(2019-04-03). US Orgs to Congress: End Trump's Crusade For War in Venezuela. telesurenglish.net More than 40 organizations from throughout the United States are demanding their Congress put an end to U.S. intervention in Venezuela saying that, in particular, the illegal and "extensive economic sanctions, imposed unilaterally by the Trump government since August 2017, have caused great hardship and loss of life" in the South American country. | RELATED: | Washington Concerned Over Maduro's Stay in Power | The organizations, including CODEPINK, and dozens of other civil and religious soci…
(2019-04-03). Argentine University Gives Mother of Plaza de Mayo Honorary Doc. telesurenglish.net World renowned human rights activist and founding member of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo Founding Line is now an honorary doctor from the National University of the Arts (UNA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. | RELATED: | Argentina: Military Dictatorship Victims Will Not Be Forgotten | Lidia Estela Mercedes Miy Uranga, or Taty Almeida as the activist is better known, was given a Doctor…
(2019-04-03). The 24th Annual 'Get on the Bus' Event Draws Hundreds of Human Rights Activists to NYC. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-04-03). Global Civil Society Urges WTO Members to Abandon Digital Trade Talks. commondreams.org The intent of new WTO's new approach to the digital economy—as advocated for by Big Tech industry groups—is to rewrite the rules of the global economy in a way that would give them, the largest corporations in the world, new "rights"to profit—while limiting public interest oversight and benefits from the new economy for everyone else. (Image: Shole_world/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-04-03). 'The band plays on': Sanctions bill shows Mueller Report didn't calm US appetite to punish Russia. rt.com 
The collapse of the 'Russiagate' narrative has done little to satisfy US lawmakers' desire to punish Moscow. However, a newly revived sanctions bill might struggle to find European support, and could fall flat, analysts told RT. |
(2019-04-03). Brunei's Death Penalty for Gay Sex a Human Rights Violation: UN. telesurenglish.net Brunei is violating human rights by imposing an extremist interpretation of Islamic Law that would allow death by stoning for adultery and homosexuality, the United Nations said Wednesday. | RELATED: | Brunei to Stone Those Convicted of Homosexual Sex to Death | U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "believes that human rights are to be upheld in relation to every person everywhere without any kind of discrimination," said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. | "The legislation app…
(2019-04-03). The Origins of Venezuela's Economic Crisis. dissidentvoice.org Venezuela has become a popular argument against socialism amongst conservatives because of the deep economic crisis it is currently traversing. Defenders of the Bolivarian project, though, say that US sanctions and economic war are to blame for the crisis. Greg Wilpert presents an analysis that tries to take all the factors into account.
(2019-04-03). U.S. Warmly Welcomed Congo's Disputed Election Results — but Has Been Sanctioning Its Election Officials Ever Since. theintercept.com 
In February, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's newly elected president, Felix Tshisekedi, held a warm meeting with the U.S. envoy to the region, John Peter Pham. Only hours after the reception, the United States slapped top Congolese election, political, and judiciary officials with sanctions. Alleging corruption on the part of the five officials, the U.S. State Department imposed visa restrictions. In late March, three of those officials who worked for the election commis…
(2019-04-03). Russiagate hysteria lives on: Election meddling sanctions bill has its day in the Senate. rt.com 
Mueller may have had his day, but the specter of Russian meddling still hangs over Washington. A bill newly introduced in the Senate promises to slap harsh sanctions on Russia should future election interference be discovered. |
(2019-04-03). Brunei Laws Allow Stoning for Gay Sex, Adultery. truthdig.com SINGAPORE—New Islamic criminal laws that took effect in Brunei on Wednesday, punishing gay sex and adultery by stoning offenders to death, have triggered an outcry from countries, rights groups and celebrities far beyond the tiny Southeast Asian nation's shores. | The penalties were provided for under new sections of Brunei's Shariah Penal Code. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah instituted the code in 2014 to bolster the influence of Islam in the oil-rich monarchy of around 430,000 people, two-thirds of whom are Muslim. | Even before 2014, homosexuality was already punishable in Brunei by a jail term of up to 10 year…
(2019-04-03). UNHRC ignores Sri Lanka's failure to investigate war crimes. wsws.org The UNHCR resolution bogusly praised Colombo's "positive steps" on human rights and gave it two more years to implement previous unfulfilled pledges.
(2019-04-02). As Trump Threatens Another Obamacare Repeal, Mother Warns That Losing ACA Would "Wipe Me Out" democracynow.org 
Just a week after President Trump's Justice Department supported a federal court ruling to wipe out the Affordable Care Act, Trump changed course in a series of tweets Monday and said he is willing to wait until after the 2020 presidential election for Congress to vote on a new healthcare plan. Trump has vowed to replace the ACA so that the Republican Party will be known as "the party of healthcare." We speak with Jamie Davis Smith, a mother of four, civil rights attorney and member of Little Lobbyists and Health Care Voter. Her daughter Claire has multiple severe disabilities. In a recent op-ed for The Washingto…
(2019-04-02). Egypt's Brutal Crackdown on Workers' Rights. counterpunch.org 
Khaled Abol Naga — an outspoken critic of the Egyptian government — stands accused of treason (AFP). It was comical, farcical, droll. An actor's dream if you were going to put the drama on stage or screen — but the three principal characters were actors themselves. The lead player, as usual in Egypt, was His Excellency Field Marshal More
(2019-04-02). White Supremacist Symbol Found Spray-Painted at the Site of Fire, Civil Rights Center Says. splcenter.org Someone painted a white supremacist symbol at the scene where fire ravaged a building tied to the civil rights movement, according to a statement from the Highlander Research and Education Center.
(2019-04-02). The Government's System of Censoring Its Former Employees Is Unconstitutional. aclu.org Our lawsuit argues that the government's review process for writings by millions of former government employees violates the First Amendment. | Individuals don't lose their First Amendment rights by entering into government service. By now, that is black letter law. You wouldn't know this, though, from the system of lifelong censorship that the government imposes on former intelligence agency employees and military personnel. | Under this system, known as "prepublication review," millions of former public servants must submit their writing to the government for review prior to publication. And the government can…
(2019-04-02). Chelsea Manning's Attorneys Challenge Prolonged Solitary Confinement, Demand Her Release From Jail. shadowproof.com Chelsea Manning remains in conditions of prolonged solitary confinement, and her attorneys argue she should be released from jail pending her appeal. | "Ms. Manning's conditions of confinement must either be modified so as not to constitute punishment or she must be released," Manning's attorneys declared. "Since the jail cannot turn back the clock on punishment that has already occurred, her confinement in adseg in excess of 15 days already constitutes an incurable due process violation. She must therefore be released." | On March 8, Manning was detained at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center in Alex…
(2019-04-02). The Origins of Venezuela's Economic Crisis. therealnews.com 
Venezuela has become a popular argument against socialism amongst conservatives because of the deep economic crisis it is currently traversing. Defenders of the Bolivarian project, though, say that US sanctions and economic war are to blame for the crisis. Greg Wilpert presents an analysis that tries to take all the factors into account…
(2019-04-02). Headlines for April 2, 2019. democracynow.org Whistleblower: WH Security Clearances Reversed Despite Serious Concerns, Senate Shoots Down Disaster Relief Bills as Fight over Puerto Rico Aid Intensifies, Trump: GOP Planning "Really Great" Healthcare Plan for After 2020 Election, U.K.: Lawmakers Shoot Down 4 Brexit Options as Impasse Continues, Algeria: Pres. Bouteflika to Resign as Protesters Call for Systemic Changes, West Bank: Israelis Shoot and Kill Palestinian Man During Raid, Brunei: U.N. Raises Alarm as LGBT Community Threatened by Death Penalty Law, SCOTUS Rules Against Man Who Says Lethal Injection Would Feel Like Torture, U.S.-Mexico Border Shutdown…
(2019-04-01). Israel Praises Nonviolence of Great Return March Anniversary Protest in Gaza, Shoots Demonstrators Anyway. mintpressnews.com While the IDF and Israeli government have suffered few — if any — consequences for their excessive use of force against Gazan demonstrators, the Great Return March and the Israeli response has caused a notable shift in favor of Palestinian rights at the international level.
(2019-04-01). Civil Rights Leaders and Advocates to Hold Press Conference Ahead of First-Ever, Historic Equality Act Hearing. naacp.org FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY: March 29, 2019 Will McCullough | HRC | Will.McCullough@hrc.org | 559-892-3038 Shin Inouye | Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights | Inouye@civilrights.org | 202-869-0398 LGBTQ advocates will meet on the Hill to discuss historic federal civil rights legislation that will protect millions of LGBTQ Americans and their families from discrimination WASHINGTON — …
(2019-04-01). What to Know About the Census. naacp.org Today marks exactly one year out from the 2020 Census — the official counting of the United States population, a constitutional requirement occurring once every ten years. The decennial Census is a crucial facet of our Republic because its results serve as the basis for redistricting, the enforcement of voting rights laws, and allocating congressional …
(2019-04-01). First day of Legalization for All Network delegation focuses on Chicano struggles in Arizona. fightbacknews.org Tucson, AZ – On March 30, the Legalization For All Network completed the first day of an immigrant rights delegation to Arizona and the U.S.-México border. | Members of immigrant rights organizations and a Palestinian liberation movement organization from the Midwest are participating in the delegation. | The first day of the trip was in Tucson, Arizona, where the delegation learned about the history of the U.S.-México border and the struggles of the Chicano people in the Southwest, which was the top half of México until the U.S. invasion of México in 1848. | In the morning, the delegation participated in the 19…
(2019-03-31). Indianapolis rally held to support Venezuela. liberationnews.org 
"No sanctions, no coup, Venezuela we stand with you!"
(2019-03-31). Rights for All Will Put Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Front and Center in the 2020 Presidential Race. aclu.org The ACLU will press the candidates for president to adopt bold policies that advance civil liberties in the run-up to the 2020 election. | Jose Ivan Parga is a member of a multi-status, Mexican-immigrant family in Minnesota. Even though he is a citizen, every day he witnesses the fear and uncertainty that his extended family has because of their immigration status. For decades they have worked, worshiped, and raised families in the state. Yet at any moment, immigration agents could — and have — detained a member of his family without warning or cause, despite their deep roots in the community. With no…
(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
(2019-03-30). Chelsea Manning's lawyers file an appeal against her detention. thecanary.co Chelsea's Manning's legal team have filed an appeal on her behalf. They've asked that the fourth circuit court order her release from detention. On … | Read more Chelsea Manning's lawyers file an appeal against her detention | By Bryan Wall
(2019-03-29). Venezuela's Oil Production Plummets in February Due to New US Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The Center for Economic Policy Research in Washington DC analyzes the "very harsh impact" of the latest sanctions imposed on Venezuela's oil sector.
(2019-03-29). Alabama Voting Rights Project helps 2,000 people cast ballots in Alabama, but many more do not know they can vote. splcenter.org Rodney Lofton had never cast a ballot before a felony conviction stripped him of his voting rights in 2015.
(2019-03-29). Tamils criticise UN resolution on Sri Lanka. greenleft.org.au 
The Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) expressed its "disappointment" with a March 21 United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on "promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka". | There have been seven similar resolutions passed since 2009, when the war between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who were fighting for an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east of the island, ended in the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils. | According to the ATC, "very little justice has reached victims and survivors" for what it describes as "mass…
(2019-03-29). The Decriminalization of Sex Work Is Edging Into the 2020 Campaign. theintercept.com There isn't much to recommend the current iteration of American presidential elections, which now begin some two years before the day voters go to the polls. One upside, though, is that it opens up policy conversations that are usually closed off. The result is the beginning of a public conversation about decriminalizing sex work. | Three Democratic contenders for the 2020 presidential nomination — Sens. Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard — have weighed in on the rights of sex workers. Harris and Gabbard have said they support the decriminalization of sex work, while Sanders was n…
(2019-03-29). Yemen: 'We cannot survive another four years'. greenleft.org.au 
On March 6, the Yemeni human rights organisation Mwatana for Human Rights, the US-based University Network for Human Rights and PAX for Peace released a report documenting the role that United States and European arms sales have played in the deaths of hundreds of civilians in the Saudi-UAE-led war on Yemen. | It included an account of when Saudi and United Arab Emirates (UAE) forces bombed the al-Honood residential neighborhood in Hawak District, Al-Hudaydah Governo…
(2019-03-28). Immigrant rights delegation to visit U.S.-Mexico border. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – In the shadow of President Trump's declaration of a 'state of emergency' to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Legalization for All Network is organizing a national delegation of immigrant rights activists to go on a fact-finding and solidarity delegation to the border. The delegation will include activists from the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Milwaukee's Young People's Resistance Committee (YPRC) and from the U.S. Palestinian Community Network. | The delegation will learn about the history of the U.S.-Mexico border since its unjust creation with the U.S. milita…
(2019-03-28). When Taking a Walk at Night Was an Act of Civil Disobedience. aclu.org Oregon remembers Minoru Yasui, a civil rights icon who broke the law to protest the curfews put on Japanese Americans at the start of World War II. | Seventy-six years ago, Minoru "Min" Yasui sat in a cell at the Multnomah County Jail in Oregon when he read a newspaper article detailing how Walter Pierce, the state's former governor and U.S. congressman, called for Japanese immigrants in the United States to be sent to Japan. Ever the racist and xenophobe, Pierce wasn't done. He even suggested revoking birthright citizens…
(2019-03-28). Headlines for March 28, 2019. democracynow.org Boeing to Update Software Implicated in Crashes of 737 MAX Jets, Federal Judge Strikes Down Medicaid Work Requirements, Migrant Asylum Seekers in El Paso Detained in Open-Air Parking Lot, Trump Says Puerto Rico Received Too Much Aid After Hurricane Maria, Florida Police Identify Second Parkland Survivor Who Died by Suicide, Rep. Ilhan Omar Challenges Trump Admin Rule Easing Overseas Gun Sales, NRA Advised Far-Right Australian Party on Overturning Gun Controls, NRA Official Reached Out to Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theorist, Charlottesville Murderer James Alex Fields Pleads Guilty to Hate Crimes, Facebook to Ban White…
(2019-03-28). A Mentally Ill Man in Solitary Cut Off a Body Part at the Broward County Jail. aclu.org Broward County Jail has a sordid history of damage and death due to its dangerously substandard mental health system and unsafe conditions. | Around midnight on Sept. 5, 2018, guards responded to prisoners banging on their cell doors inside a lockdown unit at Broward County Jail's main facility in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. They went to the solitary cell of J.I.* and made a gruesome discovery. | "I have a real medical emergency," J.I. told an officer. "I just cut my penis off and flushed it down the toilet. I have no need for it anymore." | J.I. had used a razor blade to cut himself. This grisly act of se…
(2019-03-28). All charges dropped against Jussie Smollett, victim of Chicago police. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Immediately after all charges were dropped Tuesday morning, March 26 against actor Jussie Smollett and the record of his arrest and prosecution expunged, Frank Chapman, Co-Chairperson of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, addressed the media. Smollett is a star of the Fox Television series "Empire." | "This is another example of the CPD doing what they do," Chapman declared. "They have falsely accused people, tortured confessions and framed-up innocent people, killed people — there is no justice when it come to the CPD. The people of this city are tired of this. We n…
(2019-03-28). Introducing "Animal Matters," Our New Video Series About Animal Rights, Factory Farms, and the Agriculture Industry. theintercept.com Our first episode debuts today: It is time for humanity to grapple with its treatment of animals and the multilevel damage done by animal agriculture.
(2019-03-28). Poem: Now Is Not The Time. greenleft.org.au 
A long time ago Martin Luther King | Sought justice for his minority, | But his white friends demurred, "That's not a thing | | If you can't persuade the majority. | Now's not the time, wait your turn, you'll get there". | Well, even longer, the sorority | | Campaigned for equal treatment, equal care, | Yet heard again the dreaded, sad refrain: | "Now's not the time, but hold, do not despair." | | Perhaps longer still, gays faced fierce disdain | When seeking basic rights that others own, | Strong prejudice diminished their campaign, | | They struggled on, till law was set in stone | That — like oth…
(2019-03-28). Mary Robinson is well-intentioned, but good intentions can't win climate justice. greenleft.org.au 
Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future
| By Mary Robinson
| Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018 | Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland, is undoubtedly sincere in her determination to fight climate change and "putting people at the heart of the solution". Unfortunately, her new book shows that sincerity is not enough. | As well as heading her own climate justice foundation, Mary Robinson is the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN Special Envoy on Climate Change. She…
(2019-03-28). MUA rally in solidarity with Pakistani dockworkers. greenleft.org.au 
Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) members rallied outside the Pakistani Consulate on March 26 to demand the dropping of all charges against the Karachi Dockworkers Union president and another unionist who were arrested following a dispute at Hutchison Ports' Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT). | The arrests occurred as Karachi dockworkers were protesting about safety conditions on the site after a worker was run over by a vehicle on March 17. The union leaders were released on bail after 10 days in detention. | The KICT Labour Union has joined with the International Transport Workers' Federation…
(2019-03-27). The Department of Homeland Security's Attack on Asylum Seekers at the Border Continues. aclu.org The U.S. is systematically violating the rights of asylum seekers and turning them back into Mexico where they are often abused. | In a desperate attempt to escape immediate threats to their life, the Castro* family fled their home country of El Salvador, hoping to make it to the U.S.-Mexico border to seek refuge. What they found instead at the port of entry in Eagle Pass, Texas, were cruel U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and no protection to be found. | After being physically pushed back into Mexico by CBP officers, the Castro family was told that they must get on a list in Mexico and wait. In…
(2019-03-26). Top 5 Reasons Why the House Should Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. aclu.org The law would give working women the legal tools they need to challenge discrimination and close the gender pay gap. | More than 55 years after the Equal Pay Act was passed, women working fulltime and year-round, on average, are paid only 80 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. The disparity for women of color is even more severe. This wage gap has remained stagnant for years and continues to squeeze women's pocketbooks, erode their earning potential, and deprive them of the means to improve their own lives and support their families. | It's long past time to update the Equal Pay Act to give wo…
(2019-03-25). Trump's Sanctions Kill Venezuelan People. Why Can't UN Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet 'Fully Acknowledge' That? venezuelanalysis.com Joe Emersberger takes apart Bachelet's recent comments on Venezuela and US-led sanctions.
(2019-03-25). Chelsea Manning Once Again In Solitary And Denied Due Process To Challenge Mistreatment. shadowproof.com Chelsea Manning is once again detained in conditions of solitary confinement while United States authorities deny this reality to the press. | Individuals with the support group, Chelsea Resists, visited Manning at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center, where she has been detained since March 8 after she refused to answer questions before a federal grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. | The group learned she is in "administrative segregation," which the jail claims is standard for "high-profile" individuals like Manning. | The "administrative segregation" po…
(2019-03-23). Trump Official Boasts Crippling US Sanctions on Venezuela Are Like Darth Vader's Death Grip. thegrayzone.com A Trump administration official bragged that US sanctions on Venezuela are "like in Star Wars when Darth Vader constricts somebody's…
(2019-03-22). UPDATED: US Sanctions Venezuelan Banks After Guaido Aide Accused of Leading 'Terrorist Cell'. venezuelanalysis.com After vowing "consequences" over Marrero's arrest, the US Treasury sanctioned Venezuela's development bank BANDES and two major public banks.
(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). 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). 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.
(2019-03-19). 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 side event at a United Nations Human Rights…