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> Thu., Mar. 17, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
Thanks to FSRN.org
for making the daily programs available to Pacifica.org
Today's lead stories:
Congressional Budget Resolution Make Significant Cuts Social
Services
Reaction From Jericho After Israeli Handover of Power
Contaminated U.S. Bases in the Philippines
The State of Human Rights in Oaxaca
U.S. Led Forced Cause Damage to Ancient Babylon
FSRN Headlines
Oil Hits New High
Oil prices scraped a new ceiling of $57 dollars a barrel on
the New York trading floor today as forecasters predicted
that oil demand would be higher this year than last. Gasoline
and heating oil prices are already at an all time high as
much of the north is dealing with a colder and longer winter.
Next week, OPEC will consider increasing oil output to keep
prices low. Most oil fields in therichest producing countries
are already at or beyond daily pumping capacities. Multinational
oil companies are reporting unprecedented profits on the higher
prices. Meanwhile, the Bush administration is formally asking
OPEC nations to increase production as US manufacturers cut
back on petroleum based products.
Link Between Autism and Mercury Found
Texas researchers found strong links between exploding autism
rates among U.S. children and exposure to mercury. From Houston,
Erika McDonald has more.
Investigators Receive Money from Agency Investigating
Medical investigators are receiving money from the same U.S.
agency they are investigating. Dan Stephens reports from D.C.
Irish on St. Patrick's Day
Irish leaders are making the rounds in D.C. on St. Patrick’s
Day while the family of man allegedly killed by political
factions of those same leaders is given greater access to
top U.S. officials. Maeve Conran reports.
Government Steps Into Family Life Decision
The Florida State legislature approved a measure that would
keep a woman alive despite plan to remove her feeding tube
tomorrow. For more than a decade Terri Schiavo has been on
an artificial feeding tube following complications duringtreatment
after a fall down a flight of stairs. According to medical
professionals involved in the case, she is in a persistent
vegetative state. Her husband claims Schiavo would want all
artificial life saving measures to bestopped. But, Schiavo’s
parents say her condition may be rehabilitated and along with
their own caseload of physicians have unsuccessfully challenged
Schiavo’s husband. Already one law giving Governor Jeb
Bush the right to makethe decision was overturned by the Florida
Supreme Court. Bush says he supports this new attempt. (SOUND
0:11) Yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives passed a
bill to move such cases to federal court where it is believed
judges would rule with the parents.
[top]
Congressional Budget Resolution Make Significant
Cuts Social Services (4:07)
The US Senate voted to restore some of President Bush's
proposed cuts for a health care program for the poor today.
However many significant cuts to the healthcare system remain,
as do other reductions to social service programs such as
nutritional programs and housing. The Congressional Budget
resolutions outlay of next 5 years shows even larger reductions
for such programs. But, as Mitch Jeserich reports, this is
in large part due to a GOP attempt to extend President Bush's
expiring tax cuts through a back door procedure.
[top]
Reaction From Jericho After Israeli Handover of Power
(3:01)
In Cairo today, militant Palestinian groups agreed to a
conditional ceasefire with Israel thru the end of the year,
as long as Israel halts aggression towards its neighbor and
releases prisoners. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called
the agreement a positive step, although it is remains highly
unlikely that Israel will release the 8,000 Palestinian prisoners
still pent up in Israeli jails. Meanwhile, more than 24-hours
after the Israeli handover of power to the Palestinian authority
in the city of Jericho, local resident remains skeptical.
The city of Jericho, which was never occupied by the Israeli
army during the Palestinian Intifada, was closed by six Israeli
barriers, while a trench of two meters surrounding it from
three sides. Five of the six barriers remain in place, and
the surrounding trench still stands today. As Awad Duaibes
reports from Jericho, residents feel they have plenty of reasons
to be doubtful of any real change in power.
[top]
Contaminated U.S. Bases in the Philippines
(4:12)
For much of the 20th Century, the Philippines was one of
US' closest allies. Even once the colonial relationship officially
ended a decade after World War II, the US military was allowed
to continue operating two massive military bases in the country
for several more decades. In1991, the Philippine Senate rejected
the US application to extend the leases, and both the Air
Force and Navy were forced to abandon their posts. Since that
time, however, grassroots movements in both countries have
been trying to get the US military to come back to its former
basesand help clean-up the extensive toxic mess that they
left behind. In the next couple of weeks, the US 9th Circuit
Court of Appeals will decide on the first step of such a project
- whether the US military must do a thorough and public environmental
assessment of the areas in question.From the Philippines,
FSRN's Carey Biron has more.
[top]
The State of Human Rights in Oaxaca (3:55)
Amnesty International's researcher for the Americas regional
program concluded a visit to Oaxaca, Mexico yesterday. This
marks the most recent international scrutiny of the human
rights situation in the southern state. Shannon Young and
Vladimir Flores file this report from Oaxaca.
[top]
U.S. Led Forced Cause Damage to Ancient Babylon
(2:58)
A Polish former commander of multinational forces in Iraq
denied claims by renowned British archaeologist John Curtis
that troops under his command had devastated archaeological
gems in the ancient city of Babylon. Curtis, senior archaeologist
with the British Museum, had alleged that soldiers stationed
in Camp Babylon under Polish commanduntil mid-December last
year, were responsible for "substantial damage"
to the ancient site about 80 kilometers south of Baghdad.
US military commanders set up a base in Babylon in April 2003
shortly after toppling Saddam Hussein and handed it over to
the Polish contingent 5 monthslater. The Polish-led force
occupied the base for about 16 months until handing it over
to Iraqi authorities. Danuta Szafraniec reports from Warsaw.
[top]
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