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> Mon., July 19, 2004
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Palestinian Prime Minister Resigns
FBI Questions Muslims and Arabs
Immigrant Rights Groups Rally
The Computer Ate My Vote - Activists Call for Paper Trail
Aussie Free Trade
25th Anniversary of Sandinista Revolution
FSRN Headlines
U.S. Strikes Falluja
The U.S. launches an air strike in the Iraqi city of Fallujah,
reportedly killing civilians. And, a popular cleric is allowed
to reopen his newspaper after being closed down by the U.S.
run provisional authority. Dave Enders has more from Baghdad.
Hezbollah Leader Killed
Lebanese officials charge Israeli intelligence operatives
killed a Hezbollah leader today. Mohammed Shablaq reports
from Beirut.
Petition Against Fox News
Moveon.org and Common Cause announced they are filing a petition
against the Fox News channel with the Federal Trade Commission.
Nadja Middleton has more from New York.
Women Face More Workplace Discrimination
Women of color are reporting discrimination in the workplace
at rapidly rising rates while the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission is slow to act despite having similar data. Claudia
Sacks reports from D.C.
NAACP Wants New Trial for Abu-Jamal
The NAACP, at the end of their annual convention in Philadelphia
voted in an emergency resolution to call for a new trial for
journalist and activist Mumia Abu Jamal. Abu-Jamal has been
sitting on death row for 23 years after a jury declared him
guilty of killing a police officer in Philadelphia. His supporters
say the case was “contaminated by racism.” Only
two members of the jury were black while 11 other African-Americans
were turned away from the pool by the prosecution. Key evidences
against him are the statements of 3 witnesses whose testimony
has serious flaws according to his lawyers. The case is now
awaiting what is likely his last appeal in the Third Circuit
Court.
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Palestinian Prime Minister Resigns
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia today
says the resignation he tencdered this weekenend remains in
force because he hasn't received a written response from Palestinain
leader Yasser Arafat. Quriea's resignation coincided with
a shake up in the leadership of overall security in Gaza.
Arafat appointed his nephew Moussa Arafat as head of security
in the GAza strip leading to huge unrest over the weekend.
Today he nullified that appointment and reinstated Abdel Razek
al-Majeida to the post. Dr. Hassan Abu Libdeh -- the Bureau
Chief and CAbinet Security Minister of the Palistinan governement--
joins us.
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FBI Questions Muslims and Arabs
In what the FBI claim is an effort to gather intelligence
about posisble al-Qaeda attacks in the US in the coming months,
members of Muslim and Arab communities across the country
are being interviewed. Legal experts and community organizations
are warning that anyone contacted should obtain legal counsel,
and many are questioning the relevance of the questioning.
Darby Hickey reports.
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Immigrant Rights Groups Rally
Trade Unions and immigrant rights groups rallied across
the country this weekend after the White House squashed two
measures designed to help legalize the undocumented. In the
Central California town of Porterville and the coastal town
of Watsonville, hundreds of workers with the United Farm Workers
of America rallied in support of a measure called AgJOBS,
which would allow undocumented farm workers to earn the right
to stay in this country legally. Meantime, student demonstrators
rallied outside the Texas State Capitol and and at a speaking
engagement of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in Nashville
urging law-makers to support the DREAM Act, which would allow
undocumented immigrants who entered the United States before
age 16 to qualify for federal college loans and work study.
After registering for college, immigrants would be given temporary
legal residency and could win permenant legal stauts if they
earn a degree. From Los Angeles, Aaron Glantz has more:
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The Computer Ate My Vote - Activists Call for Paper
Trail
As the election season heats up, activists attempting to
ensure voting accuracy have been gaining traction and visibility
around the U.S.. Last Tuesday, organizations with combined
membership of 3 million Americans converged on nineteen state
capitols around the country demanding verifiable voting in
elections. Reports are still coming in from that flurry of
activity, called The Computer Ate My Vote day. For instance,
activists in Albany, New York rolled out a literal paper trail
from the west steps of the State Capitol to front entrance,
until stopped by state police. The activists then rolled up
the paper trail and delivered nearly 42,000 signatures to
Governor Pataki calling for a voter verified paper trail.
Pokey Anderson updates the story with news from Ohio and Texas.
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Aussie Free Trade
Last week Congress passed a free trade agreement with Australia,
which is just one of several new free trade deals that are
either being considered or have already been approved. One
constant amongst the agreements is that while tarrifs would
be dropped on such sectors as manufacturing, US pharmacuetical
companies have been successful in blocking the imports of
cheaper drugs. With many trade deals still in the air, this
year's elections could prove crucial to the future of free
trade. Mitch Jeserich has the story.
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25th Anniversary of Sandinista Revolution
July 19, 2004 marks the 25th anniversary of the Sandinista
Revolution in Nicaragua. This revolution became a target of
US president Ronald Reagan who saw the Central American country
as a crucial game piece in the Cold War. Tara Ramos brings
us the following special report from Managua.
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