Daily Archives: February 17, 2020

2020-02-17: News Headlines

RT (2020-02-17). Gangster-climate ally? Greta gets flamed for posing with crime-glamorizing rapper (PHOTO). rt.com Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has exposed herself to intense internet mockery after posing with a controversial Swedish rapper who purportedly spent several years in prison. | The musical artist, 1.Cuz, performed at Thunberg's recent "Fridays for Future" rally in central Stockholm. Known for always wearing a mask and keeping his real identity a secret, 1.Cuz raps about crime, drugs and his hatred of the cops. | In a recent interview with Swedish media, the rapper reportedly revealed that he had served two years in prison for a "serious" crime — but did not go into specifics. According to local m…

Fight Back (2020-02-15). MN: County Attorney Mike Freeman's house picketed after cops who killed Brian Quiñones escape charges. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – In response to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman's decision to not press charges against the Richfield and Edina police officers who killed Brian Quiñones, the groups Justice for Brian Quiñones, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar (TCC4J), the Racial Justice Network and others gathered for a spirited picket of Mike Freeman's residence the evening of February 11. | About 50 people chanted, sang and played clips of Brian's music for about an hour. The most popular chant was "Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail. The whole damn system is guilty as hell!" Family and friends o…

Brett Wilkins (2020-02-15). UN Publishes List of Companies Profiting from Israel's Illegal Settlements in Palestine. commondreams.org Prominent international critics have called Israel's Jews-only settlements, as well as segregated roads and other infrastructure, a form of apartheid. (Photo: The West Bank settlement of Givat Zeev is pictured in late December, 2016) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

RT (2020-02-15). Mistrial declared in case of anti-coup activists arrested in DC police raid on Venezuelan Embassy. rt.com Jurors who heard the case of four activists who were invited by Caracas to protect the Venezuelan Embassy in the US capital — only to be nabbed in a police raid on the compound — failed to reach a verdict due to a hung jury.

Andrew Levine (2020-02-14). Mayor Mike, Worse Than Mayor Pete. counterpunch.org Michael Bloomberg is essentially an old school Republican. He hates Trump, the worst American president ever, but he loved George W. Bush, the second worst president in modern times. He may honestly think that black and brown lives matter, but, as mayor of New York City, he showed, time and again, that, for him gentrification — and its concomitants, mass incarceration of young black and Latino men, and brutal "law and order" policing

Staff (2020-02-13). Did Amy Klobuchar Send an Innocent Teenager to Life in Prison? Questions Mount over Her Record as DA. democracynow.org After a surprising third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is attempting to gain ground in the national polls. But Klobuchar is also facing mounting scrutiny over her record as a district attorney in Minnesota. The Minneapolis NAACP, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and other racial justice groups recently called on Klobuchar to suspend her presidential campaign following a shocking investigation by the Associated Press. The AP report centered on the case of Myon Burrell, an African-American teenager who was sentenced to life in prison over the 2002 murder of 11-year-old Tye…

Fight Back (2020-02-13). FRSO calls for the immediate release and repatriation of political prisoner Facundo Molares. fightbacknews.org Facundo Molares Schoenfeld is an Argentinian photojournalist who was illegally arrested by the Bolivian dictatorship, and who is currently held in terrible conditions in a Bolivian prison. His life is in danger, as he does not receive adequate medical attention for a life-threatening condition. | This photojournalist was on assignment, for the Argentinian left-wing magazine El Centenario, in Bolivia to document the election of Evo Morales and its aftermath in October, 2019. Bolivia suffered a coup d'état by fascist elements and the military, with the support of the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, on November 10, 2019. A…

Staff (2020-02-13). The Wet'suwet'en Fight Against New Pipeline Spreads Across Canada with Blockades & Occupations. democracynow.org A major anti-pipeline struggle continues in Canada, where protests have broken out across the country in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en land defenders whose sovereign land in northern British Columbia was raided last week and over the weekend by Canadian police. Dozens were arrested in the days-long raid of unceded indigenous territories, where hereditary chiefs have been in a protracted battle to protect their land from the construction of TransCanada's 400-mile, $4.7 billion Coastal GasLink pipeline. The raids took place about 700 miles north of Vancouver and sparked outrage across the country. In Ontario, a Moha…

Democracy Now! (2020-02-13). First Nations Pipeline Protest: 14 Land Protectors Arrested as Canadian Police Raid Indigenous Camp. dissidentvoice.org In Canada, armed forces raided native Wet'suwet'en territory in British Columbia Monday, with at least 14 arrests being reported. Land defenders faced off with Royal Canadian Mounted Police as the police breached two checkpoints set up to keep pipeline workers out of protected territory. Indigenous leaders are reportedly being blocked from their territory. TransCanada Corporation …

Staff (2020-02-12). Meet the Journalist Who Exposed Bloomberg's Racist Defense of Targeting Black & Brown Youth. democracynow.org "#BloombergIsRacist." That's the hashtag that's trending on Twitter since audio of remarks made by 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg surfaced earlier this week. In the clip from the 2015 Aspen Institute, Bloomberg is heard defending the New York City Police Department's controversial "stop-and-frisk" policies, saying, "Ninety-five percent of your murders and murderers and murdered victims fit one MO. You can just take the description, xerox it and pass it out to all the cops." He continues, "They are male minorities, 15 to 25. That's true in New York. It's true…

Staff (2020-02-12). Feminist Scholar Barbara Smith on Identity Politics & Why She Supports Bernie Sanders for President. democracynow.org We speak with the legendary African-American feminist scholar Barbara Smith. She is a founder of the Combahee River Collective and of Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press. Barbara Smith recently wrote a column in The Guardian newspaper titled "I helped coin the term 'identity politics'. I'm endorsing Bernie Sanders." Her latest book is "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith."

Staff (2020-02-12). South Bend Politician: I Worked with Pete Buttigieg. He Did Not Respect Black Residents' Struggles. democracynow.org 2020 presidential candidate and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg has surprised many with his strong showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, two of the country's whitest states. But as the race moves on to South Carolina and Nevada, Buttigieg continues to poll extremely low with African-American voters. His own former constituents are condemning his treatment of the black community in South Bend during his time as mayor, calling out systemic racism in the police force. During Buttigieg's tenure, black residents were 4.3 times more likely to be arrested for possessing marijuana than white people. We…

Staff (2020-02-10). "Our Very Existence Is the Resistance": An Hour w/ AOC, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib & Ilhan Omar. democracynow.org On Friday, Democracy Now! co-host Nermeen Shaikh sat down for a rare joint interview with the Squad, the group of four freshmen Democratic congresswomen who have taken Capitol Hill by storm: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. Omar and Tlaib are the first Muslim women elected to Congress. Omar is a former refugee from Somalia, and Tlaib is the first female Palestinian-American member of Congress. Ayanna Pressley is the first African-American woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts. Ocasio-Cortez was just 29 years old w…

Andrea Woods (2020-02-05). Using Bail as Ransom Violates the Core Tenets of Pretrial Justice. aclu.org Rebecca Gill was out of | options. At 39 years old, she was arrested and though not convicted of a crime | and presumed innocent, confined to a jail cell. This happened because of a cash | bail requirement that she couldn't afford. Her friends didn't have extra money | to help, and she was unlikely to see a judge until she'd been in jail for two | full weeks. | Stuck in jail, she was in | jeopardy of losing her job and her driver's license. Losing her license would result | in myriad consequences, such as preventing her from getting to work and making | it more difficult to take care of her son and mother. | T…

splcenter (2020-01-29). Weekend Read: 2020: African Americans and the Vote. splcenter.org Historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926 established "Negro History Week" to celebrate the contributions to our nation made by Black people.

2020-02-17: Social Media Postees

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

Gangster-climate ally? Greta gets flamed for posing with crime-glamorizing rapper (PHOTO)
rt.com | 2020-02-17
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has exposed herself to intense internet mockery after posing with a controversial Swedish rapper who purportedly spent several years in prison. | The musical artist, 1.Cuz, performed at Thunberg's recent "Fridays for Future" rally in central Stockholm. Known for always wearing a mask and keeping his real identity a secret, 1.Cuz raps about crime, drugs and his hatred of the cops. | In a recent interview with Swedish media, the rapper reportedly revealed that he had served two years in prison for a "serious" crime

New Film Showcases How the Rainbow Coalition's Struggle for Justice Lives On
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-16
One of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton's most famous quotes is: "You can kill a revolutionary, but you can't kill the revolution." Unfortunately, as the new documentary The First Rainbow Coalition demonstrates, the movement can be set back decades when a revolutionary of Hampton's magnitude is k…
truthout.org/articles/new-film-showcases…

Chileans March For And Against New Constitution Referendum
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-16
Thousands of Chileans that support and reject a new constitution in Chile had a tense clash in the streets of Santiago Sunday, as the country prepares for the upcoming referendum on April 26. | RELATED: | Chile: Almost 10,000 People Arrested in Four Months of Protests | Nearly 300 people who reject the project of a new constitution gathered yesterday at the Military School in Las Condes and marched to the Carabineros School holding banners with the photograph of dictator August…
telesurenglish.net/news/chileans-march-f…

MN: County Attorney Mike Freeman's house picketed after cops who killed Brian Quiñones escape charges
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-15
Minneapolis, MN – In response to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman's decision to not press charges against the Richfield and Edina police officers who killed Brian Quiñones, the groups Justice for Brian Quiñones, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar (TCC4J), the Racial Justice Network and others gathered for a spirited picket of Mike Freeman's residence the evening of February 11. | About 50 people chanted, sang and played clips of Brian's music for about an hour. The most popular chant was "Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail. The whole damn system is guilty as hell!" Family and friends o…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/2/15/mn-count…

UN Publishes List of Companies Profiting from Israel's Illegal Settlements in Palestine
Brett Wilkins | commondreams.org | 2020-02-15
Prominent international critics have called Israel's Jews-only settlements, as well as segregated roads and other infrastructure, a form of apartheid. (Photo: The West Bank settlement of Givat Zeev is pictured in late December, 2016) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/views/2020/02/15/un-pub…

Mistrial declared in case of anti-coup activists arrested in DC police raid on Venezuelan Embassy
rt.com | 2020-02-15
Jurors who heard the case of four activists who were invited by Caracas to protect the Venezuelan Embassy in the US capital

Juan Guaido Stars Venezuela's Biggest Corruption Case Ever
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-15
Venezuela's Communication Minister Jorge Rodriguez Saturday presented new evidence on a series of corruption acts in which the U.S.-backed opposition lawmaker Juan Gaido is the main protagonist. | RELATED: | Juan Guaido's Uncle Arrested for Carrying Explosives on Plane | Rodriguez unveiled a corruption case linking Guaido with Alejandro Betancourt-Lopez, who…
telesurenglish.net/news/Juan-Guaido-Star…

Mayor Mike, Worse Than Mayor Pete
Andrew Levine | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-14
Michael Bloomberg is essentially an old school Republican. He hates Trump, the worst American president ever, but he loved George W. Bush, the second worst president in modern times. He may honestly think that black and brown lives matter, but, as mayor of New York City, he showed, time and again, that, for him gentrification

Mayor Mike, Worse Than Mayor Pete
Andrew Levine | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-14
Michael Bloomberg is essentially an old school Republican. He hates Trump, the worst American president ever, but he loved George W. Bush, the second worst president in modern times. He may honestly think that black and brown lives matter, but, as mayor of New York City, he showed, time and again, that, for him gentrification

Did Amy Klobuchar Send an Innocent Teenager to Life in Prison? Questions Mount over Her Record as DA
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-13
After a surprising third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is attempting to gain ground in the national polls. But Klobuchar is also facing mounting scrutiny over her record as a district attorney in Minnesota. The Minneapolis NAACP, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and other racial justice groups recently called on Klobuchar to suspend her presidential campaign following a shocking investigation by the Associated Press. The AP report centered on the case of Myon Burrell, an African-American teenager who was sentenced to life in prison over the 2002 murder of 11-year-old Tye…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/13/amy_klobu…

FRSO calls for the immediate release and repatriation of political prisoner Facundo Molares
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-13
Facundo Molares Schoenfeld is an Argentinian photojournalist who was illegally arrested by the Bolivian dictatorship, and who is currently held in terrible conditions in a Bolivian prison. His life is in danger, as he does not receive adequate medical attention for a life-threatening condition. | This photojournalist was on assignment, for the Argentinian left-wing magazine El Centenario, in Bolivia to document the election of Evo Morales and its aftermath in October, 2019. Bolivia suffered a coup d'état by fascist elements and the military, with the support of the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, on November 10, 2019. A…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/2/12/frso-cal…

First Nations Pipeline Protest: 14 Land Protectors Arrested as Canadian Police Raid Indigenous Camp
Democracy Now! | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-13
In Canada, armed forces raided native Wet'suwet'en territory in British Columbia Monday, with at least 14 arrests being reported. Land defenders faced off with Royal Canadian Mounted Police as the police breached two checkpoints set up to keep pipeline workers out of protected territory. Indigenous leaders are reportedly being blocked from their territory. TransCanada Corporation …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/first-nations…

The Wet'suwet'en Fight Against New Pipeline Spreads Across Canada with Blockades & Occupations
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-13
A major anti-pipeline struggle continues in Canada, where protests have broken out across the country in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en land defenders whose sovereign land in northern British Columbia was raided last week and over the weekend by Canadian police. Dozens were arrested in the days-long raid of unceded indigenous territories, where hereditary chiefs have been in a protracted battle to protect their land from the construction of TransCanada's 400-mile, $4.7 billion Coastal GasLink pipeline. The raids took place about 700 miles north of Vancouver and sparked outrage across the country. In Ontario, a Moha…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/13/wet_suwet…

Meet the Journalist Who Exposed Bloomberg's Racist Defense of Targeting Black & Brown Youth
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-12
"#BloombergIsRacist." That's the hashtag that's trending on Twitter since audio of remarks made by 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg surfaced earlier this week. In the clip from the 2015 Aspen Institute, Bloomberg is heard defending the New York City Police Department's controversial "stop-and-frisk" policies, saying, "Ninety-five percent of your murders and murderers and murdered victims fit one MO. You can just take the description, xerox it and pass it out to all the cops." He continues, "They are male minorities, 15 to 25. That's true in New York. It's true…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/12/michael_b…

Feminist Scholar Barbara Smith on Identity Politics & Why She Supports Bernie Sanders for President
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-12
We speak with the legendary African-American feminist scholar Barbara Smith. She is a founder of the Combahee River Collective and of Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press. Barbara Smith recently wrote a column in The Guardian newspaper titled "I helped coin the term 'identity politics'. I'm endorsing Bernie Sanders." Her latest book is "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith."
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/12/barbara_s…

South Bend Politician: I Worked with Pete Buttigieg. He Did Not Respect Black Residents' Struggles
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-12
2020 presidential candidate and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg has surprised many with his strong showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, two of the country's whitest states. But as the race moves on to South Carolina and Nevada, Buttigieg continues to poll extremely low with African-American voters. His own former constituents are condemning his treatment of the black community in South Bend during his time as mayor, calling out systemic racism in the police force. During Buttigieg's tenure, black residents were 4.3 times more likely to be arrested for possessing marijuana than white people. We…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/12/pete_butt…

"Our Very Existence Is the Resistance": An Hour w/ AOC, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib & Ilhan Omar
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-10
On Friday, Democracy Now! co-host Nermeen Shaikh sat down for a rare joint interview with the Squad, the group of four freshmen Democratic congresswomen who have taken Capitol Hill by storm: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. Omar and Tlaib are the first Muslim women elected to Congress. Omar is a former refugee from Somalia, and Tlaib is the first female Palestinian-American member of Congress. Ayanna Pressley is the first African-American woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts. Ocasio-Cortez was just 29 years old w…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/10/democracy…

Using Bail as Ransom Violates the Core Tenets of Pretrial Justice
Andrea Woods | aclu.org | 2020-02-05
Rebecca Gill was out of | options. At 39 years old, she was arrested and though not convicted of a crime | and presumed innocent, confined to a jail cell. This happened because of a cash | bail requirement that she couldn't afford. Her friends didn't have extra money | to help, and she was unlikely to see a judge until she'd been in jail for two | full weeks. | Stuck in jail, she was in | jeopardy of losing her job and her driver's license. Losing her license would result | in myriad consequences, such as preventing her from getting to work and making | it more difficult to take care of her son and mother. | T…
aclu.org/news/smart-justice/using-bail-a…

Weekend Read: 2020: African Americans and the Vote
splcenter.org | 2020-01-29
Historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926 established "Negro History Week" to celebrate the contributions to our nation made by Black people.
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/01/weekend-re…