(2020-04-30). On Mumia's birthday, global event honors political prisoners. workers.org 
By Mirinda Crissman and Judy Greenspan From behind prison walls nearly 39 years, Mumia Abu Jamal continues to educate, energize and unite prison abolitionists, former and current political prisoners, and the global activist community. On April 24, his 66th birthday, Abu-Jamal's story and legacy brought together a virtual gathering "U.S. . . . |
(2020-04-30). How to turn Colombia's prisons into coronavirus death camps and stay positive. colombiareports.com It took months of inaction, but Colombia's government finally turned Villavicencio's prison into the perfect coronavirus petri dish from where its prison chief infected at least three more prisons. The…
(2020-04-30). Press Conference: Rancho Cordova PD Stop Beating Our Children. indybay.org 7-Eleven (Rancho Cordova, CA) | 10246 Mills Station Rd | Rancho Cordova, California 95670…
(2020-04-30). In ICE Detention, Forced to Pay for Soap. thenation.com In ICE Detention, Forced to Pay for Soap…
(2020-04-30). Bolivia's socialist presidential candidate Luis Arce speaks about elections, COVID-19 and fascist oppression. peoplesdispatch.org The presidential candidate of the Movement for Socialism in Bolivia, Luis Arce Catacora, talks about COVID-19 being used as a pretext to postpone elections, the economic policies of the coup government, and the approach his party plans to take…
(2020-04-30). Democrats fume as armed protesters descend on Michigan Capitol to protest lockdown. rt.com 
Crowds of protesters, some carrying weapons, descended on the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan, as legislators considered extending Covid-19 lockdown measures. Democrats blamed President Donald Trump. | Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued a stay-at-home order late last month, as the coronavirus epidemic took hold in her state. When the governor — a Democrat and fierce critic of Trump — extended the order by 15 days last week, a group of residents filed a lawsuit claiming Whitmer infringed on their Constitutional rights. | After the Michigan Court of Claims rejected the suit, the state legislature sat…
(2020-04-30). 'Normandy Four' foreign ministers discuss new prisoner swap in Eastern Ukraine — Lavrov. rt.com 
The Russian, Ukrainian, French and German top diplomats have discussed another prisoner exchange in Donbass, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Thursday. He made the statement following a video conference of the 'Normandy Four' foreign ministers on the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. | "The process of hammering out a sequence of steps is under way, because, as you know, the Minsk agreements [on the Donbass settlement] provide for all exchanges," Lavrov said. "However, in practical terms, it turned out that it is necessary to identify everyone first before exchanging [them] all." | Ukraine's…
(2020-04-30). Russia Refutes Western Attempts To Blame China For COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Russia's RELATED: | He also condemned the lawsuits filed by several countries that claim to demand billions of dollars from Beijing…
(2020-04-30). State Water Contractors sue California over incidental take permit for endangered fish. indybay.org "We note that with the filing of this latest lawsuit, the State Water Contractors have joined Westlands Water district and the Metropolitan Water District in pronouncing the voluntary agreement process dead," said John McManus, President of the Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA).
(2020-04-30). California City Was Accused of Police Brutality Weeks Before Cop Beat Black Teen. truthout.org A federal lawsuit alleging that the California city of Rancho Cordova "fostered a culture of violence" among local police was filed just weeks before videos showing a white Rancho Cordova police officer pummeling a Black teenager sparked national outrage on Monday. Local law enforcement officials are investigating the latest incident, which reportedly began when the officer stopped a 14-year-old boy for buying a cigar. The encounter escalated, and now-infamous videos circulating widely on…
(2020-04-30). Self-harm incidents in prisons jump to record high. thecanary.co The number of incidents of self-harm in jails in England and Wales jumped 14% last year to the highest recorded figure. | In the year to December, there were 63,328 reported incidents of self-harm in prisons, according to Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data. | This is up 14% on the previous 12 months (55,615) and the highest figure on record since data was documented in 2009 (24,184). The lowest figure recorded so far was 23,158 in 2012. | Quarterly figures from the three months to December show the number of incidents started to decrease slightly towards the end of the year. | The number of prisoners self-harming als…
(2020-04-30). Seniors, Prisoners and the Plight of the Detroit Majority. globalresearch.ca Statistical indicators from the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan reveal that the rate of infections and deaths resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic are on the decline. | During the early weeks of April the state of Michigan was …
(2020-04-29). Medically Vulnerable Immigrants Seek Emergency Release from ICE Detention in Alabama. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-04-29). Federal Bill Would Release Vulnerable People from Prisons to Help Stop Spread of COVID-19. aclu.org A month ago, Congress gave the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
(2020-04-29). U.S. is a prison house of oppressed peoples. workers.org 
Based on a talk given during an April 9 Workers World Party national webinar: "Free them all! COVID-19 and racist mass incarceration." Mass incarceration is nothing new to the U.S. This brutal policy of social control of workers — especially the white supremacist oppression of people of color — harkens . . . |
(2020-04-29). CARES Act Funding For Native Tribes Reveals Continued US Colonization. therealnews.com 
The recent CARES Act is another example of the continued effort to dismiss Indigenous peoples' sovereignty, and doesn't provide adequate funding to fight COVID-19.
(2020-04-29). Let Prisoners Go During COVID-19 Pandemic. counterpunch.org Across the United States and across the world, prisoners are among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus. Overcrowded facilities, shortages of food and medicine, and totally inadequate testing expose prisoners who are disproportionately poor and afflicted with prior conditions that render them vulnerable to the disease. Prisoners increasingly are protesting their conditions, objecting to being
(2020-04-29). Ecuador's Amazon Indigenous Sue Gov't, Oil Firms Over Spill. telesurenglish.net Indigenous people in Ecuador's Amazon launched a lawsuit against Ecuador's government as well as private and State oil companies over their responsibility in the country's biggest oil spill in more than ten years, NGO RELATED: | The legal action was filed in the provincial Court of El Coca, in the northeastern region of Sucumb…
(2020-04-28). This Crisis Demands an End to Mass Incarceration. thenation.com This Crisis Demands an End to Mass Incarceration…
(2020-04-28). Trump attacks trans health access during a pandemic. liberationnews.org 
Under an expected rewrite of part of the ACA, discrimination against trans people in health care would be legally permitted.
(2020-04-28). White Collar Criminals, Celebrities, Wealthy Use Privilege For Early Release Amidst Pandemic. therealnews.com 
Michael Cohen and Michael Avenatti were released, and some Los Angeles prisons offer pay-to-stay rooms for celebrities. But a huge number of people are still imprisoned and at risk of COVID-19 just because they can't afford cash bail.
(2020-04-28). Headlines for April 28, 2020. democracynow.org Known U.S. Deaths Top 56,000 as New Study Shows True Number Likely Much Higher, Trump Ignored Early Intelligence Reports as Coronavirus Spread, Trump Denies Responsibility for Spike in Disinfectant Poisonings, Texas Reopens Businesses, California Warns Against Violating Restrictions | , Trump's Plan to Give Commencement Address at West Point Could Bring Back 1,000 Cadets to Campus, NY Cancels Primary After Removing Bernie Sanders from the Ballot , U.N. Calls for Release of Immigrant Prisoners as San Diego Facility Refuses to Allow Face Mask Delivery, More Cases Reported at Prisons as New Study Shows 96% of Inmate…
(2020-04-28). Brazil: Workers' Party Files Lawsuit Against Bolsonaro and Moro. telesurenglish.net The Workers' Party (PT) of Brazil filed a lawsuit against President Jair Bolsonaro and former Justice Minister Sergio Moro at the Supreme Federal Court (STF) on suspicions of prevarication, extortion and corruption. | RELATED: | According to the PT, those crimes were unveiled in the war of accusations between them on Friday, when Moro resigned to his post and Bolsonaro refuted his confessions. | Moro left his post after the presid…
(2020-04-28). Long-Acting Injectable HIV Therapy Noninferior to Daily Pills. jamanetwork.com A pair of trials in the New England Journal of Medicine found that long-acting monthly injectable therapy for HIV-1 infection was noninferior to standard daily oral regimens for maintaining viral suppression.
(2020-04-28). Chaos and Fear in Latin America's Prisons as COVID-19 Spreads. telesurenglish.net As the coronavirus pandemic is starting to spread across Latin America's massively overcrowded prisons, putting the lives of tens of thousands at risk, riots have been reported in almost all the region's countries as inmates say their fundamental rights to safety and protection are being violated. | RELATED: | A riot was reported Monday in the Castro Castro prison in Peru's capital, Lima, resulting in a fire and the d…
(2020-04-27). FRSO online event: COVID-19 pandemic striking Black and brown communities. fightbacknews.org New York City, NY — On Sunday, April 26, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) Central Committee members Frank Chapman and Masao Suzuki gave talks in the livestreamed webinar "Pandemic + Racism = Genocide: Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Oppressed Nationalities & How We can Fight Back!". | As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the country, certain communities are affected more than others. The webinar's purpose was to explore how COVID-19 has affected Black and brown communities, why the virus is especially dangerous in prisons and detention centers, and how imperialism is at the center of it all…
(2020-04-27). How Israel Legitimizes the Abuse of Palestinian Political Prisoners. mintpressnews.com 
Each year Palestinian Prisoners Day comes and goes while the prisoners remain in their cells and their conditions worsen. The destructive effects that Israel's imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians has on society cannot be overstated. Israel justifies its treatment of these prisoners with false claims that the Palestinian men, women, and children who languish in its jails are terrorists. These false claims must be rejected in their entirety. Palestinian prisoners are political prisoners, they are prisoners of conscience and must be viewed and treated as such by the international community. | Israeli claims th…
(2020-04-27). Jacksonville protests for the incarcerated impacted by COVID-19. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL – Around three dozen cars joined a Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC) protest on Friday evening, April 24, calling for a mass release of Duval County inmates in the overpopulated Duval County jail. Along with the JCAC, the New Florida Majority, Dignity Florida, Northside Coalition of Jacksonville along with other organizations and community supporters came out Friday evening for a caravan protest to demand that Melissa Nelson and Sheriff Mike Williams #FreeThemAll. The protesters taped signs to their vehicles that demanded the release of prisoners, to avoid the Duval County Jail becom…
(2020-04-27). Family Receives Body of Deceased Palestinian Prisoner. imemc.org The Palestinian Authority's Detainees Affairs Commission announced on Sunday that Israeli authorities are set to release the corpse of the Palestinian detainee, Nour Barghouthi to his family late on Sunday evening, the Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported. After serving 4 years in Israel's Naqab prison, Barghouthi, 23, died on Wednesday, …
(2020-04-30). Taliban set free 40 captives amid escalating violence. yenisafak.com The Taliban in Afghanistan set free at least 40 captive security forces personnel amid escalating violence in the war-ravaged country, the group said on Thursday.Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's Qatar office spokesman, announced on Twitter the captives were released in the afternoon in northern Kunduz province bordering Tajikistan."The Islamic Emirate [Taliban] is trying to speed up prisoners' release process in order to save lives of the prisoners from the risk of the coronavirus desease," Shaheen tweeted.This comes as the Afghan government and the Taliban exchange allegations over the surge in violence.Javed Faisa…
(2020-04-25). [Correspondence] European education corridors: opportunity for academic solidarity. thelancet.com In times of growing political tensions around migration, health-care providers can help to protect migrant populations from exclusion.1,2 The UCL—Lancet Commission on Migration and Health called for a strengthening, through regulatory and training bodies, of health professionals' and organisations' awareness of discrimination.2 We add that organisations engaged in health science and biomedical education can fulfil their moral and deontological duty to protect populations that are susceptible to discrimination by also promoting the right to education.
(2020-04-24). They Were Willing to Make the Ultimate Sacrifice for the U.S., but Trump Won't Let Them Become Americans. aclu.org 
Ange Samma, a 22-year-old green card holder from Burkina Faso, came to the United States seven years ago, when he was still a teenager. After studying electrical engineering at community college, he decided to enlist in the U.S. Army in 2018. He wanted to give back to his adopted country and also hoped joining the military would help him achieve his goal of becoming an electrical engineer. , , Ange currently serves on active duty as a soldier in South Korea. But despite serving this country on a U.S. military base in a foreign country, he still hasn't been able to obtain citizenship through his military servic…
(2020-04-24). We're Going to Court on April 27 to Strike Down This Poll Tax for Good. aclu.org On April 27, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Florida, and our litigation partners will go to trial in U.S. District Court against the state of Florida to win the ability to vote for hundreds of thousands of eligible state voters now being denied that basic right. | In November 2018, more than 64 percent of Florida voters approved Amendment 4, returning the right to vote to Floridians convicted of felonies who completed their sentence and supervision. The only persons excluded are those convicted of homicide or sexual crimes. | Immediately, the Florida Legislature set out to undermine voters'
(2020-04-24). Despite Pandemic, Police Continue To Retaliate. therealnews.com 
We speak with cop watcher and auditor John Filax and find out first hand what police retaliation looks like as we interview Deja, Ramsey Orta's fiancee who has spent months in prison after filming Eric Garner's death from an illegal chokehold.
(2020-04-23). After a Lifetime Apart, COVID-19 Prison Release Reunites Mother and Daughter. aclu.org 
"You're on the list.", , It took a few seconds for Chalana McFarland to grasp what was happening. Her name was one of just a few on the list of people who would be released from prison early due to COVID-19. Behind her stood a line of dozens of other women waiting to see if they made it. Only some of them had. But as Chalana received the news, they started cheering, and caused such an uproar that the correctional staff had to reprimand them. That's when it finally clicked for Chalana — after 15 years in prison, she was finally going home. , , Chalana immediately contacted her daughter., , "I was watching…
(2020-04-23). Headlines for April 23, 2020. democracynow.org ACLU Warns Spread of Coronavirus in Jails Could Add 100,000 Deaths to U.S. Toll, Government Scientist Claims Reprisal for Opposing Trump's Unproven Coronavirus Treatment, As Coronavirus Reached the U.S., Trump Admin Tapped Ex-Labradoodle Breeder to Lead Task Force, President Trump "Disagrees Strongly" with Governor's Plans to Reopen Georgia, Scientists Skeptical of Reports of High Rates of Coronavirus Antibodies in California Residents, Funeral Directors Association Warns U.S. COVID-19 Deaths Are Underreported, Doctors Report Life-Threatening Blood Clotting in COVID-19 Patients, More Human Trials of Experimental…
(2020-04-22). New Model Shows Reducing Jail Population will Lower COVID-19 Death Toll for All of Us. aclu.org 
The Trump administration optimistically projects that "substantially under" 100,000 people will die from COVID-19 in the United States. Horrific as that statistic is,
(2020-04-22). First person to die in Alabama's prisons with COVID-19 spent more than four decades behind bars. splcenter.org …
(2020-04-21). Death Trap Jail: Pepper-Sprayed, Otay Mesa Detainees Demand Release as COVID-19 Spreads Inside. democracynow.org 
We look at the mounting number of COVID-19 cases inside immigration jails across the country and one of the largest outbreaks at the Otay Mesa Detention Center near San Diego, run by private prison company CoreCivic. Prisoners were told to sign contracts, written only in English, in exchange for receiving face masks. When some refused to sign, guards pepper-sprayed them. This comes as activists say hundreds imprisoned in detention centers in California are on hunger strike. We get an update from Ruth Mendez, community activist and volunteer with Otay Mesa Detention Resistance.
(2020-04-21). Defying Medical Experts, Lawmakers are Weaponizing COVID-19 to Restrict Abortion Access. aclu.org In the latest development in a fast-moving court case, on Monday the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
(2020-04-20). Massachusetts #FreeHer car protest demands the release of incarcerated women during COVID-19. liberationnews.org 
COVID-19 is spreading in Massachusetts prisons and jails. As reported by WBUR, five incarcerated people have already died of the virus in Massachusetts, and over 150 cases of the virus have been confirmed among prisoners and prison staff.
(2020-04-18). "All gas no mask!": In life and death situation, inmates rebel amid pandemic. liberationnews.org 
Spontaneous prison actions of resistance have become increasingly regular in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic.
(2020-04-18). David Meiswinkle Interview — Ongoing Suppression Of 9/11 Truth & Proof Of Controlled Demolition. thelastamericanvagabond.com Joining me today is the President and Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for 9/11 Inquiry, David R. Meiswinkle, Esq. David is a retired New Brunswick police officer and a United States Army veteran, as well as a criminal defense attorney. He is here today to discuss the continuing cover up of 9/11 truth, and …
(2020-04-17). What it's Like in ICE Detention During a Pandemic. aclu.org As millions of people in the U.S. shelter in their homes, and millions more who aren't able to stay indoors practice social distancing or other measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, a crisis is brewing in the facilities where immigrants are detained. Cramped conditions and inadequate access to hygiene or medical care have created what one medical expert called a "tinderbox" for the disease in a letter to Congress., , Many of those in detention are asylum seekers, who came to the U.S. to ask for protection after fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries. Many others were long-time U.S. resi…
(2020-04-17). A Tale of Two Countries: Racially Targeted Arrests in the Era of Marijuana Reform. aclu.org 