(2019-08-22). Los Angeles County Votes to Stop Construction of New Jail-Like Facility, Adding Momentum to National Abolition Movement. theintercept.com 
"A jail is a jail is a jail. It is not enough to change the name of the facility," said LA Board of Supervisors member Heidi Solis.
(2019-08-22). From 'felon' to 'justice-involved person': San Francisco fights crime with PC language. rt.com 
Amid a rising tide of crime, inequality, and literal human waste, San Francisco, California has chosen to sanitize — language. Felons, offenders and addicts will now have to be called new, more politically correct names. | The new "person-first" language guidelines were recently introduced by the city's Board of Supervisors, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. From now on, a convicted felon released from jail will be called a "justice-involved person"
(2019-08-22). Trump orders indefinite jailing of detained immigrant families, attacks birthright citizenship. wsws.org Democrats have largely backed Trump's attacks on immigrants, with the New York Times describing his concentration camps as "family detention centers."
(2019-08-22). Former Staffer Details Abuse Inside Chicago Child Detention Center. truthout.org | | In the past two years, many articles have been written exposing the link between Chicago based nonprofits and the broader system of mass detention and child separation at the border. Thanks to the work of community organizers and journalists with ProPublica, the existence of a network of nonprofits acting as child prisons for hundreds of so-called migrant detainees in Chicago has been…
(2019-08-22). Ramsey Orta denied early release from prison. indybay.org While the murderer of Eric Garner walks free, Ramsey Orta sits in a state prison in upstate New York. As many of you may know, Ramsey was denied early release from prison this week.
(2019-08-22). New Zealand government exploits Christchurch shooter's letter to push for censorship of prisoners. wsws.org Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern seized on the publication of a letter by Brenton Tarrant to demand all prisoners' letters containing "hate speech" be blocked.
(2019-08-22). Bernie Sanders Backs Rescinding Medals for Wounded Knee Massacre. truthout.org | | This week 10 Democratic candidates and one independent in the 2020 presidential race, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, addressed indigenous communities at the first-ever Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa. During the two-day event, candidates individually answered questions from a panel of tribal leaders and Native American youth and elders on issues including treaty rights, voter suppression, and murdered and missing indigenous women. | TRA…
(2019-08-22). Australia's US Studies Centre advocates war-footing against China. wsws.org The policies that the pro-US think tank proposes could not be implemented without the suppression of widespread political opposition.
(2019-08-22). APTP Monthly Membership Meeting: Scott Morris on Santa Rita Jail. indybay.org East Side Arts Alliance | 2277 International Blvd. | Oakland, CA 94606…
(2019-08-22). Collusion in Brazil's judiciary brings the curtain down on the rule of law. greenleft.org.au 
corruption Tony RosenbergIssue 1234 Brazil Operation Car WashMessages between Brazil's federal prosecutor, Deltan Dallagnol, who led Operaàßà£o Lava Jato (Operation Car Wash) and then-judge, Sergio Moro, have revealed that the evidence used to jail Brazil'
(2019-08-22). 'She Is Failing Us': Demanding Trump Impeachment, Progressives Disrupt Pelosi 'Resistance' Award Ceremony. commondreams.org "Trump is selling the government to the highest bidder and migrant children are dying in detention—on her watch." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/unnamed_3.jpg …
(2019-08-22). Warren Apologizes to Native Americans; Sanders Backs Rescinding Medals for Wounded Knee Massacre. democracynow.org 
This week 10 Democratic candidates and one independent in the 2020 presidential race, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, addressed indigenous communities at the first-ever Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa. During the two-day event, candidates individually answered questions from a panel of tribal leaders and Native American youth and elders on issues including treaty rights, voter suppression, and murdered and missing indigenous women.
(2019-08-22). Headlines for August 22, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Administration Proposes Jailing Migrant Families Indefinitely, Federal Budget Deficit to Top $1 Trillion in 2020, Satellite Data Show Brazilian Amazon Burning at Record Pace, Brazilian President Bolsonaro Blames Environmentalists for Amazon Fires, Wildfires Rage in Alaska, Canary Islands, Siberia and Greenland, Gov. Jay Inslee, Champion of Climate Fight, Drops 2020 Presidential Bid, Activists Disrupt Event Honoring House Speaker Pelosi to Demand Trump's Impeachment, Abdalla Hamdok Sworn In as Sudan's Prime Minister, Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Mark Anniversary of Subway Attack, Mexico's Zapatistas Exp…
(2019-08-21). Trump plan: Split migrant kids from parents, with no time limit. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—In yet another manifestation of Trump administration hatred for non-white migrants seeking to cross into the U.S., top Trump officials announced a new detention rule to split migrant kids from their parents — with no specified time limit on the splits. "A child is no longer a free pass" into the U.S. for the parents, …
(2019-08-21). US to allow indefinite detention for migrant children following rule change. rt.com 
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a change in policy that could see migrant children detained indefinitely, replacing a previous restriction limiting confinement of undocumented minors to 20 days. | The department announced on Wednesday that it would terminate the 1997 Flores Settlement, which set requirements for detaining migrants, arguing the rules contained a "loophole" that drives illegal immigration into the US. | "By closing this key loophole in Flores, the new rule will restore integrity to our immigration system and eliminate the major pull factor fueling the crisis," acting Home…
(2019-08-21). Trump administration refuses to vaccinate migrants in detention centers. wsws.org The decision to run filthy and disease-ridden detention camps is part of a definite strategy by Trump's fascistic advisers.
(2019-08-21). We Have Been Here Before. thenation.com We Have Been Here Before…
(2019-08-21). An Arizona Law Requires Surveillance of People Who Are Presumed Innocent. aclu.org The government cannot take shortcuts around constitutional rights. | A pillar of our democracy is the presumption of innocence: before a person has been convicted of a crime, they are considered completely innocent under the law. Yet across the country, people who have not been convicted are punished—both explicitly and implicitly—based on the mistaken assumption that they are dangerous, purely on the basis of an accusation. We do not live in a society where you can be incarcerated or monitored simply because you have been accused of a crime. Doing so violates constitutional rights, fuels mass incarce…
(2019-08-21). Warning over increasing violence at Pentonville Prison. thecanary.co Violence fuelled by gangs, drugs, debt and "volatile young prisoners" has "increased markedly" at one of the country's oldest and busiest jails, inspectors have warned. | Violence has shot up by more than 50% since 2017 at HMP Pentonville in north London, the Inspectorate of Prisons said on Wednesday. | Inspectors found the prison was unsafe and plans for activities, rehabilitation and release were not good enough. | In the last six months there have been 264 assaults on staff and inmates and 61 fights, compared with 196 and 65 respectively during a previous inspection. | The problems were "clear and serious" wit…
(2019-08-21). Lawsuit Challenges Trump EPA's 200 Million-acre Expansion of Bee-killing Pesticide. globalresearch.ca The Center for Biological Diversity and Center for Food Safety sued the Trump administration today over its July decision to approve use of the bee-killing pesticide sulfoxaflor across more than 200 million acres of crops. | The approval was granted despite …
(2019-08-21). Over 500 Lawsuits Already Filed Days After Child Victims Act Goes Into Effect. truthout.org | | This is Part 2 of our conversation with two New York state legislators, Senator Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, who helped pass the Child Victims Act in New York. The state law, which went into effect last week, extends the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse and includes a "lookback period," giving survivors of any age a year to take legal action even if their cases had expired under the old statute of limitations. Over 500 lawsuits have already been filed.
(2019-08-21). Over 500 Lawsuits Already Filed Days After Child Victims Act in New York Goes into Effect. democracynow.org 
This is Part 2 of our conversation with two New York state legislators, Senator Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, who helped pass the Child Victims Act in New York. The state law, which went into effect last week, extends the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse and includes a "lookback period," giving survivors of any age a year to take legal action even if their cases had expired under the old statute of limitations. Over 500 lawsuits have already been filed. Both Biaggi and Niou are sexual abuse survivors, and they have spoken about the importance of the Child Victims Act in personal…
(2019-08-21). Headlines for August 21, 2019. democracynow.org Amazon Wildfires Spark Fears of Environmental Disaster as Sà£o Paulo Goes Dark from Smoke, Trump Expected to End Flores Agreement, Slashing Protections for Child Migrants, CBP Will Not Vaccinate Jailed Migrants as Doctors Say At Least 3 Detained Children Died from Flu, Lawsuits Allege "Torture" in Migrant Jails and Child Abuse in Foster Care, Italy in Turmoil as Prime Minister Resigns, Migrants Disembark from Rescue Ship in Italy After Being Stranded at Sea for 3 Weeks, Trump Cancels Denmark Visit over Refusal to Discuss Selling Greenland, Trump Attacks Tlaib & Omar, Says Jews Are "Disloyal" If They Vote De…
(2019-08-19). Trump is Taking More Money for Raids and Detention. Congress Should Stop Him. aclu.org Without congressional checks, ICE and CBP will continue to overspend and overstep. | The budget for Trump's turbo-charged immigration enforcement and border militarization is now larger than ever. And just last week, we learned that ICE plans to redirect even more money to further expand immigration detention and enforcement. The plan is currently being reviewed by congressional appropriato…
(2019-08-19). Health Care Imperialism: Looting the World's Doctors. dissidentvoice.org To poach and rely on highly skilled foreign workers from poor countries in the public sector is akin to the crime of theft. — "Migration of Health Workers: An Unmanaged Crisis," The Lancet, May 28, 2005 What is striking about the tyranny of the medical industrial complex is not only its unconscionable oppression of the …
(2019-08-19). "Humanitarian Aid Is Never a Crime": No More Deaths Volunteers Drop Water in Desert to Aid Migrants. democracynow.org 
Volunteers with the humanitarian aid group No More Deaths have been venturing into the harsh Sonoran Desert for years to leave life-saving supplies for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Longtime volunteer Scott Warren was charged with three felonies for the alleged crime of providing food, water and shelter to migrants. After a hung jury in June, he is now facing retrial on two felony counts and faces a possible 10 years in prison. As he awaits his next trial as well as deals with misdemeanor charges in another case of aiding migrants, Democracy Now! followed him into the Sonoran Desert for his first trip…
(2019-08-19). Activist Scott Warren, Facing Federal Charges for Aiding Migrants, Says He Won't Be Deterred. democracynow.org 
We broadcast live from Tucson, Arizona, where the government recently put humanitarian activist Scott Warren on trial amid the ongoing policing of the U.S.-Mexico border, separation of families, and cruel and inhumane conditions at immigrant jails across the country. Warren, a longtime volunteer with the humanitarian aid group No More Deaths, was charged with three felony counts for his alleged crime of providing food, water and shelter to migrants in Ajo, Arizona. The immigrants had arrived at the doorstep of a humanitarian shelter after a perilous journey across the Sonoran Desert. At the same time, he and othe…
(2019-08-19). Headlines for August 19, 2019. democracynow.org Bombs Go Off on Afghan Independence Day, Following Wedding Attack That Killed 63, Largest Hong Kong Protest in Weeks Defies Threats, Intimidation by China, Kashmiris Protest Lockdown 2 Weeks After India Scraps Special Status, Gibraltar Releases Iranian Oil Tanker After U.S. Fails to Keep It Under Seizure, Israeli Soldiers Kill 3 People in Gaza, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar to Address Israeli Travel Ban, Far-Right and Anti-Fascist Protesters Take to Portland Streets, Authorities Arrest Men in 3 States After They Threaten Mass Shootings, Prison Guard Who Drove Truck into Jewish Activists Has Resigned, NYPD Judge: P…
(2019-08-16). Rap Brown, now Jamil Abdullah El-Amin, Challenges His Imprisonment. therealnews.com 
Kairi Al-Amin, the son of H. Rap Brown, now Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, talks about his father's case and his appeal because of a prosecutor violating his right not to testify him by questioning during closing arguments. Al-Amin is 75 and with a sentence of life imprisonment…
(2019-08-16). US Trained Honduran Police Get Medieval as Political Prisoner Edwin Espinal Released. mintpressnews.com The Honduran corruption canard keeps the focus on police resources and individuals rather than on the pangs of privatization, and so it is often the line favored by the U.S. State Department.
(2019-08-16). 'Quash' convictions and release women jailed for protesting against wearing veils in Iran, urge UN rights experts. un.org Decades-long prison sentences handed down to three women protesting the strictly enforced wearing of veils in Iran, have drawn alarm and condemnation from six United Nations independent human rights experts.
(2019-08-16). Friday's Daily Brief: Education key for Rohingya, DR Congo violence continues, Zimbabwe protest latest, women's rights in Iran, environmental protection. un.org Our main stories today: Two years in, Myanmar's Rohingya youth need more education; DR Congo testimonies highlight armed brutality; appeals for Zimbabwe to 'stop cracking down' on protesters; Iran urged to release women jailed for protesting veiling laws; and new human rights agreement on environmental protection.
(2019-08-16). The Great Land Robbery: How Federal Policies Dispossessed Black Americans of Millions of Acres. democracynow.org 
Over the 20th century, black people in the U.S. were dispossessed of 12 million acres of land. Half of that loss — 6 million acres — occurred over just two decades, from 1950 to 1969, a period largely associated with the civil rights struggle. This mass land dispossession, which affected 98% of black agricultural land owners, is part of the pattern of institutional racism and discrimination that has contributed to the racial wealth gap in the United States. Many of the driving forces behind this land theft were legal and originated in federal policies, as documented by Vann Newkirk, staff writer at Th…
(2019-08-16). For Years, Reporters Questioned the Terror Prosecution of Hamid Hayat. Now He's Been Freed. theintercept.com 
After spending 14 years in prison on charges that he attended a terrorist training camp in Pakistan, Hamid Hayat was freed on August 9 following a California judge's decision to overturn the conviction. | From the start, Hayat's case had been controversial. | The government's star witness, Naseem Khan, was a fast-food worker earning $7 per hour before the FBI enlisted him as an informant and paid him nearly $230,000 over three years. Khan came to the FBI's attention about a month after the September 11 terrorist attacks by claiming to have information about a visit to the United States by Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama…
(2019-08-15). Truck Rams Anti-ICE Protest in Rhode Island. therealnews.com 
A corrections officer struck Never Again protestors with his truck outside of the Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island, hospitalizing two while other protestors were pepper sprayed by police. Update: A Captain involved in the incident was placed on leave pending an independent investigation, officials say…
(2019-08-15). The Challenges of Breastfeeding as a Black Person. aclu.org How our workplaces and healthcare system create barriers to breastfeeding. | The fight to protect individual choices about reproductive care, including breastfeeding, is an ongoing battle. The central lesson of the reproductive justice movement is that choice means little without access. That lesson applies equally to breastfeeding. | Though laws, in the workplace and other contexts, are in place to protect the right to breastfeed, many low-income women and w…
(2019-08-15). SPLC publishes Opportunity Costs: Unequal Justice in Alabama's Community Corrections Programs. splcenter.org A new investigative report published today by the Southern Poverty Law Center reveals serious flaws in Alabama's community corrections programs, an otherwise promising system for diverting people from the state's prisons.
(2019-08-15). The BDS movement calls to boycott three anti-Palestinian German clubs. bdsmovement.net 
The BDS movement calls to boycott three anti-Palestinian German clubs: PACBI StatementConne Island, Golden Pudel and : //about blank are complicit in Israel's oppression of Palestinians | Cultural Boycott Right To BoycottAugust 15, 2019…
(2019-08-15). Headlines for August 15, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Administration Moves to Seize Iranian Tanker Held in Gibraltar, Chinese Paramilitaries Mass on Hong Kong Border as Pro-Democracy Protests Continue, Dow Jones Plunges 800 Points on Fears of Looming Recession, Study Finds CEO Pay Increased 1,000% Since 1978 While Wages Stagnated, Facebook Hired Hundreds to Listen In on Users' Audio Messages, Mexico City Police Officers Suspended over Rape of Two Teenagers, Italian Court Allows Rescued Migrants to Disembark as Hundreds More Remain Stranded at Sea, NBC News: ICE Now Jailing 8,000 Migrants in Mississippi, Louisiana, Federal Court Weighs Fate of Protected Status…
(2019-08-14). "River of Fire": In New Memoir, Sister Helen Prejean Reflects on Decades of Fighting Executions. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration is moving ahead with plans to resume the death penalty after a more than 15-year moratorium. This week Attorney General William Barr proposed fast-tracking executions in mass murder cases, and last month ordered the execution of five death row prisoners beginning in December. The federal government has executed just three people since 1963 — the last being in 2003. The death penalty is widely condemned by national governments, international bodies and human rights groups across the world. Experts say capital punishment does not help deter homicides and that errors and racism in the…
(2019-08-14). BDS condemns antisemitic, fascist forces in Germany and worldwide. bdsmovement.net 
BDS condemns antisemitic, fascist forces in Germany and worldwide: BNC StatementOur nonviolent movement opposes all forms of racism and racial discrimination. | Right To BoycottAugust 14, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC)
(2019-08-13). Expanding Involuntary Confinement is Not the Answer to Solve Gun Violence. aclu.org Institutionalizing people against their will is usually a mistake. | In the wake of last weekend's tragic shootings, President Trump did what he does best: stoked fear and cast blame. He proclaimed that "we must reform our mental health laws to better identify mentally disturbed individuals who may commit acts of violence and make sure those people, not only get treatment, but when necessary, involuntary confinement." | There are two things wrong with the idea of involuntary commitment as a solution to gun violence. First, focusing on people with identifiable mental disabilities won't help. The data is clear: men…
(2019-08-13). Unequal Justice: John Roberts' Dark Legacy of Voter Suppression. progressive.org Plaintiffs are litigating voting rights cases in Alabama, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, and several other states. Some will succeed, some will fail, but all will be more uncertain and expensive thanks to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
(2019-08-10). Weekend Read: Neo-Nazi leader must pay more than $14 million in damages. splcenter.org A federal judge has ruled in an SPLC lawsuit that neo-Nazi leader Andrew Anglin must pay more than $14 million in damages for using his website to launch an antisemitic campaign of terror against a Jewish woman and her family.
(2019-08-09). Over 132,400 Opposed Trump's Anti-Trans Health Care Plan. aclu.org A proposed rule would undermine protections for transgender people and others facing discriminatory denials of health care and insurance coverage. | The Trump Administration has shown it will stop at nothing to undermine access to health care for marginalized communities. Most recently, the Administration has proposed to undermine critical protections against sex discrimination in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, the Health Care Rights Law. Instead of combatting discrimination in accessing health care a…
(2019-08-05). New Civil Rights Memorial to be installed on 54th anniversary of Voting Rights Act. splcenter.org Jimmie Lee Jackson was beaten and shot by Alabama state troopers during a peaceful voting rights march on Feb. 18, 1965.
(2019-07-31). Oklahoma Victims Compensation Program Disproportionately Denies Funds for Black Victims. aclu.org Data shows that Black victims are often denied compensation for the very same crimes as committed against white victims, who did receive compensation. | Tiras Johnson, age 23, was unarmed when he was shot and killed in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His family was devastated by his death, and they were struggling to pay for Tiras' funeral. Like many victims' families, Tiras' mother applied for financial compensation through the Oklahoma Crime Victims Compensation Act in order to cover his funeral costs, but instead received a surprising response in the mail. | The letter, addressed to Tiras' mother, Netarsha, explained that h…
(2019-07-29). Supreme Court Order No 'Big Victory' For Trump's Border Wall. The Fight Continues. aclu.org The Supreme Court has not yet decided the case, or given Trump's abuse of emergency powers the stamp of approval. | Late Friday evening, the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration a temporary green light to begin construction of the border wall using military funds Congress denied. The order, while temporary and limited to specific wall projects where fencing already exists, threatens to permanently damage border communities, the environment, and our Constitution's separation of powers. | But it's not the "big victory" President Trump q…
(2019-06-21). Brian Mier on Brazilian Political Scandal. fair.org 
The Brazilian anti-corruption crusade, called Car Wash or Lava Jato, that put popular ex-president Lula da Silva in prison and paved the way for fascist president Jair Bolsanaro—all while being celebrated in the US corporate press—was actually, as critics contended, less interested in corruption than in keeping Lula's Workers Party out of power.