(2020-10-15). Memories of Voter Suppression. zcomm.org I wonder how Republican leaders can live with themselves when they betray the most basic principle of democracy. Of all the things they have done during their time in power, this is surely one of the most despicable.
(2020-10-14). Vietnam refugee leader arrested for protesting ICE crimes. workers.org 
Nancy just after being released from jail Oct 9. Philadelphia — Nancy Nguyen, Executive Director of VietLead, a Philadelphia-based Vietnamese refugee organization, was handcuffed and arrested Oct. 8 as she was changing her one-year-old baby's diaper in her Philadelphia home. Her arrest involved the cooperation of several federal and . . . |
(2020-10-14). Prisoners and the formerly incarcerated demand the right to vote. peoplesworld.org 
There are 1.5 million people currently serving sentences in the United States. Only about 20,000 of them—those in Maine and Vermont—can vote. The ability of formerly incarcerated citizens to vote after their release, meanwhile, varies widely among the states, with some indefinitely stealing a convicted person's right to vote until they earn a pardon or …
(2020-10-14). What You Need to Know About Orleans Parish District Attorney Candidates. aclu.org 
The election for Orleans Parish district attorney on Nov. 3 is a historic opportunity to shape the city's priorities on racial disparities in sentencing, prosecutorial practices, bail reform and help end mass incarceration. The next DA can create a fairer, more equitable criminal legal system and champion reform., , Make informed decisions. Make sure you know where the candidates are on key civil liberties and civil rights issues. | Orleans Parish District Attorney Candidate Dashboard: | IssuesArthur HunterKeva LandrumJason Williams | Decarceration | Pledges not to prosecute marijuana po…
(2020-10-14). 81 Days on hunger strike: Movement grows to free Palestinian political prisoner Maher al-Akhras. liberationnews.org 
A rally gathered in Ramallah this week in solidarity with Maher al-Akhras, a Palestinian political prisoner who after 81 days on hunger strike is now feared to be near death. The 49-year-old father of six was arrested by Israeli forces in July. Al-Akhras' lawyers have put forth several appeals to Israel's High Court for his …
(2020-10-14). Facebook Bans Ads Questioning Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines. globalresearch.ca Mark Zuckerberg has clearly had enough of being hauled in front of Congress and hectored by a gang of senior citizens and listening to the head of the ACLU slam his company as a vessel for violent hate speech. Because …
(2020-10-14). Let People Vote: Our Fight for Your Right to Vote During 2020. aclu.org 2020 has been an unprecedented year in many ways; a pandemic during a presidential election being one of them. Not unique to 2020, however, is politicians' and states' systematic efforts to suppress voting and disenfranchise Americans. But the ACLU, along with our affiliates and partners across the country, have been hard at work defending your right to vote. This year, we have won 27 victories in 20 states and Puerto Rico that will safeguard the voting rights of millions of Americans this November. Together, these states are home to more than 154 million Americans and wield 247 votes in the Electoral College.
(2020-10-14). Texas Is Limiting Ballot Drop-Off Locations. Activists Are Pushing Back. truthout.org Despite a last-minute ruling restricting absentee voting in Texas, voting rights advocates in the state's hardest hit communities of color are redoubling their efforts to get out the vote amid one of the most severe voter suppression campaigns in the state in recent election cycles. | Texas counties remain blocked from setting up multiple ballot drop-off locations after a federal appeals court on Monday
(2020-10-14). Activists Are Mobilizing to Help Incarcerated People Get Their Stimulus Checks. truthout.org For months incarcerated people and their families heard conflicting messages about whether they were eligible to receive the pandemic stimulus payments provided by Congress as the Trump administration attempted to block prisoners from receiving their checks. Last week a federal judge slammed the administration with an order to provide the stimulus relief, and now advocates across the country are working to ensure low-income people caged in state and federal prisons can apply for the much-ne…
(2020-10-14). G20 Fails to Release Developing World From 'Debtors Prison', Despite Suspension. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-10-14). Voter Suppression in a Pandemic Election. commondreams.org Our electoral system is riddled with policies that amount to little more than voter suppression. (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/shutterstock_1707095401-980×654.jpg …
(2020-10-14). White Americans Are More Demonized Than Jews In Nazi Germany. thealtworld.com After 55 years of special privileges and special pleading for black Americans, where do we stand? Integration has failed. Black Americans, or more correctly, those who speak for them, want black-only towns, black-only college dorms, black-only dining halls, and a black national anthem. Except for the black anthem, that's what they had a half century ago prior to "affirmative action." | How is it that when blacks demand segregation, it is not racism? | As Lawrence Stratton and I demonstrated in our book The New Color Line (1), racial quotas were strictly prohibited by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Nevertheless, the l…
(2020-10-13). Headlines for October 13, 2020. democracynow.org Dems Warn of Threat to ACA, Roe v. Wade, as Hearing Begins for Trump SCOTUS Nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Trump Returns to Campaigning as COVID Status Remains Unclear, COVID-19 Cases Soaring in Europe, Russia, as India Becomes Second Country to Hit 7 Million Cases, Johnson & Johnson Halts Vaccine Trials; More Evidence of Reinfection Revealed, GA Early Voters Face Long Lines; CA Officials Warn GOP over Illegal Drop Sites, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Sues in Arizona over Voter Suppression Efforts, WH Moves Forward with Taiwan Weapons Sales as U.S. Officials Tell Taiwan to Ramp Up Defense, Bangladeshi Government Approves Death…
(2020-10-13). To Decolonize Indigenous Lands, We Must Also Abolish Police and Prisons. truthout.org The movement to decolonize Indigenous lands is intimately connected to the movement to abolish police and prisons. As the idea of decolonization is discussed among wider circles, we must recognize this interconnectedness, especially in the midst of a resurgent Black Lives Matter movement that calls for the defunding — and, in fact, the dismantling — of police. | Both decolonization and abolition are not simply seeking an end result. Instead they are continuous creative processes: an ima…
(2020-10-13). Love that transcends prison walls: Palestinian women tell stories of defiance. middleeasteye.net 
Love that transcends prison walls: Palestinian women tell stories of defiance | In Palestine, relationships thrive despite years-long separations and physical barriers | Tue, 10/13/2020 – 10: 52 | "Thirty eight Eids passed without Abdel Karim," Jinan Samara said after reuniting with her fiance, Abdel Karim, 18 years later (MEE/Shatha Hammad) | Abdel Karim Makhdar and Jinan Samara sit side by side o…
(2020-10-13). Palestinian leaders call for Israel to release prisoner on 80th day of hunger strike. middleeasteye.net 
Palestinian leaders call for Israel to release prisoner on 80th day of hunger strike | The Israeli Supreme Court rejected Maher al-Akhras' petition for release on Tuesday, as right groups warn he is 'on the verge of death' | Tue, 10/13/2020 – 12: 54 | Maher al-Akhras with one of his children before his arrest in July by Israeli forces (Screengrab)
| Several Palestinian political figures have raised the ala…
(2020-10-13). The Race for Arizona State House District 23. aclu.org 
The outcome of the race for the House in Arizona District 23 could determine important policies during the next legislative session., , If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, abortion could become illegal in Arizona. , , Eric Kurland pledged to support legislation that keeps abortion safe and legal. John Kavanagh and Joseph Chaplick pledged to vote to prohibit abortion care except in rare cases. | IssueEric, KurlandJoseph, ChaplickJohn, Kavanagh | Has pledged to support legislation that keeps abortion safe and legal. | Yes | No | No | Source: Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona Candida…
(2020-10-13). The Race for Arizona State House District 20. aclu.org 
The outcome of the race for the House in Arizona District 20 could determine important policies during the next legislative session., , If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, abortion could become illegal in Arizona., , Judy Schwiebert pledged to support legislation that keeps abortion safe and legal. Shawnna Bolick and Anthony Kern pledged to vote to prohibit abortion care except in rare cases. | IssueShawnna BolickJudy SchwiebertAnthony Kern | Has pledged to support legislation that keeps abortion safe and legal. | No | Yes | No |
(2020-10-13). The Demographics of Voting. counterpunch.org 
Many Americans are confused, conflicted and concerned about how and for whom they should vote by 3 November 2020. I say "by" because we all have the option to vote by mail, even though that option is imperiled in much of the country by campaigns of voter suppression and mail tampering by the crooks, criminals,
(2020-10-13). Still another chilling moment for democracy in Florida. peoplesworld.org 
In response to vote suppression measures filed by the Trump re-election campaign, state Republican parties and the national GOP, an attorney who represented the Bush-Cheney campaign during the 2000 Florida recount, delivered a candid and damning statement: "You're seeing a broad-based, generalized strategy to suppress the vote by the Republican Party," attorney Barry Richards declared. …
(2020-10-13). San Diego protesters stand in solidarity with Denver activists against police repression. liberationnews.org 
On Oct. 10, members of the San Diego branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation organized a rally in solidarity with the anti-racist organizers arrested under false charges in Denver, Colorado. The organizers are facing decades in prison simply for leading the struggle for justice for Elijah McClain. Different organizations also came out to …
(2020-10-13). The Supreme Court to Decide Whether Chicago Can Keep Cars Locked Up When Debtors File for Bankruptcy. aclu.org
(2020-10-13). Civil Rights Advocates Warn Supreme Court Order—a Victory for Trump—Will Result in 'Irreversible Damage to 2020 Census'. commondreams.org Justice Sonya Sotomayor issued a dissent warning the "harms caused by rushing this year's census count are irreparable" and that "respondents will suffer their lasting impact for at least the next 10 years." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/census_0_1.jpg …
(2020-10-13). Tampa activists rally against anti-protest bill. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – On October 10, members of the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee and others rallied at Tampa City Hall to protest Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' proposed anti-protest bill. On September 21, DeSantis released the proposed legislation called "Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act." If the bill is signed into law, it would legalize running over protesters with cars, and would make marching on the street a felony offense. Governor DeSantis' anti-protest bill is a direct response to protests during the George Floyd uprising, the Black Lives Matter movement…
(2020-10-13). Cameroonian Asylum Seekers Said to be One Day Away From Deportation Back to the Oppression They Fled. counterpunch.org There is a peaceful room in a safe, joyful home in the Washington metro area waiting for Micah, an English-speaking Cameroonian refugee who spent his 20th birthday on hunger strike in Pine Prairie Detention Center. His 19th birthday was also spent in ICE detention. His uncle, who raised him, has been counseling patience while waiting
(2020-10-13). COVID-19 in California Prisons. globalresearch.ca My name's Ivan Kilgore and I am the founder of the United Black Family Scholarship Foundation. And I'm calling you from Solano State Prison in Northern California. | Click to access original text …
(2020-10-13). Wisconsin: Vote Early, Vote Today. aclu.org Your vote matters and here's how to cast it in Wisconsin. | If you are not already registered, For early vote times in other locations, MunicipalityLocation(s)Date(s)…
(2020-10-13). Climate Litigation Spreads Across The United States. popularresistance.org With hurricanes in the Gulf South and wildfires in the West, the intensifying impacts of climate change have been inescapable as summer turns to fall. Summer 2020 also brought a wave of new climate lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry, including several firsts: the first suit in the South (Charleston, South Carolina); the first suits to name the American Petroleum Institute—the main US oil and gas industry lobby group—as a defendant (Minnesota, Delaware, and Hoboken, New Jersey); the first cases seeking disgorgement of corporate profits gained through illegal acts (Minnesota and Connecticut).
(2020-10-13). Reports chronicle continuing violence and discrimination against Rohingya community. peoplesdispatch.org On October 12, Monday, international human rights groups, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, claimed to have gained
(2020-10-13). Barrett Could Well Be the Decider in a 2020 Replay of "Bush v. Gore" truthout.org If Americans want transparency — as they should — they've got it. Judge Amy Coney Barrett's record of attacks on civil rights, workers' rights, anti-discrimination measures and consumer protections is crystal clear. Though she's just 48 years old, she has a phenomenally large legal footprint. And, as Democratic senators repeatedly pointed out Monday, on day one of the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings, her record does not bode well for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and many of the rights w…
(2020-10-13). Virginia Online Registration Portal Left Unworkable—Just Hours Before Deadline—After Cable 'Accidentally Cut'. commondreams.org Civil rights organizations on Tuesday vowed to make sure Virginia residents are able to vote in the November elections after—for the second time in a recent presidential election year—the state's online voter registration portal crashed. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1228680084_1.jpg …
(2020-10-12). Bolivia: Leftist Parliamentary Candidate Brenda Segovia Arrested. telesurenglish.net The Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) denounced the arbitrary detention of the parliamentary candidate, Brenda Segovia, in Santa Cruz on Monday. | RELATED: | "We repudiate the coup-born regime's political violence. The political movement demands the immediate release of our militant," MAS presidential candidate Luis Arce tweeted. | A week ahead of Bolivia's elections, Arce also urged "an end to the far-right-wing attacks…
(2020-10-12). Turkey asked to halt deportation of Turkmen activist. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey asked to halt deportation of Turkmen activist | Dursoltan Taganova is at risk of arbitrary detention and torture if deported, human rights campaigners have warned | Mon, 10/12/2020 – 12: 28 | Social media picture of Dursoltan Taganova (Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights) | Human rights organisations have condemned plans by Turkish authorities to deport an activist to Turkmenistan, where they fear she w…
(2020-10-12). Egyptian writer and Sisi critic Amin el-Mahdy dies days after release from jail. middleeasteye.net 
Egyptian writer and Sisi critic Amin el-Mahdy dies days after release from jail | The publisher was detained last month after calling president Sisi a 'murderer' and a 'thief' in a Facebook post | Mon, 10/12/2020 – 11: 04 | Mahdy was opposed to both Sisi and the Muslim Brotherhood (Facebook) | The Egyptian author Amin el-Mahdy died on Sunday, soon after his release from a brief detentio…
(2020-10-12). Dying Alone: When We Stopped Caring for Palestinian Prisoners. dissidentvoice.org 
"No one cares about the prisoners." Over the past few years, I have heard this phrase — or some variation of it — uttered many times by freed Palestinian prisoners and their families. Whenever I conduct an interview regarding this crucial and highly sensitive topic, I am told, repeatedly, that 'no one cares.' But is …
(2020-10-12). Al-Qaeda operative Adel Abdel Bary set for UK return after release from US jail. middleeasteye.net 
Al-Qaeda operative Adel Abdel Bary set for UK return after release from US jail | Abdel Bary had been sentenced to 25 years in jail for disseminating al-Qaeda's claim of responsibility for bombings targeting US embassies in east Africa | Mon, 10/12/2020 – 22: 15 | Site of bombing of US embassy in Nairobi, 8 August 1998 (AFP/File photo)
| Adel Abdel Bary, a British Egyptian who served as a spokesman for al-…
(2020-10-12). Protesters demand release of political activists in Gilgit-Baltistan. peoplesdispatch.org Protesters said the demonstrations will continue until the authorities release all the political prisoners who are in jail after being charged under the anti-terrorism act for allegedly causing riots in August 2011…
(2020-10-12). What Comes Next is Up to Us. counterpunch.org What if we stopped separating the looming national chaos into separate categories —racism, climate change, war, vote suppression, election theft, pandemic, science denial, white supremacy, police brutality, etc. — and tried looking at it all at once? This may be the legacy of Donald Trump, our first corkscrew-in-chief: He has popped the cork on who
(2020-10-12). Massive Lines in Georgia on First Day of In-Person Voting Exemplify Ongoing 'Voter Suppression,' Say Critics. commondreams.org "We're becoming desensitized to unacceptable burdens on the franchise," one political scientist said. "People died for this right. [It] shouldn't take hours to participate in our democracy." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/atlanta_voting_2020.jpg …
(2020-10-11). Assange Faces Extradition for Exposing US War Crimes. truthout.org Three weeks of testimony in Julian Assange's extradition hearing in London underscored WikiLeaks's extraordinary revelation of U.S. war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay. But the Trump administration is seeking to extradite Assange to the United States to stand trial for charges under the Espionage Act that could cause him to spend 175 years in prison. | Assange founded WikiLeaks during the Bush administration's "war on terror," which was used as a pretext to start two illegal wars and carry out a wides…
(2020-10-11). Labour Peer Apologises for Claiming Migrants Could be 'Concentrated' in Camps. sputniknews.com The United Kingdom has faced rising numbers of refugees crossing the English Channel from France this year. Internal Home Office reports made public last month revealed that the government has considered placing migrants arriving in the UK in offshore detention centers.