(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…
(2018-10-30). Adnan Sentenced to One Year. imemc.org The Israeli military court in Salem, north of the northern occupied West Bank district of Jenin, sentenced Palestinian detainee Khader Adnan to one year in prison, fined him 1,00 shekels ($270) and 18 months suspended sentence for five years, on Monday. Jawad Boulous, head of the legal department in the …
(2018-10-30). Israeli Nation-State Law is 'Apartheid,' Says Democratic Congresswoman. imemc.org Coverage by Forward of US Representative Betty McCollum's groundbreaking speech at USCPR's 2018 national conference, Together We Rise: A US Democratic Party congresswoman described Israel's nation-state law as "apartheid" at a Palestinian rights event, Mondoweiss reported. Accepting a leadership award at the U.
(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). 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). 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). 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). Haddad: PT Will Fight for Social Unification of Brazil. globalresearch.ca The former candidate of the PT said that Brazilians must aspire for a great social movement to defend the freedoms and rights of Brazilians. | Speaking after the results of the Brazilian elections were announced and the victory of far-right Jair …
(2018-10-30). Trump Administration Ramps Up Threats Against Iran. truthout.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 different motives. Iran has been in the crosshairs of the United States since the 1979 Iranian Revolution overthrew the vicious, US-installed puppet Mohammad…
(2018-10-30). 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.
(2018-10-29). Voter rights propositions look like winners in battleground state of Michigan. peoplesworld.org 
DETROIT—In Michigan, it's the issues, not the candidates, driving people to the polls. With voter suppression in myriad forms sweeping the country, a counteroffensive in Michigan, called "Promote the Vote," gives the state's voters the opportunity to add an amendment to the state's constitution to ensure that every citizen can vote and that every one …
(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). Three False Ideas That Anchor Anti-Trans Attacks. truthout.org As attacks on trans people continue to escalate simultaneously from the Trump administration, groups pushing anti-trans ballot initiatives and lawsuits, and mainstream (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…
(2018-10-29). 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). Beat U.S. Sanctions: Iran Starts Oil Sales To Private Exporters. iranian.com Iran began selling crude oil to private companies for export on Sunday, part of a strategy to counter U.S. sanctions which come into effect on Nov. 4 and aim to stop the country's key crude exports, the oil ministry's news website SHANA reported. Crude oil trade is state-controlled in Iran. Earlier, private refining companies could […]
(2018-10-29). Brazil Has Elected the "Most Extremist Leader in the Democratic World" truthout.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, P…
(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…
(2018-10-28). 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). "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.
(2018-10-27). Can ICE Legally Force Immigrants to Cheer for Donald Trump? theintercept.com Do the First Amendment's protections prevent the government from targeting its most vocal critics for deportation? That's the central question that three judges for the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals will be considering Monday, when lawyers for Ravi Ragbir, a New York City immigration activist, will argue for a preliminary injunction to stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials from deporting him before he can press his First Amendment claim in court. | In the case, which comes before judges Christopher Droney, Pierre Leval, and John Walker Jr., the government contends that Ragbir's situation is straightfo…
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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 […]
(2018-10-24). Aimee Stephens Was Fired Because She Is Transgender. That's Sex Discrimination. aclu.org The ACLU is asking the Supreme Court to let stand a lower court ruling that Aimee's firing was unlawful. | Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump think federal law shouldn't protect transgender people. They think it should be legal to fire someone just because she's trans. Five federal appeals courts disagree. On Wednesday, the ACLU asked the Supreme Court to let stand one of those rulings, in the case of Aimee Stephens. | Aimee had worked at a funeral home in Detroit for nearly six years when she wrote a letter telling her boss and coworkers that she is transgender. Two weeks after she came out as a woman to her employe…
(2018-10-24). City Officials Stoke Mob Mentality in Front of Sex Offender's Home. aclu.org The city government of Providence, Rhode Island, is ignoring its own law on residential protests and feeding vigilantism. | When Richard Gardner, a convicted child sex offender, was released from prison after serving almost 30 years, he quietly moved into the Washington Park neighborhood in Providence. One would not have expected a welcome wagon — but an angry mob should not have been the result either. | Because his crimes were committed so long ago, Gardner is not subject to the community notification provisions that apply to more recent offenders under the state's Megan's Law. But the police leaked his a…
(2018-10-24). Stacey Abrams Stands By Burning the Racist, Segregationist Georgia State Flag in 1992. democracynow.org 
During Tuesday's debate, Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams defended her actions in 1992 when she helped burn the Georgia state flag, which at the time contained a prominent Confederate battle flag. In a victory for civil rights advocates, the flag was later changed. We speak to Leah Wright Rigueur, professor at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
(2018-10-24). NAACP Sues Shelby County Over Allegedly Defective Voter Registration Applications. naacp.org Tennessee County Should Allow Voters to Fix Applications and Vote Regular Ballots on Election Day BALTIMORE (October 24, 2018) The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), America's foremost civil rights organization, announced today that its Memphis Branch filed suit yesterday against the Shelby County (TN) Election Commission for its refusal to allow […]
(2018-10-24). Who's Behind ICE? How Amazon, Palantir, Microsoft & Tech Giants Are Powering Trump's Deportations. democracynow.org 
A shocking new investigation by immigrant rights groups reveals how corporations like Amazon, Palantir and Microsoft are profiting from and expediting Trump's incarceration and deportation operations. Some 10 percent of the Department of Homeland Security's $44 billion budget is dedicated to data management. The report was published as new documents obtained by the Project on Government Oversight show Amazon is pushing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to start using its controversial facial recognition technology that could identify immigrants in real time by scanning faces in a video feed. We speak with Jacin…
(2018-10-23). Headlines for October 23, 2018. democracynow.org Turkish President: Khashoggi Murdered in Premeditated, Political Act, Mnuchin Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Trump Sends CIA Chief to Turkey, Hackers Target Saudi Investment Conference Website, Yemen: Tropical Storm Kills 12, Exacerbating Cholera Crisis, Bolton Meets with Russians as U.S. Plans Nuclear Treaty Withdrawal, Central American Caravan Continues Toward U.S. Despite Trump Threats, Mexico: Tropical Storm Vicente Kills 12 as Hurricane Willa Approaches, Human Rights Watch: British Academic Jailed by UAE Denied Rights, Trans Rights Protests Target Plans to Narrow Definition of Gender, Trump Admin to Expand Reli…
(2018-10-22). "Reminiscent of South Africa's Grand Apartheid": Israeli Human Rights Group Slams Israel at U.N. democracynow.org 
Shortly after Israel announced a new "zero tolerance" policy toward demonstrations in Gaza, some 130 Palestinians were injured Friday while protesting ongoing Israeli occupation and demanding the right of return. Four paramedics and 25 children were among the injured. Ten thousand protesters gathered along Israel's heavily militarized separation barrier with Gaza as part of the weekly Great March of Return protests that began March 30. Since then, Israeli forces have killed at least 170 Palestinians, including more than 30 children, and injured thousands more. We speak with Hagai El-Ad, the executive director of…
(2018-10-22). The Trump Administration Is Trying to Erase Trans People, but the Law Clearly Protects Them. aclu.org A recently leaked memo is attempting to undermine decades of court decisions saying federal law protects transgender and nonbinary people. | Over the weekend, The New York Times revealed that officials within the Trump administration are pushing for a definition of the term "sex" in federal civil rights laws that would eliminate non-discrimination protections for transgender people. Transgender people and their families understandably panicked at that news. | The reality, though, is that transgender pe…
(2018-10-22). SPLC statement on Trump administration's efforts to remove civil rights protections from transgender Americans. splcenter.org The Trump administration has apparently redoubled its efforts to exclude transgender Americans from the protection of federal civil rights laws.
(2018-10-22). Blaming Saudis for Corrupting Otherwise Human Rights—Loving US. fair.org 
As FAIR has noted for years, one of the primary ideological functions of US corporate media is to maintain the mythology that the US is a noble protector of democracy and arbiter of human rights. When material facts—like wars of aggression, massive spying regimes, the funding and arming right-wing militias and the propping up of dictators—get in the way of this mythology the response by most pundits is to wave away these inconsistencies (FAIR.org, 2/1/09), ignore them altogether (FAIR.org, (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.
(2018-10-11). Venezuela Takes Center Stage in Brazilian Far Right Presidential Campaign. venezuelanalysis.com Frontrunner Bolsonaro has vowed to sever diplomatic relations with Caracas and back sanctions while establishing closer ties with the ultra-right government in Israel.
(2018-09-27). Maduro in NY: Harlem Stands with Venezuela as US Allies Appeal to ICC. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuela also received the backing of a number of governments who denounced the latest round of sanctions from the Trump administration.
(2018-09-27). Venezuela's Maduro Rejects US Interventionism in UN Speech. venezuelanalysis.com Maduro blasted the recent round of sanctions, and yet again reiterated his willingness to talks with Trump.