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> Thu., June. 8, 2006
FSRN
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Today's lead stories:
Airstrike Kills Zarqawi, Bush Says War Will Continue
Last-Ditch Effort to Preserve Internet Neutrality
State Department May Be Using Chile to Isolate Chavez
Native Hawaiian Bill Draws Protest, Stalls in Senate
Commission Report Slams U.S. Prison Conditions
Victory at South Central Farm?
FSRN Headlines
Critical Iraqi Posts Filled
After weeks of wrangling, the Iraqi Assembly today overwhelmingly
approved Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's nominees to fill the
posts to head the Defense and Interior Ministries. Jawad Bulani,
who is a Shiite, will be the new Interior Minister and Abdul
Qadir Obeidi, who is a Sunni, will head the Defense Ministry.
Filling the positions is seen as vital towards the development
of a unity government. Also, it was announced today that a
US air-strike killed the alleged Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu
Musab Al-Zarqawi. We'll have more on that story coming up.
Cheney Meddling With Investigation Into Surveillance Program
The Republican Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee Arlen
Specter is accusing Vice President Dick Cheney of working
with the other Republicans on the Committee from keeping the
Committee from issuing subpoenas to Bellsouth, Verizon and
AT&T concerning their involvement of a controversial NSA
surveillance program. Senator Patrick Leahy is the ranking
Democrat on the Committee. Cheney has responded by saying
advising lawmakers is not an unusual thing for a Vice President
to do.
Bolton Vs. UN
The row between a top UN official and US Ambassador to the
UN John Bolton continues to deepen. Bolton is demanding an
apology from Deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown who
accused the US of undermining the importance of the UN. Bolton
has not received an apology. Brown says his comments were
meant in an attempt to strengthen the UN A spokesperson for
UN General Secretary Kofi Annan supported his deputy, saying
he agreed with the thrust of Mr Brown's speech.
Multinational Corporations Worse Violators of Labor Rights
The worst violators of union rights - after Colombia - are
multinational companies; that's according to the International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions in a report released today.
Naomi Fowler reports.
Key Kashmiri Separatist Arrested
A strike has been called in Indian administered Kashmir in
protest of the arrest of a prominent hard-line Kashmiri Separatist.
Shanawaz Khan reports.
Atenco Demonstrator Dies
Social tension is on the rise just weeks ahead of Mexico's
presidential elections. The death toll from the violent police
raid of the town of Atenco rose yesterday when a 20 year old
university student died from a severe head wound caused by
a police tear gas grenade. The student, Alexis Benhumea, had
spent more than 30 days in a coma. A commission from Amnesty
International is scheduled to visit Atenco today to investigate
claims of extreme police misconduct and abuse during last
month's raid of the town.
Headline CUT FOR TIMEDOWLOAD headline
Meanwhile - in southern Mexico - tens of thousands of people
hit the streets yesterday evening to demand the resignation
of the governor of Oaxaca. Vladimir Flores reports from Oaxaca
City.
Scheduled Virginia Execution Tonight
A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court's decision
to temporarily stay the execution of accused murderer Percy
Walton who is scheduled to die tonight in Virginia. Walton's
execution was originally stayed by a lower court that said
his execution should be postponed until the US Supreme Court
rules on the constitutionality of lethal injections. Walton's
Lawyers claim he is also insane. Percy Walton is scheduled
to be executed at 9 PM eastern tonight.
[top]
Airstrike Kills Zarqawi, Bush Says War Will Continue
(3:57)
The U.S. military announced this morning that an overnight
military airstrike had killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader
of al qaeda in Iraq. The Bush Administration simultaneously
congratulated itself on the killing, and downplayed its importance.
President Bush said there will be tough days ahead in Iraq.
FSRN's Aaron Glantz and Salam Talib have more.
[top]
Last-Ditch Effort to Preserve Internet Neutrality
(4:20)
In the face of a massive lobbying and advertising campaign
financed by the telecom industry, the House of representatives
is set to vote on a last ditch attempt to maintain Internet
neutrality. FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell reports from Capitol
Hill.
[top]
State Department May Be Using Chile to Isolate Chavez
(3:22)
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is in Washington for
an official visit with U.S. President George W. Bush. Bachelet's
visit is clouded by reports in the Chilean press that the
U.S. State Department is pressuring Chile to join a group
of Latin American countries to isolate Venezuelan President
Hugo Chávez and block Chávez's bid to join the
UN Security Council later this year. From Santiago FSRN's
Jorge Garretón reports.
[top]
Native Hawaiian Bill Draws Protest, Stalls in Senate
(3:45)
The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act has stalled
again in the U.S. Senate. The legislation would clarify the
political status of Native Hawaiians in relation to the U.S.
government, but as it moved closer to a full vote in the Senate
it drew fire from all sides of the political spectrum. Right
wing conservatives believe it gives privileges to one ethnic
group over another. Many native Hawaiian groups feared the
bill would ultimately have a divisive effect. Yesterday, seven
Native Hawaiian activists in Honolulu occupied the upstairs
balcony of Iolani Palace for three hours, and held a press
conference to voice their opposition to the legislation. Anne
Keala Kelly tells us more.
To hear more from FSRN's Anne Keala Kelly on the century
old struggle of Native Hawaiians, check out the FSRN documentary,
In Memoriam.
[top]
Commission Report Slams U.S. Prison Conditions
(2:25)
The National Commission on Safety and Abuse in America’s
Prisons presented its findings to a Senate Subcommittee today.
The commission, the first of its kind in over 30 years, was
convened after a growing scandal over conditions in California
prisons forced a federal judge to seize control of inmate
health care. The national commission’s reports find
many of California’s problems are present nationwide:
they include overcrowding, excessively punitive treatment,
widespread violence, health care so poor some inmates die
of neglect, and widespread retaliation against whistleblowers.
Anastasia Gnezditskaia reports from Washington, DC .
[top]
Victory at South Central Farm? (2:26)
There's new hope at the South Central Farm in Los Angeles
where a group of largely Latino farmers are trying to save
their land from being developed into a warehouse. Overnight,
word got out that the Annenberg Foundation had joined the
effort to raise the roughly sixteen point three million dollars
necessary to buy the 14 acre farm back from developer Ralph
Horowitz. FSRN reporter Kelly Barns went out to the farm this
morning, she says the supporters camped out there are cautiously
optomistic.
[top]
And a Correction:
In a story yesterday we mistakenly identified Senator Joe
Biden from Deleware as Senator Carl Levin from Michigan.
[top]
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