(2020-07-28). Headlines for July 28, 2020. democracynow.org Senate Republicans Unveil Plan to Slash Unemployment Benefits as Pandemic Rages, Moderna Late Stage Vaccine Trial Starts, as Trump's NSA Tests Positive for Coronavirus, WHO: COVID-19 "Most Severe Global Health Emergency" as Global Death Toll Tops 654,000, AG Barr and National Guardsman to Testify Before Congress with Battling Narratives, John Lewis Lies in State in Capitol Rotunda as He Is Honored by Fellow Lawmakers, 100s of DNC Delegates to Oppose a Party Platform Without Medicare for All, DNC Members Vote to Support Israel's Illegal Annexation of West Bank, "Free Them All!": Immigrant Rights Activists Chain Th…
(2020-07-28). Syria — challenging Caesar. thealtworld.com 
Conference of small businesses to combat sanctions and Caesar Law. | Two weeks ago, I attended a two day conference in Damascus, Syria. The initiative is the brainchild of Syrian businessman and entrepreneur, Dr. Hani Barakat who gathered together a selection of young and enterprising business people to discuss the obstacles facing the youth of Syria when they try to establish any kind of business initiative. | Their path to success has been harshly affected by the illegal US Coalition sanctions (and precedeing sanctions on Syria since 1979) and further impacted by the newly introduced and punitive Caesar Law [md…
(2020-07-28). Who's behind the Canadian Think Tank Pushing for Sanctions against China and Iran? dissidentvoice.org 
The "independent" think tank, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute recently called for China and Iran to be severely punished for allegedly covering up the original outbreak and failing to respond to COVID-19 in time. This was done in ignorance of both Canada's PM Justin Trudeau and US President Donald Trump's failure to listen to military intelligence warning …
(2020-07-28). Human Rights Fraud from Ukraine to Nicaragua. globalresearch.ca Current Western human rights industry practice has nothing to do with establishing the truth. Increasingly in recent years, US and allied elites have sought to legitimize illegal aggression by exploiting human rights motifs in their attempts to recolonize the majority …
(2020-07-28). Minneapolis protest demands justice for Vanessa Guillen, Breonna Taylor, women lost to state violence. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On July 18, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Minneapolis to demand justice for women lost to state violence. Organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), the protest focused on Vanessa Guillen and Breonna Taylor. The dual focus on Vanessa Guillen, who was Latina, and Breonna Taylor, who was Black, aimed to build unity between Black and Latino communities as well as other communities in the struggle for justice. | The protest took place in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis. After a lakeside rally at Bde Mka Ska, protesters marched to the intersection of…
(2020-07-28). US Threatens European backers of Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, NATO in DC's Crosshairs. mintpressnews.com The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is nearing completion despite all the best efforts by the U.S. to stop its construction, causing a rift between Washington and its largest European ally and the potential end of NATO.
(2020-07-28). Government accused of 'dragging its feet' on tackling racism. thecanary.co The government has been accused of "dragging its feet" on tackling racism. | David Isaac, who is set to step down as chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission next week, made the claim as he called for a coherent race strategy to be implemented. | In an interview with the BBC, Isaac said he does not believe the issue has been made a top priority. | "There are lots of people, particularly of colour, who need to be supported, and for that reason a coherent race strategy is a top priority and I call upon the government to act urgently," he said. | "I do believe that they are dragging their feet. They seek to…
(2020-07-28). Human Rights and Washington's Global Britain. strategic-culture.org U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo went to London on July 21 because the British government had bowed the knee to Washington and
(2020-07-27). "Don't Simply Yoke Him to Dr. King": Eddie Glaude on How Radical Student Activism Shaped John Lewis. democracynow.org 
Memorials for John Lewis, the civil rights icon and 17-term congressmember, are highlighting the bravery he and others showed in the face of police violence as they fought for the right to vote. We highlight the radical early years of Lewis, when he was chairperson of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. His political upbringing as a youth and student organizer and "the movement that he came out of" can't be ignored, says Princeton professor Eddie Glaude. It's important that people "don't simply yoke him to Dr. King, [and] understand him as a product of this student activism." Glaude is chair of Princet…
(2020-07-27). State Dept Abandons Families Of Mercenaries Detained In Venezuela. popularresistance.org The Grayzone has confirmed that former US ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson traveled to Venezuela on Monday, July 13, following conversations with the families of former Green Beret soldiers Luke Denman and Airan Berry. Venezuelan authorities detained Berry and Denman on May 4, after they participated in a failed mercenary invasion of Venezuela with the stated goal of kidnapping the country's elected president, Nicolas Maduro. | Mark Denman, the younger brother of the detained mercenary Luke Denman, told The Grayzone that Richardson had agreed to help his family after the US Department of State failed to offer…
(2020-07-27). Tension easing in East Mediterranean dispute with Turkey — Greece. rt.com 
Turkey has reduced the number of navy vessels in an area of the East Mediterranean where it disputes Greek jurisdiction over oil-and-gas drilling rights, Athens said on Monday. | Tensions flared last week between the two NATO allies when Ankara announced it planned to send a research vessel south of the Greek islands of Rhodes, Karpathos, and Kastellorizo. | The initiative was criticized by the US, France, and other European countries, and the Turkish research vessel, the Oruc Reis, has remained anchored off the southeast Turkish port of Antalya, AP said. | Spain's Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said t…
(2020-07-27). 'Swarm' of police arrest New Jersey gym owners who defied governor's order, escalating battle over Covid-19 lockdown. rt.com 
Two New Jersey gym owners got an early-morning surprise when police arrested them at their business for continuing to keep it open in defiance of a coronavirus shutdown ordered by Governor Phil Murphy. | The Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, New Jersey, has been a flashpoint of controversy in the tug-of-war between civil liberties and public safety since owners Ian Smith and Frank Trumbetti reopened their business in May, saying that being forced to shut down for months had violated their constitutional rights. They each face charges of fourth-degree contempt of court, obstruction and violation of a disaster control law…
(2020-07-27). Civil Rights Groups Ask Appellate Court to Reject Renewed Palestine Censorship Efforts by Fordham University. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-07-27). Pressure for Sanctions Against Turkey Increases as Tensions with Greece Grow. globalresearch.ca Divided on how to deal with Turkey, some European leaders are calling for sanctions and others are calling for a reset in Euro-Turkish relations. French President Emmanuel Macron and the German Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the European People's …
(2020-07-27). Jordanian govt. shuts down largest teachers' union, detains its leaders. peoplesdispatch.org The Jordanian Teachers Syndicate, the largest union in the country with over 100,000 members, is being persecuted days after it staged a rally demanding that the government implement an agreement signed in October over hiking educators' wages…
(2020-07-27). Two Female Detainees Remain In Solitary Confinement, Face Harsh Conditions. imemc.org The Palestinian Commission for Detainees' Affairs has reported, Sunday, that the Israeli authorities are still forcing two female detainees in solidarity confinement under inhumane and harsh conditions. In a press statement, the Committee said that the two detainees, Fadwa Hamada and Jihan Hasheema, are in solitary confinement in the al-Jalama …
(2020-07-27). NYC rallies for People's State of the Nation Address. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – Over 60 people gathered on July 26, in Woodside, Queens for the People's State of the Nation Address. This action is organized every year in response to the U.S.-backed Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address. The event is a protest of his government, which has committed human rights abuses and wages war the people. It was organized by the Malaya Movement, Sige, Kabataan Alliance, and BAYAN USA Northeast. | The action started at Woodside Plaza, where speakers addressed various topics about the Philippines, from migrant workers to women's rights to the recent Anti-Terror…
(2020-07-27). D.C. Statehood is a Racial Justice Issue. aclu.org As the movement for D.C. statehood gains undeniable momentum, anxious cries from its detractors are reaching a fever pitch. Following the House of Representatives' recent approval of the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, H.R. 51, which would finally grant statehood and full voting representation in Congress to over 700,000 people living in our nation's capital, critics emerged in the Wall Street Journal, the National Review, and elsewhere to wring their hands over the alleged "
(2020-07-27). Corporate Constitutional Rights are Cancerous to Democracy. commondreams.org "Monsanto has known for several decades that Roundup (glyphosate) causes cancer. Rather than informing consumers about the glyphosate cancer risk, Monsanto buried the risks as sales of Roundup continued to skyrocket." (Photo: Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-07-27). Baltasar Garzon to Defend Venezuelan Businessman in Extradition Case. globalresearch.ca The law firm of former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon confirmed this week that it will represent a Venezuelan businessman sanctioned by the Trump administration and facing extradition from Cape Verde. | Alex Saab, 48, was
(2020-07-27). More Federal Officers Deploying To Portland. popularresistance.org Several dozen additional out-of-town federal law enforcement officers are deploying to Portland as they look to make additional arrests in the coming days, while also shifting tactics from the use of tear gas, according to multiple federal law enforcement sources. | The federal response has so far sparked four civil rights lawsuits, a Department of Justice inspector general investigation, proposed legislation in Congress limiting the role of federal law enforcement in American cities, and has injured a number of protesters. Rather than quell the protests as was the intent, it's served to reenergize and strengthen…
(2020-07-27). The Militarized Assault On Our Right To Protest. popularresistance.org The Trump Administration sent federal law enforcement, including the paramilitary squad of Customs and Border Patrol, BORTAC, which has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, to the streets of Portland, OR to stop the ongoing demonstrations against racist police violence. Federal law enforcement, working with local police, is also being sent to other cities where anti-racist protests are going on. We speak with constitutional lawyer Mara Verheyden-Hilliard about the legality of this and how activists can fight back to protect the rights of everyone and end police violence and lawless impunity.
(2020-07-27). Huawei's Meng Wanzhou Seeks Access to Documents That Could Prove She is Victim of Abuse of Process. sputniknews.com The 48-year-old chief financial officer of Chinese telecom giant Huawei has been entangled in a standoff between the United States and China. Her arrest by Canadian police officers drastically soured relations between Ottawa and Beijing. Meng denies wrongdoing, while China has described her detention as political victimization.
(2020-07-27). Trump's Federal Police Surge Could Provoke an Election Day Constitutional Crisis. truthout.org Courts must end Trump's paramilitary urban war against Democratic mayors and cities ahead of the November election, voting rights and legal experts tell Truthout, otherwise they leave open the possibility of an unprecedented constitutional crisis buttressed by the president's personal secret police. | As President Trump prepares an additional "surge" of federal agents into Democratic-led U.S. cities, including Chicago and Albuquerque, after days of dystopian images of unidentified feds bru…
(2020-07-26). Rwandan refugee working as diocese volunteer confesses to setting Nantes cathedral alight — lawyer. rt.com 
A 39-year-old man, who had already been detained, questioned and released by French police, was brought into pre-trial custody again, having admitted to starting fires at the 15th-century cathedral in the western city of Nantes. | The impressive Nantes Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul fell victim to a blaze back on July 18, with several fire brigades scrambled to put out the flames. As the story developed, investigators established that the man — who worked as an altar server — was the one who closed up the building for the night. | He was briefly detained by police last week but was then released…
(2020-07-26). Austin protester seen in video with AK-47, keen on exercising his rights before deadly shooting. rt.com 
A man shot dead at a protest in Austin, Texas was armed with an AK-47 rifle, and told a local reporter that opponents of Black Lives Matter are "p**sies." His death set off a partisan blame game online. | The victim, an adult male, was taken to hospital with "critical, life-threatening injuries" late on Saturday evening, where he died shortly afterwards. A police spokeswoman said he was attending a 'Black Lives Matter' protest in the city, and may have approached a passing car while brandishing a rifle. | The driver, who shot the victim from inside his vehicle, was taken into custody by police. | Also on rt.co…
(2020-07-26). US claims 'no one' wants to allow Iran to buy & sell weapons as arms embargo set to expire. rt.com 
No one wants to give Iran the opportunity to buy and sell weapons, Washington has claimed, arguing that regional security would suffer if an arms embargo on Tehran is allowed to expire. | There is no desire to give Iran a chance to enter the arms trade, US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said on Sunday. He supported the rather presumptuous claim by insisting that the conflict in Syria would worsen if the current weapons embargo on Tehran is lifted. The official accused Iran of bypassing international restrictions and warned that Middle East peace would be threatened if the current sanctions were lo…
(2020-07-26). Mexico: Supreme Court to Decide on Legal Abortion in Veracruz. telesurenglish.net Mexico's Supreme Court next week will evaluate a bill that claims for decriminalization of abortion on a historic day that may allow the voluntary pregnancy termination to be recognized as a right | RELATED: | If the Supreme Court approves the bill, it would be established, for the first time in the country's history, that criminalising abortion violates women's rights. | "The prohibition of the voluntary interruption of a…
(2020-07-26). Minneapolis protests Trump's repression in Portland. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Over 600 people rallied and marched here, July 23, at the "Portland to Minneapolis: Protest Trump's Goons Attacking Our Movement," called by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J.) | On July 20, Trump announced plans to send the Department of Homeland Security to cities across the U.S. Agents in military fatigues were deployed in Portland, grabbing demonstrators off the street, detaining them in unmarked cars and attacking protesters. Homeland Security agents were also sent to Washington, DC and Seattle. 150 federal agents are headed to Chicago, and there are reports that 2000 mor…
(2020-07-26). Iran faces twin challenges of COVID-19 and American sanctions. peoplesdispatch.org The worst hit country in West Asia, Iran has had a tough time coping with the pandemic amid US sanctions. It has resorted to strengthening links with countries such as Russia and China towards this end…
(2020-07-26). Former Sudanese Parliament Speaker Detained in Khartoum – Reports. sputniknews.com CAIRO (Sputnik) – Former Sudanese Parliamentary Speaker Ibrahim Omar was detained in capital Khartoum on Sunday without divulging reasons, media reported.
(2020-07-26). Animal Liberation Front Retaliates for the Murder of Activist Regan Russell. indybay.org On the morning of Friday, June 19, Canadian animal rights activist Regan Russell was hit by a truck and murdered whilst peacefully protesting against a slaughterhouse. The truck which killed her was carrying the very pigs whose plight she was attempting to draw attention to. Despite being clearly visible to the driver, who accelerated towards her, and continued to drive even as her body was torn in half, no one has been arrested for the crime.
(2020-07-25). UN human rights office condemns 'arbitrary arrests & unnecessary use of force' amid US police brutality protests. rt.com 
The United Nations has denounced heavy-handed police tactics used against demonstrators in Portland and other US cities during ongoing protests, taking aim at what it called baseless arrests and unnecessary violence by officers. | "Peaceful demonstrations that have been taking place in cities in the US, such as Portland, really must be able to continue without those participating in them… risking arbitrary arrest or detention, being subject to unnecessary, disproportionate or discriminatory use of force, or suffering other violations of their rights," Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the UN's Office of the Hi…
(2020-07-25). Weaving Impunity for Dictatorship Crimes in Chile. strategic-culture.org In 1968, the U.S. backed a covert intelligence surveillance campaign in which Latin American right-wing governments conspired to annihilate socialist and communist influence in the region. The plan, known as Operation Condor, was formally implemented in 1975, two years after dictator Augusto Pinochet took power in Chile through a military coup supported by the U.S. Up to 80,000 left wing opponents are estimated to have been killed; 30,000 of them disappeared by right-wing governments in Latin America by 1989, when Operation Condor was officially terminated. Over 400,000 people were detained as political prisoners…
(2020-07-25). Israeli Supreme Court rules: Palestinian prisoners have no right to social distancing protection against COVID-19. imemc.org By Adalah The Legal Center For Arab Minority Rights in Israel: 23/07/2020: Israel's top court rejects Adalah petition demanding Israel implement COVID-19 protective guidelines for prisoners at Gilboa prison; 30 prison guards and 7 prisoners are infected while 489 guards and 58 prisoners are in quarantine.
(2020-07-25). [Editorial] COVID-19 and China: lessons and the way forward. thelancet.com China has largely controlled COVID-19. A country of 1 ∑4 billion people and a size similar to Europe or the USA now reports only clusters of cases rather than widespread community transmission. China has been widely criticised for its role and responsibilities during the pandemic because of censorship, transparency, and human rights concerns. But the rest of the world can still learn from China's successes in bringing its outbreak under control.
(2020-07-25). Coalition to March on the DNC announces shift, to prioritize movement against police crimes. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – On August 20, the day that Joe Biden is expected to be in Milwaukee to accept the Democratic nomination, the Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention is hosting a march and rally within sight and sound of the Wisconsin Center. | People in cities and towns across the country are protesting racist police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Alvin Cole right here in Milwaukee. Protests in Minneapolis ignited a fire that swept across the country, producing the largest civil rights movement in U.S. history. | For the Coalition, a shift in priority is necessary. Rather than maint…
(2020-07-25). [Correspondence] Women's reproductive rights. thelancet.com The Correspondence by Ciaran Clarke1 is a sophisticated attempt to support forced motherhood, but, in reality, it is a vicious antiwomen statement.
(2020-07-25). Homeland Security Claims Shields And Gas Masks Are Weapons. popularresistance.org Far from restoring order, the arrival of federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Border Patrol in Portland, Oregon has only heightened tensions, with agents attacking and arresting protesters nightly. DHS' Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli took to social media yesterday to share images of items confiscated from demonstrators. | "Here is a shield and a couple of gas masks from a rioter arrested in Portland. Not a sign with a slogan that someone expressing their first amendment rights might carry, but preparations for violence. Peaceful protester? I don't think so," he wrote.
(2020-07-25). Thousands protest against Kremlin in Russian far east for third weekend. yenisafak.com Thousands of people marched in the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk on Saturday for the third weekend in a row, protesting at President Vladimir Putin's handling of a regional political crisis that has sparked demonstrations.Residents of Khabarovsk, around 3,800 miles (6,110 km) and seven time zones east of Moscow, are unhappy about the July 9 detention of the wider region's popular regional governor, Sergei Furgal, who was arrested on murder charges he denies.His detention, which his supporters say was politically motivated, has triggered more than two weeks of street protests, creating a headache for the…
(2020-07-25). Trump Admin Faces Lawsuit Opposing Exclusion of Undocumented People From Census. truthout.org "The constitutional mandate is clear—every person counts in the census. Undocumented immigrants are people—and nothing President Trump does or says changes that fact." | So said Dale Ho, director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, in a statement Friday
(2020-07-25). ACLU and Immigrant Rights Groups Challenge Latest Trump Effort to 'Rig the Census for Partisan Gain'. commondreams.org "The census—and our fight—is about ensuring that our communities are fully represented in this country." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-07-24). Rights experts urge Nigeria to free humanist detained for blasphemy. news.un.org Nigerian authorities must immediately release prominent humanist and rights defender Mubarak Bala, who has been detained for more than two months without charge on accusations of blasphemy, a group of independent UN human rights experts said on Friday.
(2020-07-24). Human rights office decries disproportionate use of force in US protests. news.un.org People taking part in peaceful demonstrations across the United States, and journalists covering these protests, should not be subjected to disproportionate use of force or other violations, the UN human rights office said on Friday.
(2020-07-24). ACLU, Immigrants' Rights Groups Sue Trump Administration Over New Census Order. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-07-24). Permission Required to Change Your Tampon. aclu.org After three grueling years of law school, aspiring attorneys have one last hurdle to overcome in order to practice law: the bar exam. In normal times, the bar exam is daunting, as the multi-day test determines the professional fates of lawyers-to-be. This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic raging, the bar exam has gone from being unnecessarily burdensome to unnecessarily deadly. , , Some states have granted bar admission to graduates of accredited law schools — a policy known as "diploma privilege." But others are plowing ahead with exams — in-person or remote, on time or delayed. The policies and pr…
(2020-07-24). US Prisoner Of Never Ending War, With Never Ending Sentence, Released. popularresistance.org Adham Amin Hassoun, a 58-year old US citizen and a Palestinian born in Lebanon, who is the first person detained indefinitely under the Patriot Act over terrorism-related charges, has been freed. Hassoun has been deported after a legal battle to hold him indefinitely failed, Associated Press reports. He left the US for an unknown country aboard a charter flight arranged by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Last month, a judge ordered his release because the government failed to prove he is a threat to national security.
(2020-07-24). Justice Department Report Finds Systemic Excessive Use Of Force By Prison Guards. popularresistance.org The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday released a report that details why the federal government believes systemic use of excessive force within Alabama's prisons for men violates the Eighth Amendment. | The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama found systemic problems of unreported or underreported excessive use of force incidents, a failure to properly investigate them and attempts by correctional officers and their supervisors to cover them up.
(2020-07-24). Border Patrol Violently Assaults Civil Rights And Liberties. popularresistance.org In the past week, unidentified federal officers in camouflage fatigues, labeled only "police," abducted people off the streets of Portland in unmarked vehicles and threatened the "Wall of Moms" standing up for our Constitution. The administration later confirmed the unidentified officers were Border Patrol agents. | This blatant demonstration of unconstitutional authoritarianism is demonstrating to the entire country the cruel capabilities of the U.S. Border Patrol. For communities that have historically borne the brunt of Border Patrol's abuses — and still do — seeing these agents pose as a "secret f…