(2018-10-31). FRSO leader condemns Trump's plan for executive order against birthright citizenship. fightbacknews.org San Jose, CA — "Coast to coast – the Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemns President Trump's plan to issue an executive order against birthright citizenship," said Masao Suzuki, chair of the FRSO Joint Nationalities Commission. Suzuki said that proposed executive order would be the most infamous presidential order since President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which led to the incarceration of over 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent in concentrations camps during World War II. | Suzuki pointed out that fight for citizenship rights date back to Dred Scott, whose fight for freedom ended in 1…
(2018-10-31). Birthright Citizenship Expert: This is Not a Diversion, Trump Has Pushed Radical Plan For Years. democracynow.org 
President Trump claimed that he can rewrite the Constitution and end birthright citizenship in the United States in an interview released Tuesday, sparking widespread outrage. Trump told the news outlet Axios that he planned to sign an executive order ending citizenship for children of noncitizens born on U.S. soil. Civil rights groups, legal experts and politicians on both sides of the aisle are blasting Trump for his comments, including the false claim that the U.S. is the only country with birthright laws. In fact, at least 30 other countries have similar laws, including Canada, Mexico and Cuba. We speak with…
(2018-10-31). California Jews express heartbreak over recent white supremacist killings in I-80 banner. indybay.org Local Jews hung a banner over Interstate 80 in Berkeley to express their heartbreak over recent racist and anti-Semitic violence against Jewish worshippers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, against Black Americans in the Louisville, Kentucky area, and against Palestinians in Gaza.
(2018-10-31). America's Holy Places in the Age of Trump: Greta Ronningen's Prison Pilgrimage. counterpunch.org 
Can churches and organized religions counter the noxious force of Trump's America, a country pushed toward fascism by Evangelicals, racists and anti-Semites? The answer is "Yes," though religious men and women on the Left usually don't make it into mainstream media. Greta Ronningen is one of them, and she is not alone. For much of More
(2018-10-31). Brazil's 2018 Election, The Working Class, Fascism and Capitalism In Brazil. indybay.org WorkWeek Radio looks at the recent election of anti-labor racist militarist Jair Bolsonaro and how the failure of the Workers Party PT brought this reactionary to power in Brazil.
(2018-10-31). Two Detained Sisters, 14 And 15, Released. imemc.org Two sisters, Aseel Bassem Abu Aker and Nisreen Bassem Abu Aker, ages 14 and 15 respectively, were released from detention by Israel on Tuesday, as reported by Maan News. The sisters were detained by Israeli forces, Monday at dawn, from their home at Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem city. Eighteen …
(2018-10-31). March Against Racist Slumlords. indybay.org Santa Cruz Town Clock | Water St. & Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz…
(2018-10-31). Lawsuit Charges Trump Organization a 'Racketeering Enterprise That Defrauded Thousands of People for Years'. globalresearch.ca A new federal lawsuit charges that President Donald Trump, his company, and his three eldest children—Don Jr., Ivanka, and Eric—deliberately defrauded working-class Americans by convincing them to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in sham business opportunities …
(2018-10-31). Australian politicians are starting to sound alarmingly like Trump. indybay.org Australian politicians are starting to sound alarmingly like Trump. From the Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton trying to scare Melbournians from going out to dinner [1,2], to politicians thundering in Federal Parliament about a 'final solution' and an end to non-white immigration [3], and the Minister for Indigenous Affairs eagerly voting for a Neo-Nazi slogan [4]. We know that politics like this sees a spike in racist abuse towards our communities [5]. But we are standing up.
(2018-10-31). Let's stop playing semantic games: Islamophobia is a form of racism. greenleft.org.au 
We have all heard or seen the claim, especially when wading through the cesspit of the internet, "Islam is not a race, so how can I be racist?". | This meme is usually deployed by those trying to answer, and deflect, accusations of racism. It is worth examining this claim in further detail, because it provides us with a window into the state of cultural and political debate in our own society. | First, let us be clear: Islam is a religion, not a race. But Islamophobia is a form of racism mixed with cultural intolera…
(2018-10-31). Employees Who Have Babies Are Still Getting the Axe. aclu.org Forty years after Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, discrimination against pregnant and breastfeeding workers remains rampant. | Forty years ago, working women in the United States won the legal protection to become working mothers. On October 31, 1978, Congress enacted the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, making it illegal for employers to deny a woman a job — or promotion, or higher pay, or any other opportunity — because she is pregnant. | The statute had an immediate, dramatic impact on women's ability to fully participate in the workforce. Although on-the-job sex discrimination had…
(2018-10-30). No, Mr. President, You Can't Change the Constitution by Executive Order. aclu.org The 14th Amendment's citizenship guarantee is one of the bedrocks of America. | President Trump said this week that he is preparing an executive order to try to take away the citizenship guarantee in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which says that people born in the United States are United States citizens. On Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham announced that he would introduce legislation with the same aim. | But the president cannot repeal part of the Constitution by executive order. And…
(2018-10-30). 'I am not an agent': Radio Sputnik broadcaster sues DOJ over FARA registration. rt.com 
One of the companies that broadcasts Radio Sputnik in the US is suing the Department of Justice over the requirement to register as a foreign agent, saying the 1930s law does not apply to radio and television media.
(2018-10-30). Vigils for victims of Pittsburgh shooting express anger over Trump's racist incitements. wsws.org Vigils held across the country have charged Trump with using hate speech to incite violent attacks over the past week.
(2018-10-30). Trump Administration Is Illegally Turning Away Asylum Seekers. aclu.org We filed a Freedom of Information Act request to find out why refugees are being turned away at Texas border. | When President Trump announced on Monday that he planned to send some 5,000 military troops to fortify the southern border, even his supporters were quick to dismiss this as a political stunt. A convoy of migrants, many of whom are families with young children fleeing violence, is not a threat to the United States. | There is a crisis unfolding at the border, but it is not the one the Trump administration would have its supporters believe. The real problem at the border is that U.S. Customs and Border…
(2018-10-30). Students for a Democratic Society grows with 13th national convention. fightbacknews.org Salt Lake City, UT – Student activists from as far as Massachusetts, Florida, Texas and Minnesota gathered in Salt Lake City for the 13th annual Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) national convention over the weekend of October 20. | The two-day convention, with the theme, "Struggle! Solidarity! Strike!" focused on the current period of Trump's attacks, and our need to build movements against police crimes, opposing racism and hate crimes, and international solidarity. Speakers included organizers speaking from Jacksonville Community Action, Anakbayan, and the SLC Brown Berets. | Members of Teamsters Local 2…
(2018-10-30). Welcome to the Jungle: Jair Bolsonaro Brings Perfect Storm of Fascism and Neoliberalism to Brazil. mintpressnews.com 
The record reveals Bolsonaro as a racist, misogynist, homophobic, weaponizing thug, favoring a white, patriarchal, hierarchical, hetero-normative and "homogenous" Brazil; an absurdity in a deeply unequal society still ravaged by the effects of slavery and where the majority of the population is mixed race.
(2018-10-30). Not quite Hillarious: 5 times Hillary Clinton's jokes have fallen flat. rt.com 
Hillary Clinton has found herself in hot water, after making a joke that was interpreted by some as racist. But this isn't the first time that her turn of phrase has ended in scandal for the ex-presidential hopeful. |
(2018-10-30). Killings at Kentucky store were hate crime, police say. wsws.org The gunman, 51-year-old Gregory Bush, had a history of mental illness and racist abuse.
(2018-10-30). "Most Extremist Leader in the Democratic World" zcomm.org Far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro has been elected Brazil's next president, marking the most radical political shift in the country since military rule ended more than 30 years ago. Bolsonaro, a former Army officer, openly supports torture and dictatorships, has a history of making racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments, and has threatened to destroy, imprison or Read more…
(2018-10-30). After Pittsburgh Massacre, Netanyahu Faces Backlash for Endorsing Trump and Smearing Soros. theintercept.com As he mourned for the 11 American Jews killed on Saturday by a gunman who believed a racist conspiracy theory promoted by the president of the United States, the writer David Simon read on Twitter that a senior member of Israel's far-right government was on his way to Pittsburgh for a memorial service. | "Go home," Simon wrote in a caustic message to Naftali Bennett, an ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who serves as Israel's minister for the diaspora. "Netanyahu's interventions in US politics aided in the election of Donald Trump and…
(2018-10-30). PPS: "Four Detainees Continue Open-Ended Hunger Strike" imemc.org In a statement released, Tuesday, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS), said four Palestinian detainees, held by Israel, are ongoing with open-ended hunger strikes, in separate Israeli prisons and detention camps. The PPS said the striking detainees are Saddam Awad, Rezeq Rajoub, Kifah Hattab and Khalil Abu Arram. It stated that …
(2018-10-30). How "Blue Lives Matter" Bill Paved Way for Racist Shooting in Kentucky. truthout.org Just days before a domestic terrorist entered a Pittsburgh synagogue and shot 11 worshipers dead, a white man gunned down two elderly African-American customers at a Kentucky grocery store Wednesday in what many are calling a hate crime. Fifty-one-year-old Gregory Bush opened fire and killed Maurice Stallard and Vickie Lee Jones at a Kroger supermarket in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, shortly after trying to enter a predominantly black church. Bush reportedly then told an armed bystander that "whites don't kill whites." As the community mourns, we speak with Kentucky Rep. Attica Scott and Reverend Vincent James, ch…
(2018-10-29). Glenn Greenwald on Bolsonaro: Brazil Has Elected "Most Extremist Leader in the Democratic World" democracynow.org 
Far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro has been elected Brazil's next president, marking the most radical political shift in the country since military rule ended more than 30 years ago. Bolsonaro, a former Army officer, openly supports torture and dictatorships, has a history of making racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments, and has threatened to destroy, imprison or banish his political opponents. He defeated Fernando Haddad of the leftist Workers' Party with 55 percent of the vote. His ascendance to power is leading many to fear the future of democracy in Brazil is in danger. We speak with Glenn Greenwald, Puli…
(2018-10-29). Why We Need More School Leaders of Color, Especially in White Districts. progressive.org Racism in the classroom leaves white students racially illiterate.
(2018-10-29). Trump Plays Pocahontas Card Again. . . And Takes the Trick! progressive.org When I hear people like the Cherokee Nation's Hoskins Jr. bashing Warren for her claim, it occurs to me that Trump's racism has found a footing in tribal politics.
(2018-10-29). Trump lit the fires of racist and right-wing terror. peoplesworld.org 
On Wednesday of last week, Gregory Bush, having failed in his effort to get into an African-American church, instead went into a Kroger supermarket in Louisville, Kentucky and shot two black customers to death. That story was pushed aside quickly by reports that pipe bombs made by Cesar Sayoc were showing up at the homes …
(2018-10-29). Glenn Greenwald: Violence Like Pittsburgh Shooting Is "Inevitable Outcome" of Racist Scapegoating. democracynow.org 
The massacre of 11 worshipers at a Pittsburgh synagogue Saturday capped a hate-filled week in America, following the shooting of two African Americans at a Kentucky grocery store by a white man and the arrest of avid Trump supporter Cesar Sayoc for allegedly mailing 13 bombs to CNN and political opponents of President Trump. We speak with Glenn Greenwald, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the founding editors of The Intercept.
(2018-10-29). How the Census Citizenship Question Could Affect Future Elections. aclu.org The Trump administration is attempting to dilute the political influence of millions of people. | On Nov. 6, Americans will head to the polls to exercise their right to vote. The day before, the ACLU will head to trial to try to prevent the Trump administration from diluting the political influence of millions of people for years to come. | In March, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that for the first time in 70 years the decennial census questionnaire will ask respondents whether or not they are U.S. citizens. Secretary Ross…
(2018-10-29). Headlines for October 29, 2018. democracynow.org Anti-Semitic Shooter Kills 11 Jewish Worshipers in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Gunman Held Anti-Semitic, Racist and Xenophobic Views, Jewish Leaders to Trump: "Massacre Is Not the First Act of Terror You Incited", Trump, Conservatives Continue Attacks on George Soros, Kentucky: Shooter Kills Two Black People at Supermarket After Targeting Black Church, Trump-Supporting Suspect of Mail Bomb Campaign to Appear in Court, Brazil Elects Far-Right Candidate Jair Bolsonaro President, Indonesia: 189 Feared Dead After Lion Air Passenger Jet Crashes, Saudis Reject Turkish Demand to Extradite Khashoggi Murder Suspects, Israel Bo…
(2018-10-29). U.S. Citizen, Detained Without Charge by Trump Administration for a Year, Is Finally Free. aclu.org The Trump administration tried everything it could to deprive an American citizen of his constitutional rights. It failed. | An American illegally detained in Iraq by the U.S. military for more than a year has finally won his freedom. | On Sunday, after a long court battle, the Trump administration let our client go. Under a settlement agreement, he was released in a third country, where he will once again be a free man. Parts of the agreement are confidential, and he is officially remaining unidentified for his safety and privacy. | From the moment the American was imprisoned, his own government tried to deny hi…
(2018-10-28). "Still in Solitary Over Here in Baghdad": A Forgotten American's 14-Year Nightmare in Iraq. theintercept.com 
Shawki Omar's story began as an embodiment of the American Dream. Today, it shows how the so-called war on terror has turned sadistic and extralegal.
(2018-10-28). Teachers set to walk off for refugees. greenleft.org.au 
The Australian Education Union (AEU) Victorian Branch Council has endorsed a planned walk off by teachers and education support staff in support of refugees on November 20, Universal Children's Day. | There are currently about 60 refugee children being detained by the Australian government on Nauru. | More than 6000 doctors issued an open letter to the government on October 22, calling on it to remove children from Nauru due to very serious mental and physical health emergency on the Pacific island. | Doctors and health workers have spoken out about the significant trauma children suffer in detention. | Australia…
(2018-10-28). NAACP Condemns Synagogue Killings, Mourns for Victims. naacp.org The NAACP condemns the hate-inspired killings at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Our condolences go out to those who have suffered losses and injuries during this horrific event. Anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and hatred represent horrible stains on our democracy. When these stains are embraced by elected officials and demagogues who prey on the […]
(2018-10-26). Despite Trump's Best Efforts, Hundreds of Thousands of Immigrants Earn Reprieve From Deportation. aclu.org The Trump administration's attacks on the Temporary Protected Status program have been stopped — for now. | Last week, Jeff Sessions attacked a court ruling that gave a temporary reprieve to hundreds of thousands of immigrants facing imminent deportation after years of living lawfully in this country. | "Federal district court judges are not empowered to fashion immigration policy," Sessions said. "The Legislative and Executive branches — of federal and state government — a…
(2018-10-26). Against All Tides, North Carolinians are Heading to the Ballot Box. naacp.org Not even the force of two tropical storms could stop the momentum that NAACP is building in the state of North Carolina. In the span of two weeks, Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael ravaged the southeastern regions of the state, affecting counties where African Americans predominantly reside. As a leader in the Black community, NAACP […]
(2018-10-26). New York sues Exxon over climate denial. greenleft.org.au 
After a three-year probe and amid mounting demands that the fossil fuel industry be held accountable for driving the climate crisis, New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood filed suit on October 24 against ExxonMobil, the world's largest oil and gas company. | The suit accuses the oil giant of defrauding investors by downplaying the financial threat of regulations crafted to mitigate human-caused global warming. | "Big oil may finally face some consequences for its role in wreck…
(2018-10-26). WATCH NOW: Wanda Sykes Collaborates with NAACP to Get Out the Vote. naacp.org Actress and award-winning comedienne, Wanda Sykes, knows elections are no joking matter. We must vote this year because our lives depend on it. Watch and share! About Wanda Sykes Wanda Sykes is an American actress, writer, and comedian. She is most known for her work in The Chris Rock Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and her […]
(2018-10-26). NYPD Should Not Take the Lead in Fixing New York's Homeless Crisis. aclu.org Comments from the city's subway chief raise concerns about further criminalization of New York's homeless. | New York City Transit President Andy Byford announced this week that he would ask the city, including the police, to help respond to homeless people exhibiting "offensive, obnoxious and anti-social" behavior on subways. | The comments prompt fresh concerns that the NYPD could exacerbate the city's already problematic track record of criminalizing homeless people. | "There is a fundamental difference betw…
(2018-10-26). NAACP Prevails in Tennessee Voter Suppression Case. naacp.org MEMPHIS—The NAACP Memphis Branch and Tennessee Black Voter Project won a major victory in a lawsuit against the Shelby County Tennessee Election Commission potentially affecting some 35,000 voter registration applications submitted by African-American voters. "What happened in Tennessee yesterday is a prime example that we can prevail when underhanded voter suppression tactics are exposed for […]
(2018-10-26). Hatewatch Headlines 10/26/2018. splcenter.org Judge restores funding to sanctuary cities; Civil rights groups call for tech hate-group crackdown; Shea wants to create a 51st state; and more.
(2018-10-25). My Boss Fired Me From My Funeral Home Job for Being Transgender. aclu.org 
Aimee Stephens spent most of her life struggling with her gender identity. When she finally came out to her boss, she was fired. | I was in funeral services for nearly three decades before I was fired in 2013 for being transgender. In March, a federal appeals court agreed that it was wrong to fire me just because of who I am. Now, the Supreme Court will consider whether to review that court ruling. | While studying to be a pastor in college, I needed a job, and I found one in a funeral home. There are a lot of different ministries people can pursue, and I realized comforting people during one of the most vulnerab…
(2018-10-25). NAACP Pushing Back Against Voter Suppression to Get out Black Vote in North Carolina. naacp.org Cutting Edge Strategies Employed in Outreach to Infrequent Black Voters NORTH CAROLINA—(October 25, 2018) In the face of blatant examples of disrespect and voter suppression around the nation, the NAACP is engaging in a groundbreaking data and technology -fueled GOTV campaign to get infrequent Black voters to the polls during midterm elections. In North Carolina, […]
(2018-10-25). NAACP Partners with Members of the Faith Community to Galvanize Black Voters Ahead of Midterms. naacp.org In less than two weeks, Americans from coast to coast will take part in one of the most important elections of a generation, and as the nation's largest and foremost civil rights organizations, NAACP has partnered with its allies in the faith community to ensure the Black community is mobilized and ready to vote. Bishop […]
(2018-10-25). NAACP on Bombing Attempts against Media, African American Leaders and Progressives. naacp.org BALTIMORE (October 25, 2018)—With less than two weeks before the critical midterm elections, the discovery of pipe bombs across the country sent to those who have been critical of the current president shows, yet again, how fractured we are as a society. Contrary to what the Trump Administration has been stating in the aftermath of these discoveries, […]
(2018-10-24). Who's Behind ICE? How Amazon, Palantir, Microsoft & Tech Giants Are Powering Trump's Deportations. democracynow.org 
A shocking new investigation by immigrant rights groups reveals how corporations like Amazon, Palantir and Microsoft are profiting from and expediting Trump's incarceration and deportation operations. Some 10 percent of the Department of Homeland Security's $44 billion budget is dedicated to data management. The report was published as new documents obtained by the Project on Government Oversight show Amazon is pushing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to start using its controversial facial recognition technology that could identify immigrants in real time by scanning faces in a video feed. We speak with Jacin…
(2018-10-24). Georgia NAACP Files Voter Complaint Against Secretary of State Brian Kemp Over Voting Machine Irregularities. naacp.org Electronic Voting Irregularities and Voter Suppression Issues Continue to Plague Governor's Race ATLANTA (October 24, 2018) —The NAACP Georgia State Conference President Phyllis T. Blake filed complaints with the State Board of Elections for possible voter suppression tactics regarding malfunctions of the touch screen machines in Bartow, Cobb, Henry, Dodge Counties and Dodge Counties. The […] | The post
(2018-10-24). 'The US Immigration System Is Inherently Abusive and Violent and Racist' – CounterSpin interview with Tina Vasquez on immigration reporting. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Tina Vasquez about reporting on immigration for the October 19, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2018-10-24). City Officials Stoke Mob Mentality in Front of Sex Offender's Home. aclu.org The city government of Providence, Rhode Island, is ignoring its own law on residential protests and feeding vigilantism. | When Richard Gardner, a convicted child sex offender, was released from prison after serving almost 30 years, he quietly moved into the Washington Park neighborhood in Providence. One would not have expected a welcome wagon — but an angry mob should not have been the result either. | Because his crimes were committed so long ago, Gardner is not subject to the community notification provisions that apply to more recent offenders under the state's Megan's Law. But the police leaked his a…
(2018-10-24). Latino Voter Suppression in Kansas: Dodge City's Only Polling Site Is Moved Outside City Limits. democracynow.org 
In Kansas, local officials are under fire for moving a majority-Latino city's single polling site outside of city limits, more than a mile from the nearest bus stop. Dodge City, Kansas, is 60 percent Hispanic, but the Associated Press reports that Hispanic turnout was just 17 percent in Ford County, where Dodge City is located, compared to 61 percent turnout for white voters in 2014. The ACLU reports that the city's lone polling site services more than 13,000 voters, compared to an average of 1,200 voters per polling site at other locations. We are joined by Johnny Dunlap, chair of the Ford County Democratic Part…