(2021-05-12). Can the Criminal Justice System Be Reformed? PBS Series "Philly D.A." Follows Larry Krasner's Efforts. democracynow.org 
Four years ago, the longtime civil rights attorney Larry Krasner shocked the political establishment in Philadelphia by being elected district attorney. Now he faces a tough reelection next week. We delve into his record as captured in a new eight-part series by PBS "Independent Lens" that follows how Krasner, who had sued the Philadelphia Police Department 75 times during his career, ran on a platform of ending mass incarceration and has fought to overhaul the DA's Office. "Is change possible in an institution like this?" asks series co-creator Ted Passon. "Why or why not?" We also speak with co-creator Nicole S…
(2021-05-12). Economics of the new cold war and US 'super imperialism' with economist Michael Hudson. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton interview world-renowned economist Michael Hudson on his concept of American "super imperialism" and the economics of the new cold war on China and Russia. In this wide-ranging discussion on the Moderate Rebels podcast, Hudson addresses US sanctions on Venezuela and Iran, the policies of the Joe Biden administration, Beijing's economic model, cryptocurrencies, and dedollarization — the potential end to the dollar as the global reserve currency. Transcript Ben Norton 0: 03 Hello everyone, I'm …
(2021-05-12). Appleton, WI: Fox Valley communities celebrate May Day. fightbacknews.org Appleton, WI – On May 1, over 40 people gathered in downtown Appleton at Houdini Plaza to commemorate International Workers' Day, or May Day. There were speeches from multiple local organizations. The Appleton Students for a Democratic Society, Wisconsin Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Sunrise Appleton, Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, AFT Local 6511, Wisconsin Bail Out People Movement, and United Action Oshkosh joined together for this important holiday. | Union power, indigenous rights, ending corporate greed, smashing capitalism and celeb…
(2021-05-12). China Urges the US to Lift Sanctions Against Venezuela. orinocotribune.com The government of China demanded an end to the coercive measures of the United States administration against Venezuela, calling the unilateral sanctions illegal and highlighting that the coercive measures were intensified amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the fact that the sanctions are violating human rights. | China's position was ratified by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying, who pointed out that while Washington presents itself as a defender of legal guarantees and human rights, it nonetheless is intensifying its illegal measures, not only against Venezuela, but also agains…
(2021-05-12). Vaccine Production and Open Source Technology. counterpunch.org Since the Biden administration announced its decision to support a motion at the WTO to waive patent rights on vaccines for the duration of the pandemic, we have been deluged with statements by experts telling us that this cannot possibly increase vaccine production. The argument is that everyone who can produce vaccines is already producing
(2021-05-12). What Kind of People Associate with an Alleged Pedophile? dissidentvoice.org Why are Cindy Blackstock, Charles Taylor, Pearl Eliadis, Murray Sinclair and Thomas Mulcair publicly associating themselves with alleged pedophile Alan Dershowitz? Why are the indigenous advocate, philosopher, human rights lawyer, former senator and former NDP leader supporting the anti-Palestinian lobby's bid to crush a small left-wing Toronto restaurant? Why have they offered their names to …
(2021-05-12). Colombia's Leaders Want to Stain Their Country with the Blood of the Working Class. counterpunch.org 
According to Temblores and Indepaz, two human rights organizations that have been tracking reports of police violence, from April 28 to May 8, the violent actions of the state security forces resulted in the death of at least 47 people, the arbitrary detention of 963 people, 28 victims of eye-related injuries, and 12 victims of sexual violence. In total, they registered 1,876 cases of police violence.
(2021-05-12). Colombia's Leaders Want to Stain Their Country with the Blood of the Working Class. counterpunch.org According to Temblores and Indepaz, two human rights organizations that have been tracking reports of police violence, from April 28 to May 8, the violent actions of the state security forces resulted in the death of at least 47 people, the arbitrary detention of 963 people, 28 victims of eye-related injuries, and 12 victims of sexual violence. In total, they registered 1,876 cases of police violence.
(2021-05-12). New York Attorney General Tish James Is Gunning for the NRA and She Just Got Her 1st Kill. theroot.com 
A federal judge dismissed the National Rifle Association's bankruptcy case Tuesday, noting that it wasn't filed in good faith as the gun rights group and the backbone of America's violent history only filed the suit because they were afraid of Tish James. |
(2021-05-12). Mysterious Explosion Hit Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham HQ In Greater Idlib. Casualties Reported. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | Early on May 12th, a large explosion rocked headquarters of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler of the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib, near the town of al-Abzamo in western Aleppo. | According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a militant was killed and two others were injured as a result of the mysterious explosion."The militants used to work in planting and dismantling i…
(2021-05-12). In Philippines, death of COVID-19-infected political detainee reveals plight of prisoners. peoplesdispatch.org 59-year-old Joseph Canlas was arrested on March 30 in the latest wave of repression by the Rodrigo Duterte regime. His death has brought national attention to the plight of inmates held in prisons in the Philippines…
(2021-05-12). Can President Biden's planned Waiving of Covid Vaccination Patents: begin a grassroots movement against Big Pharma? juancole.com Southwest Harbor, Maine (Special to Informed Comment) — When the Biden Administration announced it would no longer oppose suspension of Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) standards regarding production of COVID vaccines and therapies, there was joy in the world health lobby and anguish in the big pharma camp. Understandable as these reactions …
(2021-05-12). SOS: Will the World Answer the Calls for Help? counterpunch.org With tears in her eyes my South American friend and colleague asked for help: "can you please share this story with the world?" SOS is Morse code for distress—Save Our Ship. "SOS Colombia" is a call to protect human rights, end the violence, and stop the militarization of cities and police departments in Colombia. My
(2021-05-12). Myanmar: UN rights experts urge business 'to take a stand' against military junta. news.un.org United Nations independent rights experts on Wednesday urged businesses in Myanmar to uphold their human rights responsibilities and apply pressure on the military junta to halt grave human rights violations against its own people.
(2021-05-12). Rights organizations condemn deadly attacks in Afghanistan. peoplesdispatch.org The blasts took place in Kabul's Dasht-e-Barchi area and the Shahr-e-Safa district in southern Zabul province. The United Nation Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported that 573 civilians were killed in the first three months of 2021…
(2021-05-12). Asylum and the Right to Security. counterpunch.org The right to security We're seeing the dark and looming shape of a breakdown in the global system of asylum and refuge-seeking. It takes the form of a hardening of state attitudes, a disregard for refugees' dignity and legal rights, and a calculation on the part of those responsible for systematic mistreatment of refugees that
(2021-05-12). The Right Wing Has Always Been Pro-'Cancel Culture'. commondreams.org "From brutalizing protestors to rolling back voting rights, don't get it confused: The right has always tried to 'cancel' the views it despises." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-05-12). Resumption of Additional Protocol requiring sanctions lifting. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 12 (MNA) — Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs said that the resumption of voluntary application of Additional Protocols by Iran is predicated on sanctions being lifted.
(2021-05-12). US Special Forces Trained Mexican Drug Cartels. orinocotribune.com US military forces trained Mexican drug cartels that committed beheadings, torture, and rapes. This was reported in detail in a recent The Los Zetas cartel, which in its beginnings was the armed wing of the Gulf Cartel [Cartel del Golfo], is one of the most notorious examples of the relation between the US military and drug traffi…
(2021-05-11). Joint Statement by Palestinians in North America: Nakba 73 — Ongoing Nakba, Ongoing Resistance. samidoun.net 
As we mark the 73rd anniversary of the Nakba, we, the undersigned, join together to reaffirm our commitment to the Palestinian people's struggle for justice, return, and liberation. We commemorate the loss experienced by Palestinians in 1948 when hundreds of thousands of our people were forced into exile and saw their homes and villages stolen or destroyed by Zionist militias. To this day, colonization and dispossession remain ongoing processes, where Palestinians continue to endure land theft and encroachments on their basic rights. Despite the multiple decades of Zionist brutality, our resilient people remain c…
(2021-05-11). Video: Samidoun's Hadeel Shatara interviewed on Sheikh Jarrah, Al-Aqsa and the Palestinian Struggle. samidoun.net Rania Khalek is joined by Ramallah-based activist Hadeel Shatara, coordinator in Palestine of the Palestinian prisoner rights group Samidoun, to discuss Israeli violence in Sheikh Jarrah and Al Aqsa mosque | The article
(2021-05-11). Headlines for May 11, 2021. democracynow.org Israeli Airstrikes Kill 26 Palestinians in Gaza, Including 9 Children, Bodies of Indian COVID-19 Victims Found on Banks of Ganges River, World Health Organization Chief Blasts "Shocking Global Disparity" in Vaccine Access, U.S. Drug Regulator Clears Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine for Use in Children 12 and Older, Democrats Urge President Biden to Lift Iran Sanctions and Return to 2015 Nuclear Deal, Colombian President Warns Indigenous Protesters Amid Mounting Attacks by Vigilantes, Mother's Day Marchers Demand Mexican Government Take Action to Find Missing Children, Moroccan Authorities Raid Home of Western Sahara Ind…
(2021-05-11). ACURA Viewpoint: Sanctions and Forever Wars by Krishen Mehta. mronline.org 
The U.S. has sanctions against over 30 countries, close to one-third of the world's population. When the pandemic startedin early 2020, our Government tried to prevent Iran from buying respirator masks from overseas, and also thermal imaging equipment that could detect the virus in the lungs. | May 11, 2021…
(2021-05-11). Human Rights Experts Denounce Israeli Violence, Confiscation of Homes in East Jerusalem as Violation of International Law. commondreams.org "These forced evictions are part of a continuing pattern in Sheikh Jarrah, they flagrantly violate international law, and would amount to war crimes," said Saleh Higazi of Amnesty International. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-05-11). ALBA-TCP Urges Colombia to Respect Human Rights. orinocotribune.com This Monday, May 10, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America — Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) asked the Colombian state to respect the human rights of its citizens. | "ALBA expresses its concern about the violence that is being experienced in Colombia, and condemns it. It calls on the State to respect human rights and guarantee dialogue," stated the executive secretary of the regional bloc, Sasha Llorenti, at the conclusion of a conference with representatives of the Global South, Africa, America, and Europe, reported the news agency AVN. | Llorenti stressed the importance of other countries…
(2021-05-11). Indigenous Rights Groups Join Michigan Gov. Whitmer in Demanding Shutdown of Enbridge's Line 5. commondreams.org "Will Enbridge shut Line 5 down or will the public do it for them?" asked Indigenous-led organization Honor the Earth as Michigan's deadline for the pipeline approached. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-05-11). How prisoners expanded the civil rights movement. therealnews.com 
In the 1970s, a multiracial coalition of prisoners staged a collective uprising against the dehumanizing horrors of the American prison system. And the backlash paved the way for the prison-industrial complex we have today.
(2021-05-11). Center-periphery relationships of pharmaceutical value chains. mronline.org 
The internationalization of the pharmaceutical industry only rose after the internationalization of patent protection in the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs Agreement) (Haakonsson, 2009). | May 11, 2021…
(2021-05-11). Harvey Milk Students Protest at Castro Safeway After Racial Profiling Incident. indybay.org After a Black 11-year-old boy was falsely accused of stealing a sandwich at a Castro neighborhood Safeway, security guards detained him even though he showed his receipt. Fellow students at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academic Elementary, with help from parents and staff, marched on the Safeway and demonstrated in front of the store.
(2021-05-11). 'Stones Against Guns': Baltasar Garzón's Letter to Colombia's Iván Duque. orinocotribune.com The Spanish legal expert Baltasar Garzón sent a letter to the president of Colombia, Iván Duque, in light of the serious situation facing the South American country. In the letter, which he titled "Stones Against Guns," Garzón demands that the Colombian president put a stop to the violence and enter a dialogue, while accusing him of allowing the systematic violation of human rights that has occurred during the national strike and demonstrations. | In the letter, Garzón classified the police repression against protesters in Colombia as "savage." | "Mr. Duque, do not make the same mistake as Piñera, declaring war o…
(2021-05-11). Killing Schoolgirls in Afghanistan: Fundamentalist Attackers Target Girls Leaving Kabul High School. juancole.com By Heather Barr | Interim Co-Director, Women's Rights Division | — ( Human Rights Watch) — Scenes from Sayed ul-Shuhada High School in Kabul, Afghanistan, where as many as 85 people including many schoolgirls were killed in an attack this weekend, should break anyone's heart. They certainly broke mine. In 2017 a filmmaker and I …
(2021-05-11). Colombian Police are Killing Civilians. British Police are Training Them. orinocotribune.com By John McEvoy — May 1, 2021 | Over recent days, the Colombian national police have killed a number of civilians protesting a proposed tax hike on basic goods. Many more civilians have been injured, and Colombia's riot police reportedly sexually assaulted a woman. | Though numbers remain unclear, human rights group Isais Cifuentes de Cali has estimated up to 14 people have died. | Documents obtained by The Canary can reveal that the UK's College of Policing has been training Colombian police over the past three years. This is despite Colombia being one of only 30 countries the Foreign, Commonwealth & Develop…
(2021-05-11). Louisiana transgender community celebrates defeat of medical ban, condemn sports ban. fightbacknews.org New Orleans, LA – On May 7, a coalition of Louisiana's progressive organizations gathered at city hall for a press conference on the state legislature's anti-transgender bills. Supporters came from many ranks of the movement against gender-based oppression. These included fighters for sex workers' rights, reproductive justice, and trans liberation. | Participants chanted "Protect trans youth!" and "Hands off trans kids!" In a collective statement, the coalition demanded an end to bills targeting trans people. It emphasized that transphobia has nothing to do with the needs of ordinary Louisiana residents. The sta…
(2021-05-11). Louisiana transgender community celebrates defeat of medical ban, condemn sports ban. fightbacknews.org New Orleans, LA – On May 7, a coalition of Louisiana's progressive organizations gathered at city hall for a press conference on the state legislature's anti-transgender bills. Supporters came from many ranks of the movement against gender-based oppression. These included fighters for sex workers' rights, reproductive justice, and trans liberation. | Participants chanted "Protect trans youth!" and "Hands off trans kids!" In a collective statement, the coalition demanded an end to bills targeting trans people. It emphasized that transphobia has nothing to do with the needs of ordinary Louisiana residents. The sta…
(2021-05-11). United States: Republicans step up racist, anti-democratic attacks. greenleft.org.au The Republican Party is waging a war on the movement for Black rights, while Donald Trump cheers on, writes Malik Miah.
(2021-05-11). Myanmar coup: 'No sign' of end to brutal crackdown on all fronts. news.un.org One hundred days since the Myanmar military seized power, the "brutal" repression of protesters has continued, despite all international efforts to end the violence, the UN rights office (OHCHR) said on Tuesday.
(2021-05-11). UN chief 'gravely concerned' as violence escalates in Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel. news.un.org The UN Secretary-General said he was "gravely concerned" at escalating violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on Tuesday, while the UN rights office, OHCHR, appealed for "a redoubling of efforts to restore calm", after airstrikes and days of clashes between protesters and Israeli police.
(2021-05-11). US blacklists seven Lebanese nationals tied to Hezbollah. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 12 (MNA)— US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday imposed sanctions on seven Lebanese nationals under the pretext of having ties with Lebanese Hezbollah and its financial firm, Al-Qard al-Hassan (AQAH).
(2021-05-11). Democratic Party Leaders Call on Biden to Lift Sanctions and Return to Iran Deal. news.antiwar.com Democratic Party leaders "Lifting Trump's bad-faith sanctions — which he explicitly imposed on Iran in order to make a return to the JCPOA next-to-impossible — should not be treated as a…
(2021-05-11). U.S. Special Forces Train Drug Cartel Enforcers Linked to Rape, Torture and Decapitation of Victims. libya360.wordpress.com Zach El Parece Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) has become one of the most feared paramilitaries in Mexico over the last decade. Images of the group have become the standard depiction of the Mexican cartel writ large. Their propaganda videos often feature groups of masked men bristling with enough small arms to make them formidable…