The U.S. v. ‘Uhuru Three’ federal trial slated to begin next week in Tampa

By Mitch Perry

If found guilty, the three defendants could face up to 15 years in prison

Next week in a federal courtroom in Tampa, the U.S. government will open its case against three members of a St. Petersburg Black nationalist group, contending they acted as illegal agents of the Russian government without giving notice to the attorney general.

Omali Yeshitela is the longtime chairman of the African People’s Socialist Party, also known as the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement, which has been based in St. Petersburg since 1972 (with chapters in St. Louis and Oakland).

Along with two members of the party’s “Solidarity Front,” Penny Hess and Jesse Nevel, “the Uhuru three,” as they are calling themselves, were indicted in April 2023 along with one other U.S. citizen and three Russian nationals for allegedly working on behalf of the Russian government and in conjunction with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to conduct a multi-year foreign “malign influence campaign” in the U.S.

'No,' Kamala Harris Says to Withholding Arms From Israel

By Jake Johnson

"Harris is saying she will reject 77% of Democrats, 61% of Americans, international law, domestic U.S. law, and basic humanity to continue the flow of weapons to Israel while it stands accused of genocide," said one analyst.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris said in a CNN interview that aired late Thursday that, if elected in November, she would not change the Biden administration's policy of steadfast military support for Israel, rejecting widespread calls for an arms embargo to help bring about an end to the devastating assault on Gaza.

Kamala Harris accepts nomination from Democratic Party National Convention

By Natalia Marques

On Thursday night, on the last day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, incumbent US Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency, confirming her and running mate Tim Walz as the Party’s ticket for November. 

'Deeply Complicit': US Has Sent Israel Over 50,000 Tons of Weaponry in 11 Months

By Jake Johnson 

On average, the Biden administration has sent Israel "a weapons shipment every 12 hours" since October, noted the IMEU Policy Project.

The Israeli government announced Monday that it has received over 50,000 tons of military equipment—including armored vehicles and munitions—from the United States during its assault on the Gaza Strip, where most of the population is now displaced and at growing risk of starvation.

The IMEU Policy Project, an affiliate of the Institute for Middle East Understanding, noted that according to the Israeli government's figures, the Biden administration has on average sent the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) "a weapons shipment every 12 hours, for nearly 11 months"—arms "that are used to kill Palestinian civilians."

The Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement that the U.S. "equipment procured and transported includes armored vehicles, munitions, ammunition, personal protection gear, and medical equipment, which are crucial for sustaining the IDF's operational capabilities during the ongoing war."

Josh Ruebner, policy director at the IMEU Policy Project, wrote that the new shipment numbers underscore that "the U.S. is deeply complicit in Israel's genocide."

"Weapons to Israel violate U.S. laws and policies that are supposed to prevent atrocities," Ruebner added.

Throughout its nearly 11-month assault on Gaza, Israel's military has repeatedly used U.S.-made weaponry to target family homes, crowded markets, and camps of displaced people, prompting global calls for an arms embargo against the country.

In the face of what Amnesty International has called "damning evidence of war crimes," the Biden administration has continued to approve weapons transfers to Israel, including a recent $20 billion sale of F-15 fighter jets and tens of thousands of mortar shells.

"More extraordinary than the price tag of these arms deals is that the White House made them public," Stephen Semler, co-founder of the Security Policy Reform Institute, wrote Monday. "Prior to last week's announcements, it had disclosed just two arms sales to Israel. By March, the Biden administration had already greenlit more than 100 separate weapons deals for Israel."

According to a new Amnesty report, Israeli forces on May 26 used "two U.S.-made GBU-39 guided bombs" in a pair of deadly airstrikes on a makeshift camp for displaced people in Rafah. The strikes killed at least 36 people, including six children.

This article originally appeared in Common Dreams on August 27th, 2024

Please support the news you can use and visit The Brooks Blackboard's website for more news!   

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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry bans teaching of critical race theory in schools

By Piper Hutchinson 

CRT is an advanced academic concept traditionally taught in graduate-level courses

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry issued an executive order Tuesday prohibiting the teaching of critical race theory in Louisiana K-12 public schools. 

Critical race theory (CRT) is an advanced academic concept that holds that race is socially constructed, and it examines how legal structures are used to oppress people of color. Most classes that take the theory into consideration are in graduate programs at the university level. There is no evidence these courses are being taught to children and teenagers. 

'Thanks to Citizens United': 50 Megadonors Have Put Over $1.5 Billion Into 2024 Election

By Edward Carver

The top 50 contributors "skew Republican" but the list includes donors to both major parties, an analysis from The Washington Post showed.

Just 50 donors have contributed more than $1.5 billion in total to the 2024 federal elections, The Washington Post reported Monday, based on an analysis of Federal Election Commission data.

State lawmakers dig into violent conditions in Georgia prisons, Fulton jail

By Stanley Dunlap

Georgia’s state prisons and Fulton County’s jail took center stage Friday before legislative committees tasked with making recommendations on how to deal with troubles arising from overcrowded and outdated detention facilities.

The Georgia Senate’s Department of Corrections Facilities Study Committee held its first hearing this month when it heard from the state’s top agency officials about the challenges of running a large prison system where severe understaffing, deteriorating buildings, smuggling of contraband have led to more violence among inmates, correctional officers and other prison staff.

State corrections officials told lawmakers at the Friday hearing the agency needs to upgrade aging prisons with more one-bed cells to resolve a typical underlying cause of violent attacks between inmates. 

They also discussed the need to eliminate a complex system of drones that deliver cell phones and other illegal contraband to inmates and stop the spread of violent street gangs across the state that have a presence in Georgia prisons.

Tennessee governor calls CoreCivic ‘important partner’ amid DOJ investigation

By Sam Stockard

Gov. Lee shows no signs of dumping CoreCivic, which runs four state prisons for $233 million a year

As the Department of Justice starts a civil rights investigation into a privately-run state prison in Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee contends steps have been taken to improve operations at the facility operated by what he calls an “important partner.”

Lee said the state reduced the number of inmates at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center and increased pay for the state’s correctional officers. 

The inmate population was cut to 2,068 over the last year from 2,480 in October 2023, according to the Department of Correction.

US credit card debt continues to rise as housing and other costs remain high for the lowest earners

 By Casey Quinlan 

Americans are racking up credit card debt as they struggle to keep up with the cost of living, and experts say those who earn the least are the hardest hit.

Total credit card balances rose 5.8% from a year ago, to $1.14 trillion, according to a recent New York Fed report. Equifax credit files through June show that credit card delinquency is still rising but that delinquency on consumer finance loans and retail cards fell and auto loan delinquency was flat.

People use credit cards for all kinds of purchases, and despite the stereotype of consumers getting themselves into too much credit card debt so that they could buy a few extra flashy clothes or vacations, many of them are for necessities.

So what does it mean for the economy that the average rate for people with a credit card balance was 22.76% in May, that there is an expansion of financial tech products like “buy now, pay later,” and that many Americans find themselves unable to pay off that debt? It depends on your role in the economy, financial experts and economists say.

Juvenile justice reform commission could start meeting next month

By William J. Ford

Advocates said they hope a commission created to assess Maryland’s juvenile justice system can begin meeting as early as next month, even though just four of the 28 members of the panel are in place so far.

House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) has appointed two House Judiciary Committee members, Dels. J. Sandy Bartlett (D-Anne Arundel) and N. Scott Phillips (D-Baltimore County), to the commission. Two other members, the secretaries of Human Services and Juvenile Services, are named in the law that created the panel.

Report: Ohio school-to-prison pipeline bolstered by ‘exclusionary discipline,’ absenteeism

 By Susan Tebben

“Student disconnection” spurred on by mental health factors, disproportionate discipline and a lack of in-school supports plays its part in driving Ohio’s absenteeism rate, according to a new report from an Ohio think tank.

That absenteeism, and the contributing factors of it, can create “an entry point in the school-to-prison pipeline,” according to Policy Matters Ohio, who released a new study on the issue this month.

U.S. Department of Justice opens investigation into CoreCivic Trousdale County prison

 By J. Holly McCall and Sam Stockard

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into private prison company CoreCivic and Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, which it manages, over alleged civil rights violations.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke announced the move Tuesday morning, citing a record of assaults, murders and understaffing at the facility since it opened in 2016.

“People are incarcerated at Trousdale Turner as punishment for their crimes, but in our legal system, punishment does not and cannot include violence and sexual abuse,” said Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

‘Hope is making a comeback’: The Obamas make the case for Kamala Harris

 By Jacob Fischler

CHICAGO — As he did in his first speech to a Democratic National Convention 20 years ago, former President Barack Obama emphasized the connections binding Americans together and called for a more positive national atmosphere on the second night of this year’s convention Tuesday, while rallying Democrats to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Landlords cry foul as more states seal eviction records

By Robbie Sequeira

With eviction filings leaving a lasting mark on renters’ records, many states are reconsidering how much information landlords really need.

When pandemic-era tenant protections expired, rents immediately soared, and eviction filings surged last year more than 50% over pre-pandemic levels in some U.S. cities.

These filings can cast long shadows. Simply being named in an eviction complaint, regardless of the outcome, can severely limit future housing options and prolong housing insecurity, according to a recent University of Michigan study.

Ohio school districts use surveillance software to monitor student devices

By Megan Henry

Gaggle, a Texas-based student safety technology company, is currently partnered with about 1,500 school districts across the country.

Ohio’s largest school district recently started using surveillance software on students’ devices. 

Columbus City Schools partnered with Gaggle — a Texas-based student safety technology company that provides constant surveillance — at the end of last school year, district spokesperson Jacqueline Bryant said in an email. 

“This is an added layer of security to ensure students are not visiting unapproved sites,” she said in an email. “Gaggle employs advanced technology and human insight to review students’ use of online tools 24/7/365 days a week and provides real-time analysis, swiftly flagging any potentially concerning behavior or content; this includes signs of self-harm, depression, substance abuse, cyberbullying, or other harmful situations.”

Gaggle is currently partnered with about 1,500 school districts across the country, but would not answer how many of those districts are in Ohio, Gaggle spokesperson Shelby Goldman said. 

“We have a practice to not answer questions about specific school districts,” she said in an email. 

Ohio’s three largest school districts — Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati — use Gaggle. Cleveland did not answer questions the Ohio Capital Journal sent about Gaggle. 

Cincinnati Public Schools started using Gaggle in 2013 and it is active for all grades, according to the district. It costs the district $323,780 to use Gaggle.

“Cincinnati Public Schools prioritizes the safety and well-being of its students and staff, and utilizes Gaggle to monitor threats for individual student safety and the safety of each school community,” according to the district. “The District monitors content on District-provided devices and applications based on specific language and phrases, generating trigger alerts for review, rather than continuous monitoring.”

Gaggle, which started in the 1990s, monitors school platforms such as Google Workspaces and Microsoft Office 365, but does not look at students’ personal email addresses or private social media accounts.

“Gaggle is an early warning system that identifies children in crisis so that schools can intervene before a tragedy happens,” Goldman said in an email. “Gaggle partners with school districts to help them monitor student activity on the technology (devices and accounts) provided by the school district.” 

The company estimates it helped save 5,790 lives from 2018-23, according to their report from last fall. 

“We believe finding the right balance between monitoring for safety purposes and protecting student privacy and confidentiality is important, and we’re committed to continuing to support districts in achieving both,” Goldman said in an email. 

Gaggle uses Artificial Intelligence technology to spot things that could be an issue and a Human Safety Team reviews them before contacting the school. 

“Our reviewers are looking at the context to determine if an item is related to an actual concern or maybe a simple reference to something that is harmless when in context,” Goldman said in an email.

Gaggle can flag things as early warning signs or an imminent threat, which is treated with a higher level of urgency. It altered Ohio school districts to 1,275 student incidents that required immediate intervention in 2021, according to an October 2022 Facebook post from Gaggle. 

Columbus City Schools, which has about 47,000 students, is implementing Gaggle in middle and high schools. Students can’t opt out of it. 

The district signed two contracts with Gaggle — the first for $58,492.40 in January and $99,180 in June, according to school board documents. 

During the district’s Gaggle pilot from April 2022 to December 2023, 3,942 pieces of content were looked at by Gaggle’s Safety Team which led to 226 “actionable student safety concerns that were sent to Emergency Contacts,” according to a school board document. 

Even though Sharon Kim’s two students are in elementary school and won’t yet be affected by the district’s Gaggle implementation, she is concerned about the district using surveillance technology. 

“School should be a safe place for our kids,” Kim said. “They spend so much time in their lives at school, it should be a place where they feel safe, not where they feel like they’re being monitored and surveilled every single minute of the day. I really feel that this kind of surveillance is a huge hindrance to that.”

Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on X.

This article originally appeared in Ohio Capital Journal on August 20th, 2024

Please support the news you can use and visit The Brooks Blackboard's website for more news!   

Take a look at my brief bio about my writing life and on social media:

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Tennessee law to let teachers carry guns in schools caused a ruckus, but has drawn little interest

By Marta Aldrich

Josh Arrowood carries his .22-caliber handgun most everywhere he goes in his rural Tennessee community — to church at Freewill Baptist, at the Food City store where he shops for groceries, and in the Greene County Courthouse, where he serves as a commissioner.

A new state law that passed this spring would let him, under certain conditions, carry the gun at his workplace, too — South Greene Middle School in Greeneville, where he teaches world history to sixth graders. And Arrowood, who’s had a handgun permit for 15 years, is open to doing so if it can provide an extra layer of security against a school shooting.

Some California Democrats want an arms embargo on Israel. How far will they push Kamala Harris?

By Sameea Kamal

In summary

The Gaza war has divided California Democrats for months. Now, some of them are pushing the national party at the Chicago convention to support an arms embargo on Israel.

CHICAGO — What will Kamala Harris do about the Gaza war if she’s elected president? To some Californians watching, the best indicator might be what she’s doing now.

The vice president seemed to take a stronger stance against Israel’s military response since Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7 — calling for a ceasefire before President Joe Biden did and skipped Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress in July. After meeting him, said she pressed him for a ceasefire and pledged not to stay silent about the humanitarian crisis.

Thousands Kick Off DNC With Protest in Chicago Over Gaza

By Julia Conley 

"For Palestinian Americans, this is a fundamental issue," said one marcher.

What's expected to be the biggest protest march during this week's Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago Monday afternoon, with demonstrators demanding that Vice President Kamala Harris support an end to unconditional U.S. military support for Israel amid its assault on Gaza, now in its tenth month.

Thousands gathered in Union Park before beginning their march to the United Center, where the convention is taking place.

Protesters carried signs and banners reading, "End State Violence From Chicago to Gaza" and "Dems' Silence = Israel's Violence."

Organizers—who hoped to see 15,000 people in the streets—have expressed alarm in recent months over the Chicago Police Department's aggressive response to pro-Palestinian protests, with a legal coalition last week expressing concern about Police Superintendent Larry Snelling's intimidating comments about arresting protesters and other issues, and city officials have clashed with organizers about the route the march will take.

But threats of arrest did not deter groups including Jewish Voice for Peace from joining the march, with the local chapter saying its members would "make clear our commitment to freedom and safety for all people, from Chicago to Gaza" and as they demanded an "arms embargo now."

Organizers of the Uncommitted movement, which emerged during the Democratic primary season to pressure President Joe Biden to end his support for Israel's assault on Gaza, continue to press the Harris-Walz campaign to break with the administration's position.

While Harris initially indicated to the group a willingness to discuss support for an arms embargo earlier this month, a top adviser for the Democratic nominee said soon after that the vice president does not support ending weapons transfers to Israel.

"For Palestinian Americans, this is a fundamental issue," sociologist Eman Abdelhadi told Democracy Now! at the march. "We have spent 10 months watching our people die every day, and to ask us to simply just wait and hope that some change will happen... It's just offensive and it's completely insensitive."

As the protesters assembled on Monday, journalist Mehdi Hasan warned in a column in The Guardian that Harris should see agreeing to the demand for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and an arms embargo not as a risk, but as "a moral, geopolitical, and—for the Democrats—electoral no-brainer."

"Biden may want to continue sending more and more weapons to an Israeli government accused of war crimes at the international criminal court and of genocide at the international court of justice," wrote Hasan, "but Harris should take a different stance—a bolder stance, a stance that is more in line with her party's base, as well as with the American public at large."

This article originally appeared in Common Dreams on August 20th, 2024

Please support the news you can use and visit The Brooks Blackboard's website for more news!   

Take a look at my brief bio about my writing life and on social media:

Facebook page: The Brooks Blackboard

Twitter: @_charlesbrooks

Move over, presidential race. These state governments also are up for grabs.

By Kevin Hardy 

Thousands of state lawmakers are on the ballot, and control of some statehouses hangs in the balance.

The presidential race gets the hype, but the nearly 6,000 state legislative races across the country in November’s elections could reshape power dynamics in some states.

While Republicans are primed to maintain their national advantage in statehouse control, several legislative chambers could flip, said Ben Williams, associate director of elections and redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

#ActforHumanity and end violence against aid workers on World Humanitarian Day

 By United Nation's News Centre

© UNRWA

 

UNRWA staff are supporting children in Gaza.

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19 August 2024 Humanitarian Aid

With the number of aid workers killed in the line of duty reaching record highs, the UN and partners are demanding greater accountability as countries commemorate World Humanitarian Day on Monday. 

Last year was the deadliest so far, with 280 aid workers killed in 33 countries - an “outrageously high number”, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).