Archive - Dec 29, 2009

• Republican senator blocks TSA nominee over unionization
• Nominee for critical Department of Justice office delayed
• One year later, Palestinians struggle to recover from devastation of Israeli attacks
• Activists push for access to Gaza border ahead of international march
• Human Trafficking in Houston, Texas: Part Two

• Iran continues crackdown on opposition
• Pakistan mourns victims of Ashura attack
• Children among dead in Nigeria clashes
• Afghanistan investigates civilian casualties in Kunar province
• Israeli police arrest Vanunu for violating conditions of his release from prison
• Israeli High Court orders military to open West Bank highway to Palestinians

In the wake of a failed terrorist bombing in Detroit on Christmas Day, union leaders, industry groups, and security experts are calling for Congress to confirm President Obama’s nominee to the Transportation Security Administration, Erroll Southers. The confirmation of Southers as chief of the TSA has been blocked by Republican Senator Jim DeMint, who opposes allowing TSA workers to unionize. FSRN’s Matt Pearson reports.

Southers confirmation to head the TSA may be held up in the Senate, but other nominees have been given even less of a chance of passing. Seven nominees have been dropped from the Senate’s list of people to confirm. One is Dawn Johnsen. The constitutional law professor was tapped to head a crucial office at the Department of Justice responsible for interpreting the law and the extent of executive power. FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell has more.

On December 27, 2008 the Israeli army began a three-week long attack on the Gaza Strip. After 22 days, some 1,400 Palestinians, half of them women and children, were dead. Thousands were injured and an estimated 6,000 buildings, including more than 4,000 homes, were partially or completely devastated. FSRN'S Rami Almeghari reports on the state of Gaza one year after the attacks.

From Gaza, we’re now going across the border to Egypt. Some 1,300 activists from 43 different countries are now in Cairo preparing for a march to Gaza. The march is aimed to bring attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. So far, Egyptian authorities have refused to grant access to the Gaza border, but a breakthrough came today when officials agreed to allow a small group of 100 activists from the peace group, Code Pink, to go to the border.

In yesterday's newscast, we looked at the issue of transnational human trafficking in Houston, Texas. Human trafficking is a term that encompasses both modern-day slavery and sexual exploitation by force, fraud or coercion. Media coverage often focuses on the effects of human trafficking on immigrants, while the issue of domestic trafficking remains largely ignored or misunderstood. Shannon Young brings us the second part of a special FSRN series on human trafficking by focusing on the domestic side of the world's second most profitable illicit business.

(TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE)