2019-07-01: News Headlines

WSWS (2019-07-01). UN Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer exposes propaganda and censorship in Assange reporting. wsws.org Melzer was offered various reasons by newspaper editors for rejecting an op-ed on Assange: "Some of them said it wasn't high enough on their news agenda, some of them said it wasn't within their core area of interest."

Labor Video Project (2019-07-01). SF PRIDE 2019 "One Job Is Enough!" Unite Here Local 2 & Free Chelsea & Assange. indybay.org At San Francisco PRIDE march and rally on June 30, 2019, Unite Here Local 2 workers and leaders talked about why they support PRIDE and also supporters of Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange marched and talked about the jailin of Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange.

WSWS repost (2019-07-01). Watch: Chris Marsden's speech to Paris meeting to demand freedom for Assange and Manning. indybay.org "No one who is seriously committed to the defence of democratic rights can stand on the sidelines. The case of Julian Assange is a critical twenty-first century battleground in the defence of free speech, truth, and the fight against exploitation, dictatorship and war, the basic evils of the world capitalist system."

Bay Action for Assange (2019-07-01). Candles for Assange. indybay.org Meet at Los Gatos Library Lawn 7pm – 9pm…

WSWS (2019-07-01). SEP (Australia) holds Sydney rally in defence of Assange and Manning. wsws.org "If two million people can come out on the streets of Hong Kong against extradition legislation, then we can surely build such a mass popular movement on a global scale to free Assange and Manning."

WSWS (2019-07-01). Renewed push towards authoritarian rule in Brazil after exposures in Car Wash probe. wsws.org The publishing of leaked messages concerning the trial of Lula has led to government threats of repression and charges of collusion with Russian intelligence.

Dan Cohen (2019-07-01). How Sen. Rick Scott Became Big Oil's Point Man on Venezuelan Regime Change. globalresearch.ca The US oil cartel has given Florida's Rick Scott 500 million reasons to be one of the Senate's most fanatical cheerleaders for toppling Venezuela's leftist government. | *** | While National Security Advisor John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, …

Prof. Marjorie Cohn (2019-07-01). Calling Trump's Rationale "Contrived," Supreme Court Halts Citizenship Question. globalresearch.ca In a surprise decision, Chief Justice John Roberts, joined by the four liberal members of the Supreme Court — Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor — halted the Trump administration's plans, at least …

Global Research News (2019-06-30). Selected Articles: Demasking the Torture of Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca Do you value the reporting and in-depth analysis provided by Global Research on a daily basis? | Click to | * * * | | Capitalist Development and Community Demolitions

Marjorie Cohn (2019-06-30). Supreme Court's Shock Decision Is an Indictment of Trump's Racism. truthdig.com The highest court in the land puts a halt to the Trump administration's plans to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census—for now.

Staff (2019-06-30). The Muslim Ban: A Family Separation Policy. truthout.org Just shy of the one year anniversary of the Supreme Court's June 2018 decision allowing the Trump administration to fully implement the Muslim ban for the foreseeable future, the State Department published a report showing the ban's devastating impact on American families. The administration isn't just separating families at…

Staff (2019-06-29). U.S., Taliban Open New Talks to End Afghanistan War. truthdig.com Negotiations resume in Qatar days after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Washington wants an Afghan peace agreement before Sept. 1.

Staff (2019-06-29). State Redistricting a Target for "Dark Money" After Supreme Court Ruling. truthout.org Redistricting for the next decade will be up to the states after the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that federal courts do not have the power to rule on partisan gerrymandering, the practice by which lawmakers draw maps that flagrantly benefit their own party. | The decision will make the control of state legislatures a priority for both parties in 2020, as — in the majority of states — the state lawmakers in power draw the maps for congressional districts. The ruling could also increase calls for nonpartis…

Paul Atwood (2019-06-28). From Cyber War to Omnicide? counterpunch.org Will the Justice Department and all those calling for the heads of Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange now demand that the publishers of the hallowed New York Times be punished for their transgression of revealing our government's cyber warfare against Russia? The front page article is titled "U.S. Buries Digital Land Mines To Menace Russia's Power Grid." Many citizens undoubtedly feel that this is just payback for the long decreed turpitude of the Russians for interfering with our "democracy." Of course there is nothing new about this…the cyber warfare that is. One could make the case that such has been ongoing…

Paul Atwood (2019-06-28). From Cyber War to Omnicide? counterpunch.org Will the Justice Department and all those calling for the heads of Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange now demand that the publishers of the hallowed New York Times be punished for their transgression of revealing our government's cyber warfare against Russia? The front page article is titled "U.S. Buries Digital Land Mines To Menace Russia's Power Grid." Many citizens undoubtedly feel that this is just payback for the long decreed turpitude of the Russians for interfering with our "democracy." Of course there is nothing new about this…the cyber warfare that is. One could make the case that such has been ongoing…

John Kiriakou (2019-06-28). The Military Industrial Complex Loves Left Wing Hawk Adam Schiff. mintpressnews.com If there was any doubt at all that Adam Schiff is in the grip of the military-industrial complex, one doesn't have to rely just on his stated positions on Iran, Venezuela, and China to make the situation any clearer. Just take a look at his donors.

Keegan Hankes, Intelligence Project (2019-06-28). SPLC: Sentencing of James Alex Fields Jr., who killed Heather Heyer at 'Unite the Right,' will not heal victims or their families. splcenter.org James Alex Fields Jr., who was sentenced to life in prison today for murdering a woman who was protesting a white supremacist rally two years ago, is a remorseless killer and a domestic terrorist.

Michael T. Klare (2019-06-28). Trump Will Stumble Into War Against Iran—Unless We Stop Him. thenation.com Trump Will Stumble Into War Against Iran—Unless We Stop Him…

Jason Ditz (2019-06-28). At G20, Trump Seeks Fresh Start With Putin After End of Mueller Inquiry. theantimedia.com (ANTIWAR.COM) — President Trump arrived in Osaka, Japan on Thursday evening, and is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday afternoon. This will be their first meeting since last year in Helsinki, and a huge deal, as US and Russia relations have been suffering mightily in recent years. Trump and other officials have …

Staff (2019-06-28). Headlines for June 28, 2019. democracynow.org Supreme Court Says Partisan Gerrymandering Can't Be Challenged in Federal Courts, Trump Threatens to Delay Census After Supreme Court Blocks Adding Citizenship Question, Kamala Harris Takes on Joe Biden over Working with Segregationists and His Opposition to Busing, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Decries New Border Bill as an Unacceptable Betrayal, U.S. Helps Block Progress at German Climate Summit as Europe Sizzles in Record Heat, With a Smile, Trump Tells Putin at G20 Not to Meddle in U.S. Elections, Trump's Chief of Diplomatic Protocol Resigns After Accused of Carrying Whip at Work, Brazilian Air Force Officer…

Special To The Black Star News (2019-06-28). Silicon Valley Immigration Lobby Group: Supreme Court's Decision To Hear Arguments On Ending DACA "Deeply Disappointing" blackstarnews.com ALBANY, NY — FWD.us New York Immigration Manager Eddie A. Taveras issued the following statement today on the Supreme Court's decision to grant certiorari and hear arguments on the termination of DACA: | "For the 32,000 DACA recipients in New York, the Supreme Court's decision to hear arguments on the termination of this vital program is deeply disappointing and will force Dreamers to continue to live their lives in fear and uncertainty. We encourage all eligible DACA recipients to renew as soon as possible, which is more important than ever given today's decision. We are proud to work with our partners on…

Staff (2019-06-28). Supreme Court Hands GOP Big Victory on Gerrymandering, Ensuring "Massive Election Rigging" democracynow.org The Supreme Court hands down two major decisions. The first is a victory for Republicans, allowing extreme partisan gerrymandering to continue. The other temporarily blocks the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question on the 2020 census. We get response from Ari Berman, senior writer at Mother Jones, a reporting fellow at the Type Media Center and author of "Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America." He says the ruling that federal courts can't resolve claims of partisan gerrymandering is "almost guaranteed to facilitate massive election rigging in the future."

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-06-28). 'The Damage Has Been Done': Despite Court Ruling, Experts Say Trump Succeeded in Making Immigrant Communities Fearful of Census. commondreams.org Despite the U.S. Supreme Court's rejection of the Trump administration's attempt to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 census, rights advocates said Friday, the damage to immigrant communities across the country is likely already done. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-115229094811.jpg

ACLU (2019-06-28). Georgia Tried to Ban Abortion, So We Sued. aclu.org Abortion bans place people in danger, and Georgia's is no exception. | Alabama. Arkansas. Kentucky. Ohio. And today, Georgia. That's the list of states where the ACLU has had to go to court over the last few months to challenge laws banning abortion. | The Georgia law bans abortion at six weeks of pregnancy and is in clear violation of the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade. In fact, that is the whole point of the law. Georgia politicians, including Governor Brian Kemp, emboldened by President Trump's appointment of two new justices to the Supreme Court, think this is their chance to get the court to take aw…

Maryam Saleh (2019-06-27). A Whistleblower Pointed to ICE Abuse of Solitary Confinement. Now Pressure Mounts for Congressional Investigation. theintercept.com A government watchdog wants a full accounting for abuses against people detained by ICE — and how an internal whistleblower came to be ignored.

Special To The Black Star News (2019-06-27). Leaders Hail U.S. Supreme Court's Repudiation of Trump's Bid to add Citizen Question in Census 2020. blackstarnews.com Egg on his face. Trump is repudiated by SCOTUS in Census ploy. Photo: Gage Skidmore | Elected representatives and activist have praised the move by the U.S. Supreme Court to block the Trump administration's attempt to add a citizen question to the 2020 Census and the president has asked his advisors if the count can be delayed. Opponents of Trump's bid to include a citizenship question feared it would have resulted in gross undercounts. | "The Supreme Court's decision to block the Trump Administration's inclusion of a citizenship question on the U.S. Census is an important win for our count…

Staff (2019-06-27). Supreme Court's Gerrymandering Decision a Danger to Democracy. therealnews.com Justice Kagan's minority opinion calls out the threat that the decision represents to our right to vote and to our democratic future. Suzanne Almeida of Common Cause discusses the implications…

Austyn Ross (2019-06-27). Statements by Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, on Supreme Court's Democracy Rulings. naacp.org Statement on Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisek: "The Court's rulings today upend our democratic principles by allowing party politics to determine the outcomes of our elections. Extreme partisan gerrymandering has infected our electoral process for far too long. Exercise of the franchise, which many fought and even died for, must not be …

Mark Gruenberg (2019-06-27). A loss and a win: Supreme Court OKs gerrymandering, blocks census citizenship question. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Workers, including African-Americans, Latinos, and other minorities, lost one of the biggest U.S. Supreme Court decisions in years, as the justices, on a party-line 5-4 vote, allowed political gerrymandering to continue. The majority called gerrymandering "a political question" only the states can solve. But those same groups got a split decision on the other key …

ACLU (2019-06-27). Supreme Court Finds that Wilbur Ross Lied To Put Citizenship Question on the 2020 Census. aclu.org The ruling affirms that the Trump administration cannot offer pretextual reasons to cover up its anti-immigrant attacks. | This morning, the Supreme Court told the country what we and our clients have long known: that Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross provided a false reason for his decision to add a citizenship question to the Decennial Census. The court explained that the Trump administration's stated reason for adding a citizenship question—enf…

splcenter (2019-06-27). SPLC: Supreme Court decision not to stop politicians from rigging voting maps hurts our democracy. splcenter.org The Supreme Court decided today that federal courts have no role in regulating state legislatures' gross abuses of power when drawing political lines.

Staff (2019-06-26). DHS Whistleblower Who Spoke Out Against Obama-Era Immigration Jails Condemns Conditions on Border. democracynow.org Immigration jails along the southern border are facing heightened scrutiny following horrific reports of dirty and unhygienic conditions at a detention center in Clint, Texas, and other facilities. We speak with government whistleblower Dr. Scott Allen, who was hired in 2014 to inspect facilities where immigrant families are incarcerated, who says degrading conditions for jailed migrants date back to Obama's presidency. He is calling for more government transparency about conditions in immigration facilities, saying, "I think most Americans, if they were confronted with the humanity of what we are doing here, wou…

Frank Scott (2019-06-26). Assange and Trump: Real Hero, Fake Villain. dissidentvoice.org The rapid descent of the nation, the system and the planet under the domain of private-profit-first capitalism continues with opposition growing but still far too much acceptance that only agrees to new employees at the level of state rule who represent the same class interests but in more polite forms. This means some benefits for …

Paul Dobson (2019-06-26). Abrams Welcomes Venezuela's Former Intelligence Chief to the US, Reaffirms Trump's Commitment to Ousting Maduro. venezuelanalysis.com The press conference came as the Venezuelan military called for respect from those looking to break it.

William Boardman (2019-06-26). Aggressive US Lies and Misleads to Justify War on Iran. dissidentvoice.org It is the assessment of the United States Government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today. This assessment is based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping, and the fact …

Paul Dobson (2019-06-26). Abrams Welcomes Venezuela's Former Intelligence Chief to the US, Reaffirms Trump's Commitment to Ousting Maduro. venezuelanalysis.com The press conference came as the Venezuelan military called for respect from those looking to fracture it.

Staff (2019-06-26). Headlines for June 26, 2019. democracynow.org DHS Moves 100 Children Back to Texas Border Patrol Station Deemed Unsafe and "Inhumane", House Passes Contentious $4.5 Billion Emergency Border Bill, "Defund Hate Campaign" Activists Call for Action on Migrant Deaths and Detention, Trump Threatens to "Obliterate" Iran as Bipartisan Reps Seek to Avoid Unauthorized Strikes, Robert Mueller to Testify Before House in July, Tiffany Cabán Leading Queens DA Race, U.S. and N. Korea in Talks for Third Summit, Pompeo Says U.S. Hoping for a Peace Deal and Ready to Pull Out Troops in Afghanistan, Spanish Supreme Court Ups Conviction of Men Who Raped and Filmed Teenager in 20…

ACLU (2019-06-26). Raising our Voices for Equality at Stonewall and the Supreme Court. aclu.org 50 years after the riots at Stonewall, we are telling the Supreme Court not to roll back protections for LGBTQ people. | It's been half a century since the Stonewall uprising began on June 28, 1969, the reason we celebrate Pride each June. But there's another fitting date to commemorate this month, and it falls just two days before the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. | June 26 marks the anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in 2003 striking down state laws that criminalized same-sex intimacy. T…

Staff (2019-06-24). Ola Bini, Privacy Activist and Julian Assange Friend, Speaks Out After Release from Ecuadorian Jail. democracynow.org Last week, an Ecuadorian judge ordered the release of Swedish programmer and data privacy activist Ola Bini, who spent more than two months in jail without charge. Bini is a friend of WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange. He was arrested in Quito on the same day that Assange was forcibly taken by British authorities from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. We speak with Ola Bini in Quito, where he remains under investigation for allegedly hacking the Ecuadorian government. He says, "Through the whole process, 70 days in prison, and all of the days since, we've been asking the prosecution to tell us what it is I have don…

Brian Becker (2019-06-19). Exposed: The Pentagon's cyberwar against Russia. liberationnews.org Five years before Robert Mueller was appointed Special Counsel to investigate the allegation that Russia interfered in the 2016 election and had conspired with the Trump campaign, the Pentagon had been waging secret cyberattacks against Russia's electrical grid.

Vanessa Mbonu (2019-06-17). NAACP Statement on Supreme Court's decision to Reverse Partisan Gerrymandering in Virginia. naacp.org "Today's decision is a win for democracy. The Supreme Court declined to disturb the lower court's ruling that 11 Virginia legislative districts were drawn so as to "pack" African-American voters into a small number of districts, thus diminishing their voting strength across the state. The legislative map has already been redrawn to correct this unlawful …

Paul Dobson (2019-06-06). Venezuela: Pompeo Exposes Frustration Over Opposition Divisions as China, Russia Call for Non-Interference. venezuelanalysis.com The US Secretary of State claims efforts to unify the opposition have been "devilishly difficult."

CGTN America (2019-06-03). Why is the US targeting Huawei? cgtn.com Huawei is the world's largest provider of smartphones, but the U.S. is accusing it of spying on behalf of the Chinese government, increasing tensions ahead of a looming trade war. The Heat Podcast talks with senior correspondent Nathan King about the controversy.