Home > Programs
> FSRN
> Wed., June. 28, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
Thanks to FSRN.org
for making the daily programs available to Pacifica.org
Today's lead stories:
Republican Congress Pushes Retributive Legislation Against
the New York Times
Israeli Forces Invades Gaza as Palestinian Forces Claim to
Capture Another Israeli
Violence Continues in Sri Lanka, Between the Tamil Tigers
and the Government
Death Penalty Abolished in the Philippines
Native Americans Continue to Live in Substandard Housing Conditions
Berkeley California Voters to Weigh in on Presidential Impeachment
in November
FSRN Headlines
SUPREME COURT ON TEXAS REDISTRICTING
The US Supreme Court today upheld a congressional district
map redrawn by Texas Republicans in 2003... but it ruled part
of the map discriminates against Latino voters. From KFPT
in Houston, Renee Feltz reports:
Democrats alleged the Texas GOP engaged in political gerrymandering
when they redrew House district lines with help from then
House Majority Leader, Tom DeLay. Today's 5-4 decision stayed
away from this political argument and approved the GOP effort...
in the process it upheld the right of states to change their
congressional district lines more often than the traditional
every 10 years. In its narrow approach to the map, the court
found one part of the map discriminates against minorities.
Rice University Political scientist, Bob Stein: "The
goal was to id racial or ethnic dilution. They focused on
Bonilla's district, said significant movement of Hispanic
voters out of district, dilution of minority voting interests
– that's a Voting Rights Act violation." Stein
says the implications of the court's ruling will extend beyond
the boundaries of this one district, which extends from San
Antonio into West Texas. Justices remanded decision back to
5th Circuit Court of Appeals, but didn't say if the lower
court must issue a new map now or by 2008. For FSRN, I'm Renee
Feltz at KPFT in Houston.
U.S. NUCLEAR DEAL WITH INDIA
The House Committee on International Relations voted 37-5
yesterday to give President George W. Bush the authority to
waive certain provisions of the US Atomic Energy Act in order
to secure a nuclear cooperation deal with India. The Senate
Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to vote on a similar
measure tomorrow.
INDIAN STATE FILES CONTEMPT APPLICATION AGAINST MONSANTO
A state in southern India is asking a judicial commission
to find seed-giant Monsanto in contempt of court. Binu Alex
has more.
The Indian province of Andhra Pradesh has filed a contempt
application against the Indian subsidiary of US-biotech giant,
Monsanto, for violating the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade
Practices Commission's order to reduce the price of Bt cotton
seeds on par with China. Monsanto had earlier lost a legal
battle in Andhra over the high price of its patented Bt cotton
seed. But Monsanto said it has already complied with the directive
by reducing the price by Rs 20 - or less than fifty cents.
The state government termed this as ridiculous and symbolic
and cited it in its petition on Monday, asking for the court
to take strict action for non-compliance. Monsanto justified
the small price reduction citing difference in land productivity
that exists between China and India. The petition could come
up for a hearing within a week's time. From Ahmedabad in India,
I am Binu Alex for Free Speech Radio News.
MOVES TO LIMIT FOIA IN BRITAIN
A British Parliamentary committee has condemned government
proposals to limit the use of the Freedom of Information Act,
only 18 months after it became law. From London, Naomi Fowler
reports.
Britain's Freedom of Information Act has already brought
about the release of important and often damaging information
since it came into force. However, some information requested
by the public under the act is still being refused; there's
a huge backlog of cases awaiting a decision by the Information
Commissioner on whether the government was justified in withholding
that information. Information most famously denied is the
advice given to Tony Blair over the legality of the invasion
of Iraq. Now the government wants to change the rules for
calculating the costs of finding the information - the result
of that is that the more 'complicated' requests could then
be refused because they would cost too much to process. But
the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee of MPs said today
that there was no 'appropriate reason for reviewing the fees
regulations.' Many MPs believe some of the revelations made
public under the Freedom of Information Act have become too
embarrassing for the government and these new proposals are
an attempt to limit public scrutiny by taxing information.
This is Naomi Fowler in London for Free Speech Radio News.
NATIONWIDE ACTIONS IN SUPPORT OF LT. WATADA
People gathered in 34 cities across the nation yesterday to
show their support for Lt. Ehren Watada, who is being held
at Ft. Lewis, Washington after refusing to deploy last week
with the 3rd Stryker Brigade. Lt. Watada is the first commissioned
officer to refuse deployment to Iraq. FSRN's Julie Sabatier
has more.
John Nettleton was one of the members of Veterans for Peace
who gathered on the Hawthorne Bridge yesterday in Portland,
Oregon about 2 hours south of Fort Lewis. [Nettleton] "Well,
I'm a Vietnam veteran and I served in a war that was somewhat
questionable itself and I just have a lot of appreciation
for this young man. He's not claiming to be a conscientious
objector, he's claiming that this is an illegal war."
A native of Hawaii, the 28-year-old Watada enlisted in the
army in 2003 and spent a year in Korea. When he redeployed
to Fort Lewis and learned he would be sent to Iraq, he says
he tried to learn everything he could about the conflict.
After extensive research, he concluded that the war in Iraq
is illegal under international and domestic law. Prior to
his confinement at Fort Lewis, Lt. Watada spoke in Portland.
[Watada] "I believe that I am fulfilling my oath, that
I am disobeying an unlawful order and I would hope that the
military—though highly doubtful—will give me a
fair trial and allow me to debate the legality of the war."
Lt. Watada faces a possible court martial and 2-5 years in
a military prison for disobeying a lawful order. For FSRN,
this is Julie Sabatier in Portland, Oregon.
[top]
Republican Congress Pushes Retributive Legislation
Against the New York Times (3:36)
Congressional Republicans are taking quick steps to punish
the New York Times for a story they say threatens national
security. The Times recently revealed government monitoring
of international financial transactions. Republican House
leaders say this story leaked classified information. FSRN's
Leigh Ann Caldwell has more.
[top]
Israeli Forces Invades Gaza as Palestinian Forces
Claim to Capture Another Israeli (3:54)
One day after Hamas recognizes Israeli statehood, the Israeli
military launches a wide-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Attackers targeted two major bridges and the main power plant
in Gaza, plunging half of the Gaza Strip into a total blackout.
Resistance groups in the West Bank claim that they have abducted
a third Israeli soldier near Etzion, on the Hebron-Jerusalem
Road. Saed Bannoura reports from Beit Sahour, in the West
Bank.
[top]
Violence Continues in Sri Lanka, Between the Tamil
Tigers and the Government (4:22)
Amid fresh violence, critics are saying there is hardly
any peace process in Sri Lanka and the truce remains on paper
only. Reports of more killings between the Tamil Tigers and
the Sri Lankan government continue on a daily basis. Ponniah
Maniakvasagam has the latest from Sri Lanka.
[top]
Death Penalty Abolished in the Philippines
(3:47)
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed a law
abolishing the death penalty, 12 years after capital punishment
was imposed in the country. As Girlie Linao reports, the Vatican
and human rights groups hail the move while death penalty
supporters warn it would only embolden criminals at a time
when extra-judicial killings are on the rise.
[top]
Native Americans Continue to Live in Substandard
Housing Conditions (2:49)
Native American leaders spoke on Capitol Hill today highlighting
the dire situation of housing in many of their communities.
They criticized a recent decision by the federal department
of Housing and Urban Development to freeze money meant for
Native American public housing agencies. Darby Hickey reports
from DC.
[top]
Berkeley California Voters to Weigh in on Presidential
Impeachment in November (2:23)
In California, the city of Berkeley has placed a referendum
on the November Ballot to allow voters to weigh in on an Impeachment
of President George W. Bush. FSRN's Eric Klein has more.
[top]
|
Listen
to the show 
Help
stream
download
