(2020-07-24). "There'll Be Some Changes Made": Current and Future American Policing. counterpunch.org Introduction Let's establish some First Principles. 1) The slogan "Black Lives Matter" arose after repeated, unpunished killings of unarmed Black people by police. If the standards are "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," life comes first. Without life, a person cannot achieve liberty or pursue happiness. As a pure expression, "Black Lives Matter" is
(2020-07-24). Portland's movement is fighting back! Defend Portland, Ore.! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org 
Workers World Party Statement Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents — secret police — to Portland, Ore., Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial . . . |
(2020-07-24). Appeasing the crowds? Chicago pulls down embattled Columbus statue days after mayor agrees to let feds in. rt.com 
Shortly after Mayor Lori Lightfoot conceded to allow the federal government to deploy their agents to Chicago, the city has removed the bronze Columbus statue which has been vandalized amid massive Black Lives Matter rallies. | The removal operation started at Chicago's Grant Park in the middle of the night on Friday. Workers used two heavy-duty cranes to attach metal ropes to the Christopher Columbus monument, which was wrapped tight in white tarpaulin. | The statue of the Italian explorer, erected in the 1930s with funding and blessing from Chicago's Italian-American community, was then brought down in front…
(2020-07-24). Sunday 8/2: Sit. Walk. Listen. Because Black Lives Matter. indybay.org "The Pergola at Lake Merritt" (599 El Embarcadero) | Oakland, California…
(2020-07-24). Mumia Abu-Jamal commentary: A crack in the wall. workers.org 
This column, posted initially on prisonradio.org, first appeared on workers.org on Jan. 4, 2017. For Dylann Roof, the next few days and weeks of his young life will prove his most memorable. That's saying something, considering his slaughter of nine sweet souls in a Black Charleston church. Mumia Abu-Jamal For, . . . |
(2020-07-24). From Portland to the World. mronline.org 
Since the end of May, demonstrators opposing police violence and white supremacy have thronged the streets of Portland, Oregon, clashing with law enforcement officers. Last week, aspiring autocrat Donald Trump escalated the situation by announcing that he would be sending federal agents around the country to assert his authority through acts of violence against protesters.
(2020-07-24). WATCH Portland protesters battling federal police to sound of Star Wars' Imperial March. rt.com 
Chaotic scenes outside Portland's federal courthouse were given a snarky soundtrack by a demonstrator who showed up to the fracas armed with a stereo. The city has seen nightly clashes between police and protesters. | Footage taken by New York Times correspondent Mike Baker shows activists and federal agents fighting over control of a fence guarding the building in downtown Portland, which has been under siege by demonstrators for nearly two months. | Protesters used projectiles and laser pointers against federal law enforcement tasked with protecting the courthouse, who in turn deployed tear gas to keep the m…
(2020-07-24). Oregon judge bans feds from arresting or using force against 'journalists & legal observers' at Portland protests. rt.com 
A judge has issued a temporary restraining order on federal agents deployed in Portland, ruling that they may not arrest, disperse or otherwise use force against reporters and legal observers covering ongoing protests there. | US District Court Judge Michael Simon
(2020-07-24). Why Palestinian-Israeli Prisoners Exchange Deal Could Happen Soon? counterpunch.org For the first time since the Israeli war on Gaza in 2014, the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is signaling its willingness to engage in negotiations regarding the release of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers believed to be held by resistance groups in Gaza. But will another prisoner exchange similar to that
(2020-07-24). Uprising: Mass Protests Rock the Nation. counterpunch.org In an act of political desperation, President Donald Trump ordered a contingent of federal law-enforcement officers to impose order in Portland, OR. Under the direction of Attorney General Bill Barr, agents from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bureau of Prisons were deployed to protect
(2020-07-24). Trump orders federal police to more cities. wsws.org The Trump administration is stepping up its unconstitutional moves toward dictatorial rule, tear gassing the mayor of Portland, Oregon and announcing the deployment of federal police to additional cities.
(2020-07-24). 2020 Vision Will Show You What is True, if You Can Keep Your Sanity. counterpunch.org We've all been making jokes about how terrible 2020 has played out, but I think even those of us with a bit of an imagination for the absurd and ominous missed the mark as far as this ultimate level of governmental degeneracy we've been able to achieve. Dads backing up moms in Portland with leaf
(2020-07-24). Saturday 7/25: Race, Police, and Prisons: The American Gulag. indybay.org Online webinar | Register in advance to get the Zoom details: | http: //tinyurl.com/Sharat-G-Lin-7-25-20…
(2020-07-23). New Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against Federal Law Enforcement. popularresistance.org The Western States Center, the First Unitarian Church of Portland, two state representatives and an ACLU legal observer are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which alleges the federal government has violated protesters' 10th Amendment rights. It was filed Tuesday in federal court. | The 10th Amendment delineates the separation of powers between federal and state governments. | "The power to engage in ordinary law enforcement is one of the long-recognized powers that belong to the states and to their municipalities," said Cliff Davidson, an attorney with Snell & Wilmer, the firm filing the lawsuit. | The W…
(2020-07-23). NAACP Mourns the Death of Civil Rights Icon, Congressman John Lewis. indybay.org …
(2020-07-23). ACLU Sues to Stop US State-Sponsored Violence, Chicago to be Occupied by Federal Agents. globalresearch.ca The nation I grew up in no longer exists, replaced by endless state-sponsored war on humanity at home and abroad — along with the transformation of America to resemble tinpot dictatorships. | Full-blown tyranny may be one more major state-sponsored homeland …
(2020-07-23). Defend Portland! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org 
Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents ‚àí secret police ‚àí to Portland, Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial response to the threat of . . . |
(2020-07-23). Labor coalition strikes for Black lives. liberationnews.org 
Protests in as many as 100 cities that day rang out with a strong message that Black Lives Matter is a labor issue, an issue that affects the entire labor movement, and affects every individual worker.
(2020-07-23). The Black-White Disability Gap Increases with Age. cepr.net With the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) happening this weekend as Black Lives Matter protests continue, it's a good time to look at the intersection between race and disability in the United States. The figure below compares disability rates by age, sex, and race for non-Latinx adults. The data in the …
(2020-07-23). U.S. Navy veteran speaks out about being attacked by Trump's secret police in Portland this past weekend. nationofchange.org It isn't about me getting beat up. It's about focusing back on the original intention of all of these protests, which is Black Lives Matter.
(2020-07-23). Oakland mayor slams 'terror tactics' & votes down further police budget cuts after protesters vandalize her home with BLM graffiti. rt.com 
Protesters have vandalized the home of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, splattering it with red paint and graffiti while pelting the house with fireworks. The mayor's office said the attack was meant to "terrorize" and "intimidate." | Along with large splotches of paint thrown across Schaaf's garage door and a nearby retaining wall, the vandals left countless graffiti messages condemning the mayor and apparently voicing support for the Black Lives Matter movement. According to police, fireworks were also set off in the street during the incident — some fired at the mayor's house — which is believed to hav…
(2020-07-23). Inoperable pistol seized from St. Louis couple was fixed to make sure it was 'ready for lethal use' to charge McCloskeys — report. rt.com 
The gun Patricia McCloskey aimed at BLM protesters on a private street was inoperable when seized by police, but a St. Louis prosecutor reportedly had it fixed, deeming it ready for "lethal use," before charging the couple. | Patricia McCloskey and her husband Mark were charged on felony firearms offenses earlier this week after appearing in a controversial video in June pointing weapons at Black Lives Matter protesters who stormed their gated community. After the couple's weapons arrived in police custody, however, it was determined one of the guns — the pistol held by Patricia in the video — was in…
(2020-07-23). Sunday 8/2: Sunday August 2, Sit. Walk. Listen. Because Black Lives Matter. indybay.org "The Pergola at Lake Merritt" (599 El Embarcadero) | Oakland, California…
(2020-07-23). As McConnell Tees Up Next Aid Package With Corporate Liability as 'Red Line,' Polluters Pushing to Secure Shield Against Covid-19 Lawsuits. commondreams.org "Corporate liability waivers are just the next phase of a Trump polluter bailout." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/lobbying-liability-polluting.jpg …
(2020-07-23). Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner on Mumia Abu-Jamal, Police Corruption & Reexamining Old Cases. democracynow.org 
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has made addressing police corruption a cornerstone of his time in office, and he says it affects many criminal cases, including that of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, who has always maintained his innocence for the 1981 murder of a Philadelphia police officer for which he has spent four decades behind bars. Within weeks of the end of the trial, a third of the police involved in his case were jailed for systematically tampering with evidence to obtain convictions in cases across the city, and at least one police officer in the case, James Forbes, lied on the stand…
(2020-07-23). Paramilitary-Style Tactics in Portland Mirror Decades of U.S. Violence on the Border & Abroad. democracynow.org 
The harrowing scenes of paramilitary-style units in the streets of American cities like Portland has shocked mainstream America, but award-winning independent journalist Todd Miller, who has reported on border security and immigration for over a decade, says it's a reflection of how the U.S. has operated around the world. We also speak with Cecilia Menjívar, UCLA sociology professor, who says the image of unmarked vans snatching people from the streets "brings back memories to Latin Americans who lived through disappearances of families and friends and co-workers."
(2020-07-23). The Real News Network Joins Lawsuit Against Maryland Police Department. therealnews.com 
TRNN, the NAACP Prince George's County Branch, and the National Action Network filed a joint motion asking a judge to unseal a report that contains details of discrimination and racial bias within the Prince George's County Police Department.
(2020-07-23). Anti-racist protests accelerate across North Carolina. workers.org 
Durham, N.C. July 20 — Throughout North Carolina, from urban to rural areas, the anti-racist uprising continues, most prominently with concurrent anti-jail demonstrations in four counties — Forsyth, Durham, Wake, Mecklenburg — on Friday, July 17. #DefundAvlPD banner dropped in Asheville the week of July 13. Last week the anti-police . . . |
(2020-07-23). Who's Responsible For The Rise In COVID-19 Cases In Prison? therealnews.com 
Eddie Conway talks to activists from Michigan and California—two hot spots for COVID-19 cases in prisons. In both states, mistakes by prison officials led to a rise in cases.
(2020-07-23). Cities challenge Trump's dispatch of federal law enforcement officers. peoplesworld.org 
OAKLAND, Calif. — Outrage is growing throughout the country over Donald Trump's use of federal law enforcement against protesters in Portland, Oregon, and his threats to dispatch federal officers to other U.S. cities. On July 20, Trump told reporters he might send federal "law enforcement" to cities he claimed were experiencing heightened violence, naming cities …
(2020-07-23). As Trump threatens secret police deployment nationwide, Democrats debate expanding surveillance powers and new money for DHS. mronline.org 
The rogue deployment of secret federal police forces in Portland, Oregon, has added a new complication to negotiations over reauthorizing the Trump administration's vast surveillance powers and appropriating new money for the Department of Homeland Security.
(2020-07-23). Kids' news site coughs up cash after JK Rowling threatens to sue over article suggesting boycott for 'transphobia' comments. rt.com 
A kids' news website has publicly apologized to Harry Potter author JK Rowling and volunteered cash for charity after she threatened a lawsuit over a piece claiming her "transphobic" comments hurt people and merited a boycott. | The Day, a UK news service aimed at British teens, issued a public apology on Wednesday over its June article headlined: "Potterheads cancel Rowling after trans tweet." The publication admitted the article "implied that what JK Rowling had tweeted was objectionable" and that she had "attacked and harmed trans people." | "The article was critical of JK Rowling personally and suggested t…
(2020-07-23). Judge says Michael Cohen's jailing 'retaliation' for book about Trump & orders lawyer released. rt.com 
A federal judge has ordered ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen released from prison by Friday, ruling his return to lockup was retaliation. Cohen had refused to agree not to publish a book about the president while under house arrest. | Cohen was returned to prison earlier this month, after being furloughed in May amid concerns over the Covid-19 outbreak. Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled on Thursday that the decision was "retaliatory." The day before he was sent back to prison, Cohen refused to agree to not publish a book about President Donald Trump while serving the remainder of his three-year sentence at home, the…
(2020-07-23). Questioning status of Russian territory (Crimea, for example) could now be punished with jail time, according to proposed law. rt.com 
Russian politicians have passed an amendment to anti-extremism laws, designating those who violate the country's "territorial integrity" as extremists, with offenders facing the possibility of a jail term. | The approved legislation follows hot on the heels of the recently signed constitutional amendments, which made it illegal for the country to give any Russian land away to another nation. | Some Western experts have speculated that the change to the constitution was aimed at protecting Crimea, re-absorbed by Russia following a referendum in 2014, and the Kuril Islands, long-claimed by both Moscow and Tokyo.
(2020-07-23). MSNBC's Joe Scarborough calls Portland protests 'peaceful'… despite footage of escalating violence. rt.com 
Joe Scarborough has called protests in Portland "peaceful for the most part," less than a day after the mayor was tear-gassed in the face amid escalating violence following more than two months of demonstrations. | On his Morning Joe show Thursday, Scarborough railed against the deployment of federal agents to the city of Portland, saying they have launched "deeply disturbing attacks" against "peaceful protests, for the most part." | The MSNBC host has no doubt seen footage of federal agents arresting protesters and proceeding to throw them into unmarked vans — but perhaps he missed the videos of demonstr…
(2020-07-23). Portland mayor cheers protesters & joins them to face tear gas, gets calls to resign anyway (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler failed to win over a crowd of angry anti-police protesters despite rooting for their cause. But rather than seeing him as an ally against federal agents, some said he's part of the problem and has to go.
(2020-07-23). Why Palestinian-Israeli Prisoners Exchange Deal Could Happen Soon. dissidentvoice.org For the first time since the Israeli war on Gaza in 2014, the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is signaling its willingness to engage in negotiations regarding the release of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers believed to be held by resistance groups in Gaza. But will another prisoner exchange similar to that …
(2020-07-23). California judge rules against Socialist Equality Party candidates. indybay.org Federal District Court Judge Dolly M. Gee handed down a ruling on Tuesday against the lawsuit filed by the SEP, which argues that California's ballot access laws are "effectively impossible" to satisfy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-07-23). Lawsuit against Trudeau Government: Constitutional Lawyer Rocco Galati and the Lies and Crimes of the COVID Operation. globalresearch.ca Celebrated Canadian Constitutional lawyer Rocco Galati characterizes the COVID Operation as "the biggest example of misinformation and lies on a global scale that we've seen." | The Constitutional challenge that he is filing with the Ontario Superior Court seeks to pull …
(2020-07-23). Racial Politics in Georgia and the Presidential Elections. globalresearch.ca A contested gubernatorial election in 2018 involving Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp and former Georgia State House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams highlighted problems related to voter suppression based upon the national oppression of the African American people. | Hundreds of …
(2020-07-23). Oscar Lopez Rivera wishes Happy Birthday and Freedom to Simon Trinidad. fightbacknews.org In response to the call for birthday greetings for political prisoner Simon Trinidad, The National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera received a video message from freed Puerto Rican political prisoner, Oscar Lopez Rivera. Lopez Rivera unjustly spent 35 years in U.S. prison for fighting for the independence of his homeland. Below is the transcription of the video message: | "I want to take this moment to wish a Happy Birthday to comrade Simón Trinidad. He is one of the heroes of our countries. He is one of the heroes who is imprisoned because he wants to fight for the independence and sovereignty of Colombia and f…
(2020-07-23). Defund the Police State, Before It's Too Late. globalresearch.ca The American police state is currently making its boldest test run to date in Portland, Oregon, escalating violence and lawlessness against the peaceful population of an American city. The people of Portland have responded with increased resistance, but support from …
(2020-07-23). Trump Administration Deploys Federal Forces into Major U.S. Cities. globalresearch.ca The repressive U.S. state's chickens have come home to roost with President Donald Trump announcing federal troops will be deployed to several U.S. cities. This comes after federal agents reportedly disappeared protesters last week off the streets of Portland, Oregon….
(2020-07-23). The Federal Response to Protests Extends Far Beyond Portland. thenation.com The Federal Response to Protests Extends Far Beyond Portland…
(2020-07-23). Stand with the resistance in Portland! fightbacknews.org Protesters grabbed off the streets by federal agents who refuse to identify themselves, placed unmarked vehicles, and taken to undisclosed locations. These same agents nearly killed a young man holding part of a sound system at a demonstration. This is the outrageous reality in Portland today, were Trump has deployed a paramilitary police force to carry out a wave of repression. The good news is that the resistance in Portland has been nothing short of heroic, as thousands have taken to the streets in a powerful display of opposition. | The Trump administration has repeatedly stated that it is deploying federal a…
(2020-07-23). Guns? Yes. Masks? No. And Gestapo in Portland. zcomm.org The toxic mix of valuing gun ownership over protecting public health, conspiracism, and reactionary movements glued together by white supremacy and national chauvinism are too deeply rooted to be ended any time soon…
(2020-07-23). New Tech Labor Movement Unites Office And Gig Workers. popularresistance.org The recent wave of employee activism and organizing efforts represents a widening rift between the industry's rank-and-file employees and its executives. For the first time, developers and product managers with higher pay and closer ties to management are siding with their lower-paid colleagues in warehouses, cafeterias, and contract gigs. | A global pandemic and sweeping protests against systemic racism have brought workers across pay scales, job types, geographies, and companies together in an unprecedented show of solidarity. They've protested unsafe and toxic workplaces, racial and gender discrimination, and…
(2020-07-23). Federal Agents Retreat To Portland Base As Protesters Control Streets. popularresistance.org The DHS officers dispatched by the president to put down the demonstrations have instead become prisoners of the building they are ostensibly there to defend. | "The feds don't have control of the streets," said a woman holding a sign "100% not a terrorist", who gave her name only as Shannon. "I think they're more scared than us. They're hiding in there. They don't know what they're doing." If the intent was to intimidate the protesters into abandoning the few square blocks of downtown Portland under their control, it backfired spectacularly. | Residents of a city with a long history of radical street protest wer…
(2020-07-23). Portland's Mayor Tear-Gassed By Militarized US Police. popularresistance.org The mayor of Portland, Oregon was tear-gassed by U.S. government agents as he stood outside a federal courthouse during another night of protests against the presence of federal police sent by President Donald Trump to quell the city's ongoing unrest. | Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, appeared slightly dazed and coughed and said Wednesday night it was the first time he'd been tear-gassed. | He put on a pair of goggles someone handed him and drank water but did not leave his spot at the front of the protest and continued to take tear gas as the demonstration raged — with protesters lighting a large fire betwe…
(2020-07-23). What Are Trump And His Goons Up To? popularresistance.org First and foremost, it is a political stunt to capture the law and order crowd and press on divides between the coastal cities and inland voters. But it's also more sinister than that. The use of federal forces is designed to weaken local accountability by freezing out local government that constituents can reach. Portland's mayor might not even have opposed some "help" from the feds, but he wasn't asked. In other words, this wasn't mutual aid. This was indeed an invasion. An alphabet soup of federal agencies have been employed to crack down on police brutality protests, including the National Guard, the US Marsh…