Monthly Archives: June 2021

2021-06-24: News Headlines

WSWS (2021-06-25). ACLU report highlights ICE brutality against hunger striking migrants under Obama and Trump. wsws.org Immigrants who went on hunger strikes to protest against the poor conditions in various detention centers were subjected to involuntary and invasive medical procedures including forced feeding and hydration.

WSWS (2021-06-25). A Crime on the Bayou: Taking a principled stand during the civil rights era. wsws.org The movie concerns a young black fisherman from Louisiana, Gary Duncan, falsely charged with assault, whose case went to the US Supreme Court. He was defended by Richard Sobol, a white civil rights attorney from New York.

Anonymous669 (2021-06-24). Central Syria Insurgency: 60 Russian Airstrikes Hit ISIS Hideouts As Terrorists Continue Their Attacks. southfront.org Russian Su-25 attack aircraft take off from the Khmeimim airbase in Syria © Dmitriy Vinogradov / Sputnik | On June 23 and 24, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) carried out more than 60 airstrikes on ISIS cells in Syria's central region, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. | The Russian airstrikes targeted ISIS hideouts in: | The al-Bishri Mount on the administrative border between Raqqa and Deir Ezzor; | The outskirts of the town of al-Sukhnah in the eastern countryside of Ho…

news.un (2021-06-24). Governments must protect those who help torture victims, say human rights experts. news.un.org Top UN rights experts appealed on Thursday for all governments to ensure that victims of torture receive the rehabilitation services they need, along with guarantees that those who help them do not suffer reprisals.

Joe Glenton (2021-06-24). The UK military should stop recruiting children, human rights organisations say. thecanary.co The UK military must stop recruiting under 18s, a coalition of human rights groups has urged. An The letter highlights that while "most states worldwide now allow only adults to be recruited", the British Army "still recruits more so…

Federico Fuentes (2021-06-24). 'Turning right, repressing left': Under pressure, Venezuela's Maduro shifts course. greenleft.org.au In the face of a prolonged and deep economic and political crisis, Venezuela's government has embarked on a "turn to the right" in economic policy, while resorting to repression against the left. Federico Fuentes speaks with human rights activist Antonio GonzaÃÅlez Plessmann about the situation.

WSWS (2021-06-24). Migrant children speak of horrifying conditions in detention centers set up by the Biden administration. wsws.org Children detained in federal custody face horrifying conditions including being deprived of edible food, clean drinking water, access to health care, education and legal support.

Staff (2021-06-24). Venezuela's Attorney General Labels Alex Saab's Illegal Detention as an Abduction. orinocotribune.com The Attorney General of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, described the illegal detention of the Venezuelan special envoy and Alternate Ambassador to the African Union, Alex Saab, as an "abduction." The case constitutes an example of a flagrant disregard of the right to a legal defense and to due process, and a clear violation of Alex Saab's human rights. | When inaugurating his new Twitter Space, #twitterspacesdelfiscaltarek, on the popular social media platform, the highest representative of the Venezuelan Public Ministry stressed that this illegal process against Alex Saab "has been use…

James O'Neill (2021-06-24). The United States Continues to Play its Geopolitical Games but the Rest of the World Moves On. dissidentvoice.org One has to seriously wonder what game Joe Biden thinks he is playing. Fresh from what appears to have been an amiable meeting with Vladimir Putin in Geneva, the United States promptly announced a new range of sanctions upon Russia. The ostensible reason for the latest sanctions was the imprisonment of minor Russian dissident Alexei …

Editor2 (2021-06-24). Message on Websites of Iranian, Regional TVs Claims 'Domain Seizure by US Govt.'. orinocotribune.com In what seems to be a coordinated action, a similar message has appeared on the websites of a series of Iranian and regional television networks that claims their domains have been "seized by the United States Government." | The notice, which appeared late Tuesday on the website of English-language television news network Press TV as well as a number of other Iranian and regional news channels, cited US sanctions laws for the seizure and was accompanied by the seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Commerce. | "The domain presstv.com has been seized by the United States Governm…

teleSUR (2021-06-24). Iran and Venezuela to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and Iran's President-elect Ebrahim Raisi highlighted their commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation to overcome U.S. sanctions against their countries. | RELATED: | "I had a telephone conversation with Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President-Elect of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We agree to strengthen our ties of brotherhood and cooperation to advance in the joint…

Staff (2021-06-24). End Trans Detention: Biden Admin Urged to Release Trans & HIV+ Asylum Seekers After Deaths, Neglect. democracynow.org Ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris's visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, immigrant rights activists marched on the White House to call on the Biden administration to stop detaining trans asylum seekers, who often face severe abuse, discrimination and medical neglect in custody. Their actions included a service honoring and mourning the deaths of several trans people who died due to ICE negligence. Eight immigrant rights groups also sent a letter to the White House demanding the release of all transgender people and people with HIV/AIDS from immigrant detention centers. Jennicet Gutiérrez, a community organizer an…

Staff (2021-06-24). Sen. Merkley on Voting Rights, the Filibuster & Why Infrastructure Deal Must Address Climate Crisis. democracynow.org Pressure is growing on Democrats to abolish the Senate filibuster in order to pass a major voting rights bill and other legislation. Republicans this week used the filibuster to prevent debate on the For the People Act, which would restore the protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act gutted by the Supreme Court eight years ago. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who is a lead sponsor of the For the People Act and self-described "Chief Filibuster Antagonist," says Republicans have broken the Senate's "social contract" of bipartisan cooperation in favor of total obstruction of all Democratic priorities. "The majority…

Jonathan Lockhart (2021-06-24). Critical Race Theory: The right's latest target in the culture wars. greenleft.org.au The attack on Critical Race Theory is the latest right-wing onslaught against "cultural Marxism" and its supposed hidden intention to destroy Western civilisation, writes Jonathan Lockhart.

Workers World Party (2021-06-24). PDF of June 24 issue. workers.org Download the PDF. Struggle goes beyond Juneteenth Emancipation and resistance Editorial: Reparations and abolition Pride coverage: Bigotry behind SCOTUS ruling; Atlanta, Buffalo, Cleveland; Also: Consuewella Africa remembered; Reproductive rights under attack; Indigenous victory over pipeline; Kamala Harris & Wall Street; Biden, G7 and NATO. GLOBAL: Peru, Haiti, Palestinian Resistance, China. . . . |

Staff (2021-06-24). Demand Justice for assassinated Palestinian Nizar Banat: Down with Oslo! samidoun.net Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network condemns in the strongest terms the assassination of Palestinian organizer Nizar Banat, a stalwart fighter against corruption who worked tirelessly to end "security coordination" between Palestinian Authority security forces and the Israeli occupation regime, the framework underlying the Oslo Accords. Before his assassination early this morning, 24 June, by Palestinian Authority security forces, coming once again to detain him as a political prisoner, Banat has been repeatedly jailed, interrogated and tried by the Palestinian Authority. We urge Palestinians, Arabs…

Mark Gruenberg (2021-06-24). Mass march in D.C. demands full, unobstructed voting rights. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—For former Freedom Rider Suzanne Walsh, the Jan. 6 Trumpite invasion of the U.S. Capitol was the greatest threat to democracy in general and voting rights in particular since she dodged racists' rocks while campaigning for Black voting rights in Birmingham, Ala. So the soft-spoken grey-haired Walsh boarded a plane with 12 of her friends …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-06-24). US Senate stalls voting rights bill, but activists continue struggle. peoplesdispatch.org With a vote split along party lines, the proposed bill 'For The People Act' could not receive the necessary 60 votes to advance in the US Senate, effectively putting in an indefinite limbo…

Staff (2021-06-24). Biden Admin Urged to Release Trans and HIV+ Asylum Seekers Following Deaths. truthout.org Image Credit: Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement | Ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris's visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, immigrant rights activists marched on the White House to call on the Biden administration to stop detaining trans asylum seekers, who often face severe abuse, discrimination and medical neglect in custody. Their actions included a service honoring and mourning the deaths of several trans people who died due to ICE negligence. Eight immigrant rights groups also sent a le…

Robert Kellar QC (2021-06-24). Supreme Court Revisits Wrongful Birth Claims: an extended look — Robert Kellar QC and Owain Thomas QC. ukhumanrightsblog.com In Khan v. Meadows [2021] UKSC 21 the Supreme Court has revisited the principles to be applied in "wrongful birth" claims: claims for the cost of bringing up a disabled child who would not have been born but for a doctor's negligent medical advice/treatment. However, the judgment has implications beyond the world of clinical negligence litigation. …

Anonymous103 (2021-06-24). Security Chaos Back In Syria's Al-Hol Camp. southfront.org Illustrative image: UNICEF/UN0277723/Souleiman | In light of two new incidents in the camp during the past two days, the security chaos and assassinations renewed in the Al-Hol camp in the eastern countryside of Hasakah, which is under the control of the Syrian Defence Forces (SDF). | A local source said that a Russian woman from the ISIS family detained in the Al-Hol camp was subjected to an assassination attempt by extremist women loyal to the terrorist organization. | According to the source the 36-year-old Russia…

Editor2 (2021-06-24). Interview with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). orinocotribune.com The following is an interview that I conducted with a representative of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Comrade Guevara Hadad. | Q: Of course we are aware that your movement rejects the so-called "two-state solution" in Palestine. What kind of Palestine is your organisation fighting for? Many prominent anti-Zionist activists advocate for what is known as a "one-state solution", or a "bi-national state", that is, one, secular, democratic state with fully equal rights for all, irrespective of race or faith, and with the right of return for Palestinian refugees, what is the PFLP's view on s…

Editor2 (2021-06-24). Interview with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). orinocotribune.com Q: Of course we are aware that your movement rejects the so-called "two-state solution" in Palestine. What kind of Palestine is your organisation fighting for? Many prominent anti-Zionist activists advocate for what is known as a "one-state solution", or a "bi-national state", that is, one, secular, democratic state with fully equal rights for all, irrespective of race or faith, and with the right of return for Palestinian refugees, what is the PFLP's view on such a proposal? | A: The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a militant political party that fights and works to educate, organize and lead th…

Shaw Drake (2021-06-24). Unaccompanied Children's Well-Being Must Come First at Fort Bliss and Across Texas. aclu.org "A Border Patrol facility is no place for a child," We could not agree more. | Border Patrol facilities hav…

Raouf Halaby (2021-06-24). From Selma to Palestine. counterpunch.org Despite its shortcomings as an historical portrayal of the rabid racism that plagued the 1960's American South, CBS's June 20, 2021 Selma special drama did present a fair depiction of Dr. Martin L. King's role in African Americans' struggle to earn the right to vote as sanctioned by the Constitution of the United States. The movie's sanitized

Raouf Halaby (2021-06-24). From Selma to Palestine. counterpunch.org Despite its shortcomings as an historical portrayal of the rabid racism that plagued the 1960's American South, CBS's June 20, 2021 Selma special drama did present a fair depiction of Dr. Martin L. King's role in African Americans' struggle to earn the right to vote as sanctioned by the Constitution of the United States. The movie's

Deadline for Democracy Coalition (2021-06-24). Tuesday 6/29: Sacramento: Deadline for Democracy Rally for Voting Rights Now! indybay.org Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse on front steps, 501 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 | Follow any and all COVID guidelines. This is a peaceful event.

Indivisible East Bay & SF, partners (2021-06-24). Wednesday 7/7: Oakland: Deadline for Democracy Rally to Demand Voting Rights Now! indybay.org Oscar Grant / Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94705 | Follow all and any current COVID guidelines…

Indivisible groups South Bay (2021-06-24). Tuesday 6/29: We Demand Voter Rights Now! Deadline for Democracy Rally in San Jose. indybay.org Intersection of Winchester Blvd. and Stevens Creek Blvd at the San Jose / Santa Clara border (sidewalk intersection of Santana Row shopping center). | Follow all and any COVID guidlines…

teleSUR (2021-06-24). EU Parliament Calls for Considering Abortion as a Human Right. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, the European Parliament (EP) urged to decriminalize abortion and consider it a human right. This request was made through a non-binding resolution that was approved with 378 votes in favor, 255 votes against, and 42 abstentions. | RELATED: | This resolution, which was previously approved by the Commission on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, received the support of leftists, social democrats, environmentalists…

Liz Theoharis (2021-06-24). Have We Entered America's Third Era of Reconstruction? counterpunch.org West Virginia, a state first established in defiance of slavery, has recently become ground zero in the fight for voting rights. In an early June op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin vowed to maintain the Senate filibuster, while opposing the For the People Act, a bill to expand voting rights. Last week,

Staff (2021-06-23). Headlines for June 23, 2021. democracynow.org Republicans Block Major Voting Rights Bill as Democrats Vow to Continue Fight, Air Raid in Tigray Kills Dozens, Adding to Conflict-Fueled Devastation, Japan Restarts First Nuclear Reactor in Over 3 Years Amid Widespread Opposition, Rights Groups Sound Alarm as Nicaragua's Gov't Escalates Crackdown on Opposition, Shooting in Mexican Border Town Kills at Least 15 People in Crossfire, At Least 3 Arab Israeli Journalists Have Come Under Attack in Past Month, U.S. Gov't Seizes PressTV.com and Other Websites Linked to Iran, Hong Kong Newspaper Apple Daily Shuts Down Days After Police Raid Newsroom, Arrest Editors, Cata…

teleSUR (2021-06-23). Over 3,000 Migrants Were Attacked in US-Mexico Border. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, the Human Rights First (HRF) NGO reported that 3,250 migrants have been kidnapped, raped, or assaulted since January when they got stranded in Mexican territory due to the U.S. Title 42 deportation policy. | RELATED: | Enacted by former President Donald Trump In 2020, this provision allows border agents to immediately expel asylum seekers who are caught crossing into the country. This policy was implemented with t…

José Luis Granados Ceja (2021-06-23). Venezuela: Maduro Promises a 'Revolution' of Justice and Prison System. venezuelanalysis.com Human rights collective Surgentes told Venezuelanalysis that the reforms must eradicate the class-based character of the administration of justice in the country.

ecns.cn (2021-06-23). Chinese diplomat urges Canada to stop human rights violations against indigenous people. ecns.cn A senior Chinese diplomat urged Canada on Tuesday to immediately stop human rights violations against its indigenous people, and called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to keep following the human rights issues in Canada.

Manlio Dinucci (2021-06-23). Joseph Biden, a Champion of Human Rights? globalresearch.ca

Anonymous669 (2021-06-23). Iranian Forces Test-Fired Locally-Made Rocket Launchers In Syria's Deir Ezzor — Report. southfront.org Illustrative image. | Iranian-backed forces have test-fired locally-made single barrel rocket launchers in the eastern Syrian governorate of Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on June 23. | The tests took place near the government-held towns of al-Mayadin and al-Bukamal in the southern countryside of Deir Ezzor | "The militias deployed the locally-made launchers in the deserts of al-Mayadin and al-Bukamal then launched a number of Iranian rockets randomly towards the depth of the desert as part…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-06-23). Fatiha Briki is the latest Algerian human rights activist under detention. peoplesdispatch.org According to Fatiha Briki's family and the National Committee for the Liberation of Detainees, of which she was a member, the activist was taken into custody on June 17. No reason has been provided by the authorities…

Paul Benedikt Glatz (2021-06-23). New Evidence Reveals that Senator John McCain and Other High-Ranking Vietnam War POWs May Have Lied to the American Public About Being Tortured. globalresearch.ca

Staff (2021-06-23). Foreign Affairs Minister Arreaza Discusses the Real Reasons Behind US Aggression Against Venezuela (+Russia). orinocotribune.com Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza, on his official visit to the Russian Federation, gave a keynote speech at the Valdai International Discussion Club in Moscow on June 22. In his address, Minister Arreaza explained—from a historical and geopolitical perspective—the real reasons behind the imperial attempts to dominate Venezuela as well as the multipronged aggression led by the United States against the Bolivarian nation. | Arreaza pointed out that the unilateral coercive measures, misnamed sanctions, constitute a collective punishment inflicted on 30 million Venezuelans, for the sole r…

Daniela Jimenez (2021-06-23). Venezuela May Continue Challenging Illegal Blockade Imposed by the European Union. orinocotribune.com The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled this Tuesday that Venezuela is entitled to challenge the unilateral and restrictive measures imposed on it by the old continental supremacist bloc. | With the ruling, the highest European court annulled the judgment of the General Court in which an appeal filed by Venezuela was declared inadmissible. With the appeal, Venezuela had requested the annulment of the illegal sanctions, and argued that it was "affected by its provisions." | The case | In 2017, after the violent street riots know as guarimbas, led by the Venezuelan extreme right, the Council of the…

teleSUR (2021-06-23). Bridges of Love Will Walk From Miami to Washington for Cuba. telesurenglish.net In exclusive statements to Prensa Latina, the activist assured that they would walk the two thousand kilometers that separate both cities to reiterate to President Joe Biden that "it is time to lift the sanctions against the Cuban family." | RELATED: | "It is time to confront hatred and intolerance, to extend generosity and humanity to a people that, in the midst of a pandemic, resist the economic siege," said Lazo. | The Cuban-born professor…

ecns.cn (2021-06-23). U.S.seizes websites used by Iranian news outlets. ecns.cn The United States on Tuesday seized dozens of websites used by the Iranian news outlets for "violation of sanctions".

Dave DeCamp (2021-06-23). The US Could Be Using Iran's Election to Sabotage Nuclear Deal. news.antiwar.com Biden administration officials are downplaying the idea that Iran's presidential election will impact negotiations to revive the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA. But the election of Ebrahim Raisi, a judge under US sanctions who is close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, might give President Biden the excuse to blame the failure to salvage the …

Jeff Cohen (2021-06-23). Liberal Media Propaganda Tells the World: America is First. zcomm.org CNN or MSNBC or NPR or similar outlets bombard us with hour after hour with the idea that the U.S. has the absolute right to impose sanctions on country after country overseas if they violate human rights or are not democratic…

Brett Wilkins (2021-06-23). As Iran Elects New President, Experts Urge Biden to Rejoin Nuclear Deal, Lift Sanctions. zcomm.org "The Biden administration must remain resolute and seek a break from the disastrous conditions that helped contribute to this result."

Staff (2021-06-23). A Fight for Democracy: GOP Blocks Voting Bill as Democrats Renew Push to Reform Filibuster. democracynow.org As Senate Republicans use the filibuster to block debate on the most sweeping voting rights bill considered by Congress in decades, we look at what is in the bill and the next steps forward. Elizabeth Hira, an attorney at the Brennan Center for Justice's Democracy Program, describes the For the People Act as "a massive democracy reform package" that seeks to address systemic flaws in U.S. elections. "This bill creates a wholesale opportunity for us to fix all of the things that have been wrong in our democracy." We also speak with Reverend William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign, who says Republica…

Staff (2021-06-23). Ex-Cop Eric Adams Takes Lead in NYC Mayoral Race in City's First Election with Ranked-Choice Voting. democracynow.org We look at the early results from New York's highly anticipated primary election Tuesday. In the heated mayoral race, Brooklyn borough president and former New York police officer Eric Adams is leading, but it will likely take several weeks to announce a winner with the new ranked-choice voting system. Civil rights attorney Maya Wiley is currently in second place, followed closely by former Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang has conceded after receiving less than 12% of the tallied vote even after the media covered him as a front-runner. "My sense is that Adams will pr…

Amy Souers Kober (2021-06-23). Biden has a chance to oversee biggest river restoration project in US history. nationofchange.org Removing four dams would promote salmon recovery, clean energy, agriculture and Indigenous rights.

Mark Gruenberg (2021-06-23). After GOP smackdown of voting rights debate, advocates vow to fight. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—After a 50-50 partisan Senate tie, which in practical terms was a loss, disgusted and often angry voting rights advocates vowed to keep fighting for the cause. From Democratic President Joseph Biden to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, they promised the contest "is just beginning" and will continue until everyone's path to the polls is easier …

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2021-06-23: News Headlines

Jeff Cohen (2021-06-23). Liberal Media Propaganda Tells the World: America is First. zcomm.org CNN or MSNBC or NPR or similar outlets bombard us with hour after hour with the idea that the U.S. has the absolute right to impose sanctions on country after country overseas if they violate human rights or are not democratic…

Brett Wilkins (2021-06-23). As Iran Elects New President, Experts Urge Biden to Rejoin Nuclear Deal, Lift Sanctions. zcomm.org "The Biden administration must remain resolute and seek a break from the disastrous conditions that helped contribute to this result."

Peoples Dispatch (2021-06-23). Fatiha Briki is the latest Algerian human rights activist under detention. peoplesdispatch.org According to Fatiha Briki's family and the National Committee for the Liberation of Detainees, of which she was a member, the activist was taken into custody on June 17. No reason has been provided by the authorities…

ecns.cn (2021-06-23). Chinese diplomat urges Canada to stop human rights violations against indigenous people. ecns.cn A senior Chinese diplomat urged Canada on Tuesday to immediately stop human rights violations against its indigenous people, and called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to keep following the human rights issues in Canada.

Anonymous669 (2021-06-23). Iranian Forces Test-Fired Locally-Made Rocket Launchers In Syria's Deir Ezzor — Report. southfront.org Illustrative image. | Iranian-backed forces have test-fired locally-made single barrel rocket launchers in the eastern Syrian governorate of Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on June 23. | The tests took place near the government-held towns of al-Mayadin and al-Bukamal in the southern countryside of Deir Ezzor | "The militias deployed the locally-made launchers in the deserts of al-Mayadin and al-Bukamal then launched a number of Iranian rockets randomly towards the depth of the desert as part…

Manlio Dinucci (2021-06-23). Joseph Biden, a Champion of Human Rights? globalresearch.ca

Paul Benedikt Glatz (2021-06-23). New Evidence Reveals that Senator John McCain and Other High-Ranking Vietnam War POWs May Have Lied to the American Public About Being Tortured. globalresearch.ca

ecns.cn (2021-06-23). U.S.seizes websites used by Iranian news outlets. ecns.cn The United States on Tuesday seized dozens of websites used by the Iranian news outlets for "violation of sanctions".

Staff (2021-06-23). Headlines for June 23, 2021. democracynow.org Republicans Block Major Voting Rights Bill as Democrats Vow to Continue Fight, Air Raid in Tigray Kills Dozens, Adding to Conflict-Fueled Devastation, Japan Restarts First Nuclear Reactor in Over 3 Years Amid Widespread Opposition, Rights Groups Sound Alarm as Nicaragua's Gov't Escalates Crackdown on Opposition, Shooting in Mexican Border Town Kills at Least 15 People in Crossfire, At Least 3 Arab Israeli Journalists Have Come Under Attack in Past Month, U.S. Gov't Seizes PressTV.com and Other Websites Linked to Iran, Hong Kong Newspaper Apple Daily Shuts Down Days After Police Raid Newsroom, Arrest Editors, Cata…

Staff (2021-06-23). Foreign Affairs Minister Arreaza Discusses the Real Reasons Behind US Aggression Against Venezuela (+Russia). orinocotribune.com Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza, on his official visit to the Russian Federation, gave a keynote speech at the Valdai International Discussion Club in Moscow on June 22. In his address, Minister Arreaza explained—from a historical and geopolitical perspective—the real reasons behind the imperial attempts to dominate Venezuela as well as the multipronged aggression led by the United States against the Bolivarian nation. | Arreaza pointed out that the unilateral coercive measures, misnamed sanctions, constitute a collective punishment inflicted on 30 million Venezuelans, for the sole r…

Daniela Jimenez (2021-06-23). Venezuela May Continue Challenging Illegal Blockade Imposed by the European Union. orinocotribune.com The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled this Tuesday that Venezuela is entitled to challenge the unilateral and restrictive measures imposed on it by the old continental supremacist bloc. | With the ruling, the highest European court annulled the judgment of the General Court in which an appeal filed by Venezuela was declared inadmissible. With the appeal, Venezuela had requested the annulment of the illegal sanctions, and argued that it was "affected by its provisions." | The case | In 2017, after the violent street riots know as guarimbas, led by the Venezuelan extreme right, the Council of the…

Dave DeCamp (2021-06-23). The US Could Be Using Iran's Election to Sabotage Nuclear Deal. news.antiwar.com Biden administration officials are downplaying the idea that Iran's presidential election will impact negotiations to revive the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA. But the election of Ebrahim Raisi, a judge under US sanctions who is close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, might give President Biden the excuse to blame the failure to salvage the …

Staff (2021-06-23). A Fight for Democracy: GOP Blocks Voting Bill as Democrats Renew Push to Reform Filibuster. democracynow.org As Senate Republicans use the filibuster to block debate on the most sweeping voting rights bill considered by Congress in decades, we look at what is in the bill and the next steps forward. Elizabeth Hira, an attorney at the Brennan Center for Justice's Democracy Program, describes the For the People Act as "a massive democracy reform package" that seeks to address systemic flaws in U.S. elections. "This bill creates a wholesale opportunity for us to fix all of the things that have been wrong in our democracy." We also speak with Reverend William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign, who says Republica…

Staff (2021-06-23). Ex-Cop Eric Adams Takes Lead in NYC Mayoral Race in City's First Election with Ranked-Choice Voting. democracynow.org We look at the early results from New York's highly anticipated primary election Tuesday. In the heated mayoral race, Brooklyn borough president and former New York police officer Eric Adams is leading, but it will likely take several weeks to announce a winner with the new ranked-choice voting system. Civil rights attorney Maya Wiley is currently in second place, followed closely by former Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang has conceded after receiving less than 12% of the tallied vote even after the media covered him as a front-runner. "My sense is that Adams will pr…

Amy Souers Kober (2021-06-23). Biden has a chance to oversee biggest river restoration project in US history. nationofchange.org Removing four dams would promote salmon recovery, clean energy, agriculture and Indigenous rights.

Deadline for Democracy Coalition (2021-06-23). Tuesday 6/29: Sacramento: Deadline for Democracy Rally for Voting Rights Now! indybay.org Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse on front steps, 501 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 | Follow any and all COVID guidelines. This is a peaceful event.

Indivisible groups South Bay (2021-06-23). Tuesday 6/29: We Demand Voter Rights Now! Deadline for Democracy Rally in San Jose. indybay.org Intersection of Winchester Blvd. and Stevens Creek Blvd at the San Jose / Santa Clara border (sidewalk intersection of Santana Row shopping center). | Follow all and any COVID guidlines…

Indivisible East Bay & SF, partners (2021-06-23). Wednesday 7/7: Oakland: Deadline for Democracy Rally to Demand Voting Rights Now! indybay.org Oscar Grant / Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94705 | Follow all and any current COVID guidelines…

WSWS (2021-06-23). Texas governor signs series of reactionary laws, announces plan to build border wall. wsws.org Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Republican-controlled state legislature have enacted a series of reactionary laws attacking immigrants and robbing residents of their democratic rights.

Mark Gruenberg (2021-06-23). After GOP smackdown of voting rights debate, advocates vow to fight. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—After a 50-50 partisan Senate tie, which in practical terms was a loss, disgusted and often angry voting rights advocates vowed to keep fighting for the cause. From Democratic President Joseph Biden to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, they promised the contest "is just beginning" and will continue until everyone's path to the polls is easier …

Liz Theoharis (2021-06-23). When You Lift from the Bottom, Everyone Rises: Have We Entered America's Third Era of Reconstruction? juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com) — West Virginia, a state first established in defiance of slavery, has recently become ground zero in the fight for voting rights. In an early June op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin vowed to maintain the Senate filibuster, while opposing the For the People Act, a bill to expand voting …

Mike Walter (2021-06-23). The Heat: U.S. Senate Republicans block debate on voting rights bill. america.cgtn.com Republicans block a voting rights bill in the U.S. Senate. Plus — bipartisan negotiations continue on infrastructure. But can they reach a deal?>

Dianne Mathiowetz (2021-06-23). Atlanta: 'No Pride in Detention'. workers.org Members of several trans and Latinx organizations assembled at the Atlanta ICE headquarters June 15 to declare "No Pride in Detention." Initiated by Community Estrella and its founder, Li An (Estrella) Sanchez, the main demand was to end the detention of trans people. As the group marched around the heavily . . . |

Staff (2021-06-23). Ex-Cop Eric Adams Takes Lead in New York City Mayoral Race. truthout.org We look at the early results from New York's highly anticipated primary election Tuesday. In the heated mayoral race, Brooklyn borough president and former New York police officer Eric Adams is leading, but it will likely take several weeks to announce a winner with the new ranked-choice voting system. Civil rights attorney Maya Wiley is currently in second place, followed closely by former Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang has conceded after receiving less than 12% o…

Staff (2021-06-23). Pressure to End Filibuster Mounts After Republicans Block Voting Rights Debate. truthout.org Republicans voted to block Democrats' landmark voting rights bill, the For the People Act or S.1, on Tuesday. The bill that many have touted as a package that could save American democracy would have massively expanded access to voting and targeted corruption in politics. | Senate Republicans blocked debate on the bill in a party line, 50-50 vote. Due to the filibuster, the legislation needed 60 votes to advance to a debate. The House passed a version of the bill earlier this year. | Senate…

WSWS (2021-06-23). Senate Republicans block watered-down Democratic voting rights bill. wsws.org In the run-up to the vote, Biden and the Democratic leadership shamelessly courted West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who put forward a "compromise" proposal incorporating voter suppression measures supported by the Republicans.

WSWS (2021-06-23). With support of Biden, federal court backs Trump's police-state assault on peaceful protests in Lafayette Square. wsws.org On Monday, a federal judge dismissed lawsuits alleging former president Donald Trump directed police to violate the constitutional rights of peaceful protesters who were violently attacked in Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020.

Joan Walsh (2021-06-23). Is Performative Progress the Best Democrats Can Do on Voting Rights? thenation.com Is Performative Progress the Best Democrats Can Do on Voting Rights?

Jim McIlroy (2021-06-23). Pass on Old El Paso and Latina Fresh while workers are denied their rights. greenleft.org.au General Mills workers are holding firm on their demand to be treated fairly with a reasonable pay rise and job security. Jim McIlroy reports.

Juan Cole (2021-06-22). Iran's Raisi: Supports renewed Nuclear Deal, Seeks Lifting of US Sanctions, and Restored Saudi Diplomatic Relations. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — In his first press conference on Monday, newly elected President Ebrahim Raisi expressed support for the negotiations in Vienna toward restoring the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the United Nations, as long as, he said, they achieve benefits for the Iranian nation and do not drag on forever. He …

_____ (2021-06-22). China, allies seek probe into indigenous children's remains in Canada. popularresistance.org "We call for a thorough and impartial investigation into all cases where crimes were committed against the indigenous people, especially children, so as to bring those responsible to justice, and offer full remedy to victims," Jiang Duan, a senior official at China's mission to the U.N. in Geneva, told the Human Rights Council.

The Associated Press (2021-06-22). International Criticism of Nicaragua Crackdown Grows. latinorebels.com MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — International criticism of Nicaragua's government grew on Tuesday after another night of arrests in Managua. Fifty-nine countries at the United Nations Human Rights Council signed onto a statement expressing concern over arbitrary arrests and the restriction of fundamental rights.

_____ (2021-06-22). Democracy From Bay to Bay. strategic-culture.org U.S. democracy does not extend to Guantanamo Bay or any of the hideous 'black sites' where the CIA and its international partners conducted torture. | President Joe Biden

Paul Benedikt Glatz, Jeremy Kuzmarov, Steve Brown (2021-06-22). New Evidence Reveals That Senator John McCain and Other High-Ranking Vietnam War POWs May Have Lied to the American Public About Being Tortured. covertactionmagazine.com Collusion by the White House, the Pentagon, and the mainstream media resulted in disparagement, denial, and suppression of eyewitness testimony confirming that most POWs were actually well-treated by their North Vietnamese captors (in contrast to the brutal torture and death often meted out to North Vietnamese POWs by U.S. forces). When numerous U.S. POWs began …

Jeff Cohen (2021-06-22). Liberal Media Propaganda Tells the World: America is First. counterpunch.org If you get your foreign policy news today from CNN or MSNBC or NPR or similar outlets, then you're bombarded hour after hour with the idea that the United States has the absolute right to impose sanctions on country after country overseas if they violate human rights or are not democratic. To give just one example: On Sunday, CNN anchor Dana Bash grilled Biden National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on why the White House is not imposing yet more sanctions on Russia (and

Staff (2021-06-22). Tareck El Aissami to Bloomberg: Venezuela to Quadruple Oil Production by End of Year—Gas Lines Will End by July. orinocotribune.com Speaking to the "Production can go up to 600,000 barrels per day if everything goes well and sanctions are not increased," he said. "Even getting to that would be implausible in the medium term; production capacity has been…

Staff (2021-06-22). Tareck El Aissami to Bloomberg: #Venezuela to Quadruple #Oil Production by End of Year—#Gas Lines Will End by July. orinocotribune.com Speaking to the "Production can go up to 600,000 barrels per day if everything goes well and sanctions are not increased," he said. "Even getting to that would be implausible in the medium term; production capacity has been…

Jason Ditz (2021-06-22). Iran's New President Endorses Nuclear Talks, Won't Meet Biden. news.antiwar.com Iran's new President-elect Ebrahim Raisi has held his Raisi said his goal is to ease international sanctions, and he endorsed the JCPOA nuclear deal. He said his assessment is that the US should immediately return and fulfill its obligations to th…

Jason Ditz (2021-06-22). Iran's New President Endorses Nuclear Talks, Won't Meet Biden. news.antiwar.com Iran's new President-elect Ebrahim Raisi has made his Raisi said his goal is to ease international sanctions, and he endorsed the JCPOA nuclear deal. He said his assessment is that the US should immediately return and fulfill its obligations to the deal.

Editor2 (2021-06-22). US Sanctions on Cuba and Venezuela Hamper the Global Fight Against COVID-19. orinocotribune.com By Cole Stangler — Jun 18 2021 | Critics say the sanctions undermine U.S. ambitions to vaccinate the world, while new polling shows a clear majority favors a policy change. | IN CUBA, the smallest country in the world to produce its own Covid-19 vaccines, five immunizations are currently in clinical trials. Soberana 2 and Abdala have reached Phase 3, making the island nation the only country in Latin America to reach the final stage in vaccine development. In the meantime, three other kinds of Cuban Covid-19 shots are in early trial phases. | Last month, Cuban authorities opted to begin early distribution of…

Staff (2021-06-22). Headlines for June 22, 2021. democracynow.org South African President Blasts Big Pharma for Refusing to Share COVID-19 Vaccine Technology, Cuba Says Abdala Vaccine Shows 92% Efficacy Against COVID-19, Coronavirus Surges in Indonesia; Colombia Death Toll Passes 100,000, White House Falls Behind Goal of Donating 80 Million Vaccine Doses by End of June, Deaths Soared by 32% in U.S. Nursing Homes, Where 4 in 10 Had COVID-19 in 2020, Senate GOP to Filibuster Restoration of Voting Rights Protections, Belarus Hit with New Sanctions as U.N. Rights Chief Decries Torture and Other Abuses, Zapatistas Arrive in Spain, Marking 500 Years Since Cortés's Conquest of Mexico,…

Paul Benedikt Glatz (2021-06-22). New Evidence Reveals That Senator John McCain and Other High-Ranking Vietnam War POWs May Have Lied to the American Public About Being Tortured. covertactionmagazine.com Collusion by the White House, the Pentagon, and the mainstream media resulted in disparagement, denial, and suppression of eyewitness testimony confirming that most POWs were actually well-treated by their North Vietnamese captors (in contrast to the brutal torture and death often meted out to North Vietnamese POWs by U.S. forces). When numerous U.S. POWs began …

Staff (2021-06-22). Republicans Won't Even Debate "For the People Act" as They Flood States with Voter Suppression Bills. democracynow.org Senate Republicans are expected to use the filibuster to block debate on the For the People Act, a sweeping bill that would protect voting rights across the United States and improve ballot access. The Senate vote comes as Republican state lawmakers are passing sweeping measures to suppress the vote. According to the Voting Rights Lab, 18 states have enacted more than 30 laws to restrict voting since the November election. The For the People Act is "the most important voting rights bill since the Voting Rights Act of 1965," says Mother Jones reporter Ari Berman. "It just goes to show you how afraid the Republican…

Mark Gruenberg, John Wojcik (2021-06-22). Republican filibuster is only the beginning of epic voting rights battle. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—It is no surprise that despite a spate of endorsements and a rally of backers Tuesday on Capitol Hill, the Senate sponsor of the For The People Act expects it'll hit a Republican rock in a Senate vote to bring it up for debate. Democratic President Joe Biden calls the For The People Act (S1/HR1) …

John Bachtell (2021-06-22). Progressives unleash state-level legislation tsunami to combat Republican assault on democracy. peoplesworld.org In the face of a vicious Republican-orchestrated assault on democratic rights and working-class economic gains, states dominated by Democratic governors and legislatures representing broad multi-racial governing coalitions are pulling in the opposite direction—going all out to expand rights. And in some GOP-dominated states, voters are taking matters into their own hands to bypass the obstruction …

Staff (2021-06-22). The coordinated assault on voting rights is 'Jim Crow 2.0'. therealnews.com Georgia's new voting law is the latest example of the right wing's naked assault on democracy; Vice President Kamala Harris's trip to Mexico and Guatemala proves the US government has no interest in addressing the "root causes" of Central American migration.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-06-22). UN criticized for leaving out Israel and Saudi coalition from list of violators of children's rights. peoplesdispatch.org Despite having verified cases of child right violations, Israel, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen and several parties in Afghanistan were not included in this years' UN report on Children and Armed Conflict…

Kristen Lee (2021-06-22). D.C. Statehood is Constitutional. Robert Kennedy Never Said Otherwise. aclu.org The movement for D.C. statehood has gained remarkable momentum in recent years. A bill to admit the district as the 51st state passed the House with unanimous Democratic support in April, and a hearing before the Senate is slated for June 22. As the hearing approaches, opponents of statehood are reaching back into history to bolster their agenda — but their interpretation may be misguided. | The movement's adversaries have misleadingly cited a

Andy Kroll (2021-06-22). When You Lift from the Bottom, Everyone Rises. tomdispatch.com West Virginia, a state first established in defiance of slavery, has recently become ground zero in the fight for voting rights. In an early June op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin vowed to maintain the Senate filibuster, while opposing the For the People Act, a bill to expand voting rights. Last week, after mounting pressure and a leaked Zoom recording with billionaire donors, he showed potential willingness to move on the filibuster and proposed a "compromise" on voting rights. Nonetheless, his claim that the filibuster had been critical to protecting the "rights of Democrats i…

Ines Santos (2021-06-22). On the Podcast: Defending Speech We Hate. aclu.org The ACLU's role in defending freedom of speech has been hotly contested by some critics recently — but these conversations are far from new. Throughout its history, the organization has had to balance its dedication to advancing civil rights for marginalized people and

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