(2021-12-03). The American prison system's war on reading. mronline.org 
This April, the Iowa Department of Corrections issued a ban on charities, family members, and other outside parties donating books to prisoners.
(2021-12-03). Marginalized Workers Facing Labor Market Discrimination See Largest Jobs Gains. truthout.org 
The unemployment rate fell 0.4 percentage points in November, even though the economy added just 210,000 jobs. The drop in the unemployment rate went along with an increase in the employment-to-population ratio (EPOP) of 0.4 percentage points, corresponding to a rise in employment of more than 1.1 million in the household survey. The unemployment rate had not fallen this low following the Great Recession until September 2017. | The 210,000 job growth in the establishment survey is slower th…
(2021-12-03). Haitian Asylum Seekers Held Under Del Rio Bridge Now Face Inhumane Conditions in New Mexico ICE Jail. democracynow.org 
The world was shocked by images of Haitians whipped by U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback as they sought refuge. Thousands were soon deported, but dozens are now detained in an ICE jail in New Mexico where they face inhumane conditions and lack access to legal services. We speak with a lawyer who describes medical neglect, deteriorating mental and physical health, and poor treatment by the staff. "They cannot get the basic tools and have the basic human contact that they need to save their own lives," says immigration attorney Allegra Love of the El Paso Immigration Collaborative.
(2021-12-03). Muncie, Indiana, students protest censorship of BLM in school. zcomm.org Students at Muncie Central High School marched from the school to Muncie City Hall Nov. 23 after their school's administration commanded a class to take down student posters that mention the Black Lives Matter social movement…
(2021-12-03). "The Facility": Meet the Former Prisoner Who Details Fight for His Life Inside ICE Jail During Covid. democracynow.org 
We go inside a notorious ICE jail at the height of the pandemic to see how people held there spoke out against dangerous conditions, and faced retaliation before they were ultimately released with no notice. Their story is captured in a new documentary called "The Facility." It investigates the inhumane conditions at Irwin County Detention Center using footage from video calls, where cameras installed in cell blocks to enable pay-per-minute video calls "functioned almost like a portal for a moment in and out of a place meant not to be seen in this way," says director, Seth Freed Wessler. "How can your own governm…
(2021-12-03). Pakistani parliament member and Pashtun leader Ali Wazir gets bail but to remain behind bars. peoplesdispatch.org On November 30, Ali Wazir was granted bail by the Supreme Court but remains in jail as a case is pending against him. He was accused of insulting a state institution in a speech in December 2020 and has been incarcerated for close to a year…
(2021-12-03). Haitian Asylum Seekers Held Under Bridge Now Face Inhumane ICE Jail Conditions. truthout.org 
The world was shocked by images of Haitians whipped by U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback as they sought refuge. Thousands were soon deported, but dozens are now detained in an ICE jail in New Mexico where they face inhumane conditions and lack access to legal services. We speak with a lawyer who describes medical neglect, deteriorating mental and physical health, and poor treatment by the staff. "They cannot get the basic tools and have the basic human contact that they need to save their…
(2021-12-03). Lawsuit filed in Ohio over mass non-compliance with training by police officers. liberationnews.org 
The lawsuit demands officers who do not comply with their continued professional training requirements cease functioning as police.
(2021-12-03). It's Time To Free Leonard Peltier, America's Longest Serving Political Prisoner. popularresistance.org Too few have heard of Leonard Peltier, an American Indian Movement activist who has been imprisoned for 44 years based on accusations that were never proven and a trial that was appallingly mishandled. Based on his mere presence in South Dakota's 1975 Pine Ridge Reservation shoot-out, where one Native American activist and two FBI agents were killed, Peltier has spent the better part of his life behind bars. As the website FreeLeonard.org points out, this gross miscarriage of justice has been condemned by everyone from by Amnesty International and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights to Archbish…
(2021-12-03). Awesome Update on Antifascist Prisoner Alex. itsgoingdown.org Update on the case of Alex "Beta Cuck 4 Lyfe," an antifascist prisoner who faced charges stemming from an antifascist mobilization in Portland in 2019. The black school bus with mesh screens over the windows looked right out of Mad Max: Fury Road as it drove up to counter-protestors who had just successfully confronted fascists…
(2021-12-03). Kevin Sharp: It's Time to Free Leonard Peltier, America's Longest Serving Political Prisoner. scheerpost.com 
Leonard Peltier. [Gary Stevens] | Click to subscribe on: Too few have heard of Leonard Peltier, an American Indian Movement activist who has been imprisoned for 44 years based on accusations that were never proven and a trial that was appallingly mishandled. Based on his mere presence in South Dakota's 1975 Pine Ridge Reservation shoot-out, where one Native Ameri…
(2021-12-03). Adani protester given suspended prison sentence, latest example of escalating repression. greenleft.org.au A new report by Greenpeace, Global Warning: the threat to climate defenders in Australia, has identified an alarming escalation in repression against climate activists. Fred Fuentes reports.
(2021-12-02). Revival of Class Politics in the U.S…. Will It Be Socialism or Fascism? strategic-culture.org 
The U.S. empire, like the USSR, is imploding out of its own corruption, says Harriet Fraad in an interview with Finian Cunningham. | Over the past year, the massive upheaval in the United States from workers going on industrial strike and walking off jobs signifies an increasing awareness of class politics. In the following interview, Harriet Fraad says that American workers are overcoming decades of suppression from anti-communist propaganda as well as a betrayal by the two main political parties. | Workers are becoming aware of their rights and their conditions of exploitation under the corporate capitalist sys…
(2021-12-02). Humanity Demands The Abolition of Modern Slavery Every Dec. 2. telesurenglish.net On the International Day for The Abolition of Slavery, the United Nations (UN) recalled that over 40 million people across the globe are victims of modern slavery, a practice that includes forced labor, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking. | RELATED: | "These forms of slavery are the result of long-standing discrimination against vulnerable social sectors such as undocumented immigrants, LGBT people, and Indi…
(2021-12-02). Here are the States We're Watching as Redistricting Begins. aclu.org Since the nation's founding, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color have faced disenfranchisement. As redistricting begins, we're watching to make sure our political leaders don't continue to disenfranchise these same communities. | Every 10 years, district maps are redrawn according to the census to ensure fair and equal representation for the population. The 2020 census was a historic population count of the United States. Virtually all of the population growth in our country between 2010 and 2020 was due to growth in communities of color. Overall, the population of people who identify as non-Hispanic…
(2021-12-02). Three Reasons Why Congress Must Pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Now. aclu.org Although Congress outlawed pregnancy discrimination in 1978, far too many employers still routinely deny pregnant workers the temporary job modifications they need to keep working and have a healthy pregnancy. These requests for "accommodations" — such as more frequent breaks, schedule changes, and reassignment of hazardous tasks — often are denied to pregnant workers, and can result in severe consequences for their health and financial security. Nobody should have to choose between a healthy pregnancy and a job. | The bipartisan Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) would outlaw such discrimination…
(2021-12-02). As France Honors Black Artist Josephine Baker, Far-Right Pundit Éric Zemmour Launches Presidential Bid. democracynow.org 
On the same day France celebrated the induction of American-born singer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker into the Pantheon, far-right xenophobic writer and pundit Éric Zemmour announced he will run for president of France in the upcoming April 2022 election. Many have pointed out the contradiction in these opposing events, even in President Emmanuel Macron's speech that painted Baker as a model of colorblind unity, when in reality she was outspoken about racial justice. "Celebrating Josephine Baker who was an immigrant … while making things difficult for immigrants of today to access to France is a con…
(2021-12-02). In Contempt #11: 2021 Comes to a Close. itsgoingdown.org Welcome! It's December! In this month's column, we've got lots of updates on political prisoners, George Floyd uprising defendants, and prison rebels. As we get closer to the new year, remember there is a call for noise demos outside of jails, detention facilities, and prisons and also take time to write to prisoners and keep…
(2021-12-02). International Call For New Year's Eve Noise Demonstrations. itsgoingdown.org Call from New York City Anarchist Black Cross for yearly New Year's Eve noise demonstrations outside of jails, detention centers and prisons. This is a call for a night of strong solidarity with those imprisoned by the state. Historically, New Year's Eve is one of the noisiest nights of the year. This year, most of…
(2021-12-02). Some European Prisons Are Based On Dignity Instead Of Dehumanization. popularresistance.org On a cold morning in February 2013, I led a group of American policymakers and criminal justice practitioners — judges, public defenders, legislators, corrections officials, law professors — on a visit to a juvenile prison in eastern Germany. We met with a group of young men, largely between the ages 18 and 21, who were serving between two to five years at the facility; most had been convicted of a violent offense. | Although these young men certainly looked like teenagers or very young adults — dressed in jeans, cargo pants, colorful T-shirts, sweatshirts, and baseball caps — they would c…
(2021-12-02). Calling All Antifascist Bands! itsgoingdown.org Call for submissions from antifascist bands for a compilation record benefiting prisoners and the Torch network. Do you dream of creating a culture of resistance to fascism — in the streets and every day? The Torch Antifascist Network is with you! We are a national network of antifascist crews in the US who have been…