Archive - Apr 8, 2010

• Concern over safety violations at West Virginia mine as rescue continues
• Florida measure to tie teacher pay to student test scores draws opposition
• President of Kyrgyzstan refuses to step down as political upheaval continues
• In India, decision to register marriages draws attention to child unions
• Community groups call for an end to local police role in immigration enforcement

• US and Russia renew START nuclear treaty
• 200 more dead in Brazil landslides
• Israel lifts gag order on West Bank assassinations whistleblower
• Indian protesters flood streets over rising commodity prices
• Chinese human rights lawyer says he will give up fight in order to rejoin his family

Rescuers trying to reach four missing miners after an explosion at a West Virginia coal mine are retreating today. The state's governor, Joe Manchin,  said noxious gas levels were still too high and the rescuers had to turn back. It has been four days since Monday’s violent explosion killed 25 people at the Big Branch Mine. The coal mine, owned by Massey Energy, has multiple federal violations. In fact, two safety violations were made against the mine on the very day of the deadly explosion. Workers at Big Branch Mine were not unionized and, as Karen Miller reports, critics say miners without union representation could be at more of a risk.

States around the nation are positioning themselves to compete for millions of dollars in Race to the Top education grants from the federal government, and some are considering reforms that have long been on conservative wish lists, such as private school vouchers and an emphasis on standardized testing. In Florida, a measure that would tie teacher pay to student test scores is expected to pass the House today. It’s opposed by many educators and students and the real question now is if Florida’s governor will veto the bill. From WMNF Community Radio in Tampa, Sean Kinane reports.

In the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan, opposition forces have taken over government buildings, dissolved the parliament and declared an interim government. But President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced today that he will not relinquish power. According to the AP, renewed clashes and gunshots rang out as darkness set on the capital Bishkek.

Violent protests began Tuesday over soaring utility rates and government corruption. So far at least 70 people are dead, another 400 injured, according to the government’s health ministry. President Bakiyev fled the capital as protesters stormed his residence and government buildings.

Kyrgyzstan is the site of a key military base, central to the US transport of both personnel and supplies headed for Afghanistan. It's also one of poorest countries in the region.

To discuss the latest developments, we're joined by Rafis Abazov. He's the author of an "Historical Dictionary of Kyrgyzstan" and he's worked for the UN in Central Asia on development and migration programs. He's currently an Assistant Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York.

The centuries-old tradition of under-aged marriage continues today across India - including in the western state of Rajasthan. Although child marriage was banned across the country in 1923, the state government of Rajasthan has now decided to register all marriages, including weddings of children. Opponents say the registration of these officially illegal unions will only serve to implicitly encourage them. Jasvinder Sehgal reports from Jaipur, India.

A coalition of immigrant rights groups is calling for an end to a federal program that allows state and local police to enforce immigration law.  The advocacy campaign Reform Immigration for America says that the program known as 287g is counterproductive and dangerous for local communities. The campaign is made up of 800 groups from across the country.