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> Fri., Jan. 13, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Senate Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings End
U.S. President Bush And German Chancellor Merkel Meet On Iran
Jordanians And Iraquis Comment On Progress In Iraq
Chile Has Presedential Run-Off Elections
Gay Activists Protest Arrest Of Four Gay Men In India
Toxic Release Inventory Program Faces Changes
FSRN Headlines
WAL-MART TO PAY FOR HEALTH CARE
Maryland has become the first state to to pass a bill requiring
Wal-Mart to spend more on employee health care. Ryme Katkhouda
has the story.
In a veto reversal that was closely watched nationally, lawmakers
in the Democrat-led General Assembly in Maryland voted largely
along party lines to require private companies with more than
10,000 employees in Maryland to spend at least 8 percent of
their payroll expenses on employee health benefits or to make
a contribution to the state's insurance program for the poor.
[SOUND...] Nu Wexler of Wal-Mart Watch says this is a victory
for Fair Share Health Care in Maryland where Wal-Mart, which
employs about 17,000 Marylanders is the only known company
of such size that does not meet that spending requirement.
[SOUND...] Legislatures in more than 30 states are considering
replicating this historic legislation. I'm Ryme Katkhouda,
dcradiocoop.org.
DELAY VS. CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM ADS
A new advertisement critical of Congressman Tom DeLay's record
was set to begin a week long run on television station's in
his district on Wednesday...but as Katie Heim reports from
Houston, not all stations will accept the ad.
(TV SOUND) The ad is paid for by Campaign for Americas Future
and the Public Campaign Action Fund, two groups calling for
campaign finance reform. Campaign spokesman, Toby Charduri
says original plans for airing the ad have changed. (CLIP)
"Ads have been pulled from some stations, but DeLay threatening
to sue media is same dirty tricks and won't get him out of
this". A statement issued by KTRK, Houston's ABC affiliate,
says it decided not to air the ad in its current form, but
did not say whether it is considering an alternative ad. The
local Fox affiliate also rejected the ad. The local CBS and
NBC affiliates have not said if the ad will air on their stations.
The campaign finance reform advocates say they're mounting
a legal response. Congressman DeLay has characterized the
ad as an effort by Democrats to harm his party and his re-election
bid. The groups say they're targeting corruption by those
in power, regardless of party affiliation. From KPFT In Houston,
I"m Katie Heim.
FEMA VOUCHER DEADLINE EXTENDED
A federal judge yesterday ordered the Federal Emergency Management
Agency to continue its hotel voucher program until at least
February 7th, and in qualifying cases until March 1st. Christian
Roselund has more from New Orleans. US District Court Judge
Stanwood Duval ordered the extension after a tense week between
the management of several New Orleans hotels and hurricane
Katrina evacuees. Hotels had attempted to evict some of those
staying under the FEMA program in order to have rooms available
during the Mardi Gras celebrations. The extension has been
criticized by the tourist industry, a major component of the
New Orleans economy and a source of plentiful but low-paying
jobs. Darius Gray, president of the Greater New Orleans Hotel
and Lodging Association, describes hotels as the economic
engine of New Orleans. However, with so much of New Orleans
housing stock destroyed and the allocation of FEMA trailer
sites still delayed by the New Orleans City Council, many
evacuees staying in hotels simply have no other place to go.
On Tuesday, Orleans Parish civil court is scheduled to rule
on whether or not hotels can evict evacuees on the FEMA voucher
program, after a temporary restraining order issued last Saturday.
New Orleans Housing Emergency Action Team spokesperson Soleil
Rodrigue says that she expects a compromise by Tuesday's court
hearing. For Free Speech Radio News in New Orleans, this is
Christian Roselund.
KIDNAPPINGS AND PIPELINE ATTACKS IN THE NIGER DELTA
Nigerian negotiators are trying to secure the release of four
foreign oil workers who were kidnapped by local militants
in the Niger Delta region. The kidnapping and an attack on
a major oil pipeline had earlier forced Nigeria to cut oil
exports by ten percent. Sam Olukoya reports from Lagos.
The kidnapped oil workers are from the US, Britain, Bulgaria
and Honduras. They were working for a Shell contracting firm
when gunmen seized them at an off shore oil facility on Wednesday.
The kidnappers are thought to be holding the foreign oil workers
in a vessel. A spokesman for the state of Bayelsa, where the
kidnapping took place, said a team was dispatched to contact
the kidnappers and find out what their grievances and demands
were. The kidnapping coincided with an attack on a major oil
pipeline, belonging to the Anglo-Dutch oil company, Shell
Petroleum. The attack has forced Shell Petroleum to suspend
exports from one of its terminals. In recent weeks, local
militants have attacked several oil pipelines in the Niger
Delta. People in the region are angry that they are being
denied a share of the oil wealth. Billions of dollars made
yearly from oil sales are mainly shared between the Nigerian
government and western oil companies. For Free Speech Radio
News, this is Sam Olukoya in Lagos.
UNEP REPORT ON SONGHUA RIVER POLLUTION
The toxic spill that sent approximately 100 tons of benzine,
aliline, and nitrobenzine into China's Songhua River remains
an unresolved environmental problem. In a report published
yesterday, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
concludes that significant amounts of toxic substances are
frozen below the surface of the river and that the full environmental
impact cannot be assessed at least until the ice thaws. The
Chinese government invited the UN fact-finding mission to
conduct an investigation in the areas affected by the massive
chemical spill, three weeks after the accident. China refused
the team's request to include a public health expert in the
mission. The report recommends that China implement a more
effective early warning system, investigate the causes of
and response to the accident at the Jilin petrochemical plant,
and urges independent study on the extent of the water, soil,
and air pollution resulting from the spill.
[top]
SENATE SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION HEARINGS END
(2:28)
Today, Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee
Samuel Alito concluded. A majority of the witnesses expressed
concern about Alito's record of not protecting civil rights
and liberties during his legal and judicial career. Ingrid
Drake has more from the US Capitol.
[top]
U.S. PRESIDENT BUSH AND GERMAN CHANCELLOR MERKEL
MEET ON IRAN (1:30)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with President Bush
to discuss diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to end their
nuclear fuel research program, a program in which they suspect
may lead to nuclear weapons.
[top]
JORDANIANS AND IRAQUIS COMMENT ON PROGRESS IN IRAQ
(2:37)
Bush also took the opportunity this week to drum up support
for his handling of Iraq. As David Enders reports from Amman,
Jordan, Iraqis there see no end to the conflict in their country
and Jordanians see wider negative implications of the war.
[top]
CHILE HAS PRESEDENTIAL RUN-OFF ELECTIONS
(4:48)
Chileans got to the polls in a run-off election with an
option of electing for the first time a woman president or
a billionaire businessman for the post of president of the
country. FSRN's Jorge Garretón has more.
[top]
GAY ACTIVISTS PROTEST ARREST OF FOUR GAY MEN IN INDIA
(3:55)
In New Delhi, Indian gay activists demanded the release
of four men arrested for sodomy and running an online gay
club. The arrests and this week's protests has pushed the
taboo of homosexuality to the forefront again. Those who come
out as gay in India face prosecution. However, more and more
of India's lesbian and gay community are openly demanding
their right to identity. FSRN Correspondent Binu Alex has
more from Mumbai.
[top]
TOXIC RELEASE INVENTORY PROGRAM FACES CHANGES
(3:57)
The Bush administration has proposed changes to the toxic
release inventory program that would let thousands of companies
stop providing the public with details of toxic chemicals
they handle and release into the environment. The Environmental
Protection Agency says it's simply trying to "streamline"
an expensive program. Environmental groups say the rule change
is targeted at undermining community organizing. Brian Edwards-Tiekert
takes a closer look.
[top]
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