Home > Programs
> FSRN
> Mon., Aug. 22, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
Thanks to FSRN.org
for making the daily programs available to Pacifica.org
Today's lead stories:
Iraq’s Parliament Receives a Draft Constitution With
“Pending Points”
Palestinians Examine Ways to Revive Economy in Gaza
Israeli Youth Used By Settlers During Evacuation From Gaza
Halliburton’s KBR Recruits Workers In Florida
Court Hears Arguments Over Medical Marijuana
Formerly Interned Japanese Americans Receive High School Diplomas
FSRN Headlines
President Bush left Crawford to speak at the Veterans of
Foreign Wars Convention in Salt Lake City. While he defended
the war in Iraq, protestors outside questioned his plans.
Troy Williams has more from KRCL in Salt Lake City.
Oil exports in southern Iraq have stopped because of an electricity
outage caused by vandalism. As Eliana Kaya reports, this will
have a devastating effect on Iraqi's as summer temperatures
soar.
In Ecuador, protestors, government officials, and oil company
executives opened talks on the oil destabilization there.
Oil production has restarted, but exports are still suspended.
Sixty protest leaders traveled from the Amazon region to Quito
to talk about oil profit distribution. Last week, the protestors
destroyed pipelines and damaged refineries. They demanded
a share of oil profits in the form of infrastructure and environmental
cleanup.
The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for 30 Cubans who might
have drowned off the coast of Florida. Mitch Perry reports
from WMNF in Tampa.
The family of an alleged India ‘spy’ on death
row in Pakistan threatens suicide. Vinod K. Jose has more
from New Dehli.
The state of Connecticut has filed a lawsuit against the
federal government for No Child Left Behind. The state claims
that the federal legislation is illegal because it requires
expensive testing and programs they don't pay for. The lawsuit
states that the federal government cannot impose requirements
they don't provide funds to implement them. The No Child Left
Behind Act requires every state to use standardized testing
to measure proficiency by 2014. Connecticut is the first state
to file suit over the legislation. Utah has signed a measure
against the legislation.
[top]
Iraq’s Parliament Receives a Draft Constitution
With “Pending Points”
The Iraqi Parliament received a final draft of the constitution
before the appointed deadline… but not without further
issues to be resolved in the document. Negotiators now have
another 3 days to try to resolve the concerns from the Sunni
Arab community. Kurdish and Shia factions of the Assembly
would have enough votes combined to push the draft through,
however the Sunnis could reject the constitution when the
people vote whether to ratify it. The split does not bode
well for the Bush administration that is hearing increased
calls for a withdrawal from Iraq by lawmakers. Mitch Jeserich
has this update from Washington.
[top]
Palestinians Examine Ways to Revive Economy in Gaza
Thirty-eight years of occupation in Gaza officially ended
today as the Israeli Army reported that it had finished evacuating
Netzarim—the last of 21 settlements. Now, Palestinians
and the Palestinian government look to revive their economy,
crippled by years of Israeli closures. Experts warn that's
easier said than done, however. Laila El-Haddad has more From
Gaza.
[top]
Israeli Youth Used By Settlers During Evacuation
From Gaza
Another issue of concern during the evacuation has been
the prominent role of children among the settlers. From teenagers
who made up the bulk of those who infiltrated into the settlements,
to the many toddlers forced by their parents to take part,
the use and abuse of children has aroused criticism from Israel's
Prime Minister and it's chief of staff.. Irris Makkler reports
from the Gaza Strip.
[top]
Halliburton’s KBR Recruits Workers In Florida
A subcontractor for Halliburton subsidiary KBR has pled
guilty to taking kickbacks from an Iraqi company in exchange
for a 600 thousand dollar contact to renovate four buildings
into office and warehouse space. Houston-based Halliburton
nor its KBR subsidiary was named in the Indictment. Meanwhile,
the company’s role in Iraq continues to grow. FSRNs
Andrew Stelzer spent an afternoon at a Tampa, Florida open
call for job applicants who want to work for Halliburton in
Iraq and Afganistan.
[top]
Court Hears Arguments Over Medical Marijuana
A University plant and soil sciences professor is challenging
the US Food and Drug Administration in court today in order
to begin research of prescription medicinal marijuana. Ingrid
Drake has more from Wash DC.
[top]
Formerly Interned Japanese Americans Receive High
School Diplomas
And we go to Los Angeles for recognition long overdue. During
World War II, some 120 thousand Japanese Americans were forcibly
removed from their homes and placed in internment camps. There,
many young people finished high school. Yesterday, at LA Trade
Technical College, 70 and 80 year old high school graduates
were finally awarded their diplomas. KPFK’s Janet Nakano
was there and files this report.
[top]
|
Listen
to the show 
Help
stream
download
