(2018-11-20). Judge Orders Trump Administration to Stop Ban on Asylum Seekers. mintpressnews.com "This ban is illegal, will put people's lives in danger and raises the alarm about President Trump's disregard for separation of powers," said Lee Gelernt of the ACLU.
(2018-11-20). Following SPLC lawsuit, judge blocks president's asylum ban. splcenter.org A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from denying asylum to migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border between ports of entry.
(2018-11-20). #WontBeErased, Won't Be Forgotten, Won't Be Alone. aclu.org We should honor the transgender people who have died this year by taking action for trans justice and survival. | On Trans Day of Remembrance the trans community honors our dead. Too many names are read and remembered at vigils around the world marking the deaths of trans people who have been murdered during the year. This year is again on pace to be the deadliest year for transgender people in the United States. As of October, …
(2018-11-20). Who, Exactly, Is Title IX Meant to Protect? truthdig.com While Betsy DeVos' Department of Education investigates federal claims backed by a men's rights group that women's studies programs discriminate against men and violate Title IX, survivors of sexual assault are fighting for the ability to attend school without fear of violence. | DeVos, the secretary of education, enraged advocates against sexual violence and harassment when she issued proposed changes last week to Title IX, a federal civil rights law that says any school that discriminates against students based on their sex will not receive…
(2018-11-20). We Are Thankful for Our Friends. naacp.org 
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we're acknowledging a special group of people we are especially thankful to have at our side — our partners in the civil rights and social justice movement with whom we have powerful friendships with. 2018 was a pivotal year for NAACP, a year in which we made great strides […]
(2018-11-20). AUDIO:CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS HOST THOMAS FARR PRESS CALL. naacp.org Listen to the full audio of Civil Rights groups opposing the nomination of Thomas Farr Organization participants include: NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Repairers of The Breach
(2018-11-20). PRESS CALL TODAY: Civil Rights Leaders Blast Farr Nomination and Timing of Vote. naacp.org Washington, D.C. — Leaders of the NAACP, Repairers of the Breach, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and NAACP Legal Defense Fund will hold a telephone press briefing, Tuesday, November 20 at 3 PM ET, condemning President Trump's nomination of Thomas Farr to the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Senate's expected […]
(2018-11-20). Fired Chipotle manager offered job back after being wrongfully accused of racism. rt.com 
Chipotle has offered to rehire a manager in St. Paul, Minnesota, three days after bowing to social media pressure and terminating the employee over internet-fueled accusations of racism. Spoiler alert: the internet was wrong.
(2018-11-20). Calling Out Racist Voters Is Satisfying, But Comes at a Cost. zcomm.org The question of how politicians should characterize Trump supporters is a different matter altogether. Some Trump voters are certainly racist. But is it worth the strategic risk for politicians to call them out?>
(2018-11-20). Opioid Crisis: Purdue Pharma Billionaire Owners to be Sued. therealnews.com 
Suffolk County in New York is suing the Sackler family, which owns the maker of OxyContin, one of the main drugs behind the opioid drug overdose crisis. Just how responsible is the family and might the lawsuit achieve? We speak to Sam Pizzigati of IPS
(2018-11-20). Sign The Petition-It'sTime For Micki To Go! Under Callahan's Tenure Lawsuits Cost Millions. indybay.org
(2018-11-19). Anti-Choice Politicians Are Taking Direct Aim at Roe v. Wade. aclu.org Ohio is trying to ban abortion, and it won't be the last state to do so. | Anti-abortion politicians wasted no time going after Roe v. Wade after the midterm elections. Last week, the Ohio House of Representatives passed a ban on abortion starting at six weeks in pregnancy, which would effectively ban almost all abortions given that most people don't know they are even pregnant at that time. | The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is likely to pass. If it does, the outgoing governor could veto it, but the legislature may have enough votes to override it. And if the legislature doesn't override the veto, the…
(2018-11-19). The Fatal Flaws in a Congressional Resolution to End US Support for the Saudi-Led Yemen War. aclu.org The resolution's language would have mistakenly resulted in extending Yemeni suffering instead of ending it. | One consequence of the Saudi government's horrific murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is a renewed congressional focus on ending U.S. support for the Saudi-led war against an anti-government movement in Yemen. This has to be somewhat bittersweet for many Yemenis, who have been pleading for the world to help…
(2018-11-19). What a Portrait of General Robert E. Lee Means for One Man's Capital Trial. aclu.org Racial bias can affect a capital punishment case at every legal step. The result of that bias can be deadly. | Anyone walking into the sole courtroom in the town of Louisa, Virginia, is met by an array of portraits covering nearly every square inch of the walls. Overwhelmingly they feature white men. Though on first glance, most of them are not recognizable, one is unmistakable. It's a looming image that dominates the back wall of the courtroom, directly across from the judge. The portrait is of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, in uniform, sword unsheathed at his side. | The presence and prominence of Lee's portra…
(2018-11-19). London demonstrators speak out against racism and fascism. wsws.org A number of those interviewed spoke of the parallels with the 1930s and the need to oppose the scapegoating of migrants and refugees.
(2018-11-19). Jacksonville high school, police, fair management target Black youth with racist dress code. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL — Students at a local Jacksonville high school are calling foul on a racist dress code policy implemented by administration last week. | On November 14, administrators at Robert E. Lee High School issued a new interpretation of the dress code that prohibits students from wearing memorial clothing on campus or at school-sponsored events. Citing prohibitions of "gang-related paraphernalia," the school administrators banned any clothing with the acronym "RIP," or "Rest in Peace," even if the person commemorated has no proven gang affiliations. | The move comes on the heels of a major local con…
(2018-11-18). Calling Out Racist Voters Is Satisfying. But It Comes at a Political Cost. theintercept.com 
The silhouettes of attendees are seen during an election night party for 2016 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the Hilton Midtown hotel in N.Y., on Nov. 8, 2016. | racist?" and you'll find that just within the last week, at least three major news outlets have taken on that very question. | At the Chicago Tribune
(2018-11-17). Thousands in London March Against Racism and the Far Right. therealnews.com 
Thousands took to the streets of London to protest xenophobia , and linked the rise of the far-right with austerity and the false promises of Brexit
(2018-11-16). Sen. Hyde-Smith's Public Hanging Quip Is an Affront to Black Americans Who Were Lynched. aclu.org Dismissing comments about public hangings as a joke is not okay, especially in Mississippi, a state that lynched more Black people than any other. | When Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is in a run-off election with Democrat Mike Espy for the state's U.S. Senate seat, attempted to show her loyalty to one of her supporters during a recent campaign stop, she quipped: "If he invited me to a public hanging, I'd be on the front row." | The comment would be wildly inappropriate anywhere, but in Mississippi, which has the distinction of being the state that lynched more African-Americans than any other, it i…
(2018-11-16). At its convention, Portugal's Left Bloc gears up for year of crucial fights. greenleft.org.au 
In 2019, European and legislative elections will take place in Portugal in a national political context different from anywhere else in the European Union (EU), where austerity policies still reign and the racist and xenophobic right is rising, writes Dick Nichols from Lisbon. | Over the past three years in Portugal, the minority Socialist Party (PS) government has been supported from outside by the Left Bloc, the Communist Party of Portugal (PCP) and the Ecologist Party-The Greens (PEV). | During that time wages and welfare payments have risen, privatisations have stopped, unemployment has halved to 6.3%, casual…
(2018-11-16). NAACP GRASSROOTS & VOTER TURNOUT EFFORTS SPUR INCREASED BLACK VOTER PARTICIPATION. naacp.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 16, 2018 CONTACTS: NAACP@sunshinesachs.com and Malik Russell / mrussell@naacpnet.org / 410-580-5761 NAACP civic engagement campaign helped generate record midterm election turnout among Black Voters BALTIMORE — From the passage of Amendment 4 in Florida, which restored voting rights to convicted felons to the record number of early voting among voters of color — including a 77% increase among […] | The post
(2018-11-16). Betsy DeVos Wants to Roll Back Civil Rights Protections For Students Filing Complaints of Sexual Harassment or Assault. aclu.org Our analysis of how DeVos' proposed rule would change how colleges and universities deal with allegations of sexual assault under Title IX. | The Department of Education headed by Secretary Betsy DeVos on Friday released a proposed rule that, if implemented, would dramatically limit schools' obligations to students who experience sexual violence and would not further the stated goal of fair process. The ACLU is equally committed to ensuring students can learn in environments free from sexual harassment and violence and to guaranteeing fair process for both respondents and complainants. | The new rule preserv…
(2018-11-16). ICE Is Targeting Activists in Vermont. And the State's DMV Has Been Helping Them. aclu.org ICE partnered with the Vermont DMV to target farmworker rights' activists for political repression. | In October 2017, Vermont-based Migrant Justice scored a major victory in the organization's campaign to extend labor protections to undocumented farmworkers in the state. After years of public action and lobbying, they reached an agreement with Ben & Jerry's that established basic labor standards at the farms supplying dairy products to the company. Those standards included one day off a week, a minimum wage of $10 per…
(2018-11-16). Illinois Police Killed a Black Security Guard While Doing His Job. aclu.org Jemel Robinson saved lives — but because of racially biased policing, he paid for it with his own. | In an alternate reality, Tuesday's national news headlines would have read: "Active Shooter Heroically Subdued by Brave Security Guard." Instead, we woke up to news stories announcing that police in Midlothian, Illinois, responded to a bar shooting by killing the security guard who had bravely detained the shooting suspect. | Jemel Roberson should be alive today. But he's not, and…
(2018-11-16). NAACP Statement on 2017 FBI Hate Crime Report. naacp.org It comes as no surprise to communities of color that the amount of hate crimes reported to the FBI increased by 17 percent last year. Without a doubt, the racist and bigoted rhetoric emanating from the Trump administration has fueled the flames of hate and division in our nation. For at least the last 25 years, African […]
(2018-11-16). NAACP-opposed judicial nominee Thomas Farr scheduled for a full Senate confirmation vote. naacp.org Senate leadership has now sent President Trump's nominee to a life-time appointment as a judge to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, attorney Thomas A. Farr, to the floor for a vote. The NAACP strongly opposes this nomination; throughout his career, Mr. Farr has consistently supported and worked for efforts […]
(2018-11-15). NAACP Strongly Urges Senate Rejection of Farr Nomination. naacp.org BALTIMORE (November 15, 2018)—The NAACP strongly condemns Thomas Farr's nomination and the Senate's scheduling of his vote. The nation just experienced national elections which are not yet over and which were tainted by egregious voting rights violations. That Majority Leader McConnell chooses this moment in time to vote on a judicial nominee known as the vote-suppressor-in-chief […]
(2018-11-15). Prisoners Are Getting Paid $1.45 a Day to Fight the California Wildfires. aclu.org Incarcerated workers fighting wildfires deserve the same wages and protections that civilian workers receive. | As firefighters in California battle the deadliest wildfires in the state's history, they are joined by unlikely allies against the blaze. About 200 prisoners in California's Conservation Camp program are fighting the fires alongside civilian employees, earning just $1.45 a day for their work. Their pay as workers is a fraction of minimum wage. The hazard to their lives is real, as evidenced by a death toll that has…
(2018-11-15). The Blue Wave Keeps Rolling On. progressive.org By leaning into racism and voter suppression, the Republicans are trading their future for a few hard-fought, short-term victories. And despite that, across the country organized citizens delivered a rebuke to the politics of Donald Trump.
(2018-11-15). Congressional proclamation honors slain man at center of historic SPLC lawsuit. splcenter.org Thirty years ago this month, a group of racist skinheads savagely beat an Ethiopian college student to death on a street in Portland, Oregon — an attack that sparked an SPLC lawsuit that decimated the neo-Nazi group responsible for the murder.
(2018-11-15). Court rejects neo-Nazi's free speech defense in SPLC case. splcenter.org A federal judge has rejected neo-Nazi leader Andrew Anglin's attempt to dismiss an SPLC lawsuit seeking to hold him accountable for orchestrating a campaign of terror against a Jewish woman and her family in Montana.
(2018-11-15). Vermont Immigrant Rights Group Sues ICE for Monitoring, Infiltrating & "Hunting Down" Organizers. democracynow.org 
A major new federal lawsuit claims that immigration agents are targeting undocumented organizers for their activism in Vermont. The suit accuses Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles of carrying out a multiyear campaign of political retaliation against members of the group Migrant Justice. According to the lawsuit, Migrant Justice was infiltrated by an informant, and its members were repeatedly subjected to electronic surveillance. At least 20 active members of Migrant Justice have been arrested and detained by ICE. We speak with Will…
(2018-11-14). The Outgoing Congress Shouldn't Reward Trump With More Homeland Security Funding. aclu.org The Department of Homeland Security is a moral and fiscal disaster. The lame-duck Congress shouldn't reward it with more taxpayer dollars. | Before Dec. 7, Congress will have to make a decision: Will they reward the department responsible for separating families, jailing immigrants, raiding communities of color, and abusing its power at the border by increasing it budget? Or will they stand up and rein in Trump's detention and deportation force? | The Department of Homeland Security is currently funded by a continuing resolution, a short-term bill that extends its budget from last year. It
(2018-11-14). Attorney General Jeff Sessions is Fired. naacp.org On November 7, 2018, Jefferson "Jeff" Beauregard Sessions III resigned his position as U.S. Attorney General at the request of President Trump. The NAACP had strongly opposed then-Senator Sessions' confirmation to this position in early February, 2017. Going forward, the NAACP strongly urges President Trump to nominate an individual to serve as Attorney General who has […]
(2018-11-14). NAACP Statement on FDA Plan to Ban Sale of Menthol and E-Cigarettes. naacp.org NAACP released the following statement following reports of the Food and Drug Administration's proposal to ban menthol cigarettes: "The NAACP is pleased to hear of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) plan to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes and restrict the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. For decades, data have shown that the tobacco industry […]
(2018-11-14). Police and Data Collection: Why Louisiana Needs Reform. splcenter.org If Louisiana were a country, it would have the second-highest incarceration rate in the world, behind only Oklahoma.1…
(2018-11-14). Headlines for November 14, 2018. democracynow.org California Wildfires Kill 50 Across State as Blazes Rage On, Police Arrest 51 Activists Demanding Climate Action from Pelosi, Landmark Climate Lawsuit by Young Activists in Legal Limbo, Pentagon Chief Mattis to Visit 6,000 Troops at U.S.-Mexico Border, Congressional Progressives Appear to Downplay Plans to Abolish ICE, Congressional Race Results Still Uncertain One Week After Midterms, Georgia: Black Woman State Senator Arrested at Peaceful Voter Protest, Fates of Senior Trump Advisers in Doubt After Clashes with FLOTUS, Trump Lawyers Prepare Answers in Mueller Probe, CNN Sues Trump over Acosta Ban, Chicago: Poli…
(2018-11-13). Call to unite against racism. greenleft.org.au 
About 300 people rallied against racism in Melbourne on November 10. The rally was organised in response to the continued vilification of Melbourne's African community by politicians and the media. | Praise and Shema, two high school students from the Liberian and Sudanese communities, addressed the rally. They called for an end to media attacks on the African community. | The Islamic Council of Victoria's Adel Salman told the rally that the media needs a code of ethics and to stop promoting hate speech. | Taqi Azra, a Hazara refugee and National Union of Workers organiser, said: "They are trying to divide u…
(2018-11-06). 'Charleston and Tree of Life Are Connected Struggles' – CounterSpin interview with Audrey Sasson on antisemitism, racism and resistance. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Audrey Sasson about antisemitism, racism and resistance for the November 2, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2018-11-03). Assange Case Shows Support for Free Speech Depends on Who's Talking. fair.org 
by Joe Emersberger Julian Assange, whom the UN has declared to be "arbitrarily detained" by Britain and Sweden, is used by the Guardian ( 10/17/18) to illustrate a gag story on "nightmare flatmates." | The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded in February 2016 that the governments of the UK and Sweden had forced WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange into a condition of arbitrary detention in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been since 2012. The group's …
(2018-10-18). A Tribute to Ron Dellums, Radical. zcomm.org Ron Dellums appreciated the struggle against racism is permanently joined with those against sexism, militarism, and capitalism…
(2018-10-18). Trump Administration's Warped View of Religious Freedom Abroad. zcomm.org Religious freedom arguments are increasingly being used to challenge anti-discrimination policies and access to services…
(2018-10-11). Dreaming political concepts in Iran and the US: Huey Newton and Ali Shariati, through the movie Black Panther. zcomm.org Dreaming political concepts in Iran and the US: Huey Newton and Ali Shariati, through the movie Black Panther In the movie Black Panther, N'Jobu is residing in Oakland, California as a Wakandan spy when he's troubled by the racism faced by black Americans. T'Chaka, the king of Wakanda, considers N'Jobu's plot of Read more…