(2020-01-08). Key Senate panel OKS 'New NAFTA' legislation. peoplesworld.org 
(2020-01-08). Not our problem: BoJo says legality of US assassination of Soleimani is 'not for UK to determine'. rt.com 
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted that questions surrounding the legality of the US killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani is "not for the UK to determine." | Responding to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn during the first PMQs of the year in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Johnson said that "most reasonable people" would accept that the US is well within its rights to "protect its bases and its personnel." | The strict issue of legality is not for the UK to determine since it was not our operation. | Corbyn, who described the escalation of US-Iran tensions in the middle east as…
(2020-01-08). Iranian-American Lawmaker Warns of Rising Xenophobia as U.S.-Iran Tension Escalates. democracynow.org 
In the midst of escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, Border Patrol has been detaining Iranian Americans at the U.S.-Canada border. At least 100 people were delayed at ports of entry along the border over the weekend, following the U.S. assassination of Qassem Soleimani on January 3. For response, we speak with Anna Eskamani, Florida Democratic state representative of Orlando. She is the first Iranian American to be elected to any public office in Florida. "The reality is that when we see the potential war rise in countries like Iran … we'll see xenophobia rise right here locally" in the U.S., Eskamani says.
(2020-01-08). Trump's Actions in Iraq Could Plunge the Country Into Crisis Once Again, Leaving Iran as Strong as Ever. counterpunch.org 
The assassination of Qassem Soleimani has capsized Iraqi politics in the most dangerous of ways, making it possible that the country will be plunged once again into a state of permanent crisis and war from which it has escaped in the last two years. President Trump is threatening sanctions against Iraq if it expels the More
(2020-01-08). Coast to coast U.S. protests demand: "U.S. out of Iraq! No war or sanctions on Iran!" workers.org 
Just days into the new year and a new decade, on Jan. 4, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in 80 cities across 38 states to demand U.S. out of Iraq and no war or sanctions on Iran. Many activists described the massive turnout as the largest . . . | Continue reading Coast to coast U.S. protests demand: "U.S. out of Iraq! No war or sanctions on Iran!" at Workers.org
(2020-01-08). 'No lives lost': Trump holds fire on 'big missiles,' talks peace after Iran's strikes on US bases in Iraq. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump is delivering an eagerly-awaited address to America, as the country stands on the brink of war with Iran. Trump's speech comes hours after Iranian missiles struck two US bases in Iraq. | Speaking from the White House, Trump backed away from threatening further strikes against Iran, describing Tehran's stand-down as "a good thing for all parties concerned." | Our missiles are big, powerful, accurate, lethal and fast…The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, does not mean that we have to use it. | Trump did, however, vow to impose new economic sanctions on the…
(2020-01-08). Immigration and the Prison Industrial Complex. counterpunch.org In the past year, the struggle over immigration rights continued along a broad array of fronts. There were significant setbacks, such as the implementation of the "Remain in Mexico" policy that made asylum nearly impossible to attain. But there were also victories, such as a federal judge's ruling in November that required the government to More
(2020-01-08). Trump Backs Away from Threats to Retaliate for Iranian Missile Strikes, Promises New Sanctions. mintpressnews.com Following Iran's military response to the deaths of Soleimani and his Iraqi ally, Trump's tone — at least publicly — was dramatically less bellicose than his recent tweets promising to strike Iranian territory should Tehran retaliate against the US.
(2020-01-08). Trump Administration's Proposed Rule Attempts to Starve Out Asylum Seekers. truthout.org The Trump administration is attacking the right to seek asylum in the United States. From separating asylum seekers from their children, to legally barring people from applying for protection and forcing them to remain in harsh conditions in Mexico, the administration has used every tactic it can think of to deny rights to refugees. Its most recent approach is a cruel attempt to starve out those who have lawfully applied for asylum in the U.S. by denying them the right to work while their case i…
(2020-01-08). Border Patrol Detains Iranian Americans at US-Canada Border as Xenophobia Rises. truthout.org In the midst of escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, Border Patrol has been detaining Iranian Americans at the U.S.-Canada border. At least 100 people were delayed at ports of entry along the border over the weekend, following the U.S. assassination of Qassem Soleimani on January 3. For response, we speak with Anna Eskamani, Florida Democratic state representative of Orlando. She is the first Iranian American to be elected to any public office in Florida. "The reality is that when we see the potent…
(2020-01-08). Turkey and Russia Officially Launch TurkStream Pipeline. telesurenglish.net Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russia's Vladimir Putin formally launched Wednesday the TurkStream pipeline project, which will carry Russian natural gas to southern Europe through Turkey as part of Moscow's efforts to reduce shipments via Ukraine. | RELATED: | Nord Stream 2 Construction to Press on Despite US Sanctions | The pipeline project, stretching 930 km (580 miles) across the Black Sea, reinforces strong energy ties between Moscow and Ankara, which have also increased…
(2020-01-08). Iran Sanctions Are Economic Warfare, and Trump Just Vowed to Increase Them. truthout.org The U.S. assassination of Iranian General Qassim Suleimani opened a pandora's box in the Middle East. Iran's initial response has come in the form of a direct missile attack on the Ain al-Assad U.S. military base in Iraq. While this morning President Trump ruled out an immediate military escalation given that there were no U.S. casualties, he did announce that there would be heightened sanctions on the country. Trump's approach to Iran ensures direct conflict unless he leans off his so-called "m…
(2020-01-08). Trump Says Iran Appears to Be 'Standing Down' After Airstrike. truthdig.com The president indicates he won't respond militarily after missile strike on Iraqi bases in which no one was harmed, tells of new sanctions.
(2020-01-08). Canada issues travel warning on Iran and the Iran-Iraq border. yenisafak.com Canada on Wednesday issued a travel warning asking its citizens to avoid "non-essential" travel to Iran, hours after Iran launched missile attacks on U.S.-led forces in Iraq.The statement from the Canadian government cited the ongoing volatile security situation, the regional threat of "terrorism" and the risk of arbitrary detention.Canada also asked http: //bit.ly/2TeEZFh its citizens to "avoid all travel" to the area within 10 kilometers of Iran's border with Iraq.Iran's attack came in retaliation for a U.S. drone strike on an Iranian commander whose killing has…
(2020-01-08). Tory government blocks bid to enshrine child refugee rights in Brexit agreement. thecanary.co MPs have voted down proposals to enshrine protections for child refugees as part of the government's Brexit agreement. | Following his election victory, Boris Johnson re-drafted his European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill and rowed back on the previous government's acceptance of an amendment from Labour peer Lord Dubs to allow unaccompanied child refugees to continue to be reunited with their families in the UK after exit day. Dubs had fled from the Nazis on the Kindertransport to Britain when he was aged six. | Welcome to the UK in 2020, where Parliament just voted by a large majority to remove protections fo…
(2020-01-07). Iranian Americans Harassed and Detained at US Border. therealnews.com 
Dozens of people, including American citizens, faced hours of questioning at the Washington entry point. Jamal Abdi of the National Iranian American Council says the reports could indicate a directive for heightened screening of people born in Iran.
(2020-01-07). It Is Time for a New Way Forward. aclu.org In 1996, at the height of the "tough on crime" era, President Bill Clinton signed two laws that dramatically changed the criminal legal system and radically altered the U.S. immigration system. Just as the 1994 crime bill instituted unjust mandatory minimum sentences and ballooned the prison population, the immigration bills of that same era led to similarly disastrous consequences for immigrants — an explosion in the growth of detention and unfairly harsh punishments for immigrants, including mandatory deportations for minor…
(2020-01-07). Israeli Military Court Rejects Appeal of Palestinian Prisoner on Hunger Strike for 107 Days. imemc.org The Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission said that the Israeli military court of Ofer rejected an appeal submitted for the release of prisoner Ahmad, Zahran, who has been on an open-ended hunger strike for 107 consecutive days in protest of his detention without charge or trial, the Palestinian News and …
(2020-01-07). Israeli Prosecution Indicts Five Jerusalemite Palestinian Political Prisoners. imemc.org The Israeli Prosecutors' office in occupied East Jerusalem filed, Monday, an indictment against five young Palestinian men from the al-Isawiya town, accusing them of violating the "nighty house arrest orders" which were issued against them previously. Lawyer Mohammad Mahmoud said the Israeli prosecutor filed the indictment against the five detained …
(2020-01-07). Iranian-Americans detained at US-Canada border in wake of Suleimani assassination. wsws.org More than 60 US citizens were held at a border crossing in Washington state Saturday, subject to illegal detention and interrogation before being allowed to return to their own country.
(2020-01-07). "Yankee Go Home" Is Chanted in Baghdad after Parliament Asks for US Troop Expulsion. globalresearch.ca Iraq's parliament met on Sunday and passed a resolution asking all 5,200 US troops to be expelled. After hearing of the Iraqi decision, US President Trump refused the request, balking at the democratic process of an elected body of a …
(2020-01-06). Trump's Killing of Qassem Soleimani Means "Rules of the Game Have Totally Changed" in Middle East. democracynow.org 
The Iraqi Parliament voted Sunday to expel all U.S. military forces from Iraq. President Trump responded by threatening to impose sanctions on Iraq "like they've never seen before." Iraq has already been the target of some of the harshest sanctions the world has even seen. U.S.-backed sanctions killed more than a million Iraqis, including over 500,000 children, between 1990 and 2003. From Baghdad, we talk to Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, correspondent for The Guardian newspaper.
(2020-01-06). Trump threatens Iraq with 'very big sanctions' unless it pays back BILLIONS for an airbase if US troops are forced to withdraw. rt.com 
Iraq should brace for sanctions that will make the ones placed on Iran look weak in comparison if it kicks out the US troops without first covering the costs for an airbase, US President Donald Trump said. | "We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that's there. It cost billions of dollars to build, long before my time. We're not leaving unless they pay us back for it," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. | The punitive measures that the US is ready to slap on its supposed ally in the fight against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) will be even harsher than the crippling sanctions al…
(2020-01-06). Headlines for January 6, 2020. democracynow.org Iraqi Parliament Votes to Oust U.S. Military; Trump Threatens Sanctions, In Dozens of U.S. Cities, Protesters Say No War with Iran, Elizabeth Warren Accuses Trump of Killing Soleimani to Distract from Impeachment, Al-Shabab Kills U.S. Soldier and 2 U.S. Contractors in Attack in Kenya, 17 Killed, Dozens Wounded in Airstrike in Tripoli, Libya, 14 Killed, including 7 Children, in IED Attack in Burkina Faso, Australia Deploys Military as Unprecedented Wildfires Rage, Death Toll in Jakarta Flooding & Landslides Rises to 53, Masked Men Attack Students at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, 36 Killed in Collapse of Ho…
(2020-01-06). SPLC Statement on the Detainment of Iranians and Iranian Americans. splcenter.org The following statement is by Southern Poverty Law Center Interim President and CEO Karen Baynes-Dunning following reports that Iranians and Iranian Americans are being detained and questioned at U.S. ports of entry:…
(2020-01-06). More Rockets Fired At US Embassy, US Iranians Detained & Trump Says Twitter Is "Notifying Congress" thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (1/5/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
(2020-01-05). Students learn in the streets: struggle wins release of Connecticut teen from ICE custody. liberationnews.org 
The struggle for Mario's freedom is not over, and neither is the fight for immigrant rights overall.
(2020-01-04). Trump Order Aimed at Palestine Solidarity, Not Antisemitism. fair.org 
Antisemitism is a very real problem—which Donald Trump is exploiting to advance an anti-Palestinian agenda. | President Donald Trump issued an executive order last month to deny funding to post-secondary schools that violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by discriminating against Jewish people. The order notes that such bigotry is rooted in antisemitism, and says that it will determine whether discrimination has occurred by using the non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism adopted by the…
(2020-01-04). Trump's march to war on Iran aided by Democrats' weakness on sanctions, nuclear deal. thegrayzone.com The US assassination of Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander, is the culmination of three years of Trump administration…
(2020-01-03). World Braille Day marks key communication tool for millions. news.un.org Being marked for only the second time ever, World Braille Day on Saturday raises awareness of the importance of the tactile global communication system which helps enable blind and visually impaired people, to realize their full human rights.
(2020-01-02). UNICEF chief hopes 2020 will be 'a year of peace' for Syria's children. news.un.org Only an end to the war in Syria can bring safety to children there, the head of the UN child rights agency said on Thursday.
(2020-01-01). First Lady of the World: Eleanor Roosevelt's Impact on New Deal to U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. democracynow.org 
2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women the right to vote, and we begin the new decade with a New Year's Day special about one of the most influential women in U.S. politics: first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She served as the first lady of the United States from 1933, when her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt took office, until his death during his fourth term in office in 1945. She went on to serve as United States delegate to the United Nations General Assembly and spearheaded the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights. President Harry Truman later called her the "First Lady…
(2019-12-31). Headlines for December 31, 2019. democracynow.org Protests Rage Outside U.S. Embassy in Iraq After U.S. Airstrikes Kill 24, Hate Crime Charges Filed Against Suspect in Hanukkah Stabbing in NY, Texas Church Shooter Had Long Criminal History, NYT: Top Officials Failed to Convince Trump to Release Withheld Ukraine Aid, Death Toll from Crackdown on Protests in India Rises to 27, Five Kashmiri Political Leaders Released from Detention, Sudanese Court Sentences 29 to Death for Killing Teacher in Anti-Protest Crackdown, Thousands Flee to the Ocean to Escape Australia Wildfires, Former Nissan Head Flees Japan to Lebanon to Escape Trial on Financial Crimes, New York Sett…
(2019-12-20). Four Lawyers. Four Projects. One Non-Stop Year. aclu.org 
It isn't news that the Trump administration has kept ACLU attorneys working at breakneck speed for the past three years. In 2019 alone, we saw historic moments and victories—from defeating the citizenship question on the 2020 census and bringing the first trans civil rights case to the Supreme Court, to blocking a wave of abortion bans and many of the administration's attempts to dismantle the asylum system. To name a few. | Here are some of our attorneys' takes on 2019 and the year ahead—what's changed for the better and for the worse, and how the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will a…
(2019-12-18). A Secret CBP Team is Targeting and Detaining Innocent Travelers. We're Suing. aclu.org U.S. Customs and Border Protection is deploying secret teams that target, detain, and interrogate innocent travelers. We're suing to expose their activities. | In November 2018, three CBP officers detained Andreas | Gal, a former chief | technology officer at Mozilla Corporation and current Apple employee, at San | Francisco International Airport after he landed from a business trip to Sweden. | Andr…
(2019-12-18). A Tennessee City Banned Surgical Abortion Within the City Limits. We're Taking Them to Court. aclu.org For 30 years, I have | worked in reproductive health care. In my current role as Chief Operating | Officer of carafem, a nonprofit with a national network of health centers, I | know the difference compassionate and comprehensive reproductive health care | makes in the lives of our clients. I have witnessed the personal impact when | people who have the legal right to have a child or to have an abortion are denied | those rights due to outrageous societal barriers. Abortion providers are used | to opposition, but we've never experienced the kind of explicit targeting we | received from politicians in the city…
(2019-12-17). For Many of the World's Children, Education Proves Elusive. progressive.org Especially in countries with widespread human rights abuses, kids—especially girls—don't get the chance to go to school.
(2019-12-13). UN Counters US Claims Of "Proof" Iran Attacked Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu Impunity & Turkey Sanctions. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/12/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
(2019-12-12). Perth Pride: LGBTI community challenges corporatisation. greenleft.org.au 
LGBTIQ rights Petrina HarleyIssue 1248 Australia Rainbow Rebellion PerthDecember 12, 2019Perth Pride assembled its biggest parade to date on November 30, with 115 floats. But many in the LGBTIQ comm…
(2019-12-10). Aboriginal leader Sam Watson's farewell draws big numbers. greenleft.org.au 
Aboriginal rights Jim McIlroyIssue 1248 Australia BrisbaneDecember 11, 2019More than 1000 people attended the funeral for Wangerriburra and Birri Gubba leader Sam Watson in Musgrave Park on December 6. | Watson passed away on November 26, just two weeks after his 67t…
(2019-12-06). Anti-Imperialism As An Intellectual Trap. zcomm.org The US-led economic sanctions have caused a great deal of death and destruction in Iranian society, and the IMF policies in Iran, similar to other developing countries, have resulted in a widening of the class gap, poverty, severe marginalization of the peripheries, and a lowering of living standards. Yet, the US sanctions together with IMF Read more…
(2019-12-05). Rights for workers means no going soft on Hansonism. greenleft.org.au 
union rights Sam WainwrightIssue 1248 Australia Ensuring Integrity Bill ACTUDecember 5, 2019Supporters of workers' rights breathed a big sigh of relief when the Coalition's union-busting Fair Work (…
(2019-12-04). TIAR Countries Blacklist Top Venezuelan Officials as US Slaps New Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Venezuela of "hijacking" mass anti-neoliberal protests in "our own backyard."
(2019-12-02). Prison By Any Other Name: A Report on South Florida Detention Facilities. splcenter.org …
(2019-12-02). Venezuela's PDVSA Secures Temporary Lease Extension for Curacao Refinery. venezuelanalysis.com Despite the extension, refinery owners are looking to end the 34-year cooperation under pressure from US sanctions.
(2019-12-02). Civil Rights Are on the Chopping Block in New Supreme Court Term. zcomm.org Hello, A very small proportion of ZNet content is available only to Sustainers. You can become a sustainer for a small repeating donation – monthly or yearly via the links for Sustaining, or Donating, available on the top page of ZNet.
(2019-12-02). The War on Truth: How Israel's Social Media Trolls Conquered Facebook. zcomm.org Israel may have found a way to circumvent the influence of Facebook on the discussions pertaining to Palestinian rights and the Israeli occupation…
(2019-11-28). US Vows to 'Reinforce' Sanctions, Accuses Venezuela and Cuba of Stirring Regional 'Strife'. venezuelanalysis.com Elliott Abrams reiterated support for Guaido and denied that sanctions are damaging the Venezuelan economy.
(2019-11-21). Weekend Read: The struggle for Native American voting rights. splcenter.org November is Native American Heritage Month — a fitting time to honor the resistance and resilience of Native peoples, including their fight to be heard by and represented in the government that dispossessed them for centuries.
(2019-11-06). US Authorizes Tax Payments to Maduro Gov't, Sanctions Five More Venezuelan Officials. venezuelanalysis.com Washington has eased some of the restrictions imposed under its recent Venezuela embargo.