(2020-04-27). Headlines for April 27, 2020. democracynow.org Global Coronavirus Deaths Top 207,000 as Hard-Hit European Nations Start Relaxing Lockdowns, States Prepare to Reopen Economies as Cases Continue to Mount, Doctors See Rise in Strokes Caused by Coronavirus; CDC Expands List of Possible Symptoms, Oakland Police Tackle and Detain Unhoused Outreach Workers, Poison Control Center Calls Spike After President Trump Suggests Injections of Disinfectant, WHO Warns Against Issuing "Immunity Passports", Activists Hold "Cancel the Rent" Protests Around the Country, Coronavirus Outbreak Reported at Tyson Foods Meat Processing Plant, "Larry King Live" Tape from 1993 Supports T…
(2020-04-27). "Unconscionable": Planned Parenthood Pres. Condemns States Using Pandemic to Limit Abortion Access. democracynow.org 
As much of the U.S. remains on lockdown, abortion rights are under attack nationwide. We get an update on the fight for abortion access with Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "Our bodies have literally been deemed essential," she says, "and yet the control of our bodies and the right to control our own bodies has not."
(2020-04-27). US anti-Iranian sanctions in violation of human rights: Rouhani. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 27 (MNA) — In a telephone conversation with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani lamented the unfair US sanctions on Iran under the conditions that the world is in a fight with Covid-19, saying that the embargo is in contrast with the fundamentals of the human rights.
(2020-04-27). SF May Day Car Caravan: Cancel Rent, Homes For All, Debt Free Future! indybay.org Meet up location, route and details coming soon!
(2020-04-27). Civil liberty: Time for a Coronavirus Safeguards Bill. truepublica.org.uk Open Rights Group is the UK based digital campaigning organisation working to protect the rights to privacy and free speech online. Jim Killock its Executive Director, has a few concerns about the Coronavirus Act 2020 that made dozens of changes to protective laws and obviously worries that some will be used to create the 'new …
(2020-04-27). Planned Parenthood Condemns States Using Pandemic to Limit Abortion Access. truthout.org As much of the U.S. remains on lockdown, abortion rights are under attack nationwide. We get an update on the fight for abortion access with Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "Our bodies have literally been deemed essential," she says, "and yet the control of our bodies and the right to control our own bodies has not." | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. | AMY GOODMAN: As the coronaviru…
(2020-04-27). Satellite launch proved sanctions to be ineffective: IRGC spox. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 27 (MNA) — The spokesman of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps says the IRGC's satellite launch once again proved that the US sanctions have not hampered the country's scientific development.
(2020-04-26). Cuban News Agency Reporter Arrested in Chile for 'No Reason'. telesurenglish.net Cuban news agency Prensa Latina's reporter Damian Trujillo was detained Sunday in Chile's Santiago, during a protest marking the day on which the country's constitutional referendum would have taken place, had it not been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. | RELATED: | A group of Carabineros, the Chilean police, arrested the journalist and placed him in their van while his colleagues protested and asked for…
(2020-04-26). Facebook Says Israeli Spyware Company Ran Vast Hacking Operation in the United States. strategic-culture.org Lawsuit reveals extent of Israeli spyware company's U.S. operation | Michael ARRIA | In 2019, nearly 1,400 WhatsApp users were hacked with a number human rights advocates and journalists targeted. The attack was allegedly the work the NSO Group, an Israeli spyware company. | Last October, Facebook (which owns WhatsApp)
(2020-04-26). B'Tselem: Israeli Settlers Exploit Coronavirus to Take Over West Bank Land with Military Backing: Violent Attacks Spike in April. imemc.org B'Tselem — The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories Since the start of the corona crisis, Israeli settlers have ramped up attacks against Palestinians throughout the West Bank, with full state backing. The attacks have increased despite the movement restrictions, lockdowns and social distancing measures introduced …
(2020-04-24). They Were Willing to Make the Ultimate Sacrifice for the U.S., but Trump Won't Let Them Become Americans. aclu.org 
Ange Samma, a 22-year-old green card holder from Burkina Faso, came to the United States seven years ago, when he was still a teenager. After studying electrical engineering at community college, he decided to enlist in the U.S. Army in 2018. He wanted to give back to his adopted country and also hoped joining the military would help him achieve his goal of becoming an electrical engineer. , , Ange currently serves on active duty as a soldier in South Korea. But despite serving this country on a U.S. military base in a foreign country, he still hasn't been able to obtain citizenship through his military servic…
(2020-04-24). During Coronvrius: Cuba to the Rescue, But Don't Tell the American people. mintpressnews.com Anti-Cuba zealots in the Trump administration have been enticing Cuban doctors working overseas to defect, paying journalists to write negative stories, slapping sanctions on Cubans in charge of the program, and strong-arming countries to expel Cuban doctors.
(2020-04-24). Judge shoots down California law mandating background checks for ammunition buyers, citing 'grave injury' to 2nd Amendment. rt.com 
A federal judge has overturned a law forcing Californians to undergo background checks when buying ammunition, arguing the rule set fire to the Second Amendment and deprived citizens of their right to bear arms. | US District Judge Roger Benitez blocked the 2016 law on Thursday from a San Diego courtroom, penning a lengthy 120-page opinion slamming "onerous and convoluted" laws and regulations that trample rights guaranteed under the Constitution. | "The experiment has been tried. The casualties have been counted. California's new ammunition background check law misfires and the Second Amendment rights of Cali…
(2020-04-24). "We Don't Have the Capacity to Treat": Palestinian-Canadian Doctor Says Israel Must Lift Gaza Siege. democracynow.org 
As fears continue to grow about what a rampant outbreak of the coronavirus might do to the occupied Palestinian territory, already crippled by years of Israeli sanctions, we get an update from Dr. Tarek Loubani, Palestinian-Canadian doctor and emergency physician who volunteers in the Gaza Strip and returned from a trip there last month. "Testing is severely limited," he says. "There have been fewer tests in Gaza so far throughout the entire pandemic than there were in South Korea yesterday."
(2020-04-24). PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (16 — 22 April 2020). imemc.org Palestinian Center for Human Rights Summary of Israeli Violations of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (16-22 April, 2020) Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continued to violate Palestinians' human rights and commit crimes against civilians and their properties, conducting raids into Palestinian cities without regard to the state of emergency …
(2020-04-24). 'No time to blame the messenger' warns UN rights chief, amidst media clampdowns surrounding COVID-19. news.un.org The coronavirus pandemic has spawned new threats to press freedom in some countries, according to the UN human rights chief, who declared on Friday that "credible, accurate reporting is a lifeline for all of us".
(2020-04-24). Florida voting rights trial to be argued online. splcenter.org …
(2020-04-24). We're Going to Court on April 27 to Strike Down This Poll Tax for Good. aclu.org On April 27, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Florida, and our litigation partners will go to trial in U.S. District Court against the state of Florida to win the ability to vote for hundreds of thousands of eligible state voters now being denied that basic right. | In November 2018, more than 64 percent of Florida voters approved Amendment 4, returning the right to vote to Floridians convicted of felonies who completed their sentence and supervision. The only persons excluded are those convicted of homicide or sexual crimes. | Immediately, the Florida Legislature set out to undermine voters'
(2020-04-24). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Responds to CDC's Preliminary Release of COVID-19 Race Data. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-04-23). Human rights 'uplift everyone'; must guide COVID-19 recovery response, says UN chief. news.un.org The coronavirus pandemic is not only a critical public health danger, it is also a human, economic and social emergency that is "fast becoming a human rights crisis", the UN chief said on Thursday, releasing a new policy brief on shaping an effective, inclusive response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-04-22). Sanctioned Countries Are Now Leading the World in the Fight Against Coronavirus. mintpressnews.com Countries currently facing US sanctions, around a quarter of the world's population, are faring far better than the United States and leading the global fight against COVID-19.
(2020-04-22). UN rights chief rejects killings acknowledged by Cameroon, and Iran's execution of child offenders. news.un.org The UN's human rights chief has been weighing in on recent killings committed by State authorities, or by rogue members of State military forces, emphasizing that all Governments must strictly abide by international law and hold those who serve, accountable for any violations.
(2020-04-21). Death Trap Jail: Pepper-Sprayed, Otay Mesa Detainees Demand Release as COVID-19 Spreads Inside. democracynow.org 
We look at the mounting number of COVID-19 cases inside immigration jails across the country and one of the largest outbreaks at the Otay Mesa Detention Center near San Diego, run by private prison company CoreCivic. Prisoners were told to sign contracts, written only in English, in exchange for receiving face masks. When some refused to sign, guards pepper-sprayed them. This comes as activists say hundreds imprisoned in detention centers in California are on hunger strike. We get an update from Ruth Mendez, community activist and volunteer with Otay Mesa Detention Resistance.
(2020-04-27). COVID-19: UN expert urges US to free detained migrants. yenisafak.com The US must urgently use available alternatives for the detention of migrants held in overcrowded and unsanitary administrative centers in order to counter the risk of a novel coronavirus outbreak, a UN human rights expert said Monday."It is very difficult to keep the necessary physical distance in overcrowded detention facilities," said the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Felipe Gonzalez Morales."Significantly reducing the number of detained migrants by releasing them into alternative settings can easily solve this," he said in a statement.Gonzalez Morales said that UN human rights expert…
(2020-04-25). Bangladesh: Hundreds of Rohingya Refugees Stranded at Sea. telesurenglish.net Hundreds of Rohingya refugees are stranded on board two fishing trawlers in the Bay of Bengal without being able to reach land, while the Bangladesh government said they are not its responsibility, Al Jazeera reported Saturday. | RELATED: | At least 500 Rohingya refugees may have been at sea for weeks without adequate food and water, drawing criticism from rights groups such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the United Nati…
(2020-04-27). Netflix to Stream Remastered Versions of Kiarostami's Films. iranian.com The world's leading provider of online entertainment service Netflix is going to offer the remastered versions of a number of movies directed by late Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. Netflix has signed a deal with mk2 Films, a French company that has acquired all rights to dozens of movies from Iranian filmmaker Kiarostami. Every year, mk2 …
(2020-04-26). US blocking Iran media outlet stark infringement of freedom of expression: Foreign Ministry. iranian.com Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says a recent decision by the administration of US President Donald Trump to block the domains of Iranian news outlets is in "stark infringement" of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and freedom of expression. In a Twitter post on Sunday, the Iranian ministry "strongly" condemned the US Treasury Department's …
(2020-04-26). Iran Sanctions and Sickness. iranian.com In the current global pandemic, Iran occupies a unique position. One of the first countries to experience the outbreak of covid-19, it is simultaneously the target of an economic blockade that goes back not years, but decades. How Iran has fared under this dual onslaught is determined by the interaction between its singular place in the geopolitical …
(2020-04-24). Iran 'honored' to cut corona deaths to a third amid sanctions: Health Minister. iranian.com The daily death toll and positive cases of coronavirus in Iran have dropped respectively to one third and 40 percent over the course of three weeks, which is a source of honor for the country amid the tough sanctions, Health Minister Saeed Namaki has said. The Iranian health ministry on Friday announced that the total …
(2020-04-23). EU censures US for refusing to ease sanctions on Iran. iranian.com The European Union has censured the United States for refusing to ease sanctions on the Islamic Republic and blocking an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan to Iran to help it fight the COVID-19 pandemic. "We supported first to soften the sanctions and second, the request by Iran to the International Monetary Fund for financial help," EU foreign …
(2020-04-21). NYC Immigrant Communities Fight Hunger, Exploitation & Invisibility Through Mutual Aid. democracynow.org 
We look at how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting undocumented people here in New York City, where the coronavirus has hit immigrant communities the hardest, even as the numbers of daily deaths statewide has declined in recent days. As reports of widespread poverty and hunger continue in the immigrant communities, people are also organizing and helping each other through mutual aid despite extraordinarily difficult circumstances. We are joined by Juan Carlos Ruiz, Lutheran pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Brooklyn and co-founder of the national New Sanctuary Movement and the New Sanctuary Coalition here in Ne…
(2020-04-20). Human Rights Watch cabildea por sanciones letales contra Nicaragua y Venezuela, mientras arrecia la crisis de Covid-19. thegrayzone.com Human Rights Watch está orgullosamente asumiendo el crédito por sanciones devastadoras contra Nicaragua, mientras busca escalar la guerra económica en…
(2020-04-20). Headlines for April 20, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Fatalities Top 40,000; Nursing Homes Hit Hard as Death Tolls Soar | , Trump and Governors at Odds over Coronavirus Testing as Uneven Reopening of States Commences, Right-Wing Groups Organize Anti-Lockdown Protests Around the Country | , New Deal on Relief for Small Businesses Could Be Imminent But May Lack Key Democratic Provisions, Immigrant Prisoners at Otay Mesa Launch Hunger Strike, Denounce Inhumane Treatment | , Michael Cohen to Be Released from Federal Detention as Prisoners Nationwide Face Mounting Coronavirus Risk, Italy Records Lowest Daily Death Toll in a Week; Spain & France Also Show Signs of Pr…
(2020-04-20). 'The US Reaction to Pressure to Ease Sanctions Was to Double Down' – CounterSpin interview with Joe Emersberger on sanctions under Covid-19. fair.org 
"If there were an opposition movement in countries like Canada and the United States and Europe, the demand wouldn't just be, 'You gotta stop this'; the demand would actually be, 'Hey, we've got to prosecute the people involved with this. This is killing people. This is a crime. People should be facing legal consequences for this.'"
(2020-04-19). Free the refugees detained in Kangaroo Point at risk of COVID-19. greenleft.org.au 
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(2020-04-17). What it's Like in ICE Detention During a Pandemic. aclu.org As millions of people in the U.S. shelter in their homes, and millions more who aren't able to stay indoors practice social distancing or other measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, a crisis is brewing in the facilities where immigrants are detained. Cramped conditions and inadequate access to hygiene or medical care have created what one medical expert called a "tinderbox" for the disease in a letter to Congress., , Many of those in detention are asylum seekers, who came to the U.S. to ask for protection after fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries. Many others were long-time U.S. resi…
(2020-04-16). Bolivian coup leader freaks out on The Grayzone for 'fascist' label in complaint to OAS 'human rights' arm. thegrayzone.com The director of far-right Bolivian coup leader Camacho's presidential campaign threw a slander-laced tantrum against The Grayzone in a letter…
(2020-04-13). Congressman John Lewis shares message of support for SPLC's work. splcenter.org Congressman John Lewis has been a tireless champion for equal rights and justice for more than six decades.
(2020-04-10). Mike Elk on Frontline Worker Rights, Joe Emersberger on Pandemic Sanctions. fair.org 
Media…
(2020-04-10). Get-out-the-vote effort goes digital for COVID-19 pandemic. splcenter.org Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexis Carr was able to knock on doors in Montgomery, Alabama, register people to vote, instruct them on voting rights and encourage them to cast their ballots on Election Day.
(2020-04-08). Nativist Hate Groups Want to Keep People in ICE Detention Despite COVID-19 Threat. splcenter.org Anti-immigrant think tanks are pushing for the U.S. to detain immigrants and asylum seekers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, even as prisoners stage hunger strikes and other protests in response to what they describe as deteriorating health conditions in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities.
(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…
(2020-03-13). 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,