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> Fri., Jan. 27, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Some Democrats Support Filibustering Alito's Confirmation
Bush Says He Wont Work with Hamas Without Major Changes in
the Party
Health Care Crisis Persists in New Orleans
Conflict in Nigeria
Historic Human Rights Group in Argentina Final March
FSRN Headlines
POST-ELECTION UNREST IN GAZA
Hundreds of Fateh supporters took to the streets of Gaza City
today, [protesting their party's loss in the historic legislative
elections and] calling for the resignation of the Fateh leadership.
In Gaza City, Laila El-Haddad has the story.
The mob of young supporters, which included the militant
wing of Fateh, al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, marched throughout
the city streets, shooting wildly into the air and blaming
the Fateh leadership for the crushing blow in the elections.
In front his Gaza residence, they gave Mahmud Abbas three
days to resign, accusing him of being "an Israeli agent".
They then swarmed the legislative council, where the Fateh
leadership was meeting to discuss their position on the election
results, burning government vans, scaling the walls of the
building, and yanking out air conditioners and wires from
its exterior. Mohammad Dahalan, one of the few Fateh leaders
to win a seat in the district of Khan Yunis and very popular
among Fateh's young supporters, came out to calm down the
angry mob. He assured them Fateh would always be the first
Palestinian revolutionary movement, despite other group's
attempts to conspire against it, before being whisked away
by his bodyguard. For Free Speech Radio News in Gaza, this
is Laila El-Haddad.
ENERGY CRISIS IN GEORGIA
Heavy snowfalls have worsened Georgia's weeklong energy crisis,
which began when explosions in Southern Russia damaged two
gas pipelines on Sunday. From Tbilisi, Georgia, Deborah Wild
has the latest:
Yesterday a high voltage power line in western Georgia collapsed
under the heavy snow leaving eastern Georgia without electricity.
This comes at very bad time. On Tuesday, Georgia's Minister
of Energy had warned that Georgia's energy system was operating
"without any reserve resources of electricity".
Many shops or businesses are closed and public transportation
has become scarce due to unsafe driving conditions. The worsening
of this crisis has prompted President Mikheil Saakashvili
to break off his visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland and return home. Georgians who have neither gas
nor electricity have had to switch to kerosene heaters or
wood ovens. The Ukraine has donated funds for the purchase
of diesel fuel from Azerbaijan. Iran, the president announced
today, has agreed to supply gas via Azerbaijan starting on
Monday. For Free Speech Radio News, I'm Deborah Wild in Tbilisi,
Georgia.
LOBBYING REFORM AND PUBLIC OPINION
In Washington, the Abramoff Scandal has led to Lobbying Reform
Proposals from both parties. Meanwhile, A poll by the Washington
Post shows most Americans want President Bush to fully disclose
his ties to the disgraced lobbyist.
Congressional Democrats are pouncing on the Jack Abramoff
lobbying scandal, using the criminal Republican super-lobbyist
as the poster boy for a slew of lobbying reform proposals.
Last week, Congressional Democrats proposed tighter rules
for lobbyists; a day after Republicans offered similar proposals.
Both proposals would make it illegal for lobbyists to buy
meals or finance trips for members of Congress. Abramoff has
also been linked to Bush administration through his fundraising
efforts and his ties to a Bush administration official, who
is accused of lying to federal investigators about his dealings
with the lobbyist. In a poll published today by the Washington
Post, 76% of the respondents said Bush should reveal his administration's
relationship with Abramoff, which Bush has thus far refused
to do. For Free Speech Radio News, this is Quinn Bowman in
Washington, D.C.
LITTLE KNOWN CHANGE TO THE PATRIOT ACT
Congress will soon be expected to vote on expiring provisions
of the USA Patriot Act. But as Mark Taylor-Canfield reports
from Seattle, legislators may not be fully aware of all of
the provisions.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, a proposed
change to the USA Patriot Act would allow the federal government
to designate restricted zones at any events considered to
be of "national significance". The ACLU's Counsel
for National Security Policy, Tim Edgars, says the provision
was slipped into the re-authorization bill at the request
of the Secret Service, without the knowledge of most members
of Congress or the media. [Edgars clip] "The problem
here is that Congress is considering without any debate, without
having considered it in either the House or the Senate...a
major expansion of the Secret Service's ability to impose
these exclusion zones that have been used to harass clearly
legitimate protesters." Exclusion zones became a controversial
issue in the US during the 1999 World Trade Organization ministerial
conference in Seattle, when authorities established a large
"no protest zone" near the conference site. The
move resulted in a major class action lawsuit for violations
of the First Amendment. The ACLU is concerned that the new
measure would fully legalize restrictions on the constitutionally
protected activity of peaceful assembly and the exercise of
free speech. Congress is expected to vote on the re-authorization
of the Patriot Act by February 2nd.
EVO APPOINTS CABINET AND CUTS HIS SALARY
Bolivian president, Evo Morales, ends his first week of government
with two significant moves. Diletta Varlese reports from Santa
Cruz, Bolivia.
Soon after his inauguration, President Evo Morales appointed
several well-known activists to cabinet level positions. The
new Minister of Water, Abel Mamani, is the former leader of
a neighborhood organization that expelled a French multinational
corporation from the impoverished city of El Alto for failure
to administer and deliver water services. Hydrocarbons Minister
Andres Soliz Rada is a lawyer and journalist, who has spent
30 years defending Bolivia's natural resources. President
Morales ended his first week in office by reducing his salary
by 50 percent. He will now earn slightly less than $1,900
a month. The pay cut will affect most high-ranking office
holders, as no government employee in Bolivia is allowed to
make more than the president. The next step for the new administration
will be to start the discussion on reforms to the country's
hydrocarbons law. For FSRN, Diletta Varlese, from Santa Cruz,
Bolivia.
[top]
Some Democrats Support Filibustering Alito's Confirmation
(3:34)
Liberal groups are capitalizing on the F-word - filibuster...They're
coming out in unison and urging democrats to follow Senator
John Kerry's lead and block the confirmation of Supreme Court
nominee Samuel Alito. But as Leigh Ann Caldwell reports from
Capitol Hill, some Democrats wont go down that road.
[top]
Bush Says He Wont Work with Hamas Without Major Changes
in the Party (2:35)
At a White house press conference yesterday, outlining next
Tuesday's State of the Union speech, president George W. Bush
also commented on the landslide victory by Hamas in this weeks
Palestinian parliamentary elections. Selina Musta reports
from Washington D.C.
[top]
Health Care Crisis Persists in New Orleans
(2:52)
Four and a half months after hurricane Katrina, health professionals
say that New Orleans is still in a crisis. Small clinics,
often volunteer run, are scrambling to fill gaps in care that
many say existed even before the storm. Christian Roselund
reports.
[top]
Conflict in Nigeria (2:36)
Top politicians and business leaders from around the world
concluded their annual economic forum in Davos Switzerland.
The primary agenda was to promote big-business and globalization.
In Mali and Venezuela civil society groups opposed to these
ideas held an alternative forum, to seek global solutions
based on human rights and respect for the environment. This
comes at a time when armed youths in Nigeria's Niger Delta
region are taking on some of the largest multi-national oil
corporations in the world, to protest more than four decades
of pollution and economic marginalization. Sam Olukia reports
from Legos Nigeria.
[top]
Historic Human Rights Group in Argentina Final March
(3:50)
The historic human rights group Mothers of Plaza de Mayo
yesterday concluded the last of the annual 24-hour protests
they’ve held for 25 years yesterday. The president of
the Mothers Hebe de Bonafini decided to drop the annual March
of Resistance because they no longer have an enemy in the
presidential palace. Marie Tragona
[top]
Correction (2:00)
FSRN would like to correct and clarify several misstatements
made during our December 29 broadcast. The story in question
looked at the history of wrongful termination and sexual harassment
lawsuits filed against American Apparel and the company’s
CEO Dov Charney. In the broadcast, FSRN reporter Leilani Albano
stated that Mr. Charney was 35 years of age. He is 36. She
stated that the company was founded in 1977. It was founded
in 1997. We reported that the company earned $200 million
dollars in profits. American Apparel says it has achieved
$200 million dollars in revenue. The report also stated that
Charney had faced charges of criminal sexual misconduct. In
fact, all previous lawsuits brought against Charney, including
the current case pending against him in LA Superior Court,
have been civil suits. After reading court documents listing
charges against Charney that include “conducting business
meetings in his underwear, and parading in a penis and ball
cover during meetings,” the reporter misinterpted a
statement given by the public relations firm representing
Charney as corroborating those charges. The actual statement
from the PR firm reads: “American Apparel manufactures
underwear as well as other garments and Charney, as a fit
model for the company, sometimes wears these garments and
others, as is entirely natural and appropriate in a fashion
business.” Referring to an interview with anti-sweatshop
organizer Trina Tocco, the report paraphrased a broad statement
about oppressive conditions of women workers globally and
implied that Tocco’s statement described working conditions
at American Apparel. In fact, Tocco was not describing conditions
at American Apparel. However, Tocco did describe charges of
union-busting activity against American Apparel that were
considered by the National Labor Relations Board. Those charges
are no longer pending against the company.
[top]
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