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> Wed., Nov. 5, 2003
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Bush Signs Anti-Abortion Bill. Legal Challenges Begin
Senate to Vote on Moratorium on Internet Taxes
Election Results - Portland Rejects PUD
Calls for Action Over Juarez Murders
Settlers Terrorize Palestinian Olive Farmers
Free Speech Radio News Headlines by Jackson
Allers
Sri Lanka's president declared a state of emergency today,
threatening the island's shaky ceasefire with the rebel group
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Her political rival,
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe, is hoping to meet President
Bush in Washington to protest the moves. Miranda Kennedy
Last quarter's economic growth rate of seven-point-two percent
was supposed to herald the rebirth of the American economy.
So what happened to all the jobs? John Hamilton of Workers
Independent News Service.
Civil Liberties groups are suing Diebold Inc., a manufacturer
of touch screen voting machines, after the company sent legal
threats to organizations publishing internal leaks on their
websites. Kellia Ramares
A fifty percent majority was not reached for the mayoral
race in San Francisco, prompting a run-off election between
Gavin Newsome and Matt Gonzalez is scheduled for next month.Lindsay
Benedict
And, the state of Arkansas is forcing a death row inmate
to take anti-psychotic drugs to make him mentally competent
for his execution.
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Bush Signs Anti-Abortion Bill. Legal Challenges Begin
(3:48)
President Bush this afternoon signed legislation banning
late term abortions. The White House staged the ceremony before
about 400 lawmakers and anti abortion advocates, while outside
the Supreme Court almost a dozen representatives from all
across the country denounced the bill and called for justice.
California Democrat Barbara Lee from the steps of the Supreme
Court. Meanwhile today the Centre for Reproductive Rights
presented arguments for blocking the anti-abortion bill to
a Federal judge in Nebraska who sharply questioned the constitutionality
of the new law and said he will likely issue an injunction.
This afternoon, the American Civil Liberties Union had a hearing
in New York City as they filed a temporary restraining order
on behalf of the National Abortion Federation to prevent the
Bill from becoming law. Ama Buadi looks at how this bill –
which was vetoed twice under the Clinton administration -
could affect a woman’s right to choose in Part 8 of
our special series looking at the global roll back of civil
liberties.
[top]
Senate to Vote on Moratorium on Internet Taxes
(3:41)
The Senate will vote on a bill tonight intended to make
a moratorium on internet taxes permanent, which may greatly
impact local governments’ ability to raise revenue.
At issue is vague language in Senate Bill 150 that expands
the definition of internet services that are exempt from local
taxes. Critics say utility taxes and even cable TV franchise
fees paid to cities may disappear if the wording of the bill
isn’t changed. Leigh Robartes has more.
[top]
Election Results - Portland Rejects PUD
(3:04)
As we reported in the headlines, results are in from yesterday's
elections around the country. Two states elected Republican
governors. Former republican lobbiest in DC Haley Barber will
now govern Mississippi, while Philadelphia mayor John Street
was reelected despite a racially charged campaign that became
even more divisive when an FBI bugging device was discovered
in the mayor's office. And in the various controversial ballot
initiatives around the country, in NYC voters rejected the
mayor's campaign for non-partisan elections while voters in
Portland, Oregon voted not to switch to public power, by a
greater than 2 to one margin. Despite the fact that Portland
General Electric is owned by Enron, a 2 million dollar advertising
campaign convinced the public that a peoples utility district
was a bad idea. Now with time running out before Enron’s
bankruptcy hearings are complete, the community is trying
several other options to gain control of their electricity.
Andrew Stelzer has more from Portland.
[top]
Calls for Action Over Juarez Murders (4:29)
For over 10 years, hundreds of women in the border town
of Juarez have been kidnapped, raped, mutilated and murdered.
Over the past few days, the Mexican daily La Jornada has printed
a book excerpt from investigative journalist Diana Washington
Valdez revealing the names of possible suspects in the killings.
Coinciding with the revelations were demonstrations calling
for action at Mexican Embassies around the world, and a conference
in Los Angeles asking who is killing the women of Juarez?
Monica Lopez has more from KPFK.
[top]
Settlers Terrorize Palestinian Olive Farmers
(4:02)
Just days after an EU survey showed that Europeans labeled
Israel the biggest threat to world peace, Israel today went
on the offensive by introducing its first ever resolution
to the UN General Assembly calling for Israeli children to
be protected from violence by Palestinians. This comes as
the Israeli Daily Haaretz is reporting today that Israeli
soldiers posted at the Gaza strip settlement of Netzarim may
shoot to kill any Palestinian they see observing the Israeli
military via binoculars. Meanwhile for the third year in a
row Jewish settlers on the occupied West Bank are making it
impossible for Palestinian farmers to harvest their olives.
Some settlers are terrorizing farmers so that they are too
frightened to work their land while others are cutting down
their ancient olive trees, and depriving Palestinians of their
livelihoods. Irris Makler was in Ein Abus on the West Bank
when Palestinian farmers -protected by Jewish volunteers -
found that their entire fields of olive trees had been cut
down by Jewish settlers. She brings us this report.
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