(2020-10-15). How the Christian Right Won the Culture Wars. counterpunch.org 
The likely appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court may mark the end of this round of the culture wars. For half-a-century, the U.S. has been a battleground over "moral" and sexual values. Key issues like abortion, health care (i.e., the ADA), gay rights and the meaning of "family" have been contested. With Barrett's appointment,
(2020-10-14). Can Trump Delay Election or Reject Peaceful Transition of Power? Amy Coney Barrett Refuses to Say. democracynow.org 
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett faced 11 hours of questioning in the Senate Tuesday but refused to provide clarity about her views on the Affordable Care Act, Roe v. Wade, voting rights and even if President Trump could delay the election. Republicans are racing to confirm the 48-year-old federal judge before Election Day, which would give conservatives a commanding 6-3 majority on the high court. We air highlights from the marathon session.
(2020-10-14). EXCLUSIVE: Israel stops granting visas to UN human rights workers. middleeasteye.net 
EXCLUSIVE: Israel stops granting visas to UN human rights workers | OHCHR foreign employees left in limbo amid Israeli crackdown on rights monitors | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 14: 00 | The UN's OHCHR writes regular reports highlighting alleged Israeli rights abuses in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the besieged Gaza Strip (Reuters/File) | Israel has stopped granting any visas to employees at the United Nation…
(2020-10-14). Western Anger as China, Russia Elected to UN Human Rights Council and Saudi Arabia Rejected. thealtworld.com 
The rejection of Saudi Arabia, the only country that did not receive the required number of votes from UN member states, has been seen as a repudiation of the Kingdom's decreasing international support. | MPN— In a secret ballot at the United Nations yesterday, Saudi Arabia was rejected for a position on the body's 47-country Human Rights Council (HRC). The only country that did not receive the required number of votes from member states, the failure has been seen as a repudiation of the Kingdom's abysmal human rights record and its decreasing international support. | 15 positions were filled yesterday, alth…
(2020-10-14). Exposing Trump's deadly sanctions on Venezuela. mronline.org 
KEN LIVINGSTONE looks in-depth at the story of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela.
(2020-10-14). Yemen's Houthis release two US hostages in exchange for about 200 fighters. middleeasteye.net 
Yemen's Houthis release two US hostages in exchange for about 200 fighters | Sandra Loli and Mikael Gidada were freed in agreement that allows detained Houthis to return to war-ravaged country | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 20: 29 | As part of swap, about 200 Houthis are allowed to return to Yemen from Oman (AFP/File photo) | Yemen's Houthi rebels freed two American hostages on Wednesday in exchange for about 200 of the…
(2020-10-14). What You Need to Know About Orleans Parish District Attorney Candidates. aclu.org 
The election for Orleans Parish district attorney on Nov. 3 is a historic opportunity to shape the city's priorities on racial disparities in sentencing, prosecutorial practices, bail reform and help end mass incarceration. The next DA can create a fairer, more equitable criminal legal system and champion reform., , Make informed decisions. Make sure you know where the candidates are on key civil liberties and civil rights issues. | Orleans Parish District Attorney Candidate Dashboard: | IssuesArthur HunterKeva LandrumJason Williams | Decarceration | Pledges not to prosecute marijuana po…
(2020-10-14). The political economy of intellectual property. mronline.org 
The dramatic expansion of intellectual property rights represents a new stage in commodification that threatens to make virtually everything bad about capitalism even worse.
(2020-10-14). Let People Vote: Our Fight for Your Right to Vote During 2020. aclu.org 2020 has been an unprecedented year in many ways; a pandemic during a presidential election being one of them. Not unique to 2020, however, is politicians' and states' systematic efforts to suppress voting and disenfranchise Americans. But the ACLU, along with our affiliates and partners across the country, have been hard at work defending your right to vote. This year, we have won 27 victories in 20 states and Puerto Rico that will safeguard the voting rights of millions of Americans this November. Together, these states are home to more than 154 million Americans and wield 247 votes in the Electoral College.
(2020-10-14). Human Rights Debate at UN Security Council. Horrifying Social Consequences of US Sanctions Inflicted on North Korea. globalresearch.ca During the press briefing outlining Russia's program of work for their October Presidency of the UN Security Council, I mentioned the offer by Dr. Kee B. Park, Director of the Korea Policy Project at Harvard Medical School, and renowned …
(2020-10-14). Russia and the European Union Looking for Common Business Language. globalresearch.ca Despite the series of sanctions, corporate European businesses are still highly interested in Russia and Russia recognizes the enormous significance and invaluable contributions of these businesses in its economy. The stark reality is that there are more European businesses in …
(2020-10-14). New sanctions on Iran more window dressing: Atlantic Council. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 14 (MNA) — The Atlantic Council in a report on Wednesday named the new round of US sanctions of Iran as "more window dressing than anything of strategic import".
(2020-10-14). Texas Is Limiting Ballot Drop-Off Locations. Activists Are Pushing Back. truthout.org Despite a last-minute ruling restricting absentee voting in Texas, voting rights advocates in the state's hardest hit communities of color are redoubling their efforts to get out the vote amid one of the most severe voter suppression campaigns in the state in recent election cycles. | Texas counties remain blocked from setting up multiple ballot drop-off locations after a federal appeals court on Monday
(2020-10-14). US Postal Service workers, privatization, and the defense of democratic rights. wsws.org With the far-advanced campaign to privatize the US Postal Service (USPS), unsafe work conditions during the pandemic, and Trump railing against the "fraudulent" mail-in balloting serviced by USPS, postal workers confront a crucial battle defend the basic social and democratic rights of the entire working class.
(2020-10-14). Nearly 5.2 Million Americans Will Be Disenfranchised in 2020 Election Due to Felony Convictions: Study. commondreams.org Black and Latinx people are disproportionately affected by disenfranchisement laws, which are still in effect in most U.S. states. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-14). White Americans Are More Demonized Than Jews In Nazi Germany. thealtworld.com After 55 years of special privileges and special pleading for black Americans, where do we stand? Integration has failed. Black Americans, or more correctly, those who speak for them, want black-only towns, black-only college dorms, black-only dining halls, and a black national anthem. Except for the black anthem, that's what they had a half century ago prior to "affirmative action." | How is it that when blacks demand segregation, it is not racism? | As Lawrence Stratton and I demonstrated in our book The New Color Line (1), racial quotas were strictly prohibited by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Nevertheless, the l…
(2020-10-13). Trump's new Iran sanctions hurt civilians and threaten war. thealtworld.com Grayzone- Pushback with Aaron Maté | Weeks before the U.S. election, the Trump administration has imposed crushing new sanctions that sever Iran from the global financial system and further threaten the import of humanitarian goods. The Israeli government and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a pro-regime change think tank, reportedly lobbied White House officials for the new move. | Assal Rad of the National Iranian American Council discusses how the sanctions target Iranian civilians, and threaten an outbreak of military conflict. | Guest: Assal Rad, Research Fellow at the National Iranian American Cou…
(2020-10-13). UN rejects Saudi bid for human rights council but Russia and China are elected. middleeasteye.net 
UN rejects Saudi bid for human rights council but Russia and China are elected | Rights groups express alarm after Moscow and Beijing secure seats on UN's top human rights body | Tue, 10/13/2020 – 19: 34 | The UN General Assembly held elections on Tuesday for 15 vacant seats in the UN Human Rights Council (AFP/File photo) | Saudi Arabia failed in its bid to become a member of the United Nations Human Rights Co…
(2020-10-13). Democrats silent on Trump's election coup plans as confirmation hearings begin on Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. wsws.org Besides her potential role in an election coup d'etat, Barrett will shift the Supreme Court further to the right, gutting abortion rights, reversing protections for gays, attacking the separation of church and state, lifting restrictions on guns and blocking federal regulation of business.
(2020-10-13). Protests at Amy Coney Barrett Hearing Rail Against GOP Power Grab. truthout.org Image Credit: Twitter: @CPDAction | Hundreds protested outside the Senate Monday against the confirmation hearing for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. At least 21 were arrested after staging a sit-in to oppose the Senate pushing through Barrett's nomination in the middle of the presidential election. Senate Democrats warn the federal judge's record suggests she would overturn the Affordable Care Act and threaten reproductive rights if she takes the seat left vacant by the l…
(2020-10-13). Civil Rights Advocates Warn Supreme Court Order—a Victory for Trump—Will Result in 'Irreversible Damage to 2020 Census'. commondreams.org Justice Sonya Sotomayor issued a dissent warning the "harms caused by rushing this year's census count are irreparable" and that "respondents will suffer their lasting impact for at least the next 10 years." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-13). Cameroonian Asylum Seekers Said to be One Day Away From Deportation Back to the Oppression They Fled. counterpunch.org There is a peaceful room in a safe, joyful home in the Washington metro area waiting for Micah, an English-speaking Cameroonian refugee who spent his 20th birthday on hunger strike in Pine Prairie Detention Center. His 19th birthday was also spent in ICE detention. His uncle, who raised him, has been counseling patience while waiting
(2020-10-13). The Menacing Threat of Hate and Political Violence. zcomm.org Rights for all races, all ethnicities, all religions, all sexual identities—all are vital in our America. We must defend our communities against the forces of division…
(2020-10-13). Reports chronicle continuing violence and discrimination against Rohingya community. peoplesdispatch.org On October 12, Monday, international human rights groups, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, claimed to have gained
(2020-10-13). Barrett Could Well Be the Decider in a 2020 Replay of "Bush v. Gore" truthout.org If Americans want transparency — as they should — they've got it. Judge Amy Coney Barrett's record of attacks on civil rights, workers' rights, anti-discrimination measures and consumer protections is crystal clear. Though she's just 48 years old, she has a phenomenally large legal footprint. And, as Democratic senators repeatedly pointed out Monday, on day one of the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings, her record does not bode well for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and many of the rights w…
(2020-10-13). Virginia Online Registration Portal Left Unworkable—Just Hours Before Deadline—After Cable 'Accidentally Cut'. commondreams.org Civil rights organizations on Tuesday vowed to make sure Virginia residents are able to vote in the November elections after—for the second time in a recent presidential election year—the state's online voter registration portal crashed. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-13). Amy Coney Barrett Displays Her Twisted Views on Voting Rights. thenation.com Amy Coney Barrett Displays Her Twisted Views on Voting Rights…
(2020-10-12). The Tortured Trial of Julian Assange. counterpunch.org Most people might be excused for not knowing it, because the story is mainly ignored, or is shamelessly misreported in the corporate media when it does get any attention. A courageous Australian journalist, abandoned by his own country, is being railroaded by a British court towards extradition to the US where he could face life
(2020-10-12). Amid Sanctions, Iran Unlocks Essential Funds Frozen in Iraq. telesurenglish.net Iran's central bank chief announced Monday an agreement with neighboring Iraq to unlock frozen Iranian funds in Iraqi banks to purchase humanitarian goods. | The announcement comes in the context of Washington's move last week to blacklist Iran's entire financial sector, which will further hamper Tehran's ability to purchase essential foods and medicine while facing the worse COVID-19 outbreak in the Middle East. | RELATED: | In a banking and business d…
(2020-10-12). With Crushing Sanctions on 18 Iranian Banks, Is Trump Trying to Leave a War Behind for Biden? globalresearch.ca As the dying Trump administration, literally on a sickbed, contemplates losing power, its hawks are lashing out at Iran in an attempt to ensure that the 2015 international nuclear deal is dead and buried, and that the US and Iran …
(2020-10-12). Bolivia: Leftist Parliamentary Candidate Brenda Segovia Arrested. telesurenglish.net The Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) denounced the arbitrary detention of the parliamentary candidate, Brenda Segovia, in Santa Cruz on Monday. | RELATED: | "We repudiate the coup-born regime's political violence. The political movement demands the immediate release of our militant," MAS presidential candidate Luis Arce tweeted. | A week ahead of Bolivia's elections, Arce also urged "an end to the far-right-wing attacks…
(2020-10-12). Turkey asked to halt deportation of Turkmen activist. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey asked to halt deportation of Turkmen activist | Dursoltan Taganova is at risk of arbitrary detention and torture if deported, human rights campaigners have warned | Mon, 10/12/2020 – 12: 28 | Social media picture of Dursoltan Taganova (Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights) | Human rights organisations have condemned plans by Turkish authorities to deport an activist to Turkmenistan, where they fear she w…
(2020-10-12). Egyptian writer and Sisi critic Amin el-Mahdy dies days after release from jail. middleeasteye.net 
Egyptian writer and Sisi critic Amin el-Mahdy dies days after release from jail | The publisher was detained last month after calling president Sisi a 'murderer' and a 'thief' in a Facebook post | Mon, 10/12/2020 – 11: 04 | Mahdy was opposed to both Sisi and the Muslim Brotherhood (Facebook) | The Egyptian author Amin el-Mahdy died on Sunday, soon after his release from a brief detentio…
(2020-10-12). As Trump Aims Fresh US Aggression at Iran, How Many Surprises Can This October Hold? commondreams.org A man walks past a mural painted on the outer walls of the former US embassy in the Iranian capital Tehran, on September 29, 2020. – For Iran, struggling from sanctions imposed under Washington's policy of "maximum pressure", the US presidential race raises hope of change—but also fears that life could get even worse. (Photo: Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-12). The Green Party of Canada chooses a new leader—multiple political frauds for the price of one. wsws.org Anamie Paul, the candidate favoured by the Green Party establishment, narrowly prevailed over the "eco-socialist," Palestinian-rights activist, and one-time Wall Street lawyer, Dimitri Lascaris.
(2020-10-12). The Campaign to "Kill" the BDS Movement Against Israel Extends Far and Wide. globalresearch.ca Israel is facing declining public support in the United States and sees the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign as a key threat to its legitimacy. That's why Israel is enlisting the US government, American university administrators, and even tech companies …
(2020-10-12). Venezuela Extends Offer to PDVSA and Corpoelec Bondholders. telesurenglish.net To address the economic crisis imposed by the U.S. sanctions, Venezuela's authorities Monday extended for one month the offer made to the bondholders of Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) and the National Electric Corporation S.A. (Corpoelec). | RELATED: | "This decision will safeguard the investors' rights without affecting the country's economic recovery," Venezuela's Economy Ministry stated. | In 2017, Venezuela c…
(2020-10-12). What Does Biden's 'Deliberate Ambiguity' on Iran Sanctions Imply? globalresearch.ca The Trump administration tightened the noose further around Iran's beleaguered economy on Thursday, October 8, announcing a fresh round of sanctions that will effectively shut the country out of the global financial system. | The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on …
(2020-10-12). The Washington Post Has Never Heard of the International Monetary Fund. cepr.net That would seem to be the case from reading the paper's editorial on the need to take steps to reduce extreme poverty in developing countries. The editorial never once mentions the proposal before the International Monetary Fund to substantially increase the special drawing rights available to developing countries. This measure, which has the support of …
(2020-10-12). New report highlights value of UN's human rights work in the field. news.un.org The UN's work in promoting dialogue between Arabic and Kurdish groups in Iraq is just one example of how human rights personnel are playing a critical role at the Organization's peace operations around the world.
(2020-10-12). Greater equality a 'prerequisite' for overcoming global crises: Bachelet. news.un.org In reviewing, assessing and acknowledging the effects of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, enslavement and colonialism, the groundbreaking Durban World Conference of 2001, represented a "milestone" in the common fight against racism, xenophobia and related intolerance, the UN human rights chief said on Monday.
(2020-10-12). Illegal sanctions amid pandemic sign of genocide: Namaki. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 12 (MNA) — Iranian Health Minister Saeid Namaki said that illegal sanctions amid pandemic are a sign of genocide that targets ordinary people.
(2020-10-12). Nigerian government officially disbands notorious police unit, but the fight against police brutality is far from over. thecanary.co The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is a unit of the Nigerian Police Force. Over the years, evidence has mounted of SARS units unlawfully arresting and detaining young people across the country. That evidence includes accounts of kidnapping, extrajudicial executions, stealing property and extorting money. | Since 2016, Amnesty International has documented at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment and extrajudicial executions by SARS. In a
(2020-10-11). Labour Peer Apologises for Claiming Migrants Could be 'Concentrated' in Camps. sputniknews.com The United Kingdom has faced rising numbers of refugees crossing the English Channel from France this year. Internal Home Office reports made public last month revealed that the government has considered placing migrants arriving in the UK in offshore detention centers.
(2020-10-11). US sanctions aim at terminating Iran's exports: Hatami. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 11 (MNA) — Referring to new US sanctions, Iran's Minister of Defense Brigadier General Amir Hatami noted that Washington is afraid of Iran's exports.
(2020-10-11). Barrett Nomination Spurs Greater Election Spending by Abortion Rights Groups. truthout.org Since President