2019-10-23: News Headlines

Emile Schepers (2019-10-23). Opposition to Trump's anti-Cuba policy at new high in U.S. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—With new sanctions just announced, the Trump administration's effort to roll back the advances in U.S.—Cuba relations achieved toward the end of the Obama administration is going full blast. Will opponents of these policies in the United States be up to the challenge of countering this reactionary wave? On the weekend of Oct. 19-20, the …

Ramzy Baroud (2019-10-23). Betty McCollum Is Pushing Congress to Stop Subsidizing the Torture of Palestinian Children. mintpressnews.com "The legislation I am introducing is expressly intended to end U.S. support and funding for Israel's systematic military detention, interrogation, abuse, torture, and prosecution of Palestinian children." – Betty McCollum…

Art Perlo (2019-10-23). Students rally against detention of classmate by ICE. peoplesworld.org NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Students at Wilbur Cross High School got a civics lesson that may be more valuable than a year in the classroom. Dozens of students, along with their teachers and staff rallied on October 18 in support of classmate Mario Aguilar Castañon, who is being held by ICE without bond pending deportation. …

Ilhan Omar (2019-10-23). Sanctions Are Part of a Failed Foreign Policy Playbook. Stop Relying on Them. commondreams.org Economic and sector sanctions are too often designed to inflict maximum pain on civilians, not empower them. (Photo: Syrian Refugees/Josh Zakary/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Ed Sykes (2019-10-23). Trump slammed for 'rewarding murder' in Syria as he lifts sanctions on Turkey. thecanary.co Donald Trump has said he will lift sanctions on Turkey after it reportedly agreed to 'permanently' cease hostilities against the largely-Kurdish areas of northern Syria (aka Rojava). But he has faced criticism across the board for being soft in the face of his NATO ally's crimes. | A new stage of the invasion: | Turkey has faced accusations of ethnic cleansing and…

Lucas Koerner (2019-10-23). US Renews Chevron License as European Refiner Cuts Venezuela Ties over Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com Finnish-Venezuelan refiner Nynas is one of PDVSA's few remaining cash buyers.

Ramzy Baroud (2019-10-23). She Deserves Our Support: Betty McCollum Wants US to Stop Subsidizing Torture of Palestinian Children. dissidentvoice.org In December 2018, 17-year-old Palestinian teen, Ayham Sabah, was sentenced by an Israeli military court to 35 years in prison for his alleged role in a stabbing attack targeting an Israeli soldier in an illegal Jewish settlement in the West Bank. Sabah was only 14 years old when the alleged attack took place. Another alleged attacker, Omar …

United Nations (2019-10-23). Decisive international action needed to end Israeli occupation: UN rights expert. un.org The international community has a responsibility and legal obligation to compel Israel to end its 52 year-long "occu-annexation" of Palestinian territory and remove barriers preventing Palestinian self-determination, a UN independent human rights expert told the General Assembly on Wednesday.

WSWS (2019-10-23). Video: Indiana GM workers denounce UAW sellout, express solidarity with Mexican workers. wsws.org Striking GM workers who attended informational meetings in Ft. Wayne, Indiana denounced the UAW-backed agreement for sanctioning the closure of plants and paving the way for GM to create a workforce of low-paid temps.

Sam Biddle (2019-10-23). An American Citizen Was Detained While Trying to Pay a Customs Fee on a Gift for His Daughter. theintercept.com The incident, involving a Muslim man and two family members, saw CBP stretch the law "beyond recognition," said a civil liberties attorney.

WSWS (2019-10-23). Who is counting the ballots for the UAW-GM contract? wsws.org The UAW has decided the deal will pass and is running roughshod over the democratic rights of workers in order to end the strike on the company's terms.

Jon Queally, staff writer (2019-10-23). NYC Bar Association Calls on Trump's AG William Barr to Recuse Himself—or Resign. commondreams.org If attorney general refuses to recuse or step aside, the association said he should "be subject to sanctions, including possible removal, by Congress." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Staff (2019-10-23). Stop Acting Like LGBTQ+ Rights Are Debatable. truthdig.com Before I came out, I thought it was normal to "debate" our right to marry or hold a job. Now I know it's not—at all.

Roger D. Harris (2019-10-22). Greater Middle East Project of Chaos: The Management of Savagery. mintpressnews.com The refugee crises coming out of the Middle East, generated by the forever wars and accompanying economic sanctions (more accurately, illegal unilateral coercive measures), have consequently fueled xenophobia both in the US and abroad. This, in turn, has fostered an ascendant wave of rightists. "Trump's election," author Max Blumenthal contends, "would not have been possible without 9/11 and the subsequent military interventionism conceived by the national security state."

The Canary (2019-10-22). Shamima Begum exposed to real risk of torture or death, court told. thecanary.co The decision to revoke the British citizenship of Shamima Begum — one of three east London schoolgirls who travelled to Syria to join Daesh (Isis / Isil) — has exposed her to a "real risk" of torture or death, a court has heard.Begum left the UK in February 2015 and lived under Daesh rule for more than three years. She was found, nine months pregnant, in a Syrian refugee camp in February this year.Former home secretary Sajid Javid stripped her of her British citizenship, a decision her lawyers argue was unlawful as it rendered her stateless. Such a decision is lawful only if an individual is entitled to…

WSWS (2019-10-22). Madrid steps up repression of protests against Catalan crackdown. wsws.org The ruling class is terrified that protests will erupt across Spain and beyond, linking the defence of democratic rights to the growing upsurge of working class struggles.

Fight Back (2019-10-22). Minnesota: Patriotic Chinese students oppose turmoil in Hong Kong. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On October 18, the five-starred flag of the People's Republic of China fluttered in the wind, as a group of patriotic Chinese international students marched in opposition to a reactionary demonstration billed as the "Liberty for Hong Kong March." | The reactionaries made their way through the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus "in solidarity with Hong Kong people against oppression on democracy and human rights." Many of the 'liberators' wore black, and the leaders of the demonstration donned yellow armbands and face masks. Their demonstration coincided with the House of Representatives…

Fight Back (2019-10-22). Chicago teachers strike continues. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – The joint strike by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and SEIU Local 73 continued October 18 and through the weekend as the office of Mayor Lori Lightfoot continued to refuse to meet the strikers' demands. | The teachers and school workers are on strike for "the schools our students deserve": smaller class sizes, genuine sanctuary schools, and a nurse and librarian in every school. Among their demands are political demands, or what the CTU calls "bargaining for the common good." These include the demand for affordable housing for working-class Chicagoans, something that the mayor refuses to put…

Staff (2019-10-22). Race for Profit: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor on How Banks & Real Estate Biz Undermined Black Homeowners. democracynow.org Recent U.S. census data reveals the homeownership rate for African Americans has fallen to its lowest level since before the civil rights movement. In the second quarter of this year, the rate fell to just 40% — the lowest level since 1950. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor's new book, "Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Home Ownership," examines the roots of this crisis. The book has just come out and has been longlisted for the 2019 National Book Award. From Philadelphia, we speak with Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, an assistant professor at Princeton University.

Ed Sykes (2019-10-22). Strong Corbyn speech in parliament nails why Johnson's Brexit deal is such a 'disaster'. thecanary.co On 22 October, Jeremy Corbyn delivered a strong speech in parliament which nailed why Boris Johnson's Brexit deal would be such a "disaster". | Why we need to oppose Johnson's disastrous deal: | Corbyn first reiterated that Johnson's deal would be "a disaster for our country". Having looked at the details of the deal, he called it: nothing less than a charter for deregulation and a race to the bottom | And he explained that it: fails to protect our rights and our natural world, fails to protect jobs and the economy, fails to protect every region and nation in the United Kingdom. | Jeremy Corbyn absolutely o…

United Nations (2019-10-21). Monday's Daily Brief: Online hate, gender equality in Africa, Chile protests, African migrants in Europe, Security Council in South Sudan. un.org A recap of Monday's main stories: companies 'failing' to address offline harm incited by online hate; gender equality 'precursor' to sustaining peace; UN rights chief urges 'immediate dialogue' to resolve Chile crisis; African migrants would make perilous Europe journey again; Security Council visits South Sudan.

Ryan Cristián (2019-10-21). Turkey Breaks Ceasefire, US "Secures Syria's Oil" & Assange's Torture & Violation Of Rights Exposed. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (10/19/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Fight Back (2019-10-21). Patriotic Korean students enter U.S. ambassador's Seoul compound, demand U.S. troops out now. fightbacknews.org On October 18 a group of Korean students entered the U.S. ambassador's residential compound in Seoul, Korea to protest the continuing presence of U.S. troops in their country. 20 people, who belong to a coalition of progressive students, scaled the wall of the diplomatic compound and began a demonstration against the U.S. occupation of their county. The students chanted "We don't need U.S. troops," and "Get out!" before being escorted out by police. 19 of the students were detained and questioned by south Korean police. | There are an estimated 28,000 U.S. troops in southern Korea who are essentially engaged in m…

United Nations (2019-10-21). UN rights chief urges 'immediate dialogue' to end Chile unrest. un.org The top UN human rights official is calling for politicians and civil society in Chile to engage in "immediate dialogue" to resolve the deadly crisis which has gripped the nation in recent days.

United Nations (2019-10-21). Companies 'failing' to address offline harm incited by online hate: UN expert. un.org States and companies are "failing" when it comes to combating online hate, the UN independent rights expert, or Special Rapporteur, on freedom of speech and expression said on Monday, ahead of the launch of a landmark report to reinforce legal standards for internet spaces.

Venezuela Analysis (2019-10-20). Venezuela Elected to UN Human Rights Council Despite US Opposition. theantimedia.com The Maduro government was elected to a three-year term with backing of 105 out of 195 UN member-states.

Naureen Shah (2019-10-18). Why is the Trump Administration Trying to Tear This 26-Year-Old DACA Recipient Away From Her Child? aclu.org Anahi Jaquez —Estrada is scared. As soon as Monday, she may be deported to a country she hardly knows: away from her 8-year-old daughter and her husband, both of whom are United States citizens. She has lived in the U.S. almost her entire life and is in the process of becoming a lawful permanent resident. Her story is at once exceptionally tragic and a paradigmatic example of how our immigration legal system is failing — and tearing families apart. | I met Anahi in late July at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention site in Aurora, Colorado, where she has spent the last year and a…

United Nations (2019-10-18). UN human rights office urges Egypt to immediately release detained protestors. un.org Authorities in Egypt are being urged by the UN human rights office, OHCHR, to immediately release scores of citizens who have been arrested in connection with recent anti-government demonstrations in several cities.

Lindsey Kaley (2019-10-18). Patients' Needs, Not Personal Beliefs, Come First in Health Care. aclu.org From the | start, the Trump administration has issued one regulation after another that uses | religion to deny people — particularly pregnant people, people with low-incomes, | and LGBTQ people — health care access and coverage. Today, we are asking | a federal district court in New York to strike down one of the most pernicious | of these regulations: the refusal of care rule. | The refusal | of care rule, issued by the Department of Health | and Human Services (…

Staff (2019-10-17). The Real News' Marc Steiner Remembers Rep. Elijah Cummings. therealnews.com Cummings was a civil rights leader, a political powerhouse, and, most recently, an outspoken opponent of President Donald Trump.

Ricardo Vaz (2019-10-17). Venezuela Elected to UN Human Rights Council. venezuelanalysis.com The Maduro government was elected to a three-year term with backing of 105 out of 195 UN member-states.

Fred_F (2019-10-17). Fight poverty through solidarity, not charity. greenleft.org.au welfare rights Steve O'BrienIssue 1241 Australia Raise the rate NewcastleOctober 17, 2019All of us know someone who is worse off than ourselves. Chances are that person is someone barely surviving…

Giacomo Sini (2019-10-16). Photo Essay: Home for the Kurds? progressive.org The Kurds living in northern Syria worked together to create an independent region called Rojava, based on workers rights, equality, feminism, and ecology.

Esteban Guevara (2019-10-16). Newark protesters: Democratic Party machine an accomplice in Trump's war on immigrants. liberationnews.org Protesters gathered in Newark, New Jersey for a rally and 3-mile march up to the detention center organized by the Resist the Deportation Machine Network on Oct. 12 to demand the closure of the ICE concentration camp in Essex county.

Staff (2019-10-16). Headlines for October 16, 2019. democracynow.org 12 Democratic Candidates Take to the Stage in Ohio, Pence Heads to Turkey as Erdogan Vows No Ceasefire in Northern Syria, State Dept. Official: White House Put "Three Amigos" in Charge of Ukraine Policy, Activists Arrested in D.C. over Trump Plan to Gut Refugee Resettlement, British Family Detained for a Week After Mistakenly Driving Across U.S.-Canada Border, Egypt Tortured Journalist & Activist Esraa Abdel Fattah in Custody, Worst Fires in Decades Rage Across Lebanon, Mexican Senate Slated to Vote on Bill to Legalize Marijuana, Man Launches Hunger Strike Amid Mohawk Land Dispute with Real Estate Developers, Cal…

Fight Back (2019-10-15). Coalition to March on the DNC 2020 gets off to a good start with its first action. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – The first meeting for the Coalition to March on the DNC took place on the evening of October 11, concluding with a demonstration and rally. The coalition is comprised of many progressive activist groups united around nine demands – or points of unity – that serve as a basis and also a guide to action. Some of these points are "Legalization for all; no more deportations" and "Fight to expand union and worker rights." | The coalition plans to march during the Democratic National Convention next July. Though a request for a permit to march has been submitted, the coalition is still awaiting a respons…

Kate Ruane (2019-10-15). Our Online Speech Rights Are Under Threat. aclu.org Congress on Wednesday will examine a little-known law that has made the internet the space for self-expression and connection that it is today. The law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA 230), is one of the most speech protective laws Congress has ever enacted and it is now under threat. | The internet today provides us an indispensable platform to communicate freely with others who might otherwis…

Leslie Cooper (2019-10-15). Will the Supreme Court Sanction the Use of a Religious Litmus Test For Foster Parents? aclu.org There are currently 440,000 children in foster care across the | country. And the Supreme Court has been asked to hear Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, | a case that could profoundly impact all of them. | In a petition filed with the court, a taxpayer-funded foster care agency is claiming a constitutional right to exclude prospective foster families that don't meet its religious criteria when providing public child welfare services. The ACLU and the ACL…

Aaron Maté (2019-10-11). Real life and resistance in Venezuela — Ben Norton reports on effects of US blockade. thegrayzone.com Ben Norton speaks about his reporting in Venezuela, where he investigated how bipartisan US sanctions and Trump's embargo are making…

Teresa Albano (2019-10-11). Resisting Anti-Immigrant Hate in the City of Big Shoulders. progressive.org A gaggle of far-right MAGA men showed up at a Chicago church to protest its immigrant rights work. Bad decision.

Ryan Cristián (2019-10-09). US 'Walks Back' Syria "Withdrawal," Kurd's '10,000 ISIS' Warning & The FBI 'Violated Privacy Rights'. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (10/8/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Ricardo Vaz (2019-10-02). Venezuela's CITGO in Danger as Maduro Seeks Debt Renegotiation. venezuelanalysis.com US financial sanctions have stopped Venezuela from renegotiating foreign debt since 2017.

patrick (2019-10-02). Palestinian civil society calls on Egyptian authorities to immediately release activist Ramy Shaath. bdsmovement.net Palestinian civil society calls on Egyptian authorities to immediately release activist Ramy Shaath: Open Letter30 Palestinian civil society organizations call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release human rights activist Ramy Shaath, and call on all Palestinian, Arab and international organizations to show solidarity with Ramy's just cause and also…

Ricardo Vaz (2019-09-26). Venezuela: Trump Imposes Travel Ban, Putin Backs Dialogue. venezuelanalysis.com US officials and the Venezuelan opposition have also lobbied the EU to impose harsher sanctions against Caracas.

splcenter (2019-09-26). Weekend Read: Marchers today will demand rights for transgender people amid hate crimes and Trump administration assault. splcenter.org Thousands of people will be marching in Washington, D.C., and across the nation today.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-09-25). Washington Gives Guaido $52M in Funding, Slaps Venezuela with New Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The new aid package dovetailed with fresh sanctions targeting Venezuela-Cuba oil shipping.

PACBI (2019-09-24). Opinion by Legal Scholar Prof. John Dugard on Relations Between University of Cape Town and Israeli Universities. bdsmovement.net Opinion by Legal Scholar Prof. John Dugard on Relations Between University of Cape Town and Israeli Universities : AnalysisAs the University of Cape Town weighs refraining from relations with Israeli Universities enabling the gross violation of Palestinian human rights, renowned South African international law scholar Prof. John Dugard finds that UCT "would be acting in accordance with So…

Ryan Cristián (2019-09-23). Iran Narrative Implodes, Saudis Bomb Yemen In Retaliation, MSM Silent, & US Sanctions Venezuela Food. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (9/22/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Lucas Koerner (2019-09-18). US imposes New Sanctions Targeting Venezuela's Food Program. venezuelanalysis.com The Treasury Department has targeted people and companies involved in imports for Venezuela's CLAP program.

Ricardo Vaz (2019-09-12). Venezuela Oil Production Continues Decline as China Cancels More Shipments. venezuelanalysis.com Russian oil giant Rosneft blasted threats of US sanctions as "unfair competition."