(2019-08-08). 'Human rights crisis': Amnesty issues US travel warning, pushes for gun control after mass shootings. rt.com 
Amnesty International has dived headlong into the US gun control debate, urging travelers to be cautious amid a "human rights crisis" they blame on "ubiquity of firearms" and government reluctance to confiscate them.
(2019-08-08). What America Can Learn From Dick Gregory. truthdig.com 
One afternoon in New York City in the spring of 1964, I marched at the head of a small civil rights demonstration, one of the few white people in the group. I was carrying a watermelon. It was a Dick Gregory joke. | To say the least, not everyone liked that joke, but I thought it was hilarious, a jab by the hottest comedian in the country at one of the oldest racial stereotypes. Some of the black demonstrators in that little parade felt that Gregory's version of guerrilla theater (in which I was a bit…
(2019-08-08). Why Do We Hate Immigrants? thenation.com Why Do We Hate Immigrants?
(2019-08-08). French police assault Nantes protest against police drowning of Steve Caniàßo. wsws.org Thirty people were arrested and 34 detained preventatively by police, who fired water cannon and waves of tear gas grenades against protesters.
(2019-08-08). Oil Rises More Than 2%, Expectations of More OPEC Cuts. telesurenglish.net Oil jumped more than 2 percent on Thursday on expectations that falling prices could lead to production cuts, coupled with a steadying of the yuan currency after a week of turmoil spurred by an escalation in U.S.-China trade tensions. | RELATED: | US Renews Chevron License in Venezuela Despite Trump Sanctions | Prices rebounded after tumbling nearly 5 percent to their lowest since January on Wednesday after data showed an unexpected build in U.S. crude stockpiles after nearly t…
(2019-08-08). Judge Won't Reconsider $1,000-Per-Day Fines for Chelsea Manning. truthout.org | | A federal judge denied Chelsea Manning's motion to reconsider fines imposed against her for refusing to testify before the grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. He also undermined due process and refused to hold a hearing. | "Manning has the ability to comply with the court's financial sanctions or will have the ability after her release from confinement," Judge Anthony Trenga ruled. "Therefore, the imposed fines of $500 per day after 30 days and $1,000 per day after 60 days is not so excessive as to re…
(2019-08-08). Steps taken to end Saudi 'guardianship' system for women, 'encouraging' start. un.org Allowing Saudi women to apply for passports and travel without their guardians' permission is "an encouraging move" towards the "complete abolition of the 'guardianship' system," independent United Nations rights experts said on Thursday, but more action is needed to fully dismantle these restrictions.
(2019-08-08). Facial Recognition Technology Is Aiding ICE in Sanctuary Cities. truthout.org | | Cambridge, Massachusetts, became the fourth U.S. city last week to ban the use of facial recognition software amid privacy and civil liberties concerns. Oakland, San Francisco and Somerville, Massachusetts, have passed similar bans, and ordinances are now pending in Berkeley, Califor…
(2019-08-08). Demonizing Immigrants and Mental Health Conditions is Not a Solution to Gun Violence. indybay.org Responding to President Donald Trump's speech following a spate of mass shootings over the weekend, Ernest Coverson, Amnesty International USA's End Gun Violence campaign manager said: "Gun violence reform cannot come at the expense of the human rights of any community. When President Trump links background checks for guns with immigration reform, he is once again demonizing immigrants and communities of color. The Trump administration will stop at nothing to shut down the border and limit safety to those who most need it. It is outrageous to denounce bigotry in one breath and terrorize the community that was tar…
(2019-08-08). Large turnout to view George Washington murals slated for destruction. indybay.org Reese explains why all who defend democratic rights and artistic freedom must oppose the proposed destruction of the Victor Arnautoff murals at George Washington High School.
(2019-08-08). The real threat to free speech. greenleft.org.au 
#Folau was still trending on Twitter in Australia on August 7 as the endless whining — amplified by the corporate media — about sacked rugby player Israel Folau allegedly having his freedom to express his bigoted hate speech restricted persists. | Meanwhile, some very serious threats to free speech are going under-reported. | That same day, the High Court reversed former public service worker Michaela Bannerji's successful worker's compensation case. | Bannerji was sacked in 2013 for posting mild criticisms of Australia's inhumane offshore detention of asylum seekers. Her Tweets were not posted under…
(2019-08-08). The hidden refugee 'hell' in Melbourne. greenleft.org.au 
Located in the suburb of Broadmeadows, Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation (MITA) has been described as a "hidden hell for refugees". | Addressing a forum organised by the Refugee Action Collective (RAC) on August 5 by video message, Iraqi refugee Ali Yousuf, who was previously in MITA and is now in an Adelaide detention centre, said MITA guards regularly provoke people, seeking any reaction as an excuse to attack them. Yousuf suffered a broken hand when assaulted by a guard. | Yousuf said that detention is a waste of money that could be spent on helping the sick and people with disabilities. | He said th…
(2019-08-07). More Sanctions Against Venezuela Means More Suffering. therealnews.com 
The Trump administration's new sanctions freeze all of Venezuela's U.S.-based assets and those of anyone who helps Maduro which will only increase poverty, says Venezuelan economist Francisco Rodriguez…
(2019-08-07). Texas Police Captured Leading Black Man Through Streets on Rope. truthdig.com Galveston police Chief Vernon Hale III has issued a public apology for the officers' behavior. Civil rights leader say it's not enough.
(2019-08-07). Spooks behind Patriot Act, drone & torture programs unite to 'secure' US elections, free of charge. rt.com 
A group of former intelligence agency directors and other trustworthy cybersecurity pros has launched a charitable initiative to protect US elections against foreign interference. So who are these noble guardians of democracy?
(2019-08-07). ICE Raids 7 Food Factories in MS, Promising Deportations. telesurenglish.net U.S. immigration authorities arrested nearly 700 people at seven agricultural processing plants across Mississippi on Wednesday in what federal officials said could be the largest worksite ICE raid to ever happen in a single state. | RELATED: | Guatemala Farmers Strike Against US Migration Deal | Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a statement they detained about 680 people who were working without proper documents. The agents said they also seized business records from the…
(2019-08-07). Headlines for August 7, 2019. democracynow.org Dems and Grieving Communities Voice Resistance to Trump Visits to El Paso and Dayton, FBI Investigating Gilroy Mass Shooting as Domestic Terror, Dems Call on Congressional Leaders to Pass Bills Addressing White Supremacy, Civil Rights Groups Rally Against Gun Violence and White Supremacy at White House, Walmart Workers Plan Walkout to Protest Gun Sales, Toni Morrison, Visionary Author and Nobel Laureate, Dies at 88, Nigerian Journalist and Political Activist Omoyele Sowore Arrested After Calling for Revolution, U.S Warns Turkey Against Syria Attacking Kurdish Forces in Syria, 25% of World's Population Under "Extr…
(2019-08-07). Wednesday's Daily Brief: Syrian detainees, Zimbabwe hunger crisis, Kabul attack, Mexico disappearances, new tech to feed the world. un.org Wednesday's top stories: Syrian detainees "failed by Security Council"; Zimbabwe experiencing "worst-ever hunger crisis"; Guterres welcomes new Mozambique peace accord; deadly Kabul attack; Mexico "responsible for enforced disappearances"; indigenous languages at risk; and how innovation should be used to feed the world.
(2019-08-07). Four in 10 indigenous languages at risk of disappearing, warn UN human rights experts. un.org Of 7,000 indigenous languages spoken today, four in 10 are in danger of disappearing, rights experts said on Wednesday, in a call for a decade of action to reverse the "historic destruction" of age-old dialects.
(2019-08-07). BAYAN-USA: Stop the Attacks on Human Rights Defenders Now! fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from BAYAN-USA. | Threats and Harassment by Government Forces Foreshadowed Shooting of Human Rights Defender Brandon Lee | BAYAN-USA condemns the shooting of Brandon Lee, Cordillera Human Rights Alliance's paralegal volunteer and provincial human rights officer in Ifugao, on August 6 in Lagawe, Ifugao leaving him seriously injured. This attack is part of a spate of attacks on human rights defenders targeted by the U.S.-Duterte regime in its attempts to violently silence all opposition. It was Lee's dedication to seeking justice for victims of human ri…
(2019-08-07). BAYAN-USA: Stop the Attacks on Human Rights Defenders Now! fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from BAYAN-USA. | Threats and Harassment by Government Forces Foreshadowed Shooting of Human Rights Defender Brandon Lee | BAYAN-USA condemns the shooting of Brandon Lee, Cordillera Human Rights Alliance's paralegal volunteer and provincial human rights officer in Ifugao, on August 6 in Lagawe, Ifugao leaving him seriously injured. This attack is part of a spate of attacks on human rights defenders targeted by the U.S.-Duterte regime in its attempts to violently silence all opposition. It was Lee's dedication to seeking justice for victims of human ri…
(2019-08-07). Global Human Rights Movement Issues Travel Warning for the U.S. Due to Rampant Gun Violence. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-08-07). EU Opposes Recent US Total Blockade Against Venezuela. telesurenglish.net The European Union said Wednesday it rejected new moves by the White House to impose a total blockade on Venezuela. Though the EU has also placed sanctions on the elected government of Venezuela, they oppose U.S. attempts to extend the sanctions 'extraterritorially'. | RELATED: | Venezuela Denounces the 'Imperialist' Total Blockade by US | "We oppose the extraterritorial application of unilateral measures," said EU spokesperson Carlos Martin Ruiz de Gordejuela, spokesperson for the…
(2019-08-07). I Said No to a Netflix Series Audition Because I Support Palestinian Rights. truthout.org | | I'm an actor in the U.S. film and television industry. I've been around for more than 40 years. Recently, I was invited to audition for a new Netflix television series with the working title "Sycamore." The appointment sheet informed me that I would be trying out for the role of Martin Wexler, a series regular character described as an American politician, living in New York — "approachable, distinguished, practiced, and elusive." | I was intrigued by the role, and I was preparing…
(2019-08-07). UN Security Council 'utterly failed' Syrian detainees; a victim voices her plea to 'end impunity and stop this horror'. un.org The Security Council has "utterly failed Syrian detainees and their families", Amina Khoulani, Co-founder of Families for Freedom, told the Security Council on Wednesday, during a meeting focussed on those who have been jailed or gone missing across Syria, during years of brutal conflict.
(2019-08-07). Selected Articles: The US-China Trade War. globalresearch.ca Online independent analysis of US-led wars, rampant corruption, corporate greed, civil rights and fraudulent monetary transactions is invariably relegated to the bottom rung of search engine results. | As a result we presently do not cover our monthly running costs which …
(2019-08-07). Demonizing Immigrants and Mental Health Conditions is Not a Solution to Gun Violence. indybay.org Responding to President Donald Trump's speech following a spate of mass shootings over the weekend, Ernest Coverson, Amnesty International USA's End Gun Violence campaign manager said: "Gun violence reform cannot come at the expense of the human rights of any community. When President Trump links background checks for guns with immigration reform, he is once again demonizing immigrants and communities of color. The Trump administration will stop at nothing to shut down the border and limit safety to those who most need it. It is outrageous to denounce bigotry in one breath and terrorize the community that was tar…
(2019-08-07). #WhiteSupremacyKills: 100+ civil rights groups rally to reject GOP's excuses for massacres and demand concrete action. nationofchange.org 
More than 100 civil rights groups rallied outside the White House Tuesday to unequivocally state that white supremacy, easy access to guns, and indifference from policymakers about both were to blame for the massacres in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio over the weekend. Gun control and racial justice advocates assembled in the nation's capital …
(2019-08-06). 'US Doesn't Want Talks, They Want Violence:' President Maduro. telesurenglish.net In an interview published Monday, Grayzone journalist Max Blumenthal sat down with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and discussed the state of the nations, touching on the effects of U.S. sanctions and the challenges being faced from the U.S. and within the Bolivarian ranks. The details are as follows. | RELATED: | Arreaza: US Total Blockade Will Make People Suffer But Won't Break Venezuela | Breaking out of U.S.-imposed isolation: | During the interview…
(2019-08-06). Washington Escalates Venezuela Sanctions into Full-Fledged Embargo. venezuelanalysis.com The latest measures amount to a total trade embargo impacting both US and foreign entities.
(2019-08-06). Intensified Al Qaeda and ISIL activity in Yemen 'deeply worrying', says UN Human Rights Office. un.org Armed groups affiliated with the Al Qaeda and ISIL terror groups, appear to have intensified their activities in Yemen, Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) declared on Tuesday, describing the situation as an example of "deeply worrying developments" that have seriously impacted civilians over the past ten days.
(2019-08-06). Trump announces total economic embargo on Venezuela, collectively punishing civilian population. thecanary.co On 5 August, Donald Trump used an executive order to announce a total economic embargo on Venezuela. The embargo comes after years of crippling and illegal US sanctions,…
(2019-08-06). US economic war on Venezuela an 'attack on private property and threat to world order'. thecanary.co Venezuela's vice president has said the latest US sanctions freezing the assets of Nicolás Maduro's government are an attack on private property and a threat to world order. | Foreign companies which continue to do business with Venezuela's government can face retaliation in the US under the asset freeze, which was announced on Monday night. | Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodríguez said: "The US has to understand once and for all that they aren't the owners of the world." | She said that "every country that has investments in t…
(2019-08-06). Tuesday's Daily Brief: Venezuela-Colombia baby breakthrough, Italy piles on rescue boat pressure, States must combat hate, Kashmir rights latest and a musical plea to combat CAR hunger. un.org Tuesday's main stories: Colombia offers nationality to born of Venezuelan parents; '€1 million' fines for rescue boats; States must do more to stop hate attacks; Egypt terror attack condemned by Security Council, UN chief; Kashmir developments risk people's rights; and striking a chord for 1.8 million hungry Central Africans.
(2019-08-06). Tens of thousands of workers strike throughout Hong Kong. wsws.org The ruling class throughout the world is deeply fearful of the spread of social discontent as the working class moves into open struggle for its democratic and social rights.
(2019-08-06). Workers March in Brazil Against Government Pensions Reform. telesurenglish.net Workers marched Tuesday through the streets of Sao Paulo against the pension reform proposed by the president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro. | RELATED: | 'Criminals Must Die Like Cockroaches': Brazil President | The demonstrations, organized by Brazilian unions and social organizations, seek to prevent the approval of the pension reform, as Congress gets set for a second round of debates regarding the controversial bill. | The unions affirm that the bill violates workers' rights and, ther…
(2019-08-06). Colombia offers nationality rights to Venezuelan children born there: UN hails 'very important step'. un.org The UN migration agency, IOM, has welcomed Colombia's decision on Monday to grant nationality status to more than 24,000 Venezuelan babies born inside the country after their parents fled across the border.
(2019-08-06). Watch Jewish scholar Norman Finkelstein take down the smear campaign against Jeremy Corbyn. thecanary.co The Canary has been consistently exposing the shameless use of antisemitism as a political football to attack Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. In recent weeks, for example, ex-MP Clare Short and Jewish-Canadian psychol…
(2019-08-06). All States have 'primary responsibility' to protect against hate attacks. un.org The UN's top rights official has added her voice to condemnation of the weekend mass-shootings in the cities of El Paso and Dayton, insisting on Tuesday that "not just the US, but all States" should do more to stop discrimination.
(2019-08-06). #WhiteSupremacyKills: 100+ Civil Rights Groups Rally to Reject GOP's Excuses for Massacres and Demand Concrete Action. commondreams.org More than 100 civil rights groups rallied outside the White House Tuesday to unequivocally state that white supremacy, easy access to guns, and indifference from policymakers about both were to blame for the shootings. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-08-05). The Forgotten Rohingya Refugees. therealnews.com 
Existence is resistance: a quarter of a million Rohingya refugees live in Malaysia with no legal rights or protections…
(2019-08-05). Amid Conservative Assault on Organized Labor, Democratic Lawmakers Are Advancing Laws to Expand Workers' Rights. theintercept.com 
Nevada and Delaware passed laws this summer giving public-sector workers the right to collectively bargain. Colorado is expected to follow suit next year.
(2019-08-05). New Civil Rights Memorial to be installed on 54th anniversary of Voting Rights Act. splcenter.org Jimmie Lee Jackson was beaten and shot by Alabama state troopers during a peaceful voting rights march on Feb. 18, 1965.
(2019-08-05). Myanmar companies bankroll 'brutal operations' of military, independent UN experts claim in new report. un.org Money earned by the Myanmar military from international and domestic business deals, "substantially enhances its ability to carry out gross violations of human rights with impunity" according to a report released on Monday by an independent United Nations group looking into military-business ties in the South East Asian country.
(2019-08-03). 'You don't have any rights': CBP agents interrogate US citizen and seize his phone after Venezuela solidarity trip. thegrayzone.com The detention of a US citizen returning from Venezuela was an apparent extension of the US government's efforts to punish…
(2019-08-02). The Lines Between Us: The Modern History of Baltimore Apartheid (2/2). therealnews.com 
In part two, Lawrence Lanahan says the fight for fair housing did not end after the civil rights movement.
(2019-08-02). Boycott HP products to show solidarity with Palestinians. greenleft.org.au 
Not many people know about the role of IT giant HP in Israel's grave violations of Palestinian rights and its system of military occupation, racial segregation and oppression. | Just as many companies profited from the South African Apartheid regime, HP is today profiting from Israel's apartheid policies towards Palestinians. It supplies Israel with technology, equipment and information that is used in its ongoing violations of Palestinians' rights. | July marked a year since Israel adopted its Jewish "nation-state" law, giving constitutional status to its apartheid policies towards Palestinian citizens of Israel…
(2019-08-01). Dolores Huerta Accuses Biden of "Speaking Just Like a Republican" on Immigration. democracynow.org 
Immigration rights activists abruptly interrupted Joe Biden during last night's debate, chanting "3 million deportations!"—referring to the Obama administration's deportation of at least 3 million undocumented people. During the debate, Julián Castro repeatedly challenged Biden's record on immigration. "It looks like one of us has learned the lessons of the past and one of us hasn't," Castro said. We speak to Dolores Huerta and Cornel West.
(2019-08-01). Dolores Huerta & Cornel West Respond to Democratic Debate as Biden & Harris Face Harsh Scrutiny. democracynow.org 
Ten presidential hopefuls took the stage Wednesday evening for the second night of a Democratic debate in Detroit. During the night, former Vice President Joe Biden defended his record after facing numerous attacks on his record on criminal justice, the Iraq War, immigration and women's rights. Senator Kamala Harris also faced criticism over her record as California attorney general. We speak to the legendary labor leader Dolores Huerta, who is co-chair of Kamala Harris's campaign, and Harvard professor Cornel West, who has endorsed Bernie Sanders.
(2019-08-01). Headlines for August 1, 2019. democracynow.org Presidential Hopefuls Take Aim at Joe Biden During Second Night of Debates, Protesters Confront Joe Biden over Immigration Record, Protesters Confront NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio over Eric Garner's Death, NY Medical Examiner: Layleen Polanco Died of Epilepsy in Solitary Cell, U.N. Warns 21st Century's Worst Humanitarian Crisis Unfolding in Syria, Trump Administration Sanctions Iran's Foreign Minister, Sudan Schools Closed After Soldiers Massacre Students, Greenland Ice Melts at Rapid Pace as Temperatures Climb 30 Degrees Above Normal, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Promotes Climate Justice Proposal, 66 Seek Medical Care…