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> Tues., Apr. 20, 2004
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Iraq Update from Capitol Hill
Who is Fighting for Who in Iraq?
Supreme Court Hears Guantanomo Bay Case
TA’s Strike at University of Wisconsin
Mumia Abu Jamal Commentary: Uncurious George
FSRN Headlines
The last place where gay and lesbian couples could marry
in the United States will have to stop issuing marriage licenses.
A Multnomah County judge ruled today that county officials
must wait for the Oregon Supreme Court to decide the matter.
Multnomah County started issuing licenses to same gendered
couples on March 3rd after officials determined that to reject
the applications would be against the state constitution.
The judge says the Oregon constitution would likely allow
civil unions or marriage to same sex couples but the courts
along with public debate and legislative action is the proper
course of action. Gays and lesbians are now looking to Massachusetts
where marriage licenses are scheduled to be available on May
17th unless the governor of that state is able to keep his
promise and stop them from being issued.
The Bush administration reversed themselves, after the U.S.
Labor Department announced a new proposal that will roughly
retain the numbers of people who would be eligible for overtime.
Sarah Turner reports from the Worker’s Independent News
Service.
India embarked on the long electoral process in the world’s
most populous democracy. Binu Alex reports from Ahmedebad.
Immigrants in the United States will be paying more for applications
for processing and documentation beginning April 30th. Soem
services for green cards and work permits will go up as much
as 25-40 percent. Director Eduardo Aguirre said "the
agency is committed to delivering immigration services and
benefits in a compassionate, effective and secure manner."
Administration officials said the additional money is needed
to recoup the high costs of conducting background checks and
to reduce the growing backlog of applications.
High school age immigrants seeking to be treated as their
U.S. born and naturalized classmates rallied in front of the
Capitol today. Celie Jenkins explains why from D.C.
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Iraq Update from Capitol Hill
Following Spain's lead, Honduras announced it too will pull
out its 370 troops in Iraq who have been serving in Najaf,
the remaining city still controlled by forces loyal to Cleric
Moqtada Sadr. Thailand also announced it would pull out its
451 non-combative troops in the southern city of Karbala if
attacked. Today the White House said the coalition forces
are still strong despite the pullouts, and Deputy Defense
Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told a Senate committee that the
transfer of Iraqi authority on July 1st is just a first step
and that the coalition forces will remain in charge of security.
And as Mitch Jeserich reports, both Democrats and Republicans
agree that the U.S. will not be pulling out its troops any
time soon.
[top]
Who is Fighting for Who in Iraq?
Meanwhile on the streets of Iraq, Iraqi security forces
and civilians who fled days of street fighting and US aerial
attacks in Fallujah have begun to return to the besieged city
where US air bombardments have ceased. The US today announced
that it had killed over 1000 Iraqi insurgents in the weeks
since the uprising began. Residents say many of those killed
were civilians. And as the resistance to the American occupation
continues, there are more reports of Iraqi police defecting
or refusing to fight on the side of the occupation forces.
FSRN’s Aaron Glantz reports from Iraq.
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Supreme Court Hears Guantanomo Bay Case
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal to hear the case
of Native American activist, Leonard Peltier who is seeking
parole. Peltier was convicted for the 1975 killings of two
FBI agents. Peltier says that there was misconduct in handling
his case, and his lawyer is calling for a congressional investigation
into the matter. Today, the Supreme Court heard the first
of many arguments on the legality of the indefinite detention
of Guantanomo Bay prisoners. WPFW's Selina Musuta reports
from the Supreme Court.
[top]
TA’s Strike at University of Wisconsin
Teachers Assistants at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
have decided to strike. Wisconsin law forbids TA’s from
striking, but many employees are still unsatisfied with the
state’s best offer. Steve Zelaznik reports.
[top]
Mumia Abu Jamal Commentary: Uncurious George
Mumia Abu-Jamal has been on death row for 20 years after
being convicted in 1982 of killing Philadelphia police officer
Daniel Faulkner. Mumia has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence.
This weekend Mumia turns 50, and to mark the occasion, we
bring you one of his latest commentaries from his cell on
death row in Pennsylvania.
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