Shared by Merula Furtado (2018-09-29). Congress Reluctant to Pass Civil Rights Bill for People With Disabilities. truthout.org "I'd rather go to jail than die in a nursing home!" | These were the words chanted by disability rights activists gathered in Sen. Cory Gardner's Washington, DC, office last week as police began making arrests, taking 17 of them to jail. They were released hours later. The activists had a question for Gardner and his staff: Why is the Colorado Republican the only member of Congress from his state who has yet to co-sponsor the Disability Integration Act? | Advocates say the bipartisan bill is crucial for ensuring that people living with disabilities are not forced to live in nursing homes and other institutions against their will and can choose to receive supportive services in their own homes instead. The legislation centers on protecting freedom and civil rights and is expected to reduce Medicaid spending, so supporting it should be a political…

Shared by Anton Woronczuk (2018-09-29). Effort to Form Union in China Meets Ferocious Repression. truthout.org

| A group of workers in China's manufacturing hub of Shenzhen tried something very rare this summer—they attempted to follow the legal process to set up a union. | University students lent tremendous support. But their employer and the Chinese government cracked down on both the workers and the students with firings, detention, surveillance, and the threat of jail sentences. | Workers at the welding-equipment manufacturer Shenzhen Jasic Technology initiated the process of forming a union in May. Among their biggest complaints were arbitrary fines and the company's underpayment into government-run funds that help workers pay rent or buy houses. | Workers followed the law in setting up a union, including requesting and receiving permission from upper-level unions affiliated with the government-controlled All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the only unions authorized in China. | In…

Guy Dauncey, Yes! Magazine (2018-09-29). Here's What Brett Kavanaugh Should Have Said. alternet.org "I support the proposal that the FBI be invited to investigate the allegations, so that we may get closer to the truth of what happened. " | Like so many, I watched the Senate hearing on Brett Kavanaugh, transfixed. A lot of us do things in our teenage years that we later regret. It's how we handle our regrets later that matters. What struck me first was how belligerent and defensive he was—and how entitled and whiney. He could have ad. . .

wsws (2018-09-29). The political issues in the Senate hearing on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. wsws.org The focus of the proceedings reflects the political priorities of the Democratic Party and the interests of the affluent social layers to which it is appealing.

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams (2018-09-29). With Nation Transfixed By Kavanaugh Monstrosity, House GOP Votes to Give Rich Another $3 Trillion in Tax Cuts. alternet.org "This is yet another shameful tax law that would swindle working families and siphon even more funding from the programs that help our communities thrive. " | With the nation's attention rightly transfixed by the Senate GOP's monstrous efforts to ram through a Supreme Court nominee who has been credibly accused by multiple women of sexual assault, House Republicans on Friday voted overwhelmingly to approve another Briahna Gray (2018-09-29). The Unbearable Dishonesty of Brett Kavanaugh. theintercept.com Many of us who watched Thursday's Senate hearing spent much of the time cataloguing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's lies. After hours of testimony, during which Dr. Christine Blasey Ford answered questions about her alleged sexual assault, the financing behind her lie-detector test, and whether she was really afraid of flying, viewers were treated to more hours of testimony from Kavanaugh, a federal judge who struggled to give a single straight answer. | Kavanaugh strained credulity when he argued before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the "Devil's Triangle" — a phrase that appeared on his high school yearbook page — referred to a drinking game, a definition which, before Thursday, you'd have a hard time finding anywhere. (It actually refers to a sex act involving two men and a woman). He also unabashedly claimed that the term "boof" is a reference…

Juan Cole, Informed Comment (2018-09-29). Lindsey Graham Consistently Disregards Violence Toward Women — And His State Is a Women's Murder Capital. alternet.org Graham's tone deafness to rape victims is nothing new. He has consistently voted against the Violence against Women Act. | Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) made it abundantly clear in the hearing on Thursday that he cares more about Republican Party control of the Supreme Court than about rape victims. He implied that the charges of sexual assault that have surfaced against Brett Kavanaugh are a Democratic Party plot. . .

Martin Cizmar, Raw Story (2018-09-29). Bill Maher's HBO Panel Destroys 'Beta Male' Lindsey Graham Who Needs 'Dead Boyfriend' John McCain. alternet.org "He's lost his protector, he's lost his big brother, and now he's always looking for protection. " | The panel discussion on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher unloaded on both "dirty dog" Brett Kavanaugh and "beta male" Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in a scorching discussion of the Thursday's Supreme Court nomination hearings. The panel featured CNN's April Ryan, who said Kavanaugh could end up seeing his Supreme Court seat slip away, and author BAMN Supporter (2018-09-29). Berkeley: March and Rally Rages During Christine Ford/Kavanaugh Testimony. indybay.org On September 27, a crowd of women and men organized by BAMN took to the streets of Berkeley shouting their support for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.

Shared by Anton Woronczuk (2018-09-29). Grassroots Effort to "Defeat Brett Kavanaugh Once and for All" Intensifies. truthout.org After President Donald Trump on Friday reluctantly directed the FBI to launch a probe into sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh—delaying a final confirmation vote by up to a week—progressive opponents of the right-wing judge moved to take advantage of the "new opportunity for pressure" by intensifying their campaign of calls, ads, and direct action aimed at persuading the handful of undecided senators to vote no on Kavanaugh. | "Against the wishes of many Republicans…the FBI will take one week to investigate the claims of rape and sexual assault against Kavanaugh. Meanwhile, all eyes are back on Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski—the two most likely Republican swing votes on Kavanaugh. They have the deciding votes," the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) noted in an email to supporters late Friday. "We're moving boldly to defeat Brett Kavanaugh once and…

Curt (2018-09-29). Emergency protest: Stop Kavanaugh Now! indybay.org Powell & Market Street | San Francisco…

Peter Maass (2018-09-29). Here Are Five Questions the FBI Should Ask Mark Judge About Brett Kavanaugh. theintercept.com Mark Judge is accused of aiding a sexual assault on Christine Blasey Ford. He knows Brett Kavanaugh well and has agreed to talk with the FBI.

RT (2018-09-29). USA Today adds 'pedophilia' angle to Kavanaugh saga, sparks outrage. rt.com With tensions over SCOTUS nomination at a boiling point, a USA Today article discusses if Brett Kavanaugh should continue coaching girls' basketball team, bringing into the story recent child sex abuse scandals in US sports.

Tom Boggioni, Raw Story (2018-09-29). Former US Attorney Explains How Kavanaugh's 'Little Lies' Will Catch Up to Him. alternet.org Michael Moore — who served as a U. S. Attorney in Georgia — said the FBO investigation into Kavanaugh accuser Christine Ford's claims could open up a Pandora's box from the judge. | Appearing on CNN's New Day, a former U. S. Attorney said that embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's chances of actually being seated is in danger if a collection of "little lies" he made during his Senate testimony show a pattern of major deceit. Spea. . .

Rick Shenkman, History News Network (2018-09-29). Is There Anything to Donald Trump's Claim that George Washington Had Skeletons in His Closet? alternet.org While Washington was treated as a hero during most of American history he came in for a drubbing during the cynical 1920s by self-professed debunkers | At his news conference on Wednesday President Trump dragged George Washington into the fight over the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. This is what Mr. Trump said: Look, if we brought. . .

David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement (2018-09-28). Trump Attorney Rudy Giuliani Tells a Whopper: I 'Voted for Justices Sotormayor and Kagen'. alternet.org Giuliani, who infamously coined the phrase, "truth isn't truth," never served as a U. S. Senator, which is the only way anyone can vote to confirm a Supreme Court justice. | Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani Thursday evening praised Republican Senator Lindsey Graham's explosive attacks on Democrats during the widely-watched Kavanaugh confirmation hearing. An. . .

aclu (2018-09-28). Supreme Court to Decide Whether States Can Impose Excessive Fines on the Poor. aclu.org The Eighth Amendment protects people from the devastation caused by state and local fines they can't reasonably pay. | When it reconvenes this fall, the Supreme Court will decide whether the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution can help stop state and local authorities from using people who come in contact with the justice system as their piggy banks. The case has ramifications for communities across the country, finally settling a question about whether the Constitution's prohibition on excessive financial penalties only applies to the federal government or to all public authorities. | The court will hear…

aclu (2018-09-28). Federal Court Victory for Migrant Farmworkers Protects Their Right to Organize. aclu.org The court ruled that a North Carolina law targeting a farmworkers union likely violated the 14th Amendment. | Farmworkers play a vital role in North Carolina's multibillion dollar agriculture industry, providing essential labor in a state that produces much of the nation's sweet potatoes, tobacco, Christmas trees, and many other crops. | More than 90 percent of these workers are Latino. Many are migrants working seasonally under temporary visas, and they are among the lowest paid and most vulnerable workers in the state. They face high risks to their health and safety, substandard living conditions, and abuse and…

aclu (2018-09-28). Laws Targeting Israel Boycotts Fail Again in Court. aclu.org For the second time this year, a federal judge has ruled that anti-boycott laws likely violate the First Amendment. | A new wave of state laws that try to limit Americans' constitutional right to engage in political boycotts is now 0 for 2 in federal court. | On Thursday night, a federal court blocked Arizona from enforcing a law requiring state contractors to certify that they are not participating in boycotts of Israel. The court agreed with the ACLU that the law likely violates contractors' free speech rights under the First Amendment. | "A restriction of one's ability to participate in collective calls to opp…

Juliana Bolden (2018-09-28). Action Alert Update: Contact Your Senators NOW — Urge Them to‚Ä®Vote "No" on Kavanaugh, Supreme Court Nomination Now Moves to Full Senate Vote in One Week, After FBI Investigation. naacp.org Senate Judiciary Committee votes 11-to-10‚Ä® to move Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court Nomination to the full Senate for a vote in one week, after completion of an FBI investigation Urge Members of the Senate Judiciary to Vote "No" on Kavanaugh The Issue: After four days of routine hearings which began on Sept. 4, and one day […]

INA (2018-09-28). Human Rights Center Warns of Excessive Israeli Detention Procedures. imemc.org Al Mezan Center for Human Rights has expressed deep concern over the excessive use of administrative detention by the Israeli occupation authorities against Palestinian detainees. The Center reported, in a press release, that four Palestinians, of those who are administratively detained by the Israeli occupation, have launched a hunger strike […]…

Andrew Moss (2018-09-28). Abolish Immigration Detention. counterpunch.org If you visit a detainee at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center northeast of Los Angeles, you'll turn off Highway 395 onto Rancho Road, travel a short distance, and pull into a parking lot squeezed between the detention facility on your left and a privately run state prison on your right. If you're at the east More

Alex Henderson, AlterNet (2018-09-28). 'A Conspiratorial Mindset': Conservative Writer Max Boot Demolishes Kavanaugh's 'Damning' Testimony Revealing His Naked Partisanship. alternet.org Sen. Lindsey Graham also displayed a conspiratorial flair. | Within the Republican pro-Trump bubble, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh's emotional and overwrought testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, September 27 is being hailed as the heartfelt outcry of a man who is being wrongly railroaded and slandered by Democratic Party partisans. But not everyone on the right sees it that way. And in a Washington Post commentary publis. . .

RT (2018-09-28). Senate committee votes on Kavanaugh after emotional hearing. rt.com The Senate Judiciary Committee is preparing to vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, just one day after the judge provided an emotional testimony to members of Congress, denying allegations of sexual misconduct.

Democracy Now! (2018-09-28). Dr. Christine Blasey Ford: I Am 100% Certain Brett Kavanaugh Attempted to Rape Me in 1982. democracynow.org We feature excerpts from the questioning at Thursday's historic hearing, when Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified she was "100 percent positive" that Brett Kavanaugh attempted to rape her in the summer of 1982 during Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, as both Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh faced hours of questioning. Not one of the 11 Republican senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee, who are all white men, questioned Dr. Blasey Ford directly. Instead, they ceded their time to Arizona sex crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell, who Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called a "female assistant." Mitchell…

Jill Richardson (2018-09-28). The Unbelievable Cruelty of the GOP's Kavanaugh Defense. counterpunch.org This past week, my private reality and the public reality playing out on the television have diverged. It's hard to believe that I live in the same world as Senator Chuck Grassley, the Senate judiciary chair trying to Brett Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court. When Christine Blasey Ford first alleged Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her — More

Democracy Now! (2018-09-28). Headlines for September 28, 2018. democracynow.org Christine Blasey Ford Tells Senators Brett Kavanaugh Sexually Assaulted Her, GOP Senators Abandon Sex Crimes Prosecutor They Hired Amid Kavanaugh Questions, Kavanaugh Angrily Denies Sex Crimes Charges, Alleging Left-Wing Conspiracy, Senate Judiciary Committee to Vote on Kavanaugh Nomination Today, American Bar Association Calls for FBI Investigation into Kavanaugh, Kavanaugh Accuser Julie Swetnick: "I Don't Think He Belongs" on SCOTUS, Kavanaugh Accusers Demand FBI Investigation, Senate Hearings, 59 Arrested in Protest of Kavanaugh Near Supreme Court, Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake Strikes Near Indonesia, Trump Threate…

RT (2018-09-28). Trump orders FBI to reopen background investigation into Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh. rt.com President Donald Trump has given the FBI one week to conduct an investigation of the allegations that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a woman in 1980s.

Jessica Gabel Cino, The Conversation (2018-09-28). Here's the Messy Truth Behind So-Called 'Lie Detector Tests'. alternet.org Christine Blasey Ford used a polygraph test to lend credibility to her claims against Judge Brett Kavanaugh. | Attorneys for Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who's accused Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, released the results of a polygraph test focused on the decades-old incident. They suggest that Ford's responses to two questions about her allegations were " Alex Henderson, AlterNet (2018-09-28). The Downfall of a Reasonable Republican: Why Susan Collins' Senate Career Was Probably Just Dealt a Fatal Blow. alternet.org Here's what Kavanaugh's day of testimony means for the senator from Maine. | Sen. Susan Collins might very well remember Thursday, September 27, 2018 as the day in which the final nail was placed in the coffin of her career in the United States Senate. Collins' career in the Senate was in trouble long before September 27, when the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing in Washington, DC in response to the sexual abuse allegations of 51-year-. . .

Ted Rall (2018-09-28). Why Do We Tolerate Kavanaugh's Complicity With Torture? counterpunch.org What is wrong with us? Specifically: what is wrong with liberal Democrats? Liberal Democrats are out to get Brett Kavanaugh. They are right to be; he is dangerous. Confirming Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court would lock in a right-wing majority for a generation. Abortion rights would be imperiled, true, but his rulings would also impact More

Matthew Chapman, AlterNet (2018-09-28). 'Bigger Than Politics': CNN's Brooke Baldwin Tears Up on Air While Sharing Intimate Details of a Sexual Assault. alternet.org "This is a pivotal moment in America for all of us. " | Yesterday's hearing at the Senate Judiciary Committee, in which Dr. Christine Blasey Ford told the story of her sexual assault at the hands of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, was a tense and resonant moment for the whole nation. It sparked a fresh wave of protests, and resulted in even a handful o. . .

Ruth Conniff (2018-09-28). No One Is More Upset by the Kavanaugh Revelations than Brett Kavanaugh. progressive.org Media coverage of the hearings has hardened into a dangerous and wrongheaded parallel that both Christine Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh are victims.

Matthew Chapman, AlterNet (2018-09-28). Watch a Sexual Assault Survivor Corner Jeff Flake: 'Look at Me and Tell Me that It Doesn't Matter What Happened to Me'. alternet.org Maria Gallagher demanded Sen. Jeff Flake tell her that her sexual assault did not matter. He did not meet her gaze. | On Friday morning, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) announced he would support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh — despite the sexual assault allegations against him, despite Kavanaugh's lies, partisan attacks and loss of te. . .

RT (2018-09-28). 'The most unethical sham': Lindsey Graham rails at Kavanaugh FBI probe demands (VIDEO). rt.com SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh declined to answer whether he would want the FBI to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against him during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday.

Shared by Merula Furtado (2018-09-28). Aggressive Kavanaugh Portrays Himself as Victim. truthout.org Judge Brett Kavanaugh learned a lesson from his weak appearance on Fox News last week. Testifying at the September 27 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on sexual assault allegations leveled against him by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh became belligerent and aggressive. Displaying outrage at the process, he portrayed himself as the victim and painted a conspiracy against him by the Democrats, the Clintons and left-wing opposition groups. | The GOP-led Senate is on a fast track to get Kavanaugh confirmed before the November 9 midterm elections. Republican senators have resisted an FBI investigation into allegations that Kavanaugh committed sexual assault against at least three women. | When queried by several Democratic senators, Kavanaugh refused to say he would support an FBI investigation into Ford's allegations against him. | Following the hearing, the American Bar Association (ABA), which had unanimously rated Kavanaugh "well…

RT (2018-09-28). Activists corner Sen. Flake, protest in Senate building ahead of Kavanaugh vote. rt.com As the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Democrats walked out of the hearing and hordes of protesters made one last gasp at disrupting the bitter confirmation process.

Kristine Mattis (2018-09-28). You Don't Know Brett: Ten Lessons From the Kavanaugh Hearings. counterpunch.org The Brett Kavanaugh hearings proved to be yet another shameless foray into political theatre—not much more than a spectacle of the utmost proportions. Surrounding one highly credible and candid witness (Blasey Ford), we saw self-serving members of Congress jockeying for future positions with their sometimes ridiculous, sometimes laughable, and sometimes overwrought rhetoric. We saw a More

Mark Gruenberg, John Wojcik (2018-09-28). Demonstrators hit the streets as Senate panel rams through Kavanaugh. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—With the Senate Judiciary Committee rushing to approve President Donald Trump's nomination of federal appellate judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, progressive foes of the right-winger marched against Kavanaugh at nine senators' local offices across the country on Sept. 28. | But while Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified clearly and calmly, though under stress, about Kavanaugh's assault on her in 1982, Kavanaugh exploded in anger repeatedly during his testimony. His behavior actually introduced an entirely new issue into the controversy over his confirmation—the issue of his obviously inappropriate judicial demeanor. | In addition, the Senate never even considered the extensive and credible allegations against Kavanaugh made by two other women, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick. | Ramirez witnessed sexual abuse of women by Kavanaugh at Yale while Swetnick observed Kavanaugh and his friends engaging in gang rape. | Incredibly, Kavanaugh excoriated…

Shared by Samantha Borek (2018-09-28). Over 50 Groups Call on Grassley to Resign as Judiciary Committee Chair. truthout.org As Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) put on a " genuinely unhinged" performance during Thursday's Senate hearing with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford — constantly interrupting Democratic senators and repeatedly inserting self-serving rants between questioning — more than 50 Iowa-based and national groups representing hundreds of thousands of Americans sent a letter denouncing Grassley's "failed leadership" and demanding that he immediately resign as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. | Slamming Grassley's efforts to rush through Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh without a federal investigation of Ford's credible sexual assault allegations, the groups accused Grassley of injecting "partisan politics and misogynistic bullying" into the Judiciary Committee's leadership. | "You have publicly bullied a woman who has stepped forward to report allegations of sexual assault," the letter states. "You and your staff had knowledge of the allegation prior to it becoming public, and…

John Nichols (2018-09-28). No Senator Can Uphold Their Oath of Office and Vote for Kavanaugh's Nomination. thenation.com No Senator Can Uphold Their Oath of Office and Vote for Kavanaugh's Nomination appeared first on The Nation.

John Nichols (2018-09-28). Note to Jeff Flake: A Limited FBI Investigation of Brett Kavanaugh Is Entirely Insufficient. thenation.com Note to Jeff Flake: A Limited FBI Investigation of Brett Kavanaugh Is Entirely Insufficient appeared first on The Nation.

RT (2018-09-28). Tears, beer, anger & 'no ill will': Kavanaugh testimony highlights. rt.com Judge Brett Kavanaugh vehemently defended himself before the US Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, rejecting all accusations he sexually assaulted a woman in high school. |

wsws (2018-09-28). The Kavanaugh hearing: A spectacle of political filth and reaction. wsws.org The Democratic Party has decided to wage its opposition to the reactionary Supreme Court nominee on the most degraded and right-wing basis possible.

Aniqa Raihan (2018-09-28). The Strength of Kavanaugh's Accusers is Truly Amazing. counterpunch.org Christine Blasey Ford has shown remarkable bravery in speaking out about an attempted rape she experienced over 35 years ago. But it's hard not to fear what comes next. She will tell her story — one she no doubt remembers with painful clarity — but there will be no smoking gun, no undeniable forensic evidence, More

RT (2018-09-28). Kavanaugh vote goes to Senate – Only question is when. rt.com The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted along party lines in favor of the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, with 11 yeas and 10 nays. Senator Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) asked for a delay of the floor vote, though. |

Shared by Samantha Borek (2018-09-28). Blasey Ford, White Male Privilege and the Reckoning to Come. truthout.org

| The TV talk would have you believe Brett Kavanaugh saved his nomination on Thursday afternoon. The talk is wrong. Kavanaugh's nomination, at least before the Senate Judiciary Committee, was never in need of saving. All the Republican majority members of that committee required to pass him along to a full Senate vote was an excuse, no matter how tattered or shameful, to hang their hat on. They weren't just "saving" Kavanaugh, however. In every way that matters, they were trying pathetically to save themselves. | The nominee gave them that needed reason in the guise of an elongated tantrum, the likes of which one seldom sees outside the candy aisle of a supermarket or the local Chuck E.

RT (2018-09-28). American shame: US has nothing to teach the world about justice or politics after Kavanaugh farce. rt.com Many outside the US watched Thursday's hearing with open-mouthed revulsion at the bad faith, lack of due process and inhumanity on display. Dysfunction in the biggest Western democracy sets a poor example to the rest of the globe.

Jon Schwarz (2018-09-28). Kavanaugh's High School, Georgetown Prep, Warned Parents in 1990 of "Sexual or Violent Behavior" at Parties. theintercept.com Georgetown Prep joined six other D.C. private schools in sending a letter to parents describing "excessive drinking and sexual license."

Matthew Chapman, AlterNet (2018-09-28). Bad News for Trump: An Emoluments Clause Lawsuit Against Him Just Had a Major Win. alternet.org Trump is accused by 200 members of Congress of illegally using his office to take gifts from foreign governments. | On Friday evening, just as he was dealing with a setback to his Supreme Court nomination, President Donald Trump got a fresh piece of unwelcome news. According to a Last Process: 50 Citations 2018-09-29 20:36:51 GMT (14:36 MDT)