Daily Archives: July 9, 2020

2020-07-09: News Headlines

Leonardo Flores (2020-07-09). Biden's vision for Venezuela is virtually indistinguishable from Trump's. thegrayzone.com A recent Biden campaign event demonstrated that when it comes to Venezuela, policies of regime change, sanctions and a refusal…

Sue Davis (2020-07-09). SCOTUS decides 5-4 win for abortion rights. workers.org SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective Executive Director Monica Simpson speaking at reproductive justice rally in Georgia, June 28, 2019. On June 29, the Supreme Court issued a much anticipated decision in June Medical Services v. Russo, the first reproductive justice case since anti-abortion Trump appointees Neil Gorsuch and . . . |

Staff (2020-07-09). Viagra? Yes. Birth Control? No. SCOTUS Sides with Trump & Limits Free Contraception Under Obamacare. democracynow.org The Supreme Court dealt a major blow to reproductive rights when it sided with the Trump administration in letting employers deny people access to free birth control based on religious or moral grounds, hollowing out a mandate under the Affordable Care Act that requires most private health insurance plans to provide cost-free birth control. "It's a really deeply disappointing ruling," says Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center. "These individuals are effectively on their own to find and pay for their contraception."

Vijay Prashad (2020-07-09). The U.S. and UK are a wrecking ball crew against the pillars of internationalism. mronline.org In both the case of the sanctions against the ICC and the theft of Venezuela's gold, the United States and the UK demonstrate their disregard for international institutions and for international law.

Daniel Falcone (2020-07-09). Cold War with China and the Thucydides Trap: a Conversation with Richard Falk. counterpunch.org Should there be a Second Cold War an alleged US concern for human rights would indeed become another ongoing tool of propaganda. In this interview, International Relations scholar Richard Falk breaks down the grave dangers and prospects for a New Cold with China. Falk worries that tensions and rivalries both regionally and economically could result

Terry Everton (2020-07-09). Facebook: "serious setbacks for civil rights" dissidentvoice.org The Verge reports: A team of civil rights auditors has delivered a scathing and unexpected indictment of Facebook's recent moderation choices after a two-year examination of the platform's practices and internal policies. "While the audit process has been meaningful and has led to some significant improvements in the platform," the report reads, "we have also …

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2020-07-09). Peru ranks oil production over pandemic threat and Indigenous rights. peoplesworld.org As of July 7, 10,772 people had died of COVID 19 infection in Peru, which is the 8th most severely affected country in the world. The actual toll is assumed to be far greater, especially in Peru's Amazonian region. Indigenous inhabitants there, isolated from medical care, are vulnerable both to environmental abuses at the hands …

A Guest Author (2020-07-09). Deadly new sanctions on Syria. workers.org By Judy Bello This slightly edited guest article was originally published June 12 on the web site of the United National AntiWar Coalition (unac.notowar.net). On May 20, President Trump signed into law the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Embedded in this bill, a housekeeping bill of sorts where yearly . . . |

RT (2020-07-09). Internet witch hunts derive from 'profound' desire for self-purpose, signatory of open letter critical of cancel culture tells RT. rt.com Cancel culture attracts people who feel isolated by society and want to be part of a rigid orthodoxy that gives their lives meaning, according to a signatory of a controversial open letter that was also endorsed by J.K. Rowling. | Growing intolerance towards ideas and views deemed impermissible swells from a yearning to belong to something bigger than ourselves, said Roger Berkowitz, a professor of political studies and human rights at Bard College. In an interview with RT, he explained that "widespread mass existential loneliness of our culture" has eroded social traditions to the point where many people feel…

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-07-09). As Long As Mass Media Propaganda Exists, Democracy Is A Sham. thealtworld.com "A majority of Americans believe that Russia paid the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan last year amid negotiations to end the war, and more than half want to respond with new economic sanctions against Moscow, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday," "Overall, 60% of Americans said they found reports of Russian bounties on American soldiers to be 'very' or 'somewhat' believable, while 21% said they were not credible and the rest were unsure," says Reut…

Nicaraguan civil society (2020-07-09). Open Letter to the President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and to the IACHR Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts on Nicaragua, the Argentinian Team of Forensic Anthropology and SITU Research of New York. globalresearch.ca IACHR President: Sr. Joel Hernández García | IACHR First Vice-President: Sra. Antonia Urrejola Noguera | IACHR Second Vice-President: Sra. Flávia Piovesan | GIEI members: Sr. Amerigo Incalcaterra, Sra. Sofía Macher, Sr. Pablo Parenti and Sra. Claudia Paz y Paz Bailey | EAAF: Sra. Mercedes …

Jorge Capelan (2020-07-09). The Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team and Nicaragua — Science or Injustice? globalresearch.ca The Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, EAAF1, created in the mid-1980s, is a very prestigious human rights organization in Argentina and Latin America2 for, among other things, having found the mortal remains of the founder of the Mothers …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-09). UN investigator's report condemns US drone strike targeting Qassem Soleimani. peoplesdispatch.org The report by Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, is due to be presented at the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday…

_____ (2020-07-09). Historic Climate Liability Case In Colorado Against Exxon And Suncor. popularresistance.org Washington, D.C.—Today, the United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit ruled that a case launched by Boulder County, San Miguel County, and the City of Boulder will proceed in state, rather than federal court. Marco Simons, General Counsel of EarthRights International, which is representing the municipalities in the case, issued the following statement in response: | "We applaud today's decision as an important step forward in our lawsuit against Suncor and Exxon. Federal courts have consistently ruled that these climate cases belong in state courts — which makes sense because these cases are about…

yenisafak (2020-07-09). Over 50 kg of heroin seized in southeastern Turkey. yenisafak.com Police seized 52.4 kilograms (115.5 pounds) of heroin in southeastern Turkey's Hakkari province on Thursday, according to officials.Anti-drug police found heroin packages hidden inside the trunk of a truck stopped for snap checking in Yuksekova district, the provincial governorate said in a statement.While the contraband was seized, driver of the truck was detained.Crackdown on drugs, has, over the years, helped Turkey deal with narcoterrorism, or profits for terrorist groups from the illegal trade.

Santa Cruz News (2020-07-09). Santa Cruz Grand Jury Suggests Transitioning Juvenile Hall into a Homeless Services Center. indybay.org In it's report, "Homelessness: Big Problem, Little Progress: It's Time To Think Outside The Box," the 2019-2020 Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury suggests transitioning Juvenile Hall in Felton into a, "treatment and multi-faceted supportive services center for homeless individuals". The Civil Grand Jury report cited low incarceration numbers at Juvenile Hall in Felton compared to the number of staff members required to operate the facility, and noted that decreasing youth incarceration rates across the State of California has led to other counties closing their juvenile detention centers. "The Grand Jury believe…

_____ (2020-07-08). Is China the New Indispensable Nation? strategic-culture.org Usually when there are protests, however minor, happening in a nation that has run afoul of the United States the "International Community" and "Human Rights Activists" rally to push for regime change. However, now that there are mass protests exploding over the United States these types of voices are completely silent. American police are free to destroy CHAZ and other camps however they see fit. This is the power of America, however this time around there sure are a lot of red flags and Communist sentiments in the mouths of the protestors. If we were still in the Cold War the Soviet Union would have been instan…

yenisafak (2020-07-08). Riot in Serbia as crowd protests COVID-19 restrictions. yenisafak.com At least 23 demonstrators have been detained in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, after a crowd, attempted to enter the National Assembly building late Tuesday evening.The crowd was peeved at the announcement made by President Aleksandar Vucic to enforce a weekend curfew to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.In pitched battles, 43 police personnel were also injured.Serbian Police Chief Vladimir Rebic on Wednesday said that the police officials were injured because the hard objects were thrown at them.Rebic said that five police vehicles were torched, forcing the police to fire tear gas shells to disperse demonstrators.H…

Staff (2020-07-08). Supreme Court Ruling Means 126,000 May Lose Contraception Coverage. truthout.org The United States Supreme Court delivered a blow to reproductive rights on Wednesday, siding with the Trump administration in a case that gave employers across the country more leeway in denying contraception to workers if it goes against the company's morals. | In a 7-2 decision,

Prensa Latina (2020-07-08). Cuba exhorta a ayuda de OIT para dejar atrás crisis por COVID-19. peoplesworld.org LA HABANA—El presidente de Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, exhortó hoy a la Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT) a ayudar al mundo para superar la crisis causada por la pandemia de COVID-19. La OIT puede contribuir con su amplia obra en favor de la justicia social, la promoción del empleo digno y la protección de los derechos …

Eds. (2020-07-08). How the law killed Ahmaud Arbery. mronline.org In many states, legal regimes sanction the predictable murder of innocent black men. Justice will not be served until the law changes.

news.un (2020-07-08). Identify and address 'real needs' to recover from COVID-19, UN rights expert urges. news.un.org There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in "a serious setback" for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an independent UN human rights expert said on Wednesday, urging a high-level meeting to "take a hard look" at implementation efforts to live up to the promise to leave no one behind.

news.un (2020-07-08). UN expert calls for end to gender-based violence against women journalists. news.un.org Women journalists face particular dangers while going about their work, an independent UN expert told the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday, saying that Governments should do more to protect them.

PCHR (2020-07-08). PCHR Holds Israel Fully Responsible for Death of Palestinian Al-Gharabli in Israeli Prisons. imemc.org The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR): On Wednesday, 08 July 2020, Palestinian detained in Israeli prisons for the past 26 years, Sa'di Khalil al-Gharabli (47) from Gaza City, was pronounced dead in Kaplan Medical Center where he was recently transferred from al-Ramlah prison after his health condition deteriorated. Al-Gharabli …

Al-Mezan Center For Human Rights (2020-07-08). Joint Press Realease: Assessing cases of the 2014 attacks on Gaza leads to definitive conclusion: victims and survivors have been abandoned to non-genuine investigations and gross injustice. imemc.org Gaza City and London, 07 July 2020 — In the summer of 2014, Al Mezan and LPHR worked together to examine egregious acts of horror against civilians in Gaza, trapped in a closed-off territory while under military bombardment run by Israel's political and military leadership; its emblematic feature being that dozens of …

Al-Mezan Center For Human Rights (2020-07-08). Joint Press Release: Assessing cases of the 2014 attacks on Gaza leads to definitive conclusion: victims and survivors have been abandoned to non-genuine investigations and gross injustice. imemc.org Gaza City and London, 07 July 2020 — In the summer of 2014, Al Mezan and LPHR worked together to examine egregious acts of horror against civilians in Gaza, trapped in a closed-off territory while under military bombardment run by Israel's political and military leadership; its emblematic feature being that dozens of …

Afroze Fatima Zaidi (2020-07-08). The Tory government's hypocrisy is on form as it announces sanctions while supporting human rights violators. thecanary.co Let's face it, the Tories have never really been

PCHR (2020-07-08). PCHR: "Israeli Occupation Authorities Arrest Civilian Travelling to Donate Bone Marrow for His Brother in Tel HaShomer Hospital" imemc.org The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the arrest of a civilian from the Gaza Strip by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) stationed at Beit Hanoun "Erez" Crossing. The civilian was traveling to Tel HaShomer Hospital as he is scheduled for a bone marrow donation for his ill brother, …

commondreams (2020-07-08). Facebook's Civil Rights Audit Shows Need for Reforms. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Saed Bannoura (2020-07-08). Elderly Palestinian Detainee Dies In Captivity. imemc.org The Palestinian Commission of Detainees' Affairs has confirmed, on Wednesday morning, the death of an elderly Palestinian political prisoner at Israeli medical center following years of medical neglect. The Commission stated that Sa'adi Khalil al-Gharabily, 75, from Gaza, has died on Wednesday morning, at an Israeli medical center, after suffering …

Ali Salam (2020-07-08). Israeli Forces Detain Additional Palestinians, Including Former Prisoners. imemc.org The Israeli army, on Wednesday, detained a large number of Palestinian civilians, including a former political prisoner, from the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) said in a statement. In the southern West Bank, Israeli forces abducted, Khalil Takfaji, the head of the Maps Department of the Arab …

_____ (2020-07-08). Today's Revolution Includes Kale, Medical Care And Help With Rent. popularresistance.org In recent months, members of progressive direct-action organizations have developed new systems for checking on their neighbors, dropping off food and medicine, providing protective personal equipment to incarcerated family members, and giving cash to those suddenly unemployed to meet immediate rent, food, and medical needs. At the same time, they're continuing to press for workers' rights and proper health care during the pandemic, as well as ensure access to federal stimulus money for individuals and small minority-owned businesses. | In so doing, these organizations are harkening back to their roots: people cr…

yenisafak (2020-07-08). Huawei says US sanctions have no immediate impact on UK 5G supplies. yenisafak.com U.S. sanctions targeting Huawei Technologies have had no immediate impact on the Chinese firm's ability to supply 5G equipment to the UK, Huawei Vice President Victor Zhang said on Wednesday."These restrictions actually haven't had an impact on Huawei's capability to supply to the UK's 5G and fibre solution at this moment," Zhang told reporters on a call."We need to talk about the long term impact, it takes time, it takes months."

yenisafak (2020-07-08). Russia, Turkey seek solution to Libya crisis: Lavrov. yenisafak.com Russia and Turkey will continue joint efforts on finding a solution to the Libyan crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday.The two countries are seeking an approach that would allow for immediate cease-fire in Libya, the minister said, speaking at a news conference in Moscow."Within the dialogue, sanctioned at the highest level by the presidents of Russia and Turkey, we have been working on finding approaches that would allow us to immediately declare a cease-fire and start resolving all other issues," the top diplomat said.He said the first essential step toward a solution is to declare "a c…

sputniknews (2020-07-08). Facebook Pressured Towards Censorship Based on Civil Rights Claims. sputniknews.com On this episode of the Critical Hour, host Garland Nixon talks to Margaret Kimberley about pressure Facebook is facing to censor by Civil Rights groups and others.

en.mehrnews (2020-07-08). 'US sanctions first culprit of Covid-19 damages in Iran'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 08 (MNA) — The Iranian health minister named the US cruel sanctions as the first cause of the economic difficulties and the losses Iran has incurred during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-07-08). Civil Rights Groups Say Internal Facebook Audit Confirms Company Business Model 'Relies on Racism and Hate'. commondreams.org "There are real-life consequences when social media networks provide platforms for violent white supremacists, allowing them to incubate, organize, and recruit new followers to their hateful movements." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

RT (2020-07-07). CNN's Don Lemon clashes with actor Terry Crews: Is BLM about police brutality, or problems in the black community? rt.com Actor Terry Crews faced an angry backlash after voicing concerns about the radicalization of the BLM movement. His clash with CNN's Don Lemon on why black-on-black crime is not part of the agenda split society even further. | Last Saturday, Crews, who is also a human rights activist, tweeted that he saw good people as allies regardless of the color of their skin, adding that he was "prepared to die on this hill." He previously expressed concern that the Black Lives Matter movement might slide into black supremacy. | Are all white people bad? | No. | Are all black people good? | No. | Knowing this reality- I st…

RT (2020-07-07). Hate is in the eye of the beholder: Facebook extends olive branch to boycott leaders, but middle ground is elusive in polarized US. rt.com Seeking to appease hundreds of companies that have halted advertising, Facebook is pledging to do a better job policing 'hateful' content — a tall order in a nation where warring political parties can't even agree on basic facts. | Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg met on Tuesday with organizers of the boycott campaign, led by the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League. They also announced plans to meet with other activist groups and consult with their own civil rights auditor. | The #StopHateForProfit boycott movement has seen more than 900 businesses suspending thei…

Staff (2020-07-07). Headlines for July 7, 2020. democracynow.org Judge Rules Dakota Access Pipeline Be Shut Down Pending Review, Trump Admin Moves to Deport and Bar International Students If Colleges Go Online in Fall, Coronavirus Surges Across Country as Dr. Fauci Warns U.S. Still "Knee-Deep" in First Wave, Jair Bolsonaro Gets Tested for COVID-19; WHO Warns AIDS Deaths in Africa Could Rise Amid Pandemic, Congressmembers, Trump Associates Among Beneficiaries of Coronavirus Stimulus Funds, Anti-Asian American Hate Crimes Have Been Soaring Since the Start of the Pandemic, Indiana Civil Rights Activist Says He Was Victim of Attempted Lynching, Video Shows Police Officers Fatally…

news.un (2020-07-07). Human rights through peacekeeping essential factor in beating coronavirus. news.un.org The UN human rights chief is calling for greater investment in the human rights components of peace operations – not least to monitor the impact of efforts to contain the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Fight Back (2020-07-07). Roll 4 Justice – Protest on wheels demands justice for all on July 4 in Minneapolis. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On July 4, more than 200 protesters took the streets on wheels for a new type of march calling for an end to a fundamentally racist criminal justice system and "#Justice4All." Protesters were on bikes, rollerblades, roller skates, skateboards, as well as in a car caravan as they rolled through various neighborhoods in Minneapolis. The protest was organized by Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) along with co-hosts Native Lives Matter, CAIR-Minnesota, LatinoAltRock, and Asamblea de Derechos Civiles. Messaging included slogans such as: "Abolish ICE," "Prosecute the police," and lin…

WSWS (2020-07-07). Canada's migrant workers protest lack of COVID-19 protections. wsws.org Hundreds of migrant workers and their supporters joined protests Saturday against atrocious working and living conditions—conditions long sanctioned by government and made still worse by the pandemic.

Fight Back (2020-07-07). Philippines: Wage all forms of protest and resistance to junk Duterte's Terror Law. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines. | Wage all forms of protest and resistance to junk Duterte's Terror Law and end the regime of state terrorism | The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) joins the rest of the democracy-loving Filipinos in condemning Rodrigo Duterte for the signing of Republic Act 11479, inappropriately titled Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. Duterte signed the law in contempt of widespread opposition by broad democratic sectors of Philippine society as well as international human rights advocates. | In the guise of figh…

en.mehrnews (2020-07-07). VIDEO: Belgians protest for headscarf rights. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 07 — Some 1,000 people took the streets in the Belgian capital to advocate for the right to wear headscarves at universities.

RT (2020-07-07). Seven TORTURE CHAMBERS & cells inside shipping containers discovered in Dutch police raid after crack of encrypted chat app. rt.com Six Dutch men have been arrested after a Franco-Dutch police operation to crack the EncroChat encrypted text app led authorities to seven shipping containers outfitted as grisly torture chambers and cells near the Belgian border. | Police arrested six men after snooping on their alleged plans to kidnap and take hostage fellow criminals, discussed in detail over EncroChat for months, Dutch authorities revealed on Tuesday. The kidnappers were apparently quite meticulous in their planning, with several "teams" preparing to snatch up their victims and one "observation team." The authorities conducted their raid on…

Staff (2020-07-07). "They Don't Care About Our Health": Hunger Striker at Otay Mesa ICE Jail Speaks Out as COVID Spreads. democracynow.org As COVID-19 infections continue to rise behind bars, we go inside the Otay Mesa Detention Center in California to speak with Anthony Alexandre, a longtime U.S. resident of Haitian descent, who describes conditions at the for-profit jail, run by private prison company CoreCivic, which has seen a mass outbreak of COVID-19, leading to at least 167 infections and one death. "Basically, CoreCivic is telling us they do not care about our health," says Alexandre. "They do not care about anything else but their bottom line."

Stephen Lendman (2020-07-07). RussiaGate Overdrive: Weapons of War by Other Means on Targeted Nations and Individuals. globalresearch.ca Leading global human rights abuser USA is followed by Britain close behind. | Time and again, ruling authorities of both countries accuse other nations for their own high crimes — notably relating to wars of aggression they wage against nonbelligerent states …

Andrew Korybko (2020-07-07). Britain Is Following Its Big Brother By Imposing So-Called Humanitarian Sanctions. thealtworld.com The UK's imposition of so-called "humanitarian sanctions" against 49 individuals from Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Saudi Arabia that it claims are supposedly involved in "human rights abuses" is nothing more than London following its "big brother's" lead from "across the pond" in…

news.un (2020-07-07). Independent rights expert speaks of 'anguish, stress and disempowerment' of poverty. news.un.org More than 70 million people are expected to fall into extreme poverty because of COVID-19, the UN Human Rights Council heard on Tuesday, as a leading rights expert slammed "greatly exaggerated" claims of global poverty eradication between 1990 and 2015.