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> Tues., Oct. 21, 2003
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Scathing report on US aggression in Iraq
Bush in South East Asia
Pakistanis deported from Canada to the US
Bolivia’s next challenges
US attack on women’s rights continues
Free Speech Radio News Headlines by Randi
Zimmerman
Historic Deficit
Today the Bush administration was proud of new numbers showing
the federal deficit is lower than what was predicted. Yet,
the $374.2 billion dollar figure is the largest deficit in
the history of the United States. Bush administration officials
say the deficit is mostly due to the so-called war on terrorism.
An official with the White House office of Budget and Management
says next year, the deficit will be even larger at around
$500 billion.
Congress to Give Business Advantage - Craig Murphey
Consumers who join together in class action lawsuits may face
a greater challenge as Congress looks to give big business
more leverage.
Protestors Heard at CAFTA - Renee Feltz
Protestors are actually being heard at the 8th round of negotiations
for the Central American Free Trade Agreement or CAFTA.
Toxic US Navy Ships - Kellia Ramares
The Bush Administration has agreed to halt its export of toxic
Navy ships pending further environmental review. Meanwhile
4 other vessels are on their way to England.
More Workers, Less Health Insurance
A growing number of workers in big companies are without insurance.
The report released by the Commonwealth Fund says that 32
percent of all uninsured workers in 2001 work for companies
with more than 500 employees. One of the study’s authors
says that as the U.S. government is offering incentives for
small and midsize companies to encourage employer supported
health benefits, large numbers of workers may actually be
left behind. Besides rising health care costs, the study also
blames fewer union jobs and changing corporate structures
that rely more heavily on temporary and part time workers.
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Scathing report on US aggression in Iraq (3:43)
Human Rights Watch released a report today suggesting there
have been 94 credible reports of civilian deaths in Baghdad
since President Bush declared an end of major combat in May.
Human Rights Watch says excessive and indiscriminate force
by the U.S. Military has caused 20 confirmed deaths. The human
rights organization charges the U.S. Military with not conducting
proper investigations into the incidences. And as Mitch Jeserich
reports from Capitol Hill, it is unlikely the report will
spur Congressional investigations either.
[top]
Bush in South East Asia (2:09)
Yesterday the US budget deficit figures were released showing
a record high deficit which many attribute to the massive
increase in military spending to fund the so-called war on
terrorism, which critics note will be the burden worn by generations
to come. This as on his Southeast Asian tour, President Bush
has been meeting with world leaders of the region at the 11th
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which closed in
the Thai capital. The 21 members reaffirmed commitments to
free trade, while the larger countries, such as the US and
Australia, called for a greater commitment to fight global
terrorism. From Bangkok, Doualy Xaykaothao has more.
[top]
Pakistanis deported from Canada to the US (4:19)
Currently in Montreal there are hundreds of Pakistani refugees
facing deportation to the United States and Pakistan in the
coming days, weeks and months. These Pakistani refugees who
are mainly Shi'ia Muslim, fleeing religious persecution in
Pakistan, are organizing to fight against the efforts of Citizenship
and Immigration Canada to deport them. Today one Pakistani
family with three children is scheduled for deportation to
the US, their case has become a defining point in the fight
to stop Pakistani deportations in Montreal. Stefan Christoff
reports.
[top]
Bolivia’s next challenges (4:12)
Despite the Bolivian people’s victory in ousting their
president, it remains uncertain whether Bolivia’s new
government, under President Carlos Mesa, will be able maintain
power. Some challenges that the new government is facing include
redrafting the constitution to include and respect Bolivia’s
indigenous peoples who make up 70 percent of the population,
confronting government corruption and the addressing the recent
massacres of protestors committed by the army. However as
Nicole Karsin reports from La Paz, perhaps the greatest obstacle
right now is how the government will deal with free trade
and neoliberal projects which the majority of Bolivian people
have demonstrated they firmly oppose.
[top]
US attack on women’s rights continues
(4:07)
Barbara Boxer: “People don’t realize that our
conferee’s just tossed out the support of Roe v Wade
without really a discussion”
The first new federal restrictions on abortion in 30 years,
legislation to ban late term abortions, also known by proponents
as partial birth abortion, which, as we go to air, the Senate
is set to vote on. It is expected to pass the Senate.
Boxer: “ What this really is about is overturning Roe…”
This as last month the State Department cut off funding for
a British non-governmental organization doing family planning
work in China, among other places. In response, half a dozen
international public health groups took the unprecedented
step of refusing their own US funding. The groups say it's
an ideological battle over abortion, which has repercussions
for the health of poor people around the world. From New York,
Josh Chaffin reports on some of the lessons public health
groups have learned from taking a stand.
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