Home > Programs
> FSRN
> Tues., Sept. 16, 2003
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
Thanks to FSRN.org
for making the daily programs available to Pacifica.org
Today's lead stories:
Senate votes to roll back FCC changes
CA´s recall election postponed
Latte Tax for kid’s education?
Senegal’s fisherman: Case study of WTO policy
Human rights workers under attack in Colombia
Senate votes to roll back FCC changes
Today the U.S. Senate approved a measure to roll back the
Federal Communications Commission’s controversial regulations
allowing media corporations to expand how many broadcast stations
they can own. The measure passed the Senate with only 4 votes
to spare, and now heads to the House where its passage is
uncertain. President Bush has already indicated he would veto
the resolution if it reaches his desk. Mitch Jeserich has
more from Washington D.C.
[top]
CA´s recall election postponed
A federal appeals court has delivered a political bombshell
delaying California’s historic recall election. The
court ordered California to block the October 7 election because
of what the court calls a flawed voting system that could
leave as many as 40-thousand votes uncounted. The court order
throws a chaotic campaign into turmoil and puts the US Supreme
Court in a position to influence another pivotal election.
KPFA´s Christopher Martinez reports.
[top]
Latte Tax for kid’s education?
What's a city to do when federal and state funds for early
education are slashed? Some might throw in the towel, others
may hammer Congress and the legislature. In Seattle, voters
in today's statewide primary are being asked to add ten cents
to the price of an espresso. The so-called latte tax would
add 10 cents to each espresso drink sold in the city. The
money would be earmarked for childcare and pre-school programs
serving low-income families. The idea was initially considered
a simple solution to a chronic problem. But as Martha Baskin
reports from Seattle, it's become controversial.
[top]
Senegal’s fisherman: Case study of WTO policy
After 5 days of WTO negotiations in Cancun, Senegalese representatives
have realized little. Negotiations about reducing EU and US
subsidies to various agriculture industries didn't come to
any settlement despite intense pressure from developing countries.
In Senegal, trade leaders now have to face the many farmers
and fishermen who say Senegal should withdraw from the World
Trade Organization. Foreign fishing ships are blamed for pillaging
Senegalese waters and the government is unable to help its
small fishing industry be more equipped in order to face the
competition of western industries. As Ndiaga Seck reports,
thousands of families depending on the fishing sector will
surely fall below the poverty line.
[top]
Human rights workers under attack in Colombia
In Colombia last week, interviews were published with the
three American defense contractors who are being held captive
in Colombia’s southern jungles by the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia since February. The three men say
their health is fine, and they do not want the government
to attempt a rescue mission because that would mean their
death. They say they hope for a negotiated solution between
Colombian government and the rebels. Meanwhile, faced with
two reports that strongly criticize his government for excessive
human rights violations, President Alvaro Uribe Velez lashed
out at Colombia’s human rights defenders and non-governmental
organizations, or NGOs, saying that they are working in service
of terrorism. Many say, this has created a dangerous climate
in Colombian where human rights defenders are often targeted,
and many times have been assassinated for their work. From
Bogotá, Nicole Karsin reports.
[top]
|
Listen
to the show 
Help
stream
download
