http://www.rightswire.org Uncovering the American human rights story Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:05:53 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en US Attack Kills 5 Afghan Civilians, Wounds Pregnant Mother Obama to Request $84.3B for War Iraqis Stage Massive Anti-US Protest CIA Head: Overseas Prisons Closed, Contractors Barred from Interrogations Marine Acquitted Despite Confessing to Killing Unarmed Iraqi Court OKs Apartheid Victims’ Suit Against US Companies Protesters Tell Summers “We Want Our Money Back” Palestinian Doctor Nominated for ... http://www.rightswire.org/2009/04/10/friday-april-10-2009/ When Samuel Hamer, a senior at Chicago’s elite Northside Prep learned his senior prom was going to be held at the Congress Plaza Hotel, he moved into action. Workers at the Plaza have been out on strike for almost six years fighting for wages comparable to other hotel workers. Hamer ... http://www.rightswire.org/2009/04/10/teens-choose-justice-over-prom-plans/   A multinational oil giant may be headed for its day of reckoning in a New York City courtroom next month. The lawsuit, Wiwa v. Shell, centers on charges of rampant human rights abuses by Royal Dutch Shell against the Ogoni people of Nigeria, including the murder of the iconic activist Ken ... http://www.rightswire.org/2009/04/09/standing-before-history/ Maybe Asian people would have an easier time participating in democracy if their names weren't so darn tricky. That was the suggestion of one Texas legislator at a hearing on a proposed voter identification law. Though supporters argue that the legislation—which would follow similar measures in Georgia and Florida—would enhance “confidence” ... http://www.rightswire.org/2009/04/09/whats-in-a-name/ An editorial in today’s New York Times echoes Physicians for Human Rights’ repeated call over the last half decade: investigate abuse and hold perpetrators accountable. Responding to the International Committee of the Red Cross report documenting the involvement of medical personnel in torture and abuse of detainees, the Times concludes: The report ... http://www.rightswire.org/2009/04/09/new-york-times-endorses-need-to-investigate-%e2%80%9cmedically-assisted-torture%e2%80%9d/ A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS is underway. AMERICAN drone attacks on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan are causing a massive humanitarian emergency, Pakistani officials claimed after a new attack yesterday killed 13 people. The dead and injured included foreign militants, but women and children were also killed when two missiles hit a house ... http://www.rightswire.org/2009/04/05/how-does-it-feel-to-war-on-the-world/ IF YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT The DREAM Act, I want to introduce you to the legislation, fight, and arguments. There’s really no need for me to try and explain it because some compas have poured hours and hours of work into making cases, offering links, and organizing already. I’m ... http://www.rightswire.org/2009/04/04/dream-with-me/ Hooray for Iowa! Yesterday, via the Iowa Supreme Court decision in Varnum v. Brien, that state joined Massachusetts and Connecticut in guaranteeing equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. The justices' ruling was unanimous. Here is a beautiful excerpt from the decision: Society benefits, for example, from providing samesex couples a stable framework ... http://www.rightswire.org/2009/04/04/iowa-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-gay-marriage/ Counting people is harder than it looks. The 2010 census is morphing from sociological project into a political one: conservatives are crowing about the dangers of tallying “illegals,” and activists are seeking policy changes to guard against undercounting. Immigrant advocates are leveraging the threat of an undercount to press for immigration ... http://www.rightswire.org/2009/04/03/numbers-game-the-2010-census/ On this past week’s “Bill Moyers Journal” on PBS, Moyers took a look at the battle for worker freedom during our current economic crisis. It’s a great segment that highlights James Thindwa, head of the Chicago chapter of Jobs with Justice (JwJ), and the fight to pass the Employee Free Choice ... http://www.rightswire.org/2009/04/03/moyers-highlights-jobs-with-justice-organizer-employee-free-choice/