Archive - Jan 19, 2009

• MLK Day means Service Day for many volunteers
• Israeli troops move out of devastated Gaza
• The politics of the controlling the Egypt-Gaza border
• DC's homeless scramble to make it through the next few days
• Grassroots activists aim for green inauguration
• Postering for DC voting rights
• Street Beat: Bush's legacy

• More Swat Valley Schools Destroyed
• ICC Says US Defied Order
• El Salvador Election Results
• Utah Land Sales for Oil and Gas Development Halted
• Guantanamo Bay Military Commission Trial

FSRN is broadcasting from Washington D.C. today, where President-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in as the first African-American president in the nation's history. Congress enacted the MLK Jr. Holiday, coupled with Service Day in 1994 – but this time around, Obama has been encouraging people around the nation to head out to their communities and volunteer in a service project. Aura Bogado headed down to Simon Elementary School today, where Greater DC Cares organized more than 400 volunteers to beautify the school: painting hallways, murals, even doing an extreme library makeover, and spoke with Dr. Madye Henson is the President and CEO of Greater DC Cares.

The Israeli military is moving troops out of the Gaza Strip today, after a tentative ceasefire was reached when Hamas agreed to stop launching rockets into Israel. But after three weeks of bombings and ground attacks, much of the strip is devastated. FSRN's Rami Almeghari reports from Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced a unilateral ceasefire after 22 days of attacks, saying that Israel attainted its goals. One of its stated primary objectives was to end the delivery of weapons into Gaza through Egypt's border with the Palestinian territory. During the three weeks of bombardment on Gaza, Israel attacked the seven and a half mile long border on Gaza's side in an effort to destroy suspected tunnels that have been used to smuggle food, medicine and weapons into Gaza. Aya Batrawy reports from the Egyptian-Gaza border.

The most expensive inauguration in history is underway in Washington, DC, and some of the city's most vulnerable residents are finding themselves displaced and scrambling just to get through the next few days. Tanya Snyder reports on how the massive event is taking its toll on DC's homeless population.

First as a Presidential candidate and now as the President-elect, Barack Obama has pledged an environmentally friendly agenda which includes the creation of an alternative energy economy. With the environment as one of his top priorities, FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell takes a look at the greening of the inauguration.