(2018-11-17). Presidents Of Iran, Iraq Vow To Boost Ties. iranian.com Iraqi President Barham Salih has pledged to improve bilateral ties with Iran, amid concerns in Tehran over the economic impact of renewed U.S. sanctions. Salih made the remark on November 17 in Tehran after talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who said annual bilateral trade could rise to $20 billion from the $7 billion in […]
(2018-11-17). Release of Top Secret CIA Document Reveals Deeper Medical Complicity in Torture Program. globalresearch.ca With the release of a previously top secret document – made public thanks to a legal victory by the ACLU – disclosing the role of the Office of Medical Services (OMS) in the CIA's torture program, Physicians for Human Rights …
(2018-11-17). Rather Than Being Critics, Canada's Liberals Actually Enable Saudi Crimes. globalresearch.ca One has to admire the Canadian government's manipulation of the media regarding its relationship with Saudi Arabia. Despite being partners with the Kingdom's international crimes, the Liberals have managed to convince some gullible folks they are challenging Riyadh's rights abuses….
(2018-11-17). Please Help Mississippians Vote For Mike Espy On Nov 27th. indybay.org Democrat Mike Espy, former USDA Secretary, 4 times elected to Congress as the first black American since Reconstruction to represent a Mississippi district, is an attorney who has worked for black farmer' rights. His opponent Cindy Hyde-Smith is a cattle ranch owner and part owner of a slaughterhouse auction block who has been accused of racism and vote suppression advocacy.
(2018-11-17). Stacey Abrams Isn't Going Anywhere. thenation.com Stacey Abrams Isn't Going Anywhere…
(2018-11-16). NAACP GRASSROOTS & VOTER TURNOUT EFFORTS SPUR INCREASED BLACK VOTER PARTICIPATION. naacp.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 16, 2018 CONTACTS: NAACP@sunshinesachs.com and Malik Russell / mrussell@naacpnet.org / 410-580-5761 NAACP civic engagement campaign helped generate record midterm election turnout among Black Voters BALTIMORE — From the passage of Amendment 4 in Florida, which restored voting rights to convicted felons to the record number of early voting among voters of color — including a 77% increase among […] | The post
(2018-11-16). Headlines for November 16, 2018. democracynow.org Deadly NorCal Wildfire Kills At Least 63; 631 Reported Missing, Wildfire Smoke Creates Hazardous Air Quality in NorCal, DOJ Accidentally Reveals Indictments Against WikiLeaks' Assange, Florida Senate Race Heads to Manual Recount, Democrats Score House Wins in Maine, California, U.S. Sanctions 17 Saudis over Khashoggi Murder, White House Weighing Extradition of Exiled Turkish Cleric, Central American LGBTQ Migrants Face Additional Hurdles on Journey to U.S. Border, North Korea Deports U.S. Citizen as Kim Jong-un Oversees Weapon Test, Bangladesh Delays Plans to Repatriate Rohingya to Burma Amid Uproar, Renowned Ban…
(2018-11-16). Trump's New Iran Oil Sanctions May Hurt Americans More Than Iran. iranian.com The Trump administration has formally imposed new sanctions on Iran aimed at hindering Iran's oil exports — a move that had been in the works for six months. The U.S. government has also made a second, more surprising, announcement: It's granting eight countries waivers that will let them keep on buying Iranian petroleum. Since I'm a historian of energy and […]
(2018-11-16). Meet the 17 Saudis Now Under US Sanctions for Jamal Khashoggi's Killing. theantimedia.com 
(MEE) — The United States imposed sanctions on 17 citizens of Saudi Arabia it says were involved in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The individuals were penalised "for serious human rights abuses resulting from their roles" in the killing of the prominent Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 …
(2018-11-16). Illinois Police Killed a Black Security Guard While Doing His Job. aclu.org Jemel Robinson saved lives — but because of racially biased policing, he paid for it with his own. | In an alternate reality, Tuesday's national news headlines would have read: "Active Shooter Heroically Subdued by Brave Security Guard." Instead, we woke up to news stories announcing that police in Midlothian, Illinois, responded to a bar shooting by killing the security guard who had bravely detained the shooting suspect. | Jemel Roberson should be alive today. But he's not, and…
(2018-11-16). In Breach of Human Rights, Netanyahu Supports the Death Penalty against Palestinians. counterpunch.org Right-wing Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is escalating his war on the Palestinian people, although for reasons almost entirely related to Israeli politics. He has just given the greenlight to a legislation that would make it easier for Israeli courts to issue death sentences against Palestinians accused of carrying out 'terrorist' acts. Netanyahu's decision was More
(2018-11-16). 'Thoughts & prayers': Twitter laughs as NRA bleeds out financially. rt.com 
The National Rifle Association has become the butt of the joke after it was revealed the powerful gun rights advocacy group is struggling financially, revoking free coffee for staff.
(2018-11-16). BDS Austria: Israeli Apartheid State — Get Out of Vienna University. imemc.org The following statement, initiated by BDS Austria, addresses the role of the Israeli Embassy and the University of Vienna in opposing Palestinian rights and supporting Israeli apartheid. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network as well as Samidoun Goteborg are signatories of the statement, along with other international groups and academics. Signatories and …
(2018-11-16). ICE Is Targeting Activists in Vermont. And the State's DMV Has Been Helping Them. aclu.org ICE partnered with the Vermont DMV to target farmworker rights' activists for political repression. | In October 2017, Vermont-based Migrant Justice scored a major victory in the organization's campaign to extend labor protections to undocumented farmworkers in the state. After years of public action and lobbying, they reached an agreement with Ben & Jerry's that established basic labor standards at the farms supplying dairy products to the company. Those standards included one day off a week, a minimum wage of $10 per…
(2018-11-16). Betsy DeVos Wants to Roll Back Civil Rights Protections For Students Filing Complaints of Sexual Harassment or Assault. aclu.org Our analysis of how DeVos' proposed rule would change how colleges and universities deal with allegations of sexual assault under Title IX. | The Department of Education headed by Secretary Betsy DeVos on Friday released a proposed rule that, if implemented, would dramatically limit schools' obligations to students who experience sexual violence and would not further the stated goal of fair process. The ACLU is equally committed to ensuring students can learn in environments free from sexual harassment and violence and to guaranteeing fair process for both respondents and complainants. | The new rule preserv…
(2018-11-15). NAACP Strongly Urges Senate Rejection of Farr Nomination. naacp.org BALTIMORE (November 15, 2018)—The NAACP strongly condemns Thomas Farr's nomination and the Senate's scheduling of his vote. The nation just experienced national elections which are not yet over and which were tainted by egregious voting rights violations. That Majority Leader McConnell chooses this moment in time to vote on a judicial nominee known as the vote-suppressor-in-chief […]
(2018-11-15). South Korea To Resume Iran's Crude Imports From January Onwards. iranian.com South Korea's actual resumption of Iranian oil liftings could come from January onwards as it takes time to make various arrangements, including shipping. According to SPGlobal, South Korea was granted a temporary exemption for crude imports from Iran after agreeing to reduce its purchases "significantly," just as US sanctions against Tehran came into force early […]
(2018-11-15). Iran, Turkey Strengthen Trade Relations Despite US Sanctions. iranian.com Iran is seeking to strengthen bilateral trade relations with Turkey during the US sanctions imposed on Tehran which came into force earlier this month. Mohsen Nariman, the managing director of Aras Free Trade-Industrial Zone, said that 60 per cent of the companies operating in the zone are foreign companies while 30 per cent of them are Turkish […]
(2018-11-15). Vermont Immigrant Rights Group Sues ICE for Monitoring, Infiltrating & "Hunting Down" Organizers. democracynow.org 
A major new federal lawsuit claims that immigration agents are targeting undocumented organizers for their activism in Vermont. The suit accuses Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles of carrying out a multiyear campaign of political retaliation against members of the group Migrant Justice. According to the lawsuit, Migrant Justice was infiltrated by an informant, and its members were repeatedly subjected to electronic surveillance. At least 20 active members of Migrant Justice have been arrested and detained by ICE. We speak with Will…
(2018-11-15). 'SBS: Don't screen Eurovision 2019 in Israel'. greenleft.org.au 
Protesters gathered outside the SBS offices in Artarmon on November 15 to urge the national multicultural broadcaster not to screen Eurovision 2019, which will be held in Israel. | They handed out leaflets to SBS staff that read: "We love SBS and we love Eurovision, but is a song contest worth more than human rights? Are advertising dollars worth more than international law? | "We can't celebrate Eurovision in Israel while the Israeli government enforces apartheid and ongoing human rights abuses against Palestinians. | "Just like the campaign that ended apartheid in South Africa, your international solidarity is…
(2018-11-15). Venezuela: Workers Rally to Demand 'Revolutionary Exit from Crisis'. venezuelanalysis.com The public sector in Venezuela has been mobilizing for revised wages and labor rights.
(2018-11-15). Prisoners Are Getting Paid $1.45 a Day to Fight the California Wildfires. aclu.org Incarcerated workers fighting wildfires deserve the same wages and protections that civilian workers receive. | As firefighters in California battle the deadliest wildfires in the state's history, they are joined by unlikely allies against the blaze. About 200 prisoners in California's Conservation Camp program are fighting the fires alongside civilian employees, earning just $1.45 a day for their work. Their pay as workers is a fraction of minimum wage. The hazard to their lives is real, as evidenced by a death toll that has…
(2018-11-14). SPLC seeks justice for journalist facing deportation. splcenter.org SPLC client Manuel Duran, the Spanish-language journalist who was unlawfully arrested and detained in April in retaliation for reporting on controversial issues related to law enforcement in Tennessee, could be deported at any time.
(2018-11-14). The Outgoing Congress Shouldn't Reward Trump With More Homeland Security Funding. aclu.org The Department of Homeland Security is a moral and fiscal disaster. The lame-duck Congress shouldn't reward it with more taxpayer dollars. | Before Dec. 7, Congress will have to make a decision: Will they reward the department responsible for separating families, jailing immigrants, raiding communities of color, and abusing its power at the border by increasing it budget? Or will they stand up and rein in Trump's detention and deportation force? | The Department of Homeland Security is currently funded by a continuing resolution, a short-term bill that extends its budget from last year. It
(2018-11-13). Protesters to Qantas: 'Don't profit at the expense of human lives'. greenleft.org.au 
Thirty refugee supporters protested outside the Melbourne headquarters of Jetstar on November 9, demanding that Qantas (Jetstar's parent company) cease participating in the deportation of asylum seekers. | Tamil Refugee Council member Aran Mylvaganam told the rally that the Australian government has deported hundreds of Tamil asylum seekers to Sri Lanka. Citing a United Nations report, which showed that torture is "endemic and routine" in Sri Lanka, he said Tamils who are sent back are in grave danger. He called on Qantas not to be complicit, saying: "Don't make a profit at the expense of human lives".
(2018-11-13). International speaking tour says reject Trump's attacks on Venezuela. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On November 10, more than 40 people gathered to hear Steve Ellner, a professor, writer and longtime Venezuela resident speak against U.S. sanctions and the Trump administration's efforts to destabilize Venezuela. | Ellner, who has taught economic history and political science at the Universidad de Oriente in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, since 1977, spoke of the devastating toll U.S. sanctions have taken on ordinary Venezuelan people. "Basically, there's a blockade, a financial blockade, on the entire Venezuelan economy," Ellner said. "That is the net effect of these sanctions, and this narrative t…
(2018-11-13). Secret CIA Document Shows Plan to Test Drugs on Prisoners. aclu.org 
New documents reveal the detailed, first-person account of the top CIA medical professional responsible for torturing prisoners. | Thanks to an ACLU victory in federal court, we know much more about how CIA doctors violated the medical oath to "do no harm." | One of the most important lessons of the CIA's torture program is the way it corrupted virtually every individual and institution associated with it. Over the years, we have learned how lawyers …
(2018-11-13). White cop kills Black security guard in Chicago suburb. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL — Black Community leader Frank Chapman condemned the November 12 killing of an African American security guard, Jemel Roberson, by a white police officer from the Midlothian Police Department in the Chicago suburb of Robbins. | "Every city in the U.S. where Black people live has the same crisis of police accountability. Until Black people have the power to determine who polices them and how they are policed, cops will brutalize, torture and murder us with impunity," said Chapman, of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | When he was killed by the police officer, Robers…
(2018-11-12). Twin Cites FRSO holds event on midterm elections. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis MN — More than 50 people packed Mayday book store, Nov. 11, for an event hosted by Freedom Road Socialist Organization on the outcome of the midterm elections. Speakers at the event included leaders of the movements for immigrant rights, labor, and against police terror. | Steff Yorek, the Political Secretary of FRSO told the crowd, "These elections were a referendum on Donald Trump and his policies. Voters provided an important setback to him and reduced the number of friends he has in the House and among state governors." | Brad Sigal, also of FRSO said, "Working people's lives are not getting…
(2018-11-09). NAACP Demands for Georgia Election Officials to Promptly Investigate Pattern of Georgia Students Being Denied the Right to Vote. naacp.org BALTIMORE(November 9, 2018)—NAACP, the nation's foremost civil rights organization, sent a letter to Georgia elections officials just two days after the state's too-close-to-call elections, demanding a prompt investigation into reports that Georgia student voters were turned away from polling stations, unable to vote. Others were improperly required to vote provisional ballots. The letter cites two instances where university students […] | The post
(2018-11-09). SPLC working to restore voting rights to thousands disenfranchised by Jim Crow-era laws. splcenter.org An "I Voted" sticker stuck prominently to Jazmine Clay's yellow T-shirt as she walked toward a pavilion in Birmingham's Learning Tree Park, next to her polling place.
(2018-11-09). Jeff Sessions Leaves a Dark Mark on the Justice Department. aclu.org Sessions' Justice Department systematically undermined civil liberties and civil rights. | Under almost any other circumstances, the firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions would be a moment for dancing in the streets. Sessions oversaw a Justice Department that systematically undermined civil liberties and civil rights. | But his departure portends no improvement on these fronts. And the fact that President Trump
(2018-11-07). Venezuela Looks to Dodge Sanctions & Repatriate Gold from Bank of England. venezuelanalysis.com The reported measure will bring US $550m worth of national reserves back to Caracas only days after Washington announced new gold-targeting sanctions.
(2018-11-05). Gasoline Shortages Hit Western Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com Whilst the government hinted at import problems due to US sanctions, others have cited additional factors, including cross-border smuggling, poor maintenance and increased demand due to the upcoming price hike.
(2018-11-05). Maduro: Venezuela Sitting on 2nd Biggest Gold Reserve on Earth. venezuelanalysis.com President Nicolas Maduro described the U.S. sanctions on Venezuela as "crazy" and "criminal."
(2018-11-04). Trump's Latin American Sanctions: Clear 'Political Tactic' For Midterms. venezuelanalysis.com VA's Paul Dobson analyzes the latest US sanctions in this Sputnik News report.
(2018-11-03). Assange Case Shows Support for Free Speech Depends on Who's Talking. fair.org 
by Joe Emersberger Julian Assange, whom the UN has declared to be "arbitrarily detained" by Britain and Sweden, is used by the Guardian ( 10/17/18) to illustrate a gag story on "nightmare flatmates." | The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded in February 2016 that the governments of the UK and Sweden had forced WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange into a condition of arbitrary detention in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been since 2012. The group's …
(2018-10-17). Venezuela Ditches Dollar as US Sanctions Hit Private Sector. venezuelanalysis.com International financial transactions using foreign currency were reportedly blocked, agroindustrial and pharmaceutical sectors said.
(2018-10-17). Spain Pushes Dialogue Instead of Sanctions Against Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com The policy represents a radical change from the sanctions wanted by previous Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, imposed by Brussels last January, and reinforced last June.