Daily Archives: February 3, 2020

2020-02-03: News Headlines

WSWS (2020-02-03). Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly calls for Assange's release, condemns threatened extradition. wsws.org Members of the assembly undoubtedly recognised that their report on media freedom would have no credibility if it remained silent on Europe's most famous imprisoned journalist and publisher.

BayAction2FreeAssange (2020-02-03). The Prosecution of Julian Assange: The War on Journalism, What Is at Stake? indybay.org Sonoma State University- Darwin 102 | 1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, CA 94928…

Labor Video Project (2020-02-03). The War On Whistleblowers, Darrell Whitman & US Inspector General's Obstruction of Justice. indybay.org Former Federal OSHA Whistleblower Protection Program investigator and lawyer Darrell Whitman talks about the fight to protect Federal whistleblowers and private industry whistleblowers and the role of US Inspector Generals who have been allowed to operate without oversight. | He also discusses how this has affected the health and safety of workers and the public. He connects the Boeing 737 Max crashes and the failure to enforce regulations by the FAA and their own. inspector general. | He also talks about the criminal fraud at SF Hunters Point and Treasure Island and how these contaminated radioactive dumpsites a…

Shawn Fremstad (2020-02-03). The Public Charge Rule for Immigrants Evokes the Antebellum Slave Codes. counterpunch.org In a 5-4 decision this week, the Supreme Court temporarily lifted a nationwide preliminary injunction that had kept the Trump administration from implementing its rule that vastly expands the reach of the public charge provision in federal immigration law. Immigration officials will now be able to deny lawful permanent resident status ("green cards") to immigrant

WSWS (2020-02-01). Assange would be held in "darkest corner of the prison system" if extradited to the US. wsws.org If dispatched to the US, the WikiLeaks founder will be held in extreme isolation—conditions usually inflicted on individuals convicted of terrorism offences.

Derek Royden (2020-02-01). First Assange, now Greenwald: The growing attacks on adversarial journalism. nationofchange.org It's unlikely that Greenwald, who at least has the benefit of widespread fame and international support, will be the last journalist to be targeted.

Whitney Webb (2020-01-31). How government and media are prepping America for a failed 2020 election. mronline.org Russia, China and Iran are already being blamed for using tech to undermine the 2020 election. Yet, the very technologies they are allegedly using were created by a web of companies with deep ties to Israeli intelligence. |

RT (2020-01-31). Trump to expand travel ban, targeting immigrants from 6 more countries. rt.com US President Donald Trump will issue an updated version of his controversial travel ban, acting Homeland Security head Chad Wolf said Friday. The existing ban will remain in place, having been okayed by the Supreme Court in 2018. | Speaking to reporters by phone, Wolf said that the updated ban will suspend immigrant visas for nationals of Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Nigeria. Non-immigrant visas from these countries will not be affected. | 'Diversity Visas' — handed out by lottery to boost immigration from countries with low rates of immigration to the US — for nationals of Sudan and Tanzania wil…

Staff (2020-01-30). "Coded Bias": New Film Looks at Fight Against Racial Bias in Facial Recognition & AI Technology. democracynow.org A new documentary looks at the dangers of artificial intelligence and its increasing omnipresence in daily life, as new research shows that it often reflects racist biases. Earlier this month, Cambridge, Massachusetts, became the latest major city to ban facial recognition technology, joining a growing number of cities, including San Francisco, to ban the artificial intelligence, citing flawed technology and racial and gender bias. A recent study also found that facial recognition identified African-American and Asian faces incorrectly 10 to 100 times more than white faces. The film "Coded Bias" begins with Joy B…

RT (2020-01-30). Why was Rand banned? Sen. Paul reveals his CENSORED question at Trump impeachment trial. rt.com As Senators gathered for the last day of questioning in President Trump's impeachment trial, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul found his question censored in a way that may have revealed the identity of the mysterious whistleblower. | With the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump nearing its final stages, senators gathered on Capitol Hill on Thursday to question the Democratic prosecution team, and Trump's defense attorneys. However, Paul (R-Kentucky) found his question shot down by presiding Chief Justice John Roberts, who declined "to read the question as submitted." | Paul left the chamber after Roberts' de…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-01-30). Weingarten: Right wants states to use public dollars for religious schools. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON — The religious right wants the U.S. Supreme Court to force states to use public dollars for religious schools, Teachers President Randi Weingarten warns. In a message to her union's 1.6 million members late last month, the AFT leader, a civics and government teacher from New York City, adds the religious rightists are counting …

Staff (2020-01-29). Headlines for January 29, 2020. democracynow.org McConnell Tries to Secure Votes to Block Impeachment Witnesses, "Our Rights Are Not for Sale": Palestinians Reject Trump's Middle East Plan, Trump Praises Pompeo for Shouting and Cursing at NPR Reporter, WaPo Reinstates Reporter Suspended for Tweeting About Kobe Rape Case, Death Toll from Coronavirus Virus Hits 132, with 6,000 Infected, Over 100,000 Syrian Civilians Flee Regime Offensive in Idlib, Floods Kill 30, Displace 16,000 in Madagascar, Mississippi to Shut Down Unit of Parchman Prison After Deaths of 9 Prisoners, Maryland Cop Charged with Murder for Killing Handcuffed Man in Police Car…

Staff (2020-01-28). Headlines for January 28, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Lawyers Says He Did No Wrong as Calls Mount for Bolton and Other Witnesses to Testify | , Trump to Unveil Middle East "Peace Plan" as Netanyahu Indicted over Corruption, SCOTUS Allows Trump's "Public Charge" Rule Targeting Low-Income Immigrants to Take Effect, State Dept. Bars NPR Reporter from Upcoming Pompeo Trip, Washington Post Suspends Reporter for Tweet About Kobe Bryant Rape Allegation, Mixed Accounts After U.S. Military Plane Crashes in Afghanistan, Torrential Rains and Landslides Kill At Least 46 People in Brazil, Nigerian Journalist Maxwell Nashan Killed, 2nd Accuser Testifies in Weinstein Trial a…

Staff (2020-01-27). Under Pressure in Impeachment Trial, Trump Steps Up Attacks on Reproductive Rights. democracynow.org Donald Trump on Friday became the first sitting president in U.S. history to attend the so-called March for Life, the annual anti-abortion rally held in Washington, D.C., that draws thousands of participants. President Trump — who once described himself as "pro-choice in every respect" — accused Democrats of infanticide and falsely stated that Virginia Governor Ralph Northam supports an abortion bill that would "execute a baby after birth." The March for Life began in 1974 in response to the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion. Past…

Jessica Arons (2020-01-22). 47 Years Later, We're Fighting to Make Roe a Reality Everywhere. aclu.org Today we commemorate the 47th | anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the | landmark Supreme Court case that recognized a constitutional right to abortion. | In the nearly five decades since, the decision has weathered numerous storms | and faced plenty of erosion, leaving too many without meaningful access to | abortion care. But 2020 could be its most consequential year yet. | This spring, the Supreme Court will hear | arguments in June Medical | Services v. Gee and could uphold state abortion re…

CounterSpin (2020-01-17). Chip Gibbons on FBI vs. 1st Amendment. fair.org Media…

2020-02-03: Social Media Postees

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

The Prosecution of Julian Assange: The War on Journalism, What Is at Stake?
BayAction2FreeAssange | indybay.org | 2020-02-03
Sonoma State University- Darwin 102 | 1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, CA 94928…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/02/18830326.php

Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly calls for Assange's release, condemns threatened extradition
wsws.org | 2020-02-03
Members of the assembly undoubtedly recognised that their report on media freedom would have no credibility if it remained silent on Europe's most famous imprisoned journalist and publisher.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/03/assa-f03.html

Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly calls for Assange's release, condemns threatened extradition
wsws.org | 2020-02-03
Members of the assembly undoubtedly recognised that their report on media freedom would have no credibility if it remained silent on Europe's most famous imprisoned journalist and publisher.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/03/assa-f03.html

The War On Whistleblowers, Darrell Whitman & US Inspector General's Obstruction of Justice
Labor Video Project | indybay.org | 2020-02-03
Former Federal OSHA Whistleblower Protection Program investigator and lawyer Darrell Whitman talks about the fight to protect Federal whistleblowers and private industry whistleblowers and the role of US Inspector Generals who have been allowed to operate without oversight. | He also discusses how this has affected the health and safety of workers and the public. He connects the Boeing 737 Max crashes and the failure to enforce regulations by the FAA and their own. inspector general. | He also talks about the criminal fraud at SF Hunters Point and Treasure Island and how these contaminated radioactive dumpsites a…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/02/18830317.php

The Public Charge Rule for Immigrants Evokes the Antebellum Slave Codes
Shawn Fremstad | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-03
In a 5-4 decision this week, the Supreme Court temporarily lifted a nationwide preliminary injunction that had kept the Trump administration from implementing its rule that vastly expands the reach of the public charge provision in federal immigration law. Immigration officials will now be able to deny lawful permanent resident status ("green cards") to immigrant…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/03/the-public-charge-rule-for-immigrants-evokes-the-antebellum-slave-codes/

The Public Charge Rule for Immigrants Evokes the Antebellum Slave Codes
Shawn Fremstad | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-03
In a 5-4 decision this week, the Supreme Court temporarily lifted a nationwide preliminary injunction that had kept the Trump administration from implementing its rule that vastly expands the reach of the public charge provision in federal immigration law. Immigration officials will now be able to deny lawful permanent resident status ("green cards") to immigrant…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/03/the-public-charge-rule-for-immigrants-evokes-the-antebellum-slave-codes/

Assange would be held in "darkest corner of the prison system" if extradited to the US
wsws.org | 2020-02-01
If dispatched to the US, the WikiLeaks founder will be held in extreme isolation–conditions usually inflicted on individuals convicted of terrorism offences.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/01/assa-f01.html

First Assange, now Greenwald: The growing attacks on adversarial journalism
Derek Royden | nationofchange.org | 2020-02-01
It's unlikely that Greenwald, who at least has the benefit of widespread fame and international support, will be the last journalist to be targeted.
nationofchange.org/2020/02/01/first-assange-now-greenwald-the-growing-attacks-on-adversarial-journalism/

Victory for a murdered solicitor's family in the High Court underlines the importance of human rights law in Brexit UK
Peadar O'Cearnaigh | thecanary.co | 2020-02-01
On 31 January, Geraldine Finucane, the widow of murdered human rights solicitor Pat Finucane, moved a step closer to a full public inquiry into her husband's killing. The High Court granted her permission to challenge the apparent lack of action that followed the Supreme Court's ruling in February 2019. The Supreme Court ruled that…
thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2020/02/01/victory-for-a-murdered-solicitors-family-in-the-high-court-underlines-the-importance-of-human-rights-law-in-brexit-uk/

How government and media are prepping America for a failed 2020 election
Whitney Webb | mronline.org | 2020-01-31
Russia, China and Iran are already being blamed for using tech to undermine the 2020 election. Yet, the very technologies they are allegedly using were created by a web of companies with deep ties to Israeli intelligence. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/01/31/how-government-and-media-are-prepping-america-for-a-failed-2020-election/

How government and media are prepping America for a failed 2020 election
Whitney Webb | mronline.org | 2020-01-31
Russia, China and Iran are already being blamed for using tech to undermine the 2020 election. Yet, the very technologies they are allegedly using were created by a web of companies with deep ties to Israeli intelligence. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/01/31/how-government-and-media-are-prepping-america-for-a-failed-2020-election/

Trump to expand travel ban, targeting immigrants from 6 more countries
rt.com | 2020-01-31
US President Donald Trump will issue an updated version of his controversial travel ban, acting Homeland Security head Chad Wolf said Friday. The existing ban will remain in place, having been okayed by the Supreme Court in 2018. | Speaking to reporters by phone, Wolf said that the updated ban will suspend immigrant visas for nationals of Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Nigeria. Non-immigrant visas from these countries will not be affected. | 'Diversity Visas'

Weingarten: Right wants states to use public dollars for religious schools
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-01-30
WASHINGTON

"Coded Bias": New Film Looks at Fight Against Racial Bias in Facial Recognition & AI Technology
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-30
A new documentary looks at the dangers of artificial intelligence and its increasing omnipresence in daily life, as new research shows that it often reflects racist biases. Earlier this month, Cambridge, Massachusetts, became the latest major city to ban facial recognition technology, joining a growing number of cities, including San Francisco, to ban the artificial intelligence, citing flawed technology and racial and gender bias. A recent study also found that facial recognition identified African-American and Asian faces incorrectly 10 to 100 times more than white faces. The film "Coded Bias" begins with Joy B…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/30/coded_bias_shalini_kantayya_joy_buolamwini

Why was Rand banned? Sen. Paul reveals his CENSORED question at Trump impeachment trial
rt.com | 2020-01-30
As Senators gathered for the last day of questioning in President Trump's impeachment trial, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul found his question censored in a way that may have revealed the identity of the mysterious whistleblower. | With the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump nearing its final stages, senators gathered on Capitol Hill on Thursday to question the Democratic prosecution team, and Trump's defense attorneys. However, Paul (R-Kentucky) found his question shot down by presiding Chief Justice John Roberts, who declined "to read the question as submitted." | Paul left the chamber after Roberts' de…
rt.com/usa/479628-rand-paul-impeachment-question/

Headlines for January 29, 2020
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-29
McConnell Tries to Secure Votes to Block Impeachment Witnesses, "Our Rights Are Not for Sale": Palestinians Reject Trump's Middle East Plan, Trump Praises Pompeo for Shouting and Cursing at NPR Reporter, WaPo Reinstates Reporter Suspended for Tweeting About Kobe Rape Case, Death Toll from Coronavirus Virus Hits 132, with 6,000 Infected, Over 100,000 Syrian Civilians Flee Regime Offensive in Idlib, Floods Kill 30, Displace 16,000 in Madagascar, Mississippi to Shut Down Unit of Parchman Prison After Deaths of 9 Prisoners, Maryland Cop Charged with Murder for Killing Handcuffed Man in Police Car…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/29/headlines

Headlines for January 28, 2020
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-28
Trump Lawyers Says He Did No Wrong as Calls Mount for Bolton and Other Witnesses to Testify | , Trump to Unveil Middle East "Peace Plan" as Netanyahu Indicted over Corruption, SCOTUS Allows Trump's "Public Charge" Rule Targeting Low-Income Immigrants to Take Effect, State Dept. Bars NPR Reporter from Upcoming Pompeo Trip, Washington Post Suspends Reporter for Tweet About Kobe Bryant Rape Allegation, Mixed Accounts After U.S. Military Plane Crashes in Afghanistan, Torrential Rains and Landslides Kill At Least 46 People in Brazil, Nigerian Journalist Maxwell Nashan Killed, 2nd Accuser Testifies in Weinstein Trial a…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/28/headlines

Under Pressure in Impeachment Trial, Trump Steps Up Attacks on Reproductive Rights
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-27
Donald Trump on Friday became the first sitting president in U.S. history to attend the so-called March for Life, the annual anti-abortion rally held in Washington, D.C., that draws thousands of participants. President Trump

47 Years Later, We're Fighting to Make Roe a Reality Everywhere
Jessica Arons | aclu.org | 2020-01-22
Today we commemorate the 47th | anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the | landmark Supreme Court case that recognized a constitutional right to abortion. | In the nearly five decades since, the decision has weathered numerous storms | and faced plenty of erosion, leaving too many without meaningful access to | abortion care. But 2020 could be its most consequential year yet. | This spring, the Supreme Court will hear | arguments in June Medical | Services v. Gee and could uphold state abortion re…
aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/47-years-later-were-fighting-to-make-roe-a-reality-everywhere