(2020-04-09). San Diego "Honk for Justice" Calls for the Release of people in ICE Detention. indybay.org 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.
(2020-04-09). UK social worker speaks out on unsafe conditions sanctioned by management and unions. wsws.org The WSWS spoke to a children's social worker in a Local Authority in northern England about the conditions she and her clients face amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-04-09). 'Anybody with conscience opposes anti-Iran sanctions'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 09 (MNA) — Alireza Miryousefi, spokesperson for the Iranian Mission to the UN, said nobody would approve of the cruel US sanctions against Iran amid the current coronavirus crisis.
(2020-04-09). Trump Mulling Tariffs, New Anti-Russian Sanctions Amid Oil Glut — Reports. sputniknews.com Oil prices collapsed to levels unsustainable for American shale producers last month after OPEC+ failed to reach an agreement on production cuts amid the drop in global economic activity due to the new coronavirus.
(2020-04-08). Pompeo says 'no sanctions' prevent Covid-19 aid to Iran, as US blocks $5bn IMF loan & ignores calls to lift penalties. rt.com 
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said a raft of US sanctions do not stop humanitarian aid from reaching Tehran, even as the UN and rights groups say the penalties are crippling Iran's healthcare system. | "I've heard people talking about sanctions. The world should know there are no sanctions that prevent humanitarian assistance, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals from going to Iran," Pompeo told reporters at a White House briefing on Wednesday, adding that the US offered to send aid but Iran refused. | Tehran has repeatedly slammed the US pressure campaign — which makes effectively impossible the bank trans…
(2020-04-08). "They Don't Care if You Die": Immigrants in ICE Detention Fear the Spread of COVID-19. aclu.org 
Mario Rodas, Sr. first found out there was a deadly virus spreading through the country while he was watching television at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts. In early March, Rodas had been pulled over and arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while driving to the supermarket with his wife, a legal resident and the mother of his three U.S. citizen children. Since then, he'd been in the custody of ICE, mostly at Plymouth. | The more Rodas heard about the disease, the more fearful the 59-year-old became. | "I was scared for my health," he told the ACLU. "I was worr…
(2020-04-08). Chicago: Over 200 cars join protest demanding mass release from jails, detention centers. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Hundreds of people took their cars to Chicago's jails and detention centers on Tuesday morning, April 7, to demand a mass release of incarcerated people in the city. Isolated from each other in their cars, they were united in their message: Jails, prisons and detention centers must be depopulated before the spread of COVID-19 turns them into death camps. | Nearly 300 protesters in 200 cars targeted three locations: ICE headquarters, the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and Cook County Jail. Cars carried banners with slogans such as "Free them all" and "Mass release now." Organizers also gave spee…
(2020-04-08). Ecuador Indigenous Ask IACHR to Investigate State Over COVID-19. telesurenglish.net The Ecuadorean Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) presented Tuesday to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) a request for several precautionary measures against the Ecuadorean state for affecting the rights to life, health, and harm to Indigenous peoples. | RELATED: | Given the crisis that the country is going through due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Conaie has denounced that both the E…
(2020-04-08). Emergency COVID-19 Laws May Become Permanent Features of the Security Landscape. truthout.org As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep the world, so too do radical new security measures implemented by governments in response to the global crisis. Ruling by decree, closing borders to refugees and instituting sweeping powers of detention and surveillance: In the context of the current panic, these policies may seem appropriate to some, their extremism justified by the extreme times in which we now live. | But amid this frenetic pace of change, key questions are being largely overl…
(2020-04-08). Amid Plague, Sanctions are Genocide. counterpunch.org Sanctions have long been indefensible; now in the time of Covid-19, more so than ever. Nor are they some minor phenomena. Over a quarter of humanity lives under U.S. economic sanctions. That means millions of people lack untroubled access to food and medicines during a lethal pestilence. Thus in Iran, where the government fears millions of deaths from Covid-19, sanctions amount to genocide. Under ordinary circumstances, these embargoes are economic warfare. By putting Iran and Venezuela under economic siege even before the pandemic, the U.S. had murdered tens of thousands of those countries' citizens. Yet most Am…
(2020-04-08). Billionaire-backed Human Rights Watch lobbies for lethal US sanctions on leftist governments as Covid crisis rages. thegrayzone.com Regime change-hungry HRW is proudly taking credit for crushing new US sanctions on Nicaragua while pushing to escalate Washington's economic…
(2020-04-08). President Rouhani Blasts US Medical Terrorism. iranian.com Iran's President Hassan Rouhani lashed out at the US sanctions and pressures which have deprived the Iranian people of their right to import drugs and medical equipment amid the coronavirus outbreak. "The Americans violate the approvals of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the White House which was a terrorist in economic fields is now …
(2020-04-08). Sanctions or solidarity. workers.org 
A pandemic by its very nature needs a global response. It can only be addressed with a high level of intense cooperation and social mobilization. Every form of scientific and technological cooperation is urgently needed. The U.S. is the center of an empire built on and dominated by capitalist expropriation . . . |
(2020-04-08). As US Consigns Iranians to Death, Corporate Media Look the Other Way. fair.org 
Covid-19 has hammered few countries as hard as it has hit Iran, which reports (as of
(2020-04-07). The Decade of Transformation: Remaking International Relations. dissidentvoice.org 
The coronavirus pandemic is magnifying the cruelty of US foreign policy. The economic collapse is showing the failure of neoliberalism and how the empire-economy is not working for the people of the world, including the United States. The US is losing its global dominance as it demonstrates its own incompetence in response to the pandemic …
(2020-04-07). COVID-19 Disastrous for US-Detained Migrants Amnesty Int. Warns. telesurenglish.net The risk that the new coronavirus poses to the people detained in the United States' large migration centers will have disastrous consequences if not addressed without delay, Amnesty International warned in a RELATED: | "The United States has confirmed more cases of COVID-19 than any other country in the world, yet ICE conti…
(2020-04-07). Doctors detained for demanding protective gear in Pakistan. peoplesdispatch.org At least 67 health workers who were protesting against the non-availability of personal protection equipment kits for medical professionals were detained by security forces in Balochistan province on Monday…
(2020-04-07). Pakistani doctors detained for demanding safety gear. peoplesdispatch.org On March 6, doctors in the town of Quetta in Pakistan took out a protest demanding personal protection equipment that is vital while working with COVID-19 patients. Instead of addressing their concerns, the government detained them. This is a reflection of the larger situation in the country where doctors are struggling without adequate resources.
(2020-04-07). World Health Day: PCHR Calls for Providing Medical Supplies and COVID-19 Testing Kits to Gaza Strip's Health Sector. imemc.org Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) World Health Day is celebrated each year on April 7th, and it was first sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1950 to raise health awareness. The theme for World Health Day 2020 is "Year of the Nurse and Midwife" to support nurses …
(2020-04-07). Under Trump the NLRB Has Gone Completely Rogue. thenation.com Under Trump the NLRB Has Gone Completely Rogue…
(2020-04-07). Children vulnerable to abuse and violence during coronavirus lockdowns, UN experts warn. news.un.org Independent UN human rights experts have called on States to boost child protection measures to help safeguard the welfare of millions of children who may be more exposed to violence, sale, trafficking, sexual abuse and exploitation during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-04-07). Zarif: Iran does not need Trump's charity. iranian.com Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message urged US to stop preventing Iran from selling oil, saying Iran does not need Trump's charity. "Iran is rich in human & natural resources. We don't need charity from @realDonaldTrump —who's forced to buy ventilators from sources he's sanctioned," Zarif wrote on his Twitter account on …
(2020-04-06). INSTEX: A way to get around US sanctions? liberationnews.org 
On March 31, the trade vehicle INSTEX completed its first transaction by facilitating Iran's purchase of drugs and pharmaceutical supplies.
(2020-04-06). Amid Sanctions and Military Mobilization, Maduro Pens Letter Urging Americans to Question Trump. mintpressnews.com "I wholeheartedly ask you not to allow your country to be dragged once again into another unending conflict, another Vietnam, another Iraq, but this time, closer to home."
(2020-04-06). Senate Bill Challenges Online Encryption, Constitutional Rights to Speech and Privacy. projectcensored.org A Senate bill, the EARN IT Act of 2020, introduced by Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in March 2020, appears to revise regulations aimed at preventing online sexual…
(2020-04-06). Everyone Must be Counted in the 2020 Census. aclu.org Every 10 years, the federal government conducts a census to count everyone living in the United States. For people of color, especially Black people, the census has traditionally been exclusionary and deeply flawed. | Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution was intentionally designed to protect the institution of slavery by immorally reducing those enslaved to three-fifths of a human being. It remains the only reference to slavery in the Constitution and was the law when the first census was completed in 1790 and for 75 years thereafter until the 14th Amendment was passed. Two hundred thirty years later, Bla…
(2020-04-06). Rights experts warn against discrimination in COVID-19 response. news.un.org Fearing a needless increase in COVID-19 deaths due to discrimination, UN independent human rights experts on Monday called for Governments to commit to racial equity and equality in their response to the pandemic.
(2020-04-06). Prison shelling in Yemen kills five women and a child: UN rights chief condemns possible war crime. news.un.org The UN has condemned the shelling of the women's section of the Central Prison in a district of Yemen's war-torn Taizz Governerate, in the south of the country, which has left at least five women and one child dead, and wounding more than 11, with casualties expected to rise.
(2020-04-06). Sanctioning the Way for COVID-19. cepr.net MarketWatch See article on original site While the United States is fighting COVID-19 here at home, US sanctions against other governments are aiding the virus' spread abroad. They've already likely contributed to many unnecessary deaths in Iran, and Venezuela's experience with the pandemic may also be much more deadly due to these punitive measures. COVID-19 …
(2020-04-06). Trump's Iran sanctions policy on the turn. iranian.com 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 …
(2020-04-04). Stop Tightening the Thumb Screws: A Humanitarian Message. zcomm.org One way to help others survive is to insist that the United States lift sanctions against Iran and instead support acts of practical care…
(2020-04-04). Refugee supporters to defy police ban on car cavalcade. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-04-03). Protect Immigrant Communities: Fear Mounts of Deadly COVID-19 Outbreak in U.S. Border Camps, ICE Jails. democracynow.org 
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…
(2020-04-03). Detained immigrants across Deep South feel like 'sitting ducks' as ICE ignores their safety amid global pandemic. splcenter.org 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.
(2020-04-03). Amazon on strike: what workers need to know about their rights. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Kevin Gustafson, an organizer with Democracy at Work and host of the Sensible…
(2020-04-03). 7 ways to (virtually) support refugee rights on Palm Sunday. greenleft.org.au 
People seeking asylum and refugees are going…
(2020-04-02). "There Aren't Enough Tests": As Pandemic Intensifies, Global South Prepares for the Worst. democracynow.org 
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.
(2020-04-02). Refugees held by ICE struggle for their lives. liberationnews.org 
Immigrant refugees being held in ICE detention centers are struggling for their lives and demanding to be released to prevent their deaths from COVID-19.
(2020-04-02). Fighting for immigrant rights during a pandemic. splcenter.org 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 — people in immigrant detention centers.
(2020-04-02). COVID-19 Doesn't Discriminate — Neither Should Congress' Response. aclu.org Congress' third bill addressing the impacts of COVID-19, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), was a necessary attempt to respond to this public health crisis but its exclusion of immigrant communities is downright racist and xenophobic. Immigrants were
(2020-04-01). The Added Importance of the Census, in Light of COVID-19. aclu.org 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 — mo…
(2020-03-31). Venezuela Blasts US 'Transition' Plan as 'Tutelage'. venezuelanalysis.com Washington has threatened to "increase" crippling sanctions until Caracas accepts the deal.
(2020-03-30). Abortion is essential health care: Covid-19 crisis exploited to attack women's rights. liberationnews.org 
The following article is re-published from Breaking the Chains magazine.
(2020-03-30). Rosneft Dodges US Sanctions by Transferring Venezuela Operations to Russian State Firm. venezuelanalysis.com Moscow insists that its support for the Venezuelan government and role in its oil industry will remain unchanged.
(2020-03-27). Weekend Read: SPLC demands ICE act amid pandemic to save the lives of countless immigrants trapped in its crowded detention centers. splcenter.org …
(2020-03-25). SPLC and allies seek federal court injunction in system-wide suit to protect people detained by ICE from contracting COVID-19. splcenter.org 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.
(2020-03-25). UN, EU Urge Venezuela Sanctions Relief as Coronavirus Outbreak Intensifies. venezuelanalysis.com The South American nation has 91 reported COVID-19 cases so far.
(2020-03-22). DOJ Seeks To Suspend Constitutional Rights Because Coronavirus & MSM Says Vaping Tied To COVID-19. 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 (3/21/19). 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 …
(2020-03-20). Grassroots effort sponsored by SPLC protects voting rights for hundreds across South Florida. splcenter.org 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.
(2020-03-13). No, Venezuela does not have a six child per family policy. zcomm.org 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,