Daily Archives: July 1, 2020

2020-07-01: News Headlines

commondreams (2020-07-01). Launch of New NAFTA Marred by Detainment of Mexican Labor Activist, Hundreds of Court Challenges Against New Mexican Labor Law. commondreams.org ______________________________…

_____ (2020-07-01). Pro-Israel Racist Group ADL Moves To Co-Opt Black Lives Matter. popularresistance.org For those who yearn for an end to systemic racism, these are exhilarating times as Black activists and organizations lead a global uprising against symbols and structures of white supremacy. | But if you are a racist group masquerading as a civil rights organization, these days are fraught with the danger that you'll get found out. | It's a balancing act that has for years bedeviled the Anti-Defamation League, a major Israel lobby group in the United States. The crisis is particularly acute right now as the ADL tries to portray itself as an ally of Black Lives Matter while also shielding Israel from criticism ove…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-01). Global protests against Israel's 'Annexation Plan'. peoplesdispatch.org Protests, both on the ground and on the virtual platforms, were organized on Wednesday July 1 across the world to denounce the proposed Israeli annexation of parts of the occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank. Several organizations are also demanding international sanctions against Israel if it goes ahead with the move. | Civil society movements, including the Palestinian Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS), organized protests in countries such as the US, the UK, Canada, Germany and Spain, among several others. | Israel had announced that it would start the process of annexation of the parts of the occupied…

RT (2020-07-01). Black Lives Matter is 'anti-christian' & 'anti-civilizational' — outspoken senior Russian Orthodox Bishop. rt.com A prominent Russian cleric believes the 'Black Lives Matter' movement isn't a battle for human rights, but rather a "struggle for who is most important in humanity." He says its true nature is "becoming increasingly apparent." | Bishop Savva of Zelenograd, the deputy administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate says the campaign is "anti-Christian and anti-civilizational." | Also on rt.com | | The churchman was reacting to news that the statue of Emperor…

John Malkin (2020-07-01). Oakland Police Banned from Using Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets, Grenades at Protests. indybay.org Interview with Walter Riley, civil rights attorney with the National Lawyers Guild, on the June 18, 2020 temporary restraining order banning Oakland police from using tear gas, rubber bullets, flash bang grenades and other "battlefield weapons" during current Black Lives Matter protests.

RT (2020-07-01). Harvard drops penalties on 'single-gender' social clubs after years-long litigation. rt.com Harvard University will no longer sanction students who take part in single-gender organizations, concluding the penalties would not survive an ongoing legal challenge from fraternities and sororities. | The Ivy League school said it would no longer enforce the ban on same-sex clubs on Monday, with Harvard president Lawrence Bacow

commondreams (2020-07-01). US Supreme Court Ruling that Children of Asylum-Seekers Must be Released from Detention Lacks Necessary Provisions for Parents; Risks Further Family Separation. commondreams.org ______________________________…

DJCFPD (2020-07-01). Wednesday 7/1: The Fight for Reproductive Rights: A Supreme Court Briefing. indybay.org Online via Zoom & livestream…

sputniknews (2020-07-01). Trump Ramps Up Attack on NYT, Says Russia Bounty Story's 'Secret Source Probably Doesn't Even Exist'. sputniknews.com Democrats have asked Congress to consider new sanctions against Moscow over media claims that Russia has been paying Taliban-affiliated militants to kill American and other coalition troops serving in Afghanistan. Russian officials have vocally denied the allegations, and accused those pushing them of trying to further undermine Russia-US ties.

sputniknews (2020-07-01). House Speaker Pelosi Calls For 'Immediate' Sanctions on Russia Over 'Taliban Bounties' Reports. sputniknews.com Earlier, Democratic Senator Bob Menendez formally requested new sanctions be imposed on top Russian officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, over unconfirmed allegations that Russia offered reward money to Taliban-linked militants to assassinate US soldiers.

John Bart Gerald (2020-07-01). Cameroon and Nigeria: The Risk of Breathing. globalresearch.ca There is a long history of human rights violations by Cameroon's government against its Anglophone people. Brutalized by war with Boko Haram the Cameroon military is now engaged in low intensity warfare against militant Anglophone separatists. On May 15, 2019 …

Steve Sweeney (2020-07-01). UN human rights chief brands Israel's annexation of more Palestinian land illegal. peoplesworld.org

Bianca Sierra Wolff (2020-07-01). ICE is Leaving Immigrants to Die in Detention. zcomm.org And Retaliating When They Speak Out…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-01). Ecuadorian trade union calls for national mobilization against Moreno's government. peoplesdispatch.org The FUT has called for a national mobilization in defense of the workers' rights and in rejection of budget cuts, corruption, mass dismissals, and privatization of public institutes…

_____ (2020-07-01). Venezuela Slams Interpol Arrest Of CLAP Contractor In Cape Verde. popularresistance.org Alex Nain Saab Moran, 48, was arrested on the archipelago island while on a technical stop-over in his private jet on Friday. He was allegedly en route to the Islamic Republic of Iran to negotiate food import contracts on behalf of the government's subsidized CLAP food program, as well as medicine and other imports needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced Saab's arrest as "illegal," claiming that no Interpol warrant existed at the time of detention. He also accused the French-based international policing organization of violating "the diplomatic immunity which international…

_____ (2020-07-01). Manitos Children's Fund To Support Venezuelan Children Despite Sanctions. popularresistance.org Manitos Children's Fund grows out of the decades old Latin America solidarity movement which has worked to change US policies toward Latin America for over 60 years. Because of our history we are most focused on the effects of sanctions on the children of Latin America, with Venezuela being the most targeted by illegal sanctions currently. | Democratic and Republican administrations have both issued sanctions against the democratically-elected government of Venezuela, but since taking office in 2017, President Trump has ratcheted up the pain factor with an aggressive attack on the Venezuelan economy. In August 20…

en.mehrnews (2020-07-01). Human rights just tool in service of US malign aspirations. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 01 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi described human rights just a tool in service of US malign aspirations, saying it is not a sincere concern for US.

yenisafak (2020-07-01). Turkey determined to control social media platforms, Erdogan says. yenisafak.com Turkey will introduce regulations to control social media platforms or shut them down, President Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday, pressing ahead with government plans after he said his family was insulted online.Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogan's son-in-law, said on Twitter on Tuesday that his fourth child had been born. Albayrak's wife Esra was insulted by some users, who were later detained, according to Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.Speaking to members of his AK Party, Erdogan repeated that his party would introduce new regulations to control the use of social media, adding that an increase of…

sputniknews (2020-07-01). Cisco Systems Sued in California Over Alleged Caste Discrimination. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Equality Labs, a civil rights group, has claimed that 67 percent of dalits working in the US felt like they were being treated unfairly. Reuters reports that Cisco Systems, like other large Silicon Valley employers, hires thousands of Indian immigrants, but that most are Brahmins or from other traditionally privileged castes.

sputniknews (2020-07-01). Merkel Says US Sanctions on Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Elude Understanding. sputniknews.com BERLIN (Sputnik) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday that proposed US sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia were law-defying and would be dealt with.

en.mehrnews (2020-07-01). Caesar sanctions 'economic terrorism': Iran's envoy to Brussels. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 01 (MNA) — Addressing the IV Conference on 'Supporting the future of Syria and the region', Iranian ambassador to Brussels Gholamhossein Dehghani named the US Caesar sanctions against Syria as 'economic terrorism'.

en.mehrnews (2020-07-01). Iran to continue to support Syrian government, people with greater vigor. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 01 (MNA) — Condemning any sanctions against nations in the world, especially Syria, President Rouhani stressed Iran will continue to support the Syrian government and people with greater vigor.

KQED (2020-07-01). Tuesday 7/7: It's Not Working! The Erosion of Labor Rights in America (webinar). indybay.org Livestream: www.youtube.com/KQED

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-07-01). Removing 'Unjust Barrier' to Asylum, Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump Rule Forcing Refugees to Seek Safety Elsewhere. commondreams.org Immigrant rights advocates applauded a Trump-appointed federal judge's rebuke to the White House on Wednesday as the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. blocked the administration's anti-asylum rule targeting Central Americans. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

sputniknews (2020-06-30). Chinese Parliament Unanimously Passes National Security Law for Hong Kong – Reports. sputniknews.com The legislation, supported by Hong Kong leadership, caused protests in the city, as some residents saw it as undermining their liberties. It also drew criticism and sanctions from the United States, despite Beijing repeatedly stating that the matter of Hong Kong is the nation's internal affair and should not be interfered with.

Staff (2020-06-30). "Moment of Elation": In 1st Big Abortion Case of Trump Era, SCOTUS Strikes Down Strict Louisiana Law. democracynow.org In the first big ruling on abortion in the Trump era, the Supreme Court has struck down a restrictive abortion law in Louisiana that would have left the state with just one abortion clinic. The 2014 law required doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their clinic, an onerous requirement that often made it impossible for abortion providers to continue to operate. "It was a moment of elation," says Lakeesha Harris, director of reproductive health and justice at Women with a Vision, a women's rights organization based in New Orleans. "Many of us have been working…

James Bovard (2020-06-30). Bill Clinton's Serbian War Atrocities Exposed in New Indictment. counterpunch.org President Bill Clinton's favorite freedom fighter just got indicted for mass murder, torture, kidnapping, and other crimes against humanity. In 1999, the Clinton administration launched a 78-day bombing campaign that killed up to 1500 civilians in Serbia and Kosovo in what the American media proudly portrayed as a crusade against ethnic bias. That war, like most of the pretenses of U.S. foreign policy, was always a sham.

Bianca Sierra Wolff — Lisa Knox (2020-06-30). ICE is Leaving Immigrants to Die in Detention, and Retaliating When They Speak Out. counterpunch.org The spread of COVID-19 to immigrant detention facilities poses a mortal danger to everyone who is unjustly detained. For months now advocates, organizers and those detained have urged elected officials and governmental agencies to take affirmative steps to prevent needless deaths and suffering inside immigrant detention facilities.

Candice Yanez (2020-06-30). A win for women's rights win at the Supreme Court. liberationnews.org On June 29, the Supreme Court overturned an abortion restriction law in its decision in June Medical Services LLC v. Russo. The case posed a direct threat to abortion rights in the United States, and the decision is a win for women's rights. Although the court has a conservative, anti-abortion majority, this decision was no …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-06-30). Supreme Court tosses Louisiana anti-abortion law, drawing cheers. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—By a 5-4 margin, with GOP-named Chief Justice John Roberts casting the deciding vote, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 29 threw out a restrictive Louisiana anti-abortion law. That drew cheers from pro-choice and women's rights groups, who warned, however, that the fight over the right to choose continues, both in the courts and at …

Candice Yanez (2020-06-30). A win for women's rights at the Supreme Court. liberationnews.org On June 29, the Supreme Court overturned an abortion restriction law in its decision in June Medical Services LLC v. Russo. The case posed a direct threat to abortion rights in the United States, and the decision is a win for women's rights. Although the court has a conservative, anti-abortion majority, this decision was no …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-06-30). House OKs anti-redlining bill, 230-178. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—GOP President Donald Trump's regime wants to let banks redline communities of color. The Democratic-run U.S. House doesn't—and with backing from organized labor, civil rights, and community groups, the Dems won a 230-178 straight party-line vote on the issue. Technically, what was on the table on June 29 was a joint resolution, HJRes 90, to …

Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner (2020-06-30). Venezuela's Maduro Expels EU Ambassador Following New Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The Venezuelan president demanded "respect" from European countries.

Marwa Osman (2020-06-30). Looting Palestine—MES EP. 60. thealtworld.com Benjamin Netanyahu has announced the time would be ripe on July 1 for his regime to permanently seize Palestinian territory by annexing swathes of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley. In the meantime, Palestinians called on political leaders in the Arab and Muslim world to join hands in defense of the Palestinian cause and devise mechanisms to stop Israel's plan. To discuss this issue with us from the occupied West Bank Dr. Amal Wahdan, Human Rights Advocate. | Meanwhile, the conflict in Libya has taken a new turn. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's threat to take military action if the city of Sirte or the…

news.un (2020-06-30). Bachelet renews call for accountability in Philippines war on illegal drugs. news.un.org The Human Rights Council should consider supporting new accountability measures against perpetrators of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines' so-called war on illegal drugs, the UN's top rights official said on Tuesday.

André Robert Lee (2020-06-30). Confronting the Living History of the Civil Rights Struggle. thenation.com Confronting the Living History of the Civil Rights Struggle…

yenisafak (2020-06-30). Istanbul conference urges special UN envoy on Kashmir. yenisafak.com A conference in Turkey called on Tuesday for the secretary-general of the UN to appoint a special envoy to resolve the dispute surrounding Kashmir and for it to start mediation efforts on holding a UN-sanctioned plebiscite in the region.In a 13-point joint declaration issued at the end of a virtual two-day international conference on Kashmir hosted by Istanbul University, the participants demanded an "early, just and durable resolution" in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.Welcoming recent remarks by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Ankara is "in favor of resolving the Kashmir issue by t…

sputniknews (2020-06-30). Forbidden Apps: India Must Uphold Legal Rights of Int'l Investors Including Chinese, Beijing Says. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): India on Monday "decided to block 59 apps" including many of Chinese origin, due to "security of data and risk to privacy relating to operation". New Delhi said, it has credible knowledge that those Apps "pose a threat to the sovereignty and integrity of India", and banned them.

John W. Whitehead (2020-06-30). America's Revolutionary Founders Would be Anti-Government Extremists Today. globalresearch.ca "It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government."—Thomas Paine | "When the government violates the people's rights, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of the rights …

sputniknews (2020-06-29). Jewish Watchdog Slams Black Lives Matter UK Over Calls to Sanction Israel. sputniknews.com Created in the US in 2013 as an anti-racism activism and protest movement, Black Lives Matter has enjoyed a surge in support and media coverage in the wake of the George Floyd protests across the US and around the world. Activists have been criticized by conservatives, and by Israel supporters, however, over their attacks on the Jewish State.

en.mehrnews (2020-06-29). Concepts in Leader's letter to Western youth becoming 'clear and clearer: activist. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 29 (MNA) — A human rights activist believes that what the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei mentioned in his letter to the West's youth is becoming 'clearer' by the day.

Doctors for Assange (2020-06-29). Doctors for Assange Say UK May be Liable for His Torture. globalresearch.ca In a new letter to the British medical journal The Lancet, Doctors for Assange say that the British government may be held legally responsible for the torture of the imprisoned WikiLeaks publisher. | *** | Here is the doctors' statement followed by …

_____ (2020-06-29). Chris Hedges On Contact: Julian Assange Extradition Hearing. popularresistance.org Chris Hedges discusses the extradition hearing of Julian Assange with lawyer, author and professor, Marjorie Cohn. | Marjorie Cohn is professor emerita at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where she taught from 1991 to 2016, and a former president of the National Lawyers Guild. | Professor Cohn is the editor of and a contributor to 'The United States and Torture: Interrogation, Incarceration and Abuse', and 'Drones and Targeted Killings: Legal, Moral, and Geopolitical Issues'.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-29). Torture of journalists triggers protests in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan State. peoplesdispatch.org Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in a statement called it completely unacceptable for representatives of the security forces to commit acts of torture against journalists reporting from the region…

RT (2020-06-29). 'Enough of European colonialism': Maduro says EU envoy to be expelled after block sanctions 11 Venezuelan officials. rt.com Venezualan President Nicolas Maduro has expelled the EU ambassador to the country, giving the diplomat 72 hours to pack up and leave, after Brussels imposed sanctions on Venezuelan officials, including on members of parliament. | Maduro's decision to banish Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa comes after the European Council decided to spap a flurry of punitive sanctions on about a dozen of high-ranking Venezuelan officials. | The 11 Venezuelans that have been hit in the latest crackdown include lawmaker Luis Parra, who replaced opposition figurehead Juan Guaido at the helm of the National Assembly in January. | "I have…

A Guest Author (2020-06-29). Facing 45 years' imprisonment for property damage. workers.org Released by Center for Constitutional Rights New York June 22 — The undersigned civil and human rights organizations, legal associations, and policy institutes condemn the excessive and politically-motivated charges that the federal government is leveling against two members of our community, Colin Mattis and Urooj Rahman, and its aggressive effort . . . |

The Canary (2020-06-29). China 'carrying out demographic genocide' against Uyghur Muslims. thecanary.co The Chinese government is taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among Uyghurs and other minorities as part of a sweeping campaign to curb its Muslim population. This is taking place even as the government encourages some of the country's Han majority to have more children.While individual women have spoken out before about forced birth control, the practice is far more widespread and systematic than previously known. This is according to an AP investigation based on government statistics, state documents, and interviews with 30 ex-detainees, family members and a former detention camp instructor.The campa…

Staff (2020-06-29). Pride 2020 Brings Wins And Losses For LGBTQ Civil Rights. therealnews.com Trump reverses medical discrimination protections for trans people, while SCOTUS rules employers cannot fire workers for being gay or trans.

commondreams (2020-06-29). US Supreme Court Ruling on HIV/AIDS Funding Undermines Health and Human Rights. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-06-29). Undermining Human Rights and Global Fight Against HIV/AIDS, Supreme Court Affirms Anti-Prostitution Pledge. commondreams.org Critics called the ruling "a step back for human rights and public health." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…