(2019-01-08). Rashida Tlaib: The Senate's Anti-BDS Bill Is an Unconstitutional Attack on Free Speech. democracynow.org 
A new Senate bill would allow state and local governments to boycott any U.S. companies which are engaged in a boycott against Israel. We speak with Congressmember Rashida Tlaib, who has come out out against the bill, tweeting, "They forgot what country they represent. This is the U.S. where boycotting is a right & part of our historical fight for freedom & equality. Maybe a refresher on our U.S. Constitution is in order, then get back to opening up our government instead of taking our rights away."
(2019-01-08). Children 'still tortured' in Iraq's Kurdish regions: HRW report. aljazeera.com Human Rights Watch report says teenage boys falsely confessed to joining ISIL while under torture by the authorities.
(2019-01-08). US slaps sanctions on Venezuelan media magnate. aljazeera.com Raul Gorrin allegedly led a currency exchange network, which the Treasury says stole $2.4bn.
(2019-01-08). American Civil Rights Institute Rescinds Angela Davis Honor. truthdig.com BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Black activists on Monday called for leadership changes and protests at an Alabama civil rights museum after it rescinded an award for political activist Angela Davis, a move the mayor said followed complaints from the Jewish community. | Speaking outside the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, located in the same downtown area where civil rights violence once shocked the nation, organizers told a news conference that Davis, a Birmingham native, was wronged by the decision to rescind the honor. | Davis, a longtime activist who has supported Palestinian rights and criticized Israeli policy,…
(2019-01-08). Chile Lawmakers Demand President Remove Minister Chadwick. telesurenglish.net Chilean opposition legislators are formally requesting President Sebastian Piñera to remove his Interior Minister Andres Chadwick from his post "as soon as possible" for "government negligence." | The Broad Front legislative coalition wrote to Piñera in a formal letter on Wednesday: "In virtue of the errors that imply an act of negligence on part of the government, particularly the Interior Minister Andres Chadwick, we demand that (President Piñera) request his resignation as soon as po…
(2019-01-08). Egypt to replace Cameroon as host of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. aljazeera.com Cameroon was stripped of hosting rights because of security concerns and the slow pace of preparations.
(2019-01-08). French PM Philippe, 'King of Shadoks,' Announces Protest Ban. telesurenglish.net The French Prime Minister Eduard Philippe announced the government's new approach to yellow vest demonstrations involving legal blocks to prevent unsanctioned protests, Monday. | RELATED: | Yellow Vest Women March Throughout France Against Austerity | After seven weeks of protests, the French government — still unable to calm popular discontent directed tow…
(2019-01-08). Failure to Raise Human Rights During Pompeo Visit to Gulf Could Risk Increased Abuses. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-01-08). Angela Davis is latest Black target of Israel lobby. zcomm.org The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute has canceled its annual gala at which iconic Black scholar and activist Angela Davis was to receive a prestigious human rights award…
(2019-01-08). Persecution, torture, global warming: The health challenges of an asylum-seeker. peoplesworld.org 
NEW YORK—In the process of gaining asylum and transitioning to the United States, immigrants cope with many health-related issues. Post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression, as well as many often indolent (slowly progressing) infectious diseases, are common among the immigrant population. Professional organizations are taking note of these health care needs. My professional organization, the …
(2019-01-08). Bernie Sanders Slams 'Absurd' Anti-BDS Bill Amid Gov't Shutdown. telesurenglish.net As the United States government shutdown enters its third week, Republican senators Marco Rubio and James Risch proposed a bill targeting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a move representatives Bernie Sanders and Rashida Tlaib, among others, heavily criticized. | RELATED: | HSBC: War Crimes, Not BDS, Behind Divesting from Israeli Arms Maker | "It's absurd that the first bill during the shutdown is legislation which punishes Americans who exercise their con…
(2019-01-08). For the First Time Since 9/11, There are a Few Hopeful Signs in the Preemptive Prosecutions of Muslims. counterpunch.org I have been studying the prosecution of Muslims in the "war on terror" since 2006, and the courts have been consistently and resoundingly unfair. Constitutional protections under the First Amendment; Fourth Amendment (illegal wiretapping); Fifth Amendment (tortured confessions); Sixth Amendment (secret evidencegiven to the judge but not the defense, anonymous witnesses), and Eighth Amendment (long More
(2019-01-08). Iran 'responsible for killing' two dissidents in the Netherlands. aljazeera.com Dutch intelligence agency says Tehran ordered the killing of two opposition figures as EU announces targeted sanctions.
(2019-01-08). 200 million on strike in India; Communist Party leaders detained. peoplesworld.org 
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(2019-01-08). Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Detained Children Tortured. hrw.org 
| | Exterior of the Women and Children's Reformatory in Erbil, where several dozen children are held in pre-trial detention or are serving sentences for alleged ISIS affiliation. | © 2018 Jo Becker/Human Rights Watch | (Beirut) — The Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq is torturing children to confess to involvement with the Islamic State (ISIS), Human Rights Watch said today. | Children told Human Rights Watch tha…
(2019-01-08). Clarifying RV Dwellers Rights in Santa Cruz. indybay.org 150 Center St. Fountain area of the Santa Cruz Police Department…
(2019-01-08). Anti-BDS Bill Slammed as 'Absurd' Amid US Government Shutdown Crisis. theantimedia.com 
(MEE) — A US Senate measure encouraging states and local governments to "divest" from companies that boycott Israel has stirred controversy in Washington, with civil rights groups rallying against the proposal and Senator Bernie Sanders slamming it as "absurd". The measure, presented in a wider Middle East foreign policy bill, was introduced last week amidst a …
(2019-01-08). 'Historic Moment': After Ballot Measure Victory Repeals Jim Crow Law, Voting Rights Restored for 1.4M Ex-Felons in Florida. commondreams.org Voting rights activists on Tuesday celebrated what the ACLU of Florida called "the single-biggest enfranchisement of voting rights since passage of the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution" as an estimated 1.4 million people who completed felony sentences regained the right to vote in the state—the result of a ballot measure victory in November that repealed "one of the country's worst Jim Crow laws." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-01-08). 1.4 Million Floridians Get Their Voting Rights Back Today, Whether Republicans Like It or Not. theintercept.com Some Florida Republicans, including Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis, have sought to sow confusion about the validity of Amendment 4, which goes into effect Tuesday.
(2019-01-08). Too anti-Israel? Birmingham institute abruptly revokes Angela Davis' civil rights award. rt.com 
Alabama-based Birmingham Civil Rights Institute has changed its mind about honoring civil rights activist Angela Davis, without much of an explanation. Critics are pointing to Davis's positions on Israel and Palestine for clues.
(2019-01-08). Twenty-two deaths reported in immigrant detention centers since Trump took office. wsws.org A review of the circumstances leading to the death of each person in ICE custody reveals that nearly all died as the result of criminal neglect or abuse.
(2019-01-07). New Senate anti-BDS Bill Unconstitutional and Ineffective at Curbing Boycotts. mintpressnews.com "It says quite a bit about the priorities of the new Congress when in the midst of a government shutdown, when federal workers are not receiving their paychecks, the new Congress is more concerned with curtailing the First Amendment rights of the people." — Chip Gibbons, U.S. Constitutional Law Expert
(2019-01-07). Brazil's Bolsonaro signs order endangering Amazon and indigenous rights. peoplesworld.org 
In his first day in office, right wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro realized the fears of environmentalists and Indigenous communities. They knew he would use his time in office to increase the access of extractive industries in the Amazon Rainforest. Within hours of taking power Tuesday, Bolsonaro transferred responsibility for recognizing Indigenous lands to the ministry of agriculture, The New York …
(2019-01-07). Lee Carter's Campaign for Labor Rights in Virginia Is Important for All Working Americans. thenation.com Lee Carter's Campaign for Labor Rights in Virginia Is Important for All Working Americans…
(2019-01-07). Ari Berman: Dems Introduce Sweeping Voting Rights Bill to Combat Rampant Voter Suppression. democracynow.org 
Voting rights activists are hailing a new House bill that aims to restore voting rights to millions, crack down on the influence of dark money in politics, restore the landmark Voting Rights Act, establish automatic and same-day voter registration and other measures. The bill has been dubbed the For the People Act. It is the first piece of legislation introduced by the new Democratic majority in the House. We speak with Ari Berman, senior writer at Mother Jones, reporting fellow at The Nation Institute and author of "Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America." His latest piece is titled…
(2019-01-07). Egypt: Little Truth in Al-Sisi's '60 Minutes' Responses. hrw.org 
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(2019-01-07). China's Xinjiang Tour Should Have Fooled No One. hrw.org 
| | Officials unveil a new political education camp in Bayingolin, Xinjiang. | © Yuli County, Xinjiang | China's authorities recently escorted diplomats from a dozen countries and a handful of foreign journalists on a highly controlled visit to Xinjiang, the northwestern region where an estimated one million Turkic Muslims are being arbitrarily and indefinitely detaine…
(2019-01-07). How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World. theantimedia.com 
(BAR) — The U.S. military state overthrows democratically-elected governments that it deems to be a threat to corporate interests. "There is plenty of evidence that the United States is the most depraved and dangerous "meddler" in the affairs of other nations that history has ever known." Dan Kovalik is a labor and human rights lawyer, but most …
(2019-01-07). Celebrating Cyntoia Brown's Clemency, Rights Advocates Vow to Continue Fighting for Human Trafficking Survivors Behind Bars. commondreams.org A decade-long campaign which garnered national headlines in recent months came to fruition on Monday, as Gov. Bill Haslam (R-Tenn.) granted clemency to Cyntoia Brown, a sex-trafficking survivor who has been behind bars for 15 years for murder. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-01-07). See No Evil: Pentagon Issues Blanket Denial That It Knows Anything About Detainee Abuse in Yemen. theintercept.com A U.N. panel found that detainees in prisons controlled by U.S. allies were beaten, electrocuted, hung upside down, and raped.
(2019-01-07). Compulsory earthquake warnings are racist, Portland NAACP says. rt.com 
Protesters in Portland, Oregon have rallied against a city policy demanding that owners of brick houses post warnings of potential collapse in case of an earthquake. Civil rights activists say the order targets black people.
(2019-01-06). 'Gender parity in torture': Twitter unimpressed as Maddow celebrates CIA's all-female leadership. rt.com 
Women now control all three directorates of the CIA — a historic milestone for gender equality in the clandestine regime change/assassination sector. Rachel Maddow seems to be celebrating, but why is Twitter full of party poopers?
(2019-01-05). We are sorry for the inconvenience, but this is a revolution. mronline.org 
On January 1 in India, 5.5 million women formed a 620-kilometer wall across the length of the state of Kerala to fight for women's rights to the Sabrimala temple. On the same day, Cuba celebrated 60 years since the 1959 revolution, which has been a persistent thorn in the side of global capital ever since. | Source
(2019-01-05). DR Congo: Voter Suppression, Violence. hrw.org 
| | A polling official counts votes in a school in Kinshasa after the Democratic Republic of Congo's general elections, December 30, 2018. | © 2018 Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images | (Kinshasa) — Widespread irregularities, voter suppression, and violence significantly marred elections on December 30, 2018 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Election officials should ensure that the announced results in the presidential, legislative, and provincial elec…
(2019-01-05). U.S. Senate's First Bill, in the Midst of the Shutdown, Is a Bipartisan Defense of the Israeli Government From Boycotts. theintercept.com Attacks on the free speech rights of Americans in the name of defending Israel seem to have no end in sight.
(2019-01-04). Rhode Island Supreme Court Allows Unfairly Shut Down Strip Club to Reopen. aclu.org Providence's licensing board, we argue, violated the club's rights when it was shut down based solely on allegations of solicitation of prostitution. | Imagine a symphony orchestra barred by the state from performing again because a musician was found to have sold marijuana to a colleague backstage. Imagine a bookstore being shuttered by the government because peace activists planned acts of civil disobedience in a backroom. Imagine a movie theater permanently closed because an employee assaulted a patron. | In Providence, Rhode Island, you don't have to imagine it, because it happened to a strip club c…
(2019-01-04). Headlines for January 4, 2019. democracynow.org 116th Congress Sworn In as Nancy Pelosi Elected House Speaker, House Democrats Adopt PAYGO Austerity Spending Rule, House Democrats Approve New Ethics Rules, Form Climate Committee, Trump Repeats Border Wall Demands as Gov't Shutdown Enters 14th Day, Trump Admin Wants to Send More Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border, Brazil: President's Assault on Indigenous Rights Threatens Amazon, Mexico: Mayor Assassinated Hours After Taking Office, Trump Administration Threatens Iran over Its Space Program, Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Faces Criminal Inquiry, Google Uses "Double Irish Dutch Sandwich" Scheme to Avoid Taxes, P…
(2019-01-04). Christmas in Tornillo: Activists, Lawmakers Demand Trump Shut Down Prison Camp for Migrant Children. democracynow.org 
As the government shutdown heads into its 14th day and Trump doubles down on his demands for a border wall, we turn to look at the ongoing crisis unfolding at the U.S. border and the protesters on the ground fighting back. In West Texas, immigrant rights activists are staging daily actions to shut down the Tornillo prison camp, where thousands of immigrant youth are being detained. The organizers call themselves the "Christmas in Tornillo" occupation. On New Year's Eve, they shut down the entrance of the sprawling prison camp, where 2,300 children are being held in more than 150 tents. We speak with Juan Ortiz, i…
(2019-01-04). Top Human Rights Tweets of the Week. hrw.org Trending rights tweets this week: Netflix agreed to censor a comedy episode because Saudi Arabia complained about it; powerful film showing China's detention of upwards of one million Uighur Muslims for forced indoctrination; the Democratic Republic of Congo's elections marred by systemic irregularities; and everyday people who inspired HRW in 2018.
(2019-01-03). Headlines for January 3, 2019. democracynow.org Democrats Take Back House with Historic Firsts, Dems to Vote on Contested PAYGO Rule, Which Restricts Gov't Spending, Dems to Vote on Plan That Funds Gov't Without Border Wall Funding, Shutdown Takes Toll on on Native American Communities, Trump Takes Aim at Mattis, Praises Kim Jong-un in Cabinet Meeting, Trump Takes Takes Credit for Markets, China Trade Relations, India: 2 Women Enter Hindu Temple After Centuries of Denied Access for Women, Mali: Gunmen Kill 37 Civilians Amid Mounting Ethnic Tensions, Russia: U.S. Citizen Detained on Espionage Charges, Chinese Probe Lands on Far Side of Moon in Historic First, N…
(2019-01-02). Young cultural workers take lead in celebrating 50 years of art and culture in the Philippine revolution. fightbacknews.org Utrecht, Netherlands – Hundreds of cultural workers, youth, human rights and political activists, artists, academics, Filipino and other migrant nationalities and representatives of political parties and formations from all over the world, jampacked the auditorium of center for art and culture in this central Dutch city, December 29, to celebrate "Fifty Years of Art and Culture in the Filipino People's Struggle for National and Social Liberation" and the anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on December 26, 1968. | The celebration was organized by the National Democratic Fron…
(2019-01-02). As the 115th Congress Ends, Here Are the Important Civil Rights Battles We've Won. aclu.org During the last two years of Trump, ACLU activists have won fights ranging from advancing criminal justice reforms to stopping border wall funding. | The past two years have been challenging times, as we have witnessed attacks on our shared values and civil rights from the Trump White House and a Republican-dominated Congress. It can sometimes feel difficult to make change happen, but even in this hostile climate, ACLU activists helped drive key legislative victories to advance civil liberties during the 115th Congress, which ends on Thursday. As the new Congress is sworn in on Thursday, these victories should re…
(2019-01-01). Four Days in Occupied Western Sahara—A Rare Look Inside Africa's Last Colony. democracynow.org 
In this special rebroadcast of a Democracy Now! exclusive documentary, we break the media blockade and go to occupied Western Sahara in the northwest of Africa to document the decades-long Sahrawi struggle for freedom and Morocco's violent crackdown. Morocco has occupied the territory since 1975 in defiance of the United Nations and the international community. Thousands have been tortured, imprisoned, killed and disappeared while resisting the Moroccan occupation. A 1,700-mile wall divides Sahrawis who remain under occupation from those who fled into exile. The international media has largely ignored the occupat…
(2018-12-31). A Disaster for Brazil: Noam Chomsky on Brazil's New Far-Right President Jair Bolsonaro. democracynow.org 
As Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro prepares to take office on Tuesday, we return to our conversation with world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky shortly after the election. Bolsonaro's impending presidency marks the most radical political shift Brazil since military rule ended more than 30 years ago. Bolsonaro is a former Army officer who has praised Brazil's former military dictatorship, spoken in favor of torture and threatened to destroy, imprison or banish his political opponents. Bolsonaro has also encouraged the police to kill suspected drug dealers, and once told a fem…
(2018-12-31). An Extraordinary Year for Civil Rights. naacp.org This was an extraordinary year for the NAACP. From building more political power in communities of color to fighting to protect the federal bench from those who have a record of purposefully harming our communities, we've had great successes—and it was your support that made it all happen. Here's a look at what we did […]
(2018-12-31). UAE: Rights Defender's Conviction Upheld. hrw.org 
| | Ahmed Mansoor speaks to Reuters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 30, 2011. | © 2011 Reuters | The United Arab Emirates Federal Supreme Court, the country's court of last resort in state security cases, on December 31, 2018, upheld a 10-year sentence for Ahmed Mansoor, an award-winning human rights activist, Human Rights Watch said today. | In May, an Abu Dhabi court sentenced Mansoor to 10 years in prison for "defaming" the UAE on s…
(2018-12-31). Bahrain: Rights Defender's Conviction Upheld. hrw.org 
| | Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab arrives for his appeal hearing at court in Manama, February 11, 2015. | © 2015 Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters | (Beirut) — The Bahrain Court of Cassation, the country's court of last resort, on December 31, 2018 upheld a five-year sentence for Nabeel Rajab, a prominent human rights defender, Human Rights Watch said today. | The sentence arose from comments criticizing torture in a Bahrain prison and the Saudi-…
(2018-12-31). The Long Hand of U.S. Intervention: The Intercept's 2018 World Coverage. theintercept.com 
Many of the world's troubles are legacies of American intervention. In Iraq, there is the continuation of a war that began with the U.S. invasion in 2003. One of the casualties is an American citizen imprisoned in Iraq for more than a decade, a victim of torture, secret evidence, and witnesses who later recanted. Decades of U.S. meddling in Central America, and support for repressive dictatorships there, have undermined social fabrics; gangs are rampant, and if joining them is easy, getting out is not. In Yemen, where the Saudi-led war has been supported by the U.S. military, children are dying of starvation. | <...
(2018-12-28). The Courts Consistently Brushed Back Trump's Assaults on Immigrants in 2018. aclu.org From family separation to the asylum ban, our independent judiciary stepped in to ensure that the president is not above the law. | This article was originally published in t he Los Angeles Times. | For immigrants, there's no way to sugarcoat 2018. The Trump administration enacted a series of draconian policies targeting noncitizens, and the one that will most define the year — and this administration — is the separation of thousands of children, some less than a year old, from their mothe…
(2018-12-27). Amber Heard: I Spoke Up Against Sexual Violence and Faced Our Culture's Wrath. aclu.org It's time to reform institutions that protect men accused of abuse. | This piece was originally published in The Washington Post. | I was exposed to abuse at a very young age. I knew certain things early on, without ever having to be told. I knew that men have the power — physically, socially and financially — and that a lot of institutions support that arrangement. I knew this long before…