(2021-05-13). Senate Judiciary Committee Splits Vote Along Party Lines on Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Nominee. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-05-13). PDF of May 13 issue. workers.org 
Download the PDF. Repression and resistance in South America Colombia: State terror won't stop the struggle Brazilians tell police: 'Stop killing us!' Pandemic triple threat; 'We have power'; Indigenous pipeline protest; Black Lives Matter in Georgia; Editorial Vaccine monopolies. GLOBAL: Palestine; U.S. vs. China; Evictions in South Asia. Tear down . . . |
(2021-05-13). Discriminatory Return to In Office Work Mandates Could Push Women and People of Color out of the Workforce. aclu.org On March 5, when Deb Mihal learned that the governor of South Carolina had just ordered non-essential state employees like herself to return to the office in person and full time with just a few weeks' notice, she knew it was going to be a problem. Ms. Mihal had been doing her job as director of disability services for a public college remotely since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, in addition to supervising her son's remote schooling at the same time. Now, she had less than a month to find child care. | It was too late to switch her son from remote instruction to in-person learning, and she couldn't…
(2021-05-13). 'It's Like a Black Hole': ICE Has Been Holding Kids in Indefinite Detention. thenation.com 'It's Like a Black Hole': ICE Has Been Holding Kids in Indefinite Detention…
(2021-05-13). New York County Jails May Close Their Doors to ICE. thenation.com 
The Dignity Not Detention Act mirrors legislative efforts to take on the rogue agency in states like Maryland and California.
(2021-05-13). Medical Apartheid: From Israel/Palestine to Canada. mronline.org 
Canada has a long history of humanitarian hypocrisy with regard to racial and ethnic discrimination. During World War II, "none is too many" referred to European Jewish refugees fleeing from Nazi Germany who were refused admission and sent back to Germany. | May 13, 2021…
(2021-05-13). Palestinians Face Mob Attacks Inside Israel as Assault on Gaza Escalates. truthout.org 
Image Credit: Twitter: @theIMEU | Televised images of Israeli mobs attacking Palestinians have been widely denounced by Israeli media and public figures, but Palestinian writer Budour Hassan says the selective outrage ignores decades of occupation that have led to this point. "There is some mention of these lynch mobs that are attacking Palestinians in mixed cities. What is not mentioned is who emboldened these lynch mobs. We're talking about state-sponsored, decades-long discrimination, isolation a…
(2021-05-13). "Lynch Mobs": Palestinians Face Brutal Attacks Inside Israel as Assault on Gaza Escalates. democracynow.org 
Televised images of Israeli mobs attacking Palestinians have been widely denounced by Israeli media and public figures, but Palestinian writer Budour Hassan says the selective outrage ignores decades of occupation that have led to this point. "There is some mention of these lynch mobs that are attacking Palestinians in mixed cities. What is not mentioned is who emboldened these lynch mobs. We're talking about state-sponsored, decades-long discrimination, isolation and erasure that emboldened these groups," says Hassan, legal researcher for the Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights, who joins us from Naz…
(2021-05-13). The Precautions of the Coronavirus outbreak within Sonoma County Jail. indybay.org The Precautions of the Coronavirus outbreak within Sonoma County Jail | By Paola Razo…
(2021-05-13). Workers World Party says: Free Gaza & Palestine! Stop U.S. aid to Israel! workers.org 
Protest against U.S.-backed Israeli bombing of Gaza, May 12 in Times Square, New York City. Workers World Party condemns in the strongest terms the genocidal assault by the Zionist Israeli military on the people of Gaza — called the largest open-air prison in the world and located in Occupied Palestine. . . . |
(2021-05-13). Amnesty International restores Alexei Navalny's "prisoner of conscience" status. wsws.org Amnesty's reversal has nothing to do with any change in Navalny's outlook, but is entirely a product of American and European efforts to present the right-wing politician and bigot as some sort of crusader for democracy.
(2021-05-13). Jerusalem to Gaza, Israeli Authorities' Escalation Highlights Reality of Apartheid, Persecution for Millions of Palestinians. juancole.com By Omar Shakir | Israel and Palestine Director | — ( Human Rights Watch) — Forcible takeovers of homes, brutal suppression of demonstrators, places of worship under assault, identity-based communal violence, indiscriminate rocket attacks, children killed in strikes: what to make of the dizzying headlines out of Israel and Palestine in recent days? Without doubt, …
(2021-05-12). Can the Criminal Justice System Be Reformed? PBS Series "Philly D.A." Follows Larry Krasner's Efforts. democracynow.org 
Four years ago, the longtime civil rights attorney Larry Krasner shocked the political establishment in Philadelphia by being elected district attorney. Now he faces a tough reelection next week. We delve into his record as captured in a new eight-part series by PBS "Independent Lens" that follows how Krasner, who had sued the Philadelphia Police Department 75 times during his career, ran on a platform of ending mass incarceration and has fought to overhaul the DA's Office. "Is change possible in an institution like this?" asks series co-creator Ted Passon. "Why or why not?" We also speak with co-creator Nicole S…
(2021-05-12). Three Defendants in The Arbery Hate Crime Plead Not Guilty. telesurenglish.net Three men on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges over the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was shot while jogging in Georgia last year. | RELATED: | Gregory McMichael, his son Travis, and William Bryan appeared in person before the federal judge in Brunswick, Georgia. The men were each charged with one count of interference with civil rights and with one count of attempted kidnap…
(2021-05-12). Georgia: Black Lives Matter. workers.org 
Atlanta Police agents killed all four of these young Black men in Georgia, and the struggle to prosecute and convict their murderers is ongoing. Jamarion Robinson Jamarion Robinson was killed Aug. 5, 2016, at the East Point apartment of his partner, by a heavily armed force from seven police agencies . . . |
(2021-05-12). Georgia: Black Lives Matter. workers.org Atlanta Police agents killed all four of these young Black men in Georgia, and the struggle to prosecute and convict their murderers is ongoing. Jamarion Robinson Jamarion Robinson was killed Aug. 5, 2016, at the East Point apartment of his girlfriend, by a heavily armed force from seven police agencies . . . |
(2021-05-12). Federal Militarization of Law Enforcement Must End. aclu.org 
The federal government arms local police forces in the United States with weapons of war. A program called "1033," for the section of the
(2021-05-12). It's Past Time to End the Federal Militarization of Police. aclu.org You've probably seen it by now, on B-roll if not in real life: Police and sheriff's deputies spraying protesters with a water cannon mounted on a mine resistant vehicle. Combat vehicles rolling down American streets. Police — some with combat helmets and night vision goggles — touting military-grade rifles. These are America's militarized police forces, brought to your community in no small part by billions of dollars in federal spending. No federal program is more emblematic of America's police militarization problem than 1033, named for a section of law that allows the U.S. military to directly d…
(2021-05-12). Michigan Father Wrongly Placed on No Fly List is Removed After ACLU Files Lawsuit on His Behalf. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-05-12). Colombia's Leaders Want to Stain Their Country with the Blood of the Working Class. counterpunch.org 
According to Temblores and Indepaz, two human rights organizations that have been tracking reports of police violence, from April 28 to May 8, the violent actions of the state security forces resulted in the death of at least 47 people, the arbitrary detention of 963 people, 28 victims of eye-related injuries, and 12 victims of sexual violence. In total, they registered 1,876 cases of police violence.
(2021-05-12). Colombia's Leaders Want to Stain Their Country with the Blood of the Working Class. counterpunch.org According to Temblores and Indepaz, two human rights organizations that have been tracking reports of police violence, from April 28 to May 8, the violent actions of the state security forces resulted in the death of at least 47 people, the arbitrary detention of 963 people, 28 victims of eye-related injuries, and 12 victims of sexual violence. In total, they registered 1,876 cases of police violence.
(2021-05-12). State Dept: Blinken and Lavrov To Meet in Iceland Next Week. telesurenglish.net The State Department announced that Blinken and Lavrov agreed on a phone call that the two will meet in Reykjavik, Iceland, on the sidelines of the Arctic Council meeting. The two foreign ministers plan to discuss an array of issues, including the detention of two Americans in Russia and U.S. policy toward the DPRK (North Korea). | RELATED: | "Secretary Blinken reiterated President Biden's resolve to protect U.S. citizens and act…
(2021-05-12). "Mass Supervision": How Restrictive Probation & Parole Systems Land People Behind Bars for Decades. democracynow.org 
In Pennsylvania, more than half of incarcerated people are jailed due to probation violations. We speak with formerly incarcerated activist LaTonya Myers, who says probation and parole, rather than being a stepping stone to freedom, act as a "streamline to mass incarceration," with punitive rules landing people back behind bars for minor violations. Myers helps people arrested navigate the bail review system as support coordinator with the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund and is featured in the new PBS documentary series "Philly D.A." about Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner's attempts to reform the cri…
(2021-05-12). Georgia Man Free After Spending 2 Years in Jail for a Crime He Didn't Commit. theroot.com 
It's really hard to have faith in a system that routinely allows cops to get away with things that would see the rest of us locked up, while at the same time incarcerating innocent people over weak cases with questionable evidence. A man in Augusta, Ga., spent two years in jail for a crime he said he didn't commit…
(2021-05-12). The Precautions of the Coronavirus outbreak within Sonoma County Jail. indybay.org The Precautions of the Coronavirus outbreak within Sonoma County Jail | By Paola Razo…
(2021-05-12). Headlines for May 12, 2021. democracynow.org At Least 50 Palestinians Killed as Israeli Attacks Continue; Protests Call Out Israeli Crimes, Red Cross Warns COVID Cases "Exploding" in Asia as India Continues to Break New Records, Algeria Moves to Ban Unauthorized Protests as Pro-Democracy Movement Gains Steam, French Court Tosses Lawsuit from Agent Orange Victim Against Chemical Companies, Family of Andrew Brown Jr. Views More Footage of Police Killing, Confirms Shooting Was Unjustified, Ahmaud Arbery's Killers Plead Not Guilty to Federal Hate Crimes, Arizona Passes Law to Cut Voters from Early Mail-in Voting List, Liz Cheney Delivers Scathing Rebuke as GOP…
(2021-05-12). Black Women File Lawsuit Accusing Uber Driver of Repeatedly Calling Them N-Word and Refusing to Let Them Out. theroot.com 
A lawsuit has been filed against Uber and one of its now-former drivers after the driver was caught on camera losing his bigoted mind and shouting the n-word several times at his Black passengers. It's one of those stories that reminds us that, while the advent of Uber and other ride-sharing companies like it has been…
(2021-05-12). In blow to NRA, federal judge dismisses group's bankruptcy case. nationofchange.org The judge ruled that the powerful gun lobby declared bankruptcy in an attempt to avoid facing a New York state lawsuit that accuses the organization of fraud and seeks to disband it.
(2021-05-12). In Philippines, death of COVID-19-infected political detainee reveals plight of prisoners. peoplesdispatch.org 59-year-old Joseph Canlas was arrested on March 30 in the latest wave of repression by the Rodrigo Duterte regime. His death has brought national attention to the plight of inmates held in prisons in the Philippines…
(2021-05-12). Venezuelan Supreme Court Asks Extradition of Coup-Plotter Lopez. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Supreme Court (TSJ) Tuesday approved to request the extradition from Spain of Leopoldo Lopez, who was sentenced to imprisonment for several crimes connected to internal destabilization in the Bolivarian nation. | RELATED: | Lopez is linked to the failed Gideon Operation undertaken by Colombian-backed paramilitary groups that intended to invade Venezuelan soil in May 2020. | The Supreme Court highlighted that…
(2021-05-12). The Left Unites in Peru: Pedro Castillo Gains the Support of Verónika Mendoza. orinocotribune.com By Carlos Noriega — May 9, 2021 | Four weeks before the June 6 run-off election, the Peruvian left have united and close to an agreement to promote a "government of change" headed by the professor and trade unionist Pedro Castillo, who is facing the right-wing Keiko Fujimori, daughter and political heir of the imprisoned ex-dictator Alberto Fujimori.The Peru Libre party, which defines itself as Marxist-Leninist and is running Castillo's candidacy, and the progressive coalition Together for Peru, which in the first round had Verónika Mendoza as its candidate, have signed a political pact to support Castillo's…
(2021-05-12). Stop legal lynchings!/Remember George Stinney Jr. workers.org 
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled April 22 that juveniles — those under the age of 18 — are not exempt from spending the rest of their lives in prison with no hope of parole. (See WW article, workers.org/2021/05/56175/) This once again exposes the hypocrisy of the U.S. claiming to be . . . |
(2021-05-12). Stop legal lynchings!Remember George Stinney Jr. workers.org The U.S. Supreme Court ruled April 22 that juveniles — those under the age of 18 — are not exempt from spending the rest of their lives in prison with no hope of parole. (See WW article, workers.org/2021/05/56175/) This once again exposes the hypocrisy of the U.S. claiming to be . . . |
(2021-05-12). Leader pardons, commutes sentences of above 2,000 convicts. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 12 (MNA) — Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has pardoned or commuted the sentences of above 2,000 of Iranian prisoners on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.
(2021-05-12). Journalist Craig Murray sentenced to eight months imprisonment. wsws.org The prominent defender of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been found guilty of contempt of court for his reporting on the 2020 trial of former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond.
(2021-05-12). Whistleblower Craig Murray Sentenced To 8 Months In Prison. popularresistance.org Former UK diplomat-turned whistleblower Craig Murray was sentenced to eight months in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh for contempt of court resulting from his coverage of the trial of former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond. | A three-judge panel determined on March 25, 2021—following a two-hour trial in January—that information published by Murray in a number of his blog posts was likely to lead indirectly to people being able to identify witnesses in Salmond's sexual assault trial. | This process, known as "jigsaw identification," refers to the possibility that a person may piece together…