Daily Archives: July 3, 2020

2020-07-03: News Headlines

Martha Grevatt (2020-07-03). Another reason to tear down the walls: Ohio jail 100% COVID-positive. workers.org Cleveland, Ohio In a recent report, the Ohio Immigrant Alliance stated that the Morrow County Correctional Facility in Mt. Gilead is the first county jail in the state to be 100 percent COVID-positive. The jail, holding local prisoners as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees, is also the first . . . |

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-07-03). The China-India Trade War: Indian Boycott of Chinese Goods. globalresearch.ca The level of India's economic boycott against Chinese imports will depend on how the two countries resolve their border conflicts and if Indian industry is capable of offsetting the shortage of Chinese goods entering the country. Although the call to …

a guest author (2020-07-03). On the Road to Justice with im/migrant TPS holders. workers.org By G. Lechat Inspired by the great Civil Rights Movement and in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, immigrant Temporary Protected Status recipients organizing with Alianza TPS Nacional are forging a "Road to Justice." This is the name they gave their 200+ car caravan that converged on Washington, D.C., June 23-24 . . . |

news.un (2020-07-03). Protecting migrant workers in Kuwait: a Resident Coordinator's blog. news.un.org In Kuwait, the UN has played an important role in countering xenophobic rhetoric, falsely blaming the spread of COVID-19 on migrant workers. In this opinion piece, Tarek El Sheikh, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the country, highlights the efforts being made to safeguard the rights of foreign residents.

_____ (2020-07-03). Black Immigrants On The Front Lines Of COVID-19. popularresistance.org As the country continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Black immigrants — immigrants who identify as Black regardless of country or region of birth — are playing an important role on the front lines in healthcare, food supply, education, and biomedical industries. Black immigrants make up a significant portion of healthcare workers. In 2018, there were more than 560,000 Black immigrant workers in the healthcare sector. These workers made up 3.4 percent of all healthcare workers, a share almost three times their share of the U.S. population. In the food industry at large, there are over 223,000 Black immigrant…

_____ (2020-07-03). Trump Used Looted Venezuelan Public Money To Build Border Wall. popularresistance.org Since the United States initiated a coup attempt against Venezuela's elected leftist government in January 2019, up to $24 billion worth of Venezuelan public assets have been seized by foreign countries, primarily by Washington and member states of the European Union. | President Donald Trump's administration has used at least $601 million of that looted Venezuelan money to fund construction of its border wall with Mexico, according to government documents first reviewed by Univision. | During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump insisted countless times that he would "make Mexico pay" to build a gargantuan wall…

yenisafak (2020-07-03). Indigenous leaders angry about coronavirus risk from Brazilian military visit. yenisafak.com Leaders of an isolated indigenous Yanomami community in Brazil have complained that a military mission to protect them from the coronavirus brought greater risk of infection to their people through contact with outsiders including journalists.Federal prosecutors said they were investigating the visit for ignoring the wishes of Yanomami communities to remain isolated from society, violating rules of social distancing and distributing chloroquine to indigenous people.On Tuesday and Wednesday, soldiers brought medical supplies by helicopter to outposts on the border with Venezuela and assembled Yanomami families to…

yenisafak (2020-07-03). Growing number of mercenaries to Sirte deepens conflict in Libya: Analysis. yenisafak.com By Ferhat Polat – The writer is a researcher at the TRT World Research CentreOver the past two months, there has been a drastic change on the ground in Libya as forces loyal to the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) have pushed Haftar's self-declared Libyan National Army (LNA) to the borders of the coastal city of Sirte, some 450 km east of Tripoli, and Al-Jufra airbase in central Libya.Since January this year, Turkey has intervened determinedly in the Libyan conflict, providing air support, weapons, and technical assistance to the UN-backed government, and this Turkish support has rec…

Stan Cox (2020-07-02). It's Not Just Meat: All Farm and Food Workers Are in Peril. counterpunch.org COVID-19 outbreaks are now reaching far beyond the meatpacking industry. Migrant farmworkers in fruit orchards and vegetable fields, long the targets of intense exploitation, are seeing their health put in even greater jeopardy as they're pushed to feed an increasingly voracious supply chain in pandemic-time.

RT (2020-07-02). France ordered to pay up after epilepsy drug manufactured by coronavirus vaccine firm Sanofi caused birth defects. rt.com A French court has ordered the state to compensate three families whose children suffered birth defects due to the anti-epilepsy medication Dépakine. The drugmaker, Sanofi, is currently racing to certify a vaccine for Covid-19. | Dépakine is the brand name for sodium valproate, an ingredient used in the treatment of epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and migraines. However, it is known to

Unicorn Riot (2020-07-02). GEO Group's ICE Jail Lies to Immigration Lawyer, Attempts Unlawful Deportation. unicornriot.ninja Aurora, CO — On the morning of June 30, 2020, Pablo Mackleen Grijalva's lawyer tried to contact him at the GEO Group's ICE jail where he is detained, but to her shock, the officer on the phone told her he was not there. She immediately…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-07-02). Farmworkers: Big California farm sickens workers, families with coronavirus. peoplesworld.org

WSWS (2020-07-02). Beijing passes anti-democratic security law for Hong Kong. wsws.org While Beijing has concerns about imperialist intrigues in Hong Kong, its chief fear is that unrest in the city over democratic and social rights will spill over the border into the rest of China.

yenisafak (2020-07-02). Africa lost almost $55 billion in travel and tourism due to pandemic. yenisafak.com Africa countries have lost almost $55 billion in travel and tourism revenues in three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, the African Union commissioner for infrastructure and energy said on Thursday.Amani Abou-Zeid told a news conference that due to the prolonged lockdown and border closures to curb the spread of the virus, the air industry will be greatly impacted."Some airlines in the continent will not make it post-COVID-19," she said.

yenisafak (2020-07-02). Hungary not to open borders at EU's request, says PM. yenisafak.com "For now, we cannot support the EU's request because that would be against the health interests of the Hungarian people," Victor Orban said.Hungary, which joined the EU in 2004, opened its borders to Serbian citizens early June.This week the 27-member bloc added 14 states to the list of non-EU countries whose citizens can resume travel to the EU from July 1.The countries are Serbia, Montenegro, Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. China is also on the register, but only on the condition of reciprocal action by the Chinese authorities…

yenisafak (2020-07-02). More Pak-Afghan border points to reopen to boost trade. yenisafak.com Pakistan on Thursday announced it will reopen two more border crossings with Afghanistan to boost trade between the neighbors.Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan, said the crossings are likely to be reopened before mid-July."Pakistan will open Angor Adda and Kharlachi border crossings for trade with Afghanistan. After necessary arrangements by both sides, the two crossings are likely to become operational on 12 July," he tweeted.Last month Islamabad reopened the Torkham, Chaman, and Ghulam Khan border crossings, after they were closed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic."In the…

sputniknews (2020-07-02). US Amb to UN Claims Russia's Position on Syria Cross-Border Aid Program Will Lead to 'Mass Graves'. sputniknews.com A UN resolution adopted in January envisaged a reduction of border crossings under a program of cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria, from four to two, as the Assad government regained control over the country's territory and made possible aid delivery from inside Syria.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-07-02). Cuban Asylum Seeker Describes Vicious Pepper Spray Attack on Hunger Strikers at ICE Detention Facility. commondreams.org A Cuban asylum-seeker on Thursday described a pepper spray attack he and about two dozen other people faced in May at a private prison where ICE is holding immigrants. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1192337815_1.jpg

Josue De Luna Navarro (2020-07-01). The Victory of DACA Is a Reminder that Nothing Will Put Us Down. commondreams.org The decision on DACA is a huge victory for our undocumented communities, but it's also a reminder to the present administration, and future administrations, that we won't stop mobilizing and organizing for people's collective freedom to move—and stay—in unity and peace. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/immigrants.jpg

South Front (2020-07-01). Video: Houthis Captured 400 Km2 from Saudi-backed Forces in Central Yemen. globalresearch.ca The Houthis have captured over 400km2 from Saudi-backed forces in their recent advance on the administrative border of the Yemeni provinces of al-Bayda and Marib. According to Brigadier General Sare'e, a spokesman for the Armed Forces loyal to the Houthi …

Vijay Prashad (2020-07-01). Venezuela's borderlands have been assaulted by COVID-19. peoplesdispatch.org Over 70,000 Venezuelan migrants have returned to the country due to the uncontrolled coronavirus outbreaks in the neighboring countries. Venezuela has welcomed them and provided free testing and treatment…

Kent Paterson (2020-07-01). Crisis After Crisis on the Border. counterpunch.org Ciudad Juarez has a long history of crises—foreign invasions, revolutions, economic recessions tied to the United States, the 9-11 border constriction and transnational gangland wars. Then there's the perpetual crisis of putting food on the table in a high-priced, low-wage city while staying safe in a place where violence can surge at any moment. Heaped atop the struggles of daily life, the Mexican city of an estimated 1.5 million residents bordering El Paso, Texas, now grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sanket Jain (2020-07-01). How India Failed Its Coronavirus Test. progressive.org When Prime Minister Narendra Modi shut down the country from March to June, millions of migrant workers faced starvation and homelessness.

Bianca Sierra Wolff (2020-07-01). ICE is Leaving Immigrants to Die in Detention. zcomm.org And Retaliating When They Speak Out…

WSWS (2020-07-01). Migrants challenge visa processing delays by New Zealand authorities. wsws.org The Labour Party-led government is delaying the processing of migrant visa applications, leaving tens of thousands of people in limbo.

_____ (2020-07-01). As COVID19 Spikes, Blackfeet Leaders Close Entrances To Glacier Park. popularresistance.org Blackfeet Nation leaders, citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, have decided to keep the eastern entrances to Glacier National Park closed for the rest of the tourism season. | The Blackfeet Reservation borders the east side of the park. The tribe's Business Council passed an ordinance on Thursday closing the entrances, saying the move was necessary to protect residents of the reservation — where tribal citizens suffer from higher rates of existing health conditions that put them at higher risk of serious complications of COVID-19 — as case numbers continue their recent rise statewide. | The closur…

sputniknews (2020-07-01). Cisco Systems Sued in California Over Alleged Caste Discrimination. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Equality Labs, a civil rights group, has claimed that 67 percent of dalits working in the US felt like they were being treated unfairly. Reuters reports that Cisco Systems, like other large Silicon Valley employers, hires thousands of Indian immigrants, but that most are Brahmins or from other traditionally privileged castes.

en.mehrnews (2020-07-01). Iranian-Turkish border guards enjoy good interaction: Cmdr. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 01 (MNA) — Brigadier General Ahmad Ali Goudarzi, Border Guards Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran police said in a meeting with Iranian ambassador to Turkey, that the interaction between Iranian and Turkish border guards is of high quality and we are looking forward to expanding our interactions and cooperation more and more.

The Canary (2020-07-01). Nicola Sturgeon slams 'ridiculous political comments' from PM. thecanary.co Nicola Sturgeon has criticised Boris Johnson's "absurd and ridiculous political comments" claiming there is no Scottish border, and urged him to focus on the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. | The first minister said attempts to escalate a row about people potentially having to quarantine if entering Scotland from other parts of the UK are "frankly disgraceful". | Sturgeon has repeatedly stated she will not rule out such quarantine measures if they are supported by public health evidence, a suggestion the PM said he found "absolutely astonishing". | At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Johnson said: "There…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-07-01). Removing 'Unjust Barrier' to Asylum, Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump Rule Forcing Refugees to Seek Safety Elsewhere. commondreams.org Immigrant rights advocates applauded a Trump-appointed federal judge's rebuke to the White House on Wednesday as the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. blocked the administration's anti-asylum rule targeting Central Americans. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/child_migrant_cd_0_0_0_0.jpg

Staff (2020-06-30). NJ Latinx Parents & Students Fight Robert Wood Johnson Plan to Demolish Public School. democracynow.org In a story Democracy Now! has followed closely, Juan González shares an update on efforts to prevent the demolition of the Lincoln Annex public school in New Brunswick, New Jersey. City officials are trying to proceed with demolishing the public school this summer, in a move that would force 760 students to be bused to other schools for years, and parents and local activists are holding a rally in front of the Lincoln Annex School. "They want to keep the pressure on in the streets and to call on allies … who support public education, who are against gentrification and the abuse of immigrants, to join the rally,…

Ben Norton (2020-06-30). Trump used looted Venezuelan public money to build border wall with Mexico. mronline.org Around $24 billion of Venezuelan public money has been looted, and the Trump administration has used at least $601 million of it to construct a militarized wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Bianca Sierra Wolff — Lisa Knox (2020-06-30). ICE is Leaving Immigrants to Die in Detention, and Retaliating When They Speak Out. counterpunch.org The spread of COVID-19 to immigrant detention facilities poses a mortal danger to everyone who is unjustly detained. For months now advocates, organizers and those detained have urged elected officials and governmental agencies to take affirmative steps to prevent needless deaths and suffering inside immigrant detention facilities.

_____ (2020-06-30). Restrictive Immigration Boomerangs Against The United States. popularresistance.org The European Union has prepared a preliminary draft of its new border regulations, outlining who can visit after July 1, and that this list depends on how the countries of origin of the prospective travelers are dealing with the new coronavirus. People from the U.S., at this point, will be excluded. "This viewpoint is a severe blow for U.S. prestige in the world and a rejection of the management of the virus in the U.S. on the part of President Trump," the Times added. Among the acceptable travelers for the European Union are those from Cuba, the country against which the U.S. began to build economic, financial,…

_____ (2020-06-30). "Hard Road Of Hope" Shows West Virginia Is A Mirror Of The United States. popularresistance.org For years now Eleanor has been participating in climate justice camps and actions providing support to those on the front lines of the climate and environmental crises however it was needed from producing media to locking down. It was through this work that she became aware of the major shift from mountain top removal for coal to fracking for gas, both very exploitative and extractive industries, in West Virginia. As she went there to cover what was happening, it became clear that the story was too big for anything but a documentary. | In "Hard Road of Hope," Eleanor teaches the untold history of how immigrants w…

yenisafak (2020-06-30). France's oldest nuclear power plant shuts down. yenisafak.com France's oldest power plant Fessenheim went offline at midnight on Monday after 40 years of operation, the state-owned energy company EDF announced.France has 56 nuclear reactors currently in operation which provide 75% of the country's energy consumption, making the nation the world's biggest consumer of nuclear energy.The development of Fessenheim was welcome news for residents of the region, previously fairly devoid of industry or any commerce. The location was an attractive one for its proximity to Germany: Fessenheim is a commune located directly on the border, in the Haut-Rhin Department in the Grand Est re…

sputniknews (2020-06-30). Indian and Chinese Army Commanders Meet to Defuse Ongoing Tension at Border. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): After the unprecedented face-off between Indian and Chinese armies in Ladakh's Galwan Valley on 15 June, both New Delhi and Beijing have been trying to diffuse tensions at the border through army-to-army engagements and diplomacy.