(2019-05-13). Chelsea Manning restates her refusal to testify against Julian Assange as new grand jury subpoena looms. wsws.org Speaking on CNN's "Reliable Sources" program just three days after being released from federal detention, Manning made clear that she will resist the new grand jury subpoena, even at the cost of being sent back to prison.
(2019-05-13). I've Been to Guantanamo. It's No Place for Kids. aclu.org The Administration's proposal of sending immigrant children to Guantanamo Bay is dangerous and inhumane. | Over the last year, the country has been shocked by reports of the inhumane treatment of children and families in immigrant detention. Now, the Trump administration appears to be increasing the scope and severity of its immigrant detention scheme by potentially detaining immigrants at Guantanamo Bay. | News broke last week that the Defense Department awarded a $23 million dollar contract to construct a "Contingency Mass Migra…
(2019-05-13). US Border Patrol Is the Most Brutal Militia of All. truthout.org The militia group was hunting for border-crossers near the U.S.-Mexico boundary. Soon it encountered a group of migrants. Its members made them "take off their shoes and walk for half an hour in their socks," then "lie face-down in the dirt for an hour." The militia's members stole the migrants' food and fed it to their horses. They took the migrants' sweaters, tossing them dirty blankets covered in cactus spines to use against the cold. | Actions like these have made the militia infamous. Human rights r…
(2019-05-13). Indigenous Australians File Landmark Human Rights Claim With UN Over Government's Inaction on Climate Crisis. commondreams.org In a move that could set a new global precedent for how front-line communities demand ambitious government action on the climate crisis, Torres Strait Islanders submitted a landmark complaint to the United Nations on Monday charging that Australia's inaction on the crisis violates the indigenous group's human rights. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-05-13). Arundhati Roy on the Indian Election and Narendra Modi's Far-Right Agenda. truthout.org In India, the sixth phase of voting has concluded in a highly anticipated parliamentary election that is widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking a second term in office. India is the world's largest democracy with 900 million eligible voters. The final phase of voting will take place on May 19 and vote counting will begin on May 23. Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP won a landslide victory in 2014. His government has been criticized for a crackdown on civil society, targeting political opponents, journalists, human rights activists, lawyers and writers. Human rights groups have a…
(2019-05-13). Arundhati Roy on the Indian Election and Narendra Modi's "Far-Right, Hindu Nationalist" Agenda. democracynow.org 
In India, the sixth phase of voting has concluded in a highly anticipated parliamentary election that is widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking a second term in office. India is the world's largest democracy with 900 million eligible voters. The final phase of voting will take place on May 19 and vote counting will begin on May 23. Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP won a landslide victory in 2014. His government has been criticized for a crackdown on civil society, targeting political opponents, journalists, human rights activists, lawyers and writers. Human rights groups have also…
(2019-05-13). French Activists Successfully Block Saudi Ship From Loading Weapons. theantimedia.com (CD) — A human rights organization called it a "victory for mobilized civil society" when a Saudi cargo ship left France on Friday without a planned batch of weapons. France, along with other Western countries including the U.S. and U.K., has been supplying arms to Saudi Arabia, which is leading the coalition bombing Yemen. In so doing, say human rights campaigners, …
(2019-05-13). What's Trending: Black News Recap. naacp.org 
Blavity: Civil Rights Organizations Are Fighting For Crystal Mason, Who Was Imprisoned For Voting, To Be Released From Prison Crystal Mason, a Texas woman who was sent to prison for voting, is fighting for her freedom with the help of new additions to her legal team.The Texas Civil Rights Project, American …
(2019-05-13). Patriot Prayer's Joey Gibson has a sad day in Albany. nationofchange.org 
It's been a hell of a week for Patriot Prayer's Joey Gibson. First, he gets sued for a million dollars and then his "big" anti-choice rally in Albany, NY is a bust. | The "Pro-Life rally for the innocent in NY" as it was promoted on Patriot Prayer's facebook page was organized to protest the expansion of reproductive rights in New York State under the Reproductive Health Act. The act would rewrite some of the 49 year old laws on the books that define abortion in the state and b…
(2019-05-13). Embassy Protection Collective Releases Statement on 34th Day of Venezuelan Embassy Standoff. mintpressnews.com "The Embassy Protectors will not barricade ourselves, or hide in the embassy in the event of an unlawful entry by police. We will gather together and peacefully assert our rights to remain in the building and uphold international law."
(2019-05-13). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Statement in Response to Supreme Court Ruling Abandoning Precedent in Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-05-13). Uber Drivers Strike As Execs Make Millions Off IPO. commondreams.org A small group of independent drivers and supporters protest against Uber and other app-based ride-hailing companies near the Wall Street Charging Bull, May 8, 2019 in New York City. The protests in more than a dozen cities come ahead of Uber's anticipated Initial Public Offering on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) which could put the ride-hailing firm's calculation as high as $91.5 billion. Drivers are seeking higher wages and better rights as employees. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-05-13). Turkey's Harsh Reaction to the US' Religious Freedom Report. uwidata.com 
A spokesman for Turkish President Ibrahim Kalin and the Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly criticized a report prepared by the American International Commission on Religious Freedom. The International Commission on Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently published its annual report on the topic of the rights and freedoms of Religious minorities in countries around the world. According to …
(2019-05-13). Faculty at Chicago's DePaul University condemn professor's anti-democratic, militarist comments on Middle East. wsws.org The faculty resolution condemned the views of Professor Jason Hill, who called for Palestinians to be stripped of voting rights and for Israel to exercise "unprecedented and excessive military might."
(2019-05-13). Saudi Ship Prevented From Loading Arms Cargo In France. telesurenglish.net A Saudi ship, prevented by rights groups from loading an arms cargo at the French port of Le Havre on Friday, arrived at the Spanish port of Santander early on Monday. | RELATED: | Saudi Arabia Says 2 Tankers Were Targeted In 'Sabotage Attack' | It was not clear what the Saudi ship was doing in Santander or how long it would stay docked there. | Spain's interior ministry said they had no information regarding the ship. The defence and foreign ministries were not immediately ava…
(2019-05-13). US Sanctions Against Venezuela Limits Access to World Market. plenglish.com Caracas, May 13 (Prensa Latina) US government's hostile measures against Venezuela has reached on Monday their maximum expression in the international financial market to hinder Caracas" access to the importation of basic goods for social programs.
(2019-05-13). Headlines for May 13, 2019. democracynow.org Sweden Reopens Julian Assange Sexual Assault Case, Seeks His Extradition, Pompeo to Discuss Iranian "Threats" in Europe as U.S. Ramps Up Military Presence, Saudi Oil Tankers Damaged in "Sabotage Attack" off UAE Coast, 187 Countries, Not Including the U.S., Agree to Landmark Deal Curbing Plastic Waste, U.S.-China Trade Talks End Without Deal, Increased Sanctions, Pentagon Redirects $1.5 Billion To Fund Border Wall, Afghanistan: Gunmen Kill Ex-Broadcast Journalist and Gov't Adviser Mina Mangal, Pakistan: Attack on Hotel Kills at Least 5, Burkina Faso: Gunmen Kill 6 People, Incl. Priest and Burn Down Church, At Leas…
(2019-05-12). Florida Activists Fight Against Bill Preventing Former Felons from Voting. therealnews.com 
Last year Florida voters approved a ballot measure called Amendment 4 which restored voting rights of an estimated 1.5 million former felons. To counteract this amendment 4, Republicans proposed a bill that would require former felons to pay court costs and fines before they are able to vote — what activists are calling a poll…
(2019-05-12). As Animal Rights Activists Push Legal Boundaries, Canada Considers What Makes a Terrorist. theintercept.com 
Industry representatives in Canada have pointed to special penalties in the U.S. for those who trespass or capture footage on animal agriculture properties.
(2019-05-12). Brazil Indigenous Leader Raoni Defends the Amazon in Europe. telesurenglish.net Brazil's legendary indigenous chief Raoni headed to Paris Sunday for the start of a three-week tour across Europe where he will meet heads of state, celebrities and the Pope to highlight growing threats to the Amazon. | RELATED: | Indigenous Women Lead Fight for Land Rights in Brazil | The elderly Kayapo chief, internationally recognizable through his traditional lip plate and feather headdress, will seek to raise US$1.1 million to better protect the Amazon's Xingu reserve – home to man…
(2019-05-12). Georgia Abortion Law Fuels Hollywood Boycott Debate. telesurenglish.net Strict new abortion laws passed in the southern state have prompted calls not only for a boycott of filming there – but for a sex strike. | RELATED: | Women Rights Groups Decry Expansion of US 'Global Gag Rule' on Abortion | A coterie of film stars led by actress-activist Alyssa Milano, including Alec Baldwin, Don Cheadle, Ben Stiller, Mia Farrow and Amy Schumer, had threatened in March to refuse to work in Georgia if it adopted the new abortion restrictions. | But the…
(2019-05-12). Rouhani Aims for Unity Against 'Unprecedented' Pressure from US. telesurenglish.net As tensions mount between Iran and the United States, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called on Saturday for unity among political factions, warning that due to current economic sanctions conditions may be harder than those faced in the 1980s war with Iraq. | RELATED: | US Deploys Carrier, Bombers to Middle East in Warning to Iran | "Today, it cannot be said whether conditions are better or worse than the (1980-88) war period, but during the war we did not have a problem wit…
(2019-05-11). Statement from Venezuelan social movements to Embassy Protectors in U.S. liberationnews.org 
"Your defense of the headquarters of the Embassy of the Venezuelan State in Washington, D.C. is an emblematic case of struggle for respect of international law, human rights and the right of peoples to choose their own form of government."
(2019-05-10). Iraqi Immigrants Deserve Their Day in Court. aclu.org My dad was almost deported without a fair hearing. But a new bill could ensure that doesn't happen again. | This week, two of my home-state congressmen introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure that approximately 1,000 Iraqis who are now at risk of deportation or detention are given two years to have their immigration cases heard. I'm so grateful to Congressman Andy Levin (D-Mich.) and Congressman John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) for their action because no other family should h…
(2019-05-10). Colombia: 'Terrible trend' of rights defenders killed, harassed; UN calls for 'significant effort' to tackle impunity. un.org Alarmed by the "strikingly high number" of human rights defenders being killed, harassed and threatened in Colombia, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) in the country on Friday, called on authorities to "make a significant effort" to "tackle the endemic impunity" surrounding these cases.
(2019-05-10). Friday's Daily Brief: human rights in Colombia, Myanmar and Nigeria, global displacement, and more. un.org This Friday, we cover: the UN calling for an end to attacks against human rights defenders; a record number of displaced due to conflict and disasters; human rights issues in Myanmar; 900 children released from the ranks of a north-east Nigeria self-defense armed group; and referenda asking for the border dispute between Belize and Guatemala to be examined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
(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). House Funding Bill Shows How Far We've Come in the Fight for Reproductive Freedom—And How Far We Have to Go. aclu.org A key bill makes important strides for reproductive health, and shows why we need presidential candidates to show leadership on abortion coverage. | This week the House Appropriations Committee advanced the Labor, Health, and Human Services appropriations bill, the annual bill that funds federal health and education programs. It makes important strides forward on reproductive health and rights–and it also shines a light on the need for presidential leadership on abortion coverage…
(2019-05-10). Government Targeting of Black Activists Reminiscent of COINTELPRO. therealnews.com 
In October 2017, a leaked memo entitled, "Black Identity Extremist Intelligent Assessment" revealed a government surveillance program targeting black activist liberation movements. Eddie Conway talks with Professor Adjoa Aiye and Sue Udry, executive director of Defending Rights and Dissent. They are members of the BIE Abolition Collective, a coalition of lawyers, activists and advocates who…
(2019-05-10). NAACP to Hold People's Hearing for Voting Rights in Birmingham. naacp.org On May 13, the NAACP, a member of the W.K. Kellogg Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative, will hold a People's Hearing on voting rights in Birmingham, Alabama. At the hearing, Birmingham-area residents will publicly share their personal experiences facing voting rights interference and barriers at the polls — which disproportionately impact historically disenfranchised voters and communities …
(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). 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). 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…
(2019-05-10). Headlines for May 10, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Increases Tariffs on $200 Billion of Chinese Goods, Trump Nominates Patrick Shanahan as Pentagon Chief, Former U.S. Intel Analyst Charged Over Whistleblowing About Drone Program, Chelsea Manning Freed from Jail After 62 Days as WikiLeaks Grand Jury Expires, Dozens of Civilians Die as Syrian and Russian Warplanes Pound Idlib, Baghdad Suicide Bomb Claimed by ISIS Kills 8, French Activists Contest Saudi Arms Shipment, Citing Civilian Deaths in Yemen, U.S. Seizes North Korean Ship, Accusing it of Violating Sanctions, Water and Power Cut to Venezuelan Embassy in D.C. as Activists Continue Occupation, Alabama Sen…
(2019-05-10). Denying Impact of Venezuela Sanctions is 'Like Climate Denial'. therealnews.com 
CEPR co-director Mark Weisbrot responds to Guaidó economic advisors' dismissal of the U.S. sanctions' effects on Venezuela…
(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). Thursday's Daily Brief: ambulance attack in Libya, #GlobalGoals defenders, human rights in Cambodia, Swine Fever. un.org On Thursday, we cover: a tragic attack against an ambulance in Libya; six new advocates for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals; a call for a change in political culture in Cambodia; and how Swine Fever in China is affecting global food prices.
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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'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). 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). Wednesday's Daily Brief: updates from the Near East and Libya, Ebola in DR Congo, World War remembrance. un.org On Wednesday, we cover: chronic hunger in the Middle East; the toll of war on Gazans; the one-year-long detention of an academic in Iran; Syrian health facilities under attack; Ebola casualties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo hitting the 1,000 mark; and a two-day remembrance effort for those who died during the Second World War.
(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). 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). 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/…