(2020-05-20). The US' "Medical Terrorism" Against Syria Threatens to Make World War C Much Deadlier. globalresearch.ca The Syrian Ambassador to Russia slammed the US' sanctions against his country as a form of medical terrorism that prevents it from importing much-needed "medicines, and medical goods, and other means to combat [COVID-19]", which strongly suggests that America wants …
(2020-05-19). Socialist lessons learned: The political shifts brought by the coronavirus. peoplesworld.org 
Rev. Dr. William Barber of the New Poor People's Campaign has been preaching: "This virus is teaching us that from now on, living wages, guaranteed health care for all, unemployment and labor rights are not far-left issues but issues of right vs. wrong and life vs. death." Expanding on those truths, here are some more …
(2020-05-19). Remembering the Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education. commondreams.org Near the Capitol in Washington, people attend a rally in 2019 to mark the 65th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling that ended public school segregation and fueled the civil rights movement. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-05-19). Technology and Liberties in the Fight Against Coronavirus. aclu.org 
There have been disease outbreaks throughout human history, but never one that has taken place in the era of high-tech tracking tools and "big data." , , Policymakers and technologists have proposed a number of ideas for leveraging such technologies to help suppress the spread of COVID-19. At the ACLU, we recognize the urgency of stemming the pandemic and re-opening America, and don't think we should immediately write off any tools that may offer public health benefits. But we shouldn't give up critical rights and freedoms unless a proposal is necessary, effective, and proportionate. We are particularly wary…
(2020-05-19). Pakistan's Minority Protection Doesn't Extend To Ahmadiyya. therealnews.com 
The new commission in Pakistan to safeguard minority rights fails to include even a single representative from the Ahmadiyya minority, a small and pacifist branch of Islam.
(2020-05-19). US Sanctions On Iran Fueled By Hate And Money. therealnews.com 
John Bolton brought Richard Goldberg from the neoconservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies to serve as a senior advisor for the National Security Council, ensuring that sanctions against Iran will intensify even as Iran is wracked by COVID-19.
(2020-05-19). Staging a Defense of Reproductive Rights. progressive.org As anti-choice activists try using the pandemic to stop abortions, this nonprofit theater group pushes back.
(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
(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.
(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 …
(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…
(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.
(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.
(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…
(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…
(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.
(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…
(2020-05-11). SPLC fights to keep children out of juvenile detention, other confined settings during pandemic. splcenter.org …
(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 …
(2020-05-06). SPLC's Civil Rights Memorial Center publishes children's activity book online. splcenter.org …
(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.
(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.
(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 …
(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 …
(2020-05-18). Detainees call for their release from Mantra prison. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-05-20). As the Death Toll Rises, We Demand: Trump/Pence Out Now! indybay.org Refuse Fascism in the SF Bay Area is carrying out a series of actions in response to the dangerous situation we are in. We will deliver body bags to the Federal Building in San Francisco (on Seventh St.) on May 27 protest escalating deaths in prisons and detention camps, and we will do freeway bannering on May 20, with banners saying "Trump=Fascism=Death" and "Trump Pence Out Now" along with other actions. These will be protests that support and preserve social distancing.
(2020-05-19). Harriet Harman says Covid-19 contact tracing app assurances do not cut the mustard. thecanary.co 
New laws to protect the privacy of personal information gathered by the coronavirus contact tracing app are a "no brainer" — and can be adopted quick enough without disrupting its rollout, Harriet Harman has said.The Joint Committee on Human Rights — which Harman chairs — has a bill drafted and ready for introduction, amid concerns about the data such an app can gather and who can access it.Using Bluetooth, the app keeps an anonymised log of other people also using the app who have been in close contact with the user.If someone shows symptoms, they can inform the app, which will instruct anyone who…
(2020-05-20). Was Maduro the 'jackpot'? Former US Green Berets reveal new details of botched Venezuela coup in interrogation tapes. rt.com 
Detained US ex-soldiers said they were tasked with securing an airfield in Venezuela in order to put President Nicolas Maduro on a plane after toppling him. The men were charged with plotting a coup against the government. | Venezuelan state TV has aired new interrogation tapes of the two former US Green Berets charged with participating in failed plot to oust Maduro. | American national Luke Denman told an interrogator that Jordan Goudreau, a US special forces veteran and founder of private security firm Silvercorp USA, had proposed that he take part in removing Maduro from power between late November and ear…
(2020-05-20). Experts Assembly calls for defying normalization of ties with Israeli regime. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 20 (MNA) — Iran's Assembly of Experts has called on the Islamic countries to be united against efforts of normalizing ties with the Israeli regime and to stand up for the rights of the Palestinian nation.
(2020-05-20). Islamic Body Hits Out at 'Colonial Settlement' as India fast Tracks Kashmir Residency Rules. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Ever since the revocation of Article 370, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status last August, Pakistan has been making efforts to take the Kashmir conflict with India to the United Nations and other international bodies, citing human rights violations.
(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.
(2020-05-04). Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's trust status threatened by Department of Interior. liberationnews.org 
"This is a violation of our rights…"
(2020-04-24). Florida voting rights trial to be argued online. splcenter.org …
(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.
(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.
(2020-04-10). Mike Elk on Frontline Worker Rights, Joe Emersberger on Pandemic Sanctions. fair.org 
Media…
(2020-04-06). Senate Bill Challenges Online Encryption, Constitutional Rights to Speech and Privacy. projectcensored.org A Senate bill, the EARN IT Act of 2020, introduced by Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in March 2020, appears to revise regulations aimed at preventing online sexual…
(2020-03-31). Venezuela Blasts US 'Transition' Plan as 'Tutelage'. venezuelanalysis.com Washington has threatened to "increase" crippling sanctions until Caracas accepts the deal.
(2020-03-30). Rosneft Dodges US Sanctions by Transferring Venezuela Operations to Russian State Firm. venezuelanalysis.com Moscow insists that its support for the Venezuelan government and role in its oil industry will remain unchanged.
(2020-03-26). [Correspondence] Considering inequalities in the school closure response to COVID-19. thelancet.com As COVID-19 is declared a pandemic and several countries declare nationwide school closures, these measures are affecting hundreds of millions of children.1 More countries are entering delay and mitigation phases of pandemic control, with an urgent need for proactive and multifaceted responses addressing children's social, economic, and health needs to avoid widening disparities and honour commitments to the UN Convention on Child Rights and Sustainable Development Goals.2…
(2020-02-08). Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions. theantimedia.com Iraq and Russia are preparing for deepening military coordination.