(2020-01-22). A Torturer Meets His Victims: CIA Psychologist Defends Brutal Methods at Guantánamo Military Hearing. democracynow.org 
On Tuesday, the psychologist identified as the "architect" of the CIA's torture program testified for the first time to the war court at Guantánamo Bay. James Mitchell was in the courtroom for a pretrial hearing for five 9/11 suspects who had been subject to torture, euphemistically called "enhanced interrogation techniques." Mitchell and his partner, Dr. Bruce Jessen, were paid $81 million to help design the CIA's torture methods, including some of the agency's most abusive tactics. The pair had no prior experience in interrogation. At the hearing, Mitchell reportedly told defense lawyers he only came to Guantán…
(2020-01-22). Mexico Begins Flying, Busing Migrants Back to Honduras. truthdig.com 
CIUDAD HIDALGO, Mexico — Hundreds of Central American migrants who entered southern Mexico in recent days have either been pushed back into Guatemala by Mexican troops, shipped to detention centers or returned to Honduras, officials said Tuesday. An unknown number slipped past Mexican authorities and continued north. | The latest migrant caravan provided a public platform for Mexico to show the U.S. government and migrants thinking of making the trip that it has refined its strategy and produced its desired result: This caravan will not advance past its southern border. | What remained unclear was the treat…
(2020-01-22). Migrant caravan shrinks at Guatemala-Mexico border amid deportations. rt.com 
The number of migrants stuck at the Guatemala-Mexico border continues to dwindle as detentions chip away at what remains of the latest caravan, AP reports. | The first buses of migrants left Tecun Uman, Guatemala overnight to repatriate migrants to their countries. On Tuesday, Mexico began flying and busing hundreds of migrants who had crossed into the country back to Honduras. | Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador recognized the success of his government's strategy on Wednesday, noting that many of the migrants had begun to voluntarily return to their countries. | US Department of Homeland Security…
(2020-01-22). "The Senate Voted for a Cover-Up": GOP Senators Tilt Impeachment Trial in Trump's Favor. democracynow.org 
After the first marathon day leading up to President Trump's impeachment trial, we speak with Vince Warren and Baher Azmy, executive director and legal director, respectively, of the Center for Constitutional Rights. In a 13-hour session, the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate approved rules for the impeachment trial that Vince Warren says are tantamount to a "cover-up." Under the rules, each side will be given 24 hours over a three-day period for opening arguments. Senators also agreed to automatically admit evidence from the House inquiry into the trial record. Republicans rejected 11 amendments from Democrats t…
(2020-01-22). Can cryptocurrencies protect countries from US sanctions? RT's Boom Bust finds out. rt.com 
RT's Boom Bust has sat in with the CEO of cryptocurrency aggregator Bitsian to discuss how nations facing tough US sanctions have been exploring cryptocurrencies in attempt to shield their economies from damage. | "These countries are looking at this as a way to avoid sanctions, but also these are countries, where their own sovereign currencies are facing huge amount of devaluation and lack of trust by their own people," Raakhee Miller told Boom Bust. | The CEO said that countries such as Venezuela and Iran face a "flight-to-quality" so bitcoin becomes more trustworthy for people to keep their assets. Howev…
(2020-01-22). SEP to hold public meeting in Canada to demand freedom for Julian Assange. wsws.org The Socialist Equality Party (Canada) is holding a public meeting in Montreal on Sunday, February 2 to fight for the freedom of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, oppose war, and defend democratic rights.
(2020-01-22). Brazil's Bolsonaro government charges journalist Glenn Greenwald with "cybercrimes" wsws.org The trumped-up charges against Greenwald by Bolsonaro's fascistic government are of a piece with the global assault on free speech and democratic rights and the jailing of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange.
(2020-01-22). Headlines for January 22, 2020. democracynow.org Senate Approves Rules for Trump's Impeachment Trial, Spain Declares Climate Emergency & Readies Climate Legislation, Australian Wildfires Release Massive Amounts of Greenhouse Gas, Airstrikes in Syria Kill 40 People, Including Children, in Idlib, Protesters Denounce Lebanon's Newly Formed Government, U.S. Deports Honduran Children Seeking Asylum to Guatemala Despite Being Ill, Hillary Clinton Slams Bernie Sanders in New Documentary But Says She Will Support Democratic Nominee, Architect of CIA's Torture Program Testifies in War Court at Guantánamo Bay, The Guardian: Bezos's Cellphone Was Allegedly Hacked by Saudi…
(2020-01-22). Hard Evidence on Torture and Ill-Treatment Against Palestinian Detainees at Israeli Interrogation Centers. globalresearch.ca Since its creation, the occupying state developed and enforced laws and practices that led to both the systematic use of torture and to absolute impunity for the perpetrator of this crime. There has never been any individual or agency held …
(2020-01-22). Women's March Global: 'Women's rights are human rights! workers.org 
The theme of the fourth annual Women's March Global 2020 was "Women's Rights Are Human Rights." On Jan. 18, hundreds of thousands of women and people of all genders marched and rallied in at least 23 countries with various demands. In Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, Canada and the . . . |
(2020-01-21). China court sentences former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei to 13 years in prison for bribery. rt.com 
Former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei, who was detained on a visit to China in 2018, was sentenced Tuesday to more than 13 years in prison for bribery. The case shook the international police organization. | Meng — a former vice minister of public security — is among a growing group of Communist Party cadres caught in China's anti-graft campaign. He vanished during a visit to China from France, where Interpol is based, and was later accused of accepting bribes and expelled from the Communist Party. His wife was granted political asylum in France last year. | Meng was sentenced to 13 years and six months…
(2020-01-21). Virginia passes the Equal Rights Amendment, but the struggle continues. peoplesworld.org 
January 15, 2020, was a historic day in America: Both houses of the Virginia General Assembly approved the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Virginia was the 38th state to do so. This puts the ERA over the top in terms of the number of states which have signed on. The U.S. Constitution establishes that amendments require …
(2020-01-21). Voting Rights Advocate: The Impeachment of Trump Is Needed to Protect Our Elections & Democracy. democracynow.org 
The impeachment trial begins its proceedings in the Senate today amid accusations of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attempting to rush the impeachment process. Senators will have 16 hours for questions and four hours for debate, after 24 hours for opening arguments on each side. We speak with Rick Perlstein, historian and author, and Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Clarke says that thanks to the rules set by McConnell, Trump's impeachment trial could be over within a week, with much of the debate taking place in the evening. The proces…
(2020-01-21). Jan. 25 — Global Day of Protest — No war on Iran! workers.org 
When President Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in early January, tens of thousands of people protested in over 80 cities across 38 U.S. states. While Trump has since stepped back from pushing all-out war in Iraq and Iran, he has issued executive orders increasing deadly sanctions . . . |
(2020-01-21). North Korea won't be bound by old commitments if US continues 'most brutal and inhuman sanctions' — senior diplomat. rt.com 
A North Korean envoy in Geneva has warned that denuclearization is impossible if the US maintains its "hostile policies," pushing Pyongyang to seek a "new path" from the stalled bilateral talks. | "We found no reason to be unilaterally bound any longer by the commitment that the other party fails to honor," Ju Yong-chol, a counsellor at Pyongyang's mission in Geneva, said at the UN-backed disarmament conference on Tuesday, as quoted by Reuters. | The diplomat blasted the US for making "unilateral demands" and continuing the "most brutal and inhuman sanctions." | If the US persists in such hostile policy toward…
(2020-01-21). Poniendo la verdad tras las rejas. workers.org 
øSabía que uno de los derechos más protegidos en este país es el derecho del gobierno a mentirle a la gente? Esa es la esencia de la persecución que se está llevando a cabo en este momento contra Chelsea Manning y Julian Assange. Manning era una analista de inteligencia del . . . |
(2020-01-21). CBP Deported an Iranian Student With Valid Visa, Defying Court Order. aclu.org Last night, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) deported an Iranian student with a valid visa, despite a federal court order prohibiting his removal. | Shahab Dehghani arrived at Boston Logan Airport on Sunday, January 19 to study at Northeastern University, where he was enrolled. Customs officials detained him and questioned him for hours, abruptly revoking his student visa, which the State Department granted after a year of intense vetting. | As CBP tried to put Shahab on the next available flight, supporters and friends gathered at night in the arrivals hall at Logan to demand that CBP stop deporting…
(2020-01-21). Trump backs armed gun-rights rally in Richmond, Virginia. wsws.org For the second time in three days, President Donald Trump tweeted support as thousands of gun-rights activists, many of them carrying semi-automatic weapons, descended on Virginia's capital, Richmond.
(2020-01-21). PCHR: Palestinians Injured at Great March of Return. imemc.org Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) works around the clock to document all Israeli violations and war crimes against Great March of Return (GMR) peaceful protestors, especially children, women and the elderly. Aside from legal documentation of Israeli war crimes, PCHR follows urgent cases that require immediate and advanced medical …
(2020-01-21). At Least 10 Killed in Two Days of Violence Across Iraq. telesurenglish.net At least 10 people were killed and 138 wounded over the past two days across Iraq as a result of violent clashes between protesters and security forces, the country's High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) said. | RELATED: | Demonstrators were…
(2020-01-21). Martin Luther King Jr. Day. peoplesdispatch.org January 20, 2020, marked the Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States. It is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday, January 15. He was the most ardent spokesperson and leader of the civil rights movement. King led the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, a protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama. It began after, after Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, was arrested for refusing to surrender her seat to a white person.
(2020-01-21). Huawei's Meng Wanzhou's Politicized Extradition Hearing. globalresearch.ca On December 1, 2018, bowing to Trump regime pressure, Canadian authorities unlawfully arrested and detained Chinese telecom giant Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on trumped up charges. | Charges against her are politically and economically motivated. | Canada operates …
(2020-01-21). Iran Threatens to Quit NPT if EU Pursues Reimposition of Security Council Sanctions. globalresearch.ca On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said "(i)f the Europeans continue their improper behavior or send Iran's file to the Security Council, we will withdraw from the NPT," adding: " | "The Europeans' remarks lack legal justification…(I)f (they) keep up their actions …
(2020-01-21). Trump administration ramps up campaign to abolish strong data encryption in aftermath of Pensacola terror shooting. wsws.org The administration, following in the footsteps of the Obama White House, is moving to attack privacy rights protected by the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution.
(2020-01-21). Rekindling the Movement that Won Abortion Rights. indybay.org New Valencia Hall, 747 Polk St (near Ellis), SF | (near Civic Center BART, Muni Lines 19, 31, 38, 47 49) | Wheelchair accessible…
(2020-01-21). Indian Court Refuses to Lift Ban on Loudspeakers at Mosques in Uttar Pradesh. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): India's apex court in an order in 2000 had ruled that the "right to religious freedom is related to civil order, morality and health. No religion teaches that loudspeakers and amplifiers should be used for prayer. Even if it is done, it should not affect the rights of others."
(2020-01-21). Lisa Nandy MP: My Plans as the New Chair of Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East. globalresearch.ca I visited Palestine as a new MP and I was struck by the threats facing the next generation, the ferocity of the attacks they endure and the systematic denial of their rights. I met a three-year-old child whose house was …
(2020-01-21). Advocates and Unhoused Residents Seek Community Help to Build Small Homes on MLK Weekend. indybay.org The Village, a group that fights for unhoused resident rights, is asking for community support on January 18 and 19, 2020, to help with their event Guerrilla Housing: Reclaiming Dr. King's Legacy of Radical Action.
(2020-01-21). Citizens United at 10: Why Fighting Corruption Is a Racial Justice Issue. commondreams.org Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia) speaks in favor of the For the People Act, a sweeping, pro-democracy bill passed by the House in 2019 that combines measures to protect voting rights, curb Big Money influence, and strengthen ethics rules. (Photo: Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-01-21). The 2020 San Francisco Womens' March. indybay.org Photos: Leon Kunstenaar/Pro Bono Photo | Native, immigrant, gay, straight march for their rights…
(2020-01-21). Venezuela's Maduro offers Trump a "win-win" bargain. wsws.org In an interview with the Washington Post, the Venezuelan president "suggested that a bonanza could be waiting for U.S. oil companies" if the White House ends sanctions.
(2020-01-21). The US Sanctions on Iran Are Causing a Major Humanitarian Crisis. thenation.com The US Sanctions on Iran Are Causing a Major Humanitarian Crisis…
(2020-01-21). If Democrats Want to Honor Legacy of Dr. King, Says Ocasio-Cortez, "We Have to Be Dangerous Too" commondreams.org At a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event at Riverside Church in Harlem, New York Monday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez urged her audience to recognize the Democratic Party is closer to "a center-conservative party" than a progressive one—something that must change if the civil rights icon's legacy is truly to be honored. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-01-21). 'Critical Moment' as Two Key Architects of CIA Torture Program Testify Under Oath in Guantanamo Bay. commondreams.org Human rights groups marked a significant "moment of reckoning" on Tuesday for the U.S. torture program which was used by the CIA following the September 11 attacks, as the two psychologists who developed the program arrived in Guantanamo Bay to testify under oath. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-01-21). Three arrested in Turkey for alleged drone shipment to Syria. yenisafak.com Turkish police arrested three suspects on Tuesday for allegedly sending a shipment of four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to terrorist groups in Syria, security sources said.The suspects were arrested in Istanbul and the southern Adana province, while another of Syrian nationality was held in the southern Hatay province, said the sources who asked not to be named, due to restrictions on speaking to the media.Acting on a tip-off received earlier this month, Adana police detained another suspect in a cargo office, while allegedly trying to send drones to people with links to terrorist groups in Syria.Prosecutors…
(2020-01-20). 'Come and take it': Thousands rally in Virginia against new gun-control laws (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com 
Thousands of gun-rights supporters and militia members have gathered at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, in an armed show of defiance against a slew of gun laws proposed by Governor Ralph Northam. | Northam — who shot to international infamy last year when a yearbook
(2020-01-20). SPECIAL: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in His Own Words. democracynow.org 
Today is the federal holiday that honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was born January 15, 1929. He was assassinated April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was just 39 years old. While Dr. King is primarily remembered as a civil rights leader, he also championed the cause of the poor and organized the Poor People's Campaign to address issues of economic justice. Dr. King was also a fierce critic of U.S. foreign policy and the Vietnam War. We play his "Beyond Vietnam" speech, which he delivered at New York City's Riverside Church on April 4, 1967, as well as his last speech, "I've Been to…
(2020-01-20). The MLK Lesson America Needs Most in 2020. truthdig.com 
Before he died, the civil rights leader joined a campaign to unify working people of all races. Today, nothing could be more powerful.
(2020-01-20). Guant√°namo's Indelible Legacy. commondreams.org The indefinite detention that began at Guant√°namo Bay has now spawned its mirror image in the camps for undocumented immigrants (and their children) along the U.S. Mexican border. (Photo: Susan Melkisethian/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-01-20). Thousands of Armed Gun-Rights Activists Protest in Virginia. telesurenglish.net A large number of armed gun-rights activists descended on Virginia's capitol building on Monday to protest a package of gun-control legislation making its way through the newly Democratic-controlled state legislature. | RELATED: | According to the Reuters News Agency, the Richmond rally was surrounded by heavy security after Virginian Governor Ralph Northam banned carrying weapons onto the capitol grounds. | The r…
(2020-01-20). Severe Torture in Israeli Prisons Targets Palestinian Steadfastness: Walid Hanatsheh, Samer Arbeed, Mays Abu Ghosh and More. imemc.org Photo: Walid Hanatsheh after his interrogation. | In the last months of 2019 and early 2020, a growing number of cases of severe physical torture against Palestinian detainees carried out by Israeli Shin Bet interrogators have been documented.
(2020-01-20). Israeli Court Doubles Prison Sentence Of Detained Palestinian Teen. imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported, last Thursday, that an Israeli appellate court has accepted an appeal filed by the prosecutor's office demanding to raise the prison sentence of a detained Palestinian teen from the 18 years to life in prison. The PPS stated that the ruling was part …
(2020-01-20). As neo-Nazis head to Richmond, Trump boosts gun-rights rally. wsws.org The president's tweet is a declaration of solidarity with ultra-right forces on the eve of his impeachment trial.
(2020-01-20). Top 10 Civil Rights Songs. thenation.com Top 10 Civil Rights Songs…
(2020-01-20). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in His Own Words. zcomm.org While Dr. King is primarily remembered as a civil rights leader, he also championed the cause of the poor and organized the Poor People's Campaign to address issues of economic justice…
(2020-01-20). 'Global Precedent' Set as UN Rules Climate Refugees Cannot Be Sent Back to Life-Threatening Conditions. commondreams.org Human rights advocates on Monday applauded a "ground-breaking" ruling by a United Nations panel, which stated that climate refugees cannot legally be sent back to their home countries after applying for asylum, if they would face life-threatening conditions such as high sea levels, drought, or other effects of the climate crisis. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-01-20). Countering Annual Whitewash of His Legacy, Progressives Remember the 'Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Imperialist' Martin Luther King Jr. commondreams.org While the likes of President Donald Trump, right-wing Republicans, and Pentagon officials—in addition to many liberals—marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with selective quotes and messages, progressives aimed to challenge their whitewashed narrative of the civil rights leader's legacy with detailed reminders of King's scathing critique of not only racism but also capitalism, militarism, and imperialism. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-01-18). AFL-CIO to the nation: Make King's dream America's reality. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Faced with the renewed and rising right-wing onslaught against women, workers, immigrants and people of color, unionists at the AFL-CIO's annual Martin Luther King Civil and Human Rights Conference spent their two days in D.C. focusing on reclaiming voting rights, battling voter suppression and educating and empowering workers to ensure they can vote this year …
(2020-01-17). The Cruelty of US Justice System Exposed in a Single Video. therealnews.com 
A 19-year-old girl was punished with 9 months in a men's jail for spitting at an officer during a mental health crisis. Video reveals the extreme treatment she received and her exclusive interview reveals how law enforcement officers are badly equipped to treat the mentally ill.
(2020-01-17). 3 Arrested for Plans to Incite Violence at 'Gun Rights' Rally in Richmond. therealnews.com 
Three suspected neo-Nazis were arrested, accused of planning to incite violence at the upcoming gun rights rally in Richmond, VA. The state's capitol is in a state of emergency after finding a pattern of communications sounding like the leadup to the 2017 Charlottesville rally that killed Heather Heyer.