2021-07-03: News Headlines

WSWS (2021-07-03). Assange turns 50 in Belmarsh prison, his life still under threat. wsws.org Assange has now spent more than one fifth of his life persecuted by the US state and its allies.

_____ (2021-07-03). #FreeAssange: Embattled Wikileaks Founder Turns 50 While Still Detained In A UK Prison. popularresistance.org On June 26 of this year, Stundin reported how Sigurdur Ingi Thordarson, a diagnosed sociopath and serial fraudster who cosied up to US authorities seeking to further their case against Assange, admitted that he'd spun a false narrative to advance his own interests. | This was not the first time that evidence related to charges against Assange turned out to be fabricated or trumped-up.

_____ (2021-07-03). US Censorship Is Increasingly Official. popularresistance.org The attempts to muzzle the press did not start with Trump, however. President Obama oversaw a war on whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, and ensured that Julian Assange has spent the best part of a decade in hiding or in prison. Assange's most notable journalistic action was to release the Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video, which showed US pilots massacring civilians—including two Reuters journalists—in cold blood.

Ben Norton (2021-07-03). Julian Assange spends 50th birthday in prison — Protesters demand freedom for WikiLeaks journalist. thegrayzone.com Julian Assange turns 50 on July 3. Protesters rallied outside the US Department of Justice in Washington, DC, demanding the release of the imprisoned WikiLeaks journalist.

Editor2 (2021-07-03). Two Major Developments in Julian Assange's Case Could be Game-Changing. orinocotribune.com By Steve Topple — Jun 30, 2021 | The case of Assange: MPs take action | First, former British Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn and current Labour MPs Diane Abbott and Richard Burgon visited Belmarsh prison. They delivered a letter from a group of 20 MPs, including themselves. As Corbyn tweeted, the letter demanded that the prison let them "exercise our right as Parliamentarians to v…

Ramona du Houx (2021-07-03). Supreme Court guts voting rights when upholding Arizona's restrictions, elected officials. indybay.org The U.S. Supreme Court gutted most of what remains of the landmark Voting Rights Act. Once hailed as the most effective civil rights legislation in the nation's history, now the Supreme Court has turned on the promise of democracy, the promise of equality and equity for all. For without voting rights, communities of color and low income become disenfranchised, and equality and equity unfulfilled dreams.

_____ (2021-07-03). Olympics Chiefs Relax Protest Rules For Tokyo Games. popularresistance.org The decision came amid calls to relax rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which states: "No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas." The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had promised to review the rule after the Black Lives Matter movement gained global support.

Staff (2021-07-03). Black Lives Matter gestures given green light for Tokyo Games as Olympic chiefs confirm athletes can kneel before events are held. rt.com The International Olympic Committee appears to have fully opened the door to gestures such as the taking of the knee for Black Lives Matter at this summer's games in Tokyo, easing the rules after consulting thousands of athletes. | A new version of International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines, produced to provide "further clarity and guidance" to athletes, gives stars the "opportunity to express their views" in areas including media zones and centers, at press conferences and on social media. | In a potentially telling section for competitors planning to repeat the kneeling gesture that has become prevalen…

Staff (2021-07-03). China's foreign minister calls for international 'Great Wall of Immunity' to stop Covid-19. rt.com Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the international community to work together to build a "Great Wall of Immunity" against Covid-19 on Saturday. | During a speech to the 9th World Peace Forum in Beijing, Wang The most urgent priority is to expedite the construction of the 'Great Wall of Immunity' to fend off the virus, surpass political discrimination and carry ou…

WSWS (2021-07-03). The democratic issues in Bill Cosby's release. wsws.org On Thursday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the April 2018 conviction of actor and entertainer Bill Cosby, ordering his immediate release from prison. The court ruled that the prosecution violated Cosby's Fifth Amendment right to protection against forced self-incrimination.

Allan Fisher (2021-07-03). Saturday 7/3: Protest US financed oppression in Palestine/Israel. indybay.org Corner of Ocean and Water Streets, Santa Cruz…

Mike Elk (2021-07-03). Whistleblower Retaliation Lawsuit Filed Against NewsGuild over Sexual Misconduct Cover-Up. indybay.org Independent reporter Mike Elk has sued the CWA NewsGuild for retaliation for exposing the president of the Pittsburgh, PA local who was a sexual predator and engaged in misconduct.

Commonwealth Club (2021-07-03). Monday 7/26: The Right to Vote at Age 18: Gen Z and the Fight Against Voter Suppression. indybay.org Online event (FREE)…

_____ (2021-07-02). Scheer Intelligence: The Public And Personal Urgency Of Assange's Case. popularresistance.org The saga of Julian Assange's persecution has been defined by leading human rights organizations as one of the most significant threats to press freedom in our time. The WikiLeaks founder published, among other devastating leaks, the "Collateral Damage" video obtained by Chelsea Manning that revealed war crimes being committed in Iraq by U.S. soldiers. As U.S. authorities attempted to extradite Assange for alleged violations of the Espionage Act of 1917, he took refuge for several years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in the U.K. until he was imprisoned in a high-security London facility in 2019. The WikiLeaks founder h…

Anonymous103 (2021-07-02). Key Witness For US Extradition Case Against Julian Assange Admits He Lied About The Wiki Leaks Publisher. southfront.org Written by Dr. Leon Tressell. Award winning journalist Julian Assange will spend his 50th birthday in a UK supermax prison for…

Editor2 (2021-07-02). Julian Assange is a 'Journalist of Distinction' & has to be Set Free, Jeremy Corbyn Tells RT Outside UK's Belmarsh Prison. orinocotribune.com Julian Assange's case should've ended as soon as a UK judge denied his extradition to the US, Jeremy Corbyn, former Labour leader, told RT as he joined other MPs to demand a meeting with the WikiLeaks founder in a London prison. | A group of British members of parliament have come to the walls of Belmarsh maximum-security prison in south-east London on Tuesday to protest the lack of transparency in Assange's case. | The MPs said their requests to meet with the founder of the WikiLeaks whistleblower website, who is wanted by Washington on espionage charges over the publication of classified documents on Iraq, Afgh…

_____ (2021-07-02). Prosecution Of Alex Saab Unjust, Illegal & Indefensible. popularresistance.org José António Dos Reis, former minister in Cape Verde, founder of the country's Movement for Democracy (MPD) ruling political party, and close to the current government, harshly criticized Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva (of the same political party) and the judicial authorities of Cape Verde for the illegal detention and abduction of the Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab.

Staff (2021-07-02). Prosecution of Alex Saab Unjust, Illegal & Indefensible: Cape Verdean Politician. orinocotribune.com José António Dos Reis, former minister in Cape Verde, founder of the country's Movement for Democracy (MPD) ruling political party, and close to the current government, harshly criticized Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva (of the same political party) and the judicial authorities of Cape Verde for the illegal detention and abduction of the Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab. | In his

_____ (2021-07-02). Prosecution Of Alex Saab Unjust, Illegal And Indefensible. popularresistance.org José António Dos Reis, former minister in Cape Verde, founder of the country's Movement for Democracy (MPD) ruling political party, and close to the current government, harshly criticized Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva (of the same political party) and the judicial authorities of Cape Verde for the illegal detention and abduction of the Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab. | In his article entitled "The Case of Alex Saab: Cape Verde Between Ambiguity and Schizophrenia" published by the online media outlet Santiago Magazine, the politician described the judicial process as "unjust, illegal, and indefensible," hi…

Ramona du Houx (2021-07-02). Supreme Court guts voting rights when upholding Arizona's restrictions, elected officials. indybay.org The U.S. Supreme Court gutted most of what remains of the landmark Voting Rights Act. Once hailed as the most effective civil rights legislation in the nation's history, now the Supreme Court has turned on the promise of democracy, the promise of equality and equity for all. For without voting rights, communities of color and low income become disenfranchised, and equality and equity unfulfilled dreams.

Staff (2021-07-02). Headlines for July 2, 2021. democracynow.org Supreme Court Upholds Arizona Voter Suppression Law in Latest Blow to Voting Rights Act, Supreme Court Strikes Down California Donor Law in Major Win for Dark Money Groups, Trump Organization Charged with Criminal Tax Fraud, CFO Charged with Grand Larceny, WHO Warns Delta Coronavirus Variant Driving Massive Third Wave Across Africa, Venezuela Begins Administering Cuban-Made Abdala COVID-19 Vaccine, Extreme Heat Wave Scorches Canada, Nearly Wiping Out Canadian Town of Lytton, Pelosi Appoints Republican Liz Cheney to Select Committee to Probe Capitol Insurrection, Attorney General Merrick Garland Halts Federal Exec…

Staff (2021-07-02). Trump Organization and Top Company Exec Charged with Tax Fraud. Is Donald Trump Next? democracynow.org The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has charged former President Donald Trump's family business with operating a 15-year tax fraud scheme, accusing the Trump Organization of helping executives evade taxes by giving them compensation off the books. Allen Weisselberg, the company's chief financial officer, who has worked with Trump for decades, was also charged with grand larceny for avoiding taxes on $1.7 million in perks that he did not report as income. Weisselberg surrendered Thursday and pleaded not guilty, and he could face up to a decade in prison if convicted. Legal experts suggest prosecutors targeted…

Editor2 (2021-07-02). Whistleblower and the Press Break the Code of Silence in an Australian Police State. orinocotribune.com By Steven Sahiounie — Jun 26, 2021 | David McBride calculates he faces up to 50 years in prison for being a whistleblower. McBride is an Australian whistleblower and former British Army major and Australian Army lawyer. He served two tours of duty in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2013 and received a combat services medal. But, his troubles began when he uncovered serious war crimes committed by Australian soldiers. He honored his duty to humanity and truth by leaking the information to the Australian press, who in turn were searched, and threatened with legal action for bringing the information forward in the inte…

Martha Grevatt (2021-07-02). UAW referendum: An opportunity for rank-and-file activism. workers.org Gary Jones, former International President of the United Auto Workers, was sentenced to 28 months imprisonment June 10 for his role in an embezzlement scheme that cost rank-and-file members millions of dollars in dues money. Jones and his cohorts — including his predecessor ex-President Dennis Williams, also sentenced — treated . . . |

Judy Greenspan (2021-07-02). DC action demands: 'End Trans ICE Detention!'. workers.org Carrying signs and three brightly painted pink coffins, transgender immigrant rights activists and their supporters marched on the White House June 23 to demand an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention of transgendered and HIV+ people. The coffins symbolized the deaths of three trans women, Roxsana Hernández, Victoria Arellano . . . |

Anonymous669 (2021-07-02). Syrian Authorities, Turkish-Backed Militants Swap Prisoners Under Russian-Brokered Deal (Video, Photos). southfront.org Click to see full-size image. Source: RT. | On July 2, Syrian authorities and Turkish-backed militants swapped prisoners as a part of a deal that was brokered by the Ministry of Defense of Russia and backed by Turkey. | The prisoners swap took place on the Abu al-Zandin crossing which links Turkish-occupied areas in northern Aleppo with areas held by Syrian government forces. The United Nations and the Red Crescent oversaw the deal. | Turkish-backed militants released five soldiers and officers of the Syri…

Fernando Garcia (2021-07-02). Free the Children. zcomm.org Advocates Demand Biden Close Fort Bliss Detention Center Holding 800 Migrant Kids…

Allan Fisher (2021-07-02). Saturday 7/3: Protest US financed oppression in Palestine/Israel. indybay.org Corner of Ocean and Water Streets, Santa Cruz…

teleSUR (2021-07-02). The Marinelli Bros Try To Escape From a Guatemalan Prison. telesurenglish.net Guatemala's Interior Ministry (MINGOB) prevented the escape of Luis and Ricardo Martinelli from Mariscal Zavala prison on Thursday. Currently, the sons of Panama's ex-president Ricardo Martinelli are imprisoned in Guatemala City awaiting extradition to the United States. | RELATED: | On Wednesday, MINGOB identified the escape risk through its intelligence systems. The alert led to a search at the detention center, where cell pho…

Mike Elk (2021-07-02). Whistleblower Retaliation Lawsuit Filed Against NewsGuild over Sexual Misconduct Cover-Up. indybay.org Independent reporter Mike Elk has sued the CWA NewsGuild for retaliation for exposing the president of the Pittsburgh, PA local who was a sexual predator and engaged in misconduct.

Commonwealth Club (2021-07-02). Monday 7/26: The Right to Vote at Age 18: Gen Z and the Fight Against Voter Suppression. indybay.org Online event (FREE)…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-07-02). Protests surge in Serbia over amendments to law on civil procedure. peoplesdispatch.org Provisions in the Draft on Amendments to the Law on Civil Procedure in Serbia are likely to affect ordinary citizens' right to access courts as well as hamper activists' and independent media's right to respond to lawsuits…

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