(2019-05-10). US Foreign Policy as Bellicose as Ever. counterpunch.org 
It only took a few months under Donald Trump's presidency for the US to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, impose new sanctions on Russia, reverse the normalisation of diplomatic relations with Cuba, announce its intention to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, warn Pakistan, threaten Venezuela with military intervention, and declare a readiness to More
(2019-05-10). Chelsea Manning released after 2 months' detention, might be back in jail in 6 days. rt.com 
Whistleblower Chelsea Manning has been released from a Virginia prison where she spent the last 62 days for refusing to testify on her 2010 leak of classified military files before a grand jury.
(2019-05-10). Chelsea Manning Has Just Been Released From Jail. theantimedia.com (ANTIWAR.COM) — Whistleblower Chelsea Manning has been released from jail on Thursday, following months in detention for "contempt" after she refused to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. The official reason is that the mandate of the grand jury in question has expired. This explanation is likely a bit of legal sleight of hand on the court's …
(2019-05-10). Nakba 2019: Eurovision fails to hide suffering of Palestinians. greenleft.org.au 
The annual commemoration of al Nakba on May 15 — the 1947 catastrophe when 750,000 Palestinians were evicted from their homes and thousands of Palestinian villages wiped off the map — coincides this year with the Eurovision Song Contest, taking place in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. | Ramadan has also begun, and Israeli crackdowns during Ramadan and around al Nakba commemorations are a given. What is different this year is the viciousness of the attacks and Israel's determination that its Eurovision PR showcase will proceed, uninterrupted by questions about its human rights record. | As Palestine…
(2019-05-10). Workers rally around the world for May Day. greenleft.org.au 
As the gap between rich and poor widens, millions of workers around the world marched for workers' rights on May Day. | May Day, also known as Labor Day, began in 1890 with the campaign for the 8-hour work day. It has since become a key day for workers' campaigns around the world. | This May Day, workers marched against the fascist Rodrigo Duterte regime in the Philippines, against austerity and the rise of the far-right in Europe and against US President Donald Trump's attacks on immigrants. | Low-paid workers in Indonesia marched for fair pay, millions of Cubans celebrated 60 years of the ongoing revolution, an…
(2019-05-10). Animal rights activists free 9,000 pheasants and vow to 'dismantle the shooting industry'. indybay.org Over 9,000 pheasants were freed by animal rights activists from a farm in Suffolk as part of their campaign to "dismantle the shooting industry, farm by farm, shoot by shoot". Suffolk Police confirmed they were investigating the incident at Heath Hatcheries in Mildenhall that happened on the night of Friday, April 19. They said a number of unknown persons cut the fence to access the property, and then broke into the cages "allowing thousands of breeding stock pheasants to escape."
(2019-05-10). Trump administration takes war on women to the U.N. workers.org 
President Donald Trump took his war on the rights of women and gender-nonconforming people to the U.N. the week of April 22. It's bitterly ironic that the Trump administration threatened to veto the U.N. resolution on ending sexual violence during wars and hostile conflicts if the U.N. did not go . . . | Continue reading Trump administration takes war on women to the U.N. at Workers.org
(2019-05-10). Can Democracy Save America? counterpunch.org Homer, playwrights, eloquent political writers, historians and philosophers left comments, speeches and books about how Greeks governed themselves. In addition, thousands of inscriptions mention or describe persons, decisions, and institutions of political importance. Most of the surviving evidence, including that from ostracism, the ten-year banishment of politicians voters perceived dangerous, comes from Athens. Tradition has it More
(2019-05-10). Corporate murder: Trial opens of France Télécom executives over worker suicides. wsws.org To shrink a workforce legally protected from sacking, executives adopted a covert policy of psychological torture designed to coerce workers to quit or commit suicide.
(2019-05-10). Sri Lanka: bombings a pretext for intensified repression. greenleft.org.au 
The Sri Lankan army and police have used the bombings of churches and hotels on Easter Sunday as a pretext for repression, targeting people who have no connection with the group responsible, the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ — National Monotheism Society). | The NTJ, an extremist Islamic group, is believed to be linked to the Islamic State, based in Iraq and Syria. | Sri Lankan police have been raiding numerous Muslim groups with "Thowheed" in their name, even if they are opposed to the NTJ. As of May 2, at least 130 Muslims had been detained, according to Tamilnet. | Non-Muslims have also been affected. On…
(2019-05-09). U.S. Seizes North Korean Cargo Ship for Violating Sanctions. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — The U.S. said Thursday it has seized a North Korean cargo ship that was used to violate international sanctions, a first-of-its kind enforcement action that comes at a tense moment in relations between the two countries. | The "Wise Honest," North Korea's second largest cargo ship, was detained during an April 2018 stop in Indonesia and will be moved to American Samoa, Justice Department officials said. | Officials made the announcement hours after the North Korea fired two suspected short-range missiles toward the sea, a second weapons launch in five days and a possible signal that stalled tal…
(2019-05-09). The Atlantic illustrates everything that's wrong with media coverage of Venezuela sanctions. mronline.org "Trump's Venezuela Policy: Slow Suffocation," an Atlantic report (4/17/19) by Uri Friedman and Kathy Gilsinan, passed up a rich opportunity to expose the humanitarian pretexts for economic intervention, and instead exhibited the worst tendencies of corporate media coverage of U.S. policy in Latin Ame | Source
(2019-05-09). Trump Imposes New Sanctions on Iran. theantimedia.com (MEE) — One year after the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, President Donald Trump imposed strict new sanctions on the country, just hours after Tehran announced plans to pull out of parts of the landmark accord. The Trump administration on Wednesday announced a new round of sanctions that will target Iran's metals trade — iron, steel, …
(2019-05-09). Sanctions kill. Top US economist says 'the world needs more journalists willing to report' that fact. thecanary.co In April 2019, two leading economists at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) produced a revealing study regarding the impact of economic sanctions on Venezuela. The economists, Mark Weisbrot and Jeffrey Sachs, estimated that US sanctions killed 40,…
(2019-05-09). Waging War on Iran without Turkey? Is Turkey Sleeping with the Enemy? The Russia -Turkey -Iran "Triple Entente" globalresearch.ca While US-Turkey military cooperation (including US air force bases in Turkey) dates back to the Cold War, Turkey is sleeping with both Iran and Russia. Trump's response takes the form of both military threats and economic sanctions coupled with financial manipulation of foreign exchange markets directed against Turkey's Lira.
(2019-05-09). 'Alexa, Stop Spying on My Kids': FTC Complaint Charges Amazon's Echo Dot Violates Child Privacy Law. commondreams.org A coalition of consumer and public health groups demanded Thursday that federal regulators investigate and sanction Amazon for its Echo Dot Kids Edition, arguing that it illegally collects and retains children's personal data. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-05-09). Headlines for May 9, 2019. democracynow.org House Judiciary Votes to Hold Attorney General Barr in Contempt of Congress, Senate Panel Subpoenas Donald Trump Jr. to Testify About Russia, Trump Administration Announces New Sanctions on Iranian Metal Exports, Bodies of 4 Migrants Found in Arizona as Trial of Humanitarian Aid Volunteer Wraps Up, New York Bill Would Allow Congress to Obtain Trump's State Tax Records, Trump Laughs and Jokes as a Supporter Suggests Shooting Migrants, Maryland Judge Approves Supervised Release for White Nationalist Accused of Terror Plot, Five Killed in Kabul, Afghanistan as Taliban Attack U.S. Nonprofit, Pakistani Taliban Claims…
(2019-05-09). Trump ratchets up anti-immigrant campaign. greenleft.org.au 
While much of the media continues to focus on the Mueller report and the squabbles between the White House and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, US President Donald Trump's real crimes are scarcely addressed or are ignored altogether. | This column will take up one of these crimes, Trump's intensification of his racist war on immigrants. He is not alone on this — the ultra-right throughout Europe and elsewhere have similar anti-immigrant policies. | In recent weeks Trump has appointed new officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
(2019-05-09). "The Fourth Amendment Doesn't Apply Here" — U.S. Border Guards Arrest Arizona Immigrant Rights Volunteer. theintercept.com U.S. border officials arrested a human rights advocate, denying her access to an attorney when she accompanied an asylum-seeker to a border crossing.
(2019-05-09). New era for the ERA? 35 years later, will Equal Rights Amendment finally be ratified? nationofchange.org A bill by Rep. Jackie Spear would eliminate the 1982 deadline, leaving the ERA just one state away from becoming a part of the U.S. Constitution.
(2019-05-09). Congress, Laws Suppressing Boycotts of Israel Are Unconstitutional. Sincerely, Three Federal Courts. aclu.org Congress has a constitutional duty to protect the rights of the American people, including the First Amendment right to participate in boycotts. | Congress just got yet another reminder that the First Amendment right to political boycotts is alive and well in the United States, and any legislative attempt to infringe on that right puts them squarely against the Constitution. | Last week a federal district court in Texas blocked as unconstitutional a state law that required government contractors to certify that they d…
(2019-05-09). After Judge's Ruling, Charlottesville May Be Stuck With Statues of Confederate Generals Lee, Jackson. splcenter.org A judge has ruled that a civil rights-era law forbidding the removal of "war memorials" applies to Confederate statues that became flashpoints during a deadly Virginia gathering of white nationalists and neo-Nazis.
(2019-05-09). No One Should be Forced to Give Birth Alone in a Jail Cell. aclu.org A mentally ill woman gave birth in a county jail in Florida. Incredibly, she is not the first. | At 3 a.m., inside her solitary jail cell in Broward County, Florida, Tammy Jackson began having contractions. It took hours for corrections officers to reach a doctor, who said he'd check on Jackson when he came into work…
(2019-05-09). Focus on Family protest says 'New York is a pro-choice town!'. workers.org 
Times Square rang with chants for reproductive rights on May 4: "Not the church, not the state, women will decide their fate" and "Get up, get down, New York is a pro-choice town!" NYC for Abortion Rights, a coalition of groups with various political beliefs, and strong participation by the . . . | Continue reading Focus on Family protest says 'New York is a pro-choice town!' at Workers.org
(2019-05-09). National Assembly VP Detained and 55 Armed Forces Officers Expelled in Attempted Putsch Fallout in Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com Three more lawmakers also had their immunity from prosecution revoked on Wednesday.
(2019-05-09). Videos reveal California cop slamming unarmed woman to the ground. nationofchange.org After the officer slapped the cellphone out of the woman's hand, her mother attempted to record the rest of the incident on her cellphone as another officer detained her.
(2019-05-09). Trump's achievements in pressure on Iran: from economic sanctions to military confrontation. uwidata.com 
Exactly a year ago, on May 8, 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump took a pivotal decision on pulling his country unilaterally out of the international nuclear agreement on the Iran nuclear deal brokered by international mediators — the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany. Trump claimed that the Administration of his …
(2019-05-08). Democratic-Aligned Think Tank Knocks Bernie Sanders for Vote Aimed at Avoiding War With Iran. theintercept.com A mainstream, Democratic Party-aligned foreign policy think tank is knocking Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for voting against new sanctions on Iran in 2017 — though the think tank itself and many members of its board oppose new Iran sanctions. | Sanders has been an outspoken supporter of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and said at the time that he voted against the measure in…
(2019-05-08). US Venezuela Sanctions Violate Human Rights, International Law: UN Expert. venezuelanalysis.com UN expert Idriss Jazairy stated that unilateral measures are against the U.N.'s Declaration on the Principles of International Law concerning friendly relations and cooperation among States.
(2019-05-08). Headlines for May 8, 2019. democracynow.org Iran to Suspend Part of Nuclear Deal Citing U.S. Sanctions, Pompeo Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq As U.S.-Iran Tensions Mount, UN Rapporteur Slams U.S. For Using Sanctions to Precipitate Humanitarian Disasters, 1 Dead, 8 Injured in Colorado School Shooting Near Columbine, NYT: Trump's Tax Records Show He Lost Over $1 Billion Between 1985 and 1994, House Prepares to Hold Barr in Contempt as Justice Dept. Advises Trump to Invoke Executive Privilege, Georgia Enacts One of Nation's Most Restrictive Abortion Bans, Uber & Lyft Drivers Strike Ahead of Uber's Wall Street Debut, Tens of Thousands of Teachers in Oregon to Wa…
(2019-05-08). Trump's "Deal of the Century" Will Use Sanctions, Military Threats to Force Palestinian Acceptance. mintpressnews.com Recently leaked provisions of the plan include threats of US sanctions & military force if Palestinians reject the plan and a requirement for Palestinians to pay the Israeli Defense Forces for protection.
(2019-05-08). Saying 'No' to Immigrant Detention. progressive.org Private companies want to build new immigrant detention facilities, but communities around Chicago are stopping them in their tracks.
(2019-05-08). Chelsea Manning: Despite Heartbreak And Hardship, Cooperation With WikiLeaks Grand Jury Not An Option. shadowproof.com Editor's Note: The following declaration from Chelsea Manning was filed in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on May 6. It is part of her defense attorneys' ongoing efforts to free her from the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center. Shadowproof is republishing the statement to help bring further attention to what Manning has endured. | Throughout her declaration, Manning makes it abundantly clear she will never testify before the grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. "I can either go to jail or betray my…
(2019-05-08). Theresa May needs to prove her PMQs words on hunger strikers aren't just lip service. thecanary.co During Prime Minister's Questions on 8 May, Theresa May was asked whether she will intervene over ongoing Kurdish hunger strikes in the UK and abroad. And she pledged to encourage her Turkish allies to 'uphold human rights'. But she now needs to prove her words aren't just lip service. | Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts questioned the PM over whether she would take action as a matter of 'urgency' given the critical condition of Kurdish hunger strik…
(2019-05-08). Women's Rights Are Human Rights. thenation.com Women's Rights Are Human Rights…
(2019-05-08). 'Climate Change Is the Real Job Killer' – CounterSpin interview with Joe Uehlein on Green New Deal. fair.org 
"It's the best framework that we, in labor, have seen in a very long time for advancing workers' rights. It sets a federal jobs guarantee for people who want to go to work fighting the climate crisis, and it also provides for what they call living wages, or family-supporting wages, in that jobs guarantee."
(2019-05-08). Transgender People's Rights Are in Peril. progressive.org The majority-conservative Supreme Court is poised to review the rules on discriminating against trans people in the workplace.
(2019-05-08). Remembering the Woman Who Renovated the House that RBG Built. aclu.org Lenora Lapidus led the ACLU's Women's Right Project for nearly two decades. She died on Sunday, May 5. | On the 50th anniversary of Selma's Bloody Sunday, one of the darkest stains in our nation's civil rights history, President Obama spoke with hope and confidence about Americans who were "unencumbered by what is, because you're ready to seize what ought to be." Lenora Lapidus lived her life by this principle. | Public servants come in many forms. They're elected officials, politicians, activists, lawyers, organizers, students, ordinary citizens, and steadfast patriots. Our beloved Lenora represen…
(2019-05-08). NAACP Statement on House Hearings Regarding Domestic Terrorism. naacp.org The NAACP, the nation's foremost civil rights organization, released the following statement in response to the House Committee on Homeland Security hearing on domestic terrorism today: "We welcome this vital and necessary hearing. The hatred and venom that has already harmed our nation needs to be addressed at the highest levels of government. Nothing is …
(2019-05-08). New Era for the ERA? 35 Years Later, Will Equal Rights Amendment Finally be Ratified? democracynow.org 
Activists and lawmakers testified last week before a House Judiciary subcommittee in the first congressional hearings on the Equal Rights Amendment in more than 35 years. The constitutional amendment was approved by Congress in 1972, and was ratified by 35 states over the next decade — three states short of the required total needed by a 1982 deadline. Nevada and Illinois have since ratified the amendment. A bill by Rep. Jackie Spear would eliminate the 1982 deadline, leaving the ERA just one state away from becoming a part of the U.S. Constitution. We speak with co-presidents and CEOs of the ERA Coalition/…
(2019-05-07). Foreign Minister Arreaza: 'The People of Venezuela Are Prepared to Defend Their Sovereignty'. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced US sanctions and asset freezes during a recent trip to Moscow.
(2019-05-07). Joe Biden's Son Hunter Is Invested in China's Mass Surveillance Program Used to Monitor Uyghur Muslims. democracynow.org 
As the United Nations accuses the Chinese government of setting up massive camps in the far-west Xinjiang province to imprison an unknown number of ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslims, Human Rights Watch reports that China is carrying out mass surveillance there using a mobile app that lets authorities monitor the Muslim population. We speak with investigative reporter Lee Fang about an unexpected investor in Chinese surveillance: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's son. And we speak with Human Rights Watch China director Sophie Richardson.
(2019-05-07). As Countries Seek Trade With China, Imprisoned Uyghur Muslim Community Has Become "Collateral Damage" democracynow.org 
China's top trade negotiator is traveling to Washington this week as tension over trade intensifies between the two nations. President Trump is threatening to impose a 25 percent tariff on nearly all Chinese imports after the U.S. accused China of backtracking on trade commitments. Talks are expected to resume on Thursday, but the Trump administration is facing criticism for refusing to address China's human rights record as part of the negotiations. The United Nations and a number of human rights groups have accused the Chinese government of setting up massive camps in the far-west Xinjiang province to hold an u…
(2019-05-07). Young workers, community members rally for workers' rights in Florida. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – Over 30 young workers, trade unionists and community members rallied May 3 to demand an end to attacks on public school employees in Hillsborough County and the state of Florida. The rally was organized by West Central Florida Future Labor Leaders. | Hillsborough County School Board (HCSB) is currently accepting bids to contract out all custodial services at Hillsborough County Public Schools in an attempt to 'cut costs.' Custodians in Hillsborough County are already only paid $24,000 a year. The only savings HCSB will find by contracting out custodial services is through cutting custodian's wages, l…
(2019-05-07). After Florida Re-enfranchises 1.4 Million, Republicans Push New "Poll Tax" For Formerly Incarcerated. democracynow.org 
Civil rights groups are decrying what they say is a new poll tax after the Florida Senate passed a bill Friday that would require formerly incarcerated people with felony convictions to repay all fines and fees to courts before their voting rights are restored. This comes six months after voters in Florida approved a measure to restore voting rights to 1.4 million people with nonviolent felonies who have fully completed their sentences, overturning a Jim Crow-era law aimed at keeping African Americans from voting. Nearly 65 percent of voters approved the constitutional amendment to re-enfranchise people with form…
(2019-05-07). Saudi Arabia Detains 174 Yemeni Fishermen and Their Boats in Violation of Ceasefire Provisions. mintpressnews.com "Despite Sweden's truce, Coalition forces have continued to prevent Yemeni fishermen from fishing and if the fishermen dare to sail, they will be killed or detained." — Mohammed al-Hassani, head of the Forum of Tahamah Fishermen…
(2019-05-06). The Atlantic Illustrates Everything That's Wrong With Media Coverage of Venezuela Sanctions. fair.org 
The Atlantic ( 4/17/19) wonders "whether slow suffocation will prove a match for the myriad international actors that have shored up support for Maduro." | "Trump's Venezuela Policy: Slow Suffocation," an Atlantic report ( 4/17/19) by Uri Friedman and Kathy Gilsinan, passed up a rich opportunity to expose the humanitarian pretexts for economic intervention, and…
(2019-05-06). The Use of Solitary Confinement in Virginia Is Inhumane and Unlawful. aclu.org Instead of keeping its word to courts and reforming its use of solitary, the VA Dept. of Corrections built two massive super maximum-security prisons. | William Thorpe has spent nearly 24 straight years in solitary confinement in Virginia prisons stuck in a cell about half of the size of a parking space for more than 22 hours a day, every day, with no outside light and almost no human contact. | In his nearly two and a half decades in solitary, Thorpe has seen changes in leadership at the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) and attempts to reform how solitary confinement is used in our state prisons. | The…
(2019-05-06). Asylum Officers Are Being Replaced By CBP Agents. aclu.org Having a CBP officer conduct a credible fear interview is like having an arresting police officer also sit as the judge. | Last week, President Trump issued a memorandum outlining his latest wishlist of ways to undermine the integrity of our nation's asylum system. Among them was a direction to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to change how it conducts credible fear interviews, the threshold screening interview given to thousands of asylum…
(2019-05-06). SPLC Action Fund: Florida Legislature passes unnecessary bill that would preserve vestige of shameful Jim Crow-era voting restrictions. splcenter.org The Florida Legislature on Friday passed Senate Bill 7066, a piece of legislation that is not only unnecessary but that actually contradicts the will of voters who last year approved Amendment 4, a measure that restored voting rights to people with past felony convictions who have served their sentences.