(2020-10-04). Philadelphia: Court moves to preserve secrecy in bail hearings. liberationnews.org 
A recent federal court decision has ruled that the right to record bail hearings is not protected by the constitution, overturning a lower court decision. In July 2019, a representative for the Philadelphia Bail Fund filed a lawsuit against several city officials in order to reserve the right to record bail hearings. Currently, the official …
(2020-10-04). 11/3/20 Election: The Stakes; The Cal & S.F Propositions. indybay.org What is at stake in this election are the very existence of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, food stamps, the right to abortion and birth control pills, funding Planned Parenthood, funding the Violence Against Women Act, the existence of all environmental regulations, all consumer protection laws, all gun control laws, all civil rights laws, all labor laws, an efficient, patronage-free mail system, federally funded affordable housing, public school education, federal funds for state governments and raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. Further, all progress we have made in…
(2020-10-03). Julian Assange's Extradition Hearing: The Only Just Outcome Is His Freedom. popularresistance.org The testimony portion of the extradition hearing of Julian Assange, taking place in the United Kingdom, concluded after four weeks. Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who presided over the hearing, will not announce her decision until January. Until then, Assange will remain in detention in Belmarsh Prison. | Under conditions that violated Assange's rights and his ability to defend himself, his legal team made a clear case that for multiple reasons why the only just solution is to free Assange. However, Judge Baraitser has not ruled favorably for him in her past decisions or even in this hearing.
(2020-10-03). Pregnant Ethiopians languish in 'hellish' Saudi detention centres: Amnesty International. middleeasteye.net 
Pregnant Ethiopians languish in 'hellish' Saudi detention centres: Amnesty International | Detainees say they were forced to stay in crowded cells and to use their cell floors as toilets | Sat, 10/03/2020 – 11: 38 | Ethiopia has called for a halt in repatriations because of Covid-19. It brought back nearly 4,000 Ethiopians from Saudi Arabia between April and September 2020 (AFP) | Ethiopian migrants impr…
(2020-10-03). Ren Zhiqiang was not arrested for 'anti-communism'. workers.org 
When influential, former property executive Ren Zhiqiang was given an 18-year sentence in China, the Western media were quick to label his imprisonment as due to alleged "anti-communist" activity. The Washington Post, CNN, the Guardian, and the New York Times parroted the same message: that Zhiqiang was imprisoned for being . . . |
(2020-10-03). The Next Steps in Eviction Defense. dissidentvoice.org 
A few thoughts on intentions, tactics, and building eviction defense networks. Here in Portland, there are signs that the movement for Black lives and the movement for actually affordable housing are increasingly intersecting in all kinds of ways. Among the networks engaged in popular education and resistance organizing efforts around housing issues, you'll find groups …
(2020-10-03). Thousands declare their solidarity with framed Denver anti-racist organizers: Add your name here. liberationnews.org 
Over 2,000 movement leaders, scholars, journalists and people of conscience have signed their names to the solidarity statement in support of the Denver anti-racist organizers facing decades in prison on bogus felony charges. The outpouring of support across the country and around the world has helped secure the release of the organizers from jail, but …
(2020-10-03). Jalil Muntaqim scheduled for release — Free them all! workers.org 
The New York State Parole Board has finally ordered the release of Jalil Muntaqim, aka Anthony Bottom, a former member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. Imprisoned for nearly 50 years, since he was 19, Muntaqim is one of the longest-held political prisoners in the world. . . . |
(2020-10-03). Communist and Workers Party's declaration for the repatriation and freedom of Simon Trinidad. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following declaration demanding the release of Ricardo Palmera (Simon Trinidad). Freedom Road Socialist Organization is one of the signers. | The Communist Parties and Workers signed by this declaration, we demand from the Government of the United States of America the immediate repatriation and release of political prisoner Ricardo Palmera Pineda, better known as Simon Trinidad in his militancy in the insurgent organization FARC-EP. | Simón Trinidad was captured in January 2004 in Quito, Ecuador, while advancing contacts for future peace talks. It was immediately hande…
(2020-10-03). Peru Orders Arrest of Officials Linked to Corruption Case. telesurenglish.net Peruvian Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office requested preventive detention for some of the people linked to the singer Richard Swing's case. | RELATED: | Ten people, who were previously under pre-trial detention, will comply with other seven days of preliminary detention as part of the investigations. Among them, there are two former secretaries of Peru's President Martin Vizcarra. | "This case is still under evaluation an…
(2020-10-03). To Catch The Heartbeat Of Those Below. popularresistance.org 'It was the worst when I was released. That's the biggest prison I had to face'. | Martin Aleida recalls the moment he was released from prison at the end of 1966. The then twenty-two-year-old writer emerged from nearly a year behind bars to Jakarta unable to find his friends and comrades. His workplace, Harian Rakjat ('The People's Daily'), the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), was no longer.
(2020-10-03). Investments Should Be 'Determined By The Community'. popularresistance.org Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is pledging $100 million from the city's general fund to invest in communities of color. But where is that money going to go? And who is going to advise the mayor's office on how it should be spent? | Sean Goode, the executive director of Choose 180, a local organization that provides alternatives to incarceration for young people, was asked to be part of the task force that will look into how this money should be spent. He has since declined the invitation.
(2020-10-03). [Correspondence] Alternative grant models might perpetuate Black—White funding gaps. thelancet.com The White Coats for Black Lives and #ShutDownSTEM movements have galvanised biomedical practitioners and researchers to eliminate institutional and systematic racism, including barriers faced by Black researchers in biomedicine and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In our study on Black—White funding gaps for National Institutes of Health Research Project grants, we found that the overall award rate for Black applicants is 55% of that for white applicants.1 How can systems for allocating research grant funding be made more fair while improving their efficiency?
(2020-10-02). Learn About Where the Gwinnett County Sheriff Candidates Land on Immigration. aclu.org 
Thousands of immigrant families who call Gwinnett County home have been split apart by the sheriff office's participation in a program with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This program, know as 287(g), costs taxpayers millions of dollars every year, erodes community trust, promotes racial profiling, and redirects local resources to federal immigration enforcement. The election for Gwinnett County Sheriff on Nov. 3 will help determine the county's future collaboration with ICE. To make an informed decision, make sure you know the candidates' positions on key immigration issues. | ACLU of Georgia asked…
(2020-10-02). Turkey arrests: New wave of detentions target pro-Kurdish HDP. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey arrests: New wave of detentions target pro-Kurdish HDP | Of 53 mayoralties won in March 2019 local elections, the party now only controls four as a result of repeated arrests | Fri, 10/02/2020 – 12: 23 | Demonstrators in Istanbul shout slogans during a protest against the arrest of scores of members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (AFP) | Authorities in Turkey have detai…
(2020-10-02). Federal executions paused, racism continues. workers.org 
Houston In the previous 56 years, the U.S. government had executed just three prisoners. But in 2020, seven federal executions have already taken place since July. The most recent was Christopher Vialva, put to death Sept. 24 at the federal prison in Terra Haute, Ind. He was the first Black . . . |
(2020-10-02). Amnesty presses Egypt to release detainees after rare protests. middleeasteye.net 
Amnesty presses Egypt to release detainees after rare protests | Rights group reports at least 496 people have been detained by Cairo since crackdown on protests began last month | Fri, 10/02/2020 – 18: 37 | Police had fired tear gas and in some instances live ammunition at demonstrators (AFP/File photo) | Amnesty International has called on Egyptian authorities to release hundreds of people who were arrested…
(2020-10-02). Arabic press review: Plans for Israel-UAE canal enrage Egypt. middleeasteye.net 
Arabic press review: Plans for Israel-UAE canal enrage Egypt | Meanwhile, Jordan expels former Palestinian prisoner Nizar al-Tamimi, and three ministers of Arab origin join new Belgian government | Fri, 10/02/2020 – 15: 14 | Egypt is reportedly worried that a new canal between Israel and the UAE might threaten its crucial income from the Suez Canal (AFP/file photo, November 2019) | Canal tri…
(2020-10-02). Jailed Hollywood producer Weinstein charged with SIX new sexual assault counts in LA. rt.com 
Disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, currently jailed for 23 years in New York over multiple sex crimes, has been slapped with six new counts of sexual assault by Los Angeles prosecutors, who are seeking his extradition. | The charges were announced by Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey on Friday. | "I am thankful to the first women who reported these crimes and whose courage have given strength to others to come forward," Lacey said. "The willingness of these latest victims to testify against a powerful man gives us the additional evidence we need to build a compelling criminal case." | The LA…
(2020-10-02). The Law That Sent a Man to Prison for Life for Stealing a Pair of Hedge Clippers — and What Prosecutors Can do About It. aclu.org Last month, the Louisiana Supreme Court
(2020-10-02). The Supreme Court Rulings You're Not Hearing About. aclu.org This past June, many breathed a sigh of relief when the U.S. Supreme Court rose above partisanship in controversial cases involving abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, the rights of DREAMERS, and the president's tax returns. In those cases, conservative justices relied on legal reasoning, rather than party loyalty, to guide their decisions., , But lurking in the shadows is a concerning new trend in the Supreme Court to grant an unprecedented number of emergency orders with little transparency and no opportunity for recourse. These cases comprise the court's aptly named "shadow docket." And under the Trump administration,…
(2020-10-02). Voting by Mail is Easier and Safer than You Think. Here's how. aclu.org Millions of people are planning to vote by mail in this election, and for most, it will be the first time. COVID-19 has made voting by mail more popular than ever because it's the safest way for many to cast a ballot. But some voters still have questions about the safety and security of this method, and whether their mail-in ballot will be counted. Contradictory messages from President Trump add to the confusion — even though the president, and
(2020-10-02). Inside Irwin County: Letters from a notorious ICE detention center. splcenter.org …
(2020-10-02). Could Americans possibly reelect a president who acts in this sordid, reprehensible manner? nationofchange.org When Trump loses the election, and he will, he will immediately face various investigations, some of which will lead to criminal charges and, best of all, jail time. And he knows it.
(2020-10-02). Civil Rights Groups Are Finally Waking Up to the ADL's Right Wing Agenda. mintpressnews.com From its National Counter Terrorism Seminars, its mapping of pro-Palestinians activists, and its silence over Israeli human rights violations, the ADL's thin veneer of civil rights advocacy is quickly wearing.
(2020-10-02). Federal Court Requires EPA to Enforce Civil Rights. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-10-02). Docs Show US Agents, Including Sniper Teams With 'Shoot to Kill' Authorization, Deployed to George Floyd Funeral. commondreams.org The ACLU of Texas, which obtained the documents, said they "paint a chilling picture of federal agents unleashed in our cities." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/finalfinaltest.jpg …
(2020-10-01). Lawyers, Politicians and Diplomats for Assange. globalresearch.ca Since brutally dragged from Ecuador's London embassy in April last year, confined to maximum security imprisonment, and subjected to guilt by accusation extradition hearings, establishment media have been largely silent about his state-sponsored crucifixion for the "crime" of truth-telling journalism….
(2020-10-01). Extradition trial concludes, Assange to remain in prison until verdict in January. peoplesdispatch.org The trial concluded after 18 days of extensive submissions from experts and witnesses over a range of aspects concerning the persecution of Wikileaks in the US…
(2020-10-01). Reportback: Julian Assange Hearing On Tuesday September 29. popularresistance.org Tuesday has been another day on which the testimony focused on the extreme inhumane conditions in which Julian Assange would be kept imprisoned in the USA if extradited. The prosecution's continued tactic of extraordinary aggression towards witnesses who are patently well informed played less well, and there were distinct signs that Judge Baraitser was becoming irritated by this approach. The totality of defence witnesses and the sheer extent of mutual corroboration they provided could not simply be dismissed by the prosecution attempting to characterise all of them as uninformed on a particular detail, still les…
(2020-10-01). National Security Journalism Is On Trial. popularresistance.org Few American media organizations seem to have noticed, but the U.S. Justice Department has spent the past few weeks trying to persuade the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales to extradite Julian Assange to the United States to face charges under the 1917 Espionage Act. The hearing is scheduled to wind down at the end of this week. At this point Assange has alienated pretty much everyone, including many erstwhile supporters, and few people on this side of the Atlantic seem troubled by his indictment or by the possibility that he will be extradited, tried, convicted, and imprisoned.
(2020-10-01). Judge To Rule on January Whether Assange Should Be Extradited. telesurenglish.net British judge Vanessa Baraitser will rule on January 4, 2021, whether she authorizes the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States, where the Australian journalist is accused of 18 crimes of espionage that could sentence him up to 175 years in prison. | RELATED: | The magistrate set the date for her ruling at the end of a four-week trial in the London Old Bailey court, in which numerous witnesses for the Wik…
(2020-10-01). Stranded migrants need safe and dignified return, says independent UN rights panel. news.un.org Governments should immediately address the inhumane conditions in detention faced by migrant workers who are also being blamed for spreading the coronavirus, a UN panel of independent rights experts said on Thursday.
(2020-10-01). Iranian press review: Tensions flare in Iraq and Iran over criticism of Sistani. middleeasteye.net 
Iranian press review: Tensions flare in Iraq and Iran over criticism of Sistani | Meanwhile, oil exports sharply increase despite US sanctions and three authors are jailed for 'propaganda against the state' | Thu, 10/01/2020 – 12: 58 | Mask-clad members of the Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) paramilitary force stand near portraits of Sistani, left, and Soleimani, right (AFP) |
(2020-10-01). US lawsuit challenges Trump's sanctions against ICC. middleeasteye.net 
US lawsuit challenges Trump's sanctions against ICC | Rights group and law professors are suing administration to block US measures against International Criminal Court | Thu, 10/01/2020 – 21: 15 | President Donald Trump during visit to US troops in Afghanistan last November (AFP/File Photo) | A human rights group, along with four law professors, has filed a lawsuit against the US President Donald Trump's admi…
(2020-10-01). France temporarily detains relatives of citizens trapped in Syria camps. middleeasteye.net 
France temporarily detains relatives of citizens trapped in Syria camps | At least six people were arrested by anti-terrorism unit for sending funds to family members | Thu, 10/01/2020 – 17: 18 | A woman covers her face with a veil as she holds a manifest of names while sitting by children outside a tent at al-Roj camp, 30 September 2020 (AFP) | French authorities arrested at least six French citizen…
(2020-10-01). And the medal goes to… Sexism! Oppression-olympics poster valorizing Hillary Clinton goes viral, boggling Internet's mind. rt.com 
The online community has ridiculed a 2014 political poster that uses the n-word and b-word repeatedly and seeks to prove racism ended with Barack Obama's presidency, while sexism has remained unchallenged throughout US history. | The art project, titled 'Words Matter' and designed by Yue Chen, went viral on Wednesday, after it grabbed users' attention for having the n-word typed over it some fourteen times.
(2020-10-01). Russia's FSB detains Siberian nuclear scientist suspected of passing classified technologies & state secrets to China. rt.com 
A Russian physicist is being accused of divulging state secrets, after conducting research at a physics lab in China. He couldn't return to his work there due to Covid rules and had recently been working at Tomsk State University. | The Urals-based news site Znak identified the suspect as 64-year-old nuclear physicist Alexander Lukanin. Znak reported that Lukanin was arrested for disclosing classified information belonging to the Russian government, but there has been no official confirmation of this. The outlet also reported that the scientist is currently in a pre-trial detention centre, and that the FSB has…
(2020-10-01). Safe at Home: Fighting Against Sexual Harassment in Housing. aclu.org Rita, a single mother, was desperate to find an affordable home in Palm Beach County, Florida, after suffering a foreclosure a few years earlier. After searching for some time, she finally found an apartment within her price range but there was one huge problem: Soon after she moved in, the property manager began to sexually harass her., , He took advantage of Rita's financial circumstances — and his position of power over her — to extort sexual acts from her in exchange for reduced rent. The harassment escalated, as he tracked her whereabouts, monitored her guests, and installed surveillance came…
(2020-10-01). At the Polls, Episode 3: The Role of the Courts in Election 2020. aclu.org Election Day is fast approaching, and while we're doing everything we can to prepare, some questions remain unanswered. , , Dale Ho, director of the ACLU Voting Rights Project, and University of Michigan law professor Leah Litman join the Election years are always busy for the ACLU…
(2020-10-01). Will the 2020 Election Be Decided in the Streets? scheerpost.com Anthony Crider / CC BY 2.0] By John Feffer / TomDispatch The white mobs didn't care whom they killed as long as the victims were Black. They murdered people in public with guns and rocks. They set fire to houses and slaughtered families trying to escape the flames. In East St. Louis in July 1917, white vigilantes lynched Blacks with impunity. It was the prelude to what civil rights activist James… |
(2020-10-01). US Court Refuses to Dismiss Trump Admin Lawsuit Seeking Bolton's Book Proceeds. sputniknews.com A US federal judge has declined an attempt by former national security adviser John Bolton to dismiss a lawsuit by the Trump administration that would appropriate the proceeds of his recently published tell-all book.
(2020-10-01). Progressive Groups Are Mobilizing to De-Escalate Far Right Violence at the Polls. truthout.org In preparation for potential voter intimidation this year, the Women's March, Working Families Party, Movement for Black Lives Electoral Justice Project, United We Dream and other organizations are mobilizing "election defenders" to de-escalate tense situations as well as provide voters with personal protective equipment and water on Election Day. | "So far, more than 6,000 people across the country have signed up to be election defenders," Working Families Party National Director Maurice…
(2020-10-01). DHS Officials Were Told to Portray Kyle Rittenhouse in a Positive Light. truthout.org Officials within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were directed to respond in a positive and defensive manner to inquiries regarding Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who shot and killed two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in late August, according to an internal document. | Rittenhouse had traveled from Illinois to demonstrations in Kenosha, which began in response to the police-perpetrated shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot by law enforcement seven ti…
(2020-10-01). GOP-Led Inquest Decried as Effort to Suppress Florida Voters With Felony Records. truthout.org Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody's call for state and federal investigations into billionaire Michael Bloomberg's effort to raise millions to pay off court fees to help Florida felons restore their voting rights was a "gross abuse" of power, "voter suppression," "a fearmongering tactic used before" and based on a "fundamental misconception" of anti-corruption laws, according to experienced campaign lawyers and former federal election regulators. | "It's not just that an investigative…
(2020-10-01). Pendley Lawsuit Proceeds Toward Removing "De Facto" Park Service Director. counterpunch.org Washington, DC Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt's series of efforts to evade Senate confirmation for the National Park Service's (NPS) top official Margaret Everson requires her prompt removal, according to an expedited motion filed in a DC District Court lawsuit yesterday by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and Western Watersheds Project (WWP). Bernhardt
(2020-09-30). Human Rights Groups Applaud London Mayor for Boycotting Saudi Summit. commondreams.org "No mayors in good conscience should agree to attend the U20 Summit until Loujain and the other imprisoned Saudi human rights defenders are freed and the bombing and blockading of Yemen ceases." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/london-mayor-khan-u20-saudi.jpg …
(2020-09-30). Life in Supermax for the Crime of 'Merely Doing Journalism'? UK Court Told Assange Likely to Be Sent to Notorious US Prison. commondreams.org A former warden at ADX Florence has described doing time in the Colorado prison as "a fate worse than death." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty-assange_protestors_0.jpg …
(2020-09-30). CBP Wants to Destroy Records of Misconduct. We Can't Let Them. aclu.org Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the nation's largest federal law enforcement agency, operates with
(2020-09-30). Online Charter schools are not a solution to education in a pandemic. mronline.org 
Nicholas Trombetta, the founder of Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, which is unaffiliated with K12, received just 20 months in prison in 2018 for tax conspiracy after he moved $8 million from the school to a network of businesses he created and failed to pay $437,632 in taxes.