(2019-12-08). Celebrate Human Rights Day in S.F. at City Hall! indybay.org San Francisco City Hall east steps (address: 1 Carlton B Goodlett Place, which is the name of Polk Street on that block)…
(2019-12-08). Basta fridayWeekly Save Chelsea from Torture and Death Vigil&Music. indybay.org Out side MacArthur and Fruitvale oakland ca 94602…
(2019-12-08). 'I plan to seek justice': Max Blumenthal vows legal action after US govt drops 'bogus' assault charges against him. rt.com 
The US government has dropped all charges against Max Blumenthal, after arresting the journalist over a dubious 5-month-old warrant. But the Grayzone editor says the case is far from closed. | Blumenthal was detained for nearly two days after police raided his Washington, DC office in October. The month-old warrant for his arrest listed the journalist as "armed and dangerous," and police carrying out the warrant reportedly threatened to kick down his door.The government's case was based solely on an unsubstantiated claim made by a right-wing Venezuelan opposition activist, Naylet Pacheco, who alleged that Blum…
(2019-12-08). Iran unveils budget plan to fend off US sanctions by cutting dependence on oil. rt.com 
Tehran will gradually reduce reliance on its oil reserves, ranked the third largest in the world, as it is set to resist the sweeping US sanctions that seek to curb Iranian crude exports to zero. | President Hassan Rouhani has pitched a budget bill to parliament, telling lawmakers that "this is a budget to resist [US] sanctions… with the least possible dependence on oil." He estimated it at around $38.8 billion for the next Iranian year which starts March 2020, according to Reuters. | The Iranian oil trade has been hit by US sanctions after the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the milestone 20…
(2019-12-08). Russia's Crimea welcomes record number of tourists in post-Soviet era. rt.com 
More than 7 million people have spent their vacations in Crimea so far this year, Deputy Chairman of Crimea's Council of Ministers and Permanent Presidential Envoy Georgy Muradov said, setting a post-Soviet record. | Muradov told TASS that "Crimea is Russia's second most visited region for tourism and recreation after the Krasnodar Region." | | Swallow's Nest Castle © Pixabay.com | Despite Western sanctions targeting the Black Sea peninsula (due to its reunification with Russia), Crimea is becoming increasingly popular with foreign tourists, Muradov said. This includes travelers from the United States a…
(2019-12-07). Dear Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook Is an Engine of Anti-Muslim Hate the World Over. Don't You Care? theintercept.com 
What happened to the guy who told his Muslim employees in 2015 that he would "fight to protect your rights and create a peaceful and safe environment"?
(2019-12-07). How the US Tortures. Report. globalresearch.ca Torture is a longstanding US policy, notably by the CIA and its henchmen. | The policy continues at secret global black sites under its new director Gina Haspel — earlier involved in running an offshore black site, notorious for torture during …
(2019-12-07). 'We all must step up' collective action on disability inclusion — UN deputy chief. news.un.org The international community has agreed truly ground-breaking frameworks to advance the rights of persons with disabilities, including in the context of development, but there remains a significant gap between these ambitions and the reality experienced daily by millions of persons with disabilities, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a conference in Doha on Saturday.
(2019-12-07). US Claims "Fresh Intelligence" Of Iran Attacks Yet Provides Zero Evidence — MSM Blindly Regurgitates. thelastamericanvagabond.com Here we go again with "fresh intelligence" to justify the continued sanctions and destabilization of Iran. It's a plan that has been well documented even by their own writings (See Which Path to Persia? — 2009). Of course, complicating U.S. foreign policy is the involvement of Israel. The Last American Vagabond covers the latest political posturing, distortion, and general …
(2019-12-07). 'We can make a deal together': Trump thanks Iran for 'very fair negotiation' that led to prisoner swap. rt.com 
In a reprieve from the usual bellicose rhetoric, President Donald Trump thanked the leaders of Iran for swapping an American prisoner with a detained Iranian scientist. Senior officials, however, told a different story. | Princeton scholar Xiyue Wang left Iran for the US on Saturday morning, while Iranian Scientist Massoud Soleimani returned to Tehran from America. Wang had been in Iranian custody since 2016 and was serving a ten-year term on espionage charges, while Soleimani was arrested in Chicago last year for sanctions violations and was awaiting trial. | The prisoner exchange came after weeks of negotiat…
(2019-12-06). Bolivia's Coup Government: a Far-Right Horror Show. counterpunch.org Since coming to power on November 12, Bolivia's right-wing coup government, led by interim president Jeanine Añez, has quickly consolidated power and achieved international legitimacy. So far, the Añez government has succeeded in calling elections for 2020; persecuting journalists, political opponents, and human rights activists; and, following two massacres of unarmed, mainly indigenous protesters that More
(2019-12-06). UN rights chief 'extremely concerned' over deadly crackdown on protesters in Iran. news.un.org In the wake of recent protests in Iran, the top United Nations human rights official expressed alarm on Friday over multiple human rights violations which have reportedly taken place across the country.
(2019-12-06). Bolivia: Chamber of Deputies Approves "Guarantees Law" telesurenglish.net The Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia announced Friday the approval of the Law of Guarantees for the Full Exercise of Constitutional Rights, a project that seeks to avoid persecution and indiscriminate judicial prosecution against social leaders who staged protests against the coup d'état last Nov. 10. | RELATED: | Crimes Against Humanity Reported in Bolivia: Int'l Delegation | The president of the Chamber, Sergio Choque of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) declared that the project complies…
(2019-12-06). Palestinian Detainees In Asqalan Suspend Hunger Strike. imemc.org Three days after starting a hunger strike in Asqalan Israeli prison, Palestinian detainees suspended their strike after reaching an agreement with the Prison Administration to move them to a section that has better living conditions. The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) said the detainees will be resuming the hunger strike if …
(2019-12-06). Foreign Minister Denounces World Forum Art Exhibition Sabotage. imemc.org The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned, on Friday, the removal of the art exhibition hosted by the State of Palestine and Palestinian Human Rights Organization Al-Haq from the hallways of the World Forum, the Palestinian News and Info Agency reported. Late on the evening of December 04, …
(2019-12-06). Rise in Caribbean children displaced by storms shows climate crisis is a child rights issue: UNICEF. news.un.org The number of Caribbean children displaced by storms has risen approximately six-fold in the past five years, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reveals in a new report released on Friday.
(2019-12-06). House Delivers on Restoring the Voting Rights Act; Now Senate Must Act. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-12-06). Common Cause Lauds Passage of Voting Rights Advancement Act, Urges Senate to Follow Suit. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-12-06). House Vote to Restore Voting Rights Will Send Strong Message to U.S. Senators. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-12-06). UK Labour Party votes to stop arms trade with Israel, apply international law to trade, and support refugee return. bdsmovement.net 
UK Labour Party votes to stop arms trade with Israel, apply international law to trade, and support refugee return: In the NewsAt the UK Labour party's annual conference, the party voted overwhelmingly for refugees right to return, to stop "any arms trade with Israel that is used in violation of the human rights of Palestinians" and to apply international law to UK trade wi…
(2019-12-05). A Border Officer Told Me I Couldn't Opt Out of the Face Recognition Scan. They Were Wrong. aclu.org 
"Look at the camera," a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) | officer told me as I approached the primary inspection point at the Paso del | Norte port of entry. | "Is that the face recognition technology?" I asked. "If so, I want to opt-out." | "Look at the camera." | "I want to opt-out." | "Look at the camera." | On the evening of November 25, 2019, I crossed from Mexico into the United States. Signs in the port noted the new use of face recognition technology and United States citizens' option to "undergo alternative procedures." After handing over my U.S. passport card, and despite my repeated protests…
(2019-12-05). New Legislation Aims to End the "School to Confinement Pathway" theintercept.com Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts introduced new legislation Thursday aimed at ending the "school to confinement pathway." The bill targets discriminatory and punitive school discipline policies that push black and brown students out of schools at disproportionately high rates, often directly into the criminal justice system. | The bill offers incentives to states and schools that commit to ban most suspensions and expulsions, as well as corporal punishment and the physical restraint of students. It also allots resources to the Education Department's Office of Civil Rights at a time when the Trump administrat…
(2019-12-05). Donald Trump Keeps Navy SEALs Above the Law. theintercept.com Rear Admiral Collin Green had a problem. Green, a Navy SEAL and commander of Naval Special Warfare, knew that his community — 3,000 active duty SEALs, their families, and the several thousand former and retired SEALs who make up their elite military tribe — was locked in a culture war over one notorious SEAL. What could he do about Eddie Gallagher? | Gallagher, a sniper and medic, was accused of stabbing an injured and unarmed ISIS detainee who may have been as young as 14 during a deployment in Mosul, Iraq, in 2017. The case had made headlines internationally, and Gallagher had won prominent support…
(2019-12-05). Aminatou Haidar Honored For Decades of Peaceful Resistance in Western Sahara, Africa's Last Colony. democracynow.org 
In Stockholm, Democracy Now! sat down with one of the winners of this year's Right Livelihood Award: Sahrawi human rights leader Aminatou Haidar. For over three decades, Haidar has led a peaceful campaign to resist the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, which is often called Africa's last colony. Morocco has occupied Western Sahara — a small region just south of Morocco in northwest Africa — since 1975. Thousands have been tortured, imprisoned, killed and disappeared while resisting the occupation. Peaceful protesters, led by women, are routinely beaten in the streets. Despite this violent repress…
(2019-12-05). Rights for workers means no going soft on Hansonism. greenleft.org.au 
union rights Sam WainwrightIssue 1248 Australia Ensuring Integrity Bill ACTUDecember 5, 2019Supporters of workers' rights breathed a big sigh of relief when the Coalition's union-busting Fair Work (…
(2019-12-05). Edward Snowden: If I Came Back to the U.S., I Would Likely Die in Prison for Telling the Truth. democracynow.org 
The Right Livelihood Awards celebrated their 40th anniversary Wednesday at the historic Cirkus Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, where more than a thousand people gathered to celebrate this year's four laureates: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg; Chinese women's rights lawyer Guo Jianmei, Brazilian indigenous leader Davi Kopenawa and the organization he co-founded, the Yanomami Hutukara Association; and Sahrawi human rights leader Aminatou Haidar, who has challenged the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara for decades. The Right Livelihood Award is known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." Over the past four deca…
(2019-12-04). Immigrant rights activists protest ICE detention at Sherburne County commissioners' meeting. fightbacknews.org Elk River, MN – Immigrant rights activists mobilized to the Sherburne County commissioners' meeting at 9: 00 in the morning Tuesday, December 3 in Elk River, a town of around 20,000 people an hour northwest of Minneapolis. They held signs throughout the meeting, and several of them spoke passionately during the public comment section of the agenda, appealing to the commissioners to stop participating in and profiting from immigrant detention in the Sherburne County Jail. | The Sherburne County Jail has a contract for 300 beds to detain immigrants for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), making it the la…
(2019-12-04). Activists decry Minnesota investments in border militarization, climate destruction. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) held its quarterly meeting at the State Capitol December 2 and got sharp criticism from immigrant rights and anti-war activists, as new documents revealed a nearly $1 million increase in investment in a controversial military technology company. Youth climate strikers also highlighted the SBI's inaction over state ties to environmental destruction. Both groups were met with vacillation and excuses from the board which is tasked with the responsible investment of public pensions and related funds. | At issue was Elbit Systems, an Israel-based manufacture…
(2019-12-04). TIAR Countries Blacklist Top Venezuelan Officials as US Slaps New Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Venezuela of "hijacking" mass anti-neoliberal protests in "our own backyard."
(2019-12-04). Wednesday's Daily Brief: 2020 humanitarian plan, malaria latest, greener tourism, people key to SDGs, Fall Armyworm. news.un.org A recap of Wednesday's stories: A record number of people will need humanitarian aid in 2020; WHO calls for more funding to protect women and children from malaria; the transport and tourism sectors are urged to tackle carbon emissions; a group of rights experts want to see more people helping make the SDGs a reality; Fall Armyworm pest sparks new global action plan; and how the UN is helping impoverished landlocked nations develop.
(2019-12-04). Seventeen Years After His Arrest, Alleged USS Cole Plotter Is Still Fighting to See Records of His CIA Torture. theintercept.com Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri's lawyers say that details of his torture are essential to defending him against death penalty charges.
(2019-12-04). U.N. Report Finds Over 7 Million Children Worldwide Are Being Held in Various Kinds of Detention. democracynow.org 
A damning United Nations report says that 7 million children are deprived of their liberty worldwide, from children imprisoned on the U.S.-Mexico border to the missing children of ISIS fighters. The Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty says that at least 410,000 of those children are detained in jails and prisons, where violence is "endemic." The study also found that the number of children detained in the context of armed conflict has dramatically risen. The global study was published in November, on the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the landmark international treaty affi…
(2019-12-04). "Alternative Nobel Prize:" Right Livelihood Award Celebrates 40 Years Honoring Grassroots Activists. democracynow.org 
The Right Livelihood Award is marking its 40th anniversary. The award was established in 1980 to honor and support those "offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us." It has since become known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." Over the past four decades, the award has been given to activists and grassroots leaders around the globe. A number of them have gone on to win the Nobel Peace Prize. This year's winners are: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg; Sahrawi human rights leader Aminatou Haidar, who has challenged the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara for decades; Chi…
(2019-12-04). Headlines for December 4, 2019. democracynow.org House Impeachment Report Accuses Trump of Soliciting Foreign Interference in 2020 Election, Report: Europe Could Face Annual Extreme Heat Waves Due to Climate Change, Kamala Harris Ends Her 2020 Presidential Campaign, ProPublica: McKinsey Helped Trump Speed Up Mass Deportation Program, Detained Asylum Seekers Protest in Winnfield, Louisiana, House Votes for Bill to Punish China over Mass Imprisonment of Muslims, ICC Begins Hearing over Alleged U.S. Military Torture in Afghanistan, Rikers Island Officers Stood By as Teenager Attempted to Hang Himself, Today Marks 50th Anniversary of Assassination of Fred Hampton…
(2019-12-03). Tuesday's Daily Brief: climate crisis reports, renewal in Iraq, Zimbabwe's hunger crisis, Disabilities Day. news.un.org A recap of Tuesday's stories: New climate change reports on human health and global warming; Zimbabwe's 'worst hunger crisis in a decade'; protests and civil unrest show 'renewed sense of patriotism' in Iraq; UN 'determined to lead by example' on disability rights.
(2019-12-03). Congress Must Act to Protect the Right to Vote. aclu.org Update 12/06/19: The House passed the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would update the Voting Rights Act for the first time since it was last reauthorized in 2006. | Read the ACLU's report to Congress on the importance of restoring the Voting Rights Act. | This week, the House is expected to vote on H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019. The bill would help ensure racial barriers to voting are removed from elections across the country. Passing the VRAA will advance needed protections for people whose right to vote is under attack based…
(2019-12-03). Meet Yetnebersh Nigussie: A Blind Ethiopian Lawyer Fighting for Global Disability Rights. democracynow.org 
December 3 is International Day of Persons With Disabilities. "Unfortunately, disability-based discrimination is still a global phenomenon," says Yetnebersh Nigussie, a lawyer and disability rights activist from Ethiopia who in 2017 received the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." Nigussie is the director for advocacy and rights at Light for the World and the former chair of the Ethiopian National Association of the Blind women's wing. She has been blind since the age of five. Yetnebersh Nigussie speaks with us in Stockholm. She is one of many former Right Livelihood Award recipie…
(2019-12-02). Amid a Violent Crackdown, Bolivia's Coup Gov't is Trying to Convict Evo Morales of "Crimes Against Humanity" mintpressnews.com The new Bolivian government's apparent grave concern for human rights when it comes to Morales may not ring true when judged against their actions in just three short weeks of rule.
(2019-12-02). UN 'determined to lead by example' on disability rights: Guterres. news.un.org The UN is determined to lead by example when it comes to the rights of people with disabilities, Secretary-General António Guterres said in a message to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which falls on 3 December.
(2019-12-02). Venezuela's PDVSA Secures Temporary Lease Extension for Curacao Refinery. venezuelanalysis.com Despite the extension, refinery owners are looking to end the 34-year cooperation under pressure from US sanctions.
(2019-12-01). The Sanctuary Strategy. progressive.org Policies and activism that work to shelter undocumented immigrants have spread across the country—and are remarkably effective.
(2019-11-28). 'This Was a Test Case to See How a Couple of Photos Could Silence Women' – CounterSpin interview with Mallory McMaster on Katie Hill. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed reproductive rights advocate Mallory McMaster about Katie Hill for the November 22, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2019-11-28). Operation Condor 2.0: After Bolivia coup, Trump dubs Nicaragua 'national security threat' and targets Mexico. thegrayzone.com After presiding over a far-right coup in Bolivia, the US dubbed Nicaragua a "national security threat" and announced new sanctions,…
(2019-11-28). US Vows to 'Reinforce' Sanctions, Accuses Venezuela and Cuba of Stirring Regional 'Strife'. venezuelanalysis.com Elliott Abrams reiterated support for Guaido and denied that sanctions are damaging the Venezuelan economy.
(2019-11-28). Vigil for West Papua. greenleft.org.au 
international solidarity Bernadette SmithIssue 1247 Australia West PapuaNovember 28, 2019Human rights activists are holding regular vigils outside the Indonesian Consulate in Sydney, calling for a United Nations-supervised referendum to allow the people of…
(2019-11-28). Argentina: abortion rights in sight. greenleft.org.au 
abortion rights Pip Hinman Rosana FanjulIssue 1247 Argentina reproductive rightsNovember 28, 2019Pro-choice campaigners are hopeful that Argentinian president-elect Alberto Fernández will…
(2019-11-28). Animal testing saves profits, not lives. greenleft.org.au 
environment Doug Leith Mary MerkenichIssue 1247 Australia animal rights MelbourneNovember 28, 2019Melbourne Save Animals in Lab…
(2019-11-28). Arundhati Roy: It's Hard to Communicate the Scale and the Shape of This Shadow Taking India Over. democracynow.org 
Human rights groups are condemning the Indian government for carrying out widespread torture, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and other crimes in Kashmir after the region's special status was revoked in August. We speak to the acclaimed Indian author Arundhati Roy about the crackdown in Kashmir, rising authoritarianism in India and other issues.
(2019-11-27). "If I Could Just Look at Her" aclu.org 
Watch the journey of two separated parents trying to cross the border and reunite with their children.: | " data-whitelisted="false" data-domain="www.youtube.com"> | In October, the Trump administration admitted that in a 12-month period, beginning in July 2017, it separated 4,370 immigrant children from their parents at the border. Since then, over 1,000 more have been separated under a dubious loophole that all…
(2019-11-26). We're Grateful for the Constitution. aclu.org Thanksgiving is here: that time of year when we pause to take stock of all we're grateful for. At the ACLU, we're saying thanks for all the crucial wins from our legal teams — and for the Constitution. | In just the last few months, we've racked up many essential victories in the ongoing battle to protect civil liberties and civil rights. The scope of these victories is breathtaking: they span criminal justice, privacy, religious freedom, reproductive rights, due process for immigrants, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, and the right to protest the Keystone pipeline, among others. We've won crucial victories…