Principles and Morality Versus Cash and Profit? No Contest
Brian Cloughley | counterpunch.org | 2018-12-14
Imagine Western reaction if a British or American citizen had been detained in Russia or China then subjected to months of solitary confinement followed by being put on trial for less than five minutes without legal representation or an interpreter, and finally sentenced to life imprisonment. The media in Britain and the US would have gone berserk…
counterpunch.org/2018/12/14/principles-and-morality-versus-cash-and-profit-no-contest/

"Five Eyes" Intelligence Agencies Behind Drive Against Chinese Telecom Giant Huawei
Nick Beams | globalresearch.ca | 2018-12-14
Evidence has come to light that US operations against the Chinese telecommunications giant HuaWei (Âçé‰∏∫) and the arrest and detention of one of its top executives, Meng Wanzhou, to face criminal charges of fraud brought by the US Justice … | The post "Five Eyes" Intelligence Agencies Behind Drive Against Chinese Telecom Giant Huawei. appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/five-eyes-intelligence-agencies-behind-drive-against-chinese-telecom-giant-huawei/5662933

In Plea Deal, Russian Admits Being a Secret Agent
STAFF | truthdig.com | 2018-12-14
WASHINGTON — A Russian gun-rights activist admitted Thursday that she was a secret agent for the Kremlin who tried to infiltrate conservative U.S. political groups as Donald Trump rose to power. | Maria Butina, 30, agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge as part of a deal with federal prosecutors. | "Guilty," Butina said in a slight accent when asked how she wanted to plead. Dressed in a green jail uniform with her red hair pulled into a long ponytail, Butina spoke softly and mostly kept her eyes on the judge. | The Butina case has provided a vivid glimpse into Russia's influence operations in the Uni…
truthdig.com/articles/in-plea-deal-russian-admits-being-a-secret-agent/

A Controversial Operation Tricked Veterans Into Lobbying for Saudi Arabia
Shared by Cherise | truthout.org | 2018-12-14
A firm that was part of a controversial foreign influence operation that allegedly ensnared veterans into lobbying on behalf of Saudi Arabia unwittingly in 2017 has again reared its head, filing what appears to be its first supplemental statement on record with the US Department of Justice. | Capitol Media Group first came under fire after veterans who were brought to Washington, DC, to lobby for changes to the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) — legislation that enabled 9/11 lawsuits…
truthout.org/articles/a-controversial-operation-tricked-veterans-into-lobbying-for-saudi-arabia/

Mexico: Bill could further pretrial detentions
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-14
The Mexican Congress could pass a constitutional amendment in the following weeks that would force judges to order pretrial detention in cases involving a broad series of crimes. Contrary to international law, the reform does not provide that judges can waive it or assess any evidence before determining if such deprivation of liberty is appropriate.
amnesty.org/en/documents/amr41/9574/2018/en/

Belarus: Further information: Two prisoners at risk of imminent execution: Aliaksandr Zhylnikau and Viachaslau Sukharko
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-14
There is grave concern that the only two known prisoners on death row in Belarus, Aliaksandr Zhylnikau and Viachaslau Sukharko, are at risk of imminent execution.
amnesty.org/en/documents/eur49/9586/2018/en/

Paraguay: Queer artists at risk of going to prison: Bruno Almada Comas
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-14
Bruno Almada Comas, a young queer artist, is being accused of "acts of exhibitionism" based on a performance denouncing violence and discrimination faced by LGBTI people in Paraguay. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for 19 December. If he is found guilty he could face one year in prison.
amnesty.org/en/documents/amr45/9572/2018/en/

China: Further information: Singer-song writer activist sentenced: Xu Lin
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-14
Activist Xu Lin was sentenced to three years in prison for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" on 7 December 2018. The singer-songwriter has composed and published songs online about his democratic aspirations and critical of the government for various injustices. He has refused to repent and maintained his innocence.
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa17/9579/2018/en/

7-Year-Old Migrant Girl Dies in US Border Patrol Custody
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-12-14
The headline alone made my heart sink. "7-year-old migrant girl taken into Border Patrol custody dies of dehydration, exhaustion." I felt a wave of deep sadness, but no surprise. | A girl stands in the lobby of the Adelanto immigration detention center, in Adelanto, Californ…
hrw.org/news/2018/12/14/7-year-old-migrant-girl-dies-us-border-patrol-custody

Julian Assange denounces his illegal detention in Ecuadorian embassy
WSWS | wsws.org | 2018-12-14
The WikiLeaks publisher, whose health appears to be deteriorating, made the comments at a hearing against the Ecuadorian government's "Special Protocol," aimed at forcing him into British and US custody.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/12/14/assa-d14.html

Nearly 15,000 children held in detention camps across the US
WSWS | wsws.org | 2018-12-14
The growth of the child detainee population and the Trump administration's escalation of workplace raids represent an attack on the entire working class.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/12/14/immi-d14.html

SF Mayor Breed calls on racism expert, DHR Director Callahan, to Further Oppress Blacks
Allan Jones | indybay.org | 2018-12-14
The Mayor of San Francisco London Breed wants the racist head of the Department of Human Resources Micki Callahan to stop the racist hiring and retention practices that she here self has been responsible for.
indybay.org/newsitems/2018/12/13/18819766.php

Arkansas Is Attempting to Ban a Safe and Effective Abortion Method
ACLU | aclu.org | 2018-12-13
Banning D&Es is part of a national campaign to push abortion out of reach. | The ACLU is in a federal appeals court on Thursday, challenging a slate of Arkansas laws intended to prevent women from being able to get abortions. One of the four laws we are challenging is a ban on the dilation and evacuation (D&E) procedure, a safe and effective abortion method. If enforced, the ban would prevent women from being able to obtain an abortion at all. | Arkansas' ban is part of an anti-abortion campaign being orchestrated by state…
aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/abortion/arkansas-attempting-ban-safe-and-effective-abortion-method

US Senate Votes to End Support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2018-12-13
The U.S. Senate Thursday approved a resolution by a 56-41 vote that would require the U.S. to end its military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, heating up pressure on President Donald Trump who has aligned himself with the Saudi's in recent months. | RELATED: | Cohen Gets Prison, Fined For Orchestrating Trump's Hush Money | Furthermore, The Senate passed a resolution condemning Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. | Sp…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Senate-Votes-to-End-Military-Support-For-Saudi-Arabia-in-Yemen-Condemns-Khashoggi-Murder-20181213-0023.html

EPA slams door to justice on historic Black community
Special to PeoplesWorld | peoplesworld.org | 2018-12-13
TALLASSEE, Al. — On December 10, leaders of a historic Black community in Tallassee, Alabama, denounced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for closing a civil rights complaint filed in 2017 against the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) in the face of clear evidence, acknowledged by EPA, that the state's actions caused "adverse harms" to …
peoplesworld.org/article/epa-slams-door-to-justice-on-historic-black-community/

Ecuador: Balda Now Accuses Rafael Correa of Embezzlement
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2018-12-13
The Ecuadorean former lawmaker Fernando Balda has filed yet another lawsuit against ex-President Rafael Correa, now accusing him of redirecting state funds for his alleged kidnapping attempt in Bogota. | RELATED: | Ecuadorean Ex-President Correa Denounces Political Persecution | Balda claims that Correa, along with the former intelligence secretaries Pablo Romero and Rommy Vallejo, that former interior minister Jose Serrano and other four public servants, used about US$500,000 fr…
telesurenglish.net/news/Ecuador-Balda-Now-Accuses-Rafael-Correa-of-Embezzlement-20181213-0028.html

Police, Systemic Racism Threatens Canadian Indigenous: Study
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2018-12-13
Canadian Sen. Murray Sinclair is recommending the Thunder Bay police board be dismantled for a year after a damning report revealed racism and negligence towards Ontario's Indigenous, CBC said Thursday. | RELATED: | Toronto Police Use Excessive Force on Black People: Report | A report released Monday by police watchdog, the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, showed high levels of police oversight, systemic racism, and an overall distrust of police in the community. | "
telesurenglish.net/news/Police-Systemic-Racism-Threatens-Canadian-Indigenous-Study-20181213-0029.html

Prisoner Swap, Hodeida Ceasefire Mark Successful First Step in Yemen Peace Talks
Ahmed Abdulkareem | mintpressnews.com | 2018-12-13
The Saudi-led coalition and Ansar Allah, the political wing of the Houthi resistance movement, have agreed to a ceasefire in Hodeida and in the Taiz Province of northwestern Yemen. | The post Prisoner Swap, Hodeida Ceasefire Mark Successful First Step in Yemen Peace Talks appeared first on MintPress News.
mintpressnews.com/hodeida-ceasefire-marks-successful-first-step-in-yemen-peace-talks/252899/

Occupied Western Sahara: A rare look inside Africa's last colony
stuart_m | greenleft.org.au | 2018-12-13
In an exclusive broadcast, US-based independent news outlet Democracy Now! broke the media blockade and visited the occupied Western Sahara in the northwest of Africa to document the decades-long Sahrawi struggle for freedom and occupying power Morocco's violent crackdown. | Morocco has occupied the territory since 1975 in defiance of the United Nations and the international community. Thousands of Sahrawi people have been tortured, imprisoned, killed and disappeared while resisting the Moroccan occupation. A 1700-mile wall…
greenleft.org.au/content/occupied-western-sahara-rare-look-inside-africas-last-colony

Bahrain: Further Information: Expected Verdict For Human Rights Defender: Nabeel Rajab
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-13
On 31 December Bahrain's Cassation Court is expected to issue its verdict in the case of prominent human rights defender and prisoner of conscience, Nabeel Rajab. He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison in June 2018 in relation to peaceful tweets about the conflict in Yemen and torture allegations in Jaw prison.
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde11/9566/2018/en/

No Justice for Horrors of Brazil's Military Dictatorship 50 Years On
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-12-13
Tanks occupy the Avenida Presidente Vargas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 4, 1968. | © 1968 Correio da Manh࣠| Fifty years ago today, Brazil ¥s military regime unleashed all-out repression with the publication of Institutional Act 5. Brazil's president, army general Artur da Costa e Silva, immediately invoked the Act to close Congress and state legislatures, arrest opposition politicians, and revoke their political rights. He established widespread censorship and suspended habeas corpus for offenses th…
hrw.org/news/2018/12/13/no-justice-horrors-brazils-military-dictatorship-50-years

Iran: Escalating Crackdown on Lawyers
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-12-13
Human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and Farhad Meysami, a human rights defender, protest the suspension of Sotoudeh's law license in front of the Tehran bar association in Tehran, February 2015. | © Private 2015 | (Beirut) — Iranian authorities have escalated their crackdown on lawyers, Human Rights Watch said today. Over the past month, revolutionary courts have sentenced at least three lawyers to long prison terms for their human rights activ…
hrw.org/news/2018/12/13/iran-escalating-crackdown-lawyers

Marc Lamont Hill and the Legacy of Punishing Black Internationalists
Eds. | mronline.org | 2018-12-12
Hill's bold statement to the UN is part of the internationalist Black radical tradition, exemplified by Paul Robeson, the Black Panther Party, and today's Black Lives Matter movement. | Source…
mronline.org/2018/12/12/marc-lamont-hill-and-the-legacy-of-punishing-black-internationalists/

Hatewatch Headlines 12/13/2018
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2018-12-12
Campus racism thrives in age of Trump; Gohmert says SPLC stirs up hate; Heyer's mother questions 'Bikers for Trump' presence; and…
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/12/13/hatewatch-headlines-12132018

Africa, Diaspora Must Collaborate to Develop
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2018-12-12
For Immediate Release From the office of Ghana Vice President: Dr Mahamudu Bawumia Africa, Diaspora must collaborate to develop — Ghana Vice Presiden Bawumia The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called for greater interaction and collaboration between Africa and people of African descent across the world in order to help achieve our collective aspirations.This […] | The post Africa, Diaspora Must Collaborate to Develop appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/president-johnson-ghana/

Donald Trump's Travel Ban Faces a New Day in Court
Maryam Saleh | theintercept.com | 2018-12-12
Opponents of Donald Trump's travel ban have a chance to chip away at it this week by challenging the way it's been implemented. If they're successful, Trump will have only his own administration to blame. | The argument that a group of plaintiffs is making is straightforward: Because the travel ban was upheld, individuals impacted by it can only enter the United States through a waiver system that was said to be a safeguard against arbitrarily keeping people out of the country. Yet the administration has done next to nothing to set the waiver system up, which suggests that a total ban of Muslim travelers from the…
theintercept.com/2018/12/12/travel-ban-waiver-lawsuit/

Jury recommends life plus 419 years for James Alex Fields in Unite the Right attack
Brett Barrouquere | splcenter.org | 2018-12-11
A jury in Charlottesville has handed up a life prison sentence plus 419 years behind bars for a neo-Nazi sympathizer convicted of driving his car into a crowd of counter-protesters after the "Unite the Right" rally.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/12/11/jury-recommends-life-plus-419-years-james-alex-fields-unite-right-attack

Black Women are the Most Rapidly Growing Prison Population, Criminalized and Stereotyped as Aggressive
Shared by Hezvo Mpunga | therealnews.com | 2018-12-11
Caryn York, executive director of the Job Opportunities Task Force and Nicole Hanson, director of Out for Justice, talk about why black girls are punished more harshly than any other demographic and are the largest growing population in the prison system. Black women are given stereotypical handles like aggressive and hostile. Instead of dealing with… | The post Black Women are the Most Rapidly Growing Prison Population, Criminalized and Stereotyped as Aggressive a…
therealnews.com/stories/black-women-are-the-most-rapidly-growing-prison-population-criminalized-and-stereotyped-as-aggressive

How the 'Unite the Right' murder trial helped debunk alt-right myths
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2018-12-10
Within hours of the arrest of neo-Nazi sympathizer James Alex Fields Jr. and the death of 32-year-old paralegal Heather Heyer after the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, the racist "alt-right" began spinning conspiracy theories about the collision that killed Heyer and wounded multiple other people.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/12/10/how-unite-right-murder-trial-helped-debunk-alt-right-myths

NRA: You Can No Longer Stay Silent
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-12-10
NAACP, the nation's foremost civil rights organization released the following statement to the National Rifle Association (NRA): "The senseless killing of Emantic J. Bradford and the silence from the NRA has confirmed that the 2nd amendment does not apply to legally licensed Black gun owners. Instead of standing by their principles, the NRA continues to demonize and […] | The post NRA: You Can No Longer Stay Silent appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/nra-can-no-longer-stay-silent/

As Polish Gov't Promotes Coal, Advocate Warns Coal Hastens Climate Change, Devastates Human Health
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-12-10
This year's U.N. climate summit is in Katowice, Poland, and the Polish government is using the summit to promote coal, with several state-owned Polish coal companies sponsoring parts of the talks. Democracy Now! visited the Guido coal mine near Katowice, which has been turned into a mining museum, to speak with Polish environmental lawyer Bartosz Kwiatkowski. He is the director of the Frank Bold Foundation, which is involved in numerous lawsuits challenging the expansion of coal mining in Poland.
www.democracynow.org/2018/12/10/as_poland_uses_un_climate_summit

WATCH NOW: NAACP Represents Communities of Color at United Nations Climate Conference in Poland
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-12-10
Katherine Egland, Member NAACP National Board of Directors and Chairwoman, NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Committee, was among an NAACP delegation at the United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties #24. | The post WATCH NOW: NAACP Represents Communities of Color at United Nations Climate Conference in Poland appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/watch-now-naacp-represents-communities-color-united-nations-climate-conference-poland/

Doctors Who Facilitate Torture Must Be Held to Account
ACLU | aclu.org | 2018-12-10
To prevent further stains on the medical profession, the names of those involved in torture and executions need to be made public. | Physicians hold a special position in U.S. society. They are given a place of honor in return for the expectation that they will use their knowledge and skills in the public interest and adhere to a clear set of ethical standards. | Under pressure from the government to misuse their expertise, though, some doctors have been willing to rationalize cooperation in unethical behavior. In recent years, nowhere has such ethical deviation been so starkly on display as in the case of the pa…
aclu.org/blog/national-security/torture/doctors-who-facilitate-torture-must-be-held-account

A day after a neo-Nazi is convicted of murder, associates of the country's oldest, most violent skinhead groups charged with hate crimes
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2018-12-08
Individuals associated with some of the country's oldest and most violent racist skinhead groups have been charged with hate crimes in Washington state, just hours after a jury convicted a neo-Nazi of murder for his actions at the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/12/08/day-after-neo-nazi-convicted-murder-associates-countrys-oldest-most-violent-skinhead-groups

Neo-Nazi sympathizer found guilty in 'Unite the Right' trial of murdering Heather Heyer
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2018-12-07
James Alex Fields Jr., a young neo-Nazi sympathizer from Ohio, was found guilty of first-degree murder and multiple other charges on Friday in a trial stemming from last year's racist "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/12/07/neo-nazi-sympathizer-found-guilty-unite-right-trial-murdering-heather-heyer

No Relief: William Barr Is as Bad as Jeff Sessions — if Not Worse
ACLU | aclu.org | 2018-12-07
Barr's record suggests he will continue the former attorney general's worst policies while promoting a sweeping view of executive power. | Donald Trump's nomination of William Barr to succeed Jeff Sessions as attorney general ought to raise alarm bells across the country. Barr is as bad as Sessions was on the full range of civil rights issues that fall with the Justice Department's purview. And he's a longstanding advocate of expansive executive power. | It's almost certainly the latter view that attracted President Trump, whose own power is likely to be called into question should the Mueller investigation…
aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/no-relief-william-barr-bad-jeff-sessions-if-not-worse

New NYPD Drone Policy Represents a Serious Threat to Privacy
ACLU | aclu.org | 2018-12-07
The police department's drone policy places no meaningful restrictions on the invasive technology's use and threatens New Yorkers' privacy. | The New York Police Department announced this week that it will deploy 14 new drones as part of its policing activities across New York City. The use of this highly invasive technology represents a new frontier for both public safety and abuses of power. | The department did reach out to the NYCLU to ask us for input on a draft of the policy governing the use of its dr…
aclu.org/blog/privacy-technology/surveillance-technologies/new-nypd-drone-policy-represents-serious-threat

CIA Torture Killed My Father. I Want to Know What They Did With His Body
ACLU | aclu.org | 2018-12-07
The truth hurts, but it also helps. | This piece was originally published by The Washington Post. | I believe there are two paths in life — the paths of right and wrong — and that all people know the right path in their hearts. So I believe that people in America, if they can read this, will know the right thing for their government to do is tell me and my family what happened to my father's body. | My father was Gul Rahman. Sixteen ye…
aclu.org/blog/national-security/torture/cia-torture-killed-my-father-i-want-know-what-they-did-his-body

Americans Endorsed Voting Rights in 2018, but Some State Lawmakers Want to Sabotage These Victories
ACLU | aclu.org | 2018-12-06
State legislators are ignoring their voters' wishes and engaging in new tactics to suppress the vote. | The 2018 election ushered in a wave of voting rights victories. Voters in Florida, Michigan, Maryland, and Nevada all made it easier to register and vote, showing that voters reject voter suppression efforts and
aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/americans-endorsed-voting-rights-2018-some-state-lawmakers-want-sabotage-these

Triumph of the Swill: New Doc Puts Roger Ailes in the No Spin Zone
Ed Rampell | progressive.org | 2018-12-06
The best exposé on Fox in years dives into its former chief's history of racism and the sexual misconduct that would ultimately be his undoing.
progressive.org/dispatches/new-doc-puts-roger-ailes-in-the-no-spin-zone-181205/

How George H.W. Bush and Other Conservatives Undermined his Americans with Disabilities Act Legacy
Mike Ervin | progressive.org | 2018-12-06
Bush deserves credit for what he did to make the ADA happen. But federal civil rights laws are just empty symbolic gestures unless the executive branch vigorously enforces them and judges take them seriously.
progressive.org/dispatches/how-george-h-w-bush-undermined-his-americans-disabilities-act-181206/

President Trump Is Accelerating the Militarization of the Southwest Border
ACLU | aclu.org | 2018-12-05
Under President Trump, the slide toward a fully militarized border between the U.S. and Mexico is happening rapidly to the detriment of civil rights. | For decades, the ACLU has fought back against the militarization of domestic law enforcement agencies and the use of the military in our communities. Nowhere is this militarization more pronounced than on the border between the U.S. and Mexico — and President Trump is only making it worse. | The creation of the Department of Homeland Security after 9/11 accelerated the government's operations on the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/president-trump-accelerating-militarization-southwest-border

Thomas Farr's Judicial Nomination Defeated
Adam Lee | naacp.org | 2018-12-04
Late in the afternoon on Thursday, November 29, 2018, Senator Tim Scott (SC) announced that he intended to vote against NAACP-opposed Attorney Thomas Farr's nomination to a life-time appointment to the Federal Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Senator Scott's decision, along with the objections of 50 of his colleagues, was the deciding […] | The post Thomas Farr's Judicial Nomination Defeated appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/thomas-farrs-judicial-nomination-defeated/

Sorry To Bother You offers rich lessons in seeking radical social change
kathy_f | greenleft.org.au | 2018-12-04
Sorry to Bother You | Written & directed by Boots Riley | In cinemas now | This review includes mild spoilers. | As an Australian living abroad, incidents of Australians being racist and/or misogynistisic that attract attention from international media outlets are frequently forwarded to me in anticipation of a seething refrain. | My response is typically motivated by a mix of rage and embarrassment, as well as a deep concern for how racial capitalism has been almost completely normalised. I am deeply concerned by the fact that not only is our social and political climate ill-equipped to address racism, i…
greenleft.org.au/content/sorry-bother-you-offers-rich-lessons-seeking-radical-social-change

US condemned for tear-gassing refugees, children
stuart_m | greenleft.org.au | 2018-11-30
Legal experts and human rights advocates have denounced the tear gassing of children and other asylum seekers by US forces at the Mexico border on November 25. | "The migrants at our southern border include mothers and small children exercising their legal, human right to seek asylum," declared the ACLU in a tweet on November 26. It told the US Customs and Border Protection agency: "Tear gassing children is out…
greenleft.org.au/content/us-condemned-tear-gassing-refugees-children