(2019-05-04). Former Trump Adviser Kelly Joins Board of Immigrant Detention Center Company. truthout.org In what one critic deemed a "nauseating example of the revolving door" through which powerful political players often move in and out of the private sector, former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly joined the board of a company which owns some of the largest detention centers for unaccompanied children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border. | CBS News reported Friday that Kelly is now a member of the board of directors for Caliburn International, which run…
(2019-05-04). Guilt by Association? Arrest of Assange Friend Has No Basis. therealnews.com 
Cyber-security and privacy expert Ola Bini was arrested in Ecuador the same day that Ecuador revoked Julian Assange's asylum. A court now affirmed his pre-trial detention, while his parents and his lawyers say it has no basis…
(2019-05-04). 'Sick, dystopian stuff': Former Trump adviser Kelly joins board of company running immigrant detention centers. nationofchange.org In what one critic deemed a "nauseating example of the revolving door" through which powerful political players often move in and out of the private sector, former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly joined the board of a company which owns some of the largest detention centers for unaccompanied children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border. | CBS News reported Friday that Kelly is now a member of the board of directors for Caliburn International, which run…
(2019-05-04). North Korea Fires Several Short-Range Projectiles Into the Sea. truthdig.com SEOUL, South Korea—North Korea fired several unidentified short-range projectiles into the sea off its eastern coast on Saturday, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said, a likely sign of Pyongyang's growing frustration at stalled diplomatic talks with Washington meant to provide coveted sanctions relief in return for nuclear disarmament. | South Korea's military has bolstered its surveillance in case there are additional weapons launches, and South Korean and U.S. authorities are analyzing the details. | If it's confirmed that the North fired banned ballistic missiles, it would be the first such launch…
(2019-05-04). We can't back people who hate our kids: Kentucky & Minnesota teachers of year boycott Trump meeting. nationofchange.org We speak with two award-winning teachers who are trying to teach Trump a lesson. On Monday, Jessica Dueñas, the 2019 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, and Kelly Holstine, the 2018 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, boycotted a White House ceremony honoring them and other state winners of the award in protest of the Trump administration's education policies. But Dueñas and Holstine skipped the event to register their opposition to Trump's policies on immigration, education and LGBTQrights, saying many of the White House policies directly impact their immigrant and refugee students. |
| Transcript: | This i…
(2019-05-04). American History for Truthdiggers: Civil Rights, a Dream Deferred. truthdig.com 
Editor's note: The past is prologue. The stories we tell about ourselves and our forebears inform the sort of country we think we are and help determine public policy. As our current president promises to "make America great again," this moment is an appropriate time to reconsider our past, look back at various eras of United States history and re-evaluate America's origins. When, exactly, were we "great"? | Below is the 30th installment of the "American History for Truthdiggers" series, a pull-no-punches appraisal of our shared, if flawed, past. The author of the series, Danny Sjursen, who retired recently as a…
(2019-05-04). Taking Away Voting Rights Does Nothing to Solve Violence. truthout.org Maya Schenwar returns to "Beyond Prisons" to discuss voting rights, the current political landscape, and her forthcoming book. | Maya is the editor-in-chief of Truthout. She is also the author of Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn't Work and How We Can Do Better and the co-editor of the Truthout anthology Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States. She has written about the prison-industrial complex for Truthout, The New York Times, the Guardian, The Nation, Salon, Ms. Magazine and others. Maya lives in Chicago and organizes with the abolitionist collective…
(2019-05-04). Trump's Abortion Lies Are Going to Get Somebody Killed. commondreams.org Demonstrators protest in front of the Thompson Center to voice their support for Planned Parenthood and reproductive rights on February 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. On February 11, rallies are scheduled to be held outside of Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide to call on Congress and President Trump to pull federal funding from Planned Parenthood. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-05-03). Venezuela: Lopez Arrest Warrant Issued as Military Show Strength for Maduro. globalresearch.ca Venezuela's judicial authorities have issued a new arrest warrant for fugitive opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez following his escape from house arrest early Tuesday morning. | Caracas' Fifth Court revoked Lopez's house arrest Thursday and ordered his immediate detention, indicating that once …
(2019-05-03). 'Sick, Dystopian Stuff': Former Trump Adviser Kelly Joins Board of Company Running Immigrant Detention Centers. commondreams.org In what one critic deemed a "nauseating example of the revolving door" through which powerful political players often move into the private sector, former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly joined the board of a company which owns some of the largest detention centers for unaccompanied children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-05-03). Migrants, asylum seekers detained in Hungary 'deliberately deprived of food': UN human rights office. un.org The UN human rights office (OHCHR) said on Friday it was alarmed by reports that migrants and asylum seekers who are being held in Hungarian detention centres are being "deliberately deprived of food in contravention of international laws and standards".
(2019-05-03). Guatemalan boy detained by US Border Patrol dies after succumbing to illness. wsws.org The 16 year old, who has not been named, is the third immigrant child to die in government custody in just five months.
(2019-05-03). Jewish-American Activists Beaten and Detained by Israeli Soldiers in West Bank. theantimedia.com (MEE) — Several Jewish-American activists were beaten and forcefully detained by the Israeli army alongside Palestinian and Israeli activists on Friday morning while working to repair a road linking Palestinian villages in the South Hebron Hills. Those forced to the ground and dragged into military vehicles included several who appeared to be rabbis, and several elderly members …
(2019-05-03). US sanctions have killed more than 40,000 people in Venezuela. greenleft.org.au 
US sanctions imposed on Venezuela in 2017 contributed to the deaths of more than 40,000 people last year, according to a new report — and this figure is set to rise due to the latest round of sanctions. | According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research report co-authored by economists Jeffrey Sachs and Mark Weisbrot, the 2017 sanctions deprived Venezuela of billions of dollars it needed to pay for essential food and medicine, leading to a rise in disease and mortality and the displacement of millions seeking to flee the worsening situation. | The report states: "The sanctions exacerbated Venezuela'
(2019-05-03). Heavy water and uranium enrichment: US imposes additional nuclear sanctions on Iran. rt.com 
The Trump administration will sanction any assistance to expand Iran's nuclear power plant at Bushehr and ban exports of heavy water and any further uranium enrichment, the State Department has announced.
(2019-05-03). Venezuelan economist: 'Hyperinflation is a powerful imperialist weapon'. greenleft.org.au 
Much is made in the media of Venezuela's deep economic crisis. But why does Venezuela have the world's highest inflation rate and what impacts have the sanctions really had on the country? Green Left Weekly's Federico Fuentes spoke to Venezuelan economist Pascualina Curcio, from the Simón Bolívar University, to find out more. | Hyperinflation is a grave problem in Venezuela, but its causes are less clear. How do you explain it?: | The determinant cause of hyperinflation in Venezuela is the political manipulation by third parties of the exchange rate between the bolívar [Bs, Venezuela's local currency] and…
(2019-05-03). Mass. Judge Refuses to Halt Pro-Palestinian Event at UMass Featuring Roger Waters & Linda Sarsour. democracynow.org 
"Not Backing Down: Israel, Free Speech, and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights." That's the title of an event set to take place Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After three anonymous UMass students filed a lawsuit to stop the event, a judge ruled Thursday the event can proceed, saying, "There's nothing that comes even close to a threat of harm or incitement to violence or lawlessness." We get an update from Sut Jhally, event organizer and professor of communication at the University of Massachusetts, and Rachel Weber, attorney and member Jewish Voice for Peace, Western Massachusetts chapt…
(2019-05-03). Friday's Daily Brief: hunger in North Korea, human rights in Iran, updates on DR Congo and Benin. un.org This Friday, we cover: a worrying food crisis in the Democratic Republic of North Korea; attacks against civilians in DR Congo; outrage after the execution of child offenders in Iran; concerns over a super cereal distributed by the World Food Programme; and post-electoral violence in Benin.
(2019-05-03). Roger Waters on Palestine: "You Have to Stand Up for People's Human Rights All Over the World" democracynow.org 
After a judge ruled a panel can move forward Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on "Israel, Free Speech, and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights," we speak with one of the event's scheduled participants: Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd, one of the most popular rock bands of all time. He says he welcomes the lawsuit that challenged the event, because "what it does is it serves to shine a light on the predicament of the Palestinian people."
(2019-05-03). SPLC Action Fund: Florida immigration enforcement bill dangerous, unnecessary and unconstitutional. splcenter.org The Florida Legislature this week passed Senate Bill 168, which would ban so-called "sanctuary cities."
(2019-05-03). We Can't Back People Who Hate Our Kids: Kentucky & Minnesota Teachers of Year Boycott Trump Meeting. democracynow.org 
We speak with two award-winning teachers who are trying to teach Trump a lesson. On Monday, Jessica Dueñas, the 2019 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, and Kelly Holstine, the 2018 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, boycotted a White House ceremony honoring them and other state winners of the award in protest of the Trump administration's education policies. But Dueñas and Holstine skipped the event to register their opposition to Trump's policies on immigration, education and LGBTQ rights, saying many of the White House policies directly impact their immigrant and refugee students.
(2019-05-03). Gay and trans workers may soon lose work-place protections. peoplesworld.org 
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon determine whether federal employment law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The court agreed to hear three cases involving Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which currently prevents employers from discriminating based on "sex." This decision will have a monumental impact on …
(2019-05-03). "We Shall Overcome": Remembering Folk Icon Pete Seeger on What Would Have Been His 100th Birthday. democracynow.org 
It was 100 years ago today that the late folk singer and activist Pete Seeger was born. In 2004, Seeger came into our Firehouse studio for an in-depth interview. We play an excerpt to mark his centennial celebration, in which he recalls how he learned about the classic civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome," that he helped to popularize. Watch the "full interview": www.democracynow.org/2006/7/3/we_shall_o… and our "full archive of interviews": www.democracynow.org/appearances/pete_se… with Seeger.
(2019-05-03). NAACP Files Suit Challenging Restrictive Tennessee Voter Registration Law. naacp.org NASHVILLE, TN — The NAACP, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, pro bono firm Hogan Lovells US LLP, Memphis-based firm Burch, Porter, & Johnson PLLC, Bromberg Law LLC, and community practitioner Daniel Ayoade Yoon filed suit today challenging Tennessee's new third-party registration law. The complaint alleges that the law, which imposes burdensome requirements …
(2019-05-02). Attorney General Barr Says ICE Has Power to Lock Up Asylum Seekers Without Hearings. aclu.org The Constitution does not allow the government to lock people up without due process of law. | Today the ACLU, the ACLU of Washington, the American Immigration Council, and Northwest Immigrant Rights Project launched a legal challenge to the Trump administration's latest assault on people who have come to the United States to seek refuge from persecution: jailing asylum seekers without even allowing a judge to decide if there's any reaso…
(2019-05-02). 'These Sanctions Amount to Collective Punishment Against the Entire Iranian Population'. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Sina Toosi about the Trump administration's anti-Iran campaign for the April 26, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2019-05-02). 'There Are Ways to Uplift the Resilience of Communities' – CounterSpin interview with Tina Vasquez on covering immigration. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Tina Vasquez about covering immigration for the April 26, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2019-05-02). A free press is 'cornerstone' for accountability and 'speaking truth to power': Guterres. un.org At a time when disinformation and mistrust of the news media is growing, a free press is "essential for peace, justice, sustainable development and human rights", said the UN Secretary-General, in his message for World Press Freedom Day, marked on Friday.
(2019-05-02). Hundreds march to Minnesota Capitol on May 1 to demand drivers licenses for immigrants. fightbacknews.org Saint Paul, MN – Hundreds of immigrants, union members and activists marched to the Minnesota State Capitol on May 1, International Workers Day. They demanded that the state legislature pass a bill to give immigrants access to drivers licenses, without adding amendments to further criminalize immigrants. They also raised other demands for immigrant and workers' rights while commemorating the workers who lost their lives in 1886 in the struggle for an eight-hour workday. | The march was organized by the May 1st Coalition – Twin Cities, which includes a variety of grassroots immigrant rights and social justice orga…
(2019-05-02). SPLC: Facebook and Instagram ban far-right and extremist figures, but still have more work to do against hateful content. splcenter.org Facebook and Instagram announced today that they have banned several far-right, antisemitic and extremist figures and organizations for being "dangerous," a sign that they are more aggressively enforcing their hate speech policies under pressure from civil rights organizations, including the SPLC.
(2019-05-02). Headlines for May 2, 2019. democracynow.org Attorney General Barr Grilled by Senate Judiciary over Mueller Report, Trump Administration Says It May Go to War to Oust Venezuelan President, Hundreds Arrested in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Paris, France, at May Day Rallies, Haitians Mark May Day with Calls for Living Wages, Ouster of President MoàØse, Honduras Cancels Education and Healthcare Privatization Plans Amid Protests, Puerto Rico May Day Protesters Demand End to Austerity Measures, 10,000 South Carolina Teachers Rally for Union Rights and Livable Wages, New York Domestic Workers Join Protest at the Trump Building on Wall Street, 16-Year-Old Gu…
(2019-05-02). Struggle to protect the Venezuelan Embassy in D.C.: coup-makers blocked on May Day. liberationnews.org 
The illegal seizure of the Embassy has been stopped by a combination of disciplined activists who held their ground and a legal strategy that asserted their rights.
(2019-05-02). Abortion-Rights Activism in Ecuador. thenation.com Abortion-Rights Activism in Ecuador…
(2019-05-02). MintCast Interviews Lisa Pease: Why Revisiting the RFK Assassination is Crucial to Palestinian Rights and BDS Today. mintpressnews.com 
MintCast co-hosts Alan MacLeod and Whitney Webb spoke to Lisa Pease, author of A Lie Too Big To Fail, about the compelling evidence of Sirhan Sirhan's innocence in the Robert F. Kennedy assassination and its implications for Palestinian rights.
(2019-05-02). Beyond Prisons: Voting Rights feat. Maya Schenwar. shadowproof.com Maya Schenwar returns to Beyond Prisons to discuss voting rights, the current political landscape, and her forthcoming book. | Maya is the Editor-in-Chief of Truthout. She is also the author of "Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn't Work and How We Can Do Better" and the co-editor of the Truthout anthology "Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States." She has written about the prison-industrial complex for Truthout, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Nation, Salon, Ms. Magazine, and others. Maya lives in Chicago and organizes with the abolitionist collective…
(2019-05-01). New House Bill Would Bar Israel From Using U.S. Military Aid to Detain Palestinian Children. theintercept.com Rep. Betty McCollum's bill seeks to ban Israel from using U.S. funds to detain, interrogate, or torture Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank.
(2019-05-01). Gaza's Economic Crisis Sends Territory Into Poverty and Chaos. therealnews.com 
Dr. Omar Shaban discusses the World Bank report on the shrinking Gaza economy and how Israeli sanctions and restrictions have destroyed a once thriving economy…
(2019-05-01). Ilhan Omar Speaks Out Against U.S. Sanctions & Bipartisan Support for Regime Change in Venezuela. democracynow.org 
Amid an ongoing coup attempt in Venezuela, we speak with Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who questioned U.S. special envoy to Venezuela Elliott Abrams on Capitol Hill in February about his record. Abrams is a right-wing hawk who was linked to the 2002 coup attempt in Venezuela that tried to topple Hugo Chávez. In the 1980s, Abrams defended Guatemalan dictator General Efraín Ríos Montt as he oversaw a campaign of mass murder and torture of indigenous people. Ríos Montt was later convicted of genocide. Rep. Ilhan Omar says that there is a direct correlation between this type of detrimental U.S. foreign policy in Lati…
(2019-05-01). Economist Jeffrey Sachs: U.S. Sanctions Have Devastated Venezuela & Killed Over 40,000 Since 2017. democracynow.org 
More than 40,000 people have died in Venezuela since 2017 as a result of U.S. sanctions, according to a new report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research co-authored by economists Jeffrey Sachs and Mark Weisbrot. The report examines how U.S. sanctions have reduced the availability of food and medicine in Venezuela and increased disease and mortality. We speak with Jeffrey Sachs in our New York studio. In the report, he writes, "American sanctions are deliberately aiming to wreck Venezuela's economy and thereby lead to regime change. It's a fruitless, heartless, illegal, and failed policy, causing grave ha…
(2019-05-01). Trump admin. behaves 'like thugs in a barrio': Interview with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza. thegrayzone.com Exclusive interview: Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza comments on new US sanctions, the Trump administration's coup efforts, the OAS, and…
(2019-05-01). Venezuela: UN human rights office calls for 'maximum restraint' by authorities in face of new demonstrations. un.org With another day of mass protests taking place across Venezuela, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) said on Wednesday it was "extremely worried by reports of the excessive use of force" by security forces, loyal to President Nicolás Maduro, a day after an opposition-led uprising appeared to stall.
(2019-05-01). Wednesday's Daily brief: Day 3 of anti-hatred summit, UNFPA turns 50, Ben Stiller #WithRefugees, updates on Abyei and Venezuela. un.org This Wednesday, our top stories cover: leaders gathered in Geneva to tackle hate speech; the 50th birthday of the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA); Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller advocating for Syrian refugees in the USA; human rights issues in the Philippines and in Venezuela; and an update on the UN peacekeeping misson in Abyei.
(2019-05-01). UN rights experts call on Philippines Government to halt 'unacceptable attacks' on Victoria Tauli-Corpuz. un.org False claims levelled at the UN expert on the rights of indigenous peoples by her own Government in the Philippines, "are without grounding in fact or law" and must cease immediately, said a statement issued by a group of her fellow experts on Wednesday.
(2019-05-01). NAACP Statement on William Barr Testimony. naacp.org The NAACP, the nation's foremost civil rights organization, released the following statement in response to Attorney General William Barr's testimony today: "Attorney General William Barr is unfit to serve. We opposed his confirmation because we believed he could not serve independently and would protect Donald Trump at all costs. Since taking office, Mr. Barr has demonstrated …
(2019-05-01). Hands Off Ilhan Omar: Angela Davis & Black Women Leaders Defend Congresswoman from Right-Wing Attacks. democracynow.org 
African-American women leaders gathered on Capitol Hill Tuesday in defense of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, one of the first two Muslim congresswomen in history and the first member of Congress to wear a hijab. Omar has been the target of numerous right-wing attacks since taking office, including by President Donald Trump himself. Omar says death threats against her have spiked in number since President Trump tweeted a video juxtaposing her image with footage of the 9/11 attacks. Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, civil rights icon Angela Davis and others addressed the crowd Tuesday to urge Congress to…
(2019-04-30). Court certifies class action in lawsuit on behalf of children detained by Trump administration. splcenter.org A federal court certified as a class action an SPLC lawsuit challenging the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement's (ORR) policies and practices regarding the release of unaccompanied minors and the reunification of immigrant families — a ruling with the potential to help end the prolonged detention of immigrant children across the United States.
(2019-04-30). Angela Davis: I Would Like to Accept Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Award After BDS Controversy. democracynow.org 
In February, Angela Davis returned to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. She originally planned the visit to receive the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, but the institute withdrew the award in January, soon after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring Davis due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Israeli government and Israeli institutions. Facing swift and widespread outcry, the institute then reversed its decision and reinstated the award. While Angela Davis…
(2019-04-30). Episode Three of "Animal Matters": What Are the Philosophical Premises For Why Animal Life Has No Value or is of Less Worth? theintercept.com As we learn about the widespread, industrial torture and slaughter of animals, how will we continue to ethically and intellectually justify these industrial practices?
(2019-04-30). Elizabeth Warren Calls for Investigation Into Monitoring of Family Separation Protests. theintercept.com Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is calling on the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General to open an internal investigation following revelations that a private intelligence firm provided the law enforcement agency with information on hundreds of protests against the Trump administration's policy of family separation. | "This most recent reporting raises questions about the government surveillance of Americans exercising their constitutional rights to organize peacefully and protest a cruel and unjust policy that does not make America safer or improve our immigration system and asylu…
(2019-04-29). Student "lunch debt" skyrockets across the country. Here's how it works. liberationnews.org 
Under a socialist system, food and education would no longer be luxuries or sources of debt, but guaranteed social rights…