(2019-07-03). Thousands of Voices Are Telling the Supreme Court: Don't Roll Back LGBTQ Rights. aclu.org Businesses, women CEOs, civil rights organizations, Republicans tell the Supreme Court to protect LGBTQ employees like Aimee Stephens and Don Zarda. | President Trump has told the Supreme Court it should be legal to fire someone just because they're LGBTQ. The President may be a bully, but he's just one voice. Today, more than 2,000 voices from across the country joined together to tell the Supreme Court: Don't roll back our rights. | The message came in the form of friend-of-the-court briefs—nearly 50 in all—filed in a…
(2019-07-03). Assange Is Trapped in the Web of the US Legal Empire. truthout.org WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange may have been described by British foreign affairs minister Alan Duncan as a " miserable little worm," but his situation is in fact far more like that of a fly, trapped in the web of a powerful predator. | On June 13, British Home Secretary Sajid Javid signed off on the United States's request to extradite Assange from the U…
(2019-07-03). 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.
(2019-07-03). Australian workers and youth speak out in defence of Assange at SEP rally. wsws.org "No other political party, none of the human rights groups are acting. Amnesty is doing nothing! Getup is doing nothing!"
(2019-07-03). Candles for Assange. indybay.org Meet at Los Gatos Library Lawn 7pm – 9pm…
(2019-07-03). Basta !!! Free Chelsea Manning & Julien Assange Oakland Weekly Friday Vigil. indybay.org MacArthuR and fruitvale oakland 94602…
(2019-07-02). 2020 Census Form Will Not Include Citizenship Question, Trump Administration Says. theintercept.com The Trump administration admitted defeat on Tuesday, confirming that forms for the 2020 U.S. census will not include a question asking residents who respond to the survey if they are U.S. citizens. The change of plans follows last week's Supreme Court decision that the Commerce Department had failed to provide a valid reason for adding the question. | The news was conveyed in an email from the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to lawyers who had contested the effort in lawsuits, and confirmed to The Intercept by…
(2019-07-02). After Supreme Court Refusal, It's Up to the People to End Gerrymandering. globalresearch.ca The Supreme Court has abdicated its responsibility to strike down partisan gerrymandering. This occurs when one party intentionally manipulates district boundaries to skew its voting power, notwithstanding the will of the voters. Although both parties engage in partisan gerrymandering, Republicans …
(2019-07-02). The Only Hope Left of Ending Partisan Gerrymandering. truthdig.com This piece first appeared in Truthout. | The Supreme Court has abdicated its responsibility to strike down partisan gerrymandering. This occurs when one party intentionally manipulates district boundaries to skew its voting power, notwithstanding the will of the voters. Although both parties engage in partisan gerrymandering, Republicans benefit from it far more than Democrats. | Chief Just…
(2019-07-02). 2020 Census Form Will Not Include Citizenship Question, Trump Administration Says. theintercept.com The Trump administration admitted defeat on Tuesday, confirming that forms for the 2020 United States census will not include a question asking residents who respond to the survey if they are U.S. citizens. The change of plans follows last week's Supreme Court decision that the Commerce Department had failed to provide a valid reason for adding the question. | The news was conveyed in an email from the Justice Department's Civil Rights division to lawyers who had contested the effort in lawsuits, and confirmed to The Inte…
(2019-07-02). Census Will Be Printed Without Citizenship Question. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — Days after the U.S. Supreme Court halted the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday started the process of printing the questionnaire without the controversial query. | Trump administration attorneys notified parties in lawsuits challenging the question that the printing of the hundreds of millions of documents for the 2020 counts would be starting, said Kristen Clarke, executive director of the National Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. | Justice Department spokeswoman Kelly Laco confirmed there would be "no citizenship question on…
(2019-07-02). Trump administration orders printing 2020 census forms without citizenship question. rt.com 
Opponents of returning a question about US citizenship onto census forms in 2020 are rejoicing as the Trump administration confirmed it would start printing the forms without it, following a mixed opinion from the Supreme Court.
(2019-07-02). Trump Retreats on 2020 Census Citizenship Question. telesurenglish.net The United States (U.S.) government has backed down from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. census, saying that it will begin printing forms without the query. | RELATED: | Trump: Dictators' Kids Will Benefit From Birthright Citizenship | "I respect the Supreme Court but strongly disagree with its ruling regarding my decision to reinstate a citizenship question on the 2020 census," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement, adding that the "Census Bureau has…
(2019-07-02). US Downing of Iranian Airliner Gone From History. globalresearch.ca This article was first published on July 2, 2018, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the downing of Iran Air Flight 655 on July 3, 1988. Having found no evidence, Western powers continue to blame Russia for…
(2019-07-02). The Mainstream Media Won't Name US Military Aggression. truthout.org Headlined "U.S. Seeks Other Ways to Stop Iran Shy of War," the article was tucked away on page A9 of a recent New York Times. Still, it caught my attention. Here's the first paragraph: | "American intelligence and military officers are working on additional clandestine plans to counter Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf, pushed by the White House to develop new options that could help deter Tehran without escalating tensions into a full-out conventional war, according to current and forme…
(2019-07-02). Is CIA Behind Hong Kong Protests? dissidentvoice.org RT America's Michele Greenstein joins Rick Sanchez to discuss the ongoing protests in Hong Kong and the "National Endowment for Democracy," the US-based NGO funding the protesters.
(2019-07-02). UK: GCHQ/MI5 admit illegally spying on millions. wsws.org Their admissions were the result of a court case brought by the civil rights group Liberty.
(2019-07-02). If war breaks out with Iran, it won't be an accident. nationofchange.org Some things are still unclear about Trump's recent decision to bomb Iran — and his rapid-fire follow-up decision not to. | We still don't know what he or his bomb-Iran cheerleaders — National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — thought the bombing would actually accomplish. We also don't know why Trump decided to recall the bombers. (Trump claimed it's because a general told him 150 people would die in the attack. But given Trump's indifference to civilia…
(2019-07-02). If war breaks out with Iran, it won't be an accident. greenleft.org.au 
Some things are still unclear about US President Donald Trump's recent decision to bomb Iran — and his rapid-fire follow-up decision not to. | We still do not know what he or his bomb-Iran cheerleaders — National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — thought the bombing would actually accomplish. | We also do not know why Trump decided to recall the bombers. (Trump claimed it was because a general told him 150 people would die in the attack. But given Trump's indifference to civilian c…
(2019-07-01). Urban League President Morial: "We Must Not Let Our Guard Down" Because Supreme Court Temporarily Blocked Trump's Bigoted Census Citizenship Question. blackstarnews.com 
National Urban League President Marc Morial: "We must not let our guard down" because Supreme Court temporarily blocked Census citizenship question… | Civil rights groups and advocates for a fair census breathed a sigh of relief this week when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's "contrived" justification for adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census. | However, the court did not categorically rule out the addition of a question, should the administration eventually provide sufficient justification. | We must not let down our guard. | We have known from the beginning that the additi…
(2019-07-01). The Supreme Court Is in Danger of Again Becoming 'the Grave of Liberty'. thenation.com The Supreme Court Is in Danger of Again Becoming 'the Grave of Liberty'
(2019-07-01). Interview with Jose "Cha Cha" Jimenez on original Rainbow Coalition. fightbacknews.org There are many 50-year anniversaries being celebrated these days, including the founding of the Young Lords on September 23, 1968, and the Rainbow Coalition in April 1969. | Fight Back! interviewed the founder of the Young Lords, Jose "Cha Cha" Jimenez, about the original Rainbow Coalition. The powers ruling Chicago were struck with fear when the Rainbow Coalition came together. The United States government and the FBI repressed the groups of the Rainbow Coalition with the courts and violence in the form of COINTELPRO, the counter-intelligence program. The Rainbow Coalition inspired many activists in the late 196…
(2019-07-01). Interview with Jose "Cha Cha" Jimenez on original Rainbow Coalition. fightbacknews.org There are many 50-year anniversaries being celebrated these days, including the founding of the Young Lords on September 23, 1968, and the Rainbow Coalition in April 1969. | Fight Back! interviewed the founder of the Young Lords, Jose "Cha Cha" Jimenez, about the original Rainbow Coalition. The powers ruling Chicago were struck with fear when the Rainbow Coalition came together. The United States government and the FBI repressed the groups of the Rainbow Coalition with the courts and violence in the form of COINTELPRO, the counter-intelligence program. The Rainbow Coalition inspired many activists in the late 196…
(2019-07-01). Intel agencies may be reined in after Russiagate fiasco – ex-Trump adviser Papadopoulos. rt.com 
The "deep state" that helped orchestrate Russiagate is now running for cover, George Papadopoulos told RT's Going Underground, predicting that US intelligence agencies could face new oversight as a result of the scandal. |
(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."
(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…
(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…
(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.
(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.
(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…
(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…
(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 …
(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.
(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.
(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…
(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…
(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.
(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…
(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.
(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."
(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.