Daily Archives: July 29, 2019

2019-07-29: News Headlines

Staff (2019-07-29). Baltimore Residents: Trump's Attacks on the City Are Rooted in "Racism and White Supremacy" democracynow.org President Trump is facing widespread outrage after describing Baltimore as a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess" in tweets attacking Congressmember Elijah Cummings, one of the most prominent African-American lawmakers in Washington. Trump tweeted that Cummings's district is "considered the Worst in the USA," and said "no human being would want to live there." Trump's initial tweets came after Fox News ran a story about Baltimore and after Cummings criticized the conditions of immigration jails along the Mexican border. Officials across Baltimore and Maryland denounced the president's remarks, and The Balti…

Robert Fisk (2019-07-29). From Nazi Germany to Ottoman Turkey, Genocides Begin in the Wilderness, Far From Prying Eyes. counterpunch.org Many believe the Jewish Holocaust was planned by the Nazis at a Berlin lakeside villa at Wannsee on 20 January 1942. Most historians still think the Armenian Holocaust was hatched up by the Ottoman Turks in Istanbul in 1915. Of course, we've long known that the mass slaughter of Europe's Jews began the moment the Germans crossed the Polish border on 1 September 1939 — and carried on across the Soviet Union in 1941, seven months before Wannsee. More

John Washington (2019-07-29). 'It's Not Shameful to Work in the Fields. But It's Hard.'. thenation.com 'It's Not Shameful to Work in the Fields. But It's Hard.'

Ronnie Cummins (2019-07-29). The 9% Lie: Industrial Food and Climate Change. counterpunch.org The Climate Emergency is finally getting the attention of the media and the U.S. (and world) body politic, as well as a growing number of politicians, activists and even U.S. farmers. This great awakening has arrived just in time, given the record-breaking temperatures, violent weather, crop failures and massive waves of forced migrationthat are quickly becoming More

Robert Fisk (2019-07-29). From Nazi Germany to Ottoman Turkey, Genocides Begin in the Wilderness, Far From Prying Eyes. counterpunch.org Many believe the Jewish Holocaust was planned by the Nazis at a Berlin lakeside villa at Wannsee on 20 January 1942. Most historians still think the Armenian Holocaust was hatched up by the Ottoman Turks in Istanbul in 1915. Of course, we've long known that the mass slaughter of Europe's Jews began the moment the Germans crossed the Polish border on 1 September 1939 — and carried on across the Soviet Union in 1941, seven months before Wannsee. More

Staff (2019-07-29). Headlines for July 29, 2019. democracynow.org Baltimore Pushes Back After Trump Calls City "Rodent Infested Mess" and Attacks Rep. Cummings, Gunman Kills 3, Injures 15 at Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California, Shooting at Brownsville, Brooklyn, Block Party Kills 1, Injures 11, SCOTUS OKs Trump Plan to Use Military Funds for Border Wall, U.S. and Guatemala Sign Controversial Immigration Deal Despite Widespread Opposition, Dir. of National Intelligence Dan Coats Resigns, Brazilian President Bolsonaro Threatens Glenn Greenwald with Imprisonment, Miners Raid Tribe in Brazil, Killing Leader as Amazon Suffers Mass Deforestation by Illegal Loggers, Russian…

Andrew Moss (2019-07-29). Asylum as a Human Right. counterpunch.org In the past year the Trump administration has been applying increasingly restrictive policies to block asylum seekers from pursuing their claims in the U.S. The most recent measure, now temporarily barred by a federal judge's injunction, would have required migrants traveling through another country such as Mexico to show proof that they had applied for, More

WSWS (2019-07-29). Trump threatens to declare Antifa a terrorist group. wsws.org The action would set a precedent for criminalizing left-wing opposition to attacks on immigrants and the policies of the Trump administration more generally.

To the Streets! (2019-07-29). Day 6 of Daily Vigil for Compassion at Our Borders. indybay.org On July 26 concerned citizens protested at lunch time at the busy intersection of Page Mill and El Camino Real in Palo Alto pleading for compassion at the southern border. No Kids in Cages! | Photos by Jack Owicki, Pro Bono Photo. Please credit the photographer.

Abolish ICE SF (2019-07-29). Block Party to Abolish ICE. indybay.org 630 Sansome St, San Francisco, CA…

WSWS (2019-07-29). Guatemalan ruling class braces for repercussions of asylum deal imposed by Trump. wsws.org The Guatemalan state is being turned into an extension of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with the militarization of borders and building of concentration camps.

No Coal in Oakland (2019-07-29). Migrant Justice is Climate Justice: Protest at ICE Office in SF. indybay.org ICE Office | 630 Sansome St | San Francisco, CA 94111…

Max Blumenthal (2019-07-28). How Joe Biden's privatization plans helped doom Latin America and fuel the migration crisis. thegrayzone.com On the campaign trail, Joe Biden has boasted of his role in transforming Colombia and Central America through ambitious economic…

Staff (2019-07-28). Child Detentions Are Part of a Terrifying Larger Plan. truthdig.com Lately, I've been thinking about the Grimms' fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. Terrified by cruel conditions at home, the brother and sister flee, winding their way, hungry and scared, through unknown woods. There, they encounter an old woman who lures them in with promises of safety. Instead, she locks one of them in a cage and turns the other into a servant, as she prepares to devour them both. | Written in nineteenth-century Germany, it should resonate eerily in today's America. In place of Hansel and Gretel, we would, of course, have to focus on girls and boys by the hundreds fleeing cruelty and hunger in Central…

Turkish Minute (2019-07-28). Turkey Mulling (Another) Military Operation in Northeastern Syria. theantimedia.com (TM) — Turkey's top military brass and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar held a security meeting on Thursday and discussed a potential military operation in northeastern Syria, immediately after three days of talks with a US delegation over setting up a safe zone along the Turkish-Syrian border. The Anadolu news agency reported that the meeting took place …

RT (2019-07-28). 'Disgusting, rat infested mess!' Trump triples down on criticism amid #WeAreBaltimore Twitterstorm. rt.com President Trump has unleashed a Twitterstorm on Rep. Elijah Cummings, advising the congressman to clean up the "worst" congressional district in the US instead of criticizing the treatment of migrants at the border.

Amy Goodman (2019-07-27). Judge halts Trump's asylum ban that represents a "relentless attack on the very idea of asylum" nationofchange.org A federal judge in San Francisco has temporarily blocked President Trump's plan to bar nearly all migrants from seeking asylum in the United States. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of California ordered Trump to continue accepting asylum claims, issuing a preliminary injunction against a rule that would block anyone who passes through a third country before arriving in the U.S. from applying for asylum. The rule would effectively stop people from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala from seeking refuge in the United States. The preliminary injunction came just hours after a federal judge in Washing…

Martha Grevatt (2019-07-27). Northeast Ohio says "Never again" workers.org Over 100 members of the Jewish community and allies demonstrated July 23 in northeast Ohio outside the Geauga County Safety Center, used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain immigrants. Among them were Holocaust survivors and their children, doctors, educators and many youth, including organizer Lexi Stovsky. Protesters chanted "Never . . . | Continue reading Northeast Ohio says "Never again" at Workers.org

unitedEditor (2019-07-27). Migration Crisis on Four Fronts: George Soros and the 'Great Replacement'. uwidata.com 1 — France's 'Black Vests' The "Yellow Vests" in France have been replaced by a new protest movement, representing a new demographic: on July 12, 2019, 700 members of the "Black Vest" movement rushed and occupied the historic Pantheon in Paris. The 'Gilets Noir' is a movement of undocumented migrants, predominantly from North Africa whose …

WSWS (2019-07-27). Supreme Court approves construction of Trump's border wall. wsws.org The ruling is a political victory for Trump and a blow to the separation of powers, dramatically strengthening the power of the executive branch.

Staff (2019-07-26). Judge Halts Trump's Asylum Ban That Represents a "Relentless Attack on the Very Idea of Asylum" democracynow.org A federal judge in San Francisco has temporarily blocked President Trump's plan to bar nearly all migrants from seeking asylum in the United States. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of California ordered Trump to continue accepting asylum claims, issuing a preliminary injunction against a rule that would block anyone who passes through a third country before arriving in the U.S. from applying for asylum. The rule would effectively stop people from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala from seeking refuge in the United States. The preliminary injunction came just hours after a federal judge in Washington…

Ryan Gallagher (2019-07-26). We Tested Europe's New Lie Detector for Travelers — and Immediately Triggered a False Positive. theintercept.com 4.5 million euros have been pumped into the virtual policeman project meant to judge the honesty of travelers. An expert calls the technology "not credible."

Staff (2019-07-26). Headlines for July 26, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Administration to Bring Back Federal Executions After 16-Year Hiatus, 44-Year-Old Mexican Immigrant Dies in ICE Custody, Trump Threatens to Impose Travel Ban on Guatemalans, Oklahoma Suspends Plans to Jail 1,600 Migrant Children at Fort Sill, 150 Migrants Feared Dead in Shipwrecks Off Libyan Coast, Five Dead as Europe Swelters Under Record-Setting Heat, "Unprecedented" Wildfires Scorch Over 1 Million Acres of Alaskan Forest, California and Automakers Agree to Fuel Efficiency Targets Opposed by Trump, Rep. Ilhan Omar Introduces Zero Waste Act as Part of Green New Deal, GOP Blocks Election Security Bills as S…

RT (2019-07-26). US Supreme Court allows Trump to spend $2.5bn in Pentagon funds on border wall. rt.com The US Supreme Court has blocked a ruling by a California judge that would have prevented President Donald Trump from spending $2.5 billion in Pentagon funds to build a wall along the country's southern border.

Aaron Maté (2019-07-25). Trump openly terrorizes Central American migrants, whereas Democrats did it quietly. thegrayzone.com Roberto Lovato argues that while Trump's racist anti-immigrant rhetoric is unprecedented, US cruelty towards Central American refugees is longstanding, and…

Nausicaa Renner (2019-07-25). As Immigrants Become More Aware of Their Rights, ICE Steps Up Ruses and Surveillance. theintercept.com "ICE's mission is to apprehend people that it believes shouldn't be in our communities and it will go to great lengths to do that, particularly in the face of increased knowledge of rights."

The Nation (2019-07-25). A Call to Put an End to Inhumane Conditions at the Border. thenation.com A Call to Put an End to Inhumane Conditions at the Border…

RT (2019-07-25). Two dozen US Marines arrested & questioned in human smuggling, drugs probe at California border base. rt.com Sixteen US Marines have been arrested on charges including human smuggling at a California base near the Mexican border, while eight more have been questioned regarding drug crimes, military authorities have revealed.

Staff (2019-07-24). Headlines for July 24, 2019. democracynow.org Robert Mueller Testifies Before Congress, Trump Rails Against Squad, Mueller Report in Speech to Teenagers, Disgraced Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló Expected to Step Down, ORR Says Unaccompanied Migrant Children Could Be Detained for Years, Immigration Agents Detain Texas Teen for 3+ Weeks Despite Being a U.S. Citizen, Tennessee Community Blocks ICE from Taking Neighbor by Forming Human Chain, Trump Threatens Guatemala with Tariffs and Other Penalties After Failure of Immigration Deal, DOJ Pursues Antitrust Probe into Big Tech, Reports: FTC to Accuse Facebook of Misleading Consumers on Personal Data Use, F…

Ai-jen Poo (2019-07-24). The Soft Power of Héctor Figueroa. progressive.org Wherever working people were hurting, he was ready to organize. From immigrant rights to taxi workers, he believed in the power of everyday people, when organized, to change everything.

Naomi LaChance (2019-07-23). Mother Jones Is Failing Its Namesake. fair.org Kevin Drum: Shouldn't the cages for kids be more comfortable? | Kevin Drum, a political columnist for Mother Jones, wrote in a blog post ( 6/26/19) last month that he did not understand why workers do not want their employer to work with the government agencies carrying out President Donald Trump's brutal immigration policies, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). When workers at home goods website Wayfair staged a walkout because their company was supplyin…

Fight Back (2019-07-23). San Francisco protest: Oust Duterte! Stop the killings in the Philippines! fightbacknews.org San Francisco, CA – On July 22, more than 300 people packed the street in front of the Philippine consulate in San Francisco. Chants of "People power now!" and "No justice, no peace! Stop the killings in the Philippines!" rang out as protestors called for the ousting of Philippine President Duterte, who has killed thousands in his so-called 'war on drugs.' The occasion was the "Peoples' SONA" on the occasion of the official State of the Nation Address given by the Philippine president each year. | Speakers from the BAYAN/Anakbayan of San Francisco, Migrante, and other organizations including the Arab Resource and…

United Nations (2019-07-23). Tuesday's Daily Brief: Situation critical for Libya migrants, 'dangerous paralysis' in Israel-Palestine conflict, 'shocking escalation' in Syria, record heatwaves. un.org Our main stories today: UN officials warn of desperate situation for migrants and refugees in Libya; the UN peacebuilding chief calls for 'tangible steps' to alleviate the crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and keep two-State solution alive; Idlib in Syria suffers more deadly attacks on civilians; Europe and Bangladesh deal with extreme weather events; and Angry Birds take on the climate crisis.

United Nations (2019-07-23). Libya: Renewed commitment to Mediterranean rescues encouraging, but 'overriding priority' must be 'lasting peace', say UN officials. un.org The heads of the two key UN agencies championing refugees and migrants have called for an end to their "arbitrary detention" across Libya, following an agreement on Tuesday by European Union countries to offer those fleeing across the Mediterranean a safe berth through a new distribution mechanism.

Staff (2019-07-23). Headlines for July 23, 2019. democracynow.org Half a Million Puerto Ricans Take Over San Juan Streets to Call for Gov. Rosselló to Resign, Boris Johnson Becomes New British Prime Minister, Trump Admin Expands Deportation Powers, Putting 100,000s of Undocumented Immigrants at Risk, ICE Now Using DNA Testing on Asylum-Seeking Families, DOJ Tells Mueller His Testimony Must "Remain Within Boundaries" of Redacted Report, Trump Says He Can "Wipe Afghanistan Off the Face of the Earth" as He Meets Pakistani PM Imran Khan, Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte Calls for the Death Penalty for Drug Offenders, Syrian Airstrikes Kill At Least 50, Amid Ongoing Violence in Id…

Ryan Devereaux (2019-07-21). How the Border Patrol Began Its Investigation Into No More Deaths Volunteer Scott Warren. theintercept.com Newly unsealed documents detail the tip that led the Border Patrol to zero in on humanitarians rescuing migrants in the Arizona desert.

Staff (2019-07-21). Progressive Churches Challenge the Hard-Line Conservative Evangelical Narrative on Immigration. therealnews.com In contrast to the unwavering support that conservative and evangelical religious groups give President Trump, progressive churches and synagogues are fighting on the front lines against the administration's anti-immigrant policies…

unitedEditor (2019-07-20). Why did Argentina declare Hezbollah a terrorist group? uwidata.com Argentina has officially declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The declaration created a considerable amount of controversy given the strong feelings on the issue in various countries. Background Argentina has received more immigrants than any other Latin American nation. While they are mostly of European origin, many have also come from Syria and Lebanon. There are …

Liberation Staff (2019-07-20). 800 US protests: Close the camps, free the children. liberationnews.org Thousands take to the streets in protest of torturous conditions inflicted on immigrant children and parents.

Staff (2019-07-19). Headlines for July 19, 2019. democracynow.org 70 Catholics Arrested in Capitol Hill Protest of Trump's Immigration Policies, Asylum Seekers in Texas ICE Jail Launch Hunger Strike, House Democrats Grill Acting DHS Chief over Migrant Deaths and Squalid Jails, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Confronts DHS Chief over Racist & Sexist Border Patrol Posts, Trump Disavows "Send Her Home" Chant After Racist Attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Ilhan Omar Greeted in Minnesota with Chants of "Welcome Home", House Approves Minimum Wage Hike to $15 an Hour, Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Would Bring Overtime Pay, Union Rights, Trump to Nominate Anti-Union Lawyer Eugene Scalia as Labor S…

Swathi Shanmugasundaram (2019-07-18). John Tanton's Legacy. splcenter.org John Tanton, the racist architect of the modern anti-immigrant movement, has left behind a legacy that spawned more than a dozen nativist organizations, driven an anti-immigrant agenda for four decades, and found friends in the White House.

splcenter (2019-07-17). SPLC sues Trump administration over new rule that makes migrants who pass through other countries ineligible for asylum. splcenter.org The SPLC and its partners filed a lawsuit and an emergency motion this week seeking to block a new Trump administration rule that categorically bars asylum for migrants who cross the southern border without applying for and being denied asylum in any country that they pass through on their way to the U.S.

Ricardo Vaz (2019-07-17). Venezuelan Campesinos Released After Security Forces Raid. venezuelanalysis.com A prompt mobilization from popular movements managed to secure their release.

Liberation Staff (2019-07-17). Free the children, close the camps. liberationnews.org Trump's racist statements against Mexicans and Central Americans is intended for one purpose: To stir up hatred of immigrants, to mobilize his base and deflect blame away from millionaires and billionaires, who are the real cause of the economic crisis and unemployment.

splcenter (2019-07-16). SPLC sues Florida officials over law requiring police to act as ICE agents. splcenter.org The SPLC and its partners sued top Florida officials today over a new state law that requires local police to act as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Megan Klein (2019-07-16). Migrants Are Fleeing Something Worse. progressive.org Clearly, if the appalling conditions in detention centers are an improvement from what they are fleeing, these migrants have a sufficient basis for seeking asylum in the United States.

splcenter (2019-07-11). Manuel Duran, journalist who reported on ICE, freed from detention. splcenter.org Manuel Duran, an investigative journalist who was detained after reporting on the collusion between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local law enforcement in Memphis, Tennessee, was released today from ICE detention and will be reunited with his fiancée.

ACLU (2019-07-11). CBP Can't Detain Domestic Flight Passengers for Refusing Suspicionless ID Checks. aclu.org The Constitution protects passengers deplaning domestic flights just as it protects people on the street or in a car. | In February 2017, two U.S. CBP officers stood on a jet bridge at New York's JFK Airport to meet Delta Flight 1583 as it taxied to the gate upon arrival from San Francisco. As passengers prepared to deplane, they were told by flight attendants — at the direction of the two officers — that all passengers would have to show identification documents to the officer…

splcenter (2019-07-09). SPLC urges HUD to drop plan that would cut housing assistance for 'mixed-status' immigrant families. splcenter.org The SPLC urged the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today to withdraw a proposal that would eliminate housing assistance for low-income families that include both documented and undocumented immigrants.

Paul Dobson (2019-06-10). Venezuela Partially Reopens Colombia Border, Closes Canadian Consulates. venezuelanalysis.com The move comes as a riot over fuel shortages in Merida leaves one dead.