(2022-01-06). One Year Later, Our Democracy is Still in Crisis. aclu.org As we reflect on the first anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, it's easy to think of that day's attack as an isolated incident — a singular outlandish, violent siege that threatened our democracy. But beginning long before Jan. 6, there has been a sustained attack on our fundamental right to vote — the cornerstone of democracy. Devoid of the guns, knives, and bats wielded by the Jan. 6 insurrectionists, this threat may seem modest, but the future of our democracy is still very much in peril. | The ongoing threat has been waged by individuals pushing baseless conspiracy theories abo…
(2022-01-06). Metropolis of 14 million confines unvaxxed to their homes. rt.com 
Violators in Philippines' capital Manila can expect to be fined, jailed, or both | Authorities in the Philippines' capital of Manila have banned the unvaccinated from leaving their homes save for buying essentials, going to work and doing exercise. Violators will be slapped with hefty fines, jail time, or both. | The decision, which affects around 14 million individuals living in Metro Manila, was announced on January 3. Under the new regulations, those who have not received two doses of Covid vaccine are to stay home, with only a few exemptions granted: buying necessities and seeking medical help, going to wo…
(2022-01-06). Call of Duty cheat creators brought to court. rt.com 
The game publisher argues that the hacks lead to unfair gameplay and have caused 'irreparable damage' | Activision, the game publisher behind the Call of Duty (COD) games, has filed a lawsuit against EngineOwning, as well as individuals it claims work for the company, as part of a crackdown on alleged cheat developers. | The court action marks an increased focus by Activision on cheat creators; the publisher is arguing that users who exploit these hacks disrupt the first-person shooter games, ruining the experience for non-cheating players. | "The COD Games are designed to be enjoyed by and fair for all player…
(2022-01-06). Unvaccinated staff spread COVID-19 in California prisons. workers.org 
Prisoners' rights activists demonstrate in front of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Sacramento. Oakland, California California state prisoners are experiencing a dangerous surge of COVID-19 infections, fueled by the omicron variant and the refusal of prison guards and contracted staff to be vaccinated, according to family members and . . . |
(2022-01-06). One of Italy's Most-Wanted Criminals Arrested Thanks to Google Street View. sputniknews.com According to the Italian media, Gioacchino Gammino was the boss of the Stidda mafia group, which was engaged in a bitter feud with the infamous Cosa Nostra. In 2002, he was serving a life sentence for murder, but managed to escape from prison while a movie was filmed there. He had been on the run for almost two decades.
(2022-01-06). German Federal Court of Justice confirms lenient sentence for NSU accomplice André Eminger. wsws.org With the exception of Beate Zschà§pe, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, all NSU accomplices are at large and some of them, like Eminger himself, are still active in neo-Nazi circles.
(2022-01-06). Mafia boss caught after 20 years following Google Maps blunder. rt.com 
Italian police have credited the app with capturing a photo of a crime group leader who'd been in hiding since 2002 | Anti-Mafia authorities in Italy have credited a Google Street View picture for revealing the location of a member of Sicily's Stidda Mafia group who escaped a Rome prison in 2002 partway through a life sentence for murder. | Gioacchino Gammino was convicted of murder and other Mafia-related crimes in 1998, and had been on Italy's list of most wanted criminals. He escaped prison three years later, during the making of a film. He was detained in the town of Galapagar, near the Spanish capital of…
(2022-01-05). Nationwide state of emergency declared in Kazakhstan. rt.com 
President vows 'tough' response to ongoing violent protests | Kazakhstan's authorities have imposed a state of emergency across the country in an attempt to get a grip on a deteriorating security situation, after widespread demonstrations were sparked by a gas price hike. | President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reached for the sweeping measures late on Wednesday, hours after saying he intended to act "as tough as possible" against the violence. | The state of emergency vastly expands the powers of the country's police and military, as well as allowing the handing down of heavy penalties, including lengthy prison ter…
(2022-01-05). NOT GUILTY: Bristol jury finds that defendants were justified in toppling slave trader statue. thecanary.co Update: The headline and introduction were amended on 5 January at 17: 20 to reflect the not guilty verdict. | A jury has cleared the four people who toppled a statue of slave trader Edward Colston. After three hours of deliberation, the jury came to the same conclusion that we knew all along — that the people who pulled down the statue were on the right side of history and were totally justified in their actions. | The toppling of the statue happened during Bristol's huge Black Lives Matter demonstration on 7 June 2020. | The trial of Sage Willoughby, Rhian Graham, Milo Ponsford, and Jake Skuse — dub…
(2022-01-05). Violence in Colombia Near Venezuelan Border Raises Military Alert. orinocotribune.com 
A new wave of violence and terror was unleashed yesterday in Colombia near its border with Venezuela, in the department of Arauca. Reports stated that over 20 people died in clashes between paramilitary groups fighting for territory. | The Colombian municipalities of Arauquita, Saravena, Forul, Tame, and Botalón, in Arauca, were struck by massacres, detentions, and displacements. | With the slogan "Botalón demands peace," Colombian social leader Mayerly Briceño published statements on her Twitter account as residents in the sector were mobilized. They requested the intervention of human rights organizations and C…
(2022-01-05). Victory for hunger striker after 141 days. electronicintifada.net Israeli army jails 79-year-old lawyer claiming he poses imminent "security threat."
(2022-01-05). Ft. Lauderdale Food Not Bombs Wins Settlement in Federal Lawsuit Against City. itsgoingdown.org Federal lawsuit against Ft. Lauderdale Food not Bombs ends in victory against the city. Originally posted to Tequesta Black Star. After a 7-year-long legal battle between Ft. Lauderdale Food Not Bombs and the City of Fort Lauderdale, FNB has won a settlement and payment for legal fees by the City for attempting to ban food…
(2022-01-05). Three Policemen File Suits Against Trump Ahead of Capitol Riot Anniversary. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Three law enforcement officers have filed two lawsuits against former US President Donald Trump over injuries caused during the breach of the US Capitol complex on 6 January 2021, according to court documents.
(2022-01-05). American Indian Movement Announces Walk For Leonard Peltier. popularresistance.org Minneapolis, Minnesota – The American Indian Movement's Grand Governing Council (AIMGGC) announced on Tuesday that it's organizing a freedom walk for Leonard Peltier later this year, from September 1 through November 14, 2022. | "Leonard Peltier's Walk to Justice" will start in Minneapolis and end in Washington, D.C., where organizers plan to meet with government officials to demand the release of Peltier from the U.S. federal prison system. | "The vision and prayer for this walk—Leonard Peltier's Walk to Justice—began almost two years ago through dreams," said American Indian Movement of Indiana and…
(2022-01-05). Why US Prisons Don't Want Prisoners To Read. popularresistance.org In a recent piece for Protean magazine entitled "The American Prison System's War on Reading," Alex Skopic writes, "Across the United States, the agencies responsible for mass imprisonment are trying to severely limit incarcerated people's access to the written word—an alarming trend, and one that bears closer examination." From outright banning books and letting prison libraries fall into decay to the intrusion of for-profit electronic reading services that inmates have to pay for, the assault on prisoners' ability to read books while incarcerated is one of many calculated cruelties that make the US carcer…
(2022-01-05). 'MasterChef' slammed after cooking showdown features shark, alligator & capybara. rt.com 
Ecuador has warned of prison time for wild animal eaters after a controversial 'MasterChef' episode | An episode of 'MasterChef Ecuador' has triggered an almighty backlash, with the Quito government warning that wild animal eaters may end up in prison, while Colombia has launched an investigation into the ingredients used. | On Tuesday, Ecuador's government slammed the country's 'MasterChef' show after a recent episode featured ingredients including tollo (a small shark), an alligator, a type of wild deer, and a capybara — a massive rodent which can weigh as much as 80 kilograms (175 lbs). | In a statemen…
(2022-01-05). European Union funds Greece's fascistic anti-refugee offensive—Part 2. wsws.org The camps being built in Greece, with the fulsome praise of bourgeois politicians across the continent, are prisons, enforcing total surveillance and control over detainees.
(2022-01-05). When identity becomes a prison, there can be no liberational politics. zcomm.org Please Help ZNet Source: The Real News Network There is no doubt that racism is real and has negative consequences for people's lives," Adolph Reed Jr. and Touré F. Reed note in the abstract to their article "The Evolution of 'Race' and Racial Justice under Neoliberalism." "This is why we
(2022-01-05). Julian Assange passes one thousand days in Belmarsh Prison, dubbed "Britain's Guantanamo Bay" wsws.org Assange is imprisoned without charge to facilitate an extradition request from the American government, which plotted his illegal kidnapping or assassination.