2019-05-03: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

US sanctions killed more than 40,000 in Venezuela
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-05-03
US sanctions imposed on Venezuela in 2017 contributed to the deaths of more than 40,000 people last year, according to a new report — and this figure is set to rise due to the latest round of sanctions. | According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research report co-authored by economists Jeffrey Sachs and Mark Weisbrot, the 2017 sanctions deprived Venezuela of billions of dollars it needed to pay for essential food and medicine, leading to a rise in disease and mortality and the displacement of millions seeking to flee the worsening situation. | The report states: "The sanctions exacerbated Venezuela'…
greenleft.org.au/content/us-sanctions-killed-more-40000-venezuela

Heavy water and uranium enrichment: US imposes additional nuclear sanctions on Iran
rt.com | 2019-05-03
The Trump administration will sanction any assistance to expand Iran's nuclear power plant at Bushehr and ban exports of heavy water and any further uranium enrichment, the State Department has announced. | …
rt.com/usa/458327-sanctions-nuclear-iran-uran/

Venezuelan economist: 'Hyperinflation is a powerful imperialist weapon'
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-05-03
Much is made in the media of Venezuela's deep economic crisis. But why does Venezuela have the world's highest inflation rate and what impacts have the sanctions really had on the country? Green Left Weekly's Federico Fuentes spoke to Venezuelan economist Pascualina Curcio, from the Simón Bolívar University, to find out more. | Hyperinflation is a grave problem in Venezuela, but its causes are less clear. How do you explain it?: | The determinant cause of hyperinflation in Venezuela is the political manipulation by third parties of the exchange rate between the bolívar [Bs, Venezuela's local currency] and…
greenleft.org.au/content/venezuelan-economist-%E2%80%98hyperinflation-powerful-imperialist-weapon%E2%80%99

US Imposes Illegal and Deadly Sanctions on Venezuela in David vs. Goliath Battle
Edward B. Winslow | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-03
"We are complicit in crimes against humanity when we know about them and when we don't stop them." — Jacob Appelbaum | The unilaterally issued economic sanctions that the US leveled against Venezuela in 2017 and this year violate international laws …
globalresearch.ca/us-imposes-illegal-deadly-sanctions-venezuela/5676365

SPLC Action Fund: Florida immigration enforcement bill dangerous, unnecessary and unconstitutional
Scott McCoy, Senior Policy Counsel, SPLC Action Fund | splcenter.org | 2019-05-03
The Florida Legislature this week passed Senate Bill 168, which would ban so-called "sanctuary cities."
splcenter.org/news/2019/05/03/splc-action-fund-florida-immigration-enforcement-bill-dangerous-unnecessary-and

"We Shall Overcome": Remembering Folk Icon Pete Seeger on What Would Have Been His 100th Birthday
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-03
It was 100 years ago today that the late folk singer and activist Pete Seeger was born. In 2004, Seeger came into our Firehouse studio for an in-depth interview. We play an excerpt to mark his centennial celebration, in which he recalls how he learned about the classic civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome," that he helped to popularize. Watch the "full interview": www.democracynow.org/2006/7/3/we_shall_o… and our "full archive of interviews": www.democracynow.org/appearances/pete_se… with Seeger.
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/3/we_shall_o…

Friday's Daily Brief: hunger in North Korea, human rights in Iran, updates on DR Congo and Benin
United Nations | un.org | 2019-05-03
This Friday, we cover: a worrying food crisis in the Democratic Republic of North Korea; attacks against civilians in DR Congo; outrage after the execution of child offenders in Iran; concerns over a super cereal distributed by the World Food Programme; and post-electoral violence in Benin.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/05/1037851

Trump's "Troika of Tyranny" Meddles in Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-05-03
Under the guise of protecting human rights, the Trump administration is illegally meddling in three countries it has dubbed the "troika of tyranny" — Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. National Security Adviser John Bolton claimed, "Miami is home to countless Americans, who fled the prisons and death squads of the Castro regime in Cuba, the murderous dictatorships of Chavez and Maduro in Venezuela, and the horrific violence of the 1980s and today und…
truthout.org/articles/trumps-troika-of-tyranny-meddles-in-venezuela-cuba-nicaragua/

NAACP Files Suit Challenging Restrictive Tennessee Voter Registration Law
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2019-05-03
NASHVILLE, TN — The NAACP, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, pro bono firm Hogan Lovells US LLP, Memphis-based firm Burch, Porter, & Johnson PLLC, Bromberg Law LLC, and community practitioner Daniel Ayoade Yoon filed suit today challenging Tennessee's new third-party registration law. The complaint alleges that the law, which imposes burdensome requirements …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-files-suit-challenging-restrictive-tennessee-voter-registration-law/

Roger Waters on Palestine: "You Have to Stand Up for People's Human Rights All Over the World"
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-03
After a judge ruled a panel can move forward Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on "Israel, Free Speech, and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights," we speak with one of the event's scheduled participants: Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd, one of the most popular rock bands of all time. He says he welcomes the lawsuit that challenged the event, because "what it does is it serves to shine a light on the predicament of the Palestinian people."
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/3/roger_wate…

Migrants, asylum seekers detained in Hungary 'deliberately deprived of food': UN human rights office
United Nations | un.org | 2019-05-03
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) said on Friday it was alarmed by reports that migrants and asylum seekers who are being held in Hungarian detention centres are being "deliberately deprived of food in contravention of international laws and standards".
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/05/1037811

Warren Calls for Investigation of Surveillance at Family Separation Protests
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-05-03
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., of has called on the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General to launch an investigation into the department's alleged surveillance practices. This comes in the wake of a report that claimed a private intelligence firm had provided law enforcement officials at the agency with information on hundreds of protests against President Trump's policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. | "This most recent reporting raises questions about the government surveillance of Americans exercising their constitutional rights to organ…
truthout.org/articles/warren-calls-for-investigation-of-surveillance-at-family-separation-protests/

Protests Planned at Heroes Camp
Santa Cruz News | indybay.org | 2019-05-03
Keith McHenry of Food Not Bombs has announced there will be a protest to oppose the eviction of the homeless residents from the Heroes/Ross Camp in Santa Cruz on Friday, May 3, at 9: 00 am on the San Lorenzo River levee behind the Ross Dress for Less store. The protests were called for following Federal Judge Edward Davila's decision on Monday to dissolve a temporary restraining that had been preventing the City of Santa Cruz from moving forward with their proposed eviction of the homeless encampment. The restraining order was issued shortly after homeless residents of the camp filed a civil rights lawsuit against…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/05/01/18823070.php

My FOIA Crusade Against a Law-Breaking CIA
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-05-03
On April 29, my attorney Dan Hardway filed a petition for certiorari asking the Supreme Court to review my case, Morley v. CIA. When I filed this Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit 16 years ago, I sought certain files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. | The JFK story still resonates, albeit more faintly than it once did. Kennedy was a popular liberal president who, at the time of his death, was challenging the country to embrace civil rights and "a strategy of peace" to end the Cold War. Detested in the…
truthdig.com/articles/my-foia-crusade-against-a-law-breaking-cia/

On #WorldPressFreedomDay, a Reminder: Only 9% of Humanity Lives in Nations That Respect Reporters' Rights
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-05-03
As the international community celebrated #WorldPressFreedomDay on Friday, a leading global nonprofit warned that only 9 percent of humanity lives in countries with good or satisfactory levels of press freedom. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
commondreams.org/news/2019/05/03/worldpressfreedomday-reminder-only-9-humanity-lives-nations-respect-reporters-rights?cd-origin=rss

Remembering Folk Icon Pete Seeger on What Would Have Been His 100th Birthday
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-05-03
It was 100 years ago today that the late folk singer and activist Pete Seeger was born. In 2004, Seeger came into our Firehouse studio for an in-depth interview. We play an excerpt to mark his centennial celebration, in which he recalls how he learned about the classic civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome," that he helped to popularize. Watch the full interview and our full archive of interviews with Seeger. | Transcript: | AMY GOODMAN: We end today's s…
truthout.org/video/remembering-folk-icon-pete-seeger-on-what-would-have-been-his-100th-birthday/

Mass. Judge Refuses to Halt Pro-Palestinian Event at UMass Featuring Roger Waters & Linda Sarsour
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-03
"Not Backing Down: Israel, Free Speech, and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights." That's the title of an event set to take place Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After three anonymous UMass students filed a lawsuit to stop the event, a judge ruled Thursday the event can proceed, saying, "There's nothing that comes even close to a threat of harm or incitement to violence or lawlessness." We get an update from Sut Jhally, event organizer and professor of communication at the University of Massachusetts, and Rachel Weber, attorney and member Jewish Voice for Peace, Western Massachusetts chapt…
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/3/mass_judge…

We Can't Back People Who Hate Our Kids: Kentucky & Minnesota Teachers of Year Boycott Trump Meeting
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-03
We speak with two award-winning teachers who are trying to teach Trump a lesson. On Monday, Jessica Dueñas, the 2019 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, and Kelly Holstine, the 2018 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, boycotted a White House ceremony honoring them and other state winners of the award in protest of the Trump administration's education policies. But Dueñas and Holstine skipped the event to register their opposition to Trump's policies on immigration, education and LGBTQ rights, saying many of the White House policies directly impact their immigrant and refugee students.
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/3/we_can_t_b…

'Dystopian approach': SEC gives blessing to MasterCard's idea of cutting off right-wingers
rt.com | 2019-05-03
Blocking payments to individuals or groups by financial service firms impedes freedom of speech in a free society, journalist Ben Swann has told RT, following reports that MasterCard is allegedly on course to censor the far-right. | …
rt.com/usa/458267-mastercard-human-rights-censorship/

Kentucky and Minnesota Teachers of Year Boycott Trump Meeting
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-05-03
We speak with two award-winning teachers who are trying to teach Trump a lesson. On Monday, Jessica Dueñas, the 2019 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, and Kelly Holstine, the 2019 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, boycotted a White House ceremony honoring them and other state winners of the award in protest of the Trump administration's education policies. But Dueñas and Holstine skipped the event to register their opposition to Trump's policies on immigration, education and LGBTQ rights, saying many of the White House policies directly impact their immigrant and refugee students. | Transcript:…
truthout.org/video/kentucky-and-minnesota-teachers-of-year-boycott-trump-meeting/

Chinese Fund Backed by Hunter Biden Invested in Technology Used to Surveil Muslims
Lee Fang | theintercept.com | 2019-05-03
On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch released a troubling report about a phone application made by the Chinese government. The app provides law enforcement with easy, daily access to data detailing the religious activity, blood type, and even the amount of electricity used by ethnic minority Muslims living in the western province of Xinjiang. | The app relies heavily on facial recognition software supplied by Face++, a division of the Chinese startup Megvii, a relationship that sparke…
theintercept.com/2019/05/03/biden-son-china-business/

Gay and trans workers may soon lose work-place protections
Michelle Zacarias | peoplesworld.org | 2019-05-03
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon determine whether federal employment law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The court agreed to hear three cases involving Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which currently prevents employers from discriminating based on "sex." This decision will have a monumental impact on …
peoplesworld.org/article/gay-and-trans-workers-may-soon-lose-work-place-protections/

Guatemalan boy detained by US Border Patrol dies after succumbing to illness
wsws.org | 2019-05-03
The 16 year old, who has not been named, is the third immigrant child to die in government custody in just five months.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/03/immi…

The Alarming Assault on the Free Press
Suzanne Nossel | commondreams.org | 2019-05-03
Detained Myanmar journalist Kyaw Soe Oo carrying his daughter is escorted by police for his ongoing trial at a court in Yangon on June 12, 2018. (Photo: CNN) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
commondreams.org/views/2019/05/03/alarming-assault-free-press?cd-origin=rss

Jewish-American Activists Beaten and Detained by Israeli Soldiers in West Bank
Middle East Eye | theantimedia.com | 2019-05-03
(MEE) — Several Jewish-American activists were beaten and forcefully detained by the Israeli army alongside Palestinian and Israeli activists on Friday morning while working to repair a road linking Palestinian villages in the South Hebron Hills. Those forced to the ground and dragged into military vehicles included several who appeared to be rabbis, and several elderly members …

Jewish-American Activists Beaten and Detained by Israeli Soldiers in West Bank

Federal Funds Should Not Be Used to Detain Children at the U.S. Southern Border
commondreams.org | 2019-05-03
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commondreams.org/newswire/2019/05/03/federal-funds-should-not-be-used-detain-children-us-southern-border?cd-origin=rss

'Sick, Dystopian Stuff': Former Trump Adviser Kelly Joins Board of Company Running Immigrant Detention Centers
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-05-03
In what one critic deemed a "nauseating example of the revolving door" through which powerful political players often move into the private sector, former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly joined the board of a company which owns some of the largest detention centers for unaccompanied children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
commondreams.org/news/2019/05/03/sick-dystopian-stuff-former-trump-adviser-kelly-joins-board-company-running?cd-origin=rss

Venezuela: Lopez Arrest Warrant Issued as Military Show Strength for Maduro
Paul Dobson | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-03
Venezuela's judicial authorities have issued a new arrest warrant for fugitive opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez following his escape from house arrest early Tuesday morning. | Caracas' Fifth Court revoked Lopez's house arrest Thursday and ordered his immediate detention, indicating that once …
globalresearch.ca/venezuela-lopez-arrest-warrant-military-show-strength-maduro/5676421

VP Pence says Rep. Omar prefers socialism to freedom in latest attack
rt.com | 2019-05-02
Mike Pence found yet another reason to be offended by freshman congresswoman Ilhan Omar after she criticized the Trump administration's effort to cripple the Venezuelan government with "death-causing" sanctions. | …
rt.com/usa/458205-pence-attacks-omar-socialism/

'These Sanctions Amount to Collective Punishment Against the Entire Iranian Population'
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2019-05-02
Janine Jackson interviewed Sina Toosi about the Trump administration's anti-Iran campaign for the April 26, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
fair.org/home/these-sanctions-amount-to-collective-punishment-against-the-entire-iranian-population/

Up to 400,000 jobs threatened as US sanctions deepen crisis of Russian auto industry
wsws.org | 2019-05-02
In mid-April, Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska declared that the Russian auto company GAZ might declare bankruptcy, wiping out hundreds of thousands of manufacturing and related jobs.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/02/russ…

Vegan Rising: 'Our target is the system, not farmers'
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-05-02
The civil disobedience actions across Australia by animal rights activists on April 8 caused a media furore and even provoked a response from Prime Minster Scott Morrison. Green Left Weekly's Mary Merkenich spoke to Vegan Rising campaign director Kristin Leigh, who helped organised the action in Melbourne, about their protest tactics and aims. | Are you happy with the April 8 protests? | We couldn't be more pleased with how our actions played out. We shut down one of Melbourne's busiest intersections and the world's busiest tram route for 5 hours. | Eight other locations where violence against animals occurs wer…
greenleft.org.au/content/vegan-rising-our-target-system-not-farmers

SPLC: Facebook and Instagram ban far-right and extremist figures, but still have more work to do against hateful content
Keegan Hankes, Researcher, Intelligence Project | splcenter.org | 2019-05-02
Facebook and Instagram announced today that they have banned several far-right, antisemitic and extremist figures and organizations for being "dangerous," a sign that they are more aggressively enforcing their hate speech policies under pressure from civil rights organizations, including the SPLC.
splcenter.org/news/2019/05/02/splc-facebook-and-instagram-ban-far-right-and-extremist-figures-still-have-more-work-do

A free press is 'cornerstone' for accountability and 'speaking truth to power': Guterres
United Nations | un.org | 2019-05-02
At a time when disinformation and mistrust of the news media is growing, a free press is "essential for peace, justice, sustainable development and human rights", said the UN Secretary-General, in his message for World Press Freedom Day, marked on Friday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/05/1037741

Attorney General Barr Says ICE Has Power to Lock Up Asylum Seekers Without Hearings
aclu.org | 2019-05-02
The Constitution does not allow the government to lock people up without due process of law. | Today the ACLU, the ACLU of Washington, the American Immigration Council, and Northwest Immigrant Rights Project launched a legal challenge to the Trump administration's latest assault on people who have come to the United States to seek refuge from persecution: jailing asylum seekers without even allowing a judge to decide if there's any reaso…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/immigrants-rights-and-detention/attorney-general-barr-says-ice-has-power-lock

Hundreds march to Minnesota Capitol on May 1 to demand drivers licenses for immigrants
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-05-02
Saint Paul, MN – Hundreds of immigrants, union members and activists marched to the Minnesota State Capitol on May 1, International Workers Day. They demanded that the state legislature pass a bill to give immigrants access to drivers licenses, without adding amendments to further criminalize immigrants. They also raised other demands for immigrant and workers' rights while commemorating the workers who lost their lives in 1886 in the struggle for an eight-hour workday. | The march was organized by the May 1st Coalition – Twin Cities, which includes a variety of grassroots immigrant rights and social justice orga…
fightbacknews.org/2019/5/2/hundreds-march-minnesota-capitol-may-1-demand-drivers-licenses-immigrants

Pentagon says 120 civilians killed worldwide by US forces in 2018 — human rights orgs beg to differ
rt.com | 2019-05-02
A report by the Pentagon on civilian deaths caused by the US military says 120 civilians were killed and 65 others injured by US military actions in 2018 — but human rights groups say that figure is far lower than their estimates. | …
rt.com/usa/458213-us-military-kill-report-abroad/

MintCast Interviews Lisa Pease: Why Revisiting the RFK Assassination is Crucial to Palestinian Rights and BDS Today
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2019-05-02
MintCast co-hosts Alan MacLeod and Whitney Webb spoke to Lisa Pease, author of A Lie Too Big To Fail, about the compelling evidence of Sirhan Sirhan's innocence in the Robert F. Kennedy assassination and its implications for Palestinian rights.
mintpressnews.com/mintcast-interviews-lisa-pease-why-revisiting-the-rfk-assassination-is-crucial-to-palestinian-rights-and-bds-today/258111/

Struggle to protect the Venezuelan Embassy in D.C.: coup-makers blocked on May Day
ANSWER Coalition | liberationnews.org | 2019-05-02
The illegal seizure of the Embassy has been stopped by a combination of disciplined activists who held their ground and a legal strategy that asserted their rights.
liberationnews.org/struggle-to-protect-the-venezuelan-embassy-in-d-c-coup-makers-blocked-on-may-day/

Abortion-Rights Activism in Ecuador
Zoà´ Carpenter | thenation.com | 2019-05-02
Abortion-Rights Activism in Ecuador…
thenation.com/article/abortion-activism-prosecutions-ecuador/

Beyond Prisons: Voting Rights feat. Maya Schenwar
Beyond Prisons | shadowproof.com | 2019-05-02
Maya Schenwar returns to Beyond Prisons to discuss voting rights, the current political landscape, and her forthcoming book. | Maya is the Editor-in-Chief of Truthout. She is also the author of "Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn't Work and How We Can Do Better" and the co-editor of the Truthout anthology "Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States." She has written about the prison-industrial complex for Truthout, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Nation, Salon, Ms. Magazine, and others. Maya lives in Chicago and organizes with the abolitionist collective…
shadowproof.com/2019/05/02/beyond-prisons-voting-rights-feat-maya-schenwar/

Ilhan Omar Speaks Out Against U.S. Sanctions & Bipartisan Support for Regime Change in Venezuela
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-01
Amid an ongoing coup attempt in Venezuela, we speak with Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who questioned U.S. special envoy to Venezuela Elliott Abrams on Capitol Hill in February about his record. Abrams is a right-wing hawk who was linked to the 2002 coup attempt in Venezuela that tried to topple Hugo Chávez. In the 1980s, Abrams defended Guatemalan dictator General Efraín Ríos Montt as he oversaw a campaign of mass murder and torture of indigenous people. Ríos Montt was later convicted of genocide. Rep. Ilhan Omar says that there is a direct correlation between this type of detrimental U.S. foreign policy in Lati…
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/1/ilhan_omar…

New House Bill Would Bar Israel From Using U.S. Military Aid to Detain Palestinian Children
Robert Mackey | theintercept.com | 2019-05-01
Rep. Betty McCollum's bill seeks to ban Israel from using U.S. funds to detain, interrogate, or torture Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank.
theintercept.com/2019/05/01/betty-mccollum-israel-palestine-children-bill/

Trump admin. behaves 'like thugs in a barrio': Interview with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2019-05-01
Exclusive interview: Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza comments on new US sanctions, the Trump administration's coup efforts, the OAS, and…
thegrayzone.com/2019/04/30/interview-venezuelan-foreign-minister-jorge-arreaza/

Gaza's Economic Crisis Sends Territory Into Poverty and Chaos
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-05-01
Dr. Omar Shaban discusses the World Bank report on the shrinking Gaza economy and how Israeli sanctions and restrictions have destroyed a once thriving economy…
therealnews.com/stories/gazas-economic-crisis-sends-territory-into-poverty-and-chaos

Economist Jeffrey Sachs: U.S. Sanctions Have Devastated Venezuela & Killed Over 40,000 Since 2017
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-01
More than 40,000 people have died in Venezuela since 2017 as a result of U.S. sanctions, according to a new report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research co-authored by economists Jeffrey Sachs and Mark Weisbrot. The report examines how U.S. sanctions have reduced the availability of food and medicine in Venezuela and increased disease and mortality. We speak with Jeffrey Sachs in our New York studio. In the report, he writes, "American sanctions are deliberately aiming to wreck Venezuela's economy and thereby lead to regime change. It's a fruitless, heartless, illegal, and failed policy, causing grave ha…
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/1/economist_…

NAACP Statement on William Barr Testimony
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2019-05-01
The NAACP, the nation's foremost civil rights organization, released the following statement in response to Attorney General William Barr's testimony today: "Attorney General William Barr is unfit to serve. We opposed his confirmation because we believed he could not serve independently and would protect Donald Trump at all costs. Since taking office, Mr. Barr has demonstrated …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-statement-william-barr-testimony/

UN rights experts call on Philippines Government to halt 'unacceptable attacks' on Victoria Tauli-Corpuz
United Nations | un.org | 2019-05-01
False claims levelled at the UN expert on the rights of indigenous peoples by her own Government in the Philippines, "are without grounding in fact or law" and must cease immediately, said a statement issued by a group of her fellow experts on Wednesday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/05/1037641

Wednesday's Daily brief: Day 3 of anti-hatred summit, UNFPA turns 50, Ben Stiller #WithRefugees, updates on Abyei and Venezuela
United Nations | un.org | 2019-05-01
This Wednesday, our top stories cover: leaders gathered in Geneva to tackle hate speech; the 50th birthday of the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA); Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller advocating for Syrian refugees in the USA; human rights issues in the Philippines and in Venezuela; and an update on the UN peacekeeping misson in Abyei.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/05/1037671

Venezuela: UN human rights office calls for 'maximum restraint' by authorities in face of new demonstrations
United Nations | un.org | 2019-05-01
With another day of mass protests taking place across Venezuela, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) said on Wednesday it was "extremely worried by reports of the excessive use of force" by security forces, loyal to President Nicolás Maduro, a day after an opposition-led uprising appeared to stall.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/05/1037701

Last Process: 50 Postees: 2019-05-04 01:05 GMT (21:05 EST)

2019-05-01: News Headlines

WSWS (2019-05-01). Trump orders new attacks on rights of refugees, asylum seekers. wsws.org Trump has directed that his top officials to impose a fee on asylum seekers, give border patrol cops authority to determine credible fear claims and place restrictions on work permits.

ActionAid Australia (2019-05-01). Women's rights vs corporate rights. indybay.org The Australian Government is considering signing a dodgy new trade deal which will massively boost the power of multinational corporations at the expense of women's rights. | Whatever the outcome of the upcoming Federal Election – this deal will be one of the first issues on the table for the incoming government. And we need to be ready to stop it. | The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, known as 'RCEP,' is a huge free trade agreement with potentially dire consequences for millions of women around the world.

Staff (2019-05-01). Gaza's Economic Crisis Sends Territory Into Poverty and Chaos. therealnews.com Dr. Omar Shaban discusses the World Bank report on the shrinking Gaza economy and how Israeli sanctions and restrictions have destroyed a once thriving economy…

Elijah J. Magnier (2019-05-01). Iran Rejects All Negotiations but Signals Domestic Differences: Its Confidence Remains Intact in the Face of Severe Sanctions. globalresearch.ca Despite the positive approach by Iran Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif proposing a humanitarian exchange of prisoners between Washington and Tehran (in an attempt to break the stalemate and ease the current tension), Iranian Speaker Ali Larijani and 'Iranian Revolutionary Guard …

Glenn Greenwald (2019-04-30). Episode Three of "Animal Matters": What Are the Philosophical Premises For Why Animal Life Has No Value or is of Less Worth? theintercept.com As we learn about the widespread, industrial torture and slaughter of animals, how will we continue to ethically and intellectually justify these industrial practices?

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2019-04-30). As Bernie Sanders Says 'No Apologies' for His Position, 70+ Groups Back Call for Prisoner Voting Rights. commondreams.org The advocacy organizations called on all 2020 presidential candidates to "publicly commit to ending felony disenfranchisement" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……

Democracy Now! (2019-04-30). Angela Davis: I Would Like to Accept Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Award After BDS Controversy. democracynow.org In February, Angela Davis returned to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. She originally planned the visit to receive the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, but the institute withdrew the award in January, soon after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring Davis due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Israeli government and Israeli institutions. Facing swift and widespread outcry, the institute then reversed its decision and reinstated the award. While Angela Davis…

Ryan Devereaux (2019-04-30). Elizabeth Warren Calls for Investigation Into Monitoring of Family Separation Protests. theintercept.com Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is calling on the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General to open an internal investigation following revelations that a private intelligence firm provided the law enforcement agency with information on hundreds of protests against the Trump administration's policy of family separation. | "This most recent reporting raises questions about the government surveillance of Americans exercising their constitutional rights to organize peacefully and protest a cruel and unjust policy that does not make America safer or improve our immigration system and asylu…

United Nations (2019-04-30). Libya: UN mobilized to support thousands uprooted by Tripoli clashes, renews call for humanitarian truce. un.org Since fighting broke out on the edge of Libya's capital, Tripoli, earlier this month, over 42,000 people have been displaced and thousands are believed trapped in the city's southern outskirts. As UN humanitarian teams work around the clock to provide life-saving assistance, human rights chief Michelle Bachelet stressed on Tuesday the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, and humanitarian corridor for civilians.

Mark Gruenberg (2019-04-30). At AFL-CIO headquarters, Brazilian unionists describe dire human rights situation there. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The human rights and unionists' rights situation in Brazil, under new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, is direr than people in the U.S. realize, two top unionists and one of their consultants from the large South American republic said at a meeting at AFL-CIO headquarters here yesterday. It includes not just a crackdown on unions, but …

Staff (2019-04-30). The Latest Sign of Israel's Creeping Fascism. truthdig.com What follows is a conversation between Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch, and Sharmini Peries of the Real News Network. Read a transcript of their conversation below or watch the video at the bottom of…

WSWS (2019-04-30). Pentagon fires Guantanamo prison commander for calling attention to US crimes. wsws.org Vice Admiral Ring was removed from his post after telling the media that the US prison camp had to prepare for "end-of-life" care for detainees.

splcenter (2019-04-30). Court certifies class action in lawsuit on behalf of children detained by Trump administration. splcenter.org A federal court certified as a class action an SPLC lawsuit challenging the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement's (ORR) policies and practices regarding the release of unaccompanied minors and the reunification of immigrant families — a ruling with the potential to help end the prolonged detention of immigrant children across the United States.

Maj. Danny Sjursen (2019-04-30). The United States of Incarceration. truthdig.com This piece originally appeared in anti-war.com. | You've got to give it to the Defense Department — they're assiduous planners. I know: I used to be one. So the latest news that the DOD is preparing its 40 remaining forever prisoners at the extralegal detention center of Guantanamo Bay for nursing home and hospice care, should come as little surprise. It still shocks the senses a bit, though, doesn…

Michael Hughes (2019-04-30). US Government, Corporate Media Join Forces in Neoliberal War Against Venezuela. dissidentvoice.org President Donald Trump and the likes of the New York Times might seem like strange bedfellows but they have found common cause in seeking regime change in Venezuela, a country that poses no threat to the United States but sits on the world's largest proven oil reserves. Trump administration sanctions have already killed tens of …

Patrick Ostiguy (2019-04-29). Student "lunch debt" skyrockets across the country. Here's how it works. liberationnews.org Under a socialist system, food and education would no longer be luxuries or sources of debt, but guaranteed social rights…

Staff (2019-04-29). Bernie Sanders Supports Voting Rights for the Imprisoned. therealnews.com Corporate media's twisted narrative frames voting rights as "letting terrorists and rapists vote."; Anoa Changa and Norman Solomon join host Jacqueline Luqman to discuss the battle over voting rights for people in jail…

Whitney Webb (2019-04-29). 50,000 Palestinian Children Imprisoned by Israeli Kangaroo Courts Since 1967. mintpressnews.com While Israel's government often touts itself as the "only democracy" in the Middle East, it is also the only government in the entire world that detains children through military courts with a near 100 percent conviction rate, something that even Saudi Arabia does not do.

Ricardo Vaz (2019-04-29). New Report Reveals US Sanctions Have Cost 40,000 Venezuelan Lives. mintpressnews.com The Washington DC-based Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) published a report Thursday on the effects of US sanctions against Venezuela. | The 27-page paper was authored by economists Mark Weisbrot and Jeffrey Sachs, who determined that sanctions have "inflicted very serious harm to human life" in Venezuela. | "The sanctions are depriving Venezuelans of lifesaving medicines, medical equipment, food, and other essential imports," Weisbrot, Co-Director of CEPR, said in a press release. For his part, Sachs added, "American s…

Consortiumnews (2019-04-29). PATRICK LAWRENCE: The US Moves on Iran's Oil Market as an Expression of an Irrational Foreign Policy. consortiumnews.com Patrick Lawrence gauges the backfiring potential of Pompeo's withdrawal on Thursday of U.S. sanction waivers from eight major importers. A Decisive Defeat in Long-Running Battle with Foreign Policy Minders By Patrick Lawrence Special to Consortium News Secretary of State Mike… Read more →

Jordan Smith (2019-04-28). Lies, Damn Lies, and Abortion. theintercept.com For a long time, when people would ask me what subjects I covered as a journalist, I would jokingly say, "Criminal justice and reproductive rights — and hoping the two never intersect." It's not funny anymore (if it ever really was). | Opponents of reproductive rights have become emboldened, pumped up by a reconstituted, decidedly conservative U.S. Supreme Court and the appointment of a fleet of radical judges to the lower benches. Meanwhile, in a race to see who can be first to directly challenge abortion rights before the high court, their proxies in state houses across the country gleefully file legislat…

Yves Engler (2019-04-27). Canada Gets Cozy with Repressive Middle East Monarchies. dissidentvoice.org While Justin Trudeau's government embraces repressive Middle East monarchies, they want us to believe their campaign to oust Venezuela's government is motivated by support for democracy and human rights. On a tour of the Middle East last week Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan met his United Arab Emirates counterpart Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi in …

Shadowproof (2019-04-27). The Shameful Moralizing On Prisoner Voting Rights. shadowproof.com Editor's Note: We're pleased to publish this preview of our member newsletter, "Keeping The Issues Alive," which provides a closer look at the stories we're following at Shadowproof. | Subscribe for $9/month and receive this weekly newsletter: SUBSCRIBE NOW | For this week's newsletter, Shadowproof publishing editor Brian Sonenstein responds to the backlash against the notion of allowing prisoners to vote, including those convicted of "violent offenses." | Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sander…

Staff (2019-04-26). U.S. Gag Rule Expansion Will Constrain Women's Rights Worldwide. therealnews.com The Trump administration's global gag rule will not only stop abortion funding, but will bar organizations worldwide from offering comprehensive reproductive health services…

Kevin Gosztola (2019-04-26). Appeals Court Decision Upholds First Amendment Rights Of Undocumented Immigrants. shadowproof.com In a victory for undocumented immigrants who engage in activism, a federal appeals court found activist Ravi Ragbir had a valid claim against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which attempted to deport him in retaliation for his political speech.

pip.hinman (2019-04-26). Malaysia: Australian corporate polluter Lynas told to remove radioactive waste. greenleft.org.au Since it began operating its controversial rare earth refinery in Malaysia in 2013, Australian company Lynas Corp has produced about 450,000 tonnes of radioactive waste. After the first-ever change of federal government in Malaysia last year, local residents hoped this corporate polluter would finally be brought to account. Green Left Weekly's Peter Boyle interviewed Malaysian environmental and residents' rights activist Jade Lee from the Stop Lynas campaign about the latest developments. | Lynas' rare earth refinery in Kuantan has been getting…

Democracy Now! (2019-04-26). Roe v. Wade Under Threat: Planned Parenthood Pres. Speaks Out as State Laws Threaten to Ban Abortion. democracynow.org Abortion rights are under threat across the United States, with 28 states currently considering legislation to ban or restrict abortion in various ways. Among the slew of strategies are trigger bans, to make abortion completely illegal in a state should Roe v. Wade be overturned, and six-week abortion bans. Earlier this month, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed into law a six-week abortion ban, which bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected—something that typically happens before many women realize they're pregnant. The bill does not include exceptions for cases of rape or incest. A similar law i…

Democracy Now! (2019-04-26). Filipina Journalist Maria Ressa Helped Expose Duterte's Deadly Drug War; He's Now Trying to Jail Her. democracynow.org The award-winning Filipina journalist Maria Ressa has been arrested twice in recent months by the Philippines government as President Rodrigo Duterte cracks down on critics and the media. In February, she was detained in a cyber libel case that's widely seen as politically motivated. She was arrested again in late March for allegedly violating a ban on foreign media ownership. Duterte has long attempted to shut down Rappler, which has published groundbreaking work on Duterte's deadly war on drugs that has killed thousands. Duterte has repeatedly described the site as fake news outlet. We speak with Maria Ressa, t…

Democracy Now! (2019-04-26). Headlines for April 26, 2019. democracynow.org Sri Lanka Lowers Death Toll from Easter Attacks; Top Officials Resign over Intelligence Failures, Anita Hill: I Am Not Satisfied by Biden's Apology over Handling of Clarence Thomas Allegations, As Comcast Lobbyist Hosts Biden's First Fundraiser, Campaign Boasts of Support from "Top 1%", Biden Hires Ex-Bernie Sanders Staffer as Senior Adviser, Hundreds of Thousands Protest in Sudan Demanding Civilian Rule, North Korea's Kim Jong-un Accuses U.S. of Acting in Bad Faith in Nuke Talks, In Response to Yellow Vest Protests, Macron Vows to Cut Taxes, Tells Nation It Must Work Harder, Report: U.S. Sanctions Have Killed 40…

CounterSpin (2019-04-26). Tina Vasquez on Covering Immigration, Sina Toossi on Iran Sanctions. fair.org Media…

SAMIR (2019-04-26). Palestinians call on Iceland's Eurovision contestant Hatari to withdraw. bdsmovement.net Palestinians call on Iceland's Eurovision contestant Hatari to withdraw: PACBI StatementCancelling performance in apartheid Tel Aviv would be a meaningful expression of solidarity for the band, who are on record supporting Palestinian rights. | Cultural Boycott Boycott Eurovision 2019April 26, 2019…

pip.hinman (2019-04-25). Refugee sends plea from Manus Island. greenleft.org.au Thousands turned out for refugee rights rallies across the country on Palm Sunday, April 14. | Kurdish refugee Farhad Bandesh, who is detained on Manus Island, addressed the rally in Newcastle by phone. Below is an edited transcript of his speech. | *** | My name is Farhad Bandesh. | I speak to you from Manus Island, where I have been imprisoned and tortured with others, like our friends on Nauru, for nearly six years. | I wish to acknowledge the land of the Awabakal people of the Kulin Nation, stolen land, and I pay respect to Indigenous people, past, present and future. | I want to thank you all so very much fo…

Scott McCoy, Senior Policy Counsel, SPLC Action Fund (2019-04-25). SPLC Action Fund: Florida House bill would contradict Amendment 4, making it harder for people with past felony convictions to vote. splcenter.org The Florida House this week passed House Bill 7089, an unnecessary piece of legislation that would purportedly restore voting rights to people with past felony convictions, but would actually create hurdles by requiring them to pay all their criminal fines and fees — even if they have been converted to civil liens — before they could get their voting rights restored.

pip.hinman (2019-04-25). Still in detention after 10 years, Tamil refugee must now fight cancer. greenleft.org.au Sivaguru Navanitharasa is a Tamil refugee who fled Sri Lanka in 2008. After staying for a year in Malaysia with no legal status, he set out for Australia, where he has been detained for nearly 10 years, first on Christmas Island and then in Villawood detention centre. | Navanitharasa is now in MITA immigration detention centre in Broadmeadows, Melbourne, where he faces a new challenge: overcoming cancer. | Navanitharasa has been recognised as a refugee, but remains in detention because ASIO classified him as a security risk. This was due to his previous membership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a…

Democracy Now! (2019-04-24). Supreme Court Appears Set to OK Census Citizenship Question Despite Risk of Undercounting Millions. democracynow.org The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case challenging the Trump administration's plans to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census. Voting rights activists fear that adding the question will deter immigrants from participating in the census and lead to a vast undercount in states with large immigrant communities. Census officials have estimated 6.5 million people will not respond to the census if the citizenship question is added. This undercount could affect everything from the redrawing of congressional maps to the allocation of federal funding. The case centers on whether Commerce Secre…

Democracy Now! (2019-04-24). Bernie Sanders Spurs Debate on Prisoner Voting Rights, But the Idea Is "Not as Radical as It Seems" democracynow.org Presidential candidate and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said at a town hall Monday that he believed in restoring voting rights for prisoners, sparking a national discussion about re-enfranchisement for the more than 2 million Americans behind bars. Presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg has spoken out against prisoner voting rights, while Senator Elizabeth Warren said "I'm not there yet" on the issue. Senator Kamala Harris said "there has to be serious consequence for the most extreme types of crimes," referencing her background as a prosecutor. We speak with Ari Berman, senior writer at Mother Jones, about the pu…

Democracy Now! (2019-04-23). Right-Wing Vigilantes Hold Migrants Hostage on U.S. Border. Did Border Patrol Give Tacit Approval? democracynow.org The FBI has arrested the head of an armed vigilante group that has repeatedly filmed itself detaining migrant border crossers at gunpoint. Sixty-nine-year-old Larry Mitchell Hopkins is the leader of the far-right, pro-Trump group calling itself United Constitutional Patriots, which the American Civil Liberties Union described as an "armed fascist militia organization." His arrest came just days after the ACLU accused the vigilantes of illegally detaining 300 migrants, including young children, near Sunland Park, New Mexico, last week. We speak to Peter Simonson, executive director of the ACLU of New Mexico.

splcenter (2019-04-23). SPLC answers questions about antigovernment extremists who detain migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. splcenter.org In recent days, media outlets have reported that armed militia groups, acting as border vigilantes, have been detaining migrants at gunpoint along the along the U.S.-Mexico border.

ACLU (2019-04-22). Supreme Court Takes Cases of People Fired for Being LGBTQ. aclu.org The court will consider whether to take anti-discrimination protections away from LGBTQ people. | Can a business fire someone because they're LGBTQ? The Supreme Court will soon tell us. | After a funeral home outside Detroit fired Aimee Stephens because she is transgender, Aimee won a federal appeals court ruling that the firing violated the federal law barring sex discrimination in the workplace. After Don Zarda was fired from his job as a skydiving instr…

Kevin Gosztola (2019-04-22). In Rejecting Chelsea Manning's Appeal, Court Essentially Ignores All Arguments For Release From Jail. shadowproof.com The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an appeal from Chelsea Manning, which challenged a district court's order that found her in civil contempt. | On March 8, a federal district court jailed Manning for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigation into WikiLeaks. She was held in prolonged solitary confinement for around 27 days before authorities at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center moved her to general population. | Judges for the appeals court offered no explanation [ PDF] as to wh…

splcenter (2019-04-19). Weekend Read: Cuban asylum seekers detained in Louisiana. splcenter.org Every day, tens of thousands of immigrants are locked behind bars in the United States. Many are detained for months, even years, far from their loved ones and communities.

patrick (2019-04-18). Victory for Boycott HP Campaign: Netherlands Trade Union FNV Drops HP as Partner for its Member Offers. bdsmovement.net Victory for Boycott HP Campaign: Netherlands Trade Union FNV Drops HP as Partner for its Member Offers: UpdateMarking a significant victory for the Boycott HP campaign and the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (FNV), the largest trade union of the Netherlands, with 1.1 million members, has dropped HP as a partner in their offers to thei…

Emily Early, Staff Attorney, Economic Justice Project (2019-04-16). What the Supreme Court ruling could mean for civil asset forfeiture. splcenter.org As the U.S. Supreme Court pointed out on Feb. 20, the constitutional clause that protects Americans from having to pay "excessive fines" traces its lineage to the Magna Carta, which set forth certain rights in England more than 800 years ago.

PACBI (2019-03-30). South African university joins Israel boycott. bdsmovement.net South African university joins Israel boycott: In the NewsTshwane University of Technology, the largest residential university in South Africa, voted to respect the call for the boycott of Israeli institutions complicit in the violation and denial of Palestinian rights. | Academic BoycottDecember 13, 2017 | By: | | Electronic Intifada

Last Process: 44 Citations: 2019-05-01 14:48 GMT (10:49 EST)