(2019-04-30). At AFL-CIO headquarters, Brazilian unionists describe dire human rights situation there. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The human rights and unionists' rights situation in Brazil, under new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, is direr than people in the U.S. realize, two top unionists and one of their consultants from the large South American republic said at a meeting at AFL-CIO headquarters here yesterday. It includes not just a crackdown on unions, but …
(2019-04-30). Libya: UN mobilized to support thousands uprooted by Tripoli clashes, renews call for humanitarian truce. un.org Since fighting broke out on the edge of Libya's capital, Tripoli, earlier this month, over 42,000 people have been displaced and thousands are believed trapped in the city's southern outskirts. As UN humanitarian teams work around the clock to provide life-saving assistance, human rights chief Michelle Bachelet stressed on Tuesday the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, and humanitarian corridor for civilians.
(2019-04-30). Angela Davis: I Would Like to Accept Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Award After BDS Controversy. democracynow.org 
In February, Angela Davis returned to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. She originally planned the visit to receive the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, but the institute withdrew the award in January, soon after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring Davis due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Israeli government and Israeli institutions. Facing swift and widespread outcry, the institute then reversed its decision and reinstated the award. While Angela Davis…
(2019-04-30). Episode Three of "Animal Matters": What Are the Philosophical Premises For Why Animal Life Has No Value or is of Less Worth? theintercept.com As we learn about the widespread, industrial torture and slaughter of animals, how will we continue to ethically and intellectually justify these industrial practices?
(2019-04-30). Remembering the Revelations of US Torture at Abu Ghraib. globalresearch.ca The infamous Abu Ghraib prison complex in Iraq was revealed to be the centre of an extensive network run by the US military after the coalition's invasion of the country in 2003. Abuse and torture of largely innocent civilian Iraqi …
(2019-04-30). As Bernie Sanders Says 'No Apologies' for His Position, 70+ Rights Groups Back Call for Prisoner Voting Rights. commondreams.org The advocacy organizations called on all 2020 presidential candidates to "publicly commit to ending felony disenfranchisement" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-04-30). Court certifies class action in lawsuit on behalf of children detained by Trump administration. splcenter.org A federal court certified as a class action an SPLC lawsuit challenging the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement's (ORR) policies and practices regarding the release of unaccompanied minors and the reunification of immigrant families — a ruling with the potential to help end the prolonged detention of immigrant children across the United States.
(2019-04-30). The United States of Incarceration. truthdig.com This piece originally appeared in anti-war.com. | You've got to give it to the Defense Department — they're assiduous planners. I know: I used to be one. So the latest news that the DOD is preparing its 40 remaining forever prisoners at the extralegal detention center of Guantanamo Bay for nursing home and hospice care, should come as little surprise. It still shocks the senses a bit, though, doesn…
(2019-04-30). US Government, Corporate Media Join Forces in Neoliberal War Against Venezuela. dissidentvoice.org 
President Donald Trump and the likes of the New York Times might seem like strange bedfellows but they have found common cause in seeking regime change in Venezuela, a country that poses no threat to the United States but sits on the world's largest proven oil reserves. Trump administration sanctions have already killed tens of …
(2019-04-30). Pentagon fires Guantanamo prison commander for calling attention to US crimes. wsws.org Vice Admiral Ring was removed from his post after telling the media that the US prison camp had to prepare for "end-of-life" care for detainees.
(2019-04-29). Bernie Sanders Supports Voting Rights for the Imprisoned. therealnews.com 
Corporate media's twisted narrative frames voting rights as "letting terrorists and rapists vote."; Anoa Changa and Norman Solomon join host Jacqueline Luqman to discuss the battle over voting rights for people in jail…
(2019-04-29). Student "lunch debt" skyrockets across the country. Here's how it works. liberationnews.org 
Under a socialist system, food and education would no longer be luxuries or sources of debt, but guaranteed social rights…
(2019-04-29). Trump says NRA 'under siege' as New York AG launches probe into the gun rights group. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has tweeted his support for the National Rifle Association (NRA), branding the ongoing probe into it a "siege" and urging the embattled non-profit to end infighting and get back to "greatness."
(2019-04-29). Indigenous Women Lead Fight for Land Rights in Brazil. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Indigenous women have been overturning tradition to step into the spotlight and lead an international push to defend their land rights, which are up against the greatest threat they have faced in years under right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. | RELATED: | Indigenous Protesters Set Up Camp Outside Brazil's Congress | Claiming that Indigenous populations lived in poverty, Bolsonaro is making legislative moves meant to allow development of their ancestral lands, currently p…
(2019-04-29). New Report Reveals US Sanctions Have Cost 40,000 Venezuelan Lives. mintpressnews.com The Washington DC-based Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) published a report Thursday on the effects of US sanctions against Venezuela. | The 27-page paper was authored by economists Mark Weisbrot and Jeffrey Sachs, who determined that sanctions have "inflicted very serious harm to human life" in Venezuela. | "The sanctions are depriving Venezuelans of lifesaving medicines, medical equipment, food, and other essential imports," Weisbrot, Co-Director of CEPR, said in a press release. For his part, Sachs added, "American s…
(2019-04-29). PATRICK LAWRENCE: The US Moves on Iran's Oil Market as an Expression of an Irrational Foreign Policy. consortiumnews.com Patrick Lawrence gauges the backfiring potential of Pompeo's withdrawal on Thursday of U.S. sanction waivers from eight major importers. A Decisive Defeat in Long-Running Battle with Foreign Policy Minders By Patrick Lawrence Special to Consortium News Secretary of State Mike… Read more →
(2019-04-29). 50,000 Palestinian Children Imprisoned by Israeli Kangaroo Courts Since 1967. mintpressnews.com While Israel's government often touts itself as the "only democracy" in the Middle East, it is also the only government in the entire world that detains children through military courts with a near 100 percent conviction rate, something that even Saudi Arabia does not do.
(2019-04-28). Lies, Damn Lies, and Abortion. theintercept.com For a long time, when people would ask me what subjects I covered as a journalist, I would jokingly say, "Criminal justice and reproductive rights — and hoping the two never intersect." It's not funny anymore (if it ever really was). | Opponents of reproductive rights have become emboldened, pumped up by a reconstituted, decidedly conservative U.S. Supreme Court and the appointment of a fleet of radical judges to the lower benches. Meanwhile, in a race to see who can be first to directly challenge abortion rights before the high court, their proxies in state houses across the country gleefully file legislat…
(2019-04-27). Canada Gets Cozy with Repressive Middle East Monarchies. dissidentvoice.org While Justin Trudeau's government embraces repressive Middle East monarchies, they want us to believe their campaign to oust Venezuela's government is motivated by support for democracy and human rights. On a tour of the Middle East last week Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan met his United Arab Emirates counterpart Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi in …
(2019-04-27). The Shameful Moralizing On Prisoner Voting Rights. shadowproof.com Editor's Note: We're pleased to publish this preview of our member newsletter, "Keeping The Issues Alive," which provides a closer look at the stories we're following at Shadowproof. | Subscribe for $9/month and receive this weekly newsletter: SUBSCRIBE NOW | For this week's newsletter, Shadowproof publishing editor Brian Sonenstein responds to the backlash against the notion of allowing prisoners to vote, including those convicted of "violent offenses." | Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sander…
(2019-04-27). ICE's Attempt to Deport a Critic Was "Outrageous" and "Egregious," Appeals Court Rules. theintercept.com The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that activist Ravi Ragbir's lawsuit against ICE for violating his First Amendment rights can move forward.
(2019-04-27). Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Arreaza addresses NYC activists. fightbacknews.org New York, NY — More than 50 people gathered at The People's Forum, on the evening of April 25 for a talk by the Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Arreaza. Arreaza was part of a Venezuelan delegation visiting the United Nations to demand an end to U.S. sanctions against their country. The sanctions have completely frozen Venezuelan assets and have stalled government activities meant to help the population. | In the last few months, the United States has heightened the attacks on the democratically elected government of Nicolás Maduro. While the U.S. has always attempted to meddle in Venezuelan aff…
(2019-04-26). Smoke, mirrors and the old shell game. workers.org 
Capitalist politics have long been a shell game. While the masses of people are told to look to elections to address their myriad of grievances — the real issues of poverty, racism, lack of good-paying permanent jobs and affordable health care, the struggle for women's and LGBTQ rights — these . . . | Continue reading Smoke, mirrors and the old shell game at Workers.org
(2019-04-26). Roe v. Wade Under Threat: Planned Parenthood Pres. Speaks Out as State Laws Threaten to Ban Abortion. democracynow.org 
Abortion rights are under threat across the United States, with 28 states currently considering legislation to ban or restrict abortion in various ways. Among the slew of strategies are trigger bans, to make abortion completely illegal in a state should Roe v. Wade be overturned, and six-week abortion bans. Earlier this month, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed into law a six-week abortion ban, which bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected—something that typically happens before many women realize they're pregnant. The bill does not include exceptions for cases of rape or incest. A similar law i…
(2019-04-26). U.S. Gag Rule Expansion Will Constrain Women's Rights Worldwide. therealnews.com 
The Trump administration's global gag rule will not only stop abortion funding, but will bar organizations worldwide from offering comprehensive reproductive health services…
(2019-04-26). Malaysia: Australian corporate polluter Lynas told to remove radioactive waste. greenleft.org.au 
Since it began operating its controversial rare earth refinery in Malaysia in 2013, Australian company Lynas Corp has produced about 450,000 tonnes of radioactive waste. After the first-ever change of federal government in Malaysia last year, local residents hoped this corporate polluter would finally be brought to account. Green Left Weekly's Peter Boyle interviewed Malaysian environmental and residents' rights activist Jade Lee from the Stop Lynas campaign about the latest developments. | Lynas' rare earth refinery in Kuantan has been getting…
(2019-04-26). Appeals Court Decision Upholds First Amendment Rights Of Undocumented Immigrants. shadowproof.com In a victory for undocumented immigrants who engage in activism, a federal appeals court found activist Ravi Ragbir had a valid claim against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which attempted to deport him in retaliation for his political speech.
(2019-04-26). Tina Vasquez on Covering Immigration, Sina Toossi on Iran Sanctions. fair.org 
Media…
(2019-04-26). Stop U.S. sanctions! workers.org 
The gang that announces Washington's policies has laid out a program of punishment, aimed at populations of countries on three continents. Any honest international court would charge them with crimes against humanity. Marchers in New York join millions who reject U.S. sanctions on Venezuela.WW photo: Brenda Ryan Secretary of State . . . | Continue reading Stop U.S. sanctions! at Workers.org
(2019-04-26). Headlines for April 26, 2019. democracynow.org Sri Lanka Lowers Death Toll from Easter Attacks; Top Officials Resign over Intelligence Failures, Anita Hill: I Am Not Satisfied by Biden's Apology over Handling of Clarence Thomas Allegations, As Comcast Lobbyist Hosts Biden's First Fundraiser, Campaign Boasts of Support from "Top 1%", Biden Hires Ex-Bernie Sanders Staffer as Senior Adviser, Hundreds of Thousands Protest in Sudan Demanding Civilian Rule, North Korea's Kim Jong-un Accuses U.S. of Acting in Bad Faith in Nuke Talks, In Response to Yellow Vest Protests, Macron Vows to Cut Taxes, Tells Nation It Must Work Harder, Report: U.S. Sanctions Have Killed 40…
(2019-04-26). Filipina Journalist Maria Ressa Helped Expose Duterte's Deadly Drug War; He's Now Trying to Jail Her. democracynow.org 
The award-winning Filipina journalist Maria Ressa has been arrested twice in recent months by the Philippines government as President Rodrigo Duterte cracks down on critics and the media. In February, she was detained in a cyber libel case that's widely seen as politically motivated. She was arrested again in late March for allegedly violating a ban on foreign media ownership. Duterte has long attempted to shut down Rappler, which has published groundbreaking work on Duterte's deadly war on drugs that has killed thousands. Duterte has repeatedly described the site as fake news outlet. We speak with Maria Ressa, t…
(2019-04-26). Palestinians call on Iceland's Eurovision contestant Hatari to withdraw. bdsmovement.net 
Palestinians call on Iceland's Eurovision contestant Hatari to withdraw: PACBI StatementCancelling performance in apartheid Tel Aviv would be a meaningful expression of solidarity for the band, who are on record supporting Palestinian rights. | Cultural Boycott Boycott Eurovision 2019April 26, 2019…
(2019-04-25). UK Israel Lobby Adds Muscle as US Lobby Weakens. consortiumnews.com British politics are being plunged into a stifling silence on the longest example of mass human rights abuses sanctioned by the West in modern history, writes Jonathan Cook. By JonathanCook Jonathan-Cook.net For decades it was all but taboo to suggest… Read more →
(2019-04-25). Thursday's Daily Brief: Malaria Day, women in tech, updates on Mozambique, the Sahel, Myanmar, Israel and Syria. un.org This Thursday, we cover: where we stand on tackling malaria; bracing up for a new storm in Mozambique; the need to make more room for women in tech; boosting resilience in the Sahel; a resurgence of violence in Syria; and human rights in Myanmar and Israel.
(2019-04-25). Refugee sends plea from Manus Island. greenleft.org.au 
Thousands turned out for refugee rights rallies across the country on Palm Sunday, April 14. | Kurdish refugee Farhad Bandesh, who is detained on Manus Island, addressed the rally in Newcastle by phone. Below is an edited transcript of his speech. | *** | My name is Farhad Bandesh. | I speak to you from Manus Island, where I have been imprisoned and tortured with others, like our friends on Nauru, for nearly six years. | I wish to acknowledge the land of the Awabakal people of the Kulin Nation, stolen land, and I pay respect to Indigenous people, past, present and future. | I want to thank you all so very much fo…
(2019-04-25). SPLC Action Fund: Florida House bill would contradict Amendment 4, making it harder for people with past felony convictions to vote. splcenter.org The Florida House this week passed House Bill 7089, an unnecessary piece of legislation that would purportedly restore voting rights to people with past felony convictions, but would actually create hurdles by requiring them to pay all their criminal fines and fees — even if they have been converted to civil liens — before they could get their voting rights restored.
(2019-04-25). Still in detention after 10 years, Tamil refugee must now fight cancer. greenleft.org.au 
Sivaguru Navanitharasa is a Tamil refugee who fled Sri Lanka in 2008. After staying for a year in Malaysia with no legal status, he set out for Australia, where he has been detained for nearly 10 years, first on Christmas Island and then in Villawood detention centre. | Navanitharasa is now in MITA immigration detention centre in Broadmeadows, Melbourne, where he faces a new challenge: overcoming cancer. | Navanitharasa has been recognised as a refugee, but remains in detention because ASIO classified him as a security risk. This was due to his previous membership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a…
(2019-04-24). Supreme Court Appears Set to OK Census Citizenship Question Despite Risk of Undercounting Millions. democracynow.org 
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case challenging the Trump administration's plans to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census. Voting rights activists fear that adding the question will deter immigrants from participating in the census and lead to a vast undercount in states with large immigrant communities. Census officials have estimated 6.5 million people will not respond to the census if the citizenship question is added. This undercount could affect everything from the redrawing of congressional maps to the allocation of federal funding. The case centers on whether Commerce Secre…
(2019-04-24). Bernie Sanders Spurs Debate on Prisoner Voting Rights, But the Idea Is "Not as Radical as It Seems" democracynow.org 
Presidential candidate and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said at a town hall Monday that he believed in restoring voting rights for prisoners, sparking a national discussion about re-enfranchisement for the more than 2 million Americans behind bars. Presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg has spoken out against prisoner voting rights, while Senator Elizabeth Warren said "I'm not there yet" on the issue. Senator Kamala Harris said "there has to be serious consequence for the most extreme types of crimes," referencing her background as a prosecutor. We speak with Ari Berman, senior writer at Mother Jones, about the pu…
(2019-04-23). Trump's Latest Iran Sanctions Show an Unraveling of US Foreign Policy. therealnews.com 
Col. Lawrence Wilkerson says unilateral sanctions against Iran are illegal, and show the ascendancy of John Bolton; they intensify tension with China and threaten our international position…
(2019-04-23). SPLC answers questions about antigovernment extremists who detain migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. splcenter.org In recent days, media outlets have reported that armed militia groups, acting as border vigilantes, have been detaining migrants at gunpoint along the along the U.S.-Mexico border.
(2019-04-23). Right-Wing Vigilantes Hold Migrants Hostage on U.S. Border. Did Border Patrol Give Tacit Approval? democracynow.org 
The FBI has arrested the head of an armed vigilante group that has repeatedly filmed itself detaining migrant border crossers at gunpoint. Sixty-nine-year-old Larry Mitchell Hopkins is the leader of the far-right, pro-Trump group calling itself United Constitutional Patriots, which the American Civil Liberties Union described as an "armed fascist militia organization." His arrest came just days after the ACLU accused the vigilantes of illegally detaining 300 migrants, including young children, near Sunland Park, New Mexico, last week. We speak to Peter Simonson, executive director of the ACLU of New Mexico.
(2019-04-22). Supreme Court Takes Cases of People Fired for Being LGBTQ. aclu.org 
The court will consider whether to take anti-discrimination protections away from LGBTQ people. | Can a business fire someone because they're LGBTQ? The Supreme Court will soon tell us. | After a funeral home outside Detroit fired Aimee Stephens because she is transgender, Aimee won a federal appeals court ruling that the firing violated the federal law barring sex discrimination in the workplace. After Don Zarda was fired from his job as a skydiving instr…
(2019-04-22). In Rejecting Chelsea Manning's Appeal, Court Essentially Ignores All Arguments For Release From Jail. shadowproof.com The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an appeal from Chelsea Manning, which challenged a district court's order that found her in civil contempt. | On March 8, a federal district court jailed Manning for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigation into WikiLeaks. She was held in prolonged solitary confinement for around 27 days before authorities at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center moved her to general population. | Judges for the appeals court offered no explanation [ PDF] as to wh…
(2019-04-19). Weekend Read: Cuban asylum seekers detained in Louisiana. splcenter.org Every day, tens of thousands of immigrants are locked behind bars in the United States. Many are detained for months, even years, far from their loved ones and communities.
(2019-04-18). Dialing 911 Can Get You Evicted. aclu.org The eviction of Beverley Somai for calling the police is part of a disturbing trend. | Last year, Beverley Somai learned a brutal truth that too many people across the country face: Calling the police can get you evicted. | In 2017, Ms. Somai and her adult disabled son moved to Bedford, Ohio, to seek housing stability and better educational and employment opportunities. However, a few months after settling in, Ms. Somai discovered that her neighbor played loud music at all hours of the night, making it impossible for her and her son to rest. Even worse, the neighbor began to intimidate Ms. Somai and her son by fo…
(2019-04-18). Victory for Boycott HP Campaign: Netherlands Trade Union FNV Drops HP as Partner for its Member Offers. bdsmovement.net 
Victory for Boycott HP Campaign: Netherlands Trade Union FNV Drops HP as Partner for its Member Offers: UpdateMarking a significant victory for the Boycott HP campaign and the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (FNV), the largest trade union of the Netherlands, with 1.1 million members, has dropped HP as a partner in their offers to thei…
(2019-04-16). What the Supreme Court ruling could mean for civil asset forfeiture. splcenter.org As the U.S. Supreme Court pointed out on Feb. 20, the constitutional clause that protects Americans from having to pay "excessive fines" traces its lineage to the Magna Carta, which set forth certain rights in England more than 800 years ago.
(2019-03-30). South African university joins Israel boycott. bdsmovement.net 
South African university joins Israel boycott: In the NewsTshwane University of Technology, the largest residential university in South Africa, voted to respect the call for the boycott of Israeli institutions complicit in the violation and denial of Palestinian rights. | Academic BoycottDecember 13, 2017 | By: | | Electronic Intifada