Top news stories and must-read articles.
Session’s zero-tolerance policy means cruel family separations
Jeff Sessions has enacted a policy where the U.S. government will prosecute every adult who illegally crosses the U.S. border with Mexico. This means that every parent crossing the border with a child will be prosecuted and his or her child will be taken away.
Cash bail needs to end
Harvey Weinstein was arrested last week on charges of rape. He will be free while he awaits trial because he could afford the $1 million bail. Meanwhile, in Alabama, a man arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia has been imprisoned pretrial because he couldn’t afford his $1000 bail. Cash bail allows wealthy predators like Weinstein to buy their freedom while poorer individuals who commit nonviolent crimes wait in jail for their trial.
FBI continues to profile black activists
The FBI has a classified document entitled the ‘Race Paper’ that it is refusing to declassify. This raises fresh concerns over the FBI’s profiling tactics. The FBI’s treatment of black activists is already under scrutiny after the agency began labeling peaceful activists as ‘Black Identity Extremists”.
Trump picks anti-immigrant bigot to head department on refugees
Donald Trump nominated Ronald Mortensen to be assistant secretary of state for population, refugees, and migration this week. Mortensen has a history of voicing strongly anti-immigrant opinions and promoting dubious research. Mortensen has been selected to run the department tasked with managing some of the most vulnerable people in the world.
