(2018-10-31). Birthright Citizenship Expert: This is Not a Diversion, Trump Has Pushed Radical Plan For Years. democracynow.org 
President Trump claimed that he can rewrite the Constitution and end birthright citizenship in the United States in an interview released Tuesday, sparking widespread outrage. Trump told the news outlet Axios that he planned to sign an executive order ending citizenship for children of noncitizens born on U.S. soil. Civil rights groups, legal experts and politicians on both sides of the aisle are blasting Trump for his comments, including the false claim that the U.S. is the only country with birthright laws. In fact, at least 30 other countries have similar laws, including Canada, Mexico and Cuba. We speak with…
(2018-10-31). How African Americans Fought For & Won Birthright Citizenship 150 Years Before Trump Tried to End It. democracynow.org 
As President Trump claims that he can end birthright citizenship in the United States, we speak with professor Martha Jones about the history of the 14th Amendment, which states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." Martha Jones is the author of "Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America." She is the Society of Black Alumni presidential professor and professor of history at Johns Hopkins University.
(2018-10-31). FRSO leader condemns Trump's plan for executive order against birthright citizenship. fightbacknews.org San Jose, CA — "Coast to coast – the Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemns President Trump's plan to issue an executive order against birthright citizenship," said Masao Suzuki, chair of the FRSO Joint Nationalities Commission. Suzuki said that proposed executive order would be the most infamous presidential order since President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which led to the incarceration of over 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent in concentrations camps during World War II. | Suzuki pointed out that fight for citizenship rights date back to Dred Scott, whose fight for freedom ended in 1…
(2018-10-31). First Caravan In Mexico's Juchitan, US Army at Southern Border. telesurenglish.net Mexico's National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) files a complaint against military police after helicopters flew low to prevent migrants' passage.
(2018-10-31). Trump Administration Ramps Up Threats Against Iran. zcomm.org The alleged torture, murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, widely believed to have been carried out on orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, may put a crimp in Donald Trump's plans to escalate his aggression against Iran. Saudi Arabia, the United States and Israel are unified in their hatred of Iran, albeit with Read more…
(2018-10-31). Denmark Accuses Iran Of Assassination Attempt On Its Territory. iranian.com Trump's push for crippling sanctions against Iran got an unexpected supporter on Tuesday, when Denmark accused Iranian intelligence services of trying to carry out a plot to assassinate an Iranian Arab opposition figure on its territory. A Norwegian citizen of Iranian background was arrested in Sweden on Oct. 21 in connection with the plot and […]
(2018-10-31). Death by Facebook. indybay.org Brazil has elected Jair Bolsonaro President, a man who praises torture, says he'll end all activism and threatens to kill 30,000 leftists. How could this insanity happen?!?! | Facebook.
(2018-10-31). Two Detained Sisters, 14 And 15, Released. imemc.org Two sisters, Aseel Bassem Abu Aker and Nisreen Bassem Abu Aker, ages 14 and 15 respectively, were released from detention by Israel on Tuesday, as reported by Maan News. The sisters were detained by Israeli forces, Monday at dawn, from their home at Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem city. Eighteen …
(2018-10-31). No More Whitewashing Hate. zcomm.org The first and the third waves of the KKK focused on limiting the political participation, rights, and social advancement of African-Americans…
(2018-10-31). Employees Who Have Babies Are Still Getting the Axe. aclu.org Forty years after Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, discrimination against pregnant and breastfeeding workers remains rampant. | Forty years ago, working women in the United States won the legal protection to become working mothers. On October 31, 1978, Congress enacted the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, making it illegal for employers to deny a woman a job — or promotion, or higher pay, or any other opportunity — because she is pregnant. | The statute had an immediate, dramatic impact on women's ability to fully participate in the workforce. Although on-the-job sex discrimination had…
(2018-10-31). Denmark To Suspend Funding To BDS Groups. iranian.com Denmark has announced that it will no longer provide any funding to groups that endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, in what pro-Israel activists have called a significant step. Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen announced the new policy earlier this month is a document entitled "Explanations about the conditions for Danish support for […]
(2018-10-31). How Google Wipes Palestine Off the Map. globalresearch.ca Like the other Silicon Valley monopolies, Google habitually takes the side of Israeli occupation and war crimes in Palestine – the very term Palestine is not used by their highly influential maps app. | A new report by a Palestinian …
(2018-10-31). Thousands protest Trump's visit to Pittsburgh synagogue following mass shooting. wsws.org The popular rejection of Trump's far-right policies highlights the cowardice and complicity of the Democratic Party, which offers no principled opposition to Trump's fascistic attacks on immigrants and democratic rights more broadly.
(2018-10-31). Notes on Antisemitism. counterpunch.org 
(1) Like everything, antisemitism has an origin in time. Some find it in Egyptian, Greek and Roman writings from the 3rd century BCE that critically describe Jews, their curious religious laws, their clannishness, resistance to the death should anyone attack their religious rights. But these writers wrote critically of all they considered barbarians, including Persians, More
(2018-10-31). Hundreds "Haunt" SF Streets with Smoke Flares and Glowing Masks in March for Animal Rights. indybay.org Artistic Demonstration Dramatized Animals Killed for Food "Haunting" the City…
(2018-10-31). Bolivia Gains Sea Rights … to Atlantic Ocean. telesurenglish.net President Evo Morales inaugurates three Bolivian ports as part of the Paraguay-Parana waterway transport system giving the landlocked country sea access.
(2018-10-31). US Sanctions Cost Venezuela $6B Since August 2017, Sparking Humanitarian Catastrophe. mintpressnews.com CARACAS, VENEZUELA — United States sanctions against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela have cost the Latin American nation $6 billion since August of 2017, leaving the fate of healthcare and access to basic goods in jeopardy for millions of already struggling Venezuelans. | As recently as early October, an anonymous source from the Trump administration told Reuters that "all options are on the table" in regard to even tighter sanctions against the country. Thi…
(2018-10-30). No, Mr. President, You Can't Change the Constitution by Executive Order. aclu.org The 14th Amendment's citizenship guarantee is one of the bedrocks of America. | President Trump said this week that he is preparing an executive order to try to take away the citizenship guarantee in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which says that people born in the United States are United States citizens. On Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham announced that he would introduce legislation with the same aim. | But the president cannot repeal part of the Constitution by executive order. And…
(2018-10-30). New Yorkers take the streets for trans rights. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – Over 300 people gathered in the heart of the Flatiron District to stand up for trans rights. The call to action was made by several different organizations that belong to the Rapid Feminist Response network, which responded to the Trump administration memo that was uncovered by the New York Times. The memo, put out last spring by the Department of Human Health and Services, was adamantly proposing that all governmental agencies narrowly define gender by the biological sex organ a person was born with. | | The protest began at 5: 30 p.m. right in front of the Flatiron building. There were speeches…
(2018-10-30). Iran's Worst Nightmare Is Coming True. iranian.com In what must seem like a nightmare scenario for Iran, not only is another U.S. president leveling sanctions against its economy, and particularly that economy's lifeblood, its oil sector, but the current U.S. president has admittedly made it his mission to drive Tehran to its knees over what he sees as non-compliance over the 2015 […]
(2018-10-30). Salt Lake City: 'We Exist, We Resist' rally defends transgender rights. fightbacknews.org Salt Lake City, UT – More than 70 people rallied in downtown Salt Lake City, October 27, to protest Trump's proposed policies that would erase protections for transgender and non-binary individuals. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Utah organized the event, in conjunction with other protests by SDS chapters around the country. | There were two speakers from SDS, and they reminded the crowd that trans women, especially trans women of color, are targets of transphobic violence and that 22 trans women have been killed so far this year. With Trump's blatant attack on the trans community th…
(2018-10-30). Violent Neo-Nazi Organizer Speaks at US Government Event in Ukraine. mintpressnews.com 
Grayzone — A prominent activist from the violent Ukrainian neo-Nazi gang C14 spoke at an event at a US government organization in Ukraine's capital Kiev. | This young fascist leader has also boasted of working with Kiev police to "purge" Roma citizens from a train station, according to a Ukrainian human rights organization. | The Grayzone Project has previously reported on how the US government has (2018-10-30). PPS: "Four Detainees Continue Open-Ended Hunger Strike" imemc.org In a statement released, Tuesday, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS), said four Palestinian detainees, held by Israel, are ongoing with open-ended hunger strikes, in separate Israeli prisons and detention camps. The PPS said the striking detainees are Saddam Awad, Rezeq Rajoub, Kifah Hattab and Khalil Abu Arram. It stated that …
(2018-10-30). Dallas rallies against Trump's attempt to erase transgender people. fightbacknews.org Dallas, TX -On October 28, about 50 people showed up at Belo Garden Park across from the federal building in Downtown Dallas to protest against the Trump administration's rollback of the rights of transgender people. The protest was held by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The event began with a rally, followed by speeches and then a march. | Signs present included, "You tried to bury us, you didn't know we were seeds," and "Protect trans lives!" Chants that include "It's our history don't deny it, Stonewall was a trans riot" and "When trans people are…
(2018-10-30). What to Tell a Boss Who Won't Give You Time Off to Vote. truthout.org Voting in person on Election Day can be an exhilarating experience, but some voters who work day jobs have trouble getting time off when it's impossible to get to the polls before or after work. When you're dealing with a hostile boss, it's important to know your rights. | Depending on where you live, you may be entitled to time off to vote, so that you — like former Governor of Maryland Martin O'Malley, pictured above — can play a role in the political process. | If you think you might need time off to vote, start early — not the day before Election Day. Provide as much advance notice as possib…
(2018-10-30). Missouri Sen. McCaskill battles GOP challenger on labor and health issues. peoplesworld.org 
ST. LOUIS — Incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, facing a multi-million dollar GOP push to defeat her next week, has been outlining for voters the sharp differences between her and her Republican opponent, State Attorney General Josh Hawley, on a variety of issues especially, but not limited to, labor rights and health care. Defeat of …
(2018-10-30). How Google Wipes Palestine Off the Map. theantimedia.com 
(MEMO Op-ed) — Like the other Silicon Valley monopolies, Google habitually takes the side of Israeli occupation and war crimes in Palestine — the very term Palestine is not used by their highly influential maps app. A new report by a Palestinian human rights group last month exposed the depths of Google's dedication to the Israeli occupation. With a known …
(2018-10-30). South Korea Asks U.S. For "Maximum Flexibility" On Iran Sanctions Waiver. iranian.com South Korea has asked the United States for "maximum flexibility" on its request for a waiver to prevent South Korean companies from being affected by renewed U.S. sanctions against Iran, the foreign ministry said. The sanctions against Iranian crude oil exports are set to take effect on Nov. 5 as part of President Donald Trump's […]
(2018-10-30). EU Members Reluctant To Host Mechanism For Iran Trade. iranian.com Although the European Union (EU) has vowed to create a special purpose vehicle to continue trade with Iran after the U.S. sanctions on Tehran's oil return next week, the bloc is struggling with the set-up of such vehicle because no EU member is willing to host it for fear of angering the United States, the Financial […]
(2018-10-30). 10 Embarrassing Questions for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman. theantimedia.com 
(MEMO) — Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked ten questions to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, all of them related to the human rights situation in the Kingdom and Riyadh's violations against neighbouring countries. This came in a statement issued by the organisation demanding Bin Salman provide answers to questions related to the war in Yemen, …
(2018-10-30). Trump Administration Is Illegally Turning Away Asylum Seekers. aclu.org We filed a Freedom of Information Act request to find out why refugees are being turned away at Texas border. | When President Trump announced on Monday that he planned to send some 5,000 military troops to fortify the southern border, even his supporters were quick to dismiss this as a political stunt. A convoy of migrants, many of whom are families with young children fleeing violence, is not a threat to the United States. | There is a crisis unfolding at the border, but it is not the one the Trump administration would have its supporters believe. The real problem at the border is that U.S. Customs and Border…
(2018-10-30). Electronic Intifada Report: "Israeli embassy used fake Facebook profiles to spy on students" imemc.org Reposted from The Electronic Intifada, By: Asa Winstanley and Ali Abunimah 30 October 2018: An Israeli embassy officer spied on student supporters of Palestinian rights, undercover video released exclusively by The Electronic Intifada shows.
(2018-10-30). How Capitalism Stokes the Far Right and Climate Catastrophe. truthout.org We are living in ominous times. Every week something new: white supremacist murders in Kentucky and Pittsburgh; the continued rise of the far right in Europe; (2018-10-30). "Most Extremist Leader in the Democratic World" zcomm.org Far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro has been elected Brazil's next president, marking the most radical political shift in the country since military rule ended more than 30 years ago. Bolsonaro, a former Army officer, openly supports torture and dictatorships, has a history of making racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments, and has threatened to destroy, imprison or Read more…
(2018-10-29). U.S. Citizen, Detained Without Charge by Trump Administration for a Year, Is Finally Free. aclu.org The Trump administration tried everything it could to deprive an American citizen of his constitutional rights. It failed. | An American illegally detained in Iraq by the U.S. military for more than a year has finally won his freedom. | On Sunday, after a long court battle, the Trump administration let our client go. Under a settlement agreement, he was released in a third country, where he will once again be a free man. Parts of the agreement are confidential, and he is officially remaining unidentified for his safety and privacy. | From the moment the American was imprisoned, his own government tried to deny hi…
(2018-10-29). Thousands in Minneapolis protest Trumps attacks on transgender rights. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Just days after a news of new Trump administration attacks against transgender people, transgender community members and allies responded with a massive demonstration of solidarity on October 28. Several thousand people – transgender, intersex and gender-expansive people, and allies – lined three and a half miles of sidewalks along Lake Street, from Minneapolis to Saint Paul. | According to one of the event organizers, Cole Nicholls of SDS-UMN and the MN Transgender Health Coalition, "They say transphobia kills. It's true. But it kills with hunger, with homelessness, with illness, with violence…
(2018-10-29). How the Census Citizenship Question Could Affect Future Elections. aclu.org The Trump administration is attempting to dilute the political influence of millions of people. | On Nov. 6, Americans will head to the polls to exercise their right to vote. The day before, the ACLU will head to trial to try to prevent the Trump administration from diluting the political influence of millions of people for years to come. | In March, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that for the first time in 70 years the decennial census questionnaire will ask respondents whether or not they are U.S. citizens. Secretary Ross…
(2018-10-29). Glenn Greenwald on Bolsonaro: Brazil Has Elected "Most Extremist Leader in the Democratic World" democracynow.org 
Far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro has been elected Brazil's next president, marking the most radical political shift in the country since military rule ended more than 30 years ago. Bolsonaro, a former Army officer, openly supports torture and dictatorships, has a history of making racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments, and has threatened to destroy, imprison or banish his political opponents. He defeated Fernando Haddad of the leftist Workers' Party with 55 percent of the vote. His ascendance to power is leading many to fear the future of democracy in Brazil is in danger. We speak with Glenn Greenwald, Puli…
(2018-10-28). "Still in Solitary Over Here in Baghdad": A Forgotten American's 14-Year Nightmare in Iraq. theintercept.com 
Shawki Omar's story began as an embodiment of the American Dream. Today, it shows how the so-called war on terror has turned sadistic and extralegal.
(2018-10-28). Teachers set to walk off for refugees. greenleft.org.au 
The Australian Education Union (AEU) Victorian Branch Council has endorsed a planned walk off by teachers and education support staff in support of refugees on November 20, Universal Children's Day. | There are currently about 60 refugee children being detained by the Australian government on Nauru. | More than 6000 doctors issued an open letter to the government on October 22, calling on it to remove children from Nauru due to very serious mental and physical health emergency on the Pacific island. | Doctors and health workers have spoken out about the significant trauma children suffer in detention. | Australia…
(2018-10-28). Western Massachusetts students rally community against Trump's transphobic attacks. fightbacknews.org Northampton, MA – Western Massachusetts Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a rally and speak out for transgender rights, October 26, in downtown Northampton's Pulaski Park. Pulaski Park is a block from Smith College, and a short trip from Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Amherst College, and UMass Amherst. | This event was inspired by SDS actions in Tampa Bay and Tallahassee earlier this week. Joining a national SDS call for students to protest the Trump administration's proposals to change Title IX to include an unwavering definition of gender, based on genetics and a binary idea of biological…
(2018-10-26). International declaration against fascism in Brazil. greenleft.org.au 
Five hundred academics, Nobel prize winners, human rights activists and celebrities have released an international statement against the rise of fascism in Brazil. | Among the initial signatories are: Argentine Nobel Peace prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, African-American rights activist Angela Davis, US Senator Bernie Sanders, US actor Danny Glover, Chilean socialist academic Marta Harnecker, US academic Noam Chomsky, British-Pakistani writer Tariq Ali and economist Thomas Piketty. | A number of former heads of state have also signed on including: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (Argentina), Eduardo Duhalde (A…
(2018-10-26). Headlines for October 26, 2018. democracynow.org Investigators Narrow In on Florida in Ongoing Mail Bomb Case, Turkish President Urges Saudis to Reveal Who Ordered Khashoggi Murder, U.N. Calls for International Investigation into Khashoggi Murder, Trump Sends Troops, Threatens to Close U.S.-Mexico Border over Migrant Caravan, Caitlyn Jenner Denounces Trump's Attacks on Trans Rights in Op-ed, Trump Administration Approves Plan to Drill Off Alaska Coast, Officers Involved in Drowning Death of Two SC Women Detainees Fired, Sen. Grassley Asks DOJ to Investigate Avenatti and Julie Swetnick over Kavanaugh Statements, Reporter Body-Slammed by Rep. Gianforte Tells Cong…
(2018-10-26). Despite Trump's Best Efforts, Hundreds of Thousands of Immigrants Earn Reprieve From Deportation. aclu.org The Trump administration's attacks on the Temporary Protected Status program have been stopped — for now. | Last week, Jeff Sessions attacked a court ruling that gave a temporary reprieve to hundreds of thousands of immigrants facing imminent deportation after years of living lawfully in this country. | "Federal district court judges are not empowered to fashion immigration policy," Sessions said. "The Legislative and Executive branches — of federal and state government — a…
(2018-10-26). Hatewatch Headlines 10/26/2018. splcenter.org Judge restores funding to sanctuary cities; Civil rights groups call for tech hate-group crackdown; Shea wants to create a 51st state; and more.
(2018-10-26). Large #WontbeErased march resists Trump's anti-trans threats. greenleft.org.au 
Assembling in front of the White House on October 22, members of the LGBTI community and their allies gathered to deliver a clear message to President Donald Trump: transgender people "Won't Be Erased", writes Julia Conley. | The phrase became a rallying cry at demonstrations and on social media the day after reports surfaced of a Trump administration proposal to officially deny the existence of transgender people. The proposal would define gender as biological and determined o…
(2018-10-26). White Ribbon's failures go well beyond reproductive rights backflip. greenleft.org.au 
Australian Conservatives leader Cory Bernardi must have been furious when, in the space of less than 24 hours, White Ribbon Australia (WRA) back flipped on its decision to drop support for what he claimed was a "radical abortion policy". | WRA initially redacted its 2017 statement supporting reproductive rights on October 18, with CEO Tracy McLeod telling Buzzfeed that day that the organisation was now "agnostic" on reproductive…
(2018-10-25). ACTION ALERT: While Rangers Fight Wildfires, USA Today Fans Flames of Gun Paranoia. fair.org 
The story under this USA Today headline ( 10/25/18) never mentions the Second Amendment—because it's not relevant to the topic at hand. | The main front-page headline on USA Today's October 25 print edition reads: | Is the Second Amendment Under Fire in the West? | Online, the story's headline ( 10/24/18) asks a similarly alarmist headline—"Gun Rights Unde…
(2018-10-25). My Boss Fired Me From My Funeral Home Job for Being Transgender. aclu.org 
Aimee Stephens spent most of her life struggling with her gender identity. When she finally came out to her boss, she was fired. | I was in funeral services for nearly three decades before I was fired in 2013 for being transgender. In March, a federal appeals court agreed that it was wrong to fire me just because of who I am. Now, the Supreme Court will consider whether to review that court ruling. | While studying to be a pastor in college, I needed a job, and I found one in a funeral home. There are a lot of different ministries people can pursue, and I realized comforting people during one of the most vulnerab…
(2018-10-25). NAACP Partners with Members of the Faith Community to Galvanize Black Voters Ahead of Midterms. naacp.org In less than two weeks, Americans from coast to coast will take part in one of the most important elections of a generation, and as the nation's largest and foremost civil rights organizations, NAACP has partnered with its allies in the faith community to ensure the Black community is mobilized and ready to vote. Bishop […]