(2019-03-12). How US Sanctions are Hurting Iran: A Firsthand Report. counterpunch.org 
On a recent delegation to Iran, we experienced first-hand the legendary Iranian hospitality. Iranians are particularly thrilled to meet Americans, but as we discovered, our government's policies are hurting the very people who want to be our friends. As our 28-person delegation traveled through the country wearing messages on our jackets proclaiming "Peace with Iran" More
(2019-03-12). How US Sanctions are Hurting Iran: A Firsthand Report. zcomm.org Trump's economic strangulation is having devastating people on the Iranian people…
(2019-03-12). Indigenous Peoples Want Yalitza Aparicio as Peace Ambassador. telesurenglish.net Mexico's National Indigenous Governorship (GIN) Tuesday invited actress Yalitza Aparicio to be an Indigenous Peoples' Peace Ambassador because she represents "the victory of 68 native languages." | RELATED: | Oscars Joy For Cuaron And 'Roma' in Record Night | The…
(2019-03-12). Headlines for March 12, 2019. democracynow.org 2020 Budget Boosts Border Wall & Military Funding, Slashes Domestic Programs, NY AG Probe Targets Deutsche Bank's Ties to Trump Org., Rep. Pelosi: Trump "Not Worth" Impeaching, Algerian Pres. Bouteflika Will Not Seek 5th Term, Delays Election, U.N.: 2018 Deadliest Year for Syrian Children, U.N.: Airstrikes in Yemen Kill 22 Women and Children, Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Sotoudeh Sentenced to 38 Years, Colombia: Indigenous Activist Killed Amid Mounting Violence, Food Stamps Cut for 1.4 Million Puerto Ricans, Fox News' Tucker Carlson Calls Iraqis "Semiliterate Primitive Monkeys" in Surfaced Recording, Increasing Ba…
(2019-03-12). Brazil: 2 Former Police Arrested in Marielle Franco Murder. telesurenglish.net Two former policemen were captured Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro as suspects in the murder of Marielle Franco, a councilwoman and human rights activist who was shot on Mar. 14, 2018. | RELATED: | Bolsonaro's Son Linked to Suspect of Marielle Franco's Murder | "Two police officers were arrested with a direct and effective participation in the crime," Marcus Vinicius Braga, Rio de Janeiro state police secretary, said and added that "with the these arrests, we get close to solving the cr…
(2019-03-12). Two former police officers arrested over murder of Marielle Franco and Anderson Gomes. peoplesdispatch.org Two suspects in the killing of councilwoman and human rights activist Marielle Franco and driver Anderson Gomes were arrested this morning in Rio de Janeiro, almost one year after the crime. It is still unclear, however, who ordered the assassination and the motive. | At 4: 30 a.m. local time, 48-year-old retired military police officer Ronnie Lessa and 46-year-…
(2019-03-12). Italy Court Clears 2 Men of Rape Because Woman 'Too Manly'. telesurenglish.net Two men, who were found guilty of rape in 2016, were cleared of the charges by an appeal court in the Italian city of Ancona because the victim was "not credible," a decision that triggered a strong reaction from different organizations concerned with the defense of the rights of women who protested Monday in front of the court shortly after the news became public. | RELATED: | Italy's Far-right Celebrate Women's Day With Sexist Flyer | The judges — who were all females —…
(2019-03-12). The Political Class's Disregard for Irish Life. counterpunch.org 
The families of the 13 innocent people shot dead by the Parachute Regiment when they took part in a civil rights march against internment without trial in Londonderry in 1972 will learn in the coming week if soldiers, who are alleged to have carried out the killings, will be prosecuted. There is no doubt about More
(2019-03-12). NAACP-Opposed judicial nominee coming up this week. naacp.org President Trump has nominated Ms. Neomi Rao to serve as a judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Rao has an extraordinarily long record of hostility to the rights of people of color and other historically marginalized people. The NAACP is strongly opposed to this nomination, which may come before the full Senate for …
(2019-03-12). The UN Fails to Name and Shame Firms Aiding Israel's Illegal Settlements. commondreams.org A 2013 report on the ties between big business and the settlements noted the impact on the rights of Palestinians was "pervasive and devastating." (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-03-12). The Media's 6 Biggest Lies About North Korea. globalresearch.ca Here are six of the media's biggest lies about North Korea: | 1—Did North Korea end the negotiations in Hanoi because Trump refused to lift sanctions? | No. That's not what happened at all. Kim Jong un made a serious offer to …
(2019-03-12). Lavrov: US Sanction Against Russian Company Violates Int'l Law. telesurenglish.net U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is criminalizing Russian companies for doing business with the Venezuelan state, saying they are violated U.S. imposed sanctions by making transactions with Venezuela's sanctioned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). | RELATED: | US Presses India to Stop Buying Oil from Venezuela | In a Monday press conference Pompeo said that the assets of Evrofinance Mosnarbank, a Russia-Venezuel…
(2019-03-12). Socialist Equality Party files lawsuit against German secret service. wsws.org The SGP calls on all individuals, organizations, and institutions that defend democratic rights to support the suit against the secret service's attacks.
(2019-03-12). Is ICE Trying to Intimidate Anti-Trump and Anti-ICE Protest? therealnews.com 
An investigation published in The Nation discovered that ICE has been tracking anti-Trump and anti-ICE protests in New York City. Activists find this especially disturbing in light of ICE's effort to deport immigration rights activist Ravi Ragbir…
(2019-03-11). Headlines for March 11, 2019. democracynow.org Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Crashes, Killing All 157 On Board, Judge Jails Chelsea Manning For Refusing to Testify About WikiLeaks, Trump to Request $8.6 Billion for Border Wall in 2020 Budget, 1000s More Could Join ACLU Lawsuit over Trump Family Separation Policy, House Passes Election Reform Act Despite GOP Resistance, NYT Report Contradicts U.S. Claim That Maduro Responsible for "Aid" Convoy Fire, Guaidó to Declare Emergency as NYT Reports U.S. Sanctions Exacerbate Blackout, Netanyahu: "Israel Is Not a State of All Its Citizens", Gaza: Israeli Forces Shoot Palestinian Protesters, Killing 1, Fox Host Under Fi…
(2019-03-11). Judging U.S. War Crimes. counterpunch.org 
Chelsea Manning, who bravely exposed atrocities committed by the U.S. military, is again imprisoned in a U.S. jail. On International Women's Day, March 8, 2019, she was incarcerated in the Alexandria, VA federal detention center for refusing to testify in front of a secretive Grand Jury. Her imprisonment can extend through the term of the Grand Jury, possibly 18 months, and the U.S. courts could allow formation of future Grand Juries, potentially jailing her again. More
(2019-03-11). Free Press Action and Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Release Proposed 'Online Civil Rights and Privacy Act' to Combat Data Discrimination. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-03-11). NAACP 110th Convention Mobilizing in Detroit. naacp.org NAACP 110th Convention Mobilizing in Detroit Thousands Expected to Join in Setting NAACP 2020 Agenda Fighting Racism and Defending the Vote, Among Key Issues to be Discussed BALTIMORE (March 8, 2019) — The nation's foremost civil rights organization will kick off its 110th national convention on July 20-24, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. "In a country shaped by race relations, pollution and polarizing political struggles, Detroit stands out as the …
(2019-03-11). Rally opposes Christmas Island plan. greenleft.org.au 
About 80 people attended a rally called by the Refugee Action Collective on March 2 to protest against the Australian government's plan to reopen the detention centre on Christmas Island and send refugees from Manus Island and Nauru there. | The rally heard Shamindan Kanapadhi, a Tamil refugee on Manus, speak by phone about the conditions there, including inadequate medical care. He said "all of us on Manus are mentally sick," because of the inhumane and humiliating treatment to which they are subject. | Rally co-chair Tara Josem read a message from David Price, the CEO of Christmas Island shire, who said th…
(2019-03-11). Kentucky teachers speak against attacks on public education. wsws.org Teachers in Kentucky are holding discussions and seeking to develop their fight for pension rights and the defense of public education in the face of sabotage by the state and local teacher unions.
(2019-03-10). Huawei sues US govt. over federal ban on use on its products. peoplesdispatch.org Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in Canada on December 1 on the request of the US. Her arrest was linked to violations of US sanctions against Iran, bank fraud and theft of technology, allegations she has denied…
(2019-03-09). A Lakota historian on what climate organizers can learn from two centuries of indigenous resistance. mronline.org 
NICK ESTES DID not intend to write a book about Standing Rock. He was working on his dissertation about Indigenous rights at the United Nations when the movement against the Dakota Access pipeline exploded on the edge of one of the 16 northern Plains Indian reservations of the Oceti Sakowin people, known by the U.S. […] | Source
(2019-03-09). US women footballers go to court for pay equality. greenleft.org.au 
United States football (soccer) players filed a federal gender discrimination lawsuit on International Women's Day on March 8 seeking pay equal to that of their male counterparts. | The action comes just three months before the women's national team will defend its title at the Women's World Cup. | The class-action lawsuit was filed today in a Los Angeles federal court under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. It alleges gender-based discrimination by the US Football Federation. | The players allege they have been subject to ongoing "institutionalised gender discrimination". This includes une…
(2019-03-09). 'Fraud & election theft': Conservatives melt down after House Democrats pass voting rights bill. rt.com 
House Democrats have unanimously passed a sprawling voting rights, campaign finance, and ethics bill — which Republicans have unanimously opposed as a to-do list for "voter fraud and election theft."
(2019-03-08). International Women's Day 2019: We have had enough of Trump and the war on women. fightbacknews.org Enough is enough. Trump, his administration, and his backers are waging war on women, and millions of women are making it clear that we are not going to be pushed backwards. From the massive Women's Marches, to the midterm elections, to the constant, everyday resistance, women are standing up against Trump's reactionary agenda. | Trump and his supporters in the Senate want to pack the Supreme Court and roll back reproductive rights, and they have gotten a start by appointing the drunken misogynist Brett Kavanaugh. Accompanying the administrations outrageous policy of placing immigrants in detention, Trump's Justi…
(2019-03-08). Weekend Read: Why is racism still America's biggest problem? splcenter.org It rained on marchers from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965, and it rained on them again last weekend as they commemorated the day when police beat civil rights marchers so badly that the date became known the nation over as Bloody Sunday.
(2019-03-08). NAACP Commends House Passage of For the People Act — H.R. 1 Election Reform Bill. naacp.org Contact: Malik Russell /mrussell@naacpnet.org BALTIMORE (March 8, 2019)—The nation's leading civil rights organization issued the following statement regarding today's passage of groundbreaking election reform bill For the People Act/H.R. 1 by the U.S. House of Representatives. "The For the People Act represents a powerful effort to reinforce the truest principles of our democracy and pushes …
(2019-03-08). A Federal Appeals Court Confirms That the Constitution Guarantees Immigrants Access to Courts. aclu.org In a landmark decision, a federal appeals court struck down a law limiting judicial review of expedited removal orders as unconstitutional. | In a major decision on Thursday, a federal appeals court held that immigrants are entitled to seek judicial review of their "expedited removal" orders in federal court. This decision is a significant step towards ensuring that vulnerable asylum seekers and others will get a fair shot to prove their claims that our immigration laws and the U.S. Constitution guarantee. | Vijayakumar Th…
(2019-03-08). Immigrant Advocates Just Got JPMorgan Chase to Stop Financing Private Prisons. thenation.com Javier H. Valdés, Ana María Archila Immigrant Advocates Just Got JPMorgan Chase to Stop Financing Private Prisons…
(2019-03-08). End Venezuela Sanctions Says Rep. Ro Khanna and 15 Progressive Democrats. therealnews.com 
16 progressive members of Congress sent a letter to the Trump administration, demanding an end to economic sanctions and to military threats against Venezuela. We speak to Rep. Ro Khanna, who led the initiative…
(2019-03-08). Parents, Civil Rights Groups Sue Maryland For Underfunding Public Schools. therealnews.com 
The State of Maryland is facing fresh allegations of failing to adequately fund majority black schools, according to a brief jointly filed by parents, American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland and NAACP Legal Defense fund on Thursday, March 7.
(2019-03-08). HDP women candidates: 'We will govern our cities and ourselves'. greenleft.org.au 
Local government elections in Turkey will be on March 31. | The government of Recep Tayyip Erdoƒüan removed more than 80 of 103 elected mayors representing the Kurdish-led People's Democratic Party (HDP) from office and replaced them with government-appointed administrators, or trustees, as part of its crack down on the HDP for its alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). | The HDP is campaigning to win back most municipalities, especially in the provinces of Diyarbakƒ±r…
(2019-03-07). The Government Is Detaining and Interrogating Journalists and Advocates at the US-Mexico Border. aclu.org DHS created a list of people who were reporting on or working with the migrant caravan to flag for lengthy questioning at the U.S. border. | In what looks like a coordinated attack on constitutional rights, the U.S. government has reportedly been targeting journalists, activists, and lawyers working to raise awareness of issues facing migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. | On Wednesday, the NBC affiliate in San Diego revealed leaked docu…
(2019-03-07). War Crimes in Yemen? U.S. & U.K. Arms Killed & Injured Nearly 1,000 Civilians in Saudi-Led Attack. democracynow.org 
As Yemen faces the world's worst humanitarian crisis, a major new report has been released documenting the role that the U.S. and Europe have played in the deaths of hundreds of civilians in the Saudi- and UAE-led war on Yemen. A group of organizations, including a Yemen-based human rights organization, released the damning report on Wednesday, claiming that between April 2015 and April 2018, 27 coalition attacks killed at least 203 civilians and injured at least 749 people. The report found that 22 of the attacks likely involved weapons produced in the United States. The other five attacks were carried out eithe…
(2019-03-07). U.S. Has Supplied UAE $27B in Arms Despite Nation's Links to Torture, Mercenaries & Child Soldiers. democracynow.org 
We look at how U.S. weapons are supporting the ongoing devastation in Yemen with William Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy. He is the author of a new report about the role the United Arab Emirates has played in Yemen. It is titled "'Little Sparta': The United States-United Arab Emirates Alliance and the War in Yemen." We also speak with Ruhan Nagra, the executive director of the University Network for Human Rights, and Radhya Al-Mutawakel, chairperson of the Mwatana Organization for Human Rights. They recently published an investigation into the role of U.S.
(2019-03-07). Andrew Bacevich: The U.S.-Saudi Relationship Is a Principal Source of Instability in the Middle East. democracynow.org 
We look at a number of recent developments in U.S.-Saudi relations, a day after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a confirmation hearing for retired four-star general John Abizaid to become U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia. On Monday, the Trump administration gave a private briefing to senators on the investigation into the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October. Senators slammed the briefing for providing no new information. Meanwhile, The New York Times has revealed new details about the jailing and torture of a doctor with…
(2019-03-07). SPLC joins civil rights groups in friend-of-the-court brief urging Supreme Court to uphold fair, non-partisan redistricting principles. splcenter.org The U.S. Supreme Court this month will hear oral arguments in two cases that will test the court's readiness to tackle the issue of partisan gerrymandering.
(2019-03-07). NAACP Joins NABJ in Criticism of CNN's Lack of Diversity in Leadership Positions. naacp.org Civil Rights Group Voices Concerns over Diversity Failure to CNN BALTIMORE — The nation's foremost civil rights organization issued the following response to CNN President Jeff Zucker's refusal to address the lack of diversity in leadership positions: "It is vital that news organizations reflect the diversity of our country, which includes people of color in …
(2019-03-07). UN Commission Report Accuses Israel of War Crimes in Gaza. therealnews.com 
International law professor Kevin Jon Heller discusses the report of the UN Human Rights Council, which says Israel must be held accountable for war crimes committed against unarmed civilians and that Israeli courts do not hold them accountable…
(2019-03-06). As National Socialist Movement Falls Into Disarray, League of the South, Neo-Nazi Billy Roper Seek To Pick Off Members. splcenter.org After a black civil rights advocate took over the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement (NSM), Kynan Dutton had enough.
(2019-03-06). Kirstjen Nielsen Continues to Insist That There Is No Family Separation Policy. aclu.org During her congressional testimony, Homeland Security Secretary Nielsen dodged questions about her department's vicious border policies. | Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testified on Wednesday before the House Committee on Homeland Security, just days after the House passed a resolution to overturn President Trump's emergency declaration on the border wall. | Nielsen has helped Trump push lies and fabrications about the supposed security crisis at the border, when in fact the only crisis…
(2019-03-05). Ending the NSA's Massive Phone Spying Program Would Be a Good Start — But There's a Lot More to Do. aclu.org The successor to the NSA's bulk surveillance program revealed by Snowden is reportedly being abandoned. Congress needs to make sure it stays dead. | We may be one step closer to putting the final nail in the coffin of the National Security Agency's massive phone records surveillance program, if a New York Times report bears out. Ending this program is a good first step, but as Congress debates expiring Patriot Act provisions this year, it needs to do much more to protect individual rights, including eliminating t…
(2019-03-05). Congress, Let's Fix the Problems in H.R. 1 So We Can Enact the Bill's Much-Needed Reforms. aclu.org As currently drafted, the For the People Act of 2019 violates the First Amendment rights of American citizens and public-interest organizations. | Members of Congress are expected to vote this week on H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2019. There is a lot to like about the bill. , , To begin, its aim is to strengthen and expand participation in our democracy. We are at a crucial moment where our democratic institutions are not adequately protecting the will of the people, and we strongly support the goals of H.R. 1 to correct these infirmities. , , But, as we de…
(2019-03-05). NAACP Calls for Justice in Stephon Clark Case. naacp.org Joins Sacramento Branch in Condemning DA's Failure to Charge Police Officers in Murder of Stephon Clark BALTIMORE (March 5, 2019)—The nation's foremost civil rights organization joins its NAACP Sacramento Branch in condemning Sacramento District Attorney Marie Schubert's decision to not charge Sacramento Police officers Terrence Mercadel and Jared Robinet with murder for the killing of …
(2019-03-04). No to the Invasion of Venezuela! venezuelanalysis.com The Jamaica Peace Council (JPC) denounces the US President Donald Trump's Administration's recent sanctions — freezing of assets, acts of provocation and military aggression — against the people of Venezuela. These actions are in alarming violation of international law and the fundamental principles of human rights and national sovereignty.
(2019-03-04). The Coup in Venezuela, Explained. zcomm.org Sanctions and oil prices are to blame for the country's economic plight, while it boasts a far greater tradition of democracy than critics often realize let alone dare to admit…
(2019-03-02). Congressional, civil rights leaders gather at Civil Rights Memorial to honor movement's martyrs. splcenter.org U.S. Rep. John Lewis led a gathering of congressional and civil rights leaders in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, today, honoring those who lost their lives in the struggle for civil rights.
(2019-03-01). Trump's Other 'National Emergency': Sanctions That Kill Venezuelans. venezuelanalysis.com The humanitarian crisis will get rapidly worse if the most recent sanctions continue, Mark Weisbrot argues.
(2019-02-26). US Sanctions Four Venezuelan Governors as Lima Group Nixes Military Action. venezuelanalysis.com Despite Saturday's failure to force in "humanitarian aid," Pence warned that there is "no turning back."
(2019-02-18). Trump Hits Venezuela with More Sanctions as US Military Planes Bring 'Aid'. venezuelanalysis.com Three USAF planes landed 8km from the Venezuelan border, allegedly carrying "humanitarian aid."