2020-12-22: News Headlines

Barry Kissin (2020-12-22). Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ): The Suppression of a Proven COVID Remedy. globalresearch.ca Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been an FDA approved drug for over 65 years. It has been on the World Health Organization's list of essential medicines since the list began in 1977. People have been safely treated with HCQ billions of times …

Kaitlin Peterson (2020-12-22). No right to read: Profiteering corporations creep into prison libraries. peoplesworld.org When thinking about what incarcerated people need, perhaps a library is not the first thing that comes to mind. However, the population within prison walls is typically one that reads more than those on the outside. As a public librarian, I've long been keenly aware of the positive role prison libraries play in the lives …

splcenter (2020-12-22). Freedom Denied: Minor parole violations keep Alabama man tangled in state's prison system. splcenter.org &nbsp…

Fight Back (2020-12-22). Solidarity with the trade unionists in the Philippines, Human Rights Day 7. fightbacknews.org We strongly condemn the repression that has been unleashed against leading trade unionists in the Philippines and stand in solidarity with the militant labor federation Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) / May First Movement. | On Human Rights Day, December 10, the Philippine National Police raided the homes and jailed Dennise Velasco of Defend Jobs Philippines; Romina Astudillo, Deputy Secretary-General of Kilusang Mayo Uno-Metro Manila; Mark Ryan Cruz, Regional Executive Committee of KMU-Metro Manila; Jaymie Gregorio Jr. of KMU-Metro Manila; Joel Demate of Solidarity of Labor Rights and Welfare (SOLAR); Rodrigo Esparago o…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-22). Former Kurdish parliamentarian Leyla Gàºven sentenced to over 22 years in jail. peoplesdispatch.org Leyla Gàºven, a former member of parliament, was tried and sentenced for her alleged membership of the banned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) and on the charge of disseminating "terrorist propaganda"

Online News Editor (2020-12-22). A year that could mark the 'end' of Hong Kong. laprensalatina.com By Shirley Lau Hong Kong, Dec 22 (efe-epa).- China has rapidly increased its control over Hong Kong this year, approving a stringent and controversial national security law to curb protests, which has significantly cut down the freedoms enjoyed by the former British colony until now. Numerous activists and lawmakers have been arrested, jailed or fled …

Attorney Kellie Walters (2020-12-22). Outrage After Sacramento Police Illegally Detain and Terrorize 14-Year-Old African-America. indybay.org An African-American mother has expressed outrage at the ongoing practice of illegal detention by the Sacramento Police Department after the City's police officers detained and harassed her under aged son without provocation for the second time in fifteen months.

Staff (2020-12-22). People Incarcerated in Alabama Are Pushing for a New Year's Prison Strike. truthout.org The Free Alabama Movement (FAM), a group of incarcerated people and supporters who were involved in organizing the famed prison strikes of

John W. Whitehead (2020-12-22). What If the Christ Child Had Been Born in the American Police State? dissidentvoice.org When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the …

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-12-21). Arabic press review: Saudi Arabia and UAE bankrolling Arab states' Israel deals. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Saudi Arabia and UAE bankrolling Arab states' Israel deals | Meanwhile, Jordanian prisoner numbers soar and Egypt revokes citizenship of 17 people under nationality law | Mon, 12/21/2020 – 16: 12 | A Moroccan diplomat said that the UAE and Saudi Arabia were sponsoring normalisation agreements on behalf of the US (AFP) | Saudi Arabia, UAE bankrolling normalisation agreeme…

George Wuerthner (2020-12-21). Political Science and the Fate of the Wolverine. counterpunch.org On December 14, 2020, 24 organizations and one individual (me) filed two different lawsuits to challenge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) decision not to list the wolverine as a threatened Distinct Population Segment (DPS) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The plaintiffs are arguing the FWS decision was capricious and arbitrary. The wolverine,

teleSUR (2020-12-21). Germany: Author of Anti-Semitic Attack Gets Life in Prison. telesurenglish.net Stephan Balliet, the author of the anti-Semitic attack in Halle in 2019, was sentenced to life imprisonment at a Naumburg court on Monday. | RELATED: | The ruling classifies this 28-year-old German as a "danger" to society and removes the option of conditional freedom during his sentence. This means that the sentence amounts to at least 15 years in prison for Balliet. | Contrary to what his defenders argued, a psyc…

Center For Biological Diversity (2020-12-21). Donald Trump Administration's Approval of "Radioactive Roads": Lawsuit against EPA. globalresearch.ca Environmental, public health and union groups The EPA has long prohibi…

commondreams (2020-12-21). Lawsuit Challenges Large Fossil-Fuel Project Proposed in Alaska's Arctic. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Chris Gelardi (2020-12-21). Detroit is Suing Black Lives Matter Protesters for "Civil Conspiracy" zcomm.org The city's lawsuit came after protesters won a restraining order against Detroit cops for their violent response to the George Floyd protests…

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-20). At least 140 Palestinians contract COVID-19 in Israeli jails. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (MNA) — At least 140 Palestinian inmates in the Zionist regime's jails have contracted COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic in early March this year, a Palestinian official said.

_____ (2020-12-20). 2020 Saw Resurgence Of Strikes Around the World. popularresistance.org Like every other social movement in the U.S. this year, the compounding crises of 2020 proved a catalyzing force for the labor movement, compelling essential and frontline workers to join picket lines to ensure basic protections and increased pay as they continue to face disproportionate risks and increasingly perilous working conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. | But essential workers weren't the only sector on strike this year: Prisoners and tenants across the country also withheld their labor and rent to fight for their fundamental human right to life and housing. Building momentum after major strike waves…

sputniknews (2020-12-20). Fifth of All American Prisoners Are Infected With COVID-19, Study Suggests. sputniknews.com The US has the world's highest COVID-19 rates, according to Johns Hopkins University data tracking. Over 194,000 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the last 24 hours alone, along with at least 2,628 deaths. Despite that a universal vaccination began in the US on Monday, prospects for American prisoners are not encouraging.

Tiago Correia (2020-12-20). Elderly 110 lb. woman shot and killed by jail guard in Spokane, Wa. liberationnews.org "We demand justice for Nancy King, which begins with a thorough and independent investigation and by jailing killer cops."

Pip Hinman (2020-12-20). Vigil for Muhammad — Malaysian student dies in detention. greenleft.org.au Activists organised a vigil for a young Malaysian student who died in the Villawood detention centre, reports Stephen Langford.

WSWS (2020-12-19). One in five US prisoners has contracted COVID-19, more than 1,700 have died. wsws.org The staggering totals for infections and deaths show that the ruling elite's policy of "herd immunity" is even more concentrated within prison walls, where prisoners are confined to close quarters and social distancing is nearly impossible.

Devin Cole (2020-12-19). Swift Justice: 'A fight from the inside out'. workers.org These slightly edited comments are from a Dec. 10 webinar organized by the Prisoners Solidarity Committee of Workers World Party. Swift Justice is currently incarcerated within the Alabama Department of Corrections system. For more on prison stoppage by the Free Alabama Movement, see Workers World, Dec. 4. Co-moderator Devin C.: . . . |

Patricia Gorky (2020-12-19). The penalty for half a million deaths? A stern talking-to before Congress. liberationnews.org Corporate drug kingpins are given the privilege of choosing to appear before Congress in a video conference, while more than 2 million prisoners are forced into squalid conditions.

A Guest Author (2020-12-19). Ramsey Prison Unit: The terror of Texas. workers.org By Nanon M. Williams Nanon Williams was arrested in 1992 at age 17 for capital murder and spent years on death row. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled people under 18 could not be sentenced to death. His sentence, along with 70 others, was commuted to life and he . . . |

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2020-12-19). Health Care and Black Lives Matter. zcomm.org "The backlash in which white people proclaimed All Lives Matter clearly had no understanding of the issue. Blacks weren't saying that Black lives mattered more, they were emphasizing that, the way the system works now, Black Lives Matter … Less."

Special to People's World (2020-12-18). Remembering protest singer Phil Ochs on his 80th birthday. peoplesworld.org For those not fortunate enough to recall, Phil Ochs was one of our nation's most profound singer/songwriters in the period that bridged the Civil Rights, antiwar, and feminist movements. He was born on December 19, 1940: This week, he would have been 80 years old. His topical songs called for peace and an equitable society. They called for …

2020-12-21: News Headlines

Staff (2020-12-21). Mothers Are Pushing to Free Their Children From Prison During COVID. truthout.org "Mom and Pop's, | I could no longer breathe too good. So I alerted the med tech. I was tested for COVID-19 and it came back positive. Right now, I'm in the south house in a cell by myself. I love you guys very much." | This is an email that no parent should ever have to read. Matthew Echevarria — a survivor of Chicago police torture who was convicted of a crime he did not commit — sent this email to his parents Denise and Brian Bronis from Menard Correctional Center where he is currently i…

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-12-21). Arabic press review: Saudi Arabia and UAE bankrolling Arab states' Israel deals. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Saudi Arabia and UAE bankrolling Arab states' Israel deals | Meanwhile, Jordanian prisoner numbers soar and Egypt revokes citizenship of 17 people under nationality law | Mon, 12/21/2020 – 16: 12 | A Moroccan diplomat said that the UAE and Saudi Arabia were sponsoring normalisation agreements on behalf of the US (AFP) | Saudi Arabia, UAE bankrolling normalisation agreeme…

George Wuerthner (2020-12-21). Political Science and the Fate of the Wolverine. counterpunch.org On December 14, 2020, 24 organizations and one individual (me) filed two different lawsuits to challenge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) decision not to list the wolverine as a threatened Distinct Population Segment (DPS) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The plaintiffs are arguing the FWS decision was capricious and arbitrary. The wolverine,

Center For Biological Diversity (2020-12-21). Donald Trump Administration's Approval of "Radioactive Roads": Lawsuit against EPA. globalresearch.ca Environmental, public health and union groups The EPA has long prohibi…

Chris Gelardi (2020-12-21). Detroit is Suing Black Lives Matter Protesters for "Civil Conspiracy" zcomm.org The city's lawsuit came after protesters won a restraining order against Detroit cops for their violent response to the George Floyd protests…

commondreams (2020-12-21). Lawsuit Challenges Large Fossil-Fuel Project Proposed in Alaska's Arctic. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Online News Editor (2020-12-21). China denies charges of forced labor camps, religious oppression in Xinjiang. laprensalatina.com Beijing, Dec 21 (efe-epa).- China on Monday categorically denied the existence of forced labor camps or the oppression of religious practices in the Uighur region of Xinjiang, saying these were "accusations without any foundation" that "outrage" the people of the area. At a press conference in Beijing on the situation in the autonomous region, the …

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-20). At least 140 Palestinians contract COVID-19 in Israeli jails. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (MNA) — At least 140 Palestinian inmates in the Zionist regime's jails have contracted COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic in early March this year, a Palestinian official said.

_____ (2020-12-20). 2020 Saw Resurgence Of Strikes Around the World. popularresistance.org Like every other social movement in the U.S. this year, the compounding crises of 2020 proved a catalyzing force for the labor movement, compelling essential and frontline workers to join picket lines to ensure basic protections and increased pay as they continue to face disproportionate risks and increasingly perilous working conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. | But essential workers weren't the only sector on strike this year: Prisoners and tenants across the country also withheld their labor and rent to fight for their fundamental human right to life and housing. Building momentum after major strike waves…

sputniknews (2020-12-20). Fifth of All American Prisoners Are Infected With COVID-19, Study Suggests. sputniknews.com The US has the world's highest COVID-19 rates, according to Johns Hopkins University data tracking. Over 194,000 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the last 24 hours alone, along with at least 2,628 deaths. Despite that a universal vaccination began in the US on Monday, prospects for American prisoners are not encouraging.

Tiago Correia (2020-12-20). Elderly 110 lb. woman shot and killed by jail guard in Spokane, Wa. liberationnews.org "We demand justice for Nancy King, which begins with a thorough and independent investigation and by jailing killer cops."

Pip Hinman (2020-12-20). Vigil for Muhammad — Malaysian student dies in detention. greenleft.org.au Activists organised a vigil for a young Malaysian student who died in the Villawood detention centre, reports Stephen Langford.

Fight Back (2020-12-20). National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression demands release of Filipino trade unionists. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) demanding the release of jailed trade union leaders in the Philippines. | Greetings of solidarity to the Filipino people as they struggle courageously for the national liberation of their people from the bondage of U.S. imperialism | As always, the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) stands in solidarity with the struggle of the Filipino people for national democracy and call for the immediate release of the HRDay7. Six trade unionists with the…

WSWS (2020-12-19). One in five US prisoners has contracted COVID-19, more than 1,700 have died. wsws.org The staggering totals for infections and deaths show that the ruling elite's policy of "herd immunity" is even more concentrated within prison walls, where prisoners are confined to close quarters and social distancing is nearly impossible.

Devin Cole (2020-12-19). Swift Justice: 'A fight from the inside out'. workers.org These slightly edited comments are from a Dec. 10 webinar organized by the Prisoners Solidarity Committee of Workers World Party. Swift Justice is currently incarcerated within the Alabama Department of Corrections system. For more on prison stoppage by the Free Alabama Movement, see Workers World, Dec. 4. Co-moderator Devin C.: . . . |

Patricia Gorky (2020-12-19). The penalty for half a million deaths? A stern talking-to before Congress. liberationnews.org Corporate drug kingpins are given the privilege of choosing to appear before Congress in a video conference, while more than 2 million prisoners are forced into squalid conditions.

A Guest Author (2020-12-19). Ramsey Prison Unit: The terror of Texas. workers.org By Nanon M. Williams Nanon Williams was arrested in 1992 at age 17 for capital murder and spent years on death row. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled people under 18 could not be sentenced to death. His sentence, along with 70 others, was commuted to life and he . . . |

teleSUR, ce (2020-12-19). Chilean Police Arrest at Least 30 Anti-Piñera Protesters. telesurenglish.net Santiago de Chile was again the scene this Friday of protests to demand the resignation of the President Sebastián Piñera, which ended with the arrest of at least 30 protesters. | RELATED: | The militarized police reported that they had arrested that number of participants in the demonstrations, whose objective was also to demand the freedom of people who were imprisoned during the protests that broke out in October…

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2020-12-19). Health Care and Black Lives Matter. zcomm.org "The backlash in which white people proclaimed All Lives Matter clearly had no understanding of the issue. Blacks weren't saying that Black lives mattered more, they were emphasizing that, the way the system works now, Black Lives Matter … Less."

Binoy Kampmark (2020-12-18). Abuse on the Mainland: Australia's Medevac Hotel Detentions. counterpunch.org Governments that issue press releases about the abuse of human rights tend to avoid close gazes at the mirror. Doing so would be telling. In the case of Australia, its record on dealing with refugees is both abysmal and cruel. It tends to be easier to point the finger at national security laws in Hong

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-12-18). As Pandemic Rages On, Analysis Finds 1 in 5 People in US Prisons Infected With Covid-19. commondreams.org The new data follow the ACLU's warning that America's "unique obsession with incarceration has become our Achilles heel when it comes to combating the spread of Covid-19." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/covid-prisons-1in5.png

Special to People's World (2020-12-18). Remembering protest singer Phil Ochs on his 80th birthday. peoplesworld.org For those not fortunate enough to recall, Phil Ochs was one of our nation's most profound singer/songwriters in the period that bridged the Civil Rights, antiwar, and feminist movements. He was born on December 19, 1940: This week, he would have been 80 years old. His topical songs called for peace and an equitable society. They called for …

Ashley Curtin (2020-12-18). Google faces major antitrust lawsuits for alleged search monopoly. nationofchange.org "As the gateway to the internet, Google has systematically degraded the ability of other companies to access consumers."

John Laforge (2020-12-18). Air Force Veterans of Plutonium Dust Disaster Win Class Action Standing. counterpunch.org Air force veterans exposed to plutonium after a first-ever US nuclear weapons disaster in Spain have won extremely rare recognition as a class in a lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs. On Jan. 17, 1966, an air force B-52 bomber exploded over the village of Palomares, Spain during a routine airborne refueling. Seven airmen

ACLU (2020-12-18). The Winner of the 2020 Election: Drug Legalization. aclu.org The 2020 election was notable for many reasons, but one winner really stood out: drug legalization. Five states legalized either medicinal or adult use of marijuana. Oregon and went even further, becoming the first state to decriminalize the personal use and possession of small amounts of illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. The momentum garnered from these cross-country wins helped push the

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-18). Workers of Leica plant in Portugal protest wage discrimination. peoplesdispatch.org The workers at the Lousado plant of the German company Leica in Portugal organised a protest demanding a salary hike and an end to the harassment faced by workers…

Direct Action Everywhere (2020-12-18). Sunday 12/20: Jail Support Simulation Training. indybay.org Online Zoom…

Greg Hyver (2020-12-18). Free Speech Protest in Downtown Santa Cruz. indybay.org Watch the free speech protest held on Church Street on December 11th in downtown Santa Cruz, challenging for city of 1st and 14th Amendment rights violations. Also, recently published survey results of Santa Cruz County residents on political issues ranging from their media to Black Lives Matter. Eye-opening.