Judge Blocks Trump Plan to Add Citizenship Question to Census, Citing "Smorgasbord" of Broken Rules
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-01-16
A federal judge in New York City has ruled against the Trump administration's decision to put a citizenship question on the census. In a lengthy opinion, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman wrote that in deciding to add a citizenship question to the census, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross violated a "veritable smorgasbord" of federal rules and "alternately ignored, cherry-picked, or badly misconstrued the evidence in the record before him." Ross announced the citizenship question in March, touting it as a way to enforce the Voting Rights Act and protect minorities against voter discrimination. Voting rights acti…
www.democracynow.org/2019/1/16/judge_blo…

Honduran Migrants Break Police Barrier, Enter Guatemala
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-01-16
A total of 709 people from the migrant caravan that left Honduras Monday crossed the Guatemalan border on Tuesday with the intention of reaching the United States in search of better living conditions. | RELATED: | US: Human Rights Defenders Protest To Support Migrants | The director of Honduras' Permanent Contingency Commission (Copeco), Lisandro Rosales, said that 359 migrants entered Guatemalan territory in the Agua Caliente's border area. | While another 350 Hondurans broke police bar…
telesurenglish.net/news/Honduran-Migrants-Break-Police-Barrier-Enter-Guatemala-20190116-0006.html

Selected Articles: US War Agenda, Undemocratic Media, Worker's Rights
Global Research News | globalresearch.ca | 2019-01-16
Do you value the reporting and in-depth analysis we provide, free of charge, on a daily basis? Do you think this resource should be maintained and preserved as a research tool for future generations? Bringing you 24/7 updates from all … | The post Selected Articles: US War Agenda, Undemocratic Media, Worker's Rights appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/selected-articles-us-war-agenda-undemocratic-media-workers-rights/5665610

Could Trump's Attorney General Pick William Barr Be "Worse Than Jeff Sessions" on Civil Rights?
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-01-16
Senate confirmation hearings began Tuesday for William Barr, President Trump's nominee for attorney general to replace Jeff Sessions. Barr served as attorney general for George H.W. Bush from 1991 to 1993. During that time, he was involved in the pardon of six Reagan officials for the Iran-Contra scandal and oversaw the opening of the Guantánamo Bay military prison, which was initially used to indefinitely detain Haitian asylum seekers. Barr also openly backed mass incarceration at home and helped develop a secret Drug Enforcement Administration program which became a "blueprint" for the National Security Agency'…
www.democracynow.org/2019/1/16/could_tru…

I'm Out of a Job Because My Boss Didn't Think I Look Like a Woman
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-01-16
A former Chili's employee speaks out after being forced to quit for not dressing more "gender appropriate." | I didn't look the part, so I was forced to quit. | Chili's, where I worked for nearly two years, was starting a new management training program and my superiors encouraged me to apply. It was a great opportunity, and I was excited about the prospect of a promotion. | I was planning to buy a home for the first time, and the pay increase would have helped a lot. I'm a single mother, so what I earn matters. I'm also a lesbian, a part of my identity that influences how I dress. | I'd started working at a Phoe…
aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/womens-rights-workplace/im-out-job-because-my-boss-didnt-think-i-look-woman

Chili's Denied Meagan Hunter a Promotion Because She Needed to 'Dress More Gender Appropriate'
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-01-16
The ACLU is taking action against Chili's, which discriminated against a server for not fitting her boss' idea of what a woman should look like. | Meagan Hunter loved her job as a server at Chili's Grill & Bar in Phoenix, Arizona — and she excelled at it. She was thrilled when her supervisors suggested that she apply for a new training program to become a manager. | In order to learn more about the opportunity, she attended a seminar on Chili's Certified Shift Leader program. She wore a men's button-up shirt, fitted slacks, and boat shoes — an outfit similar to what male managers at Chili's wear. So s…
aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/womens-rights-workplace/chilis-denied-meagan-hunter-promotion-because-she-needed

The WFTU stands on the side of the Los Angeles teachers
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-01-16
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). | The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), representing 95 million workers in 130 countries across the globe, sends its internationalist and militant greetings to the teachers of Los Angeles who took the streets and organized a huge strike in order to defend their labor rights. | During their mobilizations more than 30,000 teachers signed in on picket lines across Los Angeles, more than 900 schools sites also participated while more than 10,000 parents, students and working people showed their soli…
fightbacknews.org/2019/1/16/wftu-stands-side-los-angeles-teachers

Mexico's Truth Commission To Begin Probe of Ayotzinapa Case
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-01-16
The federal government of Mexico signed an order Tuesday which fulfilled its commitment to investigate the Ayotzinapa case and sanction the officials involved in the disappearance of 43 students. | ANALYSIS: | Ayotzinapa 43: Four Years After The Crime That Shocked Mexico | The Commission for Truth and Access to Justice was established for carrying out the inves…
telesurenglish.net/news/Mexicos-Truth-Commission-To-Begin-Probe-of-Ayotzinapa-Case-20190116-0017.html

Trump's Anti-Iran Campaign & NDAA Clause Behind 'Inhumane' Detention of PressTV Anchor Marzieh Hashemi
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2019-01-16
The government's failure to comment on Hashemi's detention makes it difficult to analyze specifically what her arrest means. However, her detainment should serve as a chilling wake-up call for journalists, Muslim Americans, and all U.S. citizens. | The post Trump's Anti-Iran Campaign & NDAA Clause Behind 'Inhumane' Detention of PressTV Anchor Marzieh Hashemi appeared first on MintPress News.
mintpressnews.com/presstv-american-citizen-detained/253904/

Virginia Senate advances Equal Rights Amendment
Emile Schepers | peoplesworld.org | 2019-01-16
RICHMOND, Va.–On Tuesday, January 15, a big step was taken in the effort to make the proposed Equal Rights Amendment the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 98-year effort to get this amendment approved may, at last, be crowned with success. By a large margin, 26 to 14, the 40-member Virginia State Senate …
peoplesworld.org/article/virginia-senate-advances-equal-rights-amendment/

DR Congo ethnic violence kills nearly 900 in a few days: UN
aljazeera | aljazeera.com | 2019-01-16
UN rights office says at least 890 people were killed in ethnic violence over a few days in mid-December.
aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/dr-congo-ethnic-violence-kills-900-days-190116145745786.html

Iranian PressTV journalist held by FBI, denied halal food, hijab removed against her will — network
RT | rt.com | 2019-01-16
A PressTV journalist has been mysteriously detained for over 48 hours by the FBI after she was apprehended at St. Louis Lambert International Airport while traveling to visit family, the network has learned. | …
rt.com/usa/448912-presstv-journalist-arrested-kafkaesque/

Congress Considers Bill to Defend Freedom of People With Disabilities
Shared by Merula Furtado | truthout.org | 2019-01-16
On January 15, disability justice activists celebrated the reintroduction of the Disability Integration Act (DIA). This monumental piece of legislation is an important step forward for the full civil rights of those with disabilities. | The DIA would ensure that people with disabilities have the right to live in their homes and receive services to do so. Insurance companies and state governments would be barred from discriminating against people with disabilities through imposing what is essentially segregation. Far too many of those with disabilities are…
truthout.org/articles/congress-considers-bill-to-defend-freedom-of-people-with-disabilities/

Tech Companies Urged Not to Sell Facial Recognition to Governments
Shared by Cherise | truthout.org | 2019-01-16
In a trio of letters sent Tuesday to executives at Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, a coalition of 90 civil and human rights groups called on the companies to refuse to sell facial recognition technology to governments across the globe, c…
truthout.org/articles/tech-companies-urged-not-to-sell-facial-recognition-to-governments/

William Barr Is a Danger to Civil Rights
Shared by Merula Furtado | truthout.org | 2019-01-16
When William Barr served as attorney general in the early 1990s, the war on drugs and the public panic it generated was reaching a fever pitch. In the years that followed, intensifying law enforcement and mandatory minimum sentencing for drug crimes caused prison populations to explode, devastating communities of color and making the United States the most incarcerated country on the planet. Now, president Trump has nominated Barr to serve as attorney general again. | Has Barr changed since the early 1990s? Civil rights groups demanded to know in the lead-up to the confirmation hearing before the Senate Judici…
truthout.org/articles/william-barr-is-a-danger-to-civil-rights/

México: Guardia Nacional
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-16
Amnistía Internacional hace un análisis, a la luz del derecho internacional de los derechos humanos, respecto de la propuesta de reforma a la Constitución mexicana para crear una Guardia Nacional conformada por elementos de las Fuerzas Armadas y de la Policía Federal.
amnesty.org/en/documents/amr41/9697/2019/es/

#SaveHakeem: Stop the deportation of a Bahraini refugee
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-01-16
Bahraini refugee Hakeem Al-Araibi has been held in detention in Thailand since last November 27. He faces the terrifying prospect of being deported to the country where he was tortured. | Al-Araibi, a semi-professional footballer and former member of the Bahraini national football team, was on his honeymoon and had just landed in Thailand. Australian authorities alerted Thai authorities, whereupon he was arrested. Bahrain is demanding his extradition. | Yahya Alhadid, a spokesperson for the Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, said if Al-Araibi is extradited back to Bahrain he will face "continuous elec…
greenleft.org.au/content/savehakeem-stop-deportation-bahraini-refugee-0

San Francisco March: Annual MLK March/Parade Honoring Civil Rights History
NCDMJCF | indybay.org | 2019-01-16
San Francisco Caltrain Station then march to Yerba Buena Gardens 700 4th Street, San Francisco…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/01/16/18820404.php

An Open Letter to Kate Kendall
Tory, Deeg | indybay.org | 2019-01-16
We were very sorry to hear that you will be participating in an event at Manny's Wednesday night , The State of the LGBT Rights Movement in the US – What are we fighting for?>…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/01/15/18820399.php

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute's Insult to Angela Davis Has Boomeranged
Mairav Zonszein | thenation.com | 2019-01-15
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute's Insult to Angela Davis Has Boomeranged…
thenation.com/article/angela-davis-birmingham-civil-rights-institute/

NAACP Statement on CBS Election 2020 News Team
Rachel Johnson | naacp.org | 2019-01-15
Contact: Malik Russell/mrussell@naacpnet.org BALTIMORE (January 15, 2019) — The nation's leading civil rights organization issued the following statement: "CBS News' decision to not include Black reporters on their 2020 Election news team further proves the voting power and voices of Black America continue to be undervalued. As the voting bloc which will most certainly heavily determine […] | The post NAACP Statement on CBS Election 2020 News Team appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/naacp-statement-cbs-election-2020-news-team/

Will Trump's AG Pick William Barr Face Questions over Gitmo, Mass Incarceration & NSA Surveillance?
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-01-15
Senate confirmation hearings begin today for William Barr, President Trump's nominee for attorney general to replace Jeff Sessions, who was fired in November. Barr served as attorney general for George H.W. Bush from 1991 to 1993. During that time, he was involved in the pardon of six Reagan officials for the Iran-Contra scandal and oversaw the opening of the Guantánamo Bay military prison, which was initially used to indefinitely detain HIV-positive asylum seekers from Haiti. Barr also openly backed mass incarceration at home and helped develop a secret Drug Enforcement Administration program which became a "blu…
www.democracynow.org/2019/1/15/will_trum…

The 'Private Governments' that Subjugate U.S. Workers
Chris Hedges | globalresearch.ca | 2019-01-15
Corporate dictatorships–which strip employees of fundamental constitutional rights, including free speech, and which increasingly rely on temp or contract employees who receive no benefits and have no job security–rule the lives of perhaps 80 percent of working Americans. | These corporations, … | The post The 'Private Governments' that Subjugate U.S. Workers appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/the-private-governments-that-subjugate-u-s-workers/5665548

Media Reports "Good News": Kids Are Dying in Venezuela, Sanctions are Working
David William Pear | globalresearch.ca | 2019-01-15
The Guardian's Tom Phillips' article Venezuela Crisis Takes Deadly Toll on Buckling Health System (January 06, 2019) is more good news for US psychopaths, such as Trump, Bolton and Pompeo. Children are dying in Venezuela. Sanctions are working! | Tom is … | The post Media Reports "Good News": Kids Are Dying in Venezuela, Sanctions are Working… appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/media-reports-good-news-kids-are-dying-in-venezuela-sanctions-are-working/5665440

Court Blocks Trump's Plan to Add a Citizenship Question to 2020 Census
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-01-15
A federal judge has ruled that the citizenship question violated federal law. | A federal court has blocked the Trump administration's decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, stating that it constitutes an "egregious" violation of federal law. The ruling deals a serious blow to the administration's plan to use the 2020 census to attack the financial and political resources of immigrants and communities of color. | In a decision released Tuesday, Judge Jesse M. Furman deter…
aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/fighting-voter-suppression/court-blocks-trumps-plan-add-citizenship-question-2020

In North Carolina, Domestic Violence Laws Still Discriminate Against LGBTQ People
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-01-15
Not all LGBTQ people can get a protective order for domestic violence under North Carolina law. | Same-sex couples in North Carolina won the freedom to marry in 2014, but LGBTQ people continue to be denied equal protection under the law in many other areas of life. | North Carolina is currently the only state in the nation that prevents those in same-sex relationships from accessing protective orders for domestic violence. The ACLU of North Carolina and attorney Amily McCool of the Scharff Law Firm are challenging that unequal policy in court on behalf of a survivor of domestic violence who was denied a protectiv…
aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/lgbt-relationships/north-carolina-domestic-violence-laws-still-discriminate-against

Venezuela and Turkey Unite to Refine Tons of Gold Amid US Sanctions
Middle East Eye | theantimedia.com | 2019-01-15
(MEE) — Venezuela and Turkey are working on a deal to ship tonnes of gold to refine and certify in Turkish city of Corum this year. Facing sanctions and international pressure, Venezuela is increasingly turning to Turkey as a partner in the Middle East. Ankara will provide a host of services to Caracas, including building hospital and …

Venezuela and Turkey Unite to Refine Tons of Gold Amid US Sanctions

Brexit Uncertainty Risks UK Rights
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-01-15
The Union Flag and European Union flag fly in Parliament Square in central London, September 9, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters | The United Kingdom Parliament's decision on Tuesday night to reject decisively the European Union withdrawal agreement leaves the country's future up in the air. | While the Brexit deal Parliament just rejected said little about human rights, it did provide guarantees for the rights of EU citiz…
hrw.org/news/2019/01/15/brexit-uncertainty-risks-uk-rights

Zimbabwe: Crackdown escalates on protests over massive fuel price hikes, hundreds arrested
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
Eight people reportedly killed | Authorities shut down internet | 200 people arbitrarily detained | The Zimbabwean authorities must ensure that the security forces exercise restraint and respect the rights of people protesting against massive fuel price hikes, Amnesty International said on the second day of the national 'shutdown'. | | As a result of the crackdown at least eight p…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/01/zimbabwe-crackdown-escalates-on-protests-over-massive-fuel-price-hikes-hundreds-arrested/

Indonesia: Police must drop 'rebellion' charges against three Papuan political activists
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
Amnesty International and Yayasan Pusaka call on the Regional Papua Police Force (Polda) to drop the "rebellion (makar)" charges under Article 106 of Indonesia's Criminal Code against three Papuan political activists and immediately and unconditionally release them. They were charged and detained solely for exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa21/9688/2019/en/

Russie: La répression homophobe reprend en Tchétchénie
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
Les autorités tchétchènes ont lancé une nouvelle vague d'attaques contre les personnes soupàßonnées d'être gays ou lesbiennes. Au moins 40 personnes ont été détenues arbitrairement et torturées en Tchétchénie, une république du sud de la Russie. Au moins deux personnes seraient mortes des suites d'actes de torture.
amnesty.org/en/documents/eur46/9686/2019/fr/

China: Civil society & scholars call on China to immediately release Uyghur professor Ilham Tohti five years after arrest
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
On the five year anniversary of the arrest of Uighur professor Ilham Tohti, civil society, including Amnesty International, is calling for China to grant his immediate release and to heed calls for the release of an untold number of Uighur scholars currently detained.
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa17/9690/2019/en/

Moàßambique: Jornalista arbitrariamente mantido em detenàßà£o em regime de incomunicabilidade: Amade Abubacar
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
Amade Abubacar, jornalista da rádio comunitária de Nacedje, foi preso no dia 5 de Janeiro de 2019 pela polícia do distrito de Macomia, província de Cabo Delgado, no norte de Moàßambique. A polícia confiscou-lhe o telemóvel, algemou-o e levou-o para a esquadra de Macomia. Amade Abubacar foi preso quando entrevistava civis deslocados que fugiram de suas casas devido à intensificaàßà£o dos violentos ataques no norte de Cabo Delgado. Amade Abubacar está detido em regime de incomunicabilidade, nà£o foi oficialmente acusado de qualquer crime e nà£o lhe foi concedido acesso ao seu advogado.
amnesty.org/en/documents/afr41/9674/2019/pt/

Colombia: Further information: Woman attacked for seeking justice for son: Alfamir Castillo
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
On 11 January, two unidentified men in a motorbike shot three times at the car in which Alfamir Castillo was in a rural area of the municipality of Pradera, Valle del Cauca Department, southern Colombia. Alfamir Castillo was with her husband and two bodyguards granted by the National Protection Unit and were not injured. Alfamir Castillo has faced several threats and attacks for years as she is seeking justice for the unlawful killing of her son by members of the Colombian armed forces.
amnesty.org/en/documents/amr23/9694/2019/en/

China must revoke death sentence against Canadian citizen for drug crimes
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
| Responding to a death sentence given by a Chinese court to Canadian citizen Robert Schellenberg for drug smuggling, William Nee, China researcher at Amnesty International, commented: | "The death sentence given to Robert Schellenberg does not deliver justice. We urge the Chinese authorities to revoke this sentence. Drug-related offences do not meet internation…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/01/china-must-revoke-death-sentence-against-canadian/

INDONESIA: POLISI HARUS MEMBATALKAN TUNTUTAN MAKAR ATAS TIGA AKTIVIS POLITIK PAPUA
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
Amnesty International dan Yayasan Pusaka menyerukan kepala Kepolisian Daerah (Polda) Papua untuk membatalkan tuntutan "makar" berdasarkan Pasal 106 KUHP terhadap tiga aktivis politik Papua dan segera membebaskan mereka tanpa syarat. Mereka dituntut dan ditahan semata-mata karena menggunakan hak atas kebebasan berkumpul dan berekspresi secara damai. Polisi mendakwa mereka secara represif karena merencanakan acara doa bersama.
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa21/9688/2019/id/

Turn yourself into an agent of change with our new online course on the UDHR
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
Defending Dignity: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is open for enrolment and will begin 21 January. The three-week course created by Amnesty International provides an introduction to the revolutionary declaration. | The Universal Declaration of Human Rights relates to all aspects of our lives, whether it is work, education, health, food or housing. When human rights are respected, they often go unnoticed and only become visible when they are being denied. | With Amnesty International's new course, in partnership with FutureLearn, you can turn yourself into an agent of change and equip yourself with know…
amnesty.org/en/latest/education/2019/01/turn-yourself-into-an-agent-of-change-with-our-new-online-course-on-the-udhr/

Russian Federation: Homophobic crackdown in Chechnya resumes
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
The Chechen authorities have unleashed a new wave of attacks on people believed to be gay or lesbian. At least 40 individuals have been arbitrarily detained and tortured in Chechnya, a republic in the south of Russia. At least two people are reported to have been tortured to death.
amnesty.org/en/documents/eur46/9686/2019/en/

Federación Rusa: Se reanuda la represión homófoba en Chechenia
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
Las autoridades chechenas han desatado una nueva oleada de ataques contra personas consideradas gays o lesbianas. Al menos 40 personas han sido detenidas arbitrariamente y torturadas en Chechenia, una república situada al sur de Rusia. Según la información disponible, al menos dos han muerto a consecuencia de la tortura.
amnesty.org/en/documents/eur46/9686/2019/es/

India: Detención administrativa por publicaciones en Facebook
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
Kishorchandra Wangkhem, periodista de Manipur (India), fue detenido en agosto y otra vez en noviembre de 2018 por unas publicaciones en Facebook en las que criticaba al gobierno. Aunque en ambos casos quedó en libertad bajo fianza, el 27 de noviembre fue detenido en aplicación de la Ley de Seguridad Nacional. Esta draconiana ley administrativa permite mantenerlo encarcelado 12 meses sin cargos ni juicio, violando las salvaguardias ordinarias de la justicia penal. El Tribunal Superior de Manipur verá la impugnación presentada por el periodista contra esta detención el 1 de febrero de 2019.
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa20/9687/2019/es/

Colombia: Mujer atacada por buscar justicia para su hijo
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
El 11 de enero, dos hombres no identificados que viajaban en motocicleta realizaron tres disparos contra el automóvil en el que viajaba Alfamir Castillo en una zona rural del municipio de Pradera, departamento de Valle del Cauca, en el sur de Colombia. Alfamir Castillo estaba con su esposo y con dos guardaespaldas proporcionados por la Unidad Nacional de Protección, y ninguno resultó herido. Alfamir Castillo ha sufrido varias amenazas y ataques desde hace años, mientras pide justicia por el homicidio ilegítimo de su hijo a manos de miembros de las fuerzas armadas colombianas.
amnesty.org/en/documents/amr23/9694/2019/es/

Colombie: Une femme a été agressée parce qu'elle demande justice pour son fils
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
Vendredi 11 janvier, deux inconnus à moto ont fait feu à trois reprises sur la voiture où se trouvait Alfamir Castillo, dans une zone rurale de la municipalité de Pradera (département du Valle del Cauca, dans le sud de la Colombie). Alfamir Castillo était avec son époux et deux gardes du corps relevant de l'Unité nationale de protection, et personne n'a été blessé. Alfamir Castillo est victime de menaces et d'agressions depuis des années car elle demande justice pour l'homicide illégal de son fils par des membres des forces colombiennes armée…
amnesty.org/en/documents/amr23/9694/2019/fr/

India: Administrative detention for facebook posts: Kishorchandra Wangkhem
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
Kishorchandra Wangkhem, a journalist based in Manipur, India, was arrested in August, and again in November 2018, because of Facebook posts where he criticised the government. While he was released on bail in both cases, on 27 November, he was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA). This draconian administrative detention law allows for him to be imprisoned for 12 months without charge or trial, in violation of regular criminal justice safeguards. The High Court of Manipur will hear his challenge to his detention under the NSA on 1 February 2019.
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa20/9687/2019/en/

Pompeo's Visit to Bahrain Ignores Rights Issues
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-01-15
US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo is greeted by Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa upon arrival in Manama, Bahrain on January 11, 2019. | © 2019 US Department of State | United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo predictably avoided public discussion of human rights concerns during his recent visit to Bahrain, part of a nine-nation Middle East tour. | During a meeting with the King, Crown Prince, and Foreign Mi…
hrw.org/news/2019/01/15/pompeos-visit-bahrain-ignores-rights-issues

William Barr Has a Long History of Abusing Civil Rights and Liberties in the Name of 'National Security'
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-01-14
Barr's ideas of secret trials, profiling, and discrimination must face congressional scrutiny during his confirmation hearings. | On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin hearings on William Barr's nomination to be the next attorney general of the United States, offering senators an opportunity to scrutinize his record and views. | Such scrutiny is especially crucial in the Trump era. As we've seen throughout his time in office, from imposing the Muslim ban to the recent shutdown fight over border wall funding, President Trump has tried to use "national security" as a pretext to justify discriminator…
aclu.org/blog/national-security/william-barr-has-long-history-abusing-civil-rights-and-liberties-name

Venezuela: Self-Proclaimed 'Interim President' Released After 'Irregular' Detention
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-01-14
The officers responsible have been detained and suspended, reportedly on Maduro's orders.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14218

USA: Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee in advance of the adoption of list of issues priort to reporting
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-14
This submission highlights Amnesty International's concerns in relation to the implementation of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights in the United States of America in advance of the adoption of the List of Issues Prior to Reporting for the fifth periodic report. | Amnesty International provides documentation on issues in the USA related to the obstacles to implementation at the domestic level; the continued use of the death penalty; the use of lethal force by law enforcement; the prevalence of gun violence and the failure to protect the right to life; the failure to respect sexual and repro…
amnesty.org/en/documents/amr51/9684/2019/en/

Finland: Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee in advance of the adoption of the list of issues prior to reporting
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-14
Amnesty International provides the below information to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee (the Committee) ahead of the adoption of the list of issues prior to reporting in advance of the 7th periodic report of Finland at its 125th session in March 2019. | This submission sets out some of Amnesty International's key concerns about the fulfilment of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the Covenant), and in particular with regard to violence against women (Articles 2-3, 7 and 26), forced marriage (Articles 2 and 23), discrimination on the grounds of gender, gender identity and sexu…
amnesty.org/en/documents/eur20/9685/2019/en/

Laura Loomer & illegal immigrants crash Nancy Pelosi's California estate
RT | rt.com | 2019-01-14
Conservative activist Laura Loomer invaded the Napa Valley estate of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and set up a 'sanctuary' for illegal immigrants, amid the ongoing government shutdown over funding the border wall. | …
rt.com/usa/448814-laura-loomer-pelosi-protest/

Shuttered IRS Is Sending Automated Warnings of Asset Seizures, With Nobody to Call to Stop Them
David Dayen | theintercept.com | 2019-01-14
The letter from the IRS is dated December 24, 2018, the Monday after the start of the government shutdown. The headline reads, "Notice of intent to seize (levy) your property or rights to property." It describes how the recipient, Aaron Caddel, owner of a small chain of boutique bakeries called Mr. Holmes Bakehouse, has 30 days to pay the tens of thousands of dollars allegedly owed the government or face seizure of the funds from his company's bank account. | Caddel, who has two stores in Los Angeles and one in San Francisco, insists that the entire issue is a misunders…
theintercept.com/2019/01/14/irs-shutdown-federal-government-shut-down-irs-asset-seizures/