Daily Archives: May 18, 2020

2020-05-18: News Headlines

Joe Emersberger (2020-05-18). Disgraceful yet illuminating reactions to the 2002 coup that briefly ousted Hugo Chavez: IACHR, CPJ and RSF. zcomm.org The Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) The IACHR claimed in 2009 report on Venezuela that its reaction to the "the attempted coup d'état [of 2002] was immediate and decisive" and that it "warned that these acts constituted an interruption of the constitutional order as defined in the Democratic Charter." The evidence it offered

Lucas Koerner (2020-05-18). Iran Sends Fuel Tankers to Venezuela, Vows 'Decisive Response' to US Threats. venezuelanalysis.com Crippling US sanctions have caused severe fuel shortages in the Caribbean nation.

Maxximilian Seijo (2020-05-18). Coordination Beyond the Corporation with Sanjukta Paul. mronline.org In this episode, Maxx and Scott speak with legal scholar Sanjukta Paul about imagining alternative and more just forms of economic association in ways that denaturalize the 20th-century monopolistic firm. The key, Paul argues, is to reveal and contest the public "coordination rights" that legally structure all economic activity. Sanjukta Paul is Assistant Professor of …

Phyllis Bennis (2020-05-18). Sanctions in the Era of Pandemic. zcomm.org From Venezuela to Iran, Washington's illegal and inhumane economic sanctions are putting millions of lives at risk…

Yves Engler (2020-05-18). Ottawa's Ties with Far Right Colombian President Undermines Human Rights Rhetoric Regarding Venezuela. globalresearch.ca A week ago a former Canadian soldier instigated a harebrained bid to kidnap or kill Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Launched from Colombia, the plot failed spectacularly with most of the men captured or killed. | Still, the leader of the …

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-05-18). Israeli Military Court Extends Detention of a Palestinian Teen Boy. imemc.org The Israeli military court of Salem, near Jenin city in the West Bank, ordered on Monday, the extension of the detention of Palestinian teenager, Qasem Abu Baker, 17, from the Palestinian village of Y'abad, south of Jenin city. The mother of Qasem, told media outlets that Monday's extension is the …

news.un (2020-05-18). Coronavirus impact on world's indigenous, goes well beyond health threat. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact on the world's indigenous peoples that stretches well beyond the immediate threat to their health, the new UN independent expert on the rights of indigenous peoples said on Monday.

Esha Bhandari (2020-05-18). Coronavirus 'Immunity Passports' are not the Answer. aclu.org As governments the world over seek ways to jumpstart economic activity, one proposal is a so-called "immunity passport" that would allow certain people who test positive for COVID-19 antibodies to return to work before others. We at the ACLU have serious concerns about the adoption of any such proposal, because of its potential to harm public health, incentivize economically-vulnerable people to risk their health by contracting COVID-19, exacerbate racial and economic disparities, and lead to a new health surveillance infrastructure that endangers privacy rights. , , An immunity passport system is fundamentall…

David Hearst (2020-05-18). Revealed: The Secret US-Iran Deal that Installed Kadhimi in Baghdad. globalresearch.ca Tehran ordered Shia factions to back prime minister in return for Washington 'looking the other way' over release of assets targeted by sanctions, Iraqi officials tell MEE | *** | The nomination of Mustafa al-Kadhimi as Iraqi prime minister was the result …

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-05-16). Israeli Courts Extend Detention of 47 Palestinian Prisoners. imemc.org Two Israeli military courts reportedly extended, on Saturday, the detention of 47 Palestinian prisoners. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) said, early this morning, that the Israeli military courts of Ofer and Salem, extended the detention of 47 Palestinian prisoners, under some pretexts. The PPS noted that the courts' decisions …

ACLU (2020-05-15). DeRay McKesson on the Threat to Protesters' Rights. aclu.org Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, protests have erupted across the country. Some are related to the virus: Protestors in Ohio and Michigan took to the streets and state capitols to call for an end to their governors' stay-at-home orders. Others are calling out an ongoing injustice: the killing, often at the hands of the state, of Black Americans. Now, the rights of participants in protests across the spectrum could be at stake unless the Supreme Court weighs in on an important decision., , In this episode of At Liberty, we speak with DeRay McKesson, an activist at the center of an important ACLU…

Alan Macleod (2020-05-15). As US Reels From COVID-19, Trump Turns to Sanctions, War Making and Threats. mintpressnews.com The Trump admin has decisively chosen war over peace and conflict over cooperation. Yet it appears less able than ever to coerce the world into following its lead.

Al Neal (2020-05-15). How a teenager in the '60s South became a Communist. peoplesworld.org Once upon a time, and sadly, not so long ago in the grand scheme of history, a young high schooler in Virginia spent his summer, the summer of 1964, watching the Civil Rights Movement play out before his eyes. Little did this student, Scott Marshall, know how life-changing that first Freedom Summer would turn out …

Howie Hawkins (2020-05-15). Oppose the Israeli Annexation of West Bank Settlements. dissidentvoice.org It is time for the United States to end its bipartisan blanket support for Israeli policies that violate the human rights of Palestinians. At this critical moment, where Israel has announced its intention to annex Israeli settlements on the West Bank with the support of the Trump administration, we must speak out and resist this …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-15). South Africa's NUMSA calls out leading company for violating workers' rights. peoplesdispatch.org Excellerate Services, owner of South Africa's largest private security company, has failed to pay its workers' outstanding wages while forcing them to work without PPEs, sanitizers and other protective measures, as per the union…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-15). 'Not their business': Iran slams US threats to reimpose UN sanctions. peoplesdispatch.org The US has threatened to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran if its draft resolution to extend the arms embargo is vetoed in the UN Security Council…

Ali Salam (2020-05-15). Israeli Troops Detain 5 Palestinians, Including a Minor and Former Prisoner. imemc.org Israeli forces, on Thursday evening, detained five Palestinians from the northern districts of Nablus and Qalqilia, in the occupied West Bank. Local Fatah official, Munir Gaghoub, stated that Israeli troops abducted three Palestinians, including a former prisoner, seized a vehicle at the entrance of Beita town, south of the city …

Ramzy Baroud (2020-05-14). Arabs, UN Must Move to Swiftly Protect the Status of Palestinian Refugees. dissidentvoice.org 'Heinous racism,' is how the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor described a recent decision by Lebanese authorities to bar Palestinian refugee expats from returning to Lebanon. Lebanon's restrictions on its ever-diminishing population of Palestinian refugees is nothing new. However, this event is particularly alarming as it may be linked to a long-term official policy regarding …

Roger D. Harris (2020-05-14). US Uses "Humanitarian Intervention" to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests. dissidentvoice.org No More War focuses on the one nation in recent times that has been continuously engaged in wars of aggression. In fact, that nation has been engaged in wars or military occupations in all but five years since its founding in 1776. Author and professor of human rights law at the University of Pittsburgh, Dan …

Kate Ruane (2020-05-14). In Fear of Falling Behind and Privacy Invasions, Students Demand Action on Remote Learning. aclu.org Mia's high school peers are completing class assignments from their school parking lot because they, like many families in their rural Maryland community, lack access to internet at home. Delina, a high school junior from Arizona, has to wait until all her younger siblings finish their schoolwork using the one computer at home before she can use it to start hers. One student from New Jersey fears that the lack of privacy protections for students using remote learning technology puts their mom at increased risk of deportation. , , This is the reality of education in America during the COVID-19 crisis, accordin…

news.un (2020-05-14). UN rights chief warns against mishandling the lifting of COVID-19 lockdowns. news.un.org The UN Human Rights High Commissioner on Thursday warned of potential risks as more countries move to lift lockdown measures put in place to contain COVID-19 spread.

news.un (2020-05-14). Deadly gas leak in India, grim wake-up call for global chemical industry: UN rights expert. news.un.org Last week's deadly toxic gas leak at a Korean-owned polymer plant in south-eastern India, is a grim wake up call for the chemical industry to acknowledge and fulfil its responsibility to respect human rights, the UN independent expert who monitors the issue, said on Thursday.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-05-13). From Lebanon to Syria, the Arab World is Failing Palestinian Refugees. mintpressnews.com Heinous racism. That is how the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor described a recent decision by Lebanese authorities to bar Palestinian refugee expats from returning to Lebanon. | Lebanon's restrictions on its Many were ta…

Staff (2020-05-15). "Can Democracy Survive the Pandemic?": Election Hangs in the Balance as Trump Attacks Mail-In Voting. democracynow.org The coronavirus pandemic poses unprecedented challenges to the November presidential election, as President Trump and the GOP capitalize on the moment to attack voting rights. We speak with Emily Bazelon, staff writer at The New York Times Magazine, whose new cover story examines the bureaucratic and political challenges of mobilizing widespread vote-by-mail by November. We also speak with Jena Griswold, secretary of state of Colorado, which already has universal vote-by-mail and the second-highest voter turnout in the country.

Jennesa Calvo-Friedman (2020-05-14). DeVos is Rolling Back Protections for Sexual Harassment and Assault Survivors in Schools. We're Suing to Put a Stop to It. aclu.org By the time a student graduates from college — particularly if they are a woman, LGBTQ, a person of color, or have a disability — the odds are high that they have experienced sexual harassment and assault.

Press TV (2020-05-18). US unable to block Iran gasoline shipments to Venezuela: Source. iranian.com A senior source within the Iranian petroleum industry says the United States would be practically unable to block shipments of gasoline from Iran to Venezuela at a time the two countries need to cooperate to mitigate the impacts of American sanctions on their energy sectors. Hamid Hosseini, who serves as the spokesman of the Iranian …

Tasnim News (2020-05-17). Google Play Removes Iranian App Used against Coronavirus. iranian.com The anti-Iran sanctions imposed by the "Wild West" have forced Google to remove Iranian mobile application 'Mask', developed to tackle the novel coronavirus and warn people to avoid high-risk areas, from its Play Store, a health official said. Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Kianoosh Jahanpoor said in a post on his Twitter account that the homegrown …

pip.hinman (2020-05-18). Detainees call for their release from Mantra prison. greenleft.org.au

en.mehrnews (2020-05-18). Russia terms US struggles to retain JCPOA rights 'groundless'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations says the US efforts to retain rights of partnership in the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, are groundless since Washington has already withdrawn from the pact.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-18). West to pay high price for sanctions during pandemic: Russian FM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 19 (MNA) — Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov lashed out at western officials for the sanctions they impose during the coronavirus pandemic noting that they will also pay high price for the sanctions.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-13). [UPDATED] Venezuelan Oil Sector Continues Slump Amid Pandemic, US Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The Maduro government is working to repair refineries with Chinese and Iranian assistance to tackle fuel shortages.

news.un (2020-05-13). Hong Kong urged to drop prosecutions of leading activists, not to silence peaceful protest. news.un.org Independent UN human rights experts urged Hong Kong authorities on Wednesday to immediately drop the criminal prosecution of 15 pro-democracy activists who participated in peaceful protests across the Special Administrative Region of China last year.

news.un (2020-05-13). Take 'all appropriate public health measures' to protect detainees from coronavirus, UN urges. news.un.org UN agency chiefs on Wednesday highlighted the heightened vulnerability to COVID-19 of detainees, and others in confinement, urging Governments to take "all appropriate public health measures" to keep them safe from the deadly disease.

Lauren Kuhlik (2020-05-12). During COVID-19 Crisis, We Must Prioritize the Release of Pregnant People. aclu.org This piece was first published on

pip.hinman (2020-05-12). Refugee rights supporters occupy the Mantra Hotel. greenleft.org.au

Andrea Woods (2020-05-12). Dallas County Officials are Leaving Vulnerable People to Catch COVID-19 in Jail. aclu.org Wykivia and Ideare Bailey were taking every precaution. Worried for their asthmatic daughter due to the spread of COVID-19, the couple was meticulous in cleaning, sanitizing, and social distancing to reduce every possible threat. However, when Ideare was arrested for property theft and booked into the Dallas County Jail on April 6, there was no way to adhere to those precautions. Held in a crowded intake room, he could not maintain six feet of distance from other people. Forced to live in a dormitory with 60 other people — for meals, downtime, sleeping, bathing, everything — Mr. Bailey knew that he…

splcenter (2020-05-11). SPLC fights to keep children out of juvenile detention, other confined settings during pandemic. splcenter.org

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-11). Doctors Speak Out About COVID 19 & The Violent Suppression Of Your Rights. thelastamericanvagabond.com The only question, is whether We The People have the courage to stand for what we know to be right, or if we will allow ourselves to be scared into passively accepting the "new normal," a locked down controlled society that was prepped for, planned out, and designed years ago. I for one, will never …

Staff (2020-05-08). "A Lynch Mob": After Months of Inaction, 2 White Men Are Charged with Murder of Ahmaud Arbery in GA. democracynow.org The two white men caught on camera shooting and killing Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old African American man, were arrested and charged Thursday with murder. The arrests came two days after video of the attack in February was shared with the public, sparking widespread outrage. Today would have been Arbery's 26th birthday. We speak with civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents the Arbery family and formerly represented Trayvon Martin.

splcenter (2020-05-06). SPLC's Civil Rights Memorial Center publishes children's activity book online. splcenter.org

Annika Lee (2020-05-05). Detainees put at high risk for COVID-19 at Madison, Wi., jail. liberationnews.org To protect them from COVID-19, incarcerated people must be freed.

Dylan Gamez Citron and Kimberly Barzola (2020-05-04). Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's trust status threatened by Department of Interior. liberationnews.org "This is a violation of our rights…"

splcenter (2020-04-24). Florida voting rights trial to be argued online. splcenter.org

Ricardo Vaz (2020-04-16). Venezuelan Crude Production Falls amid Coronavirus Crisis. venezuelanalysis.com The Caribbean country has seen worsening gasoline shortages as the US ramps up secondary sanctions.

Paul Dobson (2020-04-13). Venezuela Extends COVID-19 Quarantine as Pope Criticizes Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com This is the first time the Pontiff has spoken out against the measures.

CounterSpin (2020-04-10). Mike Elk on Frontline Worker Rights, Joe Emersberger on Pandemic Sanctions. fair.org Media…

2020-05-18: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

Disgraceful yet illuminating reactions to the 2002 coup that briefly ousted Hugo Chavez: IACHR, CPJ and RSF
Joe Emersberger | zcomm.org | 2020-05-18
The Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) The IACHR claimed in 2009 report on Venezuela that its reaction to the "the attempted coup d'état [of 2002] was immediate and decisive" and that it "warned that these acts constituted an interruption of the constitutional order as defined in the Democratic Charter." The evidence it offered Read…
zcomm.org/zblogs/disgraceful-yet-illuminating-reactions-to-the-2002-coup-that-briefly-ousted-chavez-iachr-cpj-and-rsf/

Ottawa's Ties with Far Right Colombian President Undermines Human Rights Rhetoric Regarding Venezuela
Yves Engler | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
A week ago a former Canadian soldier instigated a harebrained bid to kidnap or kill Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Launched from Colombia, the plot failed spectacularly with most of the men captured or killed. | Still, the leader of the …
globalresearch.ca/ottawa-colombian-president-undermine-human-rights-regarding-venezuela/5713214

Sanctions in the Era of Pandemic
Phyllis Bennis | zcomm.org | 2020-05-18
From Venezuela to Iran, Washington's illegal and inhumane economic sanctions are putting millions of lives at risk…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/sanctions-in-the-era-of-pandemic/

Coronavirus 'Immunity Passports' are not the Answer
Esha Bhandari | aclu.org | 2020-05-18
As governments the world over seek ways to jumpstart economic activity, one proposal is a so-called "immunity passport" that would allow certain people who test positive for COVID-19 antibodies to return to work before others. We at the ACLU have serious concerns about the adoption of any such proposal, because of its potential to harm public health, incentivize economically-vulnerable people to risk their health by contracting COVID-19, exacerbate racial and economic disparities, and lead to a new health surveillance infrastructure that endangers privacy rights. , , An immunity passport system is fundamentall…
aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/coronavirus-immunity-passports-are-not-the-answer

Revealed: The Secret US-Iran Deal that Installed Kadhimi in Baghdad
David Hearst | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
Tehran ordered Shia factions to back prime minister in return for Washington 'looking the other way' over release of assets targeted by sanctions, Iraqi officials tell MEE | *** | The nomination of Mustafa al-Kadhimi as Iraqi prime minister was the result …
globalresearch.ca/secret-us-iran-deal-installed-kadhimi-baghdad/5713223

As Gerry Adams' internment conviction is 'quashed', Britain's shameful past in Ireland comes back to haunt it
Peadar O'Cearnaigh | thecanary.co | 2020-05-16
On 13 May, the Supreme Court quashed the 1973 and 1975 convictions of former leader of Sinn Féin ( SF) Gerry Adams. The court held that because Adams "was not detained lawfully" it "follows that he was wrongfully convicted of the offences of attempting to escape from lawful custody". This means "his convictions for those offences must be quashed". | The floodgates of similar cases could…
thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2020/05/16/as-gerry-adams-internment-conviction-is-quashed-britains-shameful-past-in-ireland-comes-back-to-haunt-it/

Israeli Courts Extend Detention of 47 Palestinian Prisoners
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2020-05-16
Two Israeli military courts reportedly extended, on Saturday, the detention of 47 Palestinian prisoners. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) said, early this morning, that the Israeli military courts of Ofer and Salem, extended the detention of 47 Palestinian prisoners, under some pretexts. The PPS noted that the courts' decisions …
imemc.org/article/two-israeli-courts-extend-detention-of-dozens-of-palestinian-prisoners/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=two-israeli-courts-extend-detention-of-dozens-of-palestinian-prisoners

DeRay McKesson on the Threat to Protesters' Rights
aclu.org | 2020-05-15
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, protests have erupted across the country. Some are related to the virus: Protestors in Ohio and Michigan took to the streets and state capitols to call for an end to their governors' stay-at-home orders. Others are calling out an ongoing injustice: the killing, often at the hands of the state, of Black Americans. Now, the rights of participants in protests across the spectrum could be at stake unless the Supreme Court weighs in on an important decision., , In this episode of At Liberty, we speak with DeRay McKesson, an activist at the center of an important ACLU…
aclu.org/news/free-speech/deray-mckesson-on-the-threat-to-protesters-rights

As US Reels From COVID-19, Trump Turns to Sanctions, War Making and Threats
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-05-15
The Trump admin has decisively chosen war over peace and conflict over cooperation. Yet it appears less able than ever to coerce the world into following its lead.
mintpressnews.com/us-reels-covid-19-trump-sanctions-war-threats/267592/

Oppose the Israeli Annexation of West Bank Settlements
Howie Hawkins | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-05-15
It is time for the United States to end its bipartisan blanket support for Israeli policies that violate the human rights of Palestinians. At this critical moment, where Israel has announced its intention to annex Israeli settlements on the West Bank with the support of the Trump administration, we must speak out and resist this …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/05/oppose-the-israeli-annexation-of-west-bank-settlements/

How a teenager in the '60s South became a Communist
Al Neal | peoplesworld.org | 2020-05-15
Once upon a time, and sadly, not so long ago in the grand scheme of history, a young high schooler in Virginia spent his summer, the summer of 1964, watching the Civil Rights Movement play out before his eyes. Little did this student, Scott Marshall, know how life-changing that first Freedom Summer would turn out …
peoplesworld.org/article/how-a-teenager-in-the-60s-south-became-a-communist/

South Africa's NUMSA calls out leading company for violating workers' rights
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-15
Excellerate Services, owner of South Africa's largest private security company, has failed to pay its workers' outstanding wages while forcing them to work without PPEs, sanitizers and other protective measures, as per the union…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/15/south-africas-numsa-calls-out-leading-company-for-violating-workers-rights/

'Not their business': Iran slams US threats to reimpose UN sanctions
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-15
The US has threatened to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran if its draft resolution to extend the arms embargo is vetoed in the UN Security Council…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/15/not-their-business-iran-slams-us-threats-to-reimpose-un-sanctions/

Israeli Troops Detain 5 Palestinians, Including a Minor and Former Prisoner
Ali Salam | imemc.org | 2020-05-15
Israeli forces, on Thursday evening, detained five Palestinians from the northern districts of Nablus and Qalqilia, in the occupied West Bank. Local Fatah official, Munir Gaghoub, stated that Israeli troops abducted three Palestinians, including a former prisoner, seized a vehicle at the entrance of Beita town, south of the city …
imemc.org/article/israeli-troops-detain-5-palestinians-including-a-minor-and-former-prisoner/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=israeli-troops-detain-5-palestinians-including-a-minor-and-former-prisoner

Arabs, UN Must Move to Swiftly Protect the Status of Palestinian Refugees
Ramzy Baroud | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-05-14
'Heinous racism,' is how the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor described a recent decision by Lebanese authorities to bar Palestinian refugee expats from returning to Lebanon. Lebanon's restrictions on its ever-diminishing population of Palestinian refugees is nothing new. However, this event is particularly alarming as it may be linked to a long-term official policy regarding …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/05/arabs-un-must-move-to-swiftly-protect-the-status-of-palestinian-refugees/

UN rights chief warns against mishandling the lifting of COVID-19 lockdowns
news.un.org | 2020-05-14
The UN Human Rights High Commissioner on Thursday warned of potential risks as more countries move to lift lockdown measures put in place to contain COVID-19 spread.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/05/1064062

US Uses "Humanitarian Intervention" to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests
Roger D. Harris | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-05-14
No More War focuses on the one nation in recent times that has been continuously engaged in wars of aggression. In fact, that nation has been engaged in wars or military occupations in all but five years since its founding in 1776. Author and professor of human rights law at the University of Pittsburgh, Dan …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/05/us-uses-humanitarian-intervention-to-advance-economic-and-strategic-interests/

Deadly gas leak in India, grim wake-up call for global chemical industry: UN rights expert
news.un.org | 2020-05-14
Last week's deadly toxic gas leak at a Korean-owned polymer plant in south-eastern India, is a grim wake up call for the chemical industry to acknowledge and fulfil its responsibility to respect human rights, the UN independent expert who monitors the issue, said on Thursday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/05/1064092

In Fear of Falling Behind and Privacy Invasions, Students Demand Action on Remote Learning
Kate Ruane | aclu.org | 2020-05-14
Mia's high school peers are completing class assignments from their school parking lot because they, like many families in their rural Maryland community, lack access to internet at home. Delina, a high school junior from Arizona, has to wait until all her younger siblings finish their schoolwork using the one computer at home before she can use it to start hers. One student from New Jersey fears that the lack of privacy protections for students using remote learning technology puts their mom at increased risk of deportation. , , This is the reality of education in America during the COVID-19 crisis, accordin…
aclu.org/news/disability-rights/in-fear-of-falling-behind-and-privacy-invasions-students-demand-action-on-remote-learning

DeVos is Rolling Back Protections for Sexual Harassment and Assault Survivors in Schools. We're Suing to Put a Stop to It
Jennesa Calvo-Friedman | aclu.org | 2020-05-14
By the time a student graduates from college

From Lebanon to Syria, the Arab World is Failing Palestinian Refugees
Ramzy Baroud | mintpressnews.com | 2020-05-13
Heinous racism. That is how the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor described a recent decision by Lebanese authorities to bar Palestinian refugee expats from returning to Lebanon. | Lebanon's restrictions on its ever-diminishing population of Palestinian refugees is nothing new. However, this event is particularly alarming as it may be linked to a long-term official policy regarding the residency status of Palestinian refugees in this Arab country. | Many were ta…
mintpressnews.com/lebanon-syria-arab-world-failing-palestinian-refugees/267521/

[UPDATED] Venezuelan Oil Sector Continues Slump Amid Pandemic, US Sanctions
Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-05-13
The Maduro government is working to repair refineries with Chinese and Iranian assistance to tackle fuel shortages.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14874

Hong Kong urged to drop prosecutions of leading activists, not to silence peaceful protest
news.un.org | 2020-05-13
Independent UN human rights experts urged Hong Kong authorities on Wednesday to immediately drop the criminal prosecution of 15 pro-democracy activists who participated in peaceful protests across the Special Administrative Region of China last year.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/05/1063842

Take 'all appropriate public health measures' to protect detainees from coronavirus, UN urges
news.un.org | 2020-05-13
UN agency chiefs on Wednesday highlighted the heightened vulnerability to COVID-19 of detainees, and others in confinement, urging Governments to take "all appropriate public health measures" to keep them safe from the deadly disease.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/05/1063862

During COVID-19 Crisis, We Must Prioritize the Release of Pregnant People
Lauren Kuhlik | aclu.org | 2020-05-12
This piece was first published on USA Today., , Andrea Circle Bear was 30 years old and had only recently given birth when she died of COVID-19. Circle Bear was incarcerated for a drug-related charge at the time of her death. She spent the final weeks of her pregnancy in a local jail and then a federal prison, spaces that are known hotbeds for virus transmission…
aclu.org/news/prisoners-rights/during-covid-19-crisis-we-must-prioritize-the-release-of-pregnant-people

Russia terms US struggles to retain JCPOA rights 'groundless'
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-18
TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA)

"Can Democracy Survive the Pandemic?": Election Hangs in the Balance as Trump Attacks Mail-In Voting
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-15
The coronavirus pandemic poses unprecedented challenges to the November presidential election, as President Trump and the GOP capitalize on the moment to attack voting rights. We speak with Emily Bazelon, staff writer at The New York Times Magazine, whose new cover story examines the bureaucratic and political challenges of mobilizing widespread vote-by-mail by November. We also speak with Jena Griswold, secretary of state of Colorado, which already has universal vote-by-mail and the second-highest voter turnout in the country.
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/15/securing_…

Detainees call for their release from Mantra prison
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-05-18
Refugees & migrants Chloe DS and Chris SleeIssue 1266 Australia COVID-19 Mantra Hotel detainees MelbourneMay 1…
greenleft.org.au/content/detainees-call-their-release-mantra-prison

US unable to block Iran gasoline shipments to Venezuela: Source
Press TV | iranian.com | 2020-05-18
A senior source within the Iranian petroleum industry says the United States would be practically unable to block shipments of gasoline from Iran to Venezuela at a time the two countries need to cooperate to mitigate the impacts of American sanctions on their energy sectors. Hamid Hosseini, who serves as the spokesman of the Iranian …
iranian.com/2020/05/17/us-unable-to-block-iran-gasoline-shipments-to-venezuela-source/

Google Play Removes Iranian App Used against Coronavirus
Tasnim News | iranian.com | 2020-05-17
The anti-Iran sanctions imposed by the "Wild West" have forced Google to remove Iranian mobile application 'Mask', developed to tackle the novel coronavirus and warn people to avoid high-risk areas, from its Play Store, a health official said. Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Kianoosh Jahanpoor said in a post on his Twitter account that the homegrown …
iranian.com/2020/05/16/google-play-removes-iranian-app-used-against-coronavirus/

Dallas County Officials are Leaving Vulnerable People to Catch COVID-19 in Jail
Andrea Woods | aclu.org | 2020-05-12
Wykivia and Ideare Bailey were taking every precaution. Worried for their asthmatic daughter due to the spread of COVID-19, the couple was meticulous in cleaning, sanitizing, and social distancing to reduce every possible threat. However, when Ideare was arrested for property theft and booked into the Dallas County Jail on April 6, there was no way to adhere to those precautions. Held in a crowded intake room, he could not maintain six feet of distance from other people. Forced to live in a dormitory with 60 other people

Refugee rights supporters occupy the Mantra Hotel
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-05-12
Refugees & migrants Kerry SmithIssue 1265 Australia asylum seekers Mantra Hotel medevacMay 12, 2020At 7.30am on May 12, refugee and…
greenleft.org.au/content/refugee-rights-supporters-occupy-mantra-hotel

SPLC fights to keep children out of juvenile detention, other confined settings during pandemic
splcenter.org | 2020-05-11
splcenter.org/news/2020/05/11/splc-fights-keep-children-out-juvenile-detention-other-confined-settings-during-pandemic

Doctors Speak Out About COVID 19 & The Violent Suppression Of Your Rights
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2020-05-11
The only question, is whether We The People have the courage to stand for what we know to be right, or if we will allow ourselves to be scared into passively accepting the "new normal," a locked down controlled society that was prepped for, planned out, and designed years ago. I for one, will never …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/censorship/doctors-speak-out-about-covid-19-violent-suppression-your-rights/

Our Privacy is on the Clock
Billy Easley | aclu.org | 2020-05-11
This piece originally appeared in The Hill., , Important issues sometimes divide our nation, but one area where most of us share common ground surrounds is the belief that warrantless secret spying on Americans is unjust. , , Soon, the Senate is scheduled to vote on the USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act of 2020, a bill that would extend provisions of the Patriot Act that expired in March. These provisions are currently not consistent with Americans' fundamental rights. However, if Congress chooses to reauthori…
aclu.org/news/national-security/our-privacy-is-on-the-clock

"A Lynch Mob": After Months of Inaction, 2 White Men Are Charged with Murder of Ahmaud Arbery in GA
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-05-08
The two white men caught on camera shooting and killing Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old African American man, were arrested and charged Thursday with murder. The arrests came two days after video of the attack in February was shared with the public, sparking widespread outrage. Today would have been Arbery's 26th birthday. We speak with civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents the Arbery family and formerly represented Trayvon Martin.
www.democracynow.org/2020/5/8/ahmaud_arb…

SPLC's Civil Rights Memorial Center publishes children's activity book online
splcenter.org | 2020-05-06
splcenter.org/news/2020/05/06/splcs-civil-rights-memorial-center-publishes-childrens-activity-book-online

Detainees put at high risk for COVID-19 at Madison, Wi., jail
Annika Lee | liberationnews.org | 2020-05-05
To protect them from COVID-19, incarcerated people must be freed.
liberationnews.org/detainees-put-at-high-risk-for-covid-19-at-madison-wi-jail/

Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's trust status threatened by Department of Interior
Dylan Gamez Citron and Kimberly Barzola | liberationnews.org | 2020-05-04
"This is a violation of our rights…"
liberationnews.org/mashpee-wampanoag-tribes-trust-status-threatened-by-department-of-interior/

Florida voting rights trial to be argued online
splcenter.org | 2020-04-24
splcenter.org/news/2020/04/25/florida-voting-rights-trial-be-argued-online