Black Civil Rights Advocate Takes Control of Neo-Nazi Hate Group the National Socialist Movement
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2019-02-15
The antisemitic and neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Movement (NSM) is now under the control of a black civil rights advocate from California who once dissolved a notorious Ku Klux Klan chapter in Mississippi.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/02/15/black-civil-rights-advocate-takes-control-neo-nazi-hate-group-national-socialist-movement

National Civil Rights Group Responds to Supreme Court's Decision to Hear Census Case
commondreams | commondreams.org | 2019-02-15
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/02/15/national-civil-rights-group-responds-supreme-courts-decision-hear-census-case?cd-origin=rss

What Happened at the Brooklyn Jail Is Part of a Deeper Human Rights Crisis
Shared by Cherise | truthout.org | 2019-02-15
Recent headlines over the plight of people imprisoned in the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn begs for a deeper look into the conditions of confinement in the U.S. prisons, jails, and juvenile and immigrant detention facilities. Although the electricity and heat are back on at the Brooklyn federal facility, the continuing and staggering neglect that led to this humanitarian crises continues — and will continue. Not only did the federal officials lie about conditions at the facility, they refuse to acknowledge the situation as part of a deeper human rights crisis. | For the staff and volunt…
truthout.org/articles/what-happened-at-the-brooklyn-jail-is-part-of-a-deeper-human-rights-crisis/

Environmental Groups, Activists Win Dismissal of Lawsuit Filed by Dakota Access Pipeline Company
commondreams | commondreams.org | 2019-02-15
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/02/15/environmental-groups-activists-win-dismissal-lawsuit-filed-dakota-access?cd-origin=rss

U.S. Federal Court Dismisses $900 Million Pipeline Company Lawsuit Against Greenpeace
Greenpeace | globalresearch.ca | 2019-02-15
Today, the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota issued a landmark dismissal [1] of all claims against all defendants in the USD$900 million case against Greenpeace and others brought by Energy Transfer [2]. | The decision to … | The post U.S. Federal Court Dismisses $900 Million Pipeline Company Lawsuit Against Greenpeace appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/u-s-federal-court-dismisses-900-million-pipeline-company-lawsuit-against-greenpeace/5668683

Court Rejects Oil Industry's Retaliatory Lawsuit Against L.A. Youth Groups
commondreams | commondreams.org | 2019-02-15
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/02/15/court-rejects-oil-industrys-retaliatory-lawsuit-against-la-youth-groups?cd-origin=rss

Trump Declares National Emergency to Fund His 'Racist' Wall
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-02-15
President Donald Trump Friday declared a national emergency in a bid to fund his promised wall at the U.S.-Mexico border without congressional approval, an action Democrats vowed to challenge as a violation of the U.S. Constitution. | RELATED: | Trump's Wall Already Affecting Mexicans' Daily Lives | The Republican president's move circumventing Congress represented a new…
telesurenglish.net/news/Trump-Declares-National-Emergency-to-Fund-His-Racist-Wall-20190215-0012.html

Ibram X. Kendi on Surviving Cancer & His Anti-Racist Reading List for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-15
As we celebrate the remarkable life and legacy of Frederick Douglass on his 201st birthday, we are joined by Ibram X. Kendi, a professor of history and international relations and founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. Kendi spoke Thursday night at the Library of Congress at an event honoring Frederick Douglass. He is the National Book Award-winning author of "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America" and a contributing editor at The Atlantic.
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/15/ibram_x_kendi_on_frederick_douglass

Massive Protests Planned to Fight Trump's National Emergency Power Grab
Shared by Cherise | truthout.org | 2019-02-15
Calling President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration on Friday a blatant and unconstitutional "power grab," progressive advocacy groups representing millions of Americans are gearing up to launch nationwide " crisis response" protests to fight back. | "If Donald Trump declares a national emergency to push his racist wall, we'll mobilize nonviolent rapid-response events to stand up t…
truthout.org/articles/massive-protests-planned-to-fight-trumps-national-emergency-power-grab/

'Tiz Kosher for Elected Jewish U.S. Officials to Malign
Raouf Halaby | counterpunch.org | 2019-02-15
When it comes to Muslim, Arab, or Palestinian elected officials, 'tiz Kosher for elected Jewish U.S. officials (and others) to criticize, malign, denigrate, and conjure every stereotype and racist label in the by-now accepted lexicon of hateful rhetoric spewed by the Zeldins, Taubs, Gellers, Spencers, Pipes, Kings, Gaffneys, Trumps, and others. Yet, for stating the…
counterpunch.org/2019/02/15/tiz-kosher-for-elected-jewish-u-s-officials-to-malign/

Israel Detained 500 Palestinians, Including 89 Children in 2019
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-02-15
This January alone, Israel detained 509 Palestinians, including 89 children and eight women, from occupied Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian prisoners rights groups. | RELATED: | Palestinian Photojournalists Win Prestigious Photo Awards | Israeli authorities detained 102 Palestinians from East Jerusalem, 88 from Ramallah, 80 from Hebron, 55 from Jenin, 62 from Bethlehem, 30 from Nablus, 30 from Tulkarm, 25 from Qalqilya, 8 from Toubas, 6 from Salf…
telesurenglish.net/news/Israel-Detained-500-Palestinians-Including-89-Children-So-Far-in-2019-20190215-0009.html

Asylum Seekers Are Being Imprisoned in an Abandoned Factory in Mexico
Shared by Cherise | truthout.org | 2019-02-15
As Trump plans to declare a national emergency, we look at what some have called the real humanitarian crisis at the border. Riot police in northern Mexico blocked hundreds of desperate Central American migrants Wednesday as they tried to escape an abandoned factory complex where they've been imprisoned while waiting for the U.S. to process their asylum claims. More than 1,700 migrants have been held in the maquiladora in the Mexican border town of Piedras Negras since February 5, after they arrived in a caravan of people seeking asylum in the U.S. The vast majority have remained prisoners at the site, after t…
truthout.org/video/asylum-seekers-are-being-imprisoned-in-an-abandoned-factory-in-mexico/

Asylum Seekers Are Being Imprisoned in an Abandoned Factory in Mexico Under Trump Admin Policy
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-15
As Trump plans to declare a national emergency, we look at what some have called the real humanitarian crisis at the border. Riot police in northern Mexico blocked hundreds of desperate Central American migrants Wednesday as they tried to escape an abandoned factory complex where they've been imprisoned while waiting for the U.S. to process their asylum claims. More than 1,700 migrants have been held in the maquiladora in the Mexican border town of Piedras Negras since February 5, after they arrived in a caravan of people seeking asylum in the U.S. The vast majority have remained prisoners at the site, after the…
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/15/asylum_seekers_are_being_imprisoned_in

Trump judges blow big hole in age discrimination law
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2019-02-15
CHICAGO — Thanks to a Trump-appointed judge it's now OK to discriminate against workers on the basis of age when they are applying for a job. According to the judge it's only workers on the job who are protected by law against age discrimination. A top union lawyer lays the blame for the ruling at …
peoplesworld.org/article/trump-judges-blow-big-hole-in-age-discrimination-law/

Migrant rights groups sue as US starts sending families back to Mexico
RT | rt.com | 2019-02-15
Civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration as authorities have begun shipping asylum-seeking families across the border to wait for their claims to be processed, insisting the policy endangers lives. | …
rt.com/usa/451509-migrants-lawsuit-mexico-asylum/

No way, NRA: Los Angeles will require contractors to disclose ties to National Rifle Association
RT | rt.com | 2019-02-15
Los Angeles has passed a law requiring contractors to disclose any ties to the National Rifle Association. The law is one of several liberal ordinances passed by the city, and the NRA has already threatened a lawsuit. | …
rt.com/usa/451511-nra-los-angeles-contractors/

Egypt: End the cruel denial of family visits to detainees
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-15
Egyptian authorities are flagrantly violating international law by denying family visits to scores of detainees, Amnesty International said today. The organization has examined an official document which confirms there is an open-ended ban on family visits in a number of sections at two major prison complexes in Cairo and Alexandria. | Amnesty International has also recorded at least 61 cases of people who were prevented from receiving family visits for protracted periods — in some cases for up to two years – at Tora prison in Cairo and Borg al-Arab in Alexandria. The total number of detainees barred from r…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/egypt-end-the-cruel-denial-of-family-visits-to-detainees/

'Hate crime' attack on 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett was staged, reports suggest
RT | rt.com | 2019-02-15
The racist, homophobic assault on 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett earlier this month was a hoax, according to multiple reports suggesting the actor staged the attack because his character was being written off the show. | …
rt.com/usa/451507-jussie-smollett-hate-crime-hoax/

Further Information: Egypt: Pre-Trial Detention For Human Rights Defender: Ezzat Ghoniem and Azzoz Mahgoub
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-15
On 9 February, a judge ordered the pre-trial detention of human rights defender and lawyer Ezzat Ghoniem for 45 days pending investigation. Ezzat Ghoniem and Azzoz Mahgoub were detained on March 1, 2018. The court ordered their release on probation on 4 September 2018, provided they report to a police station twice a week. They were never released, and on September 14 they were forcibly disappeared by the authorities. On 20 October 2018, an arrest warrant was issued against them for not respecting the probational terms — which they could not apply as being forcibly disappeared. Ezzat Ghoniem remained forcib…
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde12/9847/2019/en/

Blow to 'Powerful Corporate Interests' as Federal Court Throws Out Pipeline Company Lawsuit Against DAPL Water Protectors
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-02-15
In a "landmark" ruling on Thursday, a federal court in North Dakota tossed out a "baseless" case against Greenpeace and other environmental and Indigenous activists who organized protests against the deeply controversial Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), which drew thousands of people to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/two_bulls.jpg…
commondreams.org/news/2019/02/15/blow-powerful-corporate-interests-federal-court-throws-out-pipeline-company-lawsuit?cd-origin=rss

New Hampshire Is Trying to Stop College Students From Registering to Vote
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-14
Voting is my right. I shouldn't have to jump through hoops to exercise it. | Growing up, my parents taught me that voting is not only a right, but a privilege. They voted in every local, midterm, and presidential election, and every time they did so they were sure to show me their "I voted" sticker. | As I grew older, they discussed propositions or candidates with me, asking me what I thought and even providing me with sample ballots. My dad and I would talk about why our opinions were the same or different, and what information we were basing those votes on. When 2016 rolled around, I still wasn't old enough to…
aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/fighting-voter-suppression/new-hampshire-trying-stop-college-students-registering

U.S. Border Patrol Detained U.S. Citizens for Speaking Spanish in Montana
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-14
Illegal arrests and seizures reflect an out-of-control agency emboldened by Trump's anti-immigrant agenda. | For Ana Suda and Martha "Mimi" Hernandez, May 16, 2018, began like any other in Havre, Montana: work, school, and a trip to the gym once their kids were in bed. They stopped by Town Pump — a local convenience store — to pick up groceries. While in line, the friends were chatting in Spanish, just two people having an ordinary conversation. But the Customs and Border Protection agent standing in line behind them did not see it that way. | He demanded to know where Ana and Mimi were born. After t…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/ice-and-border-patrol-abuses/us-border-patrol-detained-us-citizens-speaking

Trump Administration Is Illegally Forcing Asylum Seekers Out of the United States
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-14
The administration is once again breaking the law in order to shut the door on immigrants. | Last September, Bianca* was forced to flee Honduras because her partner's father threatened to kill her for being a lesbian. Bianca could not go to the police in Honduras because they do not protect LGBTQ people from harm. So she left home to save her life. | After traveling through Guatemala and Mexico, Bianca reached Tijuana, where she got in line to enter the United States through the border station and ask for asylum.
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/trump-administration-illegally-forcing-asylum-seekers-out-united-states

Border Patrol Detained Me for Speaking Spanish in Montana. Then My Town Turned Against Me
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-14
Customs and Border Protection violated our rights as U.S. citizens just for speaking Spanish in a grocery store. | I moved to Havre, Montana — near the U.S.-Canada border — in 2014 with my husband and our two young children. Home to around 10,000 people, I've always found Havre to be a friendly town, one where I felt good about raising my kids. But that all changed last May when my friend and I were illegally targeted and detained by a Customs and Border Protection agent, just for speaking Spanish to each other in a convenience store. | I didn't think it was possible for one incident to change our liv…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/ice-and-border-patrol-abuses/border-patrol-detained-me-speaking-spanish

Rapper, 21 Savage, released after being held by ICE
Michelle Zacarias | peoplesworld.org | 2019-02-14
After spending more than a week in immigration customs detention, rapper 21 Savage was released on bail Wednesday. The 26-year-old rapper was arrested Feb. 3 by immigration officials after allegedly overstaying his visa. The musician, whose real name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was brought to the United States at the age of seven and …
peoplesworld.org/article/rapper-21-savage-released-after-being-held-by-ice/

NAACP Youth and College Division hosts State of the Union: For the Counter Culture
Austyn Ross | naacp.org | 2019-02-14
On Tuesday, February 12, 2019, our Youth and College Division teamed up with Baller Alert to put on their own State of the Union: For the Counter Culture. Our Youth and College Director, Tiffany Dena Loftin served as moderator. The panelists were Kendrick Sampson, Philip Agnew, and Blair Imani, all young black people between the […] | The post NAACP Youth and College Division hosts State of the Union: For the Counter Culture appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/naacp-youth-college-division-hosts-state-union-counter-culture/

Remorseless 'political prisoner' Bill Cosby likens himself to MLK in message from prison
RT | rt.com | 2019-02-14
In a bizarre message issued from his maximum security prison cell, comedian and convicted serial sex offender Bill Cosby has described himself as a remorseless political prisoner and kindred spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. | …
rt.com/usa/451432-bill-cosby-political-prisoner/

Egypt: Set Independent Torture Inquiry
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-14
Egyptian policemen secure Egypt's national police academy. | © 2015 AP Photo/Amr Nabil | (Beirut) — The Egyptian authorities' failure to end or impartially investigate torture and mistreatment in detention facilities reinforces an urgent need for an independent international inquiry, Human Rights Watch said today. As a party to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, Egypt should also allow the United Nations special rapporteur on torture an…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/14/egypt-set-independent-torture-inquiry

Tulsi Gabbard Wants to Legalize Marijuana, Punish Big Pharma and End Private Prisons
The Mind Unleashed | theantimedia.com | 2019-02-14
(TMU) — Tulsi Gabbard, Hawaii's democratic congresswoman and one of many entrants in the crowded 2020 presidential race, is already turning heads thanks to her anti-interventionist foreign policy approach and progressive stance on a variety of issues, making her an outlier among establishment Democrats. If her pre-campaign messaging and campaign launch speech are any indicator, the …
theantimedia.com/tulsi-gabbard-legalize-marijuana-punish-big-pharma/

Thailand: New lawsuits brought by Thammakaset Company Limited against Human Rights Defenders
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-14
The 89 undersigned organizations write to express our deep concern regarding recent spurious complaints brought by Thammakaset Company Limited against several human rights defenders in Thailand. We respectfully urge the Thai government to take immediate action to oppose and seek the dismissal of cases filed by Thammakaset that run counter to your government's proclaimed policy to support business and human rights as well as Thailand's interests, legal obligations, and international human rights law commitments.
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa39/9867/2019/en/

Is the refugee rights movement at a turning point?
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-02-14
Children are off Nauru, Hakeem is back in Australia and parliament has passed the medical evacuation bill. For what feels like the first time in forever, the refugee rights movement is making gains. | True, these gains are small and limited — but they are gains, nonetheless. | The passing of the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2018, better known as the medivac bill, was met with celebrations on Manus Island and Nauru as well as within the refugee rights movement. | People have died because of the federal government's refusal to evacuate refugees from offshore detention centr…
greenleft.org.au/content/medivac-bill-passed-hakeem-saved-kids-nauru-refugee-rights-movement-turning-point

Mexican President López Obrador cracks down on Central American migrants
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-02-14
Central American immigrants detained in Piedras Negras, Coahuila on the Texas border are rebelling against detention at the hands of López Obrador.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/02/14/immi-f14.html

New Hampshire Law Illegally Targets Young Voters Ahead of 2020 Primary
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-13
The state wants students to face criminal penalties if they don't pay to change their out-of-state licenses after voting. | The New Hampshire 2020 primary is still almost a year away, but state legislators are already working to disenfranchise voters. HB 1264, a law set to go into effect in July 2019, will change the definition of what it means to be a "resident" of New Hampshire, forcing people with out-of-state driver's licenses or car registrations to switch to the state versions if they register to vote. | While it may sound like an archaic DMV issue, it's actually a burden on the right to vote. In New Hamps…
aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/fighting-voter-suppression/new-hampshire-law-illegally-targets-young-voters-ahead

Betsy DeVos Is Pushing a Terrible Double Standard on College Campuses
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-13
The education secretary's proposed rules on treatment of sexual harassment and assault claims in school settings discriminate on the basis of sex. | This piece originally ran at The Washington Post. | In her proposed rules governing the treatment of sexual harassment and assault claims on college campuses and K-12 schools, Edu…
aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/womens-rights-education/betsy-devos-pushing-terrible-double-standard-college

Background checks on gun sales
Adam Lee | naacp.org | 2019-02-13
Legislation to bar direct firearms sales between unlicensed people, including at gun shows or online, without a background check has been introduced in the US House and Senate and is moving in the House. Firearms could be sold only by licensed dealers, manufacturers, or importers, who are required to conduct comprehensive background checks. Currently, as many […] | The post Background checks on gun sales appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/background-checks-gun-sales/

China: Prisoner of conscience ill-treated in prison: Lee Ming-che
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-13
Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che has been given rotten food and insufficient clothing in his freezing prison cell. As a result of exposing these prison conditions, his wife is not allowed to visit him again until 22 April 2019. Sentenced in 2017 to five years' imprisonment for "subverting state power", Lee Ming-che is a prisoner of conscience and should be immediately and unconditionally released.
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa17/9849/2019/en/

Victim Lands Behind Bars in Tunisia
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-13
| Correction/Clarification: Contrary to what Human Rights Watch reported, the authorities arrested and prosecuted the alleged assailants along with A.F., the complainant. The court sentenced all three on February 11 to six months in prison for "sodomy" under article 230 of the penal code. It also sentenced the alleged assailants to an additional two months for robbery and violence. According to one defense lawyer, A.F. retracted his allegation of rape, both during his interrogation at the police station and during his appearance before the judge. He also denied having…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/13/victim-lands-behind-bars-tunisia

Immigrant Rights Groups Trash Border Deal: "Immigrant Families Will Pay the Price"
Aída Chávez | theintercept.com | 2019-02-13
Immigrant rights groups are reacting angrily to the border deal to keep the government open, which President Donald Trump has said that he will sign into law, averting a shutdown. The bill, which has not yet officially been drafted, gives Trump more than $1 billion in funding for new barriers on the southern border, and funds a potential increase in immigrant detention capacity. | The barriers that the bill would fund are a rhetorical downgrade from Trump's signature policy of erecting a border wall, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has repeatedly rejected to fund. Funding for immigration detention, wh…
theintercept.com/2019/02/13/border-deal-immigration-detention-trump/

Peru: Supreme Court confirms annulment of Fujimori's pardon and supports victims' rights
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-13
The Special Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice has confirmed an earlier ruling that the pardon granted to former President Alberto Fujimori on 24 December 2017 has no legal effect. In an initial response to the decision, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International, said: | "This decision represents the closure that victims of the crimes against humanity and serious human rights violations — crimes for which former President Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in prison — have been waiting for. It comes after wounds were unnecessarily reopened by the decision to grant F…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/peru-al-confirmar-la-nulidad-del-indulto-a-fujimori-la-corte-suprema-respalda-los-derechos-de-las-victimas/

North Dakota bill could permanently seal police, government records on pipeline protests
RT | rt.com | 2019-02-13
Years after first oil pipeline protests broke out, North Dakota lawmakers are set to vote on a bill that would permanently seal public records involving the police response. The records are critical to ongoing lawsuits. | …
rt.com/usa/451413-dakota-pipeline-bill-records/

Chine: Un prisonnier d'opinion soumis à des mauvais traitements en prison
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-13
Les autorités pénitentiaires ont servi de la nourriture avariée au militant taiwanais Lee Ming-che, et ne lui ont pas fourni suffisamment de vêtements, alors qu'il fait très froid dans sa cellule. Son épouse, qui avait révélé ses conditions de détention au grand public, s'est vu interdire de lui rendre visite jusqu'au 22 avril 2019. Lee Ming-che, condamné en 2017 à cinq ans d'emprisonnement pour ´ subversion de l'État ª, est un prisonnier d'opinion. En tant que tel, il doit être libéré immédiatement et sans condition.
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa17/9849/2019/fr/

Egypt steps up executions as six people put to death within two weeks
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-13
Egyptian authorities today hanged three prisoners convicted of killing a police officer during clashes that erupted in the weeks following the deadly Rabaa massacre. The executions brought the total number of executions in Egypt to six within a span of two weeks. | Responding to the news, Amnesty International's North Africa Campaigns Director Najia Bounaim said: | "These executions, which come just days after three other people were put to death in separate cases, mark an alarming escalation in executions so far this year. | "The death pe…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/egypt-steps-up-executions-as-six-people-put-to-death-within-two-weeks/

'Policing For Profit' Is Alive and Well in South Carolina
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-12
An investigative series finds that police have amassed millions through civil asset forfeiture, mostly affecting the poor and people of color. | In Conway, South Carolina, a 72-year-old widow hides inside, her curtains drawn, fearing that local law enforcement will attempt to take away her home for a third time. Ella Bromell has never been convicted of a crime. So how has her house been at risk of seizure for over a decade? | The answer is simple, but the process is obscure, discriminatory, and all-too commonplace: civil asset forfeiture. | Civil asset forfeiture grants law enforcement officers the authority to t…
aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police-practices/policing-profit-alive-and-well-south-carolina

In Venezuela, White Supremacy Is a Key Driver of the Coup
Greg Palast — Truthout | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-02-12
Greg Palast examines the relationship between racism and right-wing politics in the Latin American nation.
venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/14318

SPLC responds to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey's prison construction plan
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2019-02-12
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced today that her administration will seek bids for building three regional prisons for men, at an estimated cost of nearly $1 billion — part of a larger effort to address the state's dangerous and overcrowded prison system…
splcenter.org/news/2019/02/12/splc-responds-alabama-gov-kay-ivey%25E2%2580%2599s-prison-construction-plan

(Another) Mockery of Justice in Russia
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-12
Oyub Titiev, a Chechen human rights activist, has been behind bars for more than 13 months on bogus drug charges and his trial is now drawing to a close. Today, the defense filed its last motion, and the judge declined it — just as she has declined all other defense motions. | Oyub Titiev at the Shali court in Chechnya, February 12, 2019. | © 2019 Tanya Lokshina/Human Rights Watch | When Oyub's trial began last summer, we had little, if any, expectations for a fair hearing. A man jailed by Chechen authorities in…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/12/another-mockery-justice-russia

Fact-Checking Common Myths on Transition-Related Care for Trans People
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-11
Transition-related care is medically necessary for many transgender people, yet insurance companies continue to deny coverage for these treatments. | Dashir Moore, a transgender man from Georgia, wanted a fresh start in life. So at the age of 31, he packed up and moved to Colorado, a state that offered both a great lifestyle and trans healthcare. He hoped he could finally be himself. | Things went well at first. Almost immediately after Dashir arrived in Colorado, he was able to update the gender marker on his driver's license. He got a job as a customer service rep. | Then he scheduled chest surgery. No strang…
aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/transgender-rights/fact-checking-common-myths-transition-related-care-trans-people

The Supreme Court Is Playing Favorites With Religion
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-11
The court's recent decisions threaten religious neutrality — the "clearest command" of the Establishment Clause. | Last week, the Supreme Court permitted the state of Alabama to execute a Muslim man, Domineque Ray, without his religious advisor present. The court's 5-4 decision reversed an emergency lower-court order that had temporarily delayed the execution because of grave concerns that Alabama's pr…
aclu.org/blog/religious-liberty/supreme-court-playing-favorites-religion

Why Trump Won't Get the Black Vote
Brian Gilmore | progressive.org | 2019-02-11
By failing to address issues such as housing, maternal mortality, and mass incarceration, Trump will continue to marginalize black constituents.
progressive.org/op-eds/why-trump-wont-get-the-black-vote-gilmore-190211/

Judge: Alabama's prison system violates Eighth Amendment, "deliberately indifferent" to mental health of people in solitary confinement
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2019-02-11
In another stunning rebuke of Alabama's prison system, a federal judge ruled today that the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) violated the Eighth Amendment and that it was "deliberately indifferent" in its failure to adequately monitor the mental health of incarcerated people in solitary confinement.
splcenter.org/news/2019/02/11/judge-alabama%25E2%2580%2599s-prison-system-violates-eighth-amendment-%25E2%2580%259Cdeliberately-indifferent%25E2%2580%259D-mental