Archive - Jul 13, 2009

• Situation now "normal" in Honduras says defacto President Michelleti; Zelaya supporters outraged
• Confirmation hearings begin for Supreme Court Justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor
• Sotomayor hearing draw large crowd in DC
• Details of secret CIA program revealed as Attorney General ponders investigation
• Presidential candidates in Chile debate same sex civil unions

• Internally displaced Pakistanis can begin to return home to Swat Valley – explosion kills up to 11
• Accused Nazi war criminal charged in 27,900 murders at World War II death camp
• Nigerian militants ratchet up strikes – move to Lagos and hit import facility
• Obama opens door to investigation of up to 2000 Taliban prisoner deaths in 2001

Defacto President Roberto Michelleti offered a legal amnesty to the deposed President Manuel Zelaya Monday, saying Zelaya will not be prosecuted if he chooses to return to the Central American country.

Presidential elections in Chile will take place in December and as candidates define their proposals, cultural issues are starting to take the spotlight.

Chileans are taking an interest in the position of their presidential candidates on same sex civil unions and they're forcing the normally conservative political class to take sides on this issue. FSRN´s Jorge Garreton reports from Santiago.

Human rights advocates and some legal experts are demanding more information about a covert Bush administration intelligence program. Over the weekend, several unnamed sources leaked more information about the program and some democratic lawmakers want an investigation.

Meanwhile, some are hoping Attorney General Eric Holder will move forwards on a wider investigation into Bush Era war crimes. To discuss these issues FSRN spoke to Alex Abdo, a legal fellow at the ACLU´s national security project.

As the Senate prepared to grill Sonia Sotomayor, people from all walks of life stood outside the Senate buildings for their turn to spend 20 minutes in the hearing room.  FSRN reporter Tanya Snyder talked to those in the queue about what Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court meant to them.

The confirmation hearings of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be Supreme Court Justice began in the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday. Sotomayor could be the third woman and the first Latina to ever hold the position of Supreme Court Justice.  FSRN brings you the highlights from the hearing, which could last as long as the entire week.

On Monday we heard from Judge Sotomayor herself, for the first time since she was nominated by President Obama. The 19 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee also made their opening statements FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.