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> Wed., Apr. 13, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Opposition to Dominican Republic - Central American Free Trade
Agreement
Military Spending Bill Slated for Bases in Iraq and Afghanistan
EPA Nomination Approved
Bush Administration Seeks to Rescind Victims of Crimes Act
Fund
City Employee May Lose Job after Expressing Political Views
Study Examines Effect of School Bus Exhaust on Children
FSRN Headlines
Repeal Estate Tax?
At press time, Republicans in Congress are debating a measure
that would abolish taxes on inherited wealth. David Opper
reports from Washington DC.
The DRC Takes Uganda to the ICJ
Uganda is preparing its Defense in the International Court
of Justice in a 1999 complaint filed by the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC) accusing Uganda of invading its territory and
massacring Congolese civilians. Joshua Kyalimpa reports
Israel Continues Incursion in Nablus
Jewish Voices for Peace has scheduled rallies in 40 cities
across the US today calling on Caterpillar Company to investigate
the use of their bulldozers to destroy homes in the West Bank
and Gaza. The Palestinian Authority made a breakthrough on
the wanted resistance fighters problem and began absorbing
them in its departments. Meanwhile, the Israeli army continues
its invasion of Nablus. Manar Jebredin reports from the International
Middle East Media Center.
Terrorist Applies for Political Asylum in US
A Cuban exile trained by the CIA and convicted of terrorist
acts against Cuba has applied for political asylum in the
United States. Joseph Mutti has more from Havana.
Lebanon’s PM Resigns -- Again
For the second time in two weeks -- Lebanon’s Prime
Minister Omar al-Karami resigned today saying he was unable
to form a Cabinet. His resignation seems to make timely elections
more unlikely and deepens the political crisis triggered by
the February assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik
al-Hariri.
[top]
Opposition to Dominican Republic - Central American
Free Trade Agreement (3:38)
Mass protests continue in Ecuador today, as workers in day
one of a nation-wide strike, call for President Lucio Gutierrez
to resign and for the Supreme Court to dissolve. Gutierrez
led his majority to replace the entire Court last December,
which critics say proves his dictatorial tendencies. Congress
failed to reach an agreement for control of the courts in
a session yesterday. City offices, banks and schools remain
closed throughout Ecuador's capitol city of Quito, as protestors
shut down main routes in and out of the city. Students organized
in opposition to the Free Trade Area of the Americas constitute
the latest opposition to the state, confronting riot-clad
police on the streets to Quito and Guayaquil. Free trade is
also at the top of the agenda for many US congressional members.
The senate finance committee held their first hearing on Tuesday
concerning the Dominican Republic Central American Free Trade
Act or DR-CAFTA. Representatives from the textile, food, and
sugar industies joined labor delegates to give testimony.
Selina Musuta of the DC Radio Co-op reports.
[top]
Military Spending Bill Slated for Bases in Iraq and
Afghanistan (3:54)
The US occupation of Iraq won't be ending any time soon.
In Baghdad yesterday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told
reporters the US has no "exit strategy" for the
country - just a "victory strategy." The White House
is asking Congress for $80 billion more for military activities
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Part of the money is slated to incorporate
immigration measures- measures which Senate Majority Leader
Bill Frist says he is opposing. In the House, the bill blocks
undocumented immigrants from obtaining driver's licenses and
makes it harder to gain asylum. Frist, who supports guest
worker programs, says he is negotiating with colleagues who
want to add immigration regulations to the military spending
bill. Included in that request is money to construct 14 permanent
military bases in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. And as Aaron
Glantz reports from Washington, Senate Democrats can be expected
to agree.
[top]
EPA Nomination Approved (0:58)
A Senate committee approved the nomination of Stephen Johnson
today to head the Environmental Protection Agency after Johnson
pledged to stop a controversial EPA program that tests pesticides
on children. Mitch Jeserich reports.
[top]
Bush Administration Seeks to Rescind Victims of Crimes
Act Fund (3:08)
The Senate passed the budget bill last week that is now
scheduled to go to conference committee. The fate of a $1.6-billion
Rainy Day fund that compensates victims of crime hangs in
balance. The Bush administration has proposed to rescind the
fund authorized by the Victims of Crime Act or VOCA. Syria
Boyd has more.
[top]
City Employee May Lose Job after Expressing Political
Views (2:42)
The City of Longmont, in Boulder County, Colorado is investigating
a city employee, after he used a city-issued cell phone to
call into a talk radio show to express his support of Colorado
University professor Ward Churchill. Glen Spagnuolo contends
that he is being targeted not simply for using the city cell
phone, but because of the political comments he made. Maeve
Conran reports.
[top]
Study Examines Effect of School Bus Exhaust on Children
(4:20)
The first study to specifically look at how much exhaust
is inhaled on school buses will be published tomorrow in the
journal Environmental Science and Technology. The new analysis
by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found
that children on school buses collectively inhale as much
or more exhaust emitted from those buses as does the rest
of a city's population. Lauren Meltzer reports.
[top]
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