(2019-06-02). US History Is Defined by the Use of Torture. truthout.org Soon after 9/11, the US began holding people in secret prisons around the world in places called "black sites." Black sites were secret and what happened within them was unknown. When we did learn about the techniques our government was using to extract information, we were told it was not torture but something called "enhanced interrogation." It sounded new and not so brutal. But it was torture. An updated version of it, but torture nonetheless, which forced us to think about what we were willing to do to other human beings in a state of war. In this episode, Rebecca Gordon argues that enhanced interrogation…
(2019-06-02). Cuba's New Blockade. globalresearch.ca On 2 May 2019, the Trump administration implemented Title III of the 1996 Helms Burton Act. In doing so, it unleashed the most severe economic sanctions against Cuba since the blockade was first introduced by President Kennedy in 1962. | Title …
(2019-06-02). Raising Some Issues at Oral Communications. indybay.org Continued delay and inaction on providing homeless shelter and services (to say nothing of civil rights) for homeless folks was the silent part of yesterday's Santa Cruz City Council agenda. Several of us raised issues at Oral Communications…
(2019-06-02). Dramatic Increase in Political Violence in Colombia due to Abandonment of Peace Agreement. therealnews.com 
Recent human rights reports show that murders of social leaders have skyrocketed since Colombia's right-wing President Ivan Duque came into office in 2017. Activist Manuel Rozental speaks to us about the situation from one of the most affected areas…
(2019-06-02). Turkey's road into the EU is blocked. uwidata.com The European Union published its regular report on the situation Turkey. The Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Expansion, Johannes Hahn, stated that no new developments in the framework of the negotiation process with Ankara. According to Euronews, Hahn stressed worsening human rights in Turkey, regress in many areas such as the economic sphere, and …
(2019-06-02). Biden Declares LGBTQ Rights His Top Priority. truthdig.com 
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden declared Saturday that the Equality Act would be his top legislative priority, an effort to enshrine LGBTQ protections into the nation's labor and civil rights laws. | The former vice president shared his hopes of signing the legislation as part of a keynote address to hundreds of activists at the Human Rights Campaign's annual Ohio gala on the first day of Pride Month. In a half-hour at the lectern, his remarks ranged from emotional…
(2019-06-02). Three Years After Rushing Bernie Sanders Event, Animal Rights Activist Takes Mic From Kamala Harris at MoveOn Event. commondreams.org The action, which saw a white man taking the microphone from a black woman, was panned by some observers | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-06-01). 'Beyond Barbaric': Internal Government Report Reveals Migrants Forced to Stand on Toilets for Breathing Space at Overcrowded US Detention Center. globalresearch.ca "This is insane. Not only can they not move, they can't breathe, they can't eat, they can't do anything like this. Children have died and will continue to die if this is not stopped now." | *** | A federal immigrant detention …
(2019-06-01). United Nations Special Rapporteur: Julian Assange is being tortured. wsws.org Yesterday's statement by Nils Melzer, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, stands as an indictment of all those who have persecuted Assange and sought to poison public opinion against him.
(2019-06-01). UN Condemns the Psychological Torture Inflicted Upon Julian Assange. "Coordinated" by UK, US, Sweden and Ecuador. globalresearch.ca The UN Torture Expert, Nils Melzer, has strongly condemned the psychological torture inflicted upon WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange by a coalition of countries led by the United States and United Kingdom. | The WikiLeaks publisher has spent over 7 weeks …
(2019-06-01). Findings of Torture: The UN Rapporteur and Julian Assange. dissidentvoice.org Another crude and sad chapter, yet more evidence of a system's vengeance against its challengers. Julian Assange, like they dying Roman emperor Vespasian, may be transforming into a god of sorts, but the suffering of his mortal physical is finding its mark. While some in the cynical, narcissistic press corps still find little to commend …
(2019-06-01). France illegally arming Libyan coastguards to stop refugees from Africa. wsws.org The policy has been condemned by multiple human rights organizations because of the prevalence of torture, rape, slavery and murder in the camps.
(2019-06-01). Findings of Torture: The UN Rapporteur and Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca Another crude and sad chapter, yet more evidence of a system's vengeance against its challengers. Julian Assange, like they dying Roman emperor Vespasian, may be transforming into a god of sorts, but the suffering of his mortal physical is …
(2019-06-01). Missouri's Last Abortion Clinic Safe for Now Under Judge's Order. truthout.org A federal judge in Missouri stepped in Friday to allow the state's last remaining abortion clinic to continue operating. | The 11th-hour decision followed mass protests in St. Louis on Thursday, with rights advocates demanding that Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region be permitted to stay open, lest Missouri become the first state in more than four decades to make it impossible for women to access safe, legal abortion care without crossing state lines. | BREAKING: Mi…
(2019-06-01). US watchdog finds 900 immigrants jammed into jail designed for 125. wsws.org The inspector general found detainees "standing on toilets in the cells to make room and gain breathing space, thus limiting access to the toilets."
(2019-06-01). US uses solitary confinement as weapon against detained immigrants. wsws.org An International Consortium of Investigative Journalists report documents the widespread use of solitary confinement by the US government against detained immigrants.
(2019-05-31). U.N. Special Rapporteur Calls for Julian Assange to Be Freed, Citing "Psychological Torture" democracynow.org 
The United Nations special rapporteur on torture is warning that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is suffering from the effects of "psychological torture" due to his ongoing detention and threats of possible extradition to the United States. The U.N. expert, Nils Melzer, also warned that Assange would likely face a "politicized show trial" if he were to be extradited to the United States. Melzer writes, "In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution, I have never seen a group of democratic states ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonize and abuse a single individual for such a lo…
(2019-05-31). Chelsea Manning's Legal Team Challenge Harsh Fines Levied Against Her By Federal Court. shadowproof.com The legal team for Chelsea Manning requested a hearing to challenge the harsh fines levied to force her to testify before the grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. | On May 16, Judge Anthony Trenga held Manning in civil contempt and ordered her to be sent back to the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center in Alexandria. The court also imposed a fine of $500 per day after 30 days, and then a fine of $1000 per day after 60 days. | If Manning "persists in her refusal" for the next 16 months, her legal team points out she will face a total amount of fines that is over $440,000. This excessive amount may violate he…
(2019-05-31). The UN Torture Report on Assange Is an Indictment of Our Entire Society. dissidentvoice.org 
On the eighth of April, shortly before London police forcibly carried WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange out of the Ecuadorian embassy, a doctor named Sondra S Crosby wrote a letter to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights requesting that the office look into Assange's case. Today, following a scorching rebuke of multiple …
(2019-05-31). UN Says Assange Tortured: Watch the Webcast. consortiumnews.com Julian Assange was "psychologically tortured" by four nations ganging up on him, said the UN special rapporteur on torture. Watch the replay with Pentagon Papers whistle blower Dan Ellsberg, and other guests. The 32nd webcast vigil for Julian Assange was… Read more →
(2019-05-31). UN Torture Report: "Demonized" Assange Has Faced "Psychological Torture" theantimedia.com (CN) — The UN special rapporteur on torture has issued a stinging rebuke to the United States, Great Britain, Sweden and Ecuador for "deliberately" exposing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to years of "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," which can only be described as "psychological torture." "In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political …
(2019-05-31). UN Torture Report: 'Demonized' Assange Has Faced 'Psychological Torture'. consortiumnews.com The UN special rapporteur on torture has blasted four nations for imposing psychological torture on Julian Assange. 'A Relentless and Unrestrained Campaign of Public Mobbing, Intimidation and Defamation' Warns of 'Criminalization of Journalism' By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News… Read more →
(2019-05-31). UN Special Rapporteur On Torture: 'The Collective Persecution Of Julian Assange Must End Here And Now'. shadowproof.com In a blistering statement against democratic countries collaborating to prosecute and enable the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture condemned the "collective persecution" against him. "In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence, and political persecution, I have never seen a…
(2019-05-31). Cleveland's Cuyahoga County Jail Guards Pepper-Spray Black Woman Strapped to Torture Chamber Restraint Chair. blackstarnews.com 
Chantelle Glass is being victimized above by guards inside Cuyahoga County Jail torture chamber… | A newly released video shows a Black Ohio woman being pepper-sprayed and assaulted by corrections officers inside Cleveland's Cuyahoga County Jail—while she was strapped to a restraint chair, in July 2018. | The Cuyahoga County Jail has been in the news recently because of the suspicious deaths of nine inmates over the past year. Two corrections officers have been arrested and charged in connection with one of those deaths–that of inmate Joseph Arquillo. Several others have also been arrested and charged wi…
(2019-05-31). Minnesotans say "No coup! No war! Hands off Venezuela!" fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – 30 people held signs reading "Hands off Venezuela" and a big banner saying "No coup – no sanctions – no war – hands off Venezuela" on a bridge from Loring Park to the Walker Sculpture Garden over Interstate 94 in Minneapolis during rush hour, May 30. Ten lanes of traffic filled with rush hour traffic traveled underneath. The protesters heard hundreds of honks of agreement that the U.S. shouldn't intervene in Venezuela. | Afterwards protesters gathered to hear from Tracy Molm, a member of the MN Anti-War Committee, to hear an update from Venezuela, "Today we were seen by thousands of people in Mi…
(2019-05-31). Mass Demonstrations Against Saudi Summit and US "Deal" Mark Quds Day in Yemen. mintpressnews.com 
Quds Day demonstrations condemned the so-called U.S. Deal of the Century and vowed to support Palestinians facing the prospect of losing their rights under the U.S.-brokered plan.
(2019-05-31). UN expert criticizes States for 'ganging up' on Wikileaks' Assange; warns against extradition, fearing 'serious' rights violations. un.org After visiting Julian Assange in a London prison, an independent UN human rights expert expressed urgent concern on Friday, for the Wikileaks co-founder's well-being, accusing "a group of democratic States" of "ganging up" on the prisoner to "isolate, demonize and abuse" him and warned against extraditing the controversial publisher to the United States.
(2019-05-31). Peterloo: A defining moment in the struggle for democracy in Britain. greenleft.org.au 
Peterloo | Written & directed by Mike Leigh | Starring Rory Kinnear, Maxine Peake & Pearce Quigley | In cinemas now | *** | The international release of British director Mike Leigh's new film Peterloo marks 200 years since the infamous 1819 Peterloo Massacre in Manchester, England. On August 16 that year, a crowd estimated at up to 80,000 gathered in St Peter's Fields to demand parliamentary reform and an extension of voting rights. | On the orders of the government in London and reactionary local magistrates, armed troops and militias arrested the protest leaders and then charged into the crowd. They killed at l…
(2019-05-31). Stopping the abortion bans is a working-class fight—Here's why. peoplesworld.org 
There is an attack underway. A full-fledged assault on the rights of working people is happening in the United States of America. It is being spearheaded by a White House administration that has emboldened those who adhere to right-wing ideology and employ bigoted rhetoric in their effort to take away rights that have been fought …
(2019-05-31). Ecological Importance and Human Rights Be Damned, Trump Admin Says Fossil Fuel Pillaging in Arctic Refuge Coming Soon. commondreams.org Interior Dept. statement that "lease sale will happen in 2019" comes as oil companies face heat over possible extraction on previously protected public land | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-05-31). WikiLeaks: Assange indictments 'the gravest attack on press freedom'. greenleft.org.au 
In response to the news on May 24 that the United States government is seeking to lay multiple espionage charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the organisation accused US President Donald Trump's administration of launching "an unprecedented attack on the global free press". | The unsealed Espionage Act charges carry combined sentences of 175 years in prison and relate to disclosures of war crimes and human rights abuses by the US government, including the groundbreaking Collateral Murder video, Iraq War Logs, Afghan War Diaries, Cablegate, and the Guantanamo Bay Detainee Manuals, published in 2010 an…
(2019-05-31). Friday's Daily Brief: Fundraising for Mozambique, Assange's rights, Asia-Pacific development, Somalia and Sudan updates. un.org This Friday, we cover: a donor conference to support life-saving and recovery aid for Mozambique following two recent devastating cyclones; the need to respect Wikileaks' Assange's rights; how Asia-Pacific is working towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ; news from Somalia and Sudan; and a new stamp honouring Kofi Annan.
(2019-05-31). A Dead Republican Strategist's Work Could Destroy Voting Rights in America. therealnews.com 
A Common Cause court case opposing Republican gerrymandering in North Carolina revealed that Trump officials lied about the 2020 census citizenship question in order to maintain "White" and "Republican Power"
(2019-05-30). Rally vows to defend refugees' rights. greenleft.org.au 
Three hundred people rallied on May 24 to show solidarity with refugees, who face increasing attacks following the re-election of the Coalition government. | Lucy Honan, representing the Refugee Action Collective which called the rally, said the election result had been "bruising" for refugees and their supporters. Even though Labor and the Coalition shared bipartisan policies of offshore detention and boat turnbacks, refugees had hoped for some changes from a Labor government. | Labor had promised to accept New Zealand's offer to take 150 refugees a year from Manus and Nauru. This had raised the hopes of th…
(2019-05-30). Why the imperialists hate Huawei. workers.org 
The Chinese company Huawei has been targeted by the Donald Trump administration. At Washington's request, Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of the company, last December. The charge? That the company did business with Iran, contrary to U.S. sanctions on that country. Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder . . . | Continue reading Why the imperialists hate Huawei at Workers.org
(2019-05-30). WikiLeaks Expresses 'Grave Concerns' for Assange's Health. consortiumnews.com WikiLeaks on Wednesday said it was gravely concerned for the health of its publisher, Julian Assange, and questioned Britain's "standing as a human-rights abiding nation." By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News WikiLeaks has condemned Britain for its treatment of… Read more →
(2019-05-30). A major win for transgender rights: UN health agency drops 'gender identity disorder', as official diagnosis. un.org "To reflect critical advances in science and medicine", the World Health Organization, WHO, has removed so-called "gender identity disorder" from its official manual of diagnoses, which is being hailed as a major win for transgender rights.
(2019-05-30). Thursday's Daily Brief: the European Charlemagne prize, sexual abuse, transgender rights, Somalia and Libya updates. un.org Top stories this Thursday: UN chief Guterres received the Charlemagne Prize for services towards European unification; sexual abuse in Somalia and within the UN; a leap in transgender rights; news from Libya; and new political appointments at the UN.
(2019-05-30). Queensland vote: Right's noisy triumphalism is more due to its surprise. greenleft.org.au 
Mainstream talk of Queenslanders embracing the Coalition at the federal elections is louder than ever. | The implication is that, here, everything is cut from the one cloth. But, just as the inner-city seats of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney moved against the Coalition there is no evidence that there is a conservative tide sweeping regional Queensland. | Central Queensland with Rockhampton and Mackay, north Queensland with Townsville and far-north Queensland with Cairns all vary from each other in climate, economics, culture and, of course, politics. | A week into the vote count, the far-north Queensland electora…
(2019-05-29). US Hints at Sanctions Against Venezuela CLAP Food Programme as Maduro Incorporates Militia. venezuelanalysis.com The Venezuelan President looks to combat corruption and improve the programme which benefits 6 million Venezuelan families.
(2019-05-29). The Government Needs to Get a Warrant if It Wants Access to Our Private Health Information. aclu.org Choosing between obtaining health care and giving up one's privacy rights is no choice at all. | The Drug Enforcement Administration is once again trying to access private prescription records of patients — this time in New Hampshire — without a warrant, despite a state law to the contrary. Today the ACLU filed a brief in support of the state of New Hampshire's fight to defend the privacy of our sensitive medical information against unwarranted searches by law enforcement. | New Hampshire — like 48 other states, the…
(2019-05-29). Six Children Have Died While in ICE Custody — Why? therealnews.com 
Undocumented immigrants seeking asylum are being separated from their children and detained in prison camps as more restrictive racist policies are being imposed by Trump. We discuss the policy with the Border Rights Center Director of ACLU Texas, Astrid Dominguez…
(2019-05-29). Headlines for May 29, 2019. democracynow.org SCOTUS Makes 2 Key Decisions on Indiana Abortion Laws, Missouri's Last Abortion Clinic May Shut Down This Week, Netflix Considers Georgia Production Boycott After Abortion Ban, Sen. Kamala Harris Announces Plan for Gov't Oversight of New State Abortion Laws, Rights Groups Challenge Rule Allowing Providers to Refuse Healthcare Based on Religious Belief, PA Policy Allowing Students to Choose Bathroom Remains in Place After SCOTUS Declines Challenge, Sen. McConnell Would Confirm a Trump SCOTUS Nominee in 2020, Angela Merkel Warns Against Rise of Nationalism, At Least 20 Civilians Killed in Syria as U.N. Warns of Hum…
(2019-05-29). Interfaith Activists Push for Reproductive Justice. progressive.org Less visible, but no less vocal than anti-abortion groups, are religiously-grounded defenders of strong and expansive reproductive rights…
(2019-05-29). ACLU Lawyer: "Abortion Today Is Still Legal in All 50 States" Despite Draconian Anti-Choice Bills. democracynow.org 
As states around the country ramp up their attacks on reproductive rights, the Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to rule on an Indiana law that would bar abortions based on the sex, race or disability of the fetus. The decision will keep in place a lower court's injunction on the measure. However, the Supreme Court decided to allow Indiana's so-called fetal burial law to go into effect, which stipulates that abortion clinics must dispose of fetal remains either through burial or cremation. The measure was signed into law by then-Governor Mike Pence in 2016. We speak with Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, senior staff attorney…
(2019-05-28). Tuesday's Daily Brief: violence surges in Nigeria, anti-Semitism on the march, taxing pollution to tackle climate crisis, and more. un.org Tuesday's main stories include: thousands fleeing into Niger as violence surges in Nigeria; UN rights office condemns rise in anti-Semitic incidents; UN chief says tax pollution, not people for climate's sake; North Koreans trapped in vicious cycle of corruption and bribery; Ebola latest from DR Congo.
(2019-05-28). Lawmakers From 11 States Have a Plan to Tackle Suicide and Other Issues Veterans Face. theintercept.com "When you look at the interest for this in red, blue, and purple states, that is a great mandate for the federal government to do something."
(2019-05-26). NYC: 1,000 rally to defend abortion rights. liberationnews.org 
"Without this basic right women can't be free, abortion on demand and without apology," chanted the multi-generational crowd.
(2019-05-26). Thousands in Chicago rally for abortion rights. liberationnews.org 
"We won't go back!"
(2019-05-24). DHS Is Locking Immigrants in Solitary Confinement. aclu.org As ICE detention numbers reach record high, new reports are extremely troubling. | In 2012, I visited the federal supermax prison ADX Florence in Colorado and spoke with men living in solitary confinement. I listened closely to their stories of anguish, but I could not understand how they survived it. They told me of the horror of being trapped in a small room, without access to fresh air or sunlight, for at least 22 hours a day — alone, afraid, and not knowing when it would end. I learned that people in solitary confinement talk to the walls, to themselves, to no one — sometimes they stop talking alt…