(2021-02-10). Historians Say "Decades of Medical Racism" Led to Unequal COVID Impact on Black & Latinx People. democracynow.org 
Historians Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha Blain dedicate their new book, "Four Hundred Souls," to the "Black lives lost to COVID-19." They put the content of their book in the context of the disparate impact of the pandemic on the African American community in the United States. "This has been in the making for decades. Even though this is a new virus, … it connects to a larger history of racial inequality, and we wanted to make sure that was clear," says Blain. Kendi is a cancer survivor and notes Black and Latinx are more at risk from preexisting conditions because of a history of racist policies, but "Americans d…
(2021-02-10). UN expert calls on UAE to release jailed human rights defenders. middleeasteye.net 
UN expert calls on UAE to release jailed human rights defenders | Sentenced to ten years in prison, three imprisoned human rights defenders have been subjected to 'conditions that may amount to torture', says UN Special Rapporteur | Wed, 02/10/2021 – 15: 56 | A police officer enters Dubai's Al-Awir central prison in the United Arab Emirates, on 21 May 2020 (AFP/File photo) | A United Nations expert has called…
(2021-02-10). I'm on Hunger Strike in Guantánamo. I Dream of Cooking for My Family. truthout.org 
There are very few freedoms at Guantánamo Bay prison, where I have been held without charge or trial — referred to as Guantánamo ISN 1461 — for over 16 years. The right to starve myself is one of them, but even then, they force-feed me, to spare themselves the embarrassment of my death. | Back in Pakistan, before I was kidnapped and tortured and flown halfway around the world in chains, I loved cooking. There is nothing more satisfying than preparing a hot meal for your family and sharing i…
(2021-02-10). Loujain al-Hathloul: Saudi activist released from prison. middleeasteye.net 
Loujain al-Hathloul: Saudi activist released from prison | Blogger Nouf Abdulaziz, who was also swept up in Mohammed bin Salman's 2018 crackdown on dissent, also reportedly released | Wed, 02/10/2021 – 16: 56 | In a photo shared by her sister on social media, Loujain is shown smiling after her release (Screengrab/Twitter) | Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul has returned home after spendin…
(2021-02-10). Biden's 'prison reform': Smoke and mirrors. workers.org 
Alabama Students Against Prison demonstrate against state plans to construct three new private prisons, Dec. 30, 2020, Birmingham, Ala. In an executive order signed Jan. 26 as part of his "racial equity" plan, President Joe Biden ordered the U.S. Attorney General and the Department of Justice not to renew contracts . . . |
(2021-02-10). On the Relative Vileness of George W. Bush and Donald Trump, Liz Cheney and Marjorie Taylor Greene. counterpunch.org When I think Donald Trump I think the word: VILE. A combination of the evil and repulsive. But when I think George W. Bush I ALSO think "vile." There is no great moral distance between Bush as Texas governor mocking the plea for mercy by a death row female prisoner who'd become a born-again Christian
(2021-02-10). For Russian leftists, Western favorite Navalny represents same corrupt elitism. thegrayzone.com Western politicians and media pundits portray Alexei Navalny as the leader of the Russian opposition. But Russian leftists see something quite different: a representative of a different faction of the Russian elite, who backs continued neoliberal policies and aligns with destabilizing NATO-backed actors. The imprisoned Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny has been held up in the West as…
(2021-02-10). 'Even prisoners get to exercise!' UC Berkeley bans solo outdoor exercise for dorm-bound students. rt.com 
Students at the University of California, Berkeley are banned from outdoor exercising as the campus extends its lockdown due to a reported spike in Covid-19 cases. Initially set to finish on Monday, it no longer has an end date. | University media revealed on Monday that students living on the Berkeley campus can no longer leave their dorms to exercise, explaining that the baffling new regulation is an expansion of a so-called "self-sequester mandate" imposed last month after an uptick in Covid-19 cases on campus. | Obesity is probably the best-known comorbidity for Covid-19 complications, and even the harsh q…
(2021-02-10). COVID-19 And Democrats' Indifference Killed My Husband In Jail. popularresistance.org In February 2020, my husband, Nickolas Lee, was incarcerated in Cook County Jail in Chicago. The judge didn't offer him bail. So even though he was presumed innocent, he had to await his trial in jail. When the coronavirus seeped into the facility, he was sleeping in a dormitory with 50 other men, including those with active COVID-19 symptoms. Nick and the other men had no ability to social distance. Although the sheriff's office claimed to be "clearly leaders in the Country on dealing with the pandemic [sic]," Nick was denied even basic sanitary products, like sanitizer or a mask. He had to use his shirt to cove…
(2021-02-10). Pakistani court commutes death sentences of 2 mentally ill inmates. laprensalatina.com Islamabad, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday commuted the death sentences of two mentally ill people who have spent decades on death row. The convicts, Imdad Ali and Kanizan Bibi are diagnosed as schizophrenic and sentenced to death in separate murder cases. "We hold that if a condemned prisoner, due to …
(2021-02-10). Thai demonstrators call for release of protest leaders. laprensalatina.com Bangkok, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- More than a thousand people gathered in Bangkok on Wednesday to protest Thailand's strict lèse-majesté law, which prescribes prison terms of up to 15 years for insulting the monarchy. The fresh demonstration in the Thai capital came a day after prosecutors denied bail for four leaders of the pro-democracy movement who …
(2021-02-10). UN expert calls on UAE to free jailed rights defenders. yenisafak.com A UN expert Wednesday said she feared three human rights defenders serving 10-year prison sentences in the UAE are being mistreated in conditions that may amount to torture and urged authorities to release them."Issuing long-term prison sentences to human rights defenders, in connection to their human rights work, is a practice that cannot continue, and is an issue I will be prioritizing during my mandate," said Mary Lawlor, UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders."Not only have Mohammed Al-Roken, Ahmed Mansoor, and Nasser Bin Ghaith been criminalized and imprisoned for their non-violent and legitimate c…
(2021-02-10). Sunday 2/14: San Jose Day of Remembrance of E.O. 9066 Japanese American Imprisonments WWII. indybay.org Livestream via YouTube…
(2021-02-10). Iranian inmates in Iraq to be handed over to Tehran: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 10 (MNA) — Chairman of Iran's Prisons Organization says the Iranian prisoners held in Iraq will be pardoned or will be handed over to Iran to spend their remaining jail term in their own country's prisons.
(2021-02-10). Keep protesting, pleads freed refugee. greenleft.org.au Released refugees are pleading with supporters to keep up the pressure on government until all refugees are released from on-shore and off-shore detention. Chris Slee reports.
(2021-02-09). Demands To Drop The Charges On The 646 Mass Arrested. popularresistance.org Minneapolis, MN — Three months after six hundred forty-six people were mass arrested on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis, calls to drop the charges are continuing. A February 5 rally at the Hennepin County Government Center demanded specifically that a felony charge on college student Amina McCaskill be dropped, along with the charges and citations given to the other 645. Dozens braved single-digit temperatures for the Friday rally that featured Amina and numerous speakers that were also part of the 646. Unicorn Riot live streamed the rally and spoke with Amina afterwards. Civil rights lawyer, Nekima Levy Armst…
(2021-02-09). Loujain al-Hathloul was released, but other Saudi women activists remain behind bars. middleeasteye.net 
Loujain al-Hathloul was released, but other Saudi women activists remain behind bars | MEE takes a look at other advocates still imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for pushing for women's rights in the kingdom | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 17: 55 | MEE takes a look at the women's rights activists still behind bars in Saudi Arabia (Illustration by Mohamad Elasaar/MEE) | After more than 1,000 days in detention, Saudi women'
(2021-02-09). Twitter suspends accounts, removes verification of Saudi political prisoners. middleeasteye.net 
Twitter suspends accounts, removes verification of Saudi political prisoners | Decision criticised as 'uncalled for' as the detainees are held in situations beyond their control | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 11: 54 | Ali al-Omari (L) and Awad al-Qarni have been in jail since 2017. Their verified Twitter badge has recently been removed by the social media giant (Twitter) | Twitter has removed the blue verified badge from…
(2021-02-09). Lebanese-Armenian family searches for woman who disappeared in Nagorno-Karabakh. middleeasteye.net 
Lebanese-Armenian family searches for woman who disappeared in Nagorno-Karabakh | Maral Najarian has been unaccounted for since November, with relatives worried about her fate and angry about the inaction of authorities in Lebanon and Armenia | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 16: 26 | Najarian's siblings suspect she's in an Azerbaijani prison and fear for her life – as they accuse authorities both in Leban…
(2021-02-09). Army Abducts Three Palestinians In Hebron, One In Ramallah. imemc.org 
Israeli soldiers abducted, on Tuesday at dawn, three young Palestinians from their homes in Hebron governorate, in southern West Bank, and one near Ramallah, in the central part of the occupied territory. The Hebron office of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported that several army jeeps invaded Doura town, south of the city, before …
(2021-02-09). 'Very risky behavior': Indonesian seaman who escaped South Korean quarantine through hole under fence gets suspended sentence. rt.com 
An Indonesian seaman who escaped from a South Korean Covid-19 quarantine center by digging a hole under a fence has received a suspended sentence after the judge said his behavior undermined the country's coronavirus response. | The unnamed 24-year-old man, who escaped from the center through a hole under a fence on his last day of a two-week mandatory quarantine in October, received an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years, according to the The man was on the run for days before…
(2021-02-09). How the West Burns and Why Logging Only Makes It Worse. counterpunch.org 
A new documentary titled The West is Burning continues to promote a flawed narrative that large blazes are a consequence of "fire suppression" and "fuel build-up." Starting from this perspective, it promotes policies like thinning the forest and prescribed burning to counter the large blazes occurring across the West. 1) Fire suppression has created unnatural
(2021-02-09). Democrats Disarm Themselves Before Trump's Senate Impeachment Trial. counterpunch.org Donald Trump, has with luck, eluded the consequences of being a failed gambling czar with no respect for the law. But his luck has reached a new level with Congressional Democrats refraining from holding him accountable for breaking the law and violating the Constitution as regularly as the rising and setting of the sun for
(2021-02-09). Stand with Newsclick: Journalism With a Spine. peoplesdispatch.org We, a group of publications from around the world, join together against the harassment of Newsclick, the Indian web-based news portal. The detention of its editors and the smearing of its reputation in the press is a calculated move to intimidate coverage of the farmer's revolt and other mass struggles that are ongoing in India. | We stand with Newsclick, journalism with a spine. | Vijay Prashad, Chief Correspondent Globetrotter, Executive Director Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research | Zoe Alexandra, Peoples Dispatch | Eugene Puryear, Host BreakThrough News | Ben Becker, Editor-in-Chief BreakThrough Ne…
(2021-02-09). This is Biden's Chance to End ICE's Abuses — For Good. aclu.org President Biden's 100-day deportation moratorium, announced late last month, was a monumental achievement for immigrant justice activists and immigrant communities. Less visible but potentially groundbreaking: The Department of Homeland Security's promise to conduct a top-to-bottom review of programs and policies governing the arrests and deportations of immigrants in the United States. | While a Texas court temporarily enjoined the deportation moratorium (the ACLU has
(2021-02-09). England: Travelers Breaking COVID-19 Rules Face Jail and Fines. telesurenglish.net British Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Tuesday announced "tough fines" for people who flout new border rules, including a fine of about US$13,776 and 10-year jail sentences. | RELATED: | People arriving in Britain will be required to test for COVID-19 on days two and eight of their quarantine, Hancock told British lawmakers. | The arrivals from "red list countries" will have to pay about US$2,412 for their own hotel quarant…
(2021-02-09). Fox News moves to dismiss Smartmatic $2.7 billion defamation suit, blasts as 'meritless'. rt.com 
Fox News is pushing back against a lawsuit from voting firm Smartmatic, which goes after the network and specific hosts, including the recently canceled Lou Dobbs, for pushing election-fraud conspiracy theories. | Others cited in the lawsuit for tying Smartmatic to alleged election fraud are Jeanine Pirro and Maria Bartiromo. The company takes umbrage with everything from being tied to foreign nations to reports it was used across the country when it was only used in Los Angeles County. | Fox News has now filed a motion in New York Supreme Court, defending themselves under the First Amendment and using former…
(2021-02-09). 'QAnon Shaman' becomes MSM's latest dubious darling after doing CNN the favor of blaming his own crimes on Donald Trump. rt.com 
The horn-wearing US Capitol rioter known as the "QAnon Shaman" has gone from dangerous insurrectionist to redeemable newsmaker in the eyes of mainstream media. All it took was blaming ex-president Donald Trump for his crimes. | "I am deeply disappointed in former President Trump," Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man who calls himself the QAnon Shaman, said Monday in a statement to CNN. "He was not honorable. He let a lot of peaceful people down." | Chansley issued his statement from jail through his lawyer, Albert Watkins, who expounded on Trump's evils in an interview Monday night with CNN host Chris Cuomo. Late…
(2021-02-09). Family of 20yo who committed suicide says Robinhood caused his death with 'reckless tactics' that prey on the inexperienced. rt.com 
The family of a Robinhood investor who took his own life last year has sued the platform, alleging it misled the 20-year-old into thinking he was nearly $1 million in debt and that "reckless tactics" directly led to his death. | Filed in California's Santa Clara County Superior Court on Monday, the
(2021-02-09). Tehran summons Belgian envoy after Iranian diplomat jailed for 20 years on foiled bomb plot charges. rt.com 
Iran has summoned Belgium's ambassador in Tehran to protest a Belgian court's sentencing of Iranian diplomat Assadolah Assadi for orchestrating a bomb attack in Paris, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Tuesday. | Tehran repeated its claim that the 20-year maximum sentence handed down to Assadi by an Antwerp court last week is a violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations — a treaty governing relations between states. | "The Antwerp Court ruling violates international law and ignores Belgium's obligations to the Islamic Republic of Iran, therefore Iran does not recognise it in…
(2021-02-09). Dershowitz 'tried to free paedophile George Nader' to work on Israel-UAE deal. middleeasteye.net 
Dershowitz 'tried to free paedophile George Nader' to work on Israel-UAE deal | Report suggests Trump ally lobbied US and Israel governments to commute sex offender's 10-year prison sentence | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 09: 54 | Attorney Alan Dershowitz, a member of former US President Donald Trump's legal team, and convicted paedophile George Nader (AFP/C-Span) | Lawyer Alan Dershowitz helped craft a proposal for the…
(2021-02-09). Activist accuses Avon and Somerset police of unlawful arrest, detention and discrimination. thecanary.co On 25 January, Avon and Somerset police arrested literary activist Ros Martin outside Bristol magistrates court for damage to the pavement by chalking and a breach of coronavirus (Covid-19) regulations. Martin has made a number of complaints to the police force for what she believes is "unlawful arrest, detention & discriminatory treatment". Her case reflects widespread issues of police disregarding people's health, using coronavirus regulations to clamp down on protest, and institutionalised racism in the Avon and Somerset police force. | Blatant disregard for safety during a pandemic: | While taking her…
(2021-02-09). Indigenous Water Protector Jailed in North Dakota for Refusing to Cooperate With Secret Grand Jury, Steve Martinez Takes Principled Stand Against Use of Grand Jury to Repress Indigenous Environmental Movement. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-02-09). Hong Kong top court denies bail to media mogul Jimmy Lai. laprensalatina.com Beijing, Feb 9 (efe-epa).- Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, accused of colluding with foreign forces, will remain in prison after the city's top court on Tuesday upheld an appeal by the government against his release on bail in December. Lai can appeal the ruling by the Court of Final Appeal. The court said the …
(2021-02-09). IOC bills sexist remarks by Tokyo 2020 chief Mori 'absolutely inappropriate'. laprensalatina.com Madrid, Feb 9 (efe-epa).- The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday slammed sexist remarks made by the head of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee Yoshiro Mori last week as "absolutely inappropriate." The sports community "can rest assured that the IOC will continue to deliver on its commitment to gender equality, inclusivity, solidarity and non-discrimination," the committee …
(2021-02-09). New Government Tracking System Paves the Way for Expanded Role of Drones. aclu.org The Federal Aviation Administration recently took a major step toward expanding the prevalence of aerial drones in American life by creating a system for identifying and tracking them. The new system is part of a steady march by the FAA to Since drones first came to real public attention about a decade ago, the technology hasn't lived up to either its promise or its threat, primarily due to the FAA's cautious approach to allowing…
(2021-02-09). Free Spanish rapper Pablo Hasél, jailed on terror charges! wsws.org Left-wing rapper Pablo Hasél is being sent to jail to intimidate growing social opposition and legitimize fascistic politics.
(2021-02-09). To End Systemic Racism, Ensure Systemic Equality. aclu.org Over the past four years, we grew accustomed to a regular barrage of blatant, segregationist-style racism from the White House. Donald Trump
(2021-02-09). Neoliberal Authoritarianism in Egypt. dissidentvoice.org The whiplash of authoritarianism is being ruthlessly used in Egypt. On January 6, 2021, Ahmed Khalifa, social news editor of Egypt 360 website, was arrested after publishing a series of reports on workers' legitimate protests. He was falsely charged with joining a terrorist group and spreading fake news, and remains in detention to date. Before his arrest, Khalifa …
(2021-02-08). "Send in the Army": Oppression and the Hunger for Authority. dsausa.org The following is an excerpt from Empire's Endgame: Racism and the British State, an upcoming book co-authored by British academics Gargi Bhattacharyya, Adam Elliott-Cooper, Sita Balani, Kerem Nisancioglu, Kojo Koram, Dalia Gebral, Nadine El-Enany, and Luke de Noronha. Published by Pluto Press, Empire's Endgame engages with recent political movements such as Brexit and Black Lives Matter in order to provide a new and much-needed analysis of the confluence of race, government, and the media during these turbulent times. | Although Empire's Endgame is primarily a study of events in the United Kingdom, this chapt…
(2021-02-08). Jailed Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul set to be released, sister says. middleeasteye.net 
Jailed Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul set to be released, sister says | Hathloul has been in prison for more than 1,000 days, where her family says she endured torture | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 22: 20 | Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul had been sentenced to almost six years in jail (AFP/File photo) | After more than 1,000 days in detention where she endured torture and hunger strikes, Saudi women's rights activis…
(2021-02-08). Loujain al-Hathloul to be freed on Thursday, sister says. middleeasteye.net Loujain al-Hathloul to be freed on Thursday, sister says | Saudi women's rights activist has been in jail, where her family says she endured torture, for more than 1,000 days | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 22: 20 | Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul had been sentenced to almost six years in jail (AFP/File photo) | After more than 1,000 days in detention where she endured torture and hunger strikes, Saudi women's rights acti…
(2021-02-08). Newsom, Stop The Executions! Rally & Caravan to End the COVID Deaths in Prisons. indybay.org Activists in Oakland caravanned across the Bay Bridge to San Francisco on January 31, calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to grant the mass release of incarcerated individuals. They said that Gov. Newsom and the California Department of Corrections (CDC) are responsible for the deaths of at least 180 people in prisons since the start of the COVID pandemic.
(2021-02-08). 'No families are opting out': Utah school REVERSES decision to allow children to skip Black History Month classes after backlash. rt.com 
A charter school in Utah made a U-turn on its decision to allow families to "exercise their civil rights" and opt their children out of lessons relating to Black History Month, after facing a major backlash online. | "We regret that after receiving requests, an opt-out form was sent out concerning activities planned during this month of celebration," Maria Montessori Academy's board of directors The school in North Ogden, which has a majority white student base according…
(2021-02-08). Abolishing Guam's Colonial Past Must Include Protecting Access to Abortion. aclu.org Recently I joined as an expert in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU to challenge two laws that block the rights of women on Guam to abortion access. As a Chamoru, community activist and independent scholar who specializes in Guam history and the teaching of the language of its indigenous people, the Chamorus, I see helping ensure that Chamoru and other women today on Guam are empowered to make decisions about their bodies, their futures as part of our process of decolonization. | The issue of abortion access for women in Guam is something I have studied as part of Guam's history, but something that also resonates in my…
(2021-02-08). Lawsuit Launched Over Army Corps' Failure to Protect Endangered Wildlife From Nationwide Permit Program. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-02-08). The Fight to Save Ballona Wetlands. counterpunch.org Los Angeles, California On January 29, Defend Ballona Wetlands and two individuals, Molly Basler and Robert van de Hoek, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court challenging the California Department of Fish & Wildlife's (CDFW) approval of an environmental impact report (EIR) that they claim would allow for the "complete destruction" of the fragile Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve in Los Angeles
(2021-02-08). El Salvador To Keep in Detention Defendants of FMLN Murder Case. telesurenglish.net A court in El Salvador Monday ordered the pre-trial detention against three people accused of the murder of Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) supporters on January 31. | RELATED: | The three suspects face charges of aggravated homicide for the deaths of Juan Portillo and Gloria Rogel. They also face attempted aggravated homicide charges for the wounding of Roberto Hernandez and Aquiles Ayala. | The court rejected th…
