Angola 3 Newsletter: DECARCERATE!!!!
ICFA | indybay.org | 2020-04-06
We dedicate this newsletter to the men, women and children in detention centers, jails and prisons, where they are unable to social distance or sanitize–leaving them to anxiously wait for the virus to take hold in their facilities. Please encourage your local governments to take action before the virus hits.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/02/18832077.php

San Diego "Honk for Justice" Calls for the Release of people in ICE Detention
repost | indybay.org | 2020-04-06
Author Pedro Rios serves as director of the AFSC's U.S./Mexico Border Program and has been on staff with AFSC since 2003. He is a steering committee member of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, which brings together over 60 organizations along the Southern border working to support migrants and border communities.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/05/18832119.php

Iran Sanctions Are Biological Warfare Against Civilians
Richard Eskow | zcomm.org | 2020-04-06
This is not an economic policy. It is the collective punishment of civilians. It is an act of biological warfare against children, the elderly, and people of all ages…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/iran-sanctions-are-biological-warfare-against-civilians/

Wisconsin's In-Person Voting Threatens Health and Democracy
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-04-06
Wisconsin's In-Person Voting Threatens Health and Democracy…
thenation.com/article/politics/wisconsin-covid-primary-election/

Iran Urges US to Remove Unilateral Sanctions on Tehran Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-06
On Saturday, Iran's Ambassador to Belgium Gholamhossein Dehghani underscored that Washington's anti-Iranian sanctions "undermine Tehran's ability to effectively fight the virus in the long run without international support".
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202004061078852359-iran-urges-us-to-remove-unilateral-sanctions-on-tehran-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/

Trump's Iran sanctions policy on the turn
M. K. Bhadrakumar | iranian.com | 2020-04-06
The past week witnessed a sudden spurt of tensions in the US-Iran standoff. There was intense speculation that to divert public attention in America from his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump might order a military attack on Iran. Trump himself fuelled the speculation with the sudden outburst in a tweet on April 1: "Upon …
iranian.com/2020/04/05/trumps-iran-sanctions-policy-on-the-turn/

Big Brother in the Age of Coronavirus: 100+ Groups Warn Against Exploiting Pandemic to Permanently Expand Surveillance State
Jessica Corbett | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-05
As the number of COVID-19 cases climbed toward a million worldwide on April 2, over 100 human rights groups issued a joint statement warning that governments' response to the coronavirus pandemic "must not be used as a cover to usher …
globalresearch.ca/big-brother-coronavirus-100-groups-warn-against-exploiting-pandemic-permanently-expand-surveillance-state/5708681

By Refusing to Cancel In-Person Voting, Wisconsin GOP Weaponizes Coronavirus
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-05
Despite warnings from public health experts and legal challenges by voting rights groups, the Democratic primary and state and local elections are set to go forward on Tuesday after Republican state legislators refused to take up a proposal to cancel most in-person voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic. | After Democratic Gov. Tony Evers ordered la…
truthout.org/articles/by-refusing-to-cancel-in-person-voting-wisconsin-gop-weaponizes-coronavirus/

Foul-mouthed JESUS arrested in Moscow for violating self-isolation rules, becomes instant meme fodder online
rt.com | 2020-04-05
Saying harsh things to police when you think you're being unlawfully detained may be understandable… but not when your name is Jesus. The internet has gone crazy over a bizarre Covid-19 arrest made by the Moscow police. | A man walking his dog in the center of the capital

'Reckless': Chaos Expected in Tuesday's Elections After Wisconsin Republicans Refuse to Cancel In-Person Voting
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-04-05
Despite warnings from public health experts and legal challenges by voting rights groups, the Democratic primary and state and local elections are set to go forward on Tuesday after Republican state legislators refused to take up a proposal to cancel most in-person voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/news/2020/04/05/reckless-chaos-expected-tuesdays-elections-after-wisconsin-republicans-refuse-cancel?cd-origin=rss

It's Impossible to "Distance" in ICE Detention. Doctors Say Free All Detainees
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-04
René Escobedo González has a cough. He's got a fever and trouble breathing. Eight of the 24 other people in his cell do as well. Locked in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention in the Jefferson County Jail in Texas, the men have asked for medical evaluation

Stop Tightening the Thumb Screws: A Humanitarian Message
Kathy Kelly | zcomm.org | 2020-04-04
One way to help others survive is to insist that the United States lift sanctions against Iran and instead support acts of practical care…
zcomm.org/zmagazine/stop-tightening-the-thumb-screws-a-humanitarian-message/

Human Rights and Natural Facts
Dan Corjescu | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-04-04
Where do human rights come from? And can we establish a firm philosophical base for their existence? For Hobbes, a thin version of human rights stemmed from the fact that humans want to persist in their existence by doing whatever necessary to preserve their own life. From this, Hobbes deduced that humans have the "natural" …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/04/human-rights-and-natural-facts/

'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-04-04
'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'…
thenation.com/article/activism/public-transportation-worker-covid/

COVID-19: Many refugees face destitution and disease
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-04-04
Refugees & migrants Jonathan StraussIssue 1260 Australia COVID-19 temporary protection visasApril 5, 2020Other than those held in detention, refugees and those seeking asylum who are…
greenleft.org.au/content/covid-19-many-refugees-face-destitution-and-disease

Protect Immigrant Communities: Fear Mounts of Deadly COVID-19 Outbreak in U.S. Border Camps, ICE Jails
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-03
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has joined thousands of medical professionals and immigration rights groups to demand that Immigration and Customs Enforcement release all prisoners from immigration jails as the coronavirus continues to spread. Meanwhile, immigration advocates are working to prepare crowded encampments of asylum seekers across the U.S.-Mexico border for a potentially catastrophic outbreak of COVID-19. Since the implementation of the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy, tens of thousands of asylum seekers from regions like Central America and Africa have been stranded in Mexican bord…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/3/covid_us_m…

Detained immigrants across Deep South feel like 'sitting ducks' as ICE ignores their safety amid global pandemic
splcenter.org | 2020-04-03
COVID-19 began to infect the nation at rapid speed in March, reaching every corner of the country and taking the lives of more than 6,000 people by April 3. The United Nations has dubbed the coronavirus the "most challenging" crisis the globe has witnessed since World War II.
splcenter.org/news/2020/04/03/detained-immigrants-across-deep-south-feel-sitting-ducks-ice-ignores-their-safety-amid

Amazon on strike: what workers need to know about their rights
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2020-04-03
Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Kevin Gustafson, an organizer with Democracy at Work and host of the Sensible…
thegrayzone.com/2020/04/03/amazon-strike-workers-rights/

Political prisoners should be among first released in pandemic response, says UN rights chief
news.un.org | 2020-04-03
The decision by many Governments to release prisoners to slow the transmission of new coronavirus, was welcomed on Friday by the UN's top rights official, Michelle Bachelet.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1061002

Medical experts call for release of refugees and asylum seekers
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-04-03
Refugees & migrants Zebedee ParkesIssue 1259 Australia COVID-19April 3, 2020More than 1100 medical professionals have called on Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton to urgently release people in detention for their own health and that of the community. Many are in…
greenleft.org.au/content/medical-experts-call-release-refugees-and-asylum-seekers

7 ways to (virtually) support refugee rights on Palm Sunday
ZEB | greenleft.org.au | 2020-04-03
Refugees & migrants Zebedee ParkesIssue 1259 Australia COVID-19April 3, 2020For the first time in years, we won't be able to organise mass multicultural and interfaith Palm Sunday rallies and marches for refugee rights. | People seeking asylum and refugees are going…
greenleft.org.au/content/7-ways-virtually-support-refugee-rights-palm-sunday

Fighting for immigrant rights during a pandemic
Katrina Huber | splcenter.org | 2020-04-02
As people across the country are confined to their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, little attention has been given to a group of people whose health is in danger because they are locked away from the outside world

"There Aren't Enough Tests": As Pandemic Intensifies, Global South Prepares for the Worst
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-02
After devastating China, Europe and the United States, the coronavirus pandemic is now intensifying across the Global South. The United Nations warns the pandemic is poised to destroy fragile economies in poor nations, decimating food security, education and human rights. We speak with Yanis Ben Amor, assistant professor of global health and microbiological sciences at Columbia University and executive director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute.
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/2/yanis_ben_…

India: Migrant workers' plight prompts UN call for 'domestic solidarity' in coronavirus battle
news.un.org | 2020-04-02
Pervasive challenges remain for hundreds-of-thousands of migrant workers in India whose lives were upended by the sudden lockdown across the country, in response to the threat of the coronavirus pandemic, said the UN human rights chief on Thursday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1060922

COVID-19 should not herald rollback in rights for people with autism: UN chief
news.un.org | 2020-04-02
The rights of persons with autism must be taken into account in efforts to address the COVID-19 coronavirus: "a public health crisis unlike any other in our lifetimes", the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1060912

Republicans Are Using the Covid-19 Crisis to Kill Abortion Rights
Elie Mystal | thenation.com | 2020-04-02
Republicans Are Using the Covid-19 Crisis to Kill Abortion Rights…
thenation.com/article/society/republicans-are-using-the-coronavirus-to-kill-off-abortion-rights/

'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-04-02
'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'…
thenation.com/article/politics/wisconsin-democratic-primary/

Biden walks balance between relaxation of sanctions & continuing maximum pressure
Joe Biden | iranian.com | 2020-04-02
Statement from Vice President Joe Biden on Sanctions Relief During COVID-19 In times of global crisis, America should lead. We should be the first to offer help to people who are hurting or in danger. That's who we are. That's who we've always been. And, in the midst of this deadly pandemic that respects no …
iranian.com/2020/04/02/biden-walks-balance-between-relaxation-of-sanctions-continuing-maximum-pressure/

COVID-19: International community must step up to prevent pandemic from devastating vulnerable on the run
news.un.org | 2020-04-01
Given how quickly the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading, an outbreak is "looking imminent" in the world's refugee camps, crowded reception centres or detention facilities where migrant families are sheltering, the Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1060872

New York Mobilizes Rikers Island Prisoners To Dig Mass Graves for Coronavirus Victims
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-04-01
Rikers Island itself is on the verge of near collapse, over 300 inmates and staff have tested positive and human rights campaigners warn conditions in the notorious prison are dire.
mintpressnews.com/new-york-mobilizes-rikers-island-prisoners-to-dig-mass-graves-for-coronavirus-victims/266284/

The Added Importance of the Census, in Light of COVID-19
Steven K. Choi | aclu.org | 2020-04-01
Last year around this time, my biggest worry was how the inclusion of the Trump administration's proposed citizenship question would depress participation in the decennial census. Thankfully, our Supreme Court victory means there is no citizenship question on the census. Now, I have a new worry: a global pandemic and the health of my loved ones. As it turns out, the 2020 Census plays a role here too, as it will have enormous implications on our health care for decades to come. | Specifically, the census will determine the allocation of $300 billion dollars of federal aid for the states' health care

US wrong if it thinks virus will stop China in Iran: Analysis
Press TV | iranian.com | 2020-04-01
China's long-running pursuit of infrastructure projects in Iran is set to continue despite intensified US sanctions as the Islamic Republic battles the novel coronavirus, analysts say. China is Iran's largest crude oil customer and a top trade partner. It regards the Middle Eastern powerhouse a key destination in China's trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative involving …
iranian.com/2020/04/01/us-wrong-if-it-thinks-virus-will-stop-china-in-iran-analysis/

Iranian foreign ministry's "SANCTION" graphic beamed tonight on Azadi Tower in Tehran
The Iranian | iranian.com | 2020-04-01
iranian.com/2020/03/31/iranian-foreign-ministrys-sanction-graphic-beamed-tonight-on-azadi-tower-in-tehran/

Government inaction puts staff and inmates in immigration detention at risk
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-31
Refugees & migrants Niko LekaIssue 1259 Australia COVID-19 NewcastleMarch 31, 2020The federal government is not taking the necessary measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission to inmates and s…
greenleft.org.au/content/government-inaction-puts-staff-and-inmates-immigration-detention-risk

Robodebt scam exposed as a rort
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-31
Welfare Kerry SmithIssue 1259 Australia Robodebt ACOSS welfare rightsMarch 31, 2020The tide appears to be turning against the federal government's pun…
greenleft.org.au/content/robodebt-scam-exposed-rort

Weekend Read: SPLC demands ICE act amid pandemic to save the lives of countless immigrants trapped in its crowded detention centers
splcenter.org | 2020-03-27
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/30/weekend-read-splc-demands-ice-act-amid-pandemic-save-lives-countless-immigrants-trapped-its

Asylum Seekers Stranded in Mexico Face a New Danger: COVID-19
Ashoka Mukpo | aclu.org | 2020-03-26
Since the Trump administration first unrolled its policy of forcing migrants to wait in Mexico for their asylum hearings, advocates have been warning that the practice places them in danger. Now, the global coronavirus outbreak is putting an exclamation point on those warnings and adding a new, frightening layer of risk into the lives of asylum…
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/asylum-seekers-stranded-in-mexico-face-a-new-danger-covid-19

SPLC and allies seek federal court injunction in system-wide suit to protect people detained by ICE from contracting COVID-19
splcenter.org | 2020-03-25
The SPLC and its allies asked a federal court today to issue a preliminary injunction requiring that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) take immediate steps to protect people in its custody, particularly those who have medical conditions making them more susceptible to serious illness and death from COVID-19.
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/25/splc-and-allies-seek-federal-court-injunction-system-wide-suit-protect-people-detained-ice

This is No Time to Play Politics with our Democracy
Sonia Gill | aclu.org | 2020-03-23
Update 03/27/2020: Congress passed a $2 trillion stimulus package intended to address the broad impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic. While it included $400 million for states to expand access to the ballot for eligible voters, as outlined in this blog, more can and must be done to safeguard our democracy. , , To ensure elections proceed and eligible Americans can vote, any federal legislative package addressing the impact of COVID-19 on our elections must include an immediate, substantial infusion of federal funding and federal requirements for no-excuse mail-in absentee voting and early in-person voting.
aclu.org/news/voting-rights/this-is-no-time-to-play-politics-with-our-democracy

How the ACLU Organized to end Racial Profiling on Greyhound Buses
Andrea Flores | aclu.org | 2020-03-20
Two years ago, the ACLU set a clear goal: push Greyhound to refuse Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers access to their buses to conduct warrantless searches. As part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, CBP officers were targeting bus passengers around the country, boarding their buses to racially profile, harass, and too often, detain people who they suspected of being undocumented. Of course, you can't tell someone's immigration status by how they look or sound

Grassroots effort sponsored by SPLC protects voting rights for hundreds across South Florida
splcenter.org | 2020-03-20
Clutching a clipboard full of voter registration forms under his arm, Marq Mitchell knocked on the front door of a small, beige, stucco house in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/20/grassroots-effort-sponsored-splc-protects-voting-rights-hundreds-across-south-florida

Fight To Vote: Florida man's voting rights restored by Amendment 4
splcenter.org | 2020-03-20
Abdul Yaw Akachi was talking to his neighbors one sunny day in Florida when a voting rights advocate walked up to him.
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/24/fight-vote-florida-mans-voting-rights-restored-amendment-4

We Know Prisons Need COVID-19 Plans, but our Arizona Prison Tour Suggests it's not Happening
Corene Kendrick | aclu.org | 2020-03-19
Earlier this month, the Prison Law Office and the ACLU National Prison Project filed an emergency motion in federal court in Phoenix. The motion asks the judge to order the Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) to consult with a correctional health care expert to develop a plan to prevent, manage, and treat any COVID-19 outbreaks in the state's 10 prisons. You might think this is an obvious request, but we've spent the last decade observing the Arizona pri…
aclu.org/news/prisoners-rights/we-know-prisons-need-covid-19-plans-our-arizona-prison-tour-suggests-its-not-happening

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/