama made same promise. rt.com The Joe Biden administration will carry out a "robust review" of the Guantanamo Bay prison, aiming to shutter the detention center before his term is up, the White House said, some 12 years after Barack Obama vowed to do the same.

The Lancet (2021-02-13). [Editorial] Improving prisoner health for stronger public health. thelancet.com COVID-19 vaccine policy for prisoners has been in the headlines across the USA and the UK. Discordant strategies exist, ranging from no vaccination, to vaccination equivalent to people in the community, to higher prioritisation for people in prison. Prisons are dangerous hotspots for acquiring SARS-CoV-2, and individuals who return to the community could unwittingly transmit the virus. In the USA alone, 372‚Äà583 prisoners have had COVID-19, with 2359 deaths, according to the Marshall Project. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to address racial and social inequalities globally, but…

Ruth E Langley, Duncan C Gilbert, Trinh Duong, Noel W Clarke, Matthew Nankivell, Stuart D Rosen, Stephen Mangar, Archie Macnair, Subramanian Kanaga Sundaram, Marc E Laniado, Sanjay Dixit, Sanjeev Madaan, Caroline Manetta, Alvan Pope, Christopher D Scrase, Stephen Mckay, Iqtedar A Muazzam, Gerald N Collins, Jane Worlding, Simon T Williams, Edgar Paez, Angus Robinson, Jonathan McFarlane, John V Deighan, John Marshall, Silvia Forcat, Melanie Weiss, Roger Kockelbergh, Abdulla Alhasso, Howard Kynaston, Mahesh Parmar (2021-02-13). [Articles] Transdermal oestradiol for androgen suppression in prostate cancer: long-term cardiovascular outcomes from the randomised Prostate Adenocarcinoma Transcutaneous Hormone (PATCH) trial programme. thelancet.com Long-term data comparing tE2 patches with LHRHa show no evidence of a difference between treatments in cardiovascular mortality or morbidity. Oestrogens administered transdermally should be reconsidered for androgen suppression in the management of prostate cancer.

_____ (2021-02-13). Wrongly Jailed Queens Youth Organized Own Defense From Prison. popularresistance.org On Feb. 10, now 21-year-old Prakash Churaman of Queens, New York, stood on the steps of Queens Criminal Court addressing a crowd of supporters just before his latest trial. He spoke confidently into the mic: "I'm ready to fight. This is round two. And I just want to say…free them all!" | At age 15, Churaman was held and aggressively interrogated by the New York Police Department for the fatal shooting of his best friend Taquane Clark. After he and his mother were subjected to hours of intimidation tactics by Detectives Barry Brown and Daniel Gallagher, Churaman agreed to say whatever they wanted to hear: in thi…

Andrew Emett (2021-02-13). Former California Assemblyman sentenced to federal prison for money laundering. nationofchange.org U.S. District Judge James Donato sentenced the former State Assemblyman to one year and one day in prison and ordered him to pay $685,000 in restitution.

Ted Kelly (2021-02-12). 'Progressive' prosecutors put thousands of lives at risk. workers.org Philadelphia The novel coronavirus has claimed an unlikely victim in the United States: the Sixth Amendment. The right to a "speedy trial" is in critical condition. Philadelphia's county jail population has risen to 4,500 and is growing steadily. Half of those behind bars have "detainers," meaning they aren't eligible for . . . |

Rosa Astra (2021-02-12). Make Our Schools and Communities Safe caravan takes to streets of San Francisco. liberationnews.org More than 100 cars bearing signs saying "More resources, less lawsuits"; "Fund our schools"; and "Fund our communities" traveled through San Francisco Feb. 10. The Make Our Schools and Communities Safe caravan was called in response to City Attorney Dennis Herrera's announcement that the City would sue the school district to reopen schools. Over 100 …

Judy Greenspan (2021-02-12). Biden and Harris won't help prisoners. workers.org The following are lightly edited remarks from a Workers World Party webinar on January 21. It's actually been a very painful time for those of us who are involved in supporting incarcerated workers. And people behind the walls are incarcerated workers, and they're part of our working class. They're part . . . |

Rayhan Uddin (2021-02-12). Detained Saudi aid worker spoke to family for one minute in three years. middleeasteye.net Detained Saudi aid worker spoke to family for one minute in three years | Sister of Abdulrahman al-Sadhan tells MEE his family is desperate to see him released after years in prison without charges | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 19: 00 | Detained aid worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan graduating from Notre Dame de Namur University in California in 2013 (Courtesy Areej al-Sadhan) | One year ago, detained Saudi aid work…

MEE staff (2021-02-12). Biden administration says it aims to close Guantanamo Bay by end of term. middleeasteye.net Biden administration says it aims to close Guantanamo Bay by end of term | White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says closing prison camp before Biden leaves office 'certainly is our goal and our intention' | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 21: 31 | Demonstrators dressed in Guantanamo Bay prisoner uniforms march past Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on 9 January 2020 | The Biden administration has launched a formal review of…

MEE staff (2021-02-12). 'We want real justice': Loujain al-Hathloul's family slams conditions of release. middleeasteye.net 'We want real justice': Loujain al-Hathloul's family slams conditions of release | Since Loujain's sentence was only suspended, not pardoned, Saudi Arabia retains right to return her to prison for any perceived criminal activity | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 16: 27 | A woman viewing a tweet posted by sister of Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul, Lina, in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on 10 February (AFP/File photo) | Af…

CP Editor (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader on Corporate Crime, Holding Boeing Accountable for 737 MAX Deaths & Biden's First Weeks. counterpunch.org

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-12). Hearings continue against anti-terror law in the Philippines. peoplesdispatch.org On Tuesday, February 9, the second day of the hearings on Philippines' controversial Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), the Supreme Court continued to receive oral arguments from the petitioners. Lawyers representing 37 petitioners against the law focused their attack on the new law's potential to do away with protections that were earlier afforded to prisoners and the accused. | According to

Staff (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader: Biden Must Hold Boeing Accountable for Deaths Due to Faulty Planes. truthout.org Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader says the U.S. is experiencing a "corporate crime wave," and that the Trump administration's $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing over the manufacturer's faulty 737 MAX jets amounts to a "slap on the wrist." Boeing's faulty planes were involved in two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, including Nader's 24-year-old grandniece Samya Stumo. Nader says the Biden Justice Department should reopen the previous administration's settlement and…

Areeb Ullah (2021-02-12). Syrian militants urged to release US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem. middleeasteye.net Syrian militants urged to release US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem | Idlib-based reporter was arrested six months ago after raising concerns about alleged torture of prisoners by HTS | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 15: 55 | Bilal Abdul Kareem has reported from opposition-held Syria since 2014 (Screengrab) | A leading media freedom monitor has called for the release of US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, six months aft…

Staff (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader on Corporate Crime, Holding Boeing Accountable for 737 MAX Deaths & Biden's First Weeks. democracynow.org Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader says the U.S. is experiencing a "corporate crime wave," and that the Trump administration's $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing over the manufacturer's faulty 737 MAX jets amounts to a "slap on the wrist." Boeing's faulty planes were involved in two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, including Nader's 24-year-old grandniece Samya Stumo. Nader says the Biden Justice Department should reopen the previous administration's settlement and hold Boeing fully accountable. "This is just another example of giant companies getting away with their corporate criminal…

Staff (2021-02-12). Where Are the Witnesses? Ralph Nader Says Democrats' Impeachment Case Is "Prescription for Defeat" democracynow.org As the historic Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump continues, we speak with longtime consumer advocate, corporate critic and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who says Democrats have set themselves up for defeat by rushing proceedings and failing to call witnesses — including Trump himself. "The narrow approach of the articles of impeachment keep the Democrats from having a full hand," says Nader. "They have like 10 arrows in their quiver and they're using one or two."

RT (2021-02-12). NY AG brands Amazon 'corporate bully' after tech giant sues to block lawsuit on alleged Covid worker negligence. rt.com New York state's attorney general has dismissed Amazon's move to preemptively sue the office over its inquiries into the e-commerce retailer's alleged neglect of employee safety amid the pandemic as a "sad attempt" at distraction. | On Friday, Amazon sued NY Attorney General Letitia James, accusing her of legally threatening the company and overstepping her remit. The suit also said that an unannounced city inspection of Amazon's Staten Island facility on March 30 — the first day of worker protests over conditions at the site — found that complaints about safety were "completely baseless". | Respondi…

RT (2021-02-12). 'Those protests were dreadful': UK Home Secretary says she 'wouldn't kneel' for BLM, kicking off online slugfest. rt.com Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel is no fan of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement, and her latest anti-BLM declaration, in which she called the demonstrations "dreadful," has ignited a storm of controversy online. | Speaking to London-based radio station LBC on Friday, Patel told host Nick Ferrari that she wouldn't "take the knee" for the Black Lives Matter movement, as so many professional athletes, entertainers, and even "No I would not, I would not have at the time either. Th…

_____ (2021-02-12). Jettison the Johnson: Transwomen Athletes Crashing Female Sports Will Only Hurt the Game. strategic-culture.org As the Biden administration moves to make it illegal to deny the participation of birth males in female sport, a number of courageous athletes and academics are beginning to speak out on the issue, warning that the presidential orders will have disastrous consequences on their profession, and possibly their lives. | On the very same day of his locked-down inauguration, Joe Biden signed off on dozens of executive orders, including one gem entitled, 'Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation'. The controversial legislation, which has never been the subject of seri…

Philip Weiss (2021-02-12). If Navalny deserves support, why not Issa Amro? zcomm.org Where is the U.S. government on a Palestinian activist at a time when it has highlighted the freedom of other groups to protest (notably the imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Russia)…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-02-12). 'End… This Human Rights Atrocity,' Says Amnesty After Biden Admin Signals Goal to Close Gitmo. commondreams.org Asked whether the president will shutter the prison, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, "That certainly is our goal and our intention." | www.flickr.com/photos/shriekingtree/6688582501

Human Rights Watch (2021-02-12). Saudi Arabia releases Women's Rights Activist Loujain al-Hathloul but Bans her Travel. juancole.com (Beirut) — Saudi authorities released from prison the prominent women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul on February 10, 2021, Human Rights Watch said today. However, she is banned from travel and has a suspended sentence, which allows the authorities to return her to prison at any time for any perceived criminal activity. In late December 2020, …

commondreams (2021-02-12). President Biden Must Close Guant√°namo Bay Detention Center, End Twenty Years of Human Rights Abuses. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-02-12). Muslim Advocates Files Brief on Trump's Anti-Muslim Motives in Detaining Guantanamo Prisoner. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Esther Schrader (2021-02-12). Remembering Johnnie Mae Chappell: A Jim Crow-era injustice resonates in period of Black Lives Matter. splcenter.org &nbsp…

ACLU NorCal SCU Law Club (2021-02-12). The Racial Justice Act & Addressing Bias in our Criminal Justice System. indybay.org Join the ACLU NorCal Club and BLSA on Feb. 23rd from 12-1pm PST (Zoom) to learn from experts about racial bias in our criminal justice system and the recently enacted California Racial Justice Act. | The CA RJA prohibits the state from seeking or obtaining a conviction or imposing a sentence "on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin." How successful should we expect the Act to be in its mission to address racial bias? Where does it fall short? What more can we do to work toward a truly equitable criminal justice system devoid of racial bias? | Register here to be entered in a raffle where you can win o…

Matt Sedlar (2021-02-12). Resignation of Trump-Appointed US Attorneys Is Just The Start Of DOJ's De-Trumpification. cepr.net Talking Points Memo See article on original site In the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, the Department of Justice was created in part to deliver and oversee equal rights to formerly enslaved Black men and women. This corrective institution was a major step toward building a federal government that protects the civil rights of all …

RT (2021-02-11). US cancels $42 million in Myanmar aid over military coup… then redirects it to nation's 'civil society'. rt.com The US has slapped a raft of sanctions on Myanmar's top military to block their access to more than a billion dollars in government funds being held in America, and will redirect millions in US aid to "strengthen civil society." | The Biden administration has designated six members of Myanmar's National Defense and Security Council, including General Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the ruling military junta that seized power last week after ousting Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government. Hlaing led the military detention of Suu Kyi and Myanmar's other political leaders, who are currently under house arrest, and…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-11). UN human rights expert demands release of rights activists imprisoned in the UAE. peoplesdispatch.org United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, asked the UAE government on Wednesday, February 10, to release three human rights defenders serving 10 year jail terms. She claimed that their mistreatment and harassment in prison amounts to torture. | In a press release, Lawlor claimed that, "not only have Mohamed Al-Roken, Ahmed Mansoor and Nasser Bin Ghaith been criminalized and imprisoned for their non-violent and legitimate calls for respect for human rights in the UAE, they have been subjected to ill-treatment in prison." | #AhmedMansoor Anonymous via EXPO (2021-02-11). Letter from an inmate: St Louis prisoners protest COVID violations, inhumane conditions. liberationnews.org Early in the morning of February 6, inmates at the St. Louis City Justice Center protested for seven hours over the complete lack of response by jail officials to complaints from inmates about conditions in the CJC.

Ragip Soylu (2021-02-11). Turkey quickly gets into fight with Biden over Osman Kavala. middleeasteye.net Turkey quickly gets into fight with Biden over Osman Kavala | US State Department criticises Ankara over its human rights record while top officials avoid calling Turkish counterparts | Thu, 02/11/2021 – 12: 04 | A journalist stands in front of a poster featuring jailed businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala during a press conference of his lawyers on 31 October 2018 (AFP) | Tensions rose between Tu…

Umar A Farooq (2021-02-11). Saudi dissident files lawsuit against McKinsey for outing him as MBS opponent. middleeasteye.net Saudi dissident files lawsuit against McKinsey for outing him as MBS opponent | Omar Abdulaziz claims consultancy firm McKinsey outed him as a critic to the Saudi government and MBS in 2016 | Thu, 02/11/2021 – 16: 36 | Omar Abdulaziz has told MEE that Saudi agents had attempted to lure him to the kingdom's consulate in Canada months before the killing of Jamal Khashoggi (MEE/Jillian Kestler-D'Amour…

Nadda Osman (2021-02-11). UAE urged to free Jordanian imprisoned for highlighting corruption in Amman. middleeasteye.net UAE urged to free Jordanian imprisoned for highlighting corruption in Amman | Ahmed al-Atoum was sentenced to ten years in prison over social media posts criticising Jordan's king and government | Thu, 02/11/2021 – 13: 15 | The Jordanian activist was sentenced to ten years over his social media posts (Screengrab/Social media) | Human rights organisations have this week urged the United Arab Emirates to r…

Staff (2021-02-11). Headlines for February 11, 2021. democracynow.org "The Inciter-in-Chief": Democrats Accuse Trump of Being "Singularly Responsible" for Insurrection, Trump Attacked Pence on Twitter Minutes After Learning VP Was Evacuated from Capitol, Georgia Prosecutor Opens Criminal Probe of Trump over Election Interference, U.S. COVID Death Toll Tops 471,000; Half of All Deaths Occurred Since Nov. 1, WHO Backs Use of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine, Saudi Women's Rights Activist Loujain al-Hathloul Released After 1,001 Days in Prison, Biden & Xi Jinping Speak on Phone as U.S. Forms Military Task Force on China, U.S. Sanctions Military Junta as Anti-Coup Protests Continue in Burma,…

teleSUR (2021-02-11). Brazil: Army and Supreme Court Plotted To Keep Lula Imprisoned. telesurenglish.net The Brazilian Army plotted with the Supreme Court to prevent the socialist leader Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva from leaving prison and challenging Jair Bolsonaro for the presidency back in 2018, the Army's former head Eduardo Villas-Boas revealed on Thursday. | RELATED: | According to the 13-hour testimony, the Army threatened the Supreme Court to reject a habeas corpus appeal to free Lula. " We had an increase in demands for military…

teleSUR (2021-02-11). Immigrants Win Lawsuit Against Los Angeles Sheriff Department. telesurenglish.net The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) must pay US$14 million in monetary damages to over 18.500 migrants who were illegally detained at its facilities. | RELATED: | The case is a warning for all U.S. law enforcement agencies, which continue to detain immigrants without proper warrants. | "Law enforcement agencies act as if basic pr…

Sophia Purdy-Moore (2021-02-11). Angola has decriminalised same-sex relationships. Will the rest of Africa follow? thecanary.co Angola has introduced a new penal code which decriminalises same-sex relationships and prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. The colonial-era code, which characterised gay relationships as "vices against nature", was

Staff (2021-02-11). The DOJ Has Released Its Clearest Evidence Yet Tying Jan. 6 Militants to Trump. truthout.org Federal prosecutors filed papers on Thursday asking a judge to keep a militia leader in jail who has been charged with planning an attack on the Capitol on January 6. The papers contain some of the most direct language yet from the Department of Justice (DOJ) tying former President Donald Trump to the members of the mob that violently breached the Capitol building. | In the months leading up to the attack, military veteran, member of the far right militia group Oath Keepers, and leader of th…

Online News Editor (2021-02-11). 3 get prison until death for crimes during Bangladesh liberation war. laprensalatina.com Dhaka, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal sentenced three people in jail until death and five more to 20 years in prison on Thursday for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 struggle for independence from Pakistan. The three-judge panel of the International Crimes Tribunal, led by Justice Md Shahinur Islam, acquitted one of …

Susan Price (2021-02-11). Australia must cut all business and military ties to Myanmar/Burma coup regime. greenleft.org.au The Socialist Alliance strongly condemns the February 1 military coup in Myanmar/Burma and the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the National League for Democracy and calls on the Australian government to deny recognition to the regime.

Elie Mystal (2021-02-11). Fox News Should Pay for the Lies and Slander It Helped Promote. thenation.com Fox News Should Pay for the Lies and Slander It Helped Promote…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2021-02-11). Advocacy Groups Sue Biden Admin. to Force Release of Trump-Era Family Immigration Detention Records. commondreams.org "Children should be able to grow up with their families, friends, and communities—not be detained based solely on their immigration status." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/detained.jpg

sputniknews (2021-02-11). After 'Mandalorian' Star Carano's Firing, Twitter Hounds Out Co-Star Pascal's Controversial Posts. sputniknews.com During Black Lives Matter mass protests in 2020, Disney drew sharp criticism from British-Nigerian actor John Boyega, who played Finn in the Star Wars films and accused the media company of pushing black characters "to the side" in the franchise while focusing heavily on the development of white characters.

The Canary (2021-02-11). KKK member jailed for driving into crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters. thecanary.co A member of the Ku Klux Klan has been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison on charges of driving his pickup truck through a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters in Virginia. | KKK: | Harry Rogers, 37, of Hanover County, was convicted of three counts of assault and battery, one count of destruction of property, and one count of failure to stop at the scene of an accident in connection with the attack last June in Henrico County near Richmond, the state capital, news outlets reported. | Rogers pleaded guilty on 5 February and had three felony charges and a fourth misdemeanour assault count…

commondreams (2021-02-11). Launch of Mustafa Kassem Fellowship in Memory of U.S. Citizen Who Died in Egyptian Prison. commondreams.org ______________________________…