Daily Archives: October 17, 2019

2019-10-17: News Headlines

Staff (2019-10-17). Syrian Forces Enter Key Border Town, Blocking Turkish Plans. truthdig.com Kobani is taken by forces loyal to Bashar Assad, blocking one path for the Turkish military to establish a "safe zone" free of Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Charles Pierson (2019-10-17). Bret Stephens' American Fantasy. counterpunch.org "Goodbye, America. Goodbye, Freedom Man," laments Bret Stephens in the October 11 New York Times. The conservative columnist was reacting to President Donald Trump's abandonment of Syria's Kurds. On October 5, after a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump ordered US forces back from the Syrian border with Turkey. Trump's action put More

WSWS (2019-10-17). British family "emotionally and psychologically destroyed" by detention in US immigration prison. wsws.org The tragic experience faced by the Connors family is a small glimpse into the horrors faced by those who flee their home countries, undertaking a perilous journey only to be detained, separated, and abused in America's brutal concentration camps.

teleSUR (2019-10-17). Italian Govt. Allows Ocean Viking to Bring 176 Migrants Ashore. telesurenglish.net Italy's authorities Wednesday allowed the Ocean Viking to dock 176 African migrants in the port of Taranto. Apparently, this decision could put an end to the former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini's "Closed Ports" policy which has been in effect since 2017. | RELATED: | Italy: Lampedusa Remembers 368 Migrants Who Died in Shipwreck | "Italy has assig…

Steven Sahiounie (2019-10-17). Bashar al-Assad Government Poised to Fulfill the Promise of Regaining all Syrian Territory. globalresearch.ca "Our proposal is for the terrorists to lay down their arms, leave their equipment, destroy the traps they have created, and leave the safe zone we designated, as of tonight," Turkish President Erdogan said. "If this is …

Sara Flounders (2019-10-17). U.S., NATO, Turkey Out of Syria! globalresearch.ca The conflict within the U.S. ruling class about the Turkish invasion of northern Syria has created some confusion about events there. The latest new development — an alliance of Kurdish-based forces with the Syrian national army to defend the border …

Staff (2019-10-17). Israel's Occupation Inspired the Brutal Security Regime at the US-Mexico Border. truthout.org U.S. military aid has financed the development of one of the world's most advanced security apparatuses in Israel, which has used the Occupied Palestinian Territories as its "laboratory" for technologies of surveillance and control. In this excerpt of Empire of Borders: The Expansion of the U.S. Border Around the World, author Todd Miller explains how Israeli officials and security companies have played a major role in shaping contemporary U.S. border enforcement. | At a border technology c…

Staff (2019-10-17). Rep. Elijah Cummings Dies at 68. truthout.org Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, died at Johns Hopkins Hospital at the age of 68 Thursday from "complications concerning longstanding health challenges," his office said in a statement. | Cummings played a significant role in numerous investigations into President Donald Trump's conduct and policies, including his mass detention of children at the U.S.-Mexico border. | The Maryland D…

United Nations (2019-10-17). New labour laws in Qatar benefiting migrant workers a 'momentous step forward': ILO. un.org New legislation in Qatar which will allow foreign workers to freely change jobs and leave the country without the approval of their employers, has been praised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) as "a momentous step forward in upholding the rights of migrant workers."

Tom Coburg (2019-10-17). Channel 4 interview shows how devastating any Brexit border in Ireland could be. thecanary.co Channel 4 News has broadcast an exclusive interview with a serving New IRA (Irish Republican Army) paramilitary. The interviewee made it clear that a reimposed border between the north and south of Ireland would result in paramilitary violence. | The security implications for Boris Johnson's UK government, and its attempts to find a Brexit deal, are likely significant. | Border infrastructure attacks: | The paramilitary told Chann…

United Nations (2019-10-16). Wednesday's Daily Brief: Soaring obesity rates, sustainable development funding alliance, new UN office to support Haiti. un.org A recap of Wednesday's main stories: Poor global diets triggering obesity; cancer incidents expected to rise indicates new 'atlas'; CEOs join UN to tackle SDG funding; New UN Mission launches in Haiti; to blend better into Big Apple life, NYC restaurant gives migrants, refugees and fresh start.

United Nations (2019-10-16). Ingredients for a new life: how cooking helps refugees and migrants blend in. un.org On a Friday afternoon, in a small restaurant kitchen in the New York borough of Brooklyn, head chef Alexander Harris is giving instructions to his attentive team, preparing them for the busy evening ahead. So far, the tables are empty, but the small, popular space, with just a handful of tables – and some stools around the bar – will soon be bustling with the evening crowd.

teleSUR (2019-10-16). US Restores Aid to Central America After Achieving Asylum Deals. telesurenglish.net The United States restored economic aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras Wednesday that had been cut off after the Trump administration complained the three Central American countries had done too little to halt a surge in migration. | RELATED: | US Top Court Rules in Favor of Trump's Asylum Crackdown in Southern Border | "Guatemala, Honduras & El Salvador have all signed historic Asylum Cooperation Agreements…the U.S. will shortly be approving targeted assistance in the a…

Esteban Guevara (2019-10-16). Newark protesters: Democratic Party machine an accomplice in Trump's war on immigrants. liberationnews.org Protesters gathered in Newark, New Jersey for a rally and 3-mile march up to the detention center organized by the Resist the Deportation Machine Network on Oct. 12 to demand the closure of the ICE concentration camp in Essex county.

Staff (2019-10-16). It Was the Longest Debate So Far, But CNN & NYT Asked No Questions on Climate Crisis & Immigration. democracynow.org Despite ongoing climate chaos and a sustained humanitarian disaster at the southern border, The New York Times and CNN failed to ask candidates directly about immigration or the climate crisis at Tuesday night's Democratic presidential debate. We speak with Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, who says the lack of attention to immigraton "was a major gap in the three-hour debate." We also speak with journalist Kate Aronoff about the debate's failure to address the climate crisis.

Staff (2019-10-16). Headlines for October 16, 2019. democracynow.org 12 Democratic Candidates Take to the Stage in Ohio, Pence Heads to Turkey as Erdogan Vows No Ceasefire in Northern Syria, State Dept. Official: White House Put "Three Amigos" in Charge of Ukraine Policy, Activists Arrested in D.C. over Trump Plan to Gut Refugee Resettlement, British Family Detained for a Week After Mistakenly Driving Across U.S.-Canada Border, Egypt Tortured Journalist & Activist Esraa Abdel Fattah in Custody, Worst Fires in Decades Rage Across Lebanon, Mexican Senate Slated to Vote on Bill to Legalize Marijuana, Man Launches Hunger Strike Amid Mohawk Land Dispute with Real Estate Developers, Cal…

Eds. (2019-10-16). Back to the wall. mronline.org The same American myths that drove frontier expansion now support closing the borders. | Source

Staff (2019-10-15). California Lawmakers Passed a Bill Banning Private Prisons. therealnews.com Activist Amani Sawari talks about what the impact on people in private prisons and immigration detention centers will be if Governor Gavin Newsom signs AB32, which would phase out private prisons by 2028.

United Nations (2019-10-15). Tuesday's Daily Brief: UNICEF child health report, Peacekeeping operations end in Haiti, Syria-Turkey latest, Haitian migrants deported from Bahamas. un.org A recap of Tuesday's stories: Millions of children undernourished and overweight says landmark report; Security Council marks transition after 15 years of 'blue helmets' in Haiti; violence continues 'on both sides' of Syria-Turkey border; UN human rights office raises concerns over deportation of Haitian migrants from the Bahamas; UN migration agency helps migrants in Algeria return to Niger; rural women celebrated on International Day.

United Nations (2019-10-15). Syria war: executions condemned as violence continues 'on both sides' of border with Turkey. un.org Amid ongoing fighting in northern Syria and disturbing reports that extrajudicial killings have been streamed online, the United Nations and their partners are continuing to deliver humanitarian supplies to tens of thousands of people displaced by the violence, UN agencies stressed on Tuesday.

Staff (2019-10-15). Headlines for October 15, 2019. democracynow.org Syrian Troops Advance Across Northern Syria After Deal with Kurds, Ex-Top Russia Adviser Testified Bolton Called Giuliani a "Hand Grenade", 12 Democrats Will Take the Stage for Presidential Debate in Ohio Tonight, Fort Worth Cop Charged for Murder After Killing Atatiana Jefferson, Judge: Trump Broke Law by Declaring Emergency to Secure Border Funding, Arizona: Bulldozers Destroyed Protected Cacti to Clear Way for Trump Wall, 8-Year-Old Girl Easily Scales Replica of Trump's "Impenetrable" Border Wall, Protests Erupt at Barcelona Airport over Sentencing of Catalan Leaders, Mexico: 14 Police Officers Killed in Ambus…

Editor (2019-10-15). U.S., NATO, Turkey out of Syria! workers.org The conflict within the U.S. ruling class about the Turkish invasion of northern Syria has created some confusion about events there. The latest new development — an alliance of Kurdish-based forces with the Syrian national army to defend the border from the Turkish army — may increase that confusion. To . . . | Continue reading U.S., NATO, Turkey out of Syria! at Workers.org

Staff (2019-10-14). Kurds Turn to Bashar al-Assad for Protection as U.S. Abandons Former Allies to Turkish Assault. democracynow.org Syrian troops are massing near the Turkish border, one day after Bashar al-Assad's government reached a deal to help protect the Kurds from Turkey's deadly air and ground assault. On Sunday, the Kurds agreed, in a deal brokered by Russia, to hand over two border towns to the Syrian government in exchange for protection. The Kurds had been allied with the United States up until last week, when President Trump abruptly pulled U.S. troops from northern Syria, paving the way for Turkey's assault. More than 130,000 people have already been displaced over the past five days since Turkey invaded northern Syria. The deat…

Staff (2019-10-14). Headlines for October 14, 2019. democracynow.org Syrian Troops Mass at Turkish Border After Striking Deal with Kurds, Pentagon Deploying Additional 1,800 Troops to Saudi Arabia, NYT: Russian Warplanes Bomb 4 Hospitals in Syria over 12 Hours, Appeals Court Rules Trump Must Turn Over Financial Records, Video Shows Fake Trump Shooting Journalists, Political Rivals, Fox News' Shepard Smith Has Quit Network, Hunter Biden to Step Down from Chinese Company Board, White Cop Kills Black Woman by Shooting Through Her Bedroom Window, Japan: 40 Have Died in Typhoon Hagibis, Ecuador: Indigenous Protests Force Government to Reinstate Fuel Subsidies, Uganda LGBT Activists Fig…

Maye Primera (2019-10-13). Months After ICE Raids, An Impoverished Mississippi Community Is Still Reeling. theintercept.com Migdalia couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, her whole body ached. "I don't know what's wrong with me," she told her children. She thinks the pains began in late June, around the time that President Donald Trump announced massive immigration raids across the country. On August 7, the day Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers stormed her workplace, her feet ached. "I could feel it coming, that's what was happening to me," Migdalia said, her electronic ankle bracelet flickering on her leg. | For 14 years, Migdalia had been slicing chicken breasts and pulling entrails at the chicken processing plant at Koch Foods I…

Teresa Albano (2019-10-11). Resisting Anti-Immigrant Hate in the City of Big Shoulders. progressive.org A gaggle of far-right MAGA men showed up at a Chicago church to protest its immigrant rights work. Bad decision.

splcenter (2019-10-11). Trump's latest policy assault on immigrants is cruel and unnecessary. splcenter.org Last week the Trump administration renewed its attack on immigrants, this time limiting admission to our country to only people who can prove they will have health insurance coverage within 30 days of entering the United States.

Fight Back (2019-10-11). Minneapolis overpowers Trump rally with mass protest. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Thousands of people poured into the streets on October 10 to resist the reactionary rally held by President Donald Trump in the heart of Minneapolis. Long targeted by the president's racist incitement against the city's immigrant, Muslim and Black communities, Minneapolis rose to the occasion with a massive display of righteous militancy. | The evening began with several marches converging from multiple directions onto the Target Center stadium where Trump was set to appear. One march, organized by over a dozen union locals and labor organizations, shut down traffic for miles as well as a major…

susan_p (2019-10-11). Turkey launches genocidal invasion of Rojava. greenleft.org.au Rojava Solidarity Tony IltisIssue 1240 Syria Turkey's war on KurdistanOctober 11, 2019The horrific violence that has been devastating Syria for the past eight years is intensifying. | On October 9, NATO's second largest army, that of Turkey, launched a full-…

Staff (2019-10-10). As Dems Focus on Impeachment, Trump Heads to "Imperial Governance" therealnews.com The Trump administration is undermining our nation from immigration to the environment, while his tweets and impeachment distract us. Add it all up, says our guest, we can see how he threatens what remains of U.S. democracy.

Staff (2019-10-10). After Trump Abandoned Kurds, Turkish Invasion Raises Fear of Kurdish Genocide & ISIS Resurgence. democracynow.org Turkey has launched an aerial and ground assault on northern Syria targeting Kurdish-controlled areas. The offensive began Wednesday, just days after President Trump ordered U.S. troops to fall back from their positions on the Turkish-Syrian border. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports at least 16 Kurds have been killed so far. Turkey is claiming the death toll is far higher. The Trump administration has faced widespread criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers for abandoning the stateless Kurds who had helped the U.S. fight ISIS. Turkey is claiming the assault is needed to establish a "

Tyler Durden (2019-10-09). Erdogan Says Military Invasion of Syria Has Begun as Turkish Jets Bomb the Kurds. theantimedia.com Video shows Turkish troops crossing the border, as journalists warn that "a new phase of this bloody regional war could be about to begin."

Staff (2019-10-09). Julián Castro Backs Impeachment Effort & Condemns Trump's "Betrayal" of Kurds in Northern Syria. democracynow.org Turkey's government says its troops are prepared for an imminent assault on Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, after President Trump ordered U.S. troops to fall back from their positions on the Turkish-Syrian border. Kurdish fighters said they're bracing for a "humanitarian catastrophe." This follows warnings that former Kurdish allies of the U.S. who feel betrayed by President Trump will abandon thousands of prisoners captured during the U.S.-backed war against ISIS over the past two years. We speak to former housing secretary and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro, who says Trump's move is a…

Nicole Roussell (2019-10-07). Vigil: Justice for Nebane Abienwi! Cameroonian migrant dies in ICE custody. liberationnews.org On October 7, protesters gathered in front of immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in Washington, D.C. for a candlelight vigil in response to the death of a 37-year-old Cameroonian asylum seeker who died in ICE custody.

PSL Connecticut (2019-10-04). 'This is an emergency:' New Haven demands a real Sanctuary City. liberationnews.org " øQue queremos? °Ciudad Santuario! øCuando? °Ahora!" was the chant that rang out from the steps of New Haven City Hall on Oct. 2, as a crowd of 50 people gathered to demand immediate action from the Board of Alders on an ordinance establishing strong sanctuary city legislation.

Hatewatch Staff (2019-09-26). Trump Official Ken Cuccinelli Speaks to Anti-Immigrant Hate Group. splcenter.org The acting director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) became the latest Trump administration official to speak at an event organized by the anti-immigrant hate group Center for Immigration Studies.

splcenter (2019-09-24). Family separation under the Trump administration — a timeline. splcenter.org Long before the Trump administration implemented its "zero tolerance" immigration enforcement policy in 2018, it was already separating children from their parents as part of a "pilot program" conducted in the El Paso, Texas, area and along other parts of the border.

splcenter (2019-09-19). Beyond the border . splcenter.org In Juárez, migrants wait for a number, their fates uncertain.

Lucas Koerner (2019-09-11). Venezuela's Maduro Warns of Colombia 'Threat' as Trump Fires Bolton. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuelan military exercises along the border started on Tuesday.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-28). Report: One Venezuelan Migrant Killed Every Day in Colombia. venezuelanalysis.com Criminal activity and xenophobic attacks have been cited among the main causes.

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