Daily Archives: May 21, 2019

2019-05-21: News Headlines

Staff (2019-05-21). Trump Says the Military Industrial Complex is Pressuring him Into a War With Iran. therealnews.com With a thirty year Boeing veteran at the Pentagon, Patrick Shanahan as Acting Secretary of Defense, and with John Bolton and Mike Pompeo at the helm, war with Iran is likely says the former chief of staff to Secretary of State, Col. Larry Wilkerson…

Amy Goodman (2019-05-21). Bottle of lies: How poor FDA oversight & fraud in generic drug industry threaten patients' health. nationofchange.org In her new explosive book "Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom," investigative journalist Katherine Eban works with two industry whistleblowers to expose how some manufacturers are cutting corners at the cost of quality and safety.

Maryam Saleh (2019-05-21). A Homeland Security Whistleblower Goes Public About ICE Abuse of Solitary Confinement. theintercept.com Ellen Gallagher was stunned when she first learned that immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement were sometimes placed in isolation with no human contact for 22 hours a day. It was February 2014, only a few months into her stint as a policy adviser at the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, where she thought she'd be empowered to ensure that the department did not violate the rights of those who came into its crosshairs. | For the next several months, Gallagher educated herself on solitary confinement, a controversial practice used frequently in penal i…

plenglish (2019-05-21). Colombia's Supreme Court Accepts Attorney General's Resignation. plenglish.com 21 de mayo de 2019, 16: 18Bogota, May 21 (Prensa Latina) Colombian Supreme Court of Justice accepted on Tuesday Nestor Martinez"s firm resignation as Attorney General of the Nation; he alleged to leave office due to disagreements with the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).

plenglish (2019-05-21). Santrich Case Goes to Supreme Court of Colombia. plenglish.com 21 de mayo de 2019, 09: 12Bogota, May 21 (Prensa Latina) Colombia"s Supreme Court of Justice will have to solve, starting on Tuesday, the competences to try former Commander Jesus Santrich, after his defense attorneys challenged the guarantee judge.

Taryn Fivek (2019-05-21). An answer to attacks on abortion is classwide fightback. workers.org Banning abortion in the year 2019 will not result in a world that looks anything like life before 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade, functionally making abortion legal in all 50 U.S. states and colonized Puerto Rico. Too much has changed since then. Struggles that . . . | Continue reading An answer to attacks on abortion is classwide fightback at Workers.org

Bruce Clark (2019-05-21). The Sovereign Indigenous Power of Veto in Canada. dissidentvoice.org 1. The Supreme Court of Canada in Tsilhqot'in Nation v. British Columbia, 2014 S.C.C. 44, [2014] 2 S.C.R. 256 erred as a matter of law by interpreting section 35(1): — in breach of the maxim1 interpretatio cessat in claris [interpretation stops when a text is clear]; since, as held in R. v. Nicholas, 232 A.P.R. 248, …

Staff (2019-05-21). Russians Have Meddled in 36 Elections. The US Has Meddled in 81. truthout.org In this country, reactions to the Mueller report have been all-American beyond belief. Let's face it, when it comes to election meddling, it's been me, me, me, 24/7 here. Yes, in some fashion some set of Russians meddled in the last election campaign, whether it was, as Jared Kushner improbably claimed, "a couple of Facebook ads" or, as the Mueller report described it, "the Russian government interfer[ing]… in sweeping and systematic fashion." | But let me mention just a few of the things th…

Adam H. Johnson (2019-05-21). Warren and Sanders Understand the Power of 'The Bad Guy'. truthdig.com Progressive activist Norman Solomon offers a succinct description of neoliberalism: an ideology that sees victims but never victimizers. Bad things just happen. They're the product of mysterious, unaccountable and ill-defined "market forces." Factories just close, endless wars just "erupt," the Nasdaq just crashes and our 401K and home equity just evaporate. No one specifically is responsible. And when someone is, around the margins, it's a handful of faceless Arabs off in a cave somewhere or, increasingly, anonymous "Russians." Our military and intelligence services are off fighting those Bad Guys. Trust us. | B…

WSWS (2019-05-21). Former Ecuadorian consul Fidel Narváez denounces search and confiscation of Assange's possessions. wsws.org The WSWS spoke to Fidel Narváez, former consul at the Ecuadorian embassy, who was among protesters opposing plans for the police to search and confiscate the possessions of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

WSWS (2019-05-21). On the spot report: Ecuador's government colludes with Washington to seize Julian Assange's possessions. wsws.org Supporters of Assange began gathering by 8 a.m. yesterday outside the embassy to witness and denounce the search and seizure.

WSWS (2019-05-21). 27th weekly "yellow vest" rally in France: Protesters defend Assange, denounce war. wsws.org Tens of thousands of "yellow vests" continue to defy police crackdowns and the French government's provocative claims that it has satisfied all their demands.

WSWS (2019-05-21). US media silent on re-jailing of Chelsea Manning. wsws.org The attack on Manning and Assange is part of much broader global assault on basic democratic rights, including freedom of speech, the press and the internet.

BAACFJA (2019-05-21). Emergency Action: No U.S. Extradition of Julian Assange – Free Speech. indybay.org Federal Building | 90 7th St. | San Francisco…

WSWS (2019-05-21). Mass support for Assange as workers and youth oppose militarism and war. wsws.org Many workers passionately oppose the persecution of Assange and Manning hailing them as "heroes," "legends" and similar appellations.

Democracy Now! (2019-05-20). Bottle of Lies: How Poor FDA Oversight & Fraud in Generic Drug Industry Threaten Patients' Health. democracynow.org Generic drugs amount to 90% of all prescriptions filled in the U.S., most of them made in plants in India and China. Generic drugs can be more affordable, but in her new explosive book "Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom," investigative journalist Katherine Eban works with two industry whistleblowers to expose how some manufacturers are cutting corners at the cost of quality and safety. This comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just issued its own update on the state of pharmaceutical quality that found the drug quality of factories in India and China scored below the world averag…

ACLU (2019-05-20). Alabama's Abortion Ban Is a Political Stunt That Will Cost Its Taxpayers. aclu.org The draconian law is a flagrantly unconstitutional attack on more than 40 years of established Supreme Court precedent. | This piece originally appeared at the Alabama Political Reporter. | For years, the Alabama legislature has been passing laws that push abortion out of reach. Now politicians have finally shown their true colors and are trying to ban abortion outright. | On Wednesday, Governor Ivey signed H.B. 314 — one of the most extreme attacks on the ri…

Staff (2019-05-20). Trump Appointees Refuse to Say They Support Brown v. Board of Education. therealnews.com 65 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 to end school segregation. Now Trump's appointees to the federal bench and Department of Justice refuse to say they support it. What does the future hold?

John Nichols (2019-05-20). Republican Congressman Justin Amash Breaks Party Ranks to Call Trump's Conduct Impeachable. thenation.com Republican Congressman Justin Amash Breaks Party Ranks to Call Trump's Conduct Impeachable…

WSWS (2019-05-20). Trump manoeuvres in economic war against China. wsws.org US intelligence chiefs have held meetings with major American companies, providing them with classified information to warn of the dangers of doing business in China.

Democracy Now! (2019-05-20). Headlines for May 20, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Threatens "Official End of Iran" Via Tweet If It Provokes the U.S., First Phase of Kushner's Middle East Peace Plan to Focus on Palestinian Economy, Sweden Requests Detention of Assange as WikiLeaks Accuses U.S. of Illegally Seizing His Property, Australian Voters Choose Conservative PM Morrison Over Opponent Who Vowed to Tackle Climate Change, Austria Calls Snap Election After Far-Right Leader Caught in Corruption Scandal, Protesters Take to the Streets Ahead of European Parliament Elections, Narendra Modi on Track for Second Term as Prime Minister as Voting Ends in India, Taiwan Legalizes Same-Sex Marriag…

Staff (2019-05-19). Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Is Being Pushed By 'Islamophobia Industry'. therealnews.com Civil rights lawyer and activist Arjun Singh Sethi says, "Even the CIA actually came out and said it would be a mistake, because in many ways the Muslim Brotherhood more recently has been a force of moderation and democratization in the Middle East."

Staff (2019-05-19). New Abortion Laws 'Go Against Common Sense'. therealnews.com Conservatives have launched a new attack on abortion rights, which go against both medical science and common sense, says Anoa Changa, but the point is to bring the issue to the new conservative Supreme Court majority…

Consortiumnews (2019-05-18). For the Latest News on WikiLeaks Watch the 30th Online Vigil. consortiumnews.com Host Elizabeth Vos led a discussion with author George Szamuely on Chelsea Manning returning to prison; Sweden reopening its case against Assange and the other big headlines of the week. Read more →

Ryan Devereaux (2019-05-17). Border Official Admits Targeting Journalists and Human Rights Advocates With Smuggling Investigations. theintercept.com When first confronted with evidence that it was collaborating with Mexican law enforcement in a sweeping intelligence-gathering operation targeting journalists, activists and attorneys along the U.S.-Mexico divide, Customs and Border Protection was silent. When still more evidence emerged, in the form of documents leaked by a Department of Homeland Security whistleblower, the agency dismissed the significance of the revelations as routine law enforcement work. | Now, more than four months after the story broke, CBP is owning up to its operations — in a way — and raising new questions about its treatme…

John McEvoy (2019-05-17). Chelsea Manning jailed again after telling judge she'd rather 'starve to death' than cooperate with grand jury. thecanary.co After just six days of freedom, former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning was remanded into custody on 16 May for refusing to testify before a federal Grand Jury. | Manning will be held in confinement for the entire investigation. And Judge Anthon…

Democracy Now! (2019-05-17). What Does a Post-Roe America Look Like? As Anti-Choice Laws Multiply, Many Already Are Living In It. democracynow.org Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer issued what many considered a dire warning from the bench this week, implying that Roe v. Wade — the landmark ruling that recognizes the constitutional right to an abortion — is in danger. He wrote the comments in a dissent for an unrelated case in which the court voted to overturn a 40 year-old precedent. Breyer wrote "Today's decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the Court will overrule next." We speak to journalist Robin Marty about what a post-Roe America would look like, and how many people are already cut off from abortion access across the countr…

Staff (2019-05-17). Chelsea Manning Back in Prison After Refusing to Testify. therealnews.com Freed eight days ago, Manning was subpoenaed before a new grand jury investigating Assange. Despite grave danger to her health, she refused to testify, saying she would rather die in prison than change her principles…

Melvin Goodman (2019-05-17). Trump and the Middle East: a Long Record of Personal Failure. counterpunch.org Many American presidents have blundered in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, but Donald Trump's personal involvement in the region has been particularly disastrous. President Eisenhower introduced the CIA to the world of covert action, when he ordered the overthrow of the legitimate government of Iran in 1953. President Reagan endorsed a U.S. troop presence in Lebanon in 1982 in order to pull Israeli chestnuts out of the fire there due to their war crimes in Beirut, offering proof to the Arab nations of Washington's one-sided support for Israel. President George H.W. Bush went ahead with Desert Storm in 1991…

Joyce Chediac (2019-05-16). Iran war crisis: What's really going on? liberationnews.org It's time to get the U.S. military out of the Middle East, leave the people there to determine their own lives, and use the money instead to meet human needs at home.

Democracy Now! (2019-05-15). Headlines for May 15, 2019. democracynow.org Alabama Legislature Passes Near-Complete Abortion Ban, U.S. Evacuates Non-Emergency State Dept. Personnel from Iraq, Houthis Launch Drone Attack on Saudi Oil Facilities, Pompeo Meets With Lavrov & Putin Over Iran, Venezuela, 2020 Elections, CNN: Migrant Children Sleeping Outside on the Ground at Texas Border Patrol, Pennsylvania Sues Purdue Pharma Over Oxycontin, Reports: Donald Trump Jr. Agrees to Conditional Senate Hearing, San Francisco Bans Facial Recognition Technology, Pilots' Union Confronted Boeing Over Faulty 737 Max Jets After First Fatal Crash, NYC Activists Stage Hunger Strike To Call for Halt to Will…

Aba Blankson (2019-05-14). NAACP Opposes Wendy Vitter and all Nominees Who Refuse to Affirm Brown v Board of Education. naacp.org BALTIMORE — Today, the NAACP announced its opposition to the nomination of Wendy Vitter to the Eastern District of Louisiana and all nominees refusing to endorse the Supreme Court's seminal ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. "This week, we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of …

Denis Rogatyuk (2019-05-13). After Assange, Ecuador's Lenin Moreno escalates persecution of critics and perceived foes. thegrayzone.com The US-backed, neoliberal Ecuadorian leader is persecuting Swedish software developer Ola Bini for his political sympathies, censoring critical media, and…

splcenter (2019-05-10). Weekend Read: Brown v. Board of Education and modern-day segregation. splcenter.org Friday marks the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the unanimous ruling that outlawed racial segregation in public schools as a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Kevin Gosztola (2019-05-09). Trump Administration Charges Drone Whistleblower With Allegedly Violating Espionage Act. shadowproof.com Trump DOJ Charges Drone Whistleblower | *Listen to this story by clicking the above player. | A former language analyst for the United States Air Force, who worked for the National Security Agency, was arrested and charged with violating the Espionage Act and other offenses. | According to the indictment filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, Daniel Hale allegedly disclosed eleven classified documents to a reporter…

Karen Dolan (2019-05-08). Transgender People's Rights Are in Peril. progressive.org The majority-conservative Supreme Court is poised to review the rules on discriminating against trans people in the workplace.

Austyn Ross (2019-05-06). NAACP Opposes Michael Park's Nomination to Second Circuit, Says Failure to Support Brown V. Board is Disqualifying. naacp.org Today, the NAACP announced its opposition to the nomination of Michael Park to the U.S Circuit Court for the Second Circuit. The Senate will vote on Mr. Park's nomination later this week. Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, made the following statement: "Next week, we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's seminal decision in …

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-05-01). Venezuelans Hold Rival Marches for Workers' Day as Pompeo Threatens 'Military Action'. venezuelanalysis.com Opposition leader Juan Guaido called for "escalating strikes" following Tuesday's failed military putsch.

Ricardo Vaz (2019-04-15). Venezuela: Canada Imposes Fresh Sanctions as Pompeo Vows to 'Tighten Noose'. venezuelanalysis.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Lima Group have pledged more sanctions against Venezuela.

2019-05-21: Social Media Postees

Trump Says the Military Industrial Complex is Pressuring him Into a War With Iran
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-05-21
With a thirty year Boeing veteran at the Pentagon, Patrick Shanahan as Acting Secretary of Defense, and with John Bolton and Mike Pompeo at the helm, war with Iran is likely says the former chief of staff to Secretary of State, Col. Larry Wilkerson…
therealnews.com/stories/trump-says-the-military-industrial-complex-is-pressuring-him-into-a-war-with-iran

Bottle of lies: How poor FDA oversight & fraud in generic drug industry threaten patients' health
Amy Goodman | nationofchange.org | 2019-05-21
In her new explosive book "Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom," investigative journalist Katherine Eban works with two industry whistleblowers to expose how some manufacturers are cutting corners at the cost of quality and safety.
nationofchange.org/2019/05/21/bottle-of-lies-how-poor-fda-oversight-fraud-in-generic-drug-industry-threaten-patients-health/

A Homeland Security Whistleblower Goes Public About ICE Abuse of Solitary Confinement
Maryam Saleh | theintercept.com | 2019-05-21
Ellen Gallagher was stunned when she first learned that immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement were sometimes placed in isolation with no human contact for 22 hours a day. It was February 2014, only a few months into her stint as a policy adviser at the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, where she thought she'd be empowered to ensure that the department did not violate the rights of those who came into its crosshairs. | For the next several months, Gallagher educated herself on solitary confinement, a controversial practice used frequently in penal i…
theintercept.com/2019/05/21/ice-solitary-confinement-whistleblower/

The Sovereign Indigenous Power of Veto in Canada
Bruce Clark | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-05-21
1. The Supreme Court of Canada in Tsilhqot'in Nation v. British Columbia, 2014 S.C.C. 44, [2014] 2 S.C.R. 256 erred as a matter of law by interpreting section 35(1): — in breach of the maxim1 interpretatio cessat in claris [interpretation stops when a text is clear]; since, as held in R. v. Nicholas, 232 A.P.R. 248, …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/05/the-sovereign-indigenous-power-of-veto-in-canada/

An answer to attacks on abortion is classwide fightback
Taryn Fivek | workers.org | 2019-05-21
Banning abortion in the year 2019 will not result in a world that looks anything like life before 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade, functionally making abortion legal in all 50 U.S. states and colonized Puerto Rico. Too much has changed since then. Struggles that . . . | Continue reading An answer to attacks on abortion is classwide fightback at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/05/20/an-answer-to-attacks-on-abortion-is-classwide-fightback/

Colombia's Supreme Court Accepts Attorney General's Resignation
plenglish.com | 2019-05-21
21 de mayo de 2019, 16: 18Bogota, May 21 (Prensa Latina) Colombian Supreme Court of Justice accepted on Tuesday Nestor Martinez"s firm resignation as Attorney General of the Nation; he alleged to leave office due to disagreements with the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).
www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=42243&SEO=colombias-supreme-court-accepts-attorney-generals-resignation

Santrich Case Goes to Supreme Court of Colombia
plenglish.com | 2019-05-21
21 de mayo de 2019, 09: 12Bogota, May 21 (Prensa Latina) Colombia"s Supreme Court of Justice will have to solve, starting on Tuesday, the competences to try former Commander Jesus Santrich, after his defense attorneys challenged the guarantee judge.
www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=42206&SEO=santrich-case-goes-to-supreme-court-of-colombia

Russians Have Meddled in 36 Elections. The US Has Meddled in 81
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-05-21
In this country, reactions to the Mueller report have been all-American beyond belief. Let's face it, when it comes to election meddling, it's been me, me, me, 24/7 here. Yes, in some fashion some set of Russians meddled in the last election campaign, whether it was, as Jared Kushner improbably claimed, "a couple of Facebook ads" or, as the Mueller report described it, "the Russian government interfer[ing]… in sweeping and systematic fashion." | But let me mention just a few of the things th…
truthout.org/articles/russians-have-meddled-in-36-elections-the-us-has-meddled-in-81/

Warren and Sanders Understand the Power of 'The Bad Guy'
Adam H. Johnson | truthdig.com | 2019-05-21
Progressive activist Norman Solomon offers a succinct description of neoliberalism: an ideology that sees victims but never victimizers. Bad things just happen. They're the product of mysterious, unaccountable and ill-defined "market forces." Factories just close, endless wars just "erupt," the Nasdaq just crashes and our 401K and home equity just evaporate. No one specifically is responsible. And when someone is, around the margins, it's a handful of faceless Arabs off in a cave somewhere or, increasingly, anonymous "Russians." Our military and intelligence services are off fighting those Bad Guys. Trust us. | B…
truthdig.com/articles/warren-and-sanders-understand-the-power-of-the-bad-guy/

US media silent on re-jailing of Chelsea Manning
wsws.org | 2019-05-21
The attack on Manning and Assange is part of much broader global assault on basic democratic rights, including freedom of speech, the press and the internet.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/21/mann-m21.html

27th weekly "yellow vest" rally in France: Protesters defend Assange, denounce war
wsws.org | 2019-05-21
Tens of thousands of "yellow vests" continue to defy police crackdowns and the French government's provocative claims that it has satisfied all their demands.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/21/yell-m21.html

Former Ecuadorian consul Fidel Narváez denounces search and confiscation of Assange's possessions
wsws.org | 2019-05-21
The WSWS spoke to Fidel Narváez, former consul at the Ecuadorian embassy, who was among protesters opposing plans for the police to search and confiscate the possessions of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/21/fide-m21.html

On the spot report: Ecuador's government colludes with Washington to seize Julian Assange's possessions
wsws.org | 2019-05-21
Supporters of Assange began gathering by 8 a.m. yesterday outside the embassy to witness and denounce the search and seizure.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/21/assa-m21.html

Mass support for Assange as workers and youth oppose militarism and war
wsws.org | 2019-05-21
Many workers passionately oppose the persecution of Assange and Manning hailing them as "heroes," "legends" and similar appellations.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/21/aui1-m21.html

Emergency Action: No U.S. Extradition of Julian Assange – Free Speech
BAACFJA | indybay.org | 2019-05-21
Federal Building | 90 7th St. | San Francisco…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/05/18/18823502.php

Bottle of Lies: How Poor FDA Oversight & Fraud in Generic Drug Industry Threaten Patients' Health
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-20
Generic drugs amount to 90% of all prescriptions filled in the U.S., most of them made in plants in India and China. Generic drugs can be more affordable, but in her new explosive book "Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom," investigative journalist Katherine Eban works with two industry whistleblowers to expose how some manufacturers are cutting corners at the cost of quality and safety. This comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just issued its own update on the state of pharmaceutical quality that found the drug quality of factories in India and China scored below the world averag…
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/20/bottle_of_lies_how_poor_fda

'Dangerous, disturbing': Whistleblower raided by US police for refusing to reveal source talks to RT
rt.com | 2019-05-20
After trying to break in with a sledgehammer, cops eventually raided the home of freelance reporter Bryan Carmody, seizing property and handcuffing him. RT spoke with Carmody about the raid, and its implications for press freedom. | …
rt.com/usa/459831-whistleblower-raid-refuses-reveal-source/

Trump Appointees Refuse to Say They Support Brown v. Board of Education
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-05-20
65 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 to end school segregation. Now Trump's appointees to the federal bench and Department of Justice refuse to say they support it. What does the future hold?
therealnews.com/stories/trump-appointees-refuse-to-say-they-support-brown-v-board-of-education

Alabama's Abortion Ban Is a Political Stunt That Will Cost Its Taxpayers
aclu.org | 2019-05-20
The draconian law is a flagrantly unconstitutional attack on more than 40 years of established Supreme Court precedent. | This piece originally appeared at the Alabama Political Reporter. | For years, the Alabama legislature has been passing laws that push abortion out of reach. Now politicians have finally shown their true colors and are trying to ban abortion outright. | On Wednesday, Governor Ivey signed H.B. 314 — one of the most extreme attacks on the ri…
aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/abortion/alabamas-abortion-ban-political-stunt-will-cost-its-taxpayers

Republican Congressman Justin Amash Breaks Party Ranks to Call Trump's Conduct Impeachable
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2019-05-20
Republican Congressman Justin Amash Breaks Party Ranks to Call Trump's Conduct Impeachable…
thenation.com/article/republican-justin-amash-trump-impeachment-mueller-barr/

Trump manoeuvres in economic war against China
wsws.org | 2019-05-20
US intelligence chiefs have held meetings with major American companies, providing them with classified information to warn of the dangers of doing business in China.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/20/usch-m20.html

New Abortion Laws 'Go Against Common Sense'
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-05-19
Conservatives have launched a new attack on abortion rights, which go against both medical science and common sense, says Anoa Changa, but the point is to bring the issue to the new conservative Supreme Court majority…
therealnews.com/stories/new-abortion-laws-go-against-common-sense

For the Latest News on WikiLeaks Watch the 30th Online Vigil
consortiumnews.com | 2019-05-18
Host Elizabeth Vos led a discussion with author George Szamuely on Chelsea Manning returning to prison; Sweden reopening its case against Assange and the other big headlines of the week. Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2019/05/18/for-the-latest-news-on-wikileaks-and-assange-watch-the-30th-online-vigil-live/

Trump and the Middle East: a Long Record of Personal Failure
Melvin Goodman | counterpunch.org | 2019-05-17
Many American presidents have blundered in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, but Donald Trump's personal involvement in the region has been particularly disastrous. President Eisenhower introduced the CIA to the world of covert action, when he ordered the overthrow of the legitimate government of Iran in 1953. President Reagan endorsed a U.S. troop presence in Lebanon in 1982 in order to pull Israeli chestnuts out of the fire there due to their war crimes in Beirut, offering proof to the Arab nations of Washington's one-sided support for Israel. President George H.W. Bush went ahead with Desert Storm in 1991…
counterpunch.org/2019/05/17/trump-and-the-middle-east-a-long-record-of-personal-failure/

Border Official Admits Targeting Journalists and Human Rights Advocates With Smuggling Investigations
Ryan Devereaux | theintercept.com | 2019-05-17
When first confronted with evidence that it was collaborating with Mexican law enforcement in a sweeping intelligence-gathering operation targeting journalists, activists and attorneys along the U.S.-Mexico divide, Customs and Border Protection was silent. When still more evidence emerged, in the form of documents leaked by a Department of Homeland Security whistleblower, the agency dismissed the significance of the revelations as routine law enforcement work. | Now, more than four months after the story broke, CBP is owning up to its operations — in a way — and raising new questions about its treatme…
theintercept.com/2019/05/17/border-smuggling-journalists-activists/

What Does a Post-Roe America Look Like? As Anti-Choice Laws Multiply, Many Already Are Living In It
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-17
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer issued what many considered a dire warning from the bench this week, implying that Roe v. Wade — the landmark ruling that recognizes the constitutional right to an abortion — is in danger. He wrote the comments in a dissent for an unrelated case in which the court voted to overturn a 40 year-old precedent. Breyer wrote "Today's decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the Court will overrule next." We speak to journalist Robin Marty about what a post-Roe America would look like, and how many people are already cut off from abortion access across the countr…
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/17/what_does_a_post_roe_america

Chelsea Manning jailed again after telling judge she'd rather 'starve to death' than cooperate with grand jury
John McEvoy | thecanary.co | 2019-05-17
After just six days of freedom, former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning was remanded into custody on 16 May for refusing to testify before a federal Grand Jury. | Manning will be held in confinement for the entire investigation. And Judge Anthon…
thecanary.co/trending/2019/05/17/chelsea-manning-jailed-again-after-telling-judge-shed-rather-starve-to-death-than-cooperate-with-grand-jury/

Chelsea Manning Back in Prison After Refusing to Testify
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-05-17
Freed eight days ago, Manning was subpoenaed before a new grand jury investigating Assange. Despite grave danger to her health, she refused to testify, saying she would rather die in prison than change her principles…
therealnews.com/stories/chelsea-manning-back-in-prison-after-refusing-to-testify

NAACP Opposes Wendy Vitter and all Nominees Who Refuse to Affirm Brown v Board of Education
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2019-05-14
BALTIMORE — Today, the NAACP announced its opposition to the nomination of Wendy Vitter to the Eastern District of Louisiana and all nominees refusing to endorse the Supreme Court's seminal ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. "This week, we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-opposes-wendy-vitter-nominees-refuse-affirm-brown-v-board-education/

After Assange, Ecuador's Lenin Moreno escalates persecution of critics and perceived foes
Denis Rogatyuk | thegrayzone.com | 2019-05-13
The US-backed, neoliberal Ecuadorian leader is persecuting Swedish software developer Ola Bini for his political sympathies, censoring critical media, and…
thegrayzone.com/2019/05/12/lenin-moreno-persecution-ola-bini/

Weekend Read: Brown v. Board of Education and modern-day segregation
splcenter.org | 2019-05-10
Friday marks the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the unanimous ruling that outlawed racial segregation in public schools as a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
splcenter.org/news/2019/05/11/weekend-read-brown-v-board-education-and-modern-day-segregation

Trump Administration Charges Drone Whistleblower With Allegedly Violating Espionage Act
Kevin Gosztola | shadowproof.com | 2019-05-09
Trump DOJ Charges Drone Whistleblower | *Listen to this story by clicking the above player. | A former language analyst for the United States Air Force, who worked for the National Security Agency, was arrested and charged with violating the Espionage Act and other offenses. | According to the indictment filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, Daniel Hale allegedly disclosed eleven classified documents to a reporter…
shadowproof.com/2019/05/09/trump-administration-charges-alleged-drone-whistleblower-with-violating-espionage-act/

Transgender People's Rights Are in Peril
Karen Dolan | progressive.org | 2019-05-08
The majority-conservative Supreme Court is poised to review the rules on discriminating against trans people in the workplace.
progressive.org/op-eds/transgender-peoples-rights-in-peril-dolan-190508/

NAACP Opposes Michael Park's Nomination to Second Circuit, Says Failure to Support Brown V. Board is Disqualifying
Austyn Ross | naacp.org | 2019-05-06
Today, the NAACP announced its opposition to the nomination of Michael Park to the U.S Circuit Court for the Second Circuit. The Senate will vote on Mr. Park's nomination later this week. Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, made the following statement: "Next week, we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's seminal decision in …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-opposes-michael-parks-nomination-second-circuit-says-failure-support-brown-v-board-disqualifying/

Venezuelans Hold Rival Marches for Workers' Day as Pompeo Threatens 'Military Action'
Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-05-01
Opposition leader Juan Guaido called for "escalating strikes" following Tuesday's failed military putsch.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14458