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> Fri., May. 23, 2003
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Protests Demand End to Aceh Assault
Venezuelans Want US Ambassador Out
Healthy Forest or Healthy Profits?
Anti-Abortion Bill Before Texas Governor
Trade Talks Cut Australian Health Subsidies
Medical Debt Hits Poor
Protests Demand End to Aceh Assault
Reports out of the Indonesian held province of Aceh today
tell a worsening tale of humanitarian disaster. It is reported
that upwards of 23,000 civilians have fled their homes while
as the Indonesian military continues its assault. Another
eyewitness report says some 50 civilians have died while over
60 GAM members have been killed. There are even reports of
summary executions of young men aged 11-20. And the chorus
of protest is growing around the world, demanding the Indonesian
military end its assault against the Free Aceh Movement. Meanwhile,
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo arrived in Washington and
New York this week to meet with President Bush and various
big investors. This comes after Arroyo declared war on separatist
in the Southern Philippines. Simba Russeau takes a look at
the President’s visit to NY and the protests today outside
of the Indonesian Mission to the UN.
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Venezuelans Want US Ambassador Out
Since the war against Iraq ended, the U.S. government has
been refocusing its attention on other countries it deems
problematic. Among these, is Venezuela, where the U.S. ambassador
to that country has been making regular pronouncements that
are critical of the Chavez government. Greg Wilpert reports
from Caracas, Venezuela on the disaffection this has created
against the Ambassador.
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Healthy Forest or Healthy Profits?
The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed a bill
that would turn the Bush Administration’s controversial
Healthy Forest Initiative into federal law. The plan calls
for commercial logging on protected land, starting with the
Sam Houston National Forest in Texas. As the bill makes its
way to the Senate, conservationists across the country are
fighting to keep public lands in public hands. From KPFT in
Houston, Erika McDonald has the report.
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Anti-Abortion Bill Before Texas Governor
Last week the Texas State legislature made national headlines
when House Democrats fled to Oklahoma to break quorum and
suspend action on a controversial redistricting measure. The
week, the Republican controlled Texas Senate and House were
both back in business and now both have passed new anti-choice
legislation which critics say further erodes women's rights
to an abortion. Pam Thompson has more.
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Trade Talks Cut Australian Health Subsidies
Today in Hawaii, week-long Free Trade Agreement talks between
Australia and the US wrapped up. Australian Prime Minister
John Howard has been harshly criticized at home for his cozy
relationship with US president George Bush, and many say this
week’s Free Trade Talks amount to Howard selling Australians
into the profit hungry clutches of US industry. Australia
stands to see substantial changes to media and food labeling
laws while perhaps the most alarming change will affect the
pharmaceutical sector, with critics charging Australians may
be paying up to 100% more for their medicines as US drug companies
enter the Australian market. And as correspondent Guy Degen
reports from Sydney, the Howard government is not only doing
deals with the Americans, but also attempting to dismantle
the country’s decades old free-healthcare system.
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Medical Debt Hits Poor
The common wisdom is that some 40 million Americans lack
health insurance, one fifth of the total population. Now a
new report claims that at some point during the past year,
as many as 60 million people underwent routine and emergency
medical procedures without insurance. The result is crushing
medical debt for thousands of patients. Yale-New Haven Hospital
is a world-renowned institution in New Haven, Connecticut,
affiliated with Yale University. However recently it has come
under fire for its hard-hearted and tight-fisted tactics in
collecting medical debt. But a network representing union
members, religious communities, neighborhood activists and
lawmakers has succeeded in pushing the hospital to change
some of its more onerous practices. Now they're looking for
an even bigger win. Melinda Tuhus reports from New Haven.
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