(2019-09-03). Groups force Lesotho clothing factories owner to end gender-based violence. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—A landmark alliance of unions and women's rights groups in the Southern African nation of Lesotho teamed up to pressure a Taiwanese factory owner into signing a pact to end gender-based sexual harassment and violence at its plants, the director of the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center says. In an August 29 interview with Chris Garlock on …
(2019-09-03). Meet the militantly pro-Israel Trump official directing the economic war on Iran. thegrayzone.com From her influential post at the Treasury Department, Sigal Mandelker has vowed to defend "our great partner, Israel" by sanctioning…
(2019-09-03). Max Blumenthal: Nicaragua beat US regime change, but sanctions and sabotage continue. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal explains how Nicaragua celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution just one year after defeating…
(2019-09-03). Courts back Trump administration as ICE continues to force-feed immigrants. wsws.org Force-feeding typically can causes excruciating pain, is dangerous when performed on unwilling participants, and is recognized by international doctors' associations as a form of torture.
(2019-09-03). Roger Waters and John Pilger make powerful defence of Julian Assange in London. wsws.org Pilger stated: "By defending Julian Assange, we defend our most sacred rights. Speak up now or wake up one morning to the silence of a new kind of tyranny."
(2019-09-03). When Religious Ideology Drives Abortion Policy, Poor Women Suffer the Consequences. commondreams.org Abortion rights supporters in Missouri take part in a protest, after state lawmakers passed rules aimed at closing Missouri's only abortion clinic, May 30, 2019. (Photo: AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-09-03). Workers Need More Rights and Economic Democracy. dissidentvoice.org As someone who has been a union member since I was a Marine with the American Servicemen's Union until I retired last year as a Teamster as well as a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, I have lived the reality of mistreatment of workers in the United States. It is good to …
(2019-09-03). Insecurity and violence turn Nigeria into a 'pressure cooker' that must be addressed, says UN rights expert. un.org Nigeria is a pressure cooker of internal conflicts and generalized violence that must be addressed urgently, an independent United Nations expert said on Tuesday, following a fact-finding visit to the country.
(2019-09-03). UN experts decry torture of Rakhine men and boys held incommunicado by Myanmar's military. un.org Allegations of torture and ill-treatment leading to the death of ethnic Rakhine men and boys being held in incommunicado detention by Myanmar's military, has prompted three independent UN rights experts to call for an end to the practice and for "credible, independent" investigations.
(2019-09-03). Nowhere is safe to hide in war-torn Yemen, say UN-appointed rights experts. un.org The people of Yemen have been subject to "numerous" possible war crimes in recent years including forced recruitment of children and sexual abuse in detention, UN-appointed senior rights experts said on Tuesday, in an appeal to the international community to do more to end the conflict.
(2019-09-03). Fall 2019 National Immigrant Solidarity Network News Alert! indybay.org More Trump's Racist Raids, Killings and Immigrant Children Indefinite Detentions!
(2019-09-03). Sanctions and Double Standards. indybay.org Sanctions are war with other means-and not an alternative to war. The civilian population pays the price with their bodies and their lives. Export prohibitions on the most important revenues of a country cause impoverishment and suffering. That Iran has not attacked another country militarily in the last 100 years is mostly unmentioned in the media.
(2019-09-03). US Sanctions Threats Won't Stop Russia-Africa Security Cooperation. globalresearch.ca The US' reported threats to sanction African countries that buy Russian weaponry won't succeed in stopping security cooperation between Moscow and its partners, though it's nevertheless a clever way to try to exploit those nations' "deep state" divisions in a …
(2019-09-03). A New York Jail Forced a Trans Woman Into a Men's Facility. aclu.org Trans women routinely face harassment and discrimination in jails and prisons. | Jena Faith's experience in the Steuben County Jail was a living nightmare. | The military veteran spent four weeks in the jail awaiting trial last spring. She was initially housed in the jail's women's facility without incident, but things changed when officials suddenly transferred her to the men's facility, despite the fact that she is a woman. | During the weeks that Jena spent as a woman in a men's jail, she was routinely targeted with physical and verbal harassment from other incarcerated people and guards. On her first day in t…
(2019-09-03). 25 years since the IRA's ceasefire and the UK still doesn't know how to relate to Ireland. thecanary.co On 31 August 1994, the IRA announced the first of two major ceasefires in the 1990s. It ended a 26-year period of war and violence. | Yet despite the hope brought by that ceasefire, it was met with suspicion and mistrust. And through its botched handling of Brexit and…
(2019-09-02). Democracy Needs Unions. counterpunch.org 
You deserve to have a say in matters that affect you. Everyone does. That's democracy. This shouldn't change when you go to work. Democratic rights in the workplace — including the right to form a union, and the power to speak up about workplace issues — go hand in hand with a democratic society. But More
(2019-09-02). Linking Popular Movements and Unions is a Winning Strategy for Workers. dissidentvoice.org 
After years of declining power and stagnant wages, workers in the United States are awakening, striking and demanding more rights. A Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows the number of striking workers is the highest since 1986. In 2018, 485,000 people went on strike, a number not exceeded since the 533,000 people in 1986, and 2019 will be even …
(2019-09-02). UK: Protesters condemn Johnson's proroguing of parliament "We'll wake up one day and all our rights will be gone if we don't stand up and fight." wsws.org WSWS reporters spoke to those in attendance at anti-Johnson protests in London, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds and Bristol.
(2019-09-02). Labor Rights Are Human Rights — It's Time We Guaranteed Them in the Constitution. thenation.com Labor Rights Are Human Rights — It's Time We Guaranteed Them in the Constitution…
(2019-09-02). Corbyn outlines potential impact of no-deal Brexit on communities across Britain. thecanary.co 
Jeremy Corbyn has offered Leave voters a vision to transform Britain as he pledged to block a no-deal Brexit.The Labour leader, holding a shadow cabinet meeting in Salford to plan the next steps to stop what he called Prime Minister Boris Johnson's "dictatorial approach" to Parliament, said Leave-voting areas had suffered from austerity and decades of lack of investment.He went through regions of England detailing the damage he claimed a no-deal EU exit could do.Corbyn said: "So to people who voted leave, they may have many, many reasons for voting leave but nobody wanted to lose their rights, lose their job or s…
(2019-09-01). Refugees Returned to Mexico Face Physical & Psychological Torture in US, Danger in Mexico. therealnews.com 
Laura Carlsen spoke to asylum seekers in Tijuana, Mexico, who were turned back at the US-Mexico border. They tell about harrowing experiences with US border patrol and the dangers they face in Mexico…
(2019-08-31). 'CA has decriminalized illegal alien crime': Outrage as Kate Steinle's killer's conviction tossed. rt.com 
A California appeals court has thrown out the conviction of an illegal immigrant who shot a woman on a San Francisco pier after escaping deportation due to the city's sanctuary policy, triggering further outrage. | Jose Ines Garcia Zarate's conviction on charges of being a convicted felon in possession of a gun was thrown out by a California state appeals court on Friday, reviving the furor over a case that has defined the immigration debate. The 1st District Court of Appeal ruled the judge failed to offer the jury the option of acquitting the Mexican national on the theory he only possessed the weapon "for a…
(2019-08-31). At least 10 teenagers injured after gunfire erupts at high school football game in Alabama. rt.com 
At least six teenagers received gunshot wounds after unidentified assailants opened fire at the end of a high school football game in Mobile, Alabama. | Mobile Police Chief Lawrence Battiste told local media that two individuals were detained in connection with the attack. He said that 10 people were injured in total, but four of the injuries were not gunshot wounds. The victims ranged in age from 15 to 18 years old. Their conditions were not immediately clear. | Witnesses say there was a fight in the stands several minutes before the end of the game. | Footage taken after the shooting shows police cars swarmi…
(2019-08-30). Solidarity on ending illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe. workers.org 
On Aug. 18, the 39th Southern African Development Community Summit of the Heads of State and Government held in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, declared Oct. 25, A Day of Solidarity to Lift the Illegal Sanctions Imposed on Zimbabwe. The 16-member states of SADC have resolved to conduct actions in their . . . | Continue reading Solidarity on ending illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe at Workers.org
(2019-08-30). Trump Hits Lebanon Bank with His Favorite Econo-Political Battering Ram. mintpressnews.com 
The fact that the U.S. sanctions countries whenever its president pleases could in itself be considered a hostile act. Even in wartime, these sorts of collective punishments are illegal under the Geneva Conventions.
(2019-08-30). Draconian Rules at Guantánamo Bay Violate Media's First Amendment Rights, News Outlets Say. theintercept.com Military officials at Guantánamo Bay have drafted restrictive new rules for journalists visiting the naval base that require journalists to agree to have all their interviews vetted and supervised by public affairs officers. | The policy was handed out this week to journalists, including one from The Intercept, who were asked to sign and return it within as little as 26 hours if they wanted to attend military commission proceedings in the coming weeks. | "[Journalists] may not participate in any activity related to their work, including any news or information gathering activity, if they are not accompanied by a…
(2019-08-30). No right to discriminate. greenleft.org.au 
civil rights freedom of speech Alex SalmonIssue 1235 Australia religious discrimination bill PerthAugust 30, 2019A ral…
(2019-08-30). Marching for the right to protest. greenleft.org.au 
civil rights Alex BainbridgeIssue 1235 Australia BrisbaneAugust 30, 2019Hundreds of people marched through Brisbane on August 28 in opposition to the Queensland Labor government's proposed anti-protest laws. | The local council tried to ban the march but lost the cour…
(2019-08-30). War on the Mexican border: How did it happen? greenleft.org.au 
immigrant rights Barry SheppardIssue 1235 United States US-Mexico border wallAugust 30, 2019What became the United States was first a series of white British — "White Anglo-Saxon Protestant" (WASP) — settler colonies. | Besides starting the…
(2019-08-30). "All-Out Attack": Trump's Anti-Immigrant Policies Target Children, Cancer Patients & Servicemembers. democracynow.org 
On Tuesday, the Trump administration reportedly ended its "medical deferred action" program, which allows immigrants with serious health problems to stay in the U.S. for up to two years beyond the terms of their visas to receive critical treatment. Just one day later, it announced that some children born to U.S. servicemembers and government employees stationed overseas will no longer automatically receive citizenship. The policy changes come days after the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to allow the Trump administration to implement its rule banning almost all migrants from seeking asylum in the Unit…
(2019-08-30). Headlines for August 30, 2019. democracynow.org Florida Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Hurricane Dorian, Justice Department: Comey Violated FBI Rules But Will Not Face Charges, Former FARC Rebels to Take Up Arms Again in Colombia, Report: Indian Forces Are Beating and Torturing Kashmiris in Detention, UAE Accused of Bombing Saudi-Backed Forces in Yemen, Prominent Pro-Democracy Activists Arrested Ahead of Saturday's Protest, Scottish Judge Refused to Block Boris Johnson's Plan to Suspend Parliament, Ebola Death Toll Tops 2,000 in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Environmental Groups Threaten to Sue Trump over Methane Rules, NAACP Calls for Alabama Gov. t…
(2019-08-30). Extraordinary rise in NSW police strip searches. greenleft.org.au 
civil rights Rachel EvansIssue 1235 Australia strip searches SydneyAugust 30, 2019The number of strip searches carried out by NSW police has risen almost 20-fold in less than 12 years, with young people…
(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). How Solitary Confinement Kills: Torture and Stunning Neglect End 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). New Zealand: Casino workers set to strike. greenleft.org.au 
Workers rights Kerry SmithIssue 1235 New Zealand Unite union New Zealand SkyCity stikeAugust 29, 2019SkyCity Casino workers in Auckland have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action to…
(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). 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…
(2019-08-27). Woman Goes Into Premature Labor After Aggressive Arrest; Judge Still Sends Her to Jail. therealnews.com 
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 filings reveal the harrowing experience for a woman who went into labor shortly after she was put in handcuffs and jailed.
(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). "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…
(2019-08-23). 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."
(2019-08-22). 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.
(2019-08-21). 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…
(2019-08-19). 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…