Afghanistan refuses to free Taliban prisoners under US peace deal without 'executive guarantee'
rt.com | 2020-03-07
The proposed release of 5,000 jailed Taliban fighters, required under their peace deal with the US, can happen only if the Afghan government gets a guarantee that they will not 'return to violence,' President Ashraf Ghani said. | "The people's request is that there should be an executive guarantee so that these people will not return to violence once they are released," the Afghan leader told parliament on Saturday, adding that a "transparent mechanism" has to be established to enact that part of the Taliban-US deal. | Under the agreement signed by the US and the Taliban in Qatar last Saturday, as many as 5,00…
rt.com/news/482559-afghanistan-president-taliban-prisoners/

Afghanistan refuses to free Taliban prisoners under US peace deal without 'executive guarantee'
rt.com | 2020-03-07
The proposed release of 5,000 jailed Taliban fighters, required under their peace deal with the US, can happen only if the Afghan government gets a guarantee that they will not 'return to violence,' President Ashraf Ghani said. | "The people's request is that there should be an executive guarantee so that these people will not return to violence once they are released," the Afghan leader told parliament on Saturday, adding that a "transparent mechanism" has to be established to enact that part of the Taliban-US deal. | Under the agreement signed by the US and the Taliban in Qatar last Saturday, as many as 5,00…
rt.com/news/482559-afghanistan-president-taliban-prisoners/

Fear pervades Black politics, and makes us agents of our own oppression
Glen Ford | mronline.org | 2020-03-07
Black youth see the truth, and will act on it, we are certain. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/03/07/fear-pervades-black-politics-and-makes-us-agents-of-our-own-oppression/

Fear pervades Black politics, and makes us agents of our own oppression
Glen Ford | mronline.org | 2020-03-07
Black youth see the truth, and will act on it, we are certain. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/03/07/fear-pervades-black-politics-and-makes-us-agents-of-our-own-oppression/

Chile: Pinochet's Agents Will Remain in Jail for up to 20 Years
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-07
Santiago de Chile's First Court of Appeals Friday sentenced 31 secret police officers to penalties of up to 20 years for their participation in the disappearance of two filmmakers on Nov. 29, 1974. | RELATED: | Chile to Re-Write Pinochet-Era Constitution But With a Catch | The ruling established the responsibility of members of the National Intelligence Directorate (DINA) in the kidnapping of Carmen Bueno and Jorge Muller, who were militants of the Revolutionary Left Movement (MI…
telesurenglish.net/news/Chile-Pinochets-Agents-Will-Remain-in-Jail-for-up-to-20-Years-20200307-0002.html

Students Petition UC Irvine After Campus Police Arrest a Black Alumna
Sara Weissman, Diverse | indybay.org | 2020-03-07
Shikera Chamndany, a Black alumna in biomedical engineering at UC Irvine, went to campus to collect her transcripts on Feb. 20. She ended up spending the night in Orange County Women's Jail.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/06/18831337.php

Weinstein Case: NY District Attorney Wants 'Lengthy Prison Sentence' Reflecting 'Lifetime of Abuse'
sputniknews.com | 2020-03-07
Late last month, Harvey Weinstein was convicted by a New York jury of sexual assault and rape, but cleared of predatory sexual assault charges that could have seen him in jail for life.
sputniknews.com/us/202003071078502963-weinstein-case-ny-district-attorney-wants-lengthy-prison-sentence-reflecting-lifetime-of-abuse/

Lecturing 'angry black woman' on MLK? Hilary Rosen botches apology after CNN row on 'white moderate' Biden with Sanders surrogate
rt.com | 2020-03-06
Democratic pundit Hilary Rosen had to apologize thrice to Bernie Sanders' national co-chair Nina Turner after lecturing her on the meaning of a famous Martin Luther King Jr quote about "white moderates" in a heated row on CNN. | It all began during a Thursday night segment on CNN's Cuomo Prime Time, when Turner referenced MLK's famous Letter from Birmingham Jail, in which he wrote that he had been "gravely disappointed with the white moderate" in the struggle for civil rights. | Rosen then jumped in to "correct" Turner, who is black herself, saying this was "not what Martin Luther King said," and claiming he h…
rt.com/usa/482527-hilary-rosen-nina-turner-mlk/

Are Our Prisons and Jails Ready for COVID-19?
Maria Morris | aclu.org | 2020-03-06
The | country and the world face a public health emergency in the new coronavirus | causing COVID-19. The media is filled with concerns about how we will respond. | Will we close schools? Cancel sporting events and other large gatherings? Work | from home? Avoid public transportation? | But | little has been said about one of the most vulnerable sectors of our | population: the people in our prisons and jails. Although people often think of | prisons and jails as closed environments, they are not. Medical staff, correctional | staff, and visitors come from the community into the facilities every day and | then…
aclu.org/news/prisoners-rights/are-our-prisons-and-jails-ready-for-covid-19

Voter Suppression Threatens to Take the US Back to Reconstruction Era
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-06
Janine Jackson interviewed Emory University's Carol Anderson about voter suppression for the February 28, 2020, episode of "CounterSpin." This is a lightly edited transcript. | Janine Jackson: Heritage Foundation co-founder Paul Weyrich's statement at that Ronald Reagan rally in 1980, "I don't want everybo…
truthout.org/audio/voter-suppression-threatens-to-take-the-us-back-to-reconstruction-era/

Palestinian Rights Organization Challenges Meritless Lawsuit Filed Against It
commondreams.org | 2020-03-06
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/03/06/palestinian-rights-organization-challenges-meritless-lawsuit-filed-against-it?cd-origin=rss

Venezuela Condemns US for Crimes Against Humanity
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-06
Venezuela's Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, reiterated on Friday accusations against the United States for crimes against humanity. | RELATED: | Brazil's Diplomats Left Venezuela Prior Bolsonaro-Trump Meeting | During a press conference to announce the status of the lawsuit filed by the Bolivarian Government at the International Criminal Court, Rodriguez once again exposed elements for which Washington is being accused of i…
telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuela-Condemns-US-for-Crimes-Against-Humanity-20200306-0011.html

After Alabama Executes Nathaniel Woods, Ayanna Pressley Leads Fresh Calls for US to Abolish Death Penalty
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-03-06
After the state of Alabama on Thursday night executed 44-year-old Nathaniel Woods despite serious concerns about injustices in his case, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and other lawmakers and civil rights advocates implored Congress to abolish the death penalty nationwide. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12016846891_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/03/06/after-alabama-executes-nathaniel-woods-ayanna-pressley-leads-fresh-calls-us-abolish?cd-origin=rss

Selected Articles: The Pentagon's "Ides of March 2020": Best Month to Go to War?
Global Research News | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-06
Online independent analysis of US-led wars, rampant corruption, corporate greed, civil rights and fraudulent monetary transactions is invariably relegated to the bottom rung of search engine results. | As a result we presently do not cover our monthly running costs which …
globalresearch.ca/selected-articles-pentagon-ides-march-2020-best-month-go-war/5705754

Trump is Sending Special Forces-style Agents into Pro-Immigrant Cities
Naureen Shah | aclu.org | 2020-03-05
As part of its campaign of intimidation against state and local | governments that choose not to collaborate with Immigration and Customs | Enforcement (ICE), Trump administration officials have confirmed plans for two new tactics in their anti-immigrant | agenda. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will deploy Border Patrol's | special forces-style unit, known as BORTAC, and other Customs and Border | Protection (CBP) agents

Women and girls still vulnerable to HIV due to gender inequality: UNAIDS
news.un.org | 2020-03-05
Gender discrimination and violence, as well as "huge" gaps in education, are among the factors why women and girls remain vulnerable to HIV, according to the UN agency working to end the AIDS epidemic.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/03/1058751

Israeli Forces Invade West Bank; Abduct 11 Palestinians From Their Homes & Re-arrest Long-Term Prisoner
Celine Hagbard | imemc.org | 2020-03-05
During the nightly invasion of various parts of the West Bank on Thursday, Israeli forces abducted a number of Palestinians who were asleep in bed, and re-arrested one man who had served 18 years. The Israeli authorities played a cruel trick on the man by releasing him, letting him walk …
imemc.org/article/israeli-forces-invade-west-bank-abduct-11-palestinians-from-their-homes-re-arrest-long-term-prisoner/

TRAP Laws are the Threat to Abortion Rights You Don't Know About
Ashoka Mukpo | aclu.org | 2020-03-03
This week, the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a case | that will have wide-reaching consequences for reproductive freedom and abortion | rights in America. It's the first time the Court has weighed those rights since | gaining a new conservative majority with the appointments of Justices Neil | Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. And the stakes are high. | The case that the court will | hear, June Medical Services LLC v. Russo, | is being argued by the Center for Reproductive Rights (CCR), and it involves a | law in Louisiana known as a "TRAP"

LA District Attorney Lacey's husband brandishes firearm at Black Lives Matters activists
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-03-03
Los Angeles, CA – For nearly three years, activists have been trying to get Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey to open her doors to them. This morning, March 2, the front door to Lacey's house was indeed opened, but with a gun pointed at the activists. | In the early morning, numerous activists from Black Lives Matter (BLM) Los Angeles staged a protest outside of Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey's house. David Lacey, husband of Jackie Lacey, opened the door, and without warning aimed a gun at the activists. His finger on the trigger, Mr. Lacey repeatedly yelled, "Get off of my porch!" | Dr. Meli…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/3/3/la-district-attorney-lacey-s-husband-brandishes-firearm-black-lives-matters-activists

'We Are Going to Be Back to Where We Were After Reconstruction–Unless We Stop It' – CounterSpin interview with Carol Anderson about voter suppression
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2020-03-03
Janine Jackson interviewed Emory University's Carol Anderson about voter suppression for the February 28, 2020, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
fair.org/home/we-are-going-to-be-back-to-where-we-were-after-reconstruction-unless-we-stop-it/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=we-are-going-to-be-back-to-where-we-were-after-reconstruction-unless-we-stop-it

Julian Assange Lawyer: What's at Stake in Extradition Case Is Freedom of the Press
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-02
British Judge Vanessa Baraitser has suspended the extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange until mid-May. This comes after four days of intense deliberations last week between Assange's legal team and attorneys representing the United States government. Assange faces 18 charges of attempted hacking and breaches of the Espionage Act for his role in publishing classified documents exposing U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. He could be sentenced to up to 175 years in prison. Assange has been held in London's Belmarsh prison since last April, when he was removed from the embassy by British poli…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/2/julian_assange_extradition_case_uk

Extradition of Assange Would Set a Dangerous Precedent
Marjorie Cohn | zcomm.org | 2020-03-02
The Trump administration is seeking extradition of WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, to the United States for trial on charges carrying 175 years in prison…
zcomm.org/zmagazine/extradition-of-assange-would-set-a-dangerous-precedent/

Contra-supporting CNN pundit Ana Navarro lobbied for corrupt right-wing Latin American governments
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-02
Bernie-bashing "Never Trump conservative" CNN pundit Ana Navarro lobbied for El Salvador's right-wing government, whose president was imprisoned for corruption,…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/01/contras-cnn-ana-navarro-lobbying-corruption/

Can We Trust the Government to Respond to the Coronavirus in a Fair and Effective Manner?
Jay Stanley | aclu.org | 2020-03-02
A group of over 450 public health experts signed a public letter today warning that widespread transmission of the Covid-19 coronavirus within the United States is "inevitable." Their letter urges government decisionmakers to enact policies that will have the best chance of minimizing the effects of the virus: those based strictly on the best available scientific information, and those that are imposed in a fair and equitable fashion. | It is essential that all govern…
aclu.org/news/national-security/can-we-trust-the-government-to-respond-to-the-coronavirus-in-a-fair-and-effective-manner

Refugee rights supporters rally for freedom outside detention hotel
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-02
Refugees & migrants Chris SleeIssue 1256 Australia detention centre MelbourneMarch 2, 2020Two hundred people joined a protest organised by the Refugee Action Collective outside the Mantra hotel…
greenleft.org.au/content/refugee-rights-supporters-rally-freedom-outside-detention-hotel

US and OAS lobby for Nicaraguan 'political prisoners' who butcher their pregnant girlfriends
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-28
Ben Norton reports from Nicaragua, where the US embassy and OAS successfully lobbied for the release of violent criminals who…
thegrayzone.com/2020/02/28/us-oas-nicaragua-political-prisoners-murder/

Carol Anderson on Voter Suppression
CounterSpin | fair.org | 2020-02-28
Media…
fair.org/home/carol-anderson-on-voter-suppression/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=carol-anderson-on-voter-suppression

Defending Immigrants' Rights and Reproductive Freedom in the U.S. Supreme Court
Eva Lopez | aclu.org | 2020-02-27
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a number of cases this term that will have a crucial impact on civil rights and civil liberties

Stopping the Anti-Abortion Ordinances of East Texas
Anjali Salvador | aclu.org | 2020-02-26
Waskom. | Naples. Joaquin. Tenaha. Rusk. Gary. Wells. These names might sound unfamiliar | now, but you'll be hearing more about them soon enough. | They | are seven cities in East Texas that, within the last several months, each | passed so-called "sanctuary city for the unborn" ordinances

As Alabama primary nears, voter suppression is alive and well
splcenter.org | 2020-02-26
All across this country, the right to vote is under attack. But with your support, we're fighting back in Southern courts and state legislatures with a newly formed team of legal, policy, and grassroots advocates.
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/25/alabama-primary-nears-voter-suppression-alive-and-well

Weekend Read: SPLC files civil rights complaints as asylum seekers wage hunger strikes
splcenter.org | 2020-02-21
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/22/weekend-read-splc-files-civil-rights-complaints-asylum-seekers-wage-hunger-strikes

Weekend Read: Department of Justice may force Mississippi to fix deadly prison system
splcenter.org | 2020-02-14
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/14/weekend-read-department-justice-may-force-mississippi-fix-deadly-prison-system

Desperate asylum seekers 'starving for justice' in immigrant prison hunger strikes across Louisiana
splcenter.org | 2020-02-11
Guards shackled Sai Mahad to a chair, placed a mask over his mouth and snaked a long tube through one of his nostrils.
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/12/desperate-asylum-seekers-starving-justice-immigrant-prison-hunger-strikes-across-louisiana