Archive - Mar 13, 2009

• Voters prepare for presidential elections in El Salvador
• U.S. lawmakers weigh in on El Salvador’s elections
• U.S. easing restrictions on Cuba
• Thailand targets “cyber crime”
• California school teachers protest Pink Friday
• Re-thinking the cost of juvenile incarceration

• Hilda Solis Takes Reigns as Secretary of Labor
• SC Governor Threatens to Not Take Stimulus Money
• MN Senate Vote Count Case Wraps Up
• Pakistan’s President Agrees to Deal with Opposition
• Activists Lose Airport Expansion Battle in UK
• Australia Fights Oil Spill
• 960 Civilians Killed in Gaza Says Human Rights Group
• Justice Department Dispenses with “Enemy Combatant” Title

Voters in El Salvador head to the polls this Sunday to cast their ballots in what may prove to be an historic election. After ruling the tiny country for 20 years, the right-wing ARENA party faces a serious challenge from the left-wing guerilla movement turned political party the FMLN. Ruling party candidate Rodrigo Ávila appears to be running behind the FMLN’s Mauricio Funes. But as FSRN’s Ricardo Martinez reports from San Salvador, election irregularities raise somber questions about freedom and fairness at the polls.

Click here to read Roberto Lovato’s blog about EL Salvador.

Dozens of lawmakers are weighing in on El Salvador’s elections. 36 Democratic Congress members and one Senator called for the US State Department to remain neutral. Meanwhile, 46 Republican Congress members oppose the FMLN and threaten to cut remittances if the party wins. Meredith DeFrancesco reports.

US policy towards Cuba is showing signs of change. Congress and the Administration are signaling to each other their willingness to ease restrictions. As Tanya Snyder reports, that’s making some Cuban-Americans very happy.

Not standing up before a movie. Writing about a fictional king of dubious character. Running a web forum. These are some of the numerous acts that can result in criminal charges in Thailand, which is still shaking from a 2006 military coup.  Today, we’ll take a look at how Thailand’s government defines the fine line between opinion and heresy. FSRN's Danielle Chynoweth files this report from Bangkok, where she witnessed the arrest of an independent news outlet’s director.

Thousands of California school teachers are rallying today in what organizers are calling Pink Friday. Teachers around the state face massive layoff notices, and their situation mimics similar cuts to education funding around the country. Africa Jones reports.