(2019-08-29). How Solitary Confinement Kills: Torture and Stunning Neglect Ends in Suicide at Privately Run ICE Prison. theintercept.com 
Guards at an ICE jail put Efraín Romero de la Rosa in solitary confinement despite a diagnosis of schizophrenia. He killed himself after 21 days.
(2019-08-29). Uber and Lyft drivers demand their rights as employees. peoplesworld.org 
SAN FRANCISCO — Market Street, this city's main thoroughfare, resounded with auto horns and chants Aug. 27, as a stream of cars bearing Uber and Lyft markers cruised slowly past Uber's headquarters, and drivers gathered with labor and community supporters to crowd around the ride-share giant's front door. Driving the cars, and voicing the chants, …
(2019-08-29). How Ohio's Chamber of Commerce Killed an Anti-Pollution Bill of Rights. theintercept.com 
Emails reveal that the Ohio Chamber of Commerce enlisted a key Republican lawmaker in a successful effort to nullify the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.
(2019-08-29). Assange Suffering "Psychological Torture" In UK Prison: Pilger. telesurenglish.net Julian Assange's 'Psychological Torture is unabated', investigative journalist John Pilger said shortly after speaking to the Wikileaks founder. There are concerns for his health after being incarcerated in a high-security prison with few rights, as he faces extradition to the U.S. for exposing the wrongdoings of the United States government. | RELATED: | Assange to Face Full US Extradition Hearing in February 2020 | "I spoke to Julian #Assange at the weekend. His psychological…
(2019-08-29). PM hit with another legal action as resistance to his plan soars in all corners of the kingdom. thecanary.co Boris Johnson is facing legal action aimed at stopping his prorogation of parliament. The case against the PM in the north of Ireland isn't the only one either. Two other legal challenges, one in England and another in Scotland, are also on Johnson's horizon. | On this issue, much of the United Kingdom is clearly uniting against the PM. | Not for "the good of the country": | Raymond McCord, a victims' rights campaigner, has brought legal action from the north of Ireland. During a hearing on 29 August, McCord's lawyer Ciar…
(2019-08-29). We Are All Indigenous. commondreams.org The world is currently divided into national and corporate interests that have the power to ignore and dismiss not only the rights of the tribal peoples who live in the rainforest, but also the rights of the planet at large, to breathe, to survive in eco-diversity. (Photo: Rene Rivers/fickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-08-29). Taxpayers Have Been Ordered to Pay Over $2 Million For Discriminating Against LGBTQ People. aclu.org Government officials should know that discrimination comes with a cost to taxpayers. | Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that the Commonwealth of Kentucky was liable for $224,000 for the actions of Kim Davis, who refused to do her job and issue marriage licenses (to same-sex or different-sex couples) as county clerk. | While Davis' story made national headlines, her case isn't the only one in the past year where a court case filed by the ACLU has led to a bill for discriminatio…
(2019-08-29). Sacred means sacred: what's so hard to understand? greenleft.org.au 
Aboriginal rights Djab Wurrung people Sue BoltonIssue 1235 Australia Green Left Weekly Fighting FundAugust 29, 2019No government would consider the idea of bulldozing a roa…
(2019-08-29). New women's shelter secured for Sydney's west. greenleft.org.au 
women's rights Susan PriceIssue 1235 Australia violence against women women's shelters ParramattaAugust 29, 20…
(2019-08-29). LGBTI activists slam draft religious discrimination bill. greenleft.org.au 
LGBTI rights Kerrie SmithIssue 1235 Australia religious discrimination billAugust 29, 2019LGBTI activists have slammed the federal Coalition government's draft religious discrimination bill and vowed to step up protests. | Commenting on the draft that wa…
(2019-08-29). New Zealand: Casino workers set to strike. greenleft.org.au 
Workers rights Kerry SmithIssue 1235 New Zealand Unite union New Zealand SkyCity stike AucklandAugust 29, 2019Auckland…
(2019-08-29). 'Stain on Public Service': Ocasio-Cortez Calls Out Fellow Democrat Barbara Boxer for Helping Lyft Fight Against California Labor Bill. commondreams.org New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called out former Sen. Barbara Boxer on Twitter Thursday for helping the ride-hailing company Lyft fight against a proposed state-level bill in California that aims to expand workers' benefits and rights. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-08-28). As hurricane approaches Puerto Rico, Trump transfers funding to border cages. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—With Hurricane Dorian poised to smash into Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and then Florida, GOP President Donald Trump's decision to transfer disaster relief money and Coast Guard funds from those uses — among other things — to build migrant detention camps in the Southwest has sparked outrage. The catch is that there's not …
(2019-08-28). Wednesday's Daily Brief: Guterres talks technology for Africa's development, 'extinction crisis' prompts stronger wildlife protection, Greta Thunberg reaches New York, funding shortfalls in Iraq, a positive step for Indigenous women. un.org A recap of Wednesday's stories: Secretary-General António Guterres says 'winds of hope are blowing ever stronger' for Africa's development; Swedish climate youth activist Greta Thunberg reaches New York by boat; Chief of UN Mission for Iraq warns on funding shortfalls; and in Canada, a new bill recognizes the rights of indigenous women.
(2019-08-28). UN to Honduras: State Must Include Citizens in Project Planning. telesurenglish.net The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights on Wednesday urged the Honduran authorities to "act now" to address the causes of "extreme distrust" on part of the population toward the nation's institutions and ability to promote a "fair and inclusive" economy. | RELATED: | Hondurans Students Demand Resignation of President JOH | People affected by development projects must "have their rights fully respected and protected by the government and companies to avoid conflicts," the U.N.
(2019-08-28). Cuba, Canada Meet to Discuss US Intervention in Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel reiterated his country's solidarity with Venezuela during a meeting Wednesday with Canadian Foreign Minister Cynthia Freeland upon her official visit to Havana. | RELATED: | Purdue Pharma Threatens Bankruptcy To Settle Opioid Lawsuits | During the meeting, Diaz-Canel told Freeland of his "concern" about the damage being caused to Venezuela and its population by "economic sanctions, siege policies and isolation" as a result of the United States'
(2019-08-28). Labour's latest promises on animal welfare have brought widespread praise. thecanary.co 
Labour has just published its newest Animal Welfare Manifesto. Its pledges are informed by public consultation and, as a result, tackles many conservationist and animal rights advocates' concerns. And the public's glowing response to the manifesto shows this. | "Drive up standards": | La…
(2019-08-27). Woman Goes Into Premature Labor After Aggressive Arrest; Judge Still Sends Her to Jail. therealnews.com 
Join us Thursday, August 29th 9PM EST on Youtube and Facebook for the live premiere of The Police Accountability Report. Click on the image for more info. In this episode we will look at a federal lawsuit accusing police of violating the civil rights of a then-pregnant woman that has cleared a major hurdle. Court…
(2019-08-27). Protesters tell Greyhound, ICE off our buses! workers.org 
About 200 demonstrators gathered Aug. 23 outside Manhattan's Port Authority Bus Terminal, demanding an end to collaboration between Greyhound Lines, Inc. and Customs and Border Patrol agents, who have been illegally boarding buses to racially profile and detain migrants. The protest was the result of a month of planning by . . . | Continue reading Protesters tell Greyhound, ICE off our buses! at Workers.org
(2019-08-27). DNC Kills Climate Debate Compromise. therealnews.com 
Days after rejecting the proposal to sanction debate focused on the climate crisis, the DNC voted 222-137 against allowing candidates to participate in even a non-sanctioned one…
(2019-08-27). Clampdown on Housing Rights Activists in Bolsonaro's Brazil. thenation.com Clampdown on Housing Rights Activists in Bolsonaro's Brazil…
(2019-08-27). Stripped of Their Rights. aclu.org In 2011, guards at an Illinois prison violated the constitution when they carried out a mass strip-search of incarcerated women. | In March 2011, a tactical team of guards at a state prison in Lincoln, Illinois gathered 200 women and ushered them into a gymnasium, where they were brought in small groups into a separate room nearby. Inside that room, they were told to strip naked in plain view of other guards, cadets, and civilians, without any explanation. Women on their periods were ordered to remove their tampons and sanitary pads. One-by-one, each woman was ordered to lift her breasts, cough and squat, and dis…
(2019-08-27). "Kochland": How David Koch Helped Build an Empire to Shape U.S. Politics & Thwart Climate Action. democracynow.org 
Billionaire conservative donor David Koch died Friday at the age of 79 from prostate cancer. David Koch — who was worth some $42 billion — and his brother Charles poured massive amounts of money into funding climate change denial through conservative think tanks and politicians. The Koch brothers founded the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity in 2004, which is credited with turning the "tea party" into a full-fledged political movement. They also backed "right-to-work" efforts, which aim to weaken labor rights and quash union membership. The brothers made their fortune running Koch Indu…
(2019-08-26). We Are Not Fooled By The Hong Kong Protests. dissidentvoice.org 
Agnes Chow and Nathan Law accept the 2018 Lantos Human Rights Prize on behalf of Joshua Wong in Washington, DC. (Facebook) Update: Protests continued in Hong Kong this weekend. The protesters returned to the use of violence and the police responded. The South China Morning Post reported: In a now familiar pattern, the protesters threw …
(2019-08-26). Marginalized groups hit hardest by inequality and stigma in cities. un.org Millicent Auma Otieno, a Kenya-based human rights and community activist, campaigns on behalf of women and persons with disabilities who face stigmatization, as a result of cultural and religious beliefs. In an interview with UN News, Ms. Otieno reinforced the message that many people in cities are forced to live in informal settlements, which have proven to be hotbeds of unemployment, violence, drug abuse and early pregnancies.
(2019-08-26). Sri Lankan authorities must work 'vigorously' to ease simmering ethno-religious tensions, urges UN rights expert. un.org A United Nations human rights expert warned on Monday that Sri Lankan authorities must take urgent action to strengthen respect for freedom of religion or belief and address simmering ethno-religious tensions.
(2019-08-26). Union criticises PM's hypocrisy on public service. greenleft.org.au 
Workers rights Australian Public Service Jim McIlroyIssue 1235 Australia Community Public Sector UnionAugust 26, 2019The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has cr…
(2019-08-26). "The Situation Was Very Bad": Feminist Activist Kavita Krishnan on What She Saw in Kashmir. democracynow.org 
In Kashmir, residents have entered their fourth week of a severe lockdown after India revoked the special status of the Indian-controlled part of the Muslim-majority territory. On August 5, India imposed a curfew and cut off all communications to the region. More than 4,000 people, including many political leaders, have been detained, while local residents report facing increasing shortages of food and medicine. Over the weekend, India blocked a delegation of Indian opposition politicians from visiting Kashmir, including Rahul Gandhi, the former president of the Indian National Congress. India's actions have led…
(2019-08-26). Syria: A new low in nasty propaganda. mronline.org 
It may be a new low in propaganda. National Public Radio (NPR) used the news that Syrian First Lady Asma Assad had overcome breast cancer to mock her and continue the information war against Syria. They interviewed a Human Rights Watch staffer named Lama Fakih who is an American from Michigan now based in Beirut. | Source
(2019-08-25). Max Blumenthal: US sanctions on Venezuela are 'sociopathic'. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal discusses his heated exchange with a former Obama official and a member of Venezuela's far-right opposition…
(2019-08-25). Counting deaths for dollars: The rise and fall of Nicaragua's 'human rights' organizations. thegrayzone.com In their hunger for US funding, Nicaraguan opposition "human rights" NGOs inflated the death toll during the 2018 coup attempt….
(2019-08-24). Corporate Interests Use Voter Purges To Disenfranchise Citizens. therealnews.com 
The SCOTUS decision in Shelby County v Holder ruled that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is unconstitutional. Greg Palast talks about how what followed has been the expansion of the very issue that the VRA was implemented to curb…
(2019-08-24). Trump's Concentration Camps for Children. therealnews.com 
This week, the Trump Administration declared that immigrant children can be detained indefinitely, and in conditions that can be described as concentration camps. We talk to Sasha Abramsky of The Nation…
(2019-08-23). Activists demand Minnesota divest from border militarization contractor. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On August 22, immigrant rights and Palestine solidarity activists presented over 1000 signatures of Minnesota residents petitioning the State Board of Investments (SBI) to divest state pension funds from the Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems. Elbit sells cluster bombs and weaponized white phosphorus to the Israel Defense Forces, whose indiscriminate use on besieged Gaza has been widely condemned by international organizations. Elbit also manufactures surveillance equipment for the Israeli apartheid wall, and drones used in targeted assassinations of Palestinian political leaders. | Advertisi…
(2019-08-23). U of MN Teamsters demand year-round work. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN — While the University of Minnesota top officials gathered for the opening of newly renovated Pioneer Hall, August 21, about 50 members of Teamsters Local 320 and other campus unions held an informational picket line to demand the year-round, full-time employment for workers in M Dining. The U of M has curtailed summer work opportunities for Teamsters and is trampling on seniority rights. | Mick Kelly, a member of the negotiating committee for U of M Teamsters told the crowd, "The university is plunging us into poverty, and this is something that we will never put up with. It is unacceptabl…
(2019-08-23). Statewide protest says 'Black Lives Matter'. greenleft.org.au 
Indigenous rights Zebedee ParkesIssue 1234 Australia #Black Lives Matter justice SydneyAugust 23, 2019Aboriginal rights activis…
(2019-08-23). Interview: Lebanese solidarity with Palestinian refugees. liberationnews.org 
"For the first time in Lebanon, and possibly in any Arab country, banners supporting the rights of Palestinian refugees were carried along with queer and trans flags."
(2019-08-23). Sen. Merkley Condemns Trump's War Against Migrant Families as U.S. Moves to Indefinitely Jail Kids. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration is moving to indefinitely detain migrant children and their families, reversing decades of U.S. policy. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to issue a new rule today to withdraw from a 1997 federal court settlement known as the Flores agreement, which put a 20-day limit on migrant family detentions. We speak with Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, who made headlines last year when he was barred from entering an old Walmart where the government was detaining about 1,500 immigrant children in Brownsville, Texas.
(2019-08-22). DNC Rejects Call for a Climate Debate. therealnews.com 
Democratic National Committee (DNC) officials reversed the previous ban on candidates participating in non-sanctioned climate forums, but Carmen Bouquin of the Sunrise Movement says that's not enough…
(2019-08-22). A Louisiana Parish Jailed a U.S. Citizen for Being Latinx. We're Suing. aclu.org Officers in a Louisiana jail held a U.S. citizen for four days on an immigration hold simply because of his skin color and name. | Ramon Torres had been a U.S. citizen for nearly ten years when he was detained for four days on an immigration hold — despite having a U.S. passport, a Louisiana driver's license, and a Social Security card, and despite that fact that a court ordered his release. | Torres' ordeal began in August 2018, when he was pulled over and arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Torres, a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2009, was carrying multiple forms of identification, inclu…
(2019-08-22). 'Anti-alien Hysteria:' Journalist Elizabeth Glendower Evans and the Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti. progressive.org In a case perhaps more relevant now than ever, the trial of the two immigrants became a rallying point for 1920s progressives, labor activists, and human rights advocates around the globe.
(2019-08-22). Warren Apologizes to Native Americans; Sanders Backs Rescinding Medals for Wounded Knee Massacre. democracynow.org 
This week 10 Democratic candidates and one independent in the 2020 presidential race, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, addressed indigenous communities at the first-ever Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa. During the two-day event, candidates individually answered questions from a panel of tribal leaders and Native American youth and elders on issues including treaty rights, voter suppression, and murdered and missing indigenous women.
(2019-08-21). An Arizona Law Requires Surveillance of People Who Are Presumed Innocent. aclu.org The government cannot take shortcuts around constitutional rights. | A pillar of our democracy is the presumption of innocence: before a person has been convicted of a crime, they are considered completely innocent under the law. Yet across the country, people who have not been convicted are punished—both explicitly and implicitly—based on the mistaken assumption that they are dangerous, purely on the basis of an accusation. We do not live in a society where you can be incarcerated or monitored simply because you have been accused of a crime. Doing so violates constitutional rights, fuels mass incarce…
(2019-08-21). Headlines for August 21, 2019. democracynow.org Amazon Wildfires Spark Fears of Environmental Disaster as Sà£o Paulo Goes Dark from Smoke, Trump Expected to End Flores Agreement, Slashing Protections for Child Migrants, CBP Will Not Vaccinate Jailed Migrants as Doctors Say At Least 3 Detained Children Died from Flu, Lawsuits Allege "Torture" in Migrant Jails and Child Abuse in Foster Care, Italy in Turmoil as Prime Minister Resigns, Migrants Disembark from Rescue Ship in Italy After Being Stranded at Sea for 3 Weeks, Trump Cancels Denmark Visit over Refusal to Discuss Selling Greenland, Trump Attacks Tlaib & Omar, Says Jews Are "Disloyal" If They Vote De…
(2019-08-20). Hong Kong: Flashpoint of Class Struggle in China. uwidata.com What began as isolated protests against a standard criminal-extradition law has somehow erupted into a violent fury throughout Hong Kong. The Chinese city's American-and-British-flag-waving protesters are, on the one hand, calling for "freedom, human rights, and democracy" while, on the other, assaulting police and even random bystanders alike. Western media have already been on the …
(2019-08-19). Trump is Taking More Money for Raids and Detention. Congress Should Stop Him. aclu.org Without congressional checks, ICE and CBP will continue to overspend and overstep. | 08/27/19 Update: Congress made public today a document outlining the Department of Homeland Security's plan to take nearly $280 million in funds meant for FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the TSA, among other critical priorities. Over $115 million of these funds will go towards President Trump's growing detention and deportations of immigrants, with the rest being used for sham border courts to…
(2019-08-19). SPLC, allies sue ICE for ignoring medical, mental health and disability needs of detained immigrants. splcenter.org Faour Abdallah Fraihat, who ran a successful construction business for years in California, is currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
(2019-08-16). Ernest Coverson on Guns & Human Rights, Carey Gillam Under Attack From Monsanto. fair.org 
Media…
(2019-08-15). The Challenges of Breastfeeding as a Black Person. aclu.org How our workplaces and healthcare system create barriers to breastfeeding. | The fight to protect individual choices about reproductive care, including breastfeeding, is an ongoing battle. The central lesson of the reproductive justice movement is that choice means little without access. That lesson applies equally to breastfeeding. | Though laws, in the workplace and other contexts, are in place to protect the right to breastfeed, many low-income women and w…
(2019-08-13). SPLC joins brief opposing Kansas law targeting immigrants. splcenter.org The SPLC and 29 worker and immigrant rights organizations filed an amicus brief today urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a court decision stating that a Kansas identity theft law cannot be used to turn local law enforcement into immigration agents.