15 Aug 2015

Obama Administration Secretly Fights Release of Gravely Ill Guantanamo Prisoner

President Barack Obama’s administration opposes the release of a Guantanamo Bay prisoner, who has never been charged with a crime, weighs around 75 pounds, and is near death. But the administration does not want the public to know why exactly it opposes freeing this gravely ill man. Tariq Ba Odah,

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14 Aug 2015

Janelle Monáe, Wondaland Records Release Black Lives Matter-Inspired Protest Anthem

In Philadelphia, musical artists Janelle Monáe and Jidenna led a rally and march on North Broad Street on August 12. The demonstrations were in support of the movement for black lives, and they were intended to complement the release of a new Black Lives Matter-inspired protest anthem. The anthem is called

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14 Aug 2015

Chicago Stop And Frisk Settlement Puts ACLU At Odds With Activists

Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois announced a “landmark” agreement with the Chicago Police Department and the City of Chicago on stop and frisks by police officers. However, in the days following, it became evident that activists from the local movement for police accountability were upset because they believed

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13 Aug 2015

Connecticut Supreme Court: Death Penalty ‘Incompatible with Contemporary Standards of Decency’

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled the death penalty was unconstitutional. It found the “death penalty system” did not abide by the “freedom from cruel and unusual punishment,” and determined any “future executions” would present a risk of wrongly executing an innocent person. The decision did not only condemn the system in

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12 Aug 2015

US Military Threatens Chelsea Manning with Indefinite Solitary Confinement

The United States military has issued a set of “charges” or allegations against Chelsea Manning, which could potentially result in a punishment of indefinite solitary confinement at Fort Leavenworth where she is serving her sentence. According to a list the military sent to Manning, which Fight for the Future posted, the allegations include “disrespect,” “disorderly conduct,” “prohibited property,” and “medicine misuse.”

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12 Aug 2015

The US Persecution Of A Portland Imam Involved In Challenging The No Fly List

The United States seeks to deport the imam of the biggest mosque in Oregon, a religious leader who is also a plaintiff in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against the No Fly List. Mohamed Sheikh Abdirahman Kariye, a Somali who entered the US in 1982, stands accused of lying when he completed documents to become a naturalized citizen. But, as the ACLU points out in a filing, the new case aimed at revoking Kariye’s citizenship “makes it hard to take seriously” the government’s “assertion” that they cannot provide more information in DHS letters to Americans contesting their inclusion on the No Fly List.

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10 Aug 2015

Pentagon War Manual Gives Military License To Target & Attack Journalists

The Pentagon has adopted a “law of war manual” [PDF], which enables commanders to treat journalists as “unprivileged belligerents.” It suggests that correspondents who report some information about combat operations may be taking “direct part in hostilities,” a disturbing argument for justifying the killing of reporters in war zones.

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10 Aug 2015

Protest Song of the Week: ‘Fire Next Time’

It was the anniversary of the death of Mike Brown, the black teenager in Ferguson who was gunned down by Officer Darren Wilson. To mark the event, a concert of revolutionary musicians called “Ferguson Rocks” was held in St. Louis. The lineup included Tom Morello and the Freedom Fighter Orchestra,

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09 Aug 2015

How Black Lives Matter Protests Are Affecting the Bernie Sanders Campaign

The following column represents the views of the author and the author alone. Black Lives Matter activists disrupted a rally organized in Seattle to celebrate the anniversary of Social Security. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was scheduled to speak, however, when it was his turn to deliver remarks, the activists

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09 Aug 2015

Podcast: Bernie Sanders, Black Lives Matter & Problem of Identity Politics

Two Black Lives Matter activists interrupted a Saturday afternoon rally in Seattle, where Senator Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential candidate, was scheduled to speak. It was a rally held to celebrate the anniversary of Social Security and the need to expand social welfare programs. The activists took the stage and grabbed

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