Trump's Deportation Machine Is Still Churning Despite Coronavirus Outbreak
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-19
This story has been updated. | Federal deportation proceedings for incarcerated migrants and immigration defendants continue nationwide despite pleas from defense attorneys, human rights groups and some judges who fear that in-person court hearings and conditions of confinement inside immigration jails could facilitate the rapid spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. | The Trump administration's decision to continue pursuing deportation orders and immigration charges against jailed immi…
truthout.org/articles/trumps-deportation-machine-is-still-churning-despite-coronavirus-outbreak/
Santa Rita Jail Solidarity During the Coronavirus Pandemic
IWOC Oakland | indybay.org | 2020-03-19
As businesses, schools, and institutions close to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, many people are wondering how to support people in jails, prisons, and immigration detention centers.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/19/18831666.php
Vague emergency legislation gives UK police & 'public health officers' powers to DETAIN suspected Covid-19 sufferers
rt.com | 2020-03-19
The British government is giving police, public health and immigration officers authority to detain those suspected of having coronavirus under a new emergency bill, but it's not clear exactly how the new powers will be exercised. | The proposed powers were outlined in a 329-page emergency bill on Thursday and come as the UK implements more draconian measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. | In explanatory notes provided with the bill, the government says "public health officers, constables and…
rt.com/uk/483533-covid19-emergency-uk-police-detain/
Israel's Supreme Court hears challenge to coronavirus cellphone monitoring
rt.com | 2020-03-19
Civil liberties activists asked Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday to suspend cellphone monitoring put in place under emergency regulations to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Surveillance began this week after the government approved special orders that circumvented customary parliamentary oversight and enabled the Shin Bet counter-terrorism agency to tap into cellular location data, Reuters reported. | The Association of Civil Rights in Israel, Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights – and the Joint List of Arab parties petitioned the court to freeze the monitoring. "The government canno…
rt.com/newsline/483516-israel-supreme-cyber-monitoring/
Video: Aleppo Man Imprisoned and Tortured by West's "Rebels" in Terrorist-Occupied Hospital Complex
Eva Bartlett | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-19
Long, productive, rewarding, and also sad, day in Aleppo. The sad–tragic–part was meeting a man, Abdel Aziz, who was held in the terrorists' underground prison in the Eye/Children's Hospital complex, occupied by terrorist factions until liberation of eastern Aleppo areas …
globalresearch.ca/video-aleppo-man-imprisoned-tortured-west-rebels-terrorist-occupied-hospital-complex/5706743
Iran oil: US slaps sanctions on 5 UAE-based companies
rt.com | 2020-03-19
Washington on Thursday imposed sanctions on five United Arab Emirates-based companies, accusing them of having collectively purchased in 2019 hundreds of thousands of metric tons of petroleum products from Iran. | The US Treasury Department said the blacklisted companies
Washington imposes new sanctions as Iran's COVID-19 death toll tops 1,000
wsws.org | 2020-03-19
The global pandemic is viewed by US imperialism as a weapon in its war for hegemony in the Middle East.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/19/iran…
Washington imposes new sanctions as Iran's COVID-19 death toll tops 1,000
wsws.org | 2020-03-19
The global pandemic is viewed by US imperialism as a weapon in its war for hegemony in the Middle East.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/19/iran…
UK Cruise Ship with 5 COVID-19 Cases Starts Evacuating in Cuba
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
The almost 700 passengers on board the British cruise ship MS Braemar, with at least five confirmed cases of COVID-19 on board, began disembarking on Wednesday at the Cuban port of Mariel, 45 kilometers west of Havana. | RELATED: | US Should Lift Sanctions to Avoid More Deaths From COVID-19 | During the disembarkation, dozens of passengers ass…
telesurenglish.net/news/UK-Cruise-Ship-with-5-COVID-19-Cases-Starts-Evacuating-in-Cuba-20200319-0015.html
'Inhumane & reckless': Twitter silences Venezuela's anti-coronavirus chief as IMF denies emergency loan
rt.com | 2020-03-19
Amid crushing US sanctions and IMF rejection already making Venezuela's struggle with Covid-19 difficult, Twitter now seems to have hobbled the country's vice-president and head of coronavirus response, Delcy Rodriguez. | Both the personal and the official Twitter account belonging to Rodriguez were "temporarily restricted" on Thursday over "unusual activity," with old tweets still visible to those who choose to view them, but no new tweets available after Wednesday. | Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza called it an "i…
rt.com/news/483563-twitter-venezuela-coronavirus-sanctions/
Economists Demand Trump Immediately Lift Iran, Cuba, Venezuela Sanctions
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-19
A group of economists and policy experts on Wednesday called on President Donald Trump to immediately lift the United States' crippling sanctions against Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and other countries, warning that the economic warfare
Economists Demand Trump Immediately Lift Iran, Cuba, Venezuela Sanctions
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-19
A group of economists and policy experts on Wednesday called on President Donald Trump to immediately lift the United States' crippling sanctions against Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and other countries, warning that the economic warfare
We're in a Recession, and It's Likely to Get Worse
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-19
The coronavirus epidemic is creating an ongoing teachable moment that could be used to transform the U.S. economy. COVID-19 and the oil war are triggers leading to a recession that has its roots in record corporate and personal debt, longterm low wages and an artificially-inflated stockmarket. The shortcomings of U.S. economic policy, the healthcare system, and workers' rights are being magnified by the current crisis. | Epidemiologists are reporting the coronavirus epidemic will last months, maybe more than a year. A
truthout.org/articles/were-in-a-recession-and-its-likely-to-get-worse/
We're in a Recession, and It's Likely to Get Worse
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-19
The coronavirus epidemic is creating an ongoing teachable moment that could be used to transform the U.S. economy. COVID-19 and the oil war are triggers leading to a recession that has its roots in record corporate and personal debt, longterm low wages and an artificially-inflated stockmarket. The shortcomings of U.S. economic policy, the healthcare system, and workers' rights are being magnified by the current crisis. | Epidemiologists are reporting the coronavirus epidemic will last months, maybe more than a year. A
truthout.org/articles/were-in-a-recession-and-its-likely-to-get-worse/
ICE raids continue, asylum seekers turned away, and detention facilities remain potential hotbeds for coronavirus
wsws.org | 2020-03-19
"We do not have access to hand sanitizer or masks, or anything else that could protect as we are all stuck together in close quarters."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/19/immi…
ACLU Demands the Release from Prisons and Jails of Communities Vulnerable to COVID-19
ACLU-NC | indybay.org | 2020-03-19
ACLU Also Calls for Release of People Currently in Pretrial Detention Because of Cash Bail to Prevent a Public Health Crisis…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/19/18831668.php
In Ecuador, Coronavirus Threatens the Survival of Street Vendors
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-18
Indigenous women with their children in tow or Venezuelan migrants whose livelihood is as street vendors, cannot follow the measures adopted in Ecuador to tackle the novel coronavirus as they do not have other means of support. | RELATED: | US Should Lift Sanctions to Avoid More Deaths From COVID-19 | Among them is Jairo Arteaga, who offers a parking service arranged by the city council, and has to go out every day to look for cars that want to park on the street. | "O…
telesurenglish.net/news/In-Ecuador-Coronavirus-Threatens-the-Survival-of-Street-Vendors-20200318-0022.html
In Ecuador, Coronavirus Threatens the Survival of Street Vendors
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-18
Indigenous women with their children in tow or Venezuelan migrants whose livelihood is as street vendors, cannot follow the measures adopted in Ecuador to tackle the novel coronavirus as they do not have other means of support. | RELATED: | US Should Lift Sanctions to Avoid More Deaths From COVID-19 | Among them is Jairo Arteaga, who offers a parking service arranged by the city council, and has to go out every day to look for cars that want to park on the street. | "O…
telesurenglish.net/news/In-Ecuador-Coronavirus-Threatens-the-Survival-of-Street-Vendors-20200318-0022.html
The Military Should not be Searching Cars or Checking Documents at the Border
Shaw Drake | aclu.org | 2020-03-18
There's an old saying that goes, "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." This adage is especially applicable to the Trump administration's approach toward border policy, which is ever more militarized. On March 6th, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials announced that the Department of Defense would deploy 160 active-duty troops to ports of entry at the border
Why sanctions against Iran and Venezuela during a pandemic are cruel
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2020-03-18
The numbers of those infected rises, as do the numbers of those who have died. Hands are being washed, tests are being done, and social distance has become a new phrase. It is unclear how devastating this pandemic will be. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/03/18/why-sanctions-against-iran-and-venezuela-during-a-pandemic-are-cruel-2/
Stop Tightening the Thumb Screws: A Humanitarian Message
Kathy Kelly | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-18
Protester's sign decries sanctions, "a silent war" (Photo Credit: Campaign for Peace and Democracy, 2013) U.S. sanctions against Iran, cruelly strengthened in March of 2018, continue a collective punishment of extremely vulnerable people. Presently, the U.S. "maximum pressure" policy severely undermines Iranian efforts to cope with the ravages of COVID-19, causing hardship and tragedy while …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/stop-tightening-the-thumb-screws-a-humanitarian-message/
Delay or Hold Primaries: Can the 2020 Election Be Safeguarded Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-18
Tuesday night's primary election for the Democratic presidential nomination was marred by chaos, confusion and fears over the spread of coronavirus at polling places as former Vice President Joe Biden consolidated his lead as he won Florida and Illinois by a wide margin and scored a victory in Arizona. We are joined by Vanita Gupta, former head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division in the Obama administration, now president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the nation's oldest and largest civil rights coalition. They issued a call with 100 voting rights groups for states to proce…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/18/democrati…
How Victims of the US' "Maximum Pressure" Campaign Are Coping with Coronavirus
Vanessa Beeley | mintpressnews.com | 2020-03-18
Despite crippling sanctions, years of war, military intervention and a "maximum pressure "campaign that has only increased since the coronavirus began, victims of America's heavy-handed foreign policy are rising to the challenge.
mintpressnews.com/victims-us-maximum-pressure-sanctions-coping-with-coronavirus/265834/
China's Damning US Human Rights Report May Be Propaganda, but It's Not Wrong
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-03-18
China just released a 13,000-word report on the state of human rights in the United States. While the report clearly has an agenda, it's not inaccurate.
mintpressnews.com/chinas-us-human-rights-report-propoganda-but-not-wrong/265854/
Stop Tightening the Screws: a Humanitarian Message on Sanctions
Kathy Kelly | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-18
U.S. sanctions against Iran, cruelly strengthened in March of 2018, continue a collective punishment of extremely vulnerable people. Presently, the U.S. "maximum pressure" policy severely undermines Iranian efforts to cope with the ravages of COVID-19, causing hardship and tragedy while contributing to the global spread of the pandemic. On March 12, 2020, Iran's Foreign Minister…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/18/stop-tightening-the-screws-a-humanitarian-message-on-sanctions/
Is murder still a crime, though? Philly introduces catch-and-release for looters & drug dealers until coronavirus crisis ends
rt.com | 2020-03-18
Cops in Philadelphia have stopped making arrests for an array of crimes
Spain Takes Sweeping Measures as COVID-19 Escalates
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-18
Spain's center-left government took an unprecedented measure when it announced Monday that private hospitals and health care providers would be temporarily nationalized in a bid to combat the rapid spread of the coronavirus. | RELATED: | US Should Lift Economic Sanctions to Avoid More Deaths From Pandemic | As the COVID-19 disease continues to grip the country making it the fourth most affected worldwide with 14,769 confirmed cases as of Wednesday and 638 deaths, Prim…
telesurenglish.net/news/Spain-Takes-Sweeping-Measures-as-COVID-19-Escalates-20200318-0027.html
US Economic Sanctions Exacerbate Toll of Coronavirus in Iran
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-18
U.S. sanctions against Iran, cruelly strengthened in March of 2018, continue a collective punishment of extremely vulnerable people. Presently, the U.S. "maximum pressure" policy severely undermines Iranian efforts to cope with the ravages of COVID-19, causing hardship and tragedy while contributing to the global spread of the pandemic. On March 12, 2020, Iran's Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif urged member states of the UN to end the United States' unconscionable and lethal economic warfare. | Addressing UN Sec…
truthout.org/articles/us-economic-sanctions-exacerbate-toll-of-coronavirus-in-iran/
US Imposes New Iran Sanctions, Complicating Coronavirus
Jason Ditz | iranian.com | 2020-03-18
Last week, Iranian officials emphasized that US sanctions are making their reaction to the coronavirus outbreak much more difficult, leading to both Iran and China to urge the US to put those sanctions on hold for humanitarian reason. Not going after Iran for humanitarian reasons, needless to say, isn't a policy that the administration considers, …
iranian.com/2020/03/17/us-imposes-new-iran-sanctions-complicating-coronavirus/
'Literally Weaponizing Coronavirus': Despite One of World's Worst Outbreaks of Deadly Virus, US Hits Iran With 'Brutal' New Sanctions
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-03-18
"How evil and heartless can this government get?" peace activist Medea Benjamin demanded to know on Wednesday after the State Department announced it would impose new sanctions on Iran as the country faces one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/news/2020/03/18/literally-weaponizing-coronavirus-despite-one-worlds-worst-outbreaks-deadly-virus-us?cd-origin=rss
US ramps up sanctions devastating Venezuela's health sector as coronavirus spreads
Leonardo Flores | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-17
Promising to "smash" Venezuela's government during a "maximum pressure March," Trump has imposed crushing sanctions that force Venezuela to spend…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/17/us-sanctions-venezuelas-health-sector-coronavirus/
475 lawyers demand Israel Bar Association rescind effort to intervene in Int'l Criminal Court deliberations on 'Situation in Palestine'
Staff | imemc.org | 2020-03-17
By The Legal Center For Arab Minority Rights In Israel
PCHR Calls for the Expedited Release of Investigation Results on Tragic Nusairat Camp Fire
PCHR | imemc.org | 2020-03-17
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights continues to monitor, with great pain, the consequences of the catastrophic fire at Nusairat camp that took place on 05 March 2020 in a densely populated area at the heart of Nusairat refugee camp market. As a result of the unfortunate event, 19 civilians, …
imemc.org/article/pchr-calls-for-the-expedited-release-of-investigation-results-on-tragic-nusairat-camp-fire/
Israeli Troops Detain Palestinian Residents in the West Bank
Rami Almeghari | imemc.org | 2020-03-17
Israeli army troops reportedly detained earlier on Tuesday, seven Palestinian residents from different areas in the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Detainees Club Forum in Ramallah city, Israeli occupation troops stormed both Awarta and Beita villages of Nablus city, arresting two Palestinian young men, Mojahed Awwad and Sameh Barakat. …
imemc.org/article/israeli-troops-detain-palestinian-residents-in-the-west-bank/
Spain Locks Down & Nationalizes Private Healthcare as Coronavirus Deaths Double & Cases Skyrocket
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-17
Europe is the epicenter of coronavirus, and Spain now has the second most cases in Europe, with more than 2,000 new cases in 24 hours and the number of deaths doubled. We'll go to Madrid for an update, where more than half of the country's cases have been reported. This comes as the Spanish government announced it is nationalizing hospitals and private healthcare companies to better manage the pandemic. We are joined by María Carrión, a freelance journalist and former Democracy Now! producer who is also executive director of FiSahara and co-founder of Nomads HRC, which focus on human rights in Western Sahara.
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/17/spain_cor…
Iran calls on Europe to defy US sanctions amid COVID-19 outbreak
Press TV | iranian.com | 2020-03-17
Iran's foreign minister has called on London and the European Union to defy Washington's anti-Iran sanctions amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. In a Monday phone conversation with his British counterpart Dominic Raab, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif denounced the US' illegal and unilateral sanctions against Iran as an obstacle to the battle …
iranian.com/2020/03/17/iran-calls-on-europe-to-defy-us-sanctions-amid-covid-19-outbreak/
As Coronvirus Grips the US, Americans Get a Taste of Life Under Sanctions
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-03-16
Crippling shortages, travel restrictions and overwhelmed medical services will give Americans a taste of what it is like for the millions of people living under US sanctions worldwide.
mintpressnews.com/coronvirus-americans-taste-life-under-sanctions/265757/
China Calls US Sanctions against Iran 'Immoral' amid Virus Epidemic
Tasnim News | iranian.com | 2020-03-16
China on Monday called on the US to remove its sanctions against Iran, saying that the embargoes will hamper the country's response to the coronavirus outbreak. The unilateral US sanctions will further hamper Iran's efforts in combating the virus while it's already struggling to cope with the crisis, Geng Shuang, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry …
iranian.com/2020/03/16/china-calls-us-sanctions-against-iran-immoral-amid-virus-epidemic/
SPLC offices, Civil Rights Memorial Center close
splcenter.org | 2020-03-14
Our work continues with fervor and is needed more now than ever.
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/18/splc-offices-civil-rights-memorial-center-close
SPLC offices, Civil Rights Memorial Center close
splcenter.org | 2020-03-14
Our work continues with fervor and is needed more now than ever.
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/19/splc-offices-civil-rights-memorial-center-close
No, Venezuela does not have a six child per family policy
Joe Emersberger | zcomm.org | 2020-03-13
I respect UK journalist Andrew Buncombe. As I noted for FAIR last year, he was one of the few corporate journalists who reported on a study linking Trump's financial sanctions on Venezuela to thousands of deaths by the end of 2018. Since 2018, Trump has repeatedly intensified the sanctions and threatened Venezuela with military action, Read…
zcomm.org/zblogs/no-venezuela-does-not-have-a-six-child-per-family-policy/
Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group Presents "Make the Family Great Again" Petition to U.S. State Department Commission
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2020-03-13
Anti-LGBTQ hate group Ruth Institute presented a "Make the Family Great Again" petition to the State Department at its Commission on Unalienable Rights meeting Feb. 21.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/03/16/anti-lgbtq-hate-group-presents-make-family-great-again-petition-us-state-department
Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group Presents "Make the Family Great Again" Petition to U.S. State Department Commission
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2020-03-13
Anti-LGBTQ hate group Ruth Institute presented a "Make the Family Great Again" petition to the State Department at its Commission on Unalienable Rights meeting Feb. 21.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/03/16/anti-lgbtq-hate-group-presents-make-family-great-again-petition-us-state-department
US House rams through Nicaragua regime-change bill with zero opposition
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-12
Not one member of the House of Representatives spoke up against a bipartisan bill sponsored by hardliners that ramps up…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/12/us-house-sanctions-nicaragua/
This Law Makes Voting Nearly Impossible for Native Americans in Montana
Alora Thomas-Lundborg | aclu.org | 2020-03-12
Voting has never been easy for Native Americans living on rural reservations in Montana, which are often geographically isolated, with limited access to postal service and transportation. The passage of the Montana Ballot Interference Prevention Act (BIPA) has made these obstacles even greater, severely inhibiting Native Americans' access to the ballot. That's why we're suing. | In a state where the majority of individuals vote | by mail, rural tribal communities often work with get-out-the-vote organizer…
aclu.org/news/voting-rights/this-law-makes-voting-nearly-impossible-for-native-americans-in-montana
Keep Calm and Carry on Voting: How to Vote By Mail During the Coronavirus Outbreak
Nicole Hansen | aclu.org | 2020-03-11
Coronavirus should not be a political issue, but with presidential primaries and the general election coming up, it could soon directly impact our politics. We should protect not only our health, but our civil liberties at this time
Immigrants in WA Detention Center Demand Protection from Coronavirus, Not Posters in English
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-10
As the world responds to the COVID-19 outbreak, we look at how the Trump administration's immigration policies may put everyone at risk. We go to Seattle, Washington, not far from the Life Care Center in the suburb of Kirkland, which was the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak. In nearby Tacoma, Washington, our guest says she saw posters in English only when she went to visit immigrants held in the Northwest Detention Center, which is run by private prison company GEO Group. We speak with Maru Mora-Villalpando, an activist and undocumented immigrant with the groups La Resistencia and Mijente, who issued a…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/10/coronavir…
Prisons Worldwide Face Coronavirus Crisis: Overcrowding, Lack of Sanitation & Labor at Slave Wages
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-10
As Italy went on lockdown, nearly 30 prisons across the country broke into riots Sunday and Monday after visitation rights were suspended in response to the outbreak. In a prison in southern Italy, a riot left at least six incarcerated people dead and caused 50 people to escape. Prisoners have reportedly lit fires, charged guards and even escaped at multiple facilities. This comes as the United Nations confirmed that coronavirus had reached Iran's prisons, as the number of cases there continues to soar. Iran has temporarily freed some 70,000 prisoners in response to the coronavirus. And concerns are growing about…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/10/coronavir…
Civil Rights Memorial Center closed through March
splcenter.org | 2020-03-10
The Civil Rights Memorial Center (CRMC) in Montgomery, Alabama, is closed and will remain closed through the end of March 2020.
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/10/civil-rights-memorial-center-closed-through-march
Civil Rights Memorial Center closed through March
splcenter.org | 2020-03-10
The Civil Rights Memorial Center (CRMC) in Montgomery, Alabama, is closed and will remain closed through the end of March 2020.
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/10/civil-rights-memorial-center-closed-through-march