(2019-09-05). Sanders wants to fund abortions in 'poor countries' to fight climate change. rt.com 
US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said he would support using taxpayer money to fund abortions in foreign countries as a means of population control in the face of climate change. | Sanders merged the hot-button issues of climate change and abortion rights, at the same time singling out developing nations as the culprits overpopulating Earth, during a six-and-a-half-hour CNN townhall on climate change on Wednesday. While his supporters appeared galvanized, the proposal invoked the wrath of his detractors online. | pic.twitter.com/DDSq9PacgB— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) (2019-09-05). Russia and Turkey's ongoing cooperation provokes tension with Europe and the US. uwidata.com 
Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 systems (in spite of US sanctions and threats), along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent visit to Russia and joint inspection of the latest Su-35 and Su-57 fighters with Russian President Vladimir Putin, are both clear indications of the ongoing split in the American-European axis. The US quickly …
(2019-09-05). Mexican president used spy agency to monitor immigrant caravans. wsws.org After claiming that Mexico's spy agency would be dismantled and immigrants protected, AMLO has escalated attacks on democratic rights.
(2019-09-05). Max Blumenthal: Nicaragua beat U.S. regime change, but sanctions and sabotage continue. mronline.org The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal explains how Nicaragua celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution just one year after defeating a U.S.-backed coup effort — and how U.S. sabotage efforts continue today. | Source
(2019-09-05). U.S. journalist & activist Brandon Lee shot in Philippines after being called "enemy of the state" nationofchange.org American journalist and indigenous and environmental rights activist Brandon Lee remains in critical condition in the Philippines more than four weeks after being shot multiple times outside his home in the northern region of the country in early August. Lee was shot at least four times in the back and face on August 6 in …
(2019-09-05). Global Day Of Solidarity Protest At Rockwell Automation SJ With Tecate Workers. indybay.org Trade unionists and workers rallied in San Jose to protest the union busting and repression by Milwaukee based Rockwell Automation. This company fired workers at the Tecate plant that joined a union to protect their health and safety conditions and advance their rights on the job.
(2019-09-05). Iran releases seven crew members from British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero. thecanary.co Iran has released seven crew members from detained British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero and they have flown out of Iran, according to the ship's owner. | The development emerged in a statement quoting Stena Bulk chief executive Erik Hanell. | Stena Impero — Statement 16 | Erik Hanell, President and CEO, Stena Bulk said: "Stena Bulk and Northern Marine Management can confirm that seven crew members of the Stena Impero have been released and are now travelling to a safe location. t.co/7XD2JQiAFM | [md…
(2019-09-05). More Than 30 Groups Demand Law Enforcement Ban on Facial Recognition Technology. truthout.org | | A diverse coalition of advocacy groups representing more than 15 million people launched a grassroots pressure campaign Thursday calling on local, state, and federal lawmakers to completely ban law enforcement use of facial recognition technology, which the organizations warn is "spreading like an epidemic" and poses a dire threat to fundamental privacy rights. | "Facial recognition is one of the most authoritarian and invasive for…
(2019-09-05). East Timor's mass poverty, unemployment belie promises of "national liberation" wsws.org The creation of the new capitalist state did nothing to advance the social interests and democratic rights of the Timorese working class and rural poor.
(2019-09-05). Costa Rican government imposes ban on political strikes. wsws.org Thousands of public sector workers, including teachers, doctors, nurses, electricians, trash collectors and others went on a national strike on Tuesday to oppose this historic attack on democratic rights.
(2019-09-05). What is Happening in Venezuela, and What Can the U.S. Do? PART II. indybay.org PART II of a three-part series on Venezuela, written after participating in an End-Sanctions delegation in April 2019. The PDF has the Tikkun magazine article that combines the three parts: What's really happening, Why did both Obama and Trump sanction Venezuela, and How did the Venezuelan economy get so messed up?>
(2019-09-05). What is Happening in Venezuela, and What Can the U.S. Do? PART III. indybay.org PART III of a three-part series on Venezuela, written after participating in an End-Sanctions delegation in April 2019. The PDF has the Tikkun magazine article that combines the three parts: What's really happening, Why did both Obama and Trump sanction Venezuela, and How did the Venezuelan economy get so messed up?>
(2019-09-05). What is Happening in Venezuela, and What Can the U.S. Do? PART I. indybay.org PART I of a three-part series on Venezuela after participating in an End-Sanctions delegation in April 2019. The PDF has the Tikkun magazine article that combines the three parts: What's really happening; Why did both Obama and Trump sanction Venezuela, and How did the Venezuelan Economy get so messed up?>
(2019-09-05). Victory Over 'Civil Liberties Train Wreck' as Federal Judge Rules US Terror Watchlist Unconstitutional. commondreams.org After years of abuse and secrecy, court's decision seen by rights advocates as very welcome but "long overdue" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-09-05). 'Vision for Justice': 117 Rights Groups Offer Roadmap to Transform US Criminal-Legal System. commondreams.org "The American criminal-legal system is a stain on our democracy," declares a new policy platform from human and civil rights groups who aim to transform the existing system into one of respect and justice. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-09-05). Excessive state surveillance is now 'undermining British democracy'. mronline.org 
Kevin Blowe is the coordinator of the Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol) from 2014 when it began focusing on the policing of opposition to fracking across the country. He regularly contributes to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's work on protecting rights to freedom of assembly and spent 25 years as a campaigner […] | Source
(2019-09-04). UN: 'Both sides responsible' for war crimes in Yemen. peoplesworld.org 
UNITED NATIONS—Both the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels and the rebels themselves, who are allied with Iran, are responsible for war crimes in Yemen, a special United Nations panel of experts says. And their arms suppliers—including the U.S.—are "complicit" for the carnage, the panel adds. In the second report to the world body's Human Rights …
(2019-09-04). UN Report on Yemen: US, UK Accomplices to Atrocities, While Inaction Continues. therealnews.com 
Prof. Asad Abukhalil argues that the UN Human Rights Council's report on Yemen acknowledges US and UK complicity in the war crimes being committed, but it still soft-pedals them because the US dominates the body…
(2019-09-04). Civil rights conference featuring renowned activist Angela Davis to gather in Chicago this November. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Founded in 1973 as an organization that grew out of the movement to free the wrongfully imprisoned Angela Davis and other political prisoners, the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression is set to relaunch this November. This refounding, led by the Chicago Alliance against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) and other organizations, will be taking place in Chicago, Illinois on November 22-24 at the Chicago Teachers' Union Hall. | The organizers' main objectives for this conference are to continue to build the struggle for police accountability as well as stand in solidari…
(2019-09-04). Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Praises Pinochet in Chile. truthdig.com RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro criticized on Wednesday U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, who is from Chile, by praising that country's 1973 military coup. | Bachelet "forgets that her country is not Cuba only thanks to the courage of those who stopped the left in 1973," Bolsonaro wrote on his Facebook page, adding that among the communists that were defeated then was her father. | Bachelet's father Alberto, an air force officer who opposed Gen. Augusto Pinochet during the coup, was imprisoned and tortured. He died in captivity in 1974. | The president's comments came as the U.N…
(2019-09-04). Wednesday's Daily Brief: Fear rampant in Burundi, WHO on nutrition, Hurricane Dorian latest, Cyberbullying poll, Bachelet, one year on. un.org A recap of Wednesday's main stories: UN rights experts warn 'climate of fear' rampant in Burundi; New health report on proper nutrition; One in three young people say they've been bullied online; and UN's top rights official on world's crises…
(2019-09-04). Human rights are everyone's business, amid relentless crises around world: UN's Bachelet. un.org The relentless outbreak of crises around the world — from the fires in the Amazon to "carnage" in Syria and demonstrations in Hong Kong, Russia, Indonesian Papua and elsewhere – risk pushing the world "further and further away from global solutions to global problems", the UN's top rights official said on Wednesday.
(2019-09-04). Nigerian Journalist & Activist Omoyele Sowore Remains Jailed for Calling for Peaceful Protests. democracynow.org 
Journalist and pro-democracy activist Omoyele Sowore is entering his second month in jail for calling for peaceful nationwide protests against the government. Sowore called his movement "Revolution Now" and mobilized activists to take to the streets August 5. But just two days before the protests were set to begin, Sowore was arrested by the state and accused of attempting to take over the government. He's been imprisoned for more than a month now as human rights groups continue to call for his immediate release. We speak with his wife Opeyemi Sowore and Nani Jansen Reventlow, one of the attorneys representing Om…
(2019-09-04). U.S. Journalist & Activist Brandon Lee Shot in Philippines After Being Called "Enemy of the State" democracynow.org 
American journalist and indigenous and environmental rights activist Brandon Lee remains in critical condition in the Philippines more than four weeks after being shot multiple times outside his home in the northern region of the country in early August. Lee was shot at least four times in the back and face on August 6 in what his family and advocates say was an attempt by the Philippines government to kill him. Brandon Lee is a Chinese American born and raised in San Francisco, but he has spent the last decade in the Philippines, where he has a wife and young daughter. He is a correspondent for the weekly newspa…
(2019-09-04). New Human Rights Watch report highlights dangers in industry SPLC seeks to reform. splcenter.org A new report released by Human Rights Watch today highlights the increasingly dangerous conditions facing meatpacking workers across the United States — underscoring dangers the SPLC uncovered within an industry it has long sought to reform.
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). Groundswell grows for the Biloela family to stay. greenleft.org.au 
refugee rights Jonathan StraussIssue 1236 Australia Biloela Tamil refugees CairnsSeptember 3, 2019I joined the September 1 vigil in Ca…
(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 …
(2019-09-01). 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…
(2019-09-01). Was the imprisonment of Iranian-American journalist Marzieh Hashemi spun into expanded US sanctions? thegrayzone.com The relationship between former Air Force analyst-turned-Iranian spy Monica Witt and Hashemi — who was jailed by US authorities this…
(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). "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…
(2019-08-29). 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). 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). 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). 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…
(2019-08-23). 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). '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). 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…
(2019-08-21). 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…