February 5, 2009
- Republican lawmakers frustrated over stimulus
- Controversial social security verification program may be added to stimulus
- Will U.S. send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan?
- Chris Hedges weighs in on Obama’s first two weeks in office
- Reporter’s Notebook: working in the Swat Valley
- New Yorkers mark police killing of Amadou Diallo
HEADLINES
Ginsberg Undergoes Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer
DTV Extension Awaits Obama’s Signature
US War Resister Seeks Asylum in Germany
Israel Blocks Lebanese Aid Ship from Reaching Gaza
FARC Releases Final Political Prisoner
European Parliament Urges EU to Accept Guantanamo Prisoners
FEATURES
Republican lawmakers frustrated over stimulus
The Senate has so far warded off any major changes to the stimulus bill. Republican efforts to gut the spending portions of the bill have failed. Additions have raised the cost of the bill, bringing it to more than $900 billion. FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports that Republican frustration over the stimulus is mounting.
Controversial social security verification program may be added to stimulus
Another provision in the stimulus is attracting controversy: Republicans have attached an amendment that would require recipients of stimulus money to use the E-verify system, a controversial program to verify workers’ social security numbers. Tanya Snyder reports.
Will U.S. send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan?
The Senate Foreign Relations Commission held a roundtable on the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, as the Obama administration weighs its options to send an additional 30,000 troops to what has been called The Forgotten War. Some 32,000 troops are already stationed in Afghanistan, and the President has ordered an evaluation before moving forward. Lawmakers in Congress today considered the role Pakistan might play in the war and current conditions for the Afghan people. Karen Miller reports.
Chris Hedges weighs in on Obama’s first two weeks in office
As Obama pushes through his economic stimulus and considers nearly doubling the troop presence in Afghanistan, some critics question whether his policies will help pull the country out of economic crisis, or propel the downward spiral. Refocusing on Afghanistan will mean spending even more than the $173 billion that has been spent there since 9/11, and it means returning to a place where Soviet soldiers were badly defeated after nine years – this at a time when the country is already in a severe recession which may turn into a full-blown depression. To discuss these issues, Aura Bogado spoke with Chris Hedges, author of American Fascists: the Christian Right and the War on America, and a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist
Reporter’s Notebook: working in the Swat Valley
Pakistan’s Swat Valley was once probably most famous for its natural beauty, when hordes of people descended on the region during the summer holiday. But in the last year, extremists have taken full control of the scenic valley, destroying some 180 schools, banning education for girls, and establishing their own courts. Afridai Afridi is our reporter in the region – he’s covered stories in an area that Western journalists have been banned from even entering. He shares some his experiences on today’s Reporter’s Notebook.
New Yorkers mark police killing of Amadou Diallo
In New York this week, community organizers, mothers who have lost their children at the hands of police, and civil rights activists are marking the anniversary of the police killing of Amadou Diallo. FSRN’s Abdulai Bah reports.
