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> Tue., May. 10, 2005
FSRN
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Today's lead stories:
US Senate Ready To Approve Immigration Measure
Support for Free Trade Pact Flounders In Congress
War Resistors Rally Across the Country
U.S./Indonesian Joint Military Excercizes Focus on Piracy
Connecticut Scheduled for First Execution in 45 Years
Paris Commemorates Algerian Massacres
FSRN Headlines
VP Keeps Secret Notes Secret
A federal appeals court struck another blow to the lawsuit
filed by the Sierra Club and Judicial Watch to obtain meeting
minutes from Vice President Dick Cheney’s Energy Task
Force. The court sided with the Vice President ruling that
"There is nothing to indicate that nonfederal employees
had a right to vote on committee matters or exercise a veto
over committee proposals." The two advocacy groups had
tried to obtain the notes and minutes from the meetings claiming
the records should be open to public scrutiny because they
were the basis for the nation’s energy policy. Sierra
Club and Judicial Watch also charge that the Energy Task Force
was staffed with industry insiders without any participation
from environmental or consumer groups. The meetings in 2001
led to a report that encouraged the opening of public lands
to oil and gas drilling and other recommendations that now
appear in legislation being considered by Congress.
Permanent Abolition of Inheritance Tax
Senators made their move to permanently protect the nation’s
wealthiest from paying inheritance tax. David Koppel reports
from Capitol Hill.
United Airlines Wants to Chop Union Pensions
Three unions are defending their pensions and contracts against
United Airlines in bankruptcy hearings that start today. Doug
Cunningham has the story from the Workers Independent News
Service.
Colombian Government Wants Another 130-million from US
Colombian government officials requested an additional 130
million US dollars in next years US aid package on top of
the already earmarked 700-million to intensify the fumigation
of coca and poppy crops. From Bogotá, Nicole Karsin
has more.
[top]
US Senate Ready To Approve Immigration Measure
(4:05)
Over a hundred immigrants demonstrated in front of both
the Republican National and the Democratic National Committees'
headquarters today in Washington D.C. They protested to demand
legalization for the millions of undocumented immigrants living
in the U.S. and against the controversial immigration bill
the Real ID Act. The Senate is poised to stamp Congress’s
final approval on the ACT some time tonight as part of the
82 billion dollar supplemental war request. Mitch Jeserich
reports.
[top]
Support for Free Trade Pact Flounders In Congress
(3:11)
Opposing sides argued their positions on Captiol Hill today
over the Dominican Republic and Central America and Free Trade
Agreement, or DR-CAFTA. After what some called a disastrous
Senate finance committee meeting last week, support for the
free trade pact seems to be retractingin Congress, with President
Bush now reportedly preparing for a full-court press on the
issue. Darby Hickey reports on the latest developments from
DC.
[top]
War Resistors Rally Across the Country(3:19)
On Wednesday the military begins its court martials of Navy
petty officer 3rd class Pablo Paredes and Army Sergeant Kevin
Benderman for refusing to deploy to the middle east. From
Montana to Vermont to San Diego, communities across the country
are engaging in a national day of action to support military
personnel who are resisting the war. Sarah Olsen reports:
[top]
U.S./Indonesian Joint Military Excercizes Focus on
Piracy (2:30)
Tensions between Indonesian independence movements and authorities
are still simmering. In Papua, Indonesia's easternmost province,
a riot broke out after a local court sentenced a pro-independence
supporter to one year in jail for raising a Free Papua flag.
And Indonesia’s Naval Commander is accusing the Free
Aceh Movement or GAM of committing ship piracy in one of the
world’s busiest waterways. Just last week, THE US Asia-Pacific
Naval Commander William J. Fallon met WITH Indonesian president
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for talks about the revival of US
military aid. Although that aid is still awaiting Congressional
approval, a joint military training took place on Monday.
The exercise focused on how to handle ship hijackings and
possible terrorist attacks in the Strait of Malacca. From
Jakarta, Meggy Margiyono has more.
[top]
Connecticut Scheduled for First Execution in 45 Years
(3:35)
The first execution to take place in all of New England
in 45 years is set for this Friday, when Michael Ross, convicted
of murdering eight young women -- after raping most of them
-- is set to die by lethal injection. Ross has waived his
remaining appeals and a judge has twice ruled he is competent
to do so, despite suffering from several forms of mental illness.
Efforts by public defenders failed to convince the judge that
Ross suffers from "death row syndrome" -- a condition
in which he would welcome death as a release from 20 years
of solitary confinement on death row. Opponents of capital
punishment in Connecticut began a 30-mile walk on Sunday from
Hartford to the death house at Osborn Correctional facility,
even as new information came to light showing that lethal
injection may be cruel and unusual punishment. Melinda Tuhus
reports from Hartford.
[top]
Paris Commemorates Algerian Massacres (2:26)
Commemorations became tense in France over the weekend as
French of West and North African descent also commemorated
what they called the crimes of colonization. A younger generation
of French Africans says modern French society treats them
like their parents were treated in former colonies. From Paris,
Khaled Sid Mohand files this report.
[top]
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