(2018-10-22). Headlines for October 22, 2018. democracynow.org Trump to Withdraw from 1987 U.S.-Russia Nuclear Deal, Plans to Establish Biological Definition of Gender Threatens Trans Rights, Saudi Arabia Says Khashoggi Killed in "Fistfight" Amid Mounting U.S. Pressure, NYT: Saudi Troll Farm Targeted Khashoggi, Other Critics on Twitter, Afghanistan: 27 Killed, 100 Injured as Voters Head to Polls, Gaza: Israeli Forces Shoot and Injure 130 Palestinian Protesters, Israel Delays Plans to Evict Bedouin Village in West Bank, Central American Caravan Crosses into Mexico as Trump Threats Mount, Honduras: Lawyers for Victim Berta Cáceres Removed from Murder Trial, Florida: $339 Milli…
(2018-10-22). Angered by Saudi Plan to Purchase Russian S-400, Trump Admin Exploiting Khashoggi Disappearance to Force Saudis to "Buy American" globalresearch.ca The response of the Trump administration and many U.S. politicians to Khashoggi's disappearance is largely being guided by the military-industrial complex — in this case Lockheed Martin — but masquerading as a response motivated by "human rights." | The disappearance and …
(2018-10-22). Erekat: Abduction of Jerusalem Governor a New Step Against Palestinian Presence. globalresearch.ca On Saturday, October 20, at around 7: 00 pm, three vehicles carrying Israeli occupation authorities intercepted the car of the governor of Jerusalem, Mr. Adnan Ghaith, pulling him out of the vehicle and taking him to an unknown location. Governor Ghaith …
(2018-10-22). The Trump Administration Is Trying to Erase Trans People, but the Law Clearly Protects Them. aclu.org A recently leaked memo is attempting to undermine decades of court decisions saying federal law protects transgender and nonbinary people. | Over the weekend, The New York Times revealed that officials within the Trump administration are pushing for a definition of the term "sex" in federal civil rights laws that would eliminate non-discrimination protections for transgender people. Transgender people and their families understandably panicked at that news. | The reality, though, is that transgender pe…
(2018-10-22). Blaming Saudis for Corrupting Otherwise Human Rights—Loving US. fair.org 
As FAIR has noted for years, one of the primary ideological functions of US corporate media is to maintain the mythology that the US is a noble protector of democracy and arbiter of human rights. When material facts—like wars of aggression, massive spying regimes, the funding and arming right-wing militias and the propping up of dictators—get in the way of this mythology the response by most pundits is to wave away these inconsistencies (FAIR.org, 2/1/09), ignore them altogether (FAIR.org, (2018-10-22). Khashoggi's Murder and Saudi War Crimes in Yemen Were Facilitated by US. zcomm.org The alleged torture, dismemberment and killing of Saudi citizen and US permanent resident Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi embassy in Istanbul has triggered justifiable outrage throughout the United States and around the world. But amid the outcry over Khashoggi's death, many media and public figures still fail to acknowledge the war crimes Saudi Arabia is committing in Read more…
(2018-10-22). Trump Admin Attempts to Erase Existence of Trans People After Years of GOP-Led Attacks on Freedoms. democracynow.org 
The New York Times reports that the Trump administration is attempting to eliminate the rights of transgender people by creating a narrow legal definition of gender. Citing a government memo, the Times reveals that the Department of Health and Human Services has undertaken an effort across several government agencies to establish a legal definition of sex under Title IX, the federal civil rights law that bans discrimination on the basis of sex. That definition would be either male or female, unchangeable, and determined by the genitals a person is born with. The Times reports that the memo says, "Sex means a pers…
(2018-10-22). SPLC statement on Trump administration's efforts to remove civil rights protections from transgender Americans. splcenter.org The Trump administration has apparently redoubled its efforts to exclude transgender Americans from the protection of federal civil rights laws.
(2018-10-22). Debora Barrios-Vasquez Took Sanctuary in a Manhattan Church to Avoid Deportation. thenation.com Debora Barrios-Vasquez Took Sanctuary in a Manhattan Church to Avoid Deportation…
(2018-10-22). Trump NLRB moves to restrict unions right to picket. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – A recent ruling of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said that janitors who were picketing for better working conditions were not protected from unfair labor practices committed by their employer. The Board ruled that the janitors, who were being contracted by a building management company, were engaged in secondary picketing. With a Trump-appointed NLRB, workers fighting for rights on the job will be facing new challenges. | The janitors were working for Rafael Ortiz, under a company called Ortiz Janitorial Services (OJS), which was hired by Preferred Building Services to fulfil a contract wi…
(2018-10-22). #MeToo's Alyssa Milano accused of hypocrisy over links to 'Sharia law-supporting' Muslim activist. rt.com 
Actress Alyssa Milano has been asked to disavow her friend and fellow #MeToo movement supporter Linda Sarsour, a controversial Muslim women's rights activist who has been accused of antisemitism and support for Sharia law.
(2018-10-22). Assange Should Be Thanked — Not Smeared — for WikiLeaks' Service to Journalism. theantimedia.com 
(MEE Op-ed) — Twelve years ago this month, WikiLeaks began publishing government secrets that the world public might otherwise never have known. What it has revealed about state duplicity, human rights abuses and corruption goes beyond anything published in the world's "mainstream" media. After over six months of being cut off from outside world, on 14 October Ecuador has partly …
(2018-10-22). Chief Injustice John Roberts, Advocate Of Torture, War, Execution, Racist Gerrymandering. indybay.org The United States in 1789 led the world in democracy. Now the first has become the last | among those claiming to be democracies.
(2018-10-22). Israeli Human Rights Group Slams Country's New "Zero Tolerance" Policy at UN. truthout.org Shortly after Israel announced a new "zero tolerance" policy toward demonstrations in Gaza, some 130 Palestinians were injured Friday while protesting ongoing Israeli occupation and demanding the right of return. Four paramedics and 25 children were among the injured. Ten thousand protesters gathered along Israel's heavily militarized separation barrier with Gaza as part of the weekly Great March of Return protests that began March 30. Since then, Israeli forces have killed at least 170 Palestinians, including more than 30 children, and injured thousands more. We speak with Hagai El-Ad, the executive director of…
(2018-10-22). Ecuador: Transgender Rights Coalition Decries Lynching of Trans Woman. telesurtv.net Despite the passing of a unique constitution in 2008 that granted trans people various fundamental rights, they still face stigma and discrimination.
(2018-10-22). Hardships imposed on the Venezuelan people by US-Canadian Sanctions. indybay.org NPML, 6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland (just North of Alcatraz Ave.)…
(2018-10-22). Reported Federal Plan Targeting Transgender People Sparks Fury. truthdig.com "We will stand up and be resilient, and we will be here long after this administration is in the trash heap," says the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Rights.
(2018-10-22). Israel Releases Jerusalem Governor, Holds Him Under House Arrest. imemc.org The Israeli Authorities released, on Monday at night, the governor of occupied East Jerusalem, Adnan Gheith, after ordering him to pay a 20.000 Shekels fine, and forcing him under house arrest to seven days. Mohammad Mahmoud, a lawyer with the Palestinian Detainees Committee, said the Central Court in occupied Jerusalem, …
(2018-10-22). "Reminiscent of South Africa's Grand Apartheid": Israeli Human Rights Group Slams Israel at U.N. democracynow.org 
Shortly after Israel announced a new "zero tolerance" policy toward demonstrations in Gaza, some 130 Palestinians were injured Friday while protesting ongoing Israeli occupation and demanding the right of return. Four paramedics and 25 children were among the injured. Ten thousand protesters gathered along Israel's heavily militarized separation barrier with Gaza as part of the weekly Great March of Return protests that began March 30. Since then, Israeli forces have killed at least 170 Palestinians, including more than 30 children, and injured thousands more. We speak with Hagai El-Ad, the executive director of…
(2018-10-22). Unions Can Protect Workers From Deportation. zcomm.org Unions are taking a stand to protect TPS holders with the message that immigrant rights are worker rights…
(2018-10-22). Adnan Faces Serious Complications As He Continues Hunger Strike. imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported that detainee Khader Adnan, who has been holding a hunger strike for fifty consecutive days, is facing serious health complications. The head of the Legal unit of the PPS, attorney Jawad Boulos, said Adnan suffered a very serious weight loss, and is facing …
(2018-10-22). Song Byeok Longing for Freedom Exhibit – Opening Reception Nov 1, 6-8pm. indybay.org Minnesota Street Project | 1275 Minnesota Street | San Francisco, CA 94107…
(2018-10-22). FRSO leader condemns Trump administration's attacks on Transgender rights. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN — Steff Yorek, the Political Secretary of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, sharply condemned the Trump administration, October 22, for orchestrating attacks on the democratic rights of Transgender people. | According to widespread media reports, officials in the Trump admiration are moving to alter Title IX rules to exclude Transgender people for any legal protections. | "The reactionary and right-wing bigots of the Trump administration are preparing an attack on the democratic rights of Transgender people. They are attempting to erase people's existence, and roll back the framework fo…
(2018-10-22). Children march for refugees in Melbourne. greenleft.org.au 
More than 2000 young people and adults packed into Birrarung Marr Park on October 21 for a Children's March for Nauru, to demand all refugees imprisoned on the Pacific island be resettled in Australia. | Chanting "nurture not torture" and "kids out, all out", participants marched into the city. | They were prevented from occupying the Flinders Street and St Kilda Road intersection as planned by an intimidating police presence including mounted and riot cops. | The action was organised by the Artists' Committee and Melbourne Youth with Refugees. |
(2018-10-21). 'Premature' to talk Saudi sanctions, says US amid calls to ban oil imports over Khashoggi killing. rt.com 
One day after Saudi Arabia admitted that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed during a fight inside its consulate, the US says it's still too early to comment on possible sanctions against Riyadh.
(2018-10-20). Venezuela ditches dollar after U.S. sanctions hit private sector. mronline.org 
International financial transactions using foreign currency were reportedly blocked, agroindustrial and pharmaceutical sectors said. | Source
(2018-10-20). Nauru expels another doctor amid growing protests over Australia's refugee detention centres. wsws.org International rights organisations and thousands of doctors have condemned the persecution of refugees.
(2018-10-19). Trump, Human Rights and the Middle East. counterpunch.org 
There is little that is reported in what passes for 'news' today that astounds this writer. Having lived through several presidential administrations, countless U.S. wars, and who knows how many political campaigns, he had thought, for some time, that he'd seen it all. But no, Stephen Collinson, writing for CNN, has caused him to realize More
(2018-10-19). Dissident Saudi Academic Madawi Al-Rasheed on Khashoggi's Disappearance, U.S.-Saudi Relations & More. democracynow.org 
Evidence is mounting that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is directly implicated in the assassination of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Turkish officials say Khashoggi was tortured and murdered by a squad of 15 Saudi hit men shortly after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Four of the men implicated in Khashoggi's death are reportedly linked to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's security detail. After weeks of defending Saudi Arabia, President Trump said Thursday that he believes Khashoggi is dead, and acknowledged allegations against the Saudis. W…
(2018-10-19). Abortion safe access zones challenged in High Court. greenleft.org.au 
Abortion rights advocates are hoping the High Court's findings will support laws that have assisted access to abortion clinics, after it heard a challenge to safe access zone laws over October 9-11. | Kathleen Clubb and John Graham Preston are challenging Victoria's and Tasmania's safe access zone laws, claiming they violate free speech. | Clubb, who is linked to the United States anti-choice group Helpers of God's Infants, was convicted in Victoria in 2016 of communicating about abortion in a manner "reasonably likely to cause distress or anxiety" to a couple trying to enter the Melbourne Fertility Control Clini…
(2018-10-19). 'Hope we can keep it': Trump touts Saudi arms deal while talking sanctions over Khashoggi death. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has again warned that Saudi Arabia will face consequences if it was behind the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — but he also suggested that Washington will not be axing its arms deal with Riyadh.
(2018-10-19). Netanyahu Attacks Israeli Human Rights Group B'Tselem for Criticizing Israeli Occupation at U.N. democracynow.org 
Fears are growing as Israel escalates its military presence along its heavily militarized separation barrier with Gaza. Israel has deployed 60 tanks to meet Palestinian protesters gathering today to protest the ongoing Israeli occupation and demand the right of return for those displaced from their homes. Israel has announced it is implementing a "zero tolerance" policy toward protesters in Gaza, who have been staging weekly Friday protests since March 30 under the banner of the Great March of Return. Since then, Israeli forces have killed at least 170 Palestinians, including more than 30 children, and injured at…
(2018-10-19). US Sanctions on Russia and China Are About More Than Total War. mintpressnews.com The US Department of Commerce has imposed restrictions on 12 Russian corporations that are deemed to be "acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the US."
(2018-10-19). Can Mohammed bin Salman Survive Khashoggi's Assassination? theantimedia.com 
(MEE Op-ed) — America's special relationship with the royal family of Al Saud has long been controversial: an ultraconservative, oil-fueled kingdom run by a single family through medieval, draconian laws, disregarding basic human rights. Yet, as Washington's client, Saudi Arabia has helped consecutive US administrations to balance US national interests in the region — often at the expense …
(2018-10-19). Don't Board Our Buses Without Probable Cause or a Warrant. aclu.org The president of the Greyhound bus drivers' union urges management to stand up to Trump's deportation machine. | When I first started working at Greyhound 28 years ago, I was told that I would never be able to drive a bus. I'm a woman of color. But I got trained, and I became a bus driver. Soon after, I joined Local 1700 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, and today I am the local's president. | Local 1700 represents 3,500 Greyhound drivers, mechanics, and terminal workers. My job, as the president, is to advocate on behalf of our members for fair pay, safety, and wellbeing. But today, I'm advocating for our custom…
(2018-10-18). A victory for women's rights as Queensland decriminalises abortion. greenleft.org.au 
Green Left Weekly welcomes the historic vote to decriminalise abortion in Queensland and pledges to redouble its efforts to win free, safe and legal abortion across the country. | It should not have taken this long to win this basic right. It is shameful that it has taken until well into the 21st century to decriminalised abortion in Queensland and Victoria (in 2008), and that New South Wales still includes abortion in its Criminal Code. | Since GLW first went to print in 1991, we have thrown our support behind the campaign for women's reproductive rights. GLW is one of the very few media outlets that has reporte…
(2018-10-18). Israel overturns deportation order, will allow detained US student Alqasem to enter. rt.com 
Lawyers for a US student refused entry to Israel for allegedly supporting a boycott movement against the Jewish state have declared victory, after she had her deportation order overturned by Israel's Supreme Court. |
(2018-10-18). Professor Was Improperly Punished for Israel Boycott Actions, Says Academic Group Cited in Punishment. theintercept.com 
The University of Michigan sanctioned a professor for not writing a recommendation letter based on AAUP rules. The AAUP now backs the professor.
(2018-10-18). Grassroots campaign obtains historic win as abortion decriminalised in Queensland. greenleft.org.au 
In a major victory for women's rights, Queensland's parliament voted to decriminalise abortion on October 16. | The 50-41 vote represents a decisive result given the fierce campaign by right-wing group Cherish Life against changing the law. | The bill was supported by all but two Labor MPs, Greens MP Michael Berkman, independent MP Sandy Bolton and three Liberal National Party MPs, including former leader Tim Nicholls. | Labor and LNP parliamentarians were allowed a "conscience vote" on the bill, although the LNP only decided that its MPs would get a conscience vote a week before the parliamentary debat…
(2018-10-18). Louisiana's Infamous Angola Prison Goes on Trial. aclu.org Angola prison is home to horrific constitutional violations that threaten the health and welfare of people incarcerated in the facility. | In November 2012, Shannon Hurd, who was serving a life sentence for stealing $14, began losing weight and experiencing flu-like symptoms. His symptoms worsened, and he developed a pain in his side. But doctors at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as "Angola," repeatedly dismissed his medical complaints. | He did not receive medical care in the weeks that followed. He did not receive medical care in the months that followed. And as he waited for basic medical care, a…
(2018-10-18). Kids off Nauru campaign grows. greenleft.org.au 
The #KidsOffNauru campaign is gaining momentum with a range of protests organised across Australia in recent days. | Three Liberal MP's urged Prime Minister Scott Morrison to transfer children and families on Nauru to Australia to receive urgent medical attention on October 16. | However, a motion put by the Greens in the Senate on October 17 calling for all refugee children on the Pacific island to be brought to Australia was voted down by the Coalition and Labor. | Activists placed 85 candles in a Perth playground to symbolise the 85 children still held on Nauru at a vigil called by the Refugee Rights Acti…
(2018-10-17). Spain Pushes Dialogue Instead of Sanctions Against Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com The policy represents a radical change from the sanctions wanted by previous Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, imposed by Brussels last January, and reinforced last June.
(2018-10-17). Venezuela Ditches Dollar as US Sanctions Hit Private Sector. venezuelanalysis.com International financial transactions using foreign currency were reportedly blocked, agroindustrial and pharmaceutical sectors said.
(2018-10-17). Israel Detained This Palestinian-American Student—Now She's Challenging the State in Court. thenation.com 
This isn't the first time Israel has denied entry to a prospective student, but Lara Alqasem is the first to challenge it. | The post Israel Detained This Palestinian-American Student—Now She's Challenging the State in Court…
(2018-10-17). Notorious Canadian MP and Defender of Israel's Human Rights Abuses Ratchets up Campaign Against Venezuela in the Name of Human Rights. mintpressnews.com Canadian MP Irwin Cotler claims to be committed to ending the humanitarian crises in Venezuela, yet Cotler has devoted much of his life to defending Israeli human rights violations, including its recent killing of unarmed protesters in Gaza.
(2018-10-16). Trump Won in 2016 Thanks to Voter Suppression Says Carol Anderson, Author of "One Person, No Vote" democracynow.org 
Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election due to voter suppression. That's what professor Carol Anderson argues in her new book "One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy," which tracks the rise of restrictive voting laws across the United States. In it, Anderson examines how African-American voter participation has been systematically compromised since a 2013 Supreme Court decision that gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act. By the 2016 election, turnout among black voters nationwide dropped from 66 percent to under 60 percent. The discrepancy was even larger in key areas like Milw…
(2018-10-16). Stacey Abrams Runs to Become Georgia's First Black Governor as Her Opponent Suppresses the Vote. democracynow.org 
With the midterm elections just three weeks away, voting rights advocates are accusing Republican officials in several states of orchestrating a campaign of voter suppression targeting people of color. In Georgia, the Democratic candidate for governor, Stacey Abrams, is calling on her Republican opponent, Brian Kemp, to step down as secretary of state for placing 53,000 voter applications on hold. Seventy percent of the applicants are African-American. Abrams has accused Kemp of using the state's "exact match" system to disenfranchise voters. With exact match, even a minor discrepancy in a voter's registration an…
(2018-10-16). Desmond Meade Hopes to Win Voting Rights for 1.4M Floridians with Felony Convictions—Including Himself. democracynow.org 
Voters in Florida are preparing to vote on a measure that would restore voting rights to 1.4 million people with nonviolent felonies who have fully completed their sentences. One in five African Americans in Florida and 10 percent of the state's adult population are ineligible to vote because of a criminal record. Across the United States, more than 6.1 million people with felony convictions are not eligible to vote. Florida is one of just four states that bar ex-felons from voting for life. The other states are Iowa, Kentucky and Virginia. The Brennan Center for Justice reports that Florida disenfranchises more…
(2018-10-15). Trump Admin Hints It May Resume Family Separation at Border; ACLU Says "Public Outcry Is Critical" democracynow.org 
The Trump administration is reportedly considering plans to resume its policy of forcibly separating migrant children from their families along the U.S.-Mexico border, even as the full number of people torn apart the last time it carried out the widely condemned practice remains unclear. A new report by Amnesty International suggests immigration officials separated some 6,000 families between April and August, a far higher number of children and parents torn apart than previously thought. Trump administration officials are now considering plans to detain asylum-seeking families together for up to 20 days and then…
(2018-10-15). Vatican Canonizes Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, Who Was Killed by a U.S.-Backed Death Squad. democracynow.org 
Pope Francis has named Salvadoran Archbishop àìscar Romero a saint. Romero was a champion for the poor and oppressed who was murdered by a U.S.-backed right-wing death squad in 1980 at the beginning of the brutal U.S.-backed military campaign in El Salvador. Wearing the blood-stained rope belt that Romero wore when he was assassinated, Pope Francis praised Romero for disregarding his own life "to be close to the poor and to his people." We speak with Matt Eisenbrandt, a human rights lawyer and the author of "Assassination of a Saint: The Plot to Murder àìscar Romero and the Quest to Bring His Killer…