(2019-03-21). The FBI Won't Hand Over Its Surveillance Records on 'Black Identity Extremists,' so We're Suing. aclu.org The ACLU and the Center for Media Justice are suing the FBI for records about the surveillance of Black activists—a tactic with a long, sordid history | At a time when violence by white supremacists is on the rise, the FBI appears to be targeting Black people in a secret intelligence program concerning so-called "Black Identity Extremists"— an inflammatory term for a group that doesn't even exist. The bureau's practice echoes earlier, shameful government surveillance programs that sought to discredit civil rights and Black power activists who were critical to advancing racial equality — and it e…
(2019-03-21). Chilean Rights Groups Call for Protests to Welcome Bolsonaro. telesurenglish.net Chilean social and political organizations called for demonstrations to reject the presence of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who traveled Thursday to Santiago to participate in the Forum for the Latin American Progress and Development (Prosur), a meeting convened by the right-wing Latin American governments in an attempt t…
(2019-03-21). Catholic Bishops Stopped My Surgery Because I'm Transgender. aclu.org Gender-affirming care is lifesaving and supported by medical professionals. Yet Oliver Knight and many other transgender people are denied this care. | After years of working to affirm my identity in a world where transgender people are questioned constantly about their decisions, I felt hopeful as I arrived for the surgery I had waited so long for. I was 27, and I would finally be closer to calling my body home. | Since I was a kid, I've felt like my body didn't match my soul. I felt uncomfortable in clothes. I felt disgusting when I showered. Everything felt wrong, but it took me a while to figure out why. | On…
(2019-03-21). Marking international day, UN experts call for urgent action to end racial discrimination, in wake of New Zealand anti-Muslim attack. un.org States must take urgent action, to "stem the tide of hate and discrimination" and ramping up of "ethno-nationalist populism", which helped fuel the deadly shootings in two New Zealand mosques last Friday by a self-declared white supremacist, several top UN officials and human rights experts have stressed, marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
(2019-03-21). US Uses Several Clandestine Shelters to Detain Immigrant Children. truthout.org This story was originally published by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit news organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn more at revealnews.org and subscribe to the Reveal podcast, produced with PRX, at revealnews.org/podcast.The federal government is relying on secret shelters to hold unaccompanied minors, in possible violation of the long-standing rules for the care of immigrant children, a Reveal investigation has found. | The Office of Refugee Resettlement, the government ag…
(2019-03-21). Colombian Ex-Footballer Viafara Arrested for Drug Trafficking. telesurenglish.net Colombian authorities detained former football star Jhon Viafara, accused of belonging to an organization that exported tons of cocaine in boats and semi-submersibles to the United States, which is requesting him in extradition, the Attorney General's Office said Wednesday. | RELATED: | Exclusive: A Look into 'Clan del Golfo,' Colombia's Largest Paramilitary Group | Viafara, 40, was arrested Tuesday along with four other people near the southern city of Cali after being involved in a…
(2019-03-21). Video: The "American Party" within the Institutions of the European Union. globalresearch.ca "Russia can no longer be considered as a strategic partner, and the European Union must be ready to impose further sanctions if it continues to violate international law" — this is the resolution approved by the European Parliament on 12 …
(2019-03-21). MoveOn Calls for Democratic Presidential Candidates to Boycott AIPAC Conference. theantimedia.com (CD) — MoveOn, a progressive advocacy group with millions of members, is calling on Democratic presidential candidates to boycott AIPAC's annual conference. "It's no secret that that AIPAC has worked to hinder diplomatic efforts like the Iran deal, is undermining Palestinian self-determination, and inviting figures actively involved in human rights violations to its stage," Iram Ali, campaign …
(2019-03-21). UN Recognizes Bolivia's Progress to Benefit People with Disabilities. plenglish.com La Paz, Mar 21 (Prensa Latina) The United Nations Human Rights Council recognized Bolivia's progress in policies implemented to enhance social benefits and inclusion of people with disabilities, local media reported on Thursday.
(2019-03-21). Harvard 'Shamelessly Capitalizing' Off Images of Slaves. telesurenglish.net A United States woman, Tamara Lanier, filed a lawsuit against Harvard University for "shamelessly capitalizing" from photographs of people who were enslaved, one of whom she claims is her great-great-great-grandfather. The lawsuit, which is challenging ownership rights and the university's right to profit from the institution of slavery, was filed Wednesday in Middlesex Superior Court. | RELATED: | Malaysia Wants Goldman Sachs to Pay $7.5 B in Reparations | The image of Lanier's rela…
(2019-03-21). The Torture Machine. zcomm.org Interview on Chicago Police Brutality from Fred Hampton to Today…
(2019-03-21). Ilhan Omar responds to attacks: Rashida and I are here to stay. greenleft.org.au 
Two young Muslim women were elected to the United States House of Representatives in the 2018 election. Ilhan Omar is Black, and a refugee from war-devastated Somalia. Rahida Tlaib is of Palestinian descent, and has family living under Israeli oppression. | Both are outspoken supporters of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, which was initiated by the Palestinian grassroots to protest Israel's oppression. | As supporters of BDS, they have been under attack from the Israeli lobby in the US, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which falsely claims BDS is anti-Semitic. Following I…
(2019-03-20). Ex-UN Human Rights Expert Blasts 'Manipulation' on Venezuela: 'We Are Swimming in an Ocean of Lies'. thegrayzone.com Former UN Special Rapporteur Alfred de Zayas criticized the human rights commissioner's past reports on Venezuela, calling them "unprofessional" and…
(2019-03-20). Headlines for March 20, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Hosts Brazilian President Bolsonaro, Threatens New Venezuela Sanctions, SCOTUS Rules Gov't Can Detain Immigrants with Criminal Records Indefinitely, 40-Year-Old Mexican Migrant Dies in Gov't Custody, Asylum Seekers Waiting in Mexico Return to U.S. for Hearings, Report: U.S. Airstrikes Killed At Least 14 Civilians in Somalia Since 2017, At Least 10 Migrants Drown Off Libyan Coast, Israeli Forces Shoot and Kill 3 Palestinians in West Bank, Egypt Cracks Down on Online Dissent, Russia Signs New Laws Censoring State Critics, Colombia: 2 Community Leaders Killed as Violence Against Activists Mounts, Trump Nominat…
(2019-03-20). The Government Is Hiding Its Plans for Anti-Pipeline Protests. aclu.org 
Federal and state responses to public records requests raise concerns of a crackdown on First Amendment-protected speech. | President Trump likes to build things — apartment buildings, casinos, golf courses, walls —…
(2019-03-20). US Sanctions Will Deepen Venezuelan Economic Crisis: UN. telesurenglish.net Further sanctions from the United States will only serve to aggravate Venezuela's economic state, said U.N. human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet said Wednesday. | RELATED: | Gold Fever? US Treasury Sanctions Venezuela Gold Mining Company | "I am concerned that the recent sanctions on financial transfers related to the sale of Venezuelan oil within the United States may contribute to aggravating the economic crisis, with possible repercussions on people's basic rights and well…
(2019-03-20). The Roots of Police Violence in Chicago: How Cops Have Targeted Communities of Color for Decades. democracynow.org 
We look at the long history of police brutality against Latinos in Chicago. Latinos, especially immigrants, have faced police violence and killings for decades, and have a long history of fighting back against brutality through community organizing and activism. But their stories have received little news coverage. We speak with Lilia Fernández, a professor of history and Latino studies at Rutgers University and the author of "Brown in the Windy City: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in Postwar Chicago." We also speak with Flint Taylor, an attorney with People's Law Office and author of "The Torture Machine: Racism and…
(2019-03-20). The Torture Machine: Flint Taylor on Chicago Police Brutality from Fred Hampton to Today. democracynow.org 
We look at the Chicago Police Department's long history of violence against African Americans, from the murder of Black Panther Fred Hampton to the reign of torture overseen by commander Jon Burge. The brutality of the Chicago police force is laid bare in a new book by leading civil rights lawyer Flint Taylor. It's called "The Torture Machine: Racism and Police Violence in Chicago." The book exposes decades of corruption and cover-ups in the Chicago Police Department. We speak with Flint Taylor, who has represented survivors of police brutality in Chicago for nearly half a century.
(2019-03-20). Trump & Bolsonaro Join Forces to Back Regime Change in Venezuela & to Attack Media as "Fake News" democracynow.org 
Brazil's far-right president and former Army captain Jair Bolsonaro visited President Trump at the White House for the first time on Tuesday. During the visit, Trump announced he would designate Brazil a major non-NATO ally, opening the door for Brazil to receive more U.S. military aid. Trump also suggested Brazil could even become a member of NATO. Both leaders criticized what they called the "fake news" and discussed increasing efforts to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from office. We speak with Maria Luísa Mendonàßa, director of the Network for Social Justice and Human Rights in Brazil. She i…
(2019-03-20). Palestinians Salute Pitzer College for Overwhelming Vote in Support of Palestinian Rights, Condemn Anti-democratic Veto by University President. bdsmovement.net 
Palestinians Salute Pitzer College for Overwhelming Vote in Support of Palestinian Rights, Condemn Anti-democratic Veto by University President: UpdatePitzer College faculty, students and staff voted overwhelmingly to suspend a study abroad program with Haifa University over Israel's discriminatory policies against Palestinians. In an anti-democratic move, Pitzer's president ve…
(2019-03-20). The Human-Rights Agenda Underlying the 2019 Medicare for All Bill. thenation.com The Human-Rights Agenda Underlying the 2019 Medicare for All Bill…
(2019-03-20). Venezuela: 'A worrying destabilizing factor in the region', Bachelet tells Human Rights Council. un.org Expressing deep concern at the "magnitude and gravity of the human rights impact" of Venezuela's current crisis, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Wednesday that the country had become "a worrying destabilizing factor in the region."
(2019-03-20). Border Patrol and ICE Routinely Violate Immigrants' Religious Rights. aclu.org Seizing rosaries, forbidding turbans, and serving pork sandwiches to Muslims are just some of the reasons we're demanding an investigation. | One pork sandwich every eight hours for six straight days. That's the only food that Border Patrol provided to Adnan Asif Parveen, a Muslim immigrant who was detained in South Texas in January because his work permit had expired and was pending renewal. Mr. Parveen reportedly informed officials that his religion forbids him from eating pork, but the…
(2019-03-20). US Imposes New Sanctions as Venezuelan Government Denounces Takeover of Diplomatic Offices. venezuelanalysis.com Trump warned that the "toughest sanctions" have yet to be imposed.
(2019-03-20). US Supreme Court rules government can indefinitely detain immigrants years after release from criminal custody. wsws.org The ruling emboldens the Trump administration in its fascistic war on immigrants, giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement a free hand to detain any migrant who has served time for an offense.
(2019-03-20). Twitter Blocks Account of Julian Assange's Mother. theantimedia.com (CN) — The Twitter account of Christine Assange, the mother of the arbitrarily detained founder of WikiLeaks, has been restricted, she told Consortium News on Tuesday. "My Twitter account has been 'blocked due to 'unusual activity,'" Ms. Assange wrote in a text message. Twitter, however, has provided her no reason for its action. Ms. Assange is a …
(2019-03-20). In El Paso Jails, Immigrants Are Incarcerated Far Past Their Release Dates. theintercept.com In early June 2018, Noe Ortiz walked with two of his young children across a dry riverbed from Mexico into El Paso, Texas. The 33-year-old Guatemalan made the crossing during the height of President Trump's migrant "family separation" policy, but he left behind a perhaps more perilous fate: death at the hands of the Calle 18 gang, which had extorted him, killed two of his brothers-in-law, and targeted him for murder. | An agricultural worker who lost part of one foot in an on-the-job accident, Ortiz arrived in El Paso wearing a boot on his amputated limb to stabilize his gait. He and his children were quickly app…
(2019-03-19). VIDEO: The Grayzone testifies at the UN — 'Humanitarian crisis in Venezuela: Propaganda vs. reality'. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Anya Parampil spoke about Venezuela at a United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva…
(2019-03-19). First peaceful transfer of power in DR Congo 'an extraordinary opportunity' for advancing rights. un.org The election of President Felix Tshisekedi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), marks "an extraordinary opportunity" for the country to advance civil and political rights, said a senior UN official, on Tuesday at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
(2019-03-19). Safe drinking water, sanitation, are 'basic human rights': new UN Water Development report. un.org Safe water and access to proper sanitation are essential to eradicate poverty, build peaceful societies and ensure that no one is left behind on the path towards sustainable development, according to the 2019 UN World Water Development Report, launched on Tuesday in Geneva.
(2019-03-19). Marty Gottesfeld: Another Whistleblower in Solitary Confinement. mintpressnews.com 
Last year I wrote about a whistleblower from New England who took direct action to save a child's life and who paid for it with his freedom. Marty Gottesfeld is now serving 10 years in prison for trying to save Justina Pelletier from abuse at the hands of her doctors at Children's Hospital in Boston. | At the age of 14, Justine developed searing stomach pain and inexplicable digestive problems. Her parents took her to a series of doctors until a metabolic geneticist at…
(2019-03-19). ACLU: The U.S. Is Acting Like an Authoritarian Regime by Barring ICC Officials Probing War Crimes. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration has barred International Criminal Court investigators from entering the United States. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday that the U.S. will start denying visas to members of the ICC who may be investigating alleged war crimes by the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In September, national security adviser John Bolton threatened U.S. sanctions against ICC judges if they continued to investigate alleged war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. A 2016 ICC report accused the U.S. military of torturing at least 61 prisoners in Afghanistan during the ongoing war. The report…
(2019-03-19). The Future of Line 3. progressive.org Climate, indigenous rights, and water security are all at stake in the ongoing fight against Enbridge's tar sands pipeline.
(2019-03-19). Facebook Settles Civil Rights Cases by Making Sweeping Changes to Its Online Ad Platform. aclu.org The ACLU expects other social media and advertising platforms to follow suit in recognizing that civil rights laws apply online. | The ACLU, along with our client Communications Workers of America and other civil rights groups, announced a historic settlement agreement with Facebook that will result in major changes to Facebook's advertising platform. Advertisers will no longer be able to exclude users from learning about opportunities for housing, employment, or credit based on gender, age, or othe…
(2019-03-18). 38 Years Prison and 148 Lashes for Iranian Human Rights Defender. therealnews.com 
Nasrin Sotoudeh defended political prisoners and worked to abolish Iran's death penalty. Human rights groups are worried her sentence could signal increased repression of peace activism in Iran under a judiciary with a history of human rights violations…
(2019-03-18). Gaza investigators call on Israel to review 'rules of engagement' as Gaza protest anniversary looms. un.org Human Rights Council-appointed investigators urged Israel on Monday to revise its military rules of engagement, shortly before the one-year anniversary of the start of mass demonstrations at the country's border fence with Gaza, that have left hundreds of Palestinians dead and thousands more injured.
(2019-03-18). 10 NAACP Women You Should Know About. naacp.org 
Since its founding in 1909, women have been at the forefront of leadership at NAACP. Rosa Parks, Myrlie Evers, and even Eleanor Roosevelt are just a few of the iconic women who have shaped the NAACP into the civil rights force that it is now. From our founders, Executive Directors, staff and members, Black women have always …
(2019-03-18). How Disability Rights Advocates Turned Back the Trump Administration's Attack on Students of Color. aclu.org Rules designed to help children of color and children with disabilities will go into immediate effect. | Earlier this month, in response to a lawsuit from the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, a national disability rights group, a federal district court ruled that the Trump administration violated federal law when it delayed a Department of Education rule designed to protect students of color and students with disabilities. | Children of color are significantly more likely to be identified as needin…
(2019-03-18). A Federal Civil Rights Office Wants to Limit Access to Emotional-Support Animals That Can Help With Depression. theintercept.com Housing industry groups have been lobbying the Department of Housing and Urban Development to make it harder for tenants to have emotional-support animals.
(2019-03-15). White Supremacist Kills 49 Muslim Worshipers in New Zealand as Islamophobic Hate Crimes Rise Globally. democracynow.org 
In New Zealand, a white right-wing extremist killed 49 people in an attack on two mosques in the city of Christchurch during Friday prayers. It is the deadliest shooting in New Zealand's history. Police have arrested and charged a 28-year-old Australian man named Brenton Tarrant with the attack. The gunman live-streamed the attack and published a manifesto in which he praised President Donald Trump as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose." We speak with human rights activist and lawyer Qasim Rashid, who recently launched a campaign to run for a seat in the Virginia state Senate. And we speak wit…
(2019-03-15). Venezuela: US Threatens New Sanctions as Hyperinflation Slows Down. venezuelanalysis.com The US government has increased pressure against Caracas mainly by targeting the oil industry.
(2019-03-15). Yemen: US and UK arms killed, injured civilians in Saudi-led attack. greenleft.org.au 
As Yemen faces the world's worst humanitarian crisis, a major new report has documented the role that the United States and Europe have played in the deaths of hundreds of civilians in the Saudi- and UAE-led war on Yemen. | A group of organisations, including Mwatana for Human Rights, a Yemen-based human rights organisation, released the damning report on March 6. It claimed that between April 2015 and April 2018, 27 coalition attacks killed at least 203 civilians an…
(2019-03-14). Impeaching Trump: Pelosi Says It's "Not Worth It," But Progressive Democrats Push Ahead. democracynow.org 
Democratic lawmakers are continuing to push for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, despite House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking out against impeachment in an interview earlier this week. Impeachment rumors have been swirling since the Democrats regained control of the House in January. Congressmember Rashida Tlaib of Michigan said last week that she will formally introduce articles of impeachment this month. We speak with John Bonifaz, an attorney and political activist specializing in constitutional law and voting rights. He is the co-founder and president of Free Speech for People, one of the organizatio…
(2019-03-14). Regime Change Via Sanctions? U.S. Uses International Finance System to Strangle Venezuelan Economy. democracynow.org 
Venezuelan officials say power will be largely restored in the country today after a week-long blackout across much of the country. The cause of the blackout remains in dispute. The United States blamed it on years of neglect of the Venezuelan energy system, but Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused the U.S. military of launching a "cyberattack against the electrical, telecommunication and internet systems." The blackout comes amid a growing political crisis in Venezuela as U.S.-backed opposition groups attempt to topple Maduro's government. On Monday, the United States announced it was withdrawing remainin…
(2019-03-14). The Reality Behind Trump's Coalition for Regime Change in Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com As the cast of regime change actors from Abrams to Bolsonaro reveals, the US attempt to oust Maduro has nothing to do with democracy or human rights.
(2019-03-14). Headlines for March 14, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Orders Boeing 737 MAX Planes Grounded After Fatal Crashes, Senate Votes to End U.S. Support for Saudi-Led War on Yemen, Pompeo Defends Support for Saudi Arabia Amid Reports of Torture, Senate Poised to Block Trump's National Emergency Declaration, Former Trump Campaign Chair Sentenced to 43 More Months in Prison, U.N. Warns Arctic on Pace to Warm by 5 Degrees Celsius by 2050, Spanish Investigators Link CIA to Attack on North Korean Embassy, Brazil: Two Gunmen Kill 8, Reportedly Inspired by Columbine Massacre, Nigeria: Lagos Building Collapse Kills 10 and Traps Schoolchildren, British MPs Reject "No-Deal" Br…
(2019-03-13). NAACP Issues Letters to Congress Calling for Hearings on Domestic Terrorism and Government Surveillance of Black Activists. naacp.org Letters sent to chairs of House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees BALTIMORE (March 13, 2019)—Today, the nation's foremost civil rights organization issued letters addressed to the chairs of the House Committees on Homeland Security and the House Judiciary Committee to request hearings on the issues of domestic terrorism; and regarding the ways in which Black …
(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). Venezuela: Electricity Recovery Continues as US Withdraws Diplomatic Staff. venezuelanalysis.com US officials have threatened new sanctions while Venezuelan authorities continue reactivating the electric grid.
(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 …