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This week on Uprising:

* G8 and NATO Protests Kick Off, Confronting Global Capitalism and Militarism
* Understanding JP Morgan Chase’s $2 Billion Blunder
* Los Angeles Activist Carlos Montes Faces Trial
* Juvenile Inmates in Privately Run Prisons Face Severe Abuse

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G8 and NATO Protests Kick Off, Confronting Global Capitalism and Militarism

The United States is hosting two international gatherings this week. In Chicago representatives from 60 nations will meet for the 25th NATO summit to discuss the alliance’s future role in Afghanistan. The organization is expected to come to an agreement on the cost and size of continued support for the war-torn nation past 2014, when combat operations are expected to end. The Windy city was also slated to host the annual meeting of the Group of 8 nations, or G-8, however, the White House changed venues abruptly in March to Camp David, citing a desire, “to facilitate a free-flowing discussion with our close G8 partners … in an informal and intimate setting.” Many have speculated that the change was made to avoid the large demonstrations that are expected to converge on downtown Chicago.

The Occupy Wall Street movement has pledged to make both events focal points for protest arguing that both NATO and the G8 represent unfettered capitalism and militarism. Occupy Chicago has launched a week of events this week leading up to the May 21 NATO summit. Meanwhile, in the towns of Frederick and Fairmont near Camp David, activists are organizing a People’s Economic Summit on Friday, the first day of the G8 summit, focusing on wealth inequality, the eradication of poverty, and the creation of an equitable tax system.

GUESTS: Dylan Petrohilos, an organizer with Occupy Frederick near Camp David, Crystal Vance Guerra, an organizer with Occupy El Barrio and Occupy Chicago

Understanding JP Morgan Chase’s $2 Billion Blunder

The nation’s largest bank JP Morgan Chase seems to be surviving the firestorm of a revelation that one of its traders recently lost $2 billion in extremely risky speculation. Despite the bank’s Chief Investment Officer Ina Drew resigning on Monday, and despite an announced FBI investigation into the massive loss, Jamie Dimon retains his position as CEO at an annual meeting in Florida and has continued to rail against financial regulation such as the Dodd Frank bill. The $2 billion loss was blamed on a trader in their London office and according to some, were predictable. Anonymous sources told the New York Times that the Securities and Exchange Commission opened an investigation into the bank about a month after reports that a JP Morgan trader was making huge bets that “distorted the market.” The Times also reported that Dimon initially called increased scrutiny into the trading activity “a tempest in a teapot.”

In addition to the SEC, British as well as other US regulators are reportedly investigating. Over the weekend Massachusetts Senate Candidate Elizabeth Warren, who became nationally known as the creator and strongest advocate of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, called for Dimon to resign from the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. But President Obama’s response to the scandal has disappointed many. On an ABC News show on Tuesday all he said was: “JP Morgan is one of the best-managed banks there is. Jamie Dimon, the head of it, is one of the smartest bankers we got and they still lost $2 billion.” Obama did not use the occasion to call for tougher financial regulations.

GUEST: David Dayen, political reporter at www.FireDogLake.com

Read David Dayen’s work at news.firedoglake.com.

Los Angeles Activist Carlos Montes Faces Trial

Long time Chicano activist based in Los Angeles, Carlos Montes, faces a trial that was due to begin on May 15th, charged with four felonies involving the purchase of a gun. If convicted Montes could face up to 12 years in prison. The case against him was apparently initiated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI. Carlos Montes’ home was raided almost exactly a year ago, on May 17th 2011, by the LA Sheriffs Department in conjunction with the FBI. He and his supporters firmly believe that the charges are spurious and are singling him out for his activism against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Montes is well known among LA area activists for his work on immigrant rights as a founding member of the Southern California Immigration Coalition. He has also been very active in anti-war protests and was instrumental in organizing at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minnesota. In fact, his arrest and subsequent charges appear to be linked to the arrests of several other organizers in Chicago and Minneapolis in 2010. Montes founded the Committee to Stop FBI Repression soon before his own home was raided.

While his case received very little coverage in the mainstream media, activists around the country are paying close attention. A national campaign is underway to urge Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley to drop all charges against Montes (Steve Cooley’s number is 213-974-3512). I spoke with Carlos Montes on May 14th, the day before his trial was scheduled.

GUEST: Carlos Montes now joins us on the phone a day before his trial begins

Over 100 activists showed up to support Carlos Montes on May 15th when his trial was scheduled to begin. However, the trial was then moved to June 20th based on new developments in the case regarding information needed to clarify the legal record.

Juvenile Inmates in Privately Run Prisons Face Severe Abuse

Privately run prisons in the United States are today among the fastest growing sector of the prison industry, housing well over a hundred thousand inmates. What most of us may not know, is that increasingly, juvenile offenders are being housed in such facilities, where a lack of accountability has led to serious violations of state and federal laws.

Privately run prisons are big business. For example, GEO, the company that ran Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility in Mississippi earned $14 million each year from that state. However, its juvenile inmates faced horrendous living conditions and abuse. The young men aged 13 to 22 were sexually abused by prison staff, and subjected to overuse of pepper spray, solitary confinement, rampant violence, inadequate medical and mental health treatment and a lack of rehabilitative programs.

The Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU filed a federal civil rights lawsuit after investigations proved that prison conditions at Walnut Grove were barbaric. Even though GEO has ended its contract after settling a lawsuit, and had its remaining contracts revoked, the state of Mississippi is looking for a new private company to manage three of its prisons including Walnut Grove.

While privately run prisons are touted as a way for states to save money, the growth in private prisons comes with a number of questions: how much money do they really save? And, even more importantly, how accountable are they regarding the conditions of inmates?

GUEST Jody Owens, managing attorney for the SPLC’s Mississippi Office

Visit www.splcenter.org for more information.

Sonali’s Subversive Thought for the Day:

“Safety and security don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.” — Nelson Mandela