(2019-09-11). The FBI Was Deeply Involved in CIA Black Site Interrogations Despite Years of Denials, Guantánamo Defense Lawyer Says. theintercept.com 
The word haunting the austere courtroom was torture. Torture not only tormented the perpetrators; it has delayed justice for the families of 9/11 victims.
(2019-09-11). Nationalism, borders, and the state. mronline.org 
Last summer, protesters in Oregon set up a makeshift camp outside the Portland office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Similar encampments soon spread across the country, from Chicago to Los Angeles and New York. Horrified by stories of family separation and images of children in detention centers along the southern border, a consequence of […] | Source
(2019-09-11). The Bill of Rights Turns 230: What Do We Have to Show for It? Nothing Good. counterpunch.org 
"That was when they suspended the Constitution. They said it would be temporary. There wasn't even any rioting in the streets. People stayed home at night, watching television, looking for some direction. There wasn't even an enemy you could put your finger on." —Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale It's been 230 years since James Madison More
(2019-09-11). A Memoir From Hell: Samantha Power Will Do Anything for Human Rights Unless It Hurts Her Career. theintercept.com 
A new book by Obama's ambassador to the U.N. won't honestly tell us what she saw on the mountaintop because she wants to get back there.
(2019-09-11). Incarcerated Pregnant Women Face Enormous Challenges With Few Reproductive Rights. therealnews.com 
Kimberly Haven, Reproductive Justice Inside Coalition Director, talks about the horror stories from pregnant women in prisons that were originally designed for men. Haven talks about what needs to change to protect women and their unborn children that will eventually come home to the community.
(2019-09-11). Iran thaw coming? After firing chief hawk, Trump hints at lifting sanctions on Tehran. rt.com 
Days after saying he had "no problem" meeting his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani and soon after firing his hawkish adviser John Bolton, US President Donald Trump has hinted he may lift some sanctions on Tehran. | Iran has been under crippling US economic sanctions since the US unilaterally withdrew lat May from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or Iran Nuclear Deal). Relations between Washington and Tehran have since deteriorated, with the sanctions accompanied by a military buildup in the Persian Gulf and back-and-forth threats from both sides. | But, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump…
(2019-09-11). President Morales to Negotiate 'Safe Country' Agreement with US. telesurenglish.net The Guatemalan Constitutional Court announced on Tuesday the revocation of a protective action that prevented President Jimmy Morales from negotiating an agreement with the United States to turn Guatemala into a "Safe Third Country" (STC). | RELATED: | Guatemala Imposes Siege for 30 Days, Rights Groups Protest | "It has been accepted the request for revocation of the protective…
(2019-09-11). Harrowing Cables Detail How the CIA Tortured Accused 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Jeopardizing the Case Against Him. theintercept.com Thirteen recently declassified cables reveal interrogators' attempts to turn detainees into collaborators in the war against Al Qaeda.
(2019-09-11). Chile's 9/11 Coup: Salvador Allende's Last Words. telesurenglish.net Leftist former Chilean President Salvador Allende gave his last speech to the nation while the presidential palace was surrounded by the coup plotters led by Augusto Pinochet's command. | The U.S.-backed coup on Sept. 11, 1973 was the culmination of a long campaign of sabotage carried out by the local elite class alongside the U.S. administration of Richard Nixon who had said that Washington must "make the economy scream." | Following the coup, 30,000 were killed under Pinochet's rule, with countless tortured and disappeared as the right-wing dictator implemented neoliberal shock therapy to the Chilean econom…
(2019-09-11). UN report on Syria conflict highlights inhumane detention of women and children. un.org As the people of north-west Syria face intensifying violence, tens of thousands of women and children continue to be kept in "inhumane conditions" in a remote camp on the other side of the country, UN-appointed independent investigators said on Wednesday.
(2019-09-11). Florida: Flurry of Rights of River Ballot Initiatives Proposed to Save Drinking Water, Ecosystems. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-09-11). James Madison's Bill of Rights Turns 230, and What Do We Have to Show for It? Nothing Good. globalresearch.ca "That was when they suspended the Constitution. They said it would be temporary. There wasn't even any rioting in the streets. People stayed home at night, watching television, looking for some direction. There wasn't even an enemy you could put …
(2019-09-11). New Jersey cop pleads guilty to violating civil rights and excessive force. nationofchange.org As a result of an FBI investigation into police corruption in Paterson, New Jersey, another police officer recently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate individuals' civil rights and filing a false police report. In addition to stealing money and falsifying reports, the corrupt cop also pleaded guilty to repeatedly using unreasonable and excessive force. Since …
(2019-09-11). Immigrant Rights and Green Groups Join Forces in Rally at CBP, Demanding Trump Welcome Bahamians and All Climate Refugees. commondreams.org As the climate crisis and the Trump administration's anti-immigration agenda intersect with immigration officials barring some Hurricane Dorian evacuees from the U.S., the Sunrise Movement, United We Dream, and other groups are rallying in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night to demand that Bahamians be allowed into the country. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-09-11). 'Red Flag for Whole World': Undocumented Workers in India Fear They May Soon Be Prisoners in Detention Camps They Are Building. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-09-11). Behind Britain's Brexit mess: A push to destroy workers' rights. peoplesworld.org 
LISBON, Portugal—Britain's version of Donald Trump, right-wing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was handed a major defeat Monday when his second try at calling an election to solve the Brexit mess was rebuffed. Labor and left forces in Britain say his call for a "snap election" is nothing more than an attempt to crush the opposition …
(2019-09-11). Headlines for September 11, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Ousts National Security Adviser John Bolton, Palestinians Say Annexation of West Bank Would Be "Paramount to a War Crime", Scottish Court Declares Johnson's Suspension of Parliament Ahead of Brexit "Unlawful", Japan Warns Radioactive Water from Fukushima to Be Dumped into Pacific Ocean, Republicans Win Two Special Congressional Elections in North Carolina, Study: 1,700 Polling Places Have Closed Since Gutting of Voting Rights Act, California Votes to Force Gig Companies to Treat Contract Workers Like Employees, Number of Uninsured Americans Jumps to 27.5 Million, CDC Warns Against Vaping Use as Sixth User D…
(2019-09-10). Irwin Cotler: Anti-Palestinian, Pro-Terrorist, Anti-Human Rights. dissidentvoice.org If the ancient storyteller Aesop was correct and "a man is known by the company he keeps" what can we learn about Irwin Cotler from his friends and associates? As I've written, the former Liberal justice minister has been a leading anti-Palestinian activist for decades. More recently, he has sought to unseat Venezuela's government and …
(2019-09-10). Nicaragua 'crisis' still cause for concern amid murder, torture allegations: Bachelet. un.org Nicaragua's on-going human rights crisis can be resolved peacefully through dialogue, the UN's top rights official said on Tuesday, before expressing concern about allegations of torture and murder of protesters involved in last year's anti-Government demonstrations.
(2019-09-10). Tuesday's Daily Brief: Afghanistan 'direct talks' needed, Nicaragua rights crisis, Bangladesh monsoon and Libya detainees latest, Dorian update. un.org A recap of Monday's top stories: All Afghans must participate in peace process; Nicaragua's rights crisis can be resolved says Bachelet; Rohingya refugees impacted by monsoon rains; Libya detainees to be evacuated to Rwanda; and multiple donors show solidarity with the Bahamas.
(2019-09-10). Labour promises big expansion of employment rights. thecanary.co Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has promised to put power "in the hands of workers" under plans for a big expansion of employment rights. | He announced that a Labour government would establish a Ministry for Employment Rights, saying it would herald the biggest extension of rights for workers ever seen in the UK. | The aim is to deliver better wages, greater security and give workers more of a say over how their workplaces are run, he told the TUC Congress in Brighton. | Labour was on the side of the people against the "born-to-rule establishment" represented by prime minister Boris Johnson, he told delegates. | He…
(2019-09-10). Microsoft: `US Aggression Towards Huawei Affects Us Too`. telesurenglish.net In a recent interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Microsoft President Brad Smith talked about the impact of those sanctions, declaring that unfair and "un-American" treatment may hit local companies hard, and Microsoft itself will not be spared. | RELATED: | 'We May Not Do Any Business With Huawei': Trump Says as License Expires Aug. 19 | According to RT, Smith has serious doubts over the excuses presented by the White House to include Huawei on the infamous 'Entity List' of banned companies t…
(2019-09-10). Headlines for September 10, 2019. democracynow.org Wilbur Ross Under Fire After Reports of Political Meddling at NOAA, Trump Says "Bad People" from Hurricane-Ravaged Bahamas Trying to Enter U.S., Boris Johnson Dealt More Blows over Brexit Plan as U.K. Parliament Suspended, U.N. Human Rights Chief: Climate Change Greatest Threat to Human Rights, French Summer Heat Waves Linked to 1,500 Deaths, Paraguay: Human Remains Found Under Former Property of Ex-Dictator Alfredo Stroessner, Bangladesh Imposes Mobile Phone Blackout on Rohingya Refugees, North Korea Fires 2 Projectiles After Proposing Renewal of Talks with U.S., Reports: CIA Extracted Russian Informant Who Prov…
(2019-09-10). From a Lebanese Refugee Camp to Harvard, Ismail Ajjawi Inspires Other Palestinian Students. democracynow.org 
Today marks a week since Ismail Ajjawi, a 17-year-old Palestinian student who was denied entry into the United States, began classes with his fellow Harvard freshmen. Ajjawi was initially turned away at Boston's Logan Airport after immigration officials searched his phone and computer, and interrogated him about his religion and social media posts by friends that were critical of U.S. policy. He was then forced to return home to Lebanon, but his case provoked outrage on the Harvard campus and among some Palestinian rights and academic freedom groups. Ajjawi, who is attending Harvard on a full scholarship, was edu…
(2019-09-09). 116 people arrested in week of action to stop the world's biggest arms fair in London. thecanary.co From 2 to 8 September, hundreds of people attended protests outside the gates of the upcoming DSEI arms fair in London. Around 116 demonstrators have reportedly been arrested in the last week for blocking trucks from entering the ExCeL centre. The protests were aimed at preventing the setting up of the arms fair before it started. | A government…
(2019-09-09). Monday's Daily Brief: Suicide death every 40 seconds, rights chief on climate change link, Venezuela, Dorian updates, desertification summit latest. un.org A recap of Monday's top stories: Someone dies by suicide every 40 seconds says new report; UN rights chief highlights climate change threat, and "devastating toll" on Venezuela; deputy chief Amina Mohammed says halting desertification is a key part of climate action; health agency pledges millions to Hurricane Dorian response.
(2019-09-09). Georgia Kumho Tire workers opt for union. fightbacknews.org Macon, GA – Workers at the Kumho Tire factory in Macon, Georgia, voted to join the United Steelworkers (USW) union, September 7, nearly two years after the initial vote was marred by the company's numerous violations of workers' rights. | While some legal challenges remain before the election results are official, the initial vote count showed 141 votes for the union and 137 against, with 13 challenged ballots still to be resolved at an upcoming hearing. | About 325 workers would be in the USW bargaining unit at Kumho. | An administrative law judge issued an order in May for a new vote at the Kumho factory after…
(2019-09-09). Scourge of slavery still claims 40 million victims worldwide, 'must serve as a wakeup call'. un.org Incidents of modern-day slavery are "only likely to increase" as a result of some of biggest challenges facing the world today, a UN expert outlined in a report for the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.
(2019-09-09). We are 'burning up our future', UN's Bachelet tells Human Rights Council. un.org The Human Rights Council opened in Geneva on Monday with a warning from the UN's top rights official that, with forest fires raging in the Amazon, "we are burning up our future, literally".
(2019-09-09). "No Accountability": FBI Investigates ICE Shooting of Undocumented Man in Nashville Suburb. democracynow.org 
The FBI is investigating the shooting of an undocumented immigrant by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a traffic stop last week. The shooting occurred Thursday at a supermarket parking lot in Antioch, a suburb of Nashville, where workers often gather to be picked up for a day's work. ICE agents were attempting to detain an unnamed 39-year-old Mexican man, who reportedly attempted to flee in a white box truck, when one of the agents shot him twice. It has now been revealed that the ICE agent involved in the shooting is one of the officers who made headlines in July after community members blocke…
(2019-09-08). The Other Americans: Colombia's Fragile Peace in Splinters. progressive.org The renewal of armed struggle follows neglect of the peace process from the far right. "[President] Duque is taking advantage of the discourse of Donald Trump to put back in place repressive politics," a human rights defender says.
(2019-09-08). UN chief welcomes prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. un.org United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed on Sunday, yesterday's exchange of prisoners and detainees between Russia and Ukraine.
(2019-09-07). Texas protest says "No kids in cages" fightbacknews.org Arlington, TX – 60 people showed up at a protest organized by the Progressive Student Union (PSU) at the University of Texas at Arlington, September 4, against the Trump administration's change to of policy on the detention of undocumented children. | Mark Napieralski, an organizer from the Progressive Student Union, spoke about how the Flores Agreement banned holding children indefinitely – and how the Trump administration is moving to keep children in indefinite detention in concentration camps along the southern border. | Speakers at the rally included Minister Katie Hays from the Galileo Church and Harold Ch…
(2019-09-06). North Carolina Did What SCOTUS Wouldn't — Ended GOP Gerrymandering. therealnews.com 
A North Carolina state court panel stopped the GOP's gerrymandering plan by ruling that the maps drawn for GOP-dominated voting districts were in violating of the state's constitution, and of the rights of North Carolina voters…
(2019-09-06). End religious discrimination. greenleft.org.au 
civil rightsIssue 1236 Australia religious discrimination bill LGBTI MelbourneSeptember 6, 2019A rally against the proposed religious exemptions bill was held in Melbourne on August 31. | The bill wo…
(2019-09-06). Headlines for September 6, 2019. democracynow.org Hurricane Dorian Death Toll in Bahamas Rises to 30, Likely Far Higher, Trump Personally Altered Map to Promote False Hurricane Threat to Alabama, Brazilian Archbishops Denounce Amazon Fires, Brazil's President Taunts U.N. Human Rights Chief over Her Family's Torture by Pinochet, Taliban Suicide Blast Kills 12 in Afghan Capital, Including Two NATO Soldiers, Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwean Liberation Fighter Turned Dictator, Dies at 95, Mike Pence Stayed in Trump Golf Resort 180+ Miles from Talks with Irish Leaders, Brother of British PM Boris Johnson Quits Parliament over Brexit, Federal Judge Rules Federal Terrorism Wa…
(2019-09-06). NSW to mobilise for free, safe abortion. greenleft.org.au 
abortion decriminalisation Pip HinmanIssue 1236 Australia Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019 reproductive rightsSeptember 6, 2019Supporters of the r…
(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). 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…
(2019-09-04). 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). 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.
(2019-09-04). 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). 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…
(2019-09-03). 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). 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…
(2019-08-30). 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.
(2019-08-29). 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…
(2019-08-22). 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…