Home > Programs
> FSRN
> Tues., Sept. 23, 2003
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
Thanks to FSRN.org
for making the daily programs available to Pacifica.org
Today's lead stories:
President Bush Addresses UN
Ashcroft Decrees: Heavy Sentencing Only
Senate Confirmation Hearings Begin For New EPA Head
CA's Recall Election Back On For Oct 7
Carrying On The Work Of Late Korean Farmer
FSRN Headlines by Randi Zimmerman
The American Civil Liberties Union is charging the Secret
Service with discrimination against protestors and violating
their free speech rights during Presidential appearances --
Craig Murphy
Steelworkers rallied in the nation's capital this morning
in support of tariffs on foreign steel -- John Hamilton
Hundreds in Bolivia are protesting the government's decision
to sell the nation's natural gas to the United States and
are attacking travelers as the demonstrations escalate --
Ian Forrest
Today is the National "Opt out" Day, a campaign
spearheaded by a Philadelphia group that challenges the part
of the so-called No Child Left Behind Act requiring schools
to give student information to the military for possible recruitment
-- Dante Toza
[top]
President Bush Addresses UN - (4.27)
President Bush today addressed the United Nations general
assembly at the opening of its ministerial debate. Before
a largely skeptical audience, bush defended the invasion and
occupation of Iraq even though no evidence has been found
to substantiate the justification given at the time. Iraq's
alleged weapons of mass destruction and links to terrorism.
The U.S. is seeking military and political support from the
international community, but is seen by critics as increasingly
isolated. Susan wood reports from the UN.
[top]
Ashcroft Decrees: Heavy Sentencing Only -
(4.45)
Attorney General John Ashcroft yesterday ordered all federal
prosecutors to pursue maximum criminal charges and sentences
and to seek lesser penalties through plea bargains. The order
came in the form of an Ashcroft memo sent to all 94 U.S. attorneys'
offices that effectively supersedes policy from the former
attorney general Janet Reno's tenure which allowed prosecutors
greater individual discretion to determine if the charges
and potential punishment fit the crime. Ashcroft said his
intent is to bring greater consistency to criminal prosecutions
around the country. Deepa Fernandes speaks to attorney Michael
Ratner at the Center for Constitutional Rights in NYC.
[top]
Senate Confirmation Hearings Begin For New EPA Head
- (4.30)
Senate confirmation hearings began today on President Bush’s
appointment of Utah Governor Mike Leavitt to head the Environmental
Protection Agency. Senate Republicans praised Leavitt with
the ability to protect the environment without compromising
the country’s economy. Some Senate Democrats threaten
to delay the nomination, saying Leavitt may not be the person
to curve Bush’s anti-environment policies. Mitch Jeserich
has more from Washington D.C.
[top]
CA's Recall Election Back On For Oct 7 -
(2.56)
A federal appeals court in San Francisco says California.s
controversial recall election will go on as scheduled on October
7. The court of appeals for the 9th circuit heard oral arguments
yesterday over whether to delay the election until old punch-card
voting machines, the same kind of machines that led to the
Florida fiasco in the 2000 presidential election, are replaced.
Christopher Martinez reports from KPFA in Berkeley.
[top]
Carrying On The Work Of Late Korean Farmer
- (4.02)
After the former chairman of Korean Advanced Farmers Federation
Lee Kyunghae killed himself at the 5th ministerial of the
WTO on September 10 in Cancun, Mexico, the funeral of the
late Lee was repressed severely by the Korean police. Every
night since there have been candle light vigils throughout
the country in memory of Lee. Korean farmers say the fact
that the Korean police repressed the funeral so cruelly shows
the Korean government has no pro-active policies to boost
local agriculture and is also evidence of the government’s
complicity with the WTO in driving farmers off their land
and to starvation. And as Eunji Kang reports from Seoul, farmers
across South Korea are declaring they will follow the example
of the late Lee Kyunghae and fight against WTO and neoliberalism
to protect farmers' lives.
[top]
|
Listen
to the show 
Help
stream
download
