Daily Archives: August 26, 2019

2019-08-26: News Headlines

unitedEditor (2019-08-26). The End of the Greater Middle East Project: The Case of Kurdistan. uwidata.com Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential elections has had dire implications for the American "Greater Middle East" project which has guided US foreign policy in the Middle East since it was first put forward in 2003. Trump's reorientation toward internal US problems (migration, economy, protectionism), the emergence of new geopolitical rivals (China and Iran) …

Janine Jackson (2019-08-26). 'It's an Attempt to Impose a White Nationalist Vision of What America Is' – CounterSpin interview with Sasha Abramsky on new attack on immigrants. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed author Sasha Abramsky about Trump's new attack on immigrants for the August 23, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…

Paul Street (2019-08-26). "Hereby Ordered": On Trump, Capital, Fascism, and China in a World on Fire. counterpunch.org I am hearing whispers from lefties that "the ruling class is finally done with Trump." It's "the China stuff" that's doing the trick. Sure, the argument goes, the corporate and financial powers that be haven't been all that happy with Trump's open white nationalism, racism, narcissism, and sexism. It's not their style. But they've been willing to put up with Trump's noxious nonsense because he's rewarded them with plutocratic tax cuts and de-regulation. The presidents' immigrant-bashing awfulness has kept his "heartland" base loyal to a president who knows (despite all his insanity) which constituency matters mos…

Month of Momentum Group (2019-08-26). #CloseTheCamps: Daily Protest at ICE Headquarters San Francisco (Aug 29). indybay.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 630 Sansome St, San Francisco 94111…

Month of Momentum Group (2019-08-26). #CloseTheCamps: Daily Protest at ICE Headquarters San Francisco (Aug 31). indybay.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 630 Sansome St, San Francisco 94111…

Month of Momentum Group (2019-08-26). #CloseTheCamps: Daily Protest at ICE Headquarters San Francisco (Aug 28). indybay.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 630 Sansome St, San Francisco 94111…

Month of Momentum Group (2019-08-26). #CloseTheCamps: Daily Protest at ICE Headquarters San Francisco (Aug 30). indybay.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 630 Sansome St, San Francisco 94111…

Month of Momentum Group (2019-08-26). #CloseTheCamps: Daily Protest at ICE Headquarters San Francisco (Aug 24). indybay.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 630 Sansome St, San Francisco 94111…

Month of Momentum Group (2019-08-26). #CloseTheCamps: Daily Protest at ICE Headquarters San Francisco (Aug 26). indybay.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 630 Sansome St, San Francisco 94111…

Month of Momentum Group (2019-08-26). #CloseTheCamps: Daily Protest at ICE Headquarters San Francisco (Aug 27). indybay.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 630 Sansome St, San Francisco 94111…

United Nations (2019-08-26). Monday's Daily Brief: UN chief talks climate action at G7, WFP official visits camp in Central African Republic, Deadly violence at Lesvos migrant centre, Security Council meets on AU-UN Darfur mission. un.org A recap of Monday's stories: UN chief urges more action from G7 leaders to tackle 'climate emergency'; WFP official visits camp for displaced in Central African Republic, UN refugee agency calls on Greece to keep young migrants safe after deadly incident at Lesvos reception centre; and Security Council considers work of AU-UN Mission in Sudan's Darfur region.

WSWS (2019-08-26). Immigrants hold four days of protest outside Mexican detention center. wsws.org Two hundred protesters staged sit-ins and blocked vans with migrants bound for deportation.

Fight Back (2019-08-26). Protesters block traffic at MN State Fair, demand end to police crimes. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On August 24, protesters shut down a light rail train, blocked traffic and shut down the main entrance to the Minnesota State Fair. The protesters demanded justice for victims of killer cops, an end to ICE raids, concentration camps and family separation, and an end to deadly U.S. interventions and blockades against foreign countries. Trump supporters and racists heckled, filmed and attacked the protesters, but failed to block the protesters' message, and no serious injuries occurred. | This was the fifth annual protest of the Minnesota State Fair. The initial protest was in response to the murder…

Staff (2019-08-26). After Being Pardoned by Trump, Joe Arpaio Will Seek Seventh Term as Sheriff. truthout.org | | Joe Arpaio, the former Maricopa County sheriff who was pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2017 after being convicted of criminal contempt, announced Sunday that he will seek a seventh term in the law enforcement post in 2020. | "Arpaio noted that the date of this announcement is important to him, as he is celebrating [his wife] Ava's birthday on Aug. 25, and it also happens to be the date that President Trump pardoned him on a scurrilous misdemeanor contempt charge filed by President…

World Affairs SF (2019-08-26). Sen. Jeff Merkley Speaks: His New Book on Trump's War Against Migrant Families. indybay.org World Affairs, 312 Sutter St., Suite 200, San Francisco 94108…

Nicole Hao (2019-08-26). Beijing Launches Plans for Shenzhen to Become World Hub, in Apparent Bid to Replace Hong Kong. globalresearch.ca Beijing has released a new policy laying out its ambitions for Shenzhen City—located in Guangdong Province just across the border from Hong Kong—to become a world-class tech innovation city. | Media in Hong Kong are theorizing that it signals the …

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-08-26). Legal Aid Group for Immigrants Says ICE Shutting Down Hotline Was 'Retaliation' for Advocacy Work. commondreams.org A non-profit legal aid organization is threatening action against ICE unless it restores its pro bono hotline which has enabled tens of thousands of immigrants to obtain legal counsel after being detained. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ecq0cvjuwaic36v1.jpg

Staff (2019-08-26). Headlines for August 26, 2019. democracynow.org World Leaders Pledge Amazon Help as Trump Sends Mixed Signals About China at G7 Summit, Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif Makes Surprise Appearance at G7 to Hold Talks with European Officials, Protesters Call Out G7 Leaders over Corporate Ties, Climate Inaction and Inequality, Wildfires Continue to Consume Amazon as Public Outrage Grows, Police Deploy Water Cannons, Fire a Live Warning Shot at Hong Kong Protesters, Attacks in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq Add to Mounting Tensions in Middle East, EU Countries Say They Will Relocate Migrants Stranded on Ship After 2-Week Standoff, 200,000 Rohingya Refugees March for "Genocid…

Will Parrish (2019-08-25). The U.S. Border Patrol and an Israeli Military Contractor Are Putting a Native American Reservation Under "Persistent Surveillance" theintercept.com Elbit Systems, which touts its products as "field-proven" on Palestinians, was contracted to build a high-tech surveillance system on Tohono O'odham land.

teleSUR (2019-08-25). 100,000 Rohingyas Rally in Bangladesh to Mark Genocide Day. telesurenglish.net At least 100,000 Rohingya refugees rallied in camps in Bangladesh Sunday, marking two years since the start of a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar that forced more than 730,000 to flee across the border. | RELATED: | 'People Were Hiding': Rohingya Refugees Refuse To Return | Massive crowds gathered in the morning on a hillside for memorial prayers for relatives…

teleSUR (2019-08-25). Israeli Airstrikes Hit Palestinian Position in Lebanon. telesurenglish.net Israeli air forces carried out Monday three strikes against a base of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in the Lebanese town of Qusaya, near the Syrian border, according to local media. | RELATED: | Iran Rejects Israeli Claim of Attacking Country's Base in Syria | "Three Israeli airstrikes targeted the Lebanese-Syria border east of Zahle… explosions were heard in several parts of the Bekaa valley," An-Nahar news channel reported, while videos on social…

teleSUR (2019-08-25). Caribbean Islands on Alert as Storm Dorian Closes. telesurenglish.net The Barbados government issued a warning against tropical storm Dorian Sunday morning as it was located 515 miles east-souttheast border of Barbados. It was the only island under an advisory. | RELATED: | Louisiana Calls State Emergency Ahead of Tropical Storm Barry | The storm packed 40 mph (65 kmh) winds as it headed west at 13 mph early on Sunday morning. It was forecasted to be near central Lesser Antilles late on Monday or early Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC)…

Staff (2019-08-24). Trump's Concentration Camps for Children. therealnews.com This week, the Trump Administration declared that immigrant children can be detained indefinitely, and in conditions that can be described as concentration camps. We talk to Sasha Abramsky of The Nation…

Glen Ford (2019-08-24). Blacks don't blame immigrants for the boss's crimes. mronline.org Large proportions of African Americans registered strong opposition to building a wall on the southern border, keeping undocumented people in limbo, and mass deportations. | Source

CounterSpin (2019-08-23). Sasha Abramsky on Trump's New Attack on Immigrants. fair.org Media…

Neri Felipe (2019-08-23). Escuelita àìscar Romero in Philadelphia builds unity in the face of anti-immigrant terror. liberationnews.org The Escuelita àìscar Romero, a program of the Philadelphia branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation which primarily serves recently arrived Central American children, just concluded its first summer camp.

Ed Rampell (2019-08-23). 'This is Not Berlin': South of the border like never before. peoplesworld.org The young rebels also find themselves at demonstrations and fighting their parents, teachers and the police, as part of their cultural revolution against Mexico's middle-class mores. It's to the barricades, amidst lots of generation gap angst. Marina de Tavira (who was Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actress for portraying the mother in Roma) plays Carlos and Maud's mamacita, who may not be as un-hip as she appears to her kiddies. | Sama's film, which has been making the festival circuit—including Sundance, Tribeca, and Outfest (where I recently saw it, coincidentally sitting beside the director)[mda…

splcenter (2019-08-23). Weekend Read: ICE's deliberate cruelty. splcenter.org Five days after taking office, President Trump signed "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States" — an executive order calling for the hiring of thousands of new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and the use of state and local police to enforce immigration law.

Sasha Abramsky (2019-08-23). President Trump Has Legalized Concentration Camps. thenation.com President Trump Has Legalized Concentration Camps…

Fight Back (2019-08-23). Activists demand Minnesota divest from border militarization contractor. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On August 22, immigrant rights and Palestine solidarity activists presented over 1000 signatures of Minnesota residents petitioning the State Board of Investments (SBI) to divest state pension funds from the Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems. Elbit sells cluster bombs and weaponized white phosphorus to the Israel Defense Forces, whose indiscriminate use on besieged Gaza has been widely condemned by international organizations. Elbit also manufactures surveillance equipment for the Israeli apartheid wall, and drones used in targeted assassinations of Palestinian political leaders. | Advertisi…

United Nations (2019-08-23). With security improving in DR Congo's Kasai, thousands of refugees head home from Angola. un.org As security has improved in the restive Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), some 8,500 refugees have left the Lóvua settlement in Angola's north-east Lunda Norte province in the past week, hoping to cross the border and return home, according to the UN refugee agency.

Staff (2019-08-23). Sen. Merkley Condemns Trump's War Against Migrant Families as U.S. Moves to Indefinitely Jail Kids. democracynow.org The Trump administration is moving to indefinitely detain migrant children and their families, reversing decades of U.S. policy. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to issue a new rule today to withdraw from a 1997 federal court settlement known as the Flores agreement, which put a 20-day limit on migrant family detentions. We speak with Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, who made headlines last year when he was barred from entering an old Walmart where the government was detaining about 1,500 immigrant children in Brownsville, Texas.

ACLU (2019-08-22). A Louisiana Parish Jailed a U.S. Citizen for Being Latinx. We're Suing. aclu.org Officers in a Louisiana jail held a U.S. citizen for four days on an immigration hold simply because of his skin color and name. | Ramon Torres had been a U.S. citizen for nearly ten years when he was detained for four days on an immigration hold — despite having a U.S. passport, a Louisiana driver's license, and a Social Security card, and despite that fact that a court ordered his release. | Torres' ordeal began in August 2018, when he was pulled over and arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Torres, a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2009, was carrying multiple forms of identification, inclu…

Norman Stockwell (2019-08-22). 'Anti-alien Hysteria:' Journalist Elizabeth Glendower Evans and the Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti. progressive.org In a case perhaps more relevant now than ever, the trial of the two immigrants became a rallying point for 1920s progressives, labor activists, and human rights advocates around the globe.

Staff (2019-08-22). Headlines for August 22, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Administration Proposes Jailing Migrant Families Indefinitely, Federal Budget Deficit to Top $1 Trillion in 2020, Satellite Data Show Brazilian Amazon Burning at Record Pace, Brazilian President Bolsonaro Blames Environmentalists for Amazon Fires, Wildfires Rage in Alaska, Canary Islands, Siberia and Greenland, Gov. Jay Inslee, Champion of Climate Fight, Drops 2020 Presidential Bid, Activists Disrupt Event Honoring House Speaker Pelosi to Demand Trump's Impeachment, Abdalla Hamdok Sworn In as Sudan's Prime Minister, Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Mark Anniversary of Subway Attack, Mexico's Zapatistas Exp…

Staff (2019-08-21). Meet Alvaro Enciso, the Artist Placing Crosses in Sonoran Desert to Memorialize Migrant Deaths. democracynow.org More than 3,000 human remains have been found in the Sonoran Desert, most of them of migrants fleeing their home countries to embark on an uncertain and perilous journey to the United States. On a recent visit to the Arizona borderlands, Democracy Now! accompanied Tucson-based artist Alvaro Enciso into the desert at the site where he placed four unique markers to honor four immigrants killed in a car accident years ago as they fled from Border Patrol. In the past five years, Enciso, who is originally from Colombia, has built and installed over 900 crosses across the treacherous Sonoran Desert in Arizona as part o…

Staff (2019-08-21). Headlines for August 21, 2019. democracynow.org Amazon Wildfires Spark Fears of Environmental Disaster as Sà£o Paulo Goes Dark from Smoke, Trump Expected to End Flores Agreement, Slashing Protections for Child Migrants, CBP Will Not Vaccinate Jailed Migrants as Doctors Say At Least 3 Detained Children Died from Flu, Lawsuits Allege "Torture" in Migrant Jails and Child Abuse in Foster Care, Italy in Turmoil as Prime Minister Resigns, Migrants Disembark from Rescue Ship in Italy After Being Stranded at Sea for 3 Weeks, Trump Cancels Denmark Visit over Refusal to Discuss Selling Greenland, Trump Attacks Tlaib & Omar, Says Jews Are "Disloyal" If They Vote De…

The Canary (2019-08-20). Key questions about Boris Johnson's Brexit letter to Donald Tusk. thecanary.co With Brexit due on October 31, Boris Johnson has set out in writing his demands for changes to the UK's divorce deal from the European Union.— What has the Prime Minister said?In his letter to European Council president Donald Tusk, Johnson confirmed his aim of removing the backstop — the contingency plan to keep a soft border with Ireland in all circumstances — from the legally binding Withdrawal Agreement. | I have written to @eucopresident about key aspects of the UK's…

The Canary (2019-08-20). Brussels rejects Boris Johnson's call for Irish backstop to be scrapped. thecanary.co Boris Johnson has been rebuffed by Brussels after demanding major changes in a new Brexit deal. | The prime minister set out his call for the backstop — the contingency plan to avoid a hard border with Ireland — to be scrapped from the divorce deal ahead of the October 31 Brexit deadline. | But European Council president Donald Tusk defended the measure and warned that those seeking to replace it would risk a return to a hard border on the island of Ireland. | The backstop is an insurance to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland unless and until an alternative is found. Those against the backst…

Staff (2019-08-19). Activist on the Front Lines Discusses the Historic Protests in Hong Kong. therealnews.com We had to blur her image but she talks about police brutality, the struggle for a transparent democracy, the Chinese army at the border, and hope for the future…

ACLU (2019-08-19). Trump is Taking More Money for Raids and Detention. Congress Should Stop Him. aclu.org Without congressional checks, ICE and CBP will continue to overspend and overstep. | The budget for Trump's turbo-charged immigration enforcement and border militarization is now larger than ever. And just last week, we learned that ICE plans to redirect even more money to further expand immigration detention and enforcement. The plan is currently being reviewed by congressional appropriato…

splcenter (2019-08-19). SPLC, allies sue ICE for ignoring medical, mental health and disability needs of detained immigrants. splcenter.org Faour Abdallah Fraihat, who ran a successful construction business for years in California, is currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Staff (2019-08-19). "Humanitarian Aid Is Never a Crime": No More Deaths Volunteers Drop Water in Desert to Aid Migrants. democracynow.org Volunteers with the humanitarian aid group No More Deaths have been venturing into the harsh Sonoran Desert for years to leave life-saving supplies for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Longtime volunteer Scott Warren was charged with three felonies for the alleged crime of providing food, water and shelter to migrants. After a hung jury in June, he is now facing retrial on two felony counts and faces a possible 10 years in prison. As he awaits his next trial as well as deals with misdemeanor charges in another case of aiding migrants, Democracy Now! followed him into the Sonoran Desert for his first trip…

Staff (2019-08-19). Activist Scott Warren, Facing Federal Charges for Aiding Migrants, Says He Won't Be Deterred. democracynow.org We broadcast live from Tucson, Arizona, where the government recently put humanitarian activist Scott Warren on trial amid the ongoing policing of the U.S.-Mexico border, separation of families, and cruel and inhumane conditions at immigrant jails across the country. Warren, a longtime volunteer with the humanitarian aid group No More Deaths, was charged with three felony counts for his alleged crime of providing food, water and shelter to migrants in Ajo, Arizona. The immigrants had arrived at the doorstep of a humanitarian shelter after a perilous journey across the Sonoran Desert. At the same time, he and othe…

Staff (2019-08-19). "They Are Irreplaceable, and They Mattered": Group Identifies Human Remains Along the Border. democracynow.org In a special broadcast from the Arizona-Sonora border, we look at how the bodies and bones of more than 3,000 people have been found in the Sonoran Desert since 2001, and speak with Robin Reineke, the co-founder of the Tucson-based organization Colibrí Center for Human Rights. Colibrí Center is dedicated to identifying the remains of people passing through the desert and, since its founding, has identified at least 100 migrants through meticulous forensic work and DNA data collection of people's remains and family members who are alive. In 2018, it launched the Bring Them Back Campaign to call for dignity and dem…

Eric Buerk, member UFCW (2019-08-17). Mississippi raid shows ICE = unionbusters for the capitalist class. liberationnews.org There have also been previous allegations that ICE was serving as a private army for the capitalists.

Camden Goetz (2019-08-17). ICE raids protested in Queens, NY. liberationnews.org "Liberation, not deportation!"

John McDevitt (2019-08-16). Trump uses Medicaid as weapon against disabled immigrants. liberationnews.org The administration's contempt for disabled people is only matched by its virulent racism and anti-immigrant bigotry.

Staff (2019-08-16). Headlines for August 16, 2019. democracynow.org Israel Bars Reps. Omar & Tlaib from Official Trip to West Bank Due to Their Support for BDS, 11 Die in Kashmir as Pakistani & Indian Troops Exchange Fire, U.S. Puts Pressure on Crew of Iranian Oil Tanker Seized in July, North Korea Test-Fires Two Missiles as It Rejects New Talks with S. Korea, NOAA: July Was Officially the Hottest Month on Record, Australia Accused of Watering Down Pacific Island Climate Agreement, Study: Surge in Methane Gas Emissions Is Linked to Fracking Boom, 270 Die, 1 Million Displaced in India from Heavy Monsoon Rains, Federal Court: Trump Admin Can't Deny Soap & Toothpaste to Migrant Chil…

splcenter (2019-08-13). SPLC joins brief opposing Kansas law targeting immigrants. splcenter.org The SPLC and 29 worker and immigrant rights organizations filed an amicus brief today urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a court decision stating that a Kansas identity theft law cannot be used to turn local law enforcement into immigration agents.