Archive - Feb 2013

• Bradley Manning testifies in military court, pleads guilty to some charges
• House reauthorizes Violence Against Women Act with protections for LGBT, undocumented and Native women
• Wisconsin tribal communities vow to stop iron ore mine after Senate passes bill
• Activists in Yemen cite role of women in shaping of new constitution

• Grand jury resisters freed from Washington detention center
• NYC jury finds Occupy activist not guilty of police assault
• Shell decides to “pause” Arctic drilling in 2013
• Jacob Lew sworn in as new Treasury Secretary
• Wall Street watchdog group sues Feds to implement Volcker Rule
• Mexican newspaper attacked by gunmen three days running
• Guinea opposition fights with police in capital

Today for the first time in his court martial proceedings, Army Private Bradley Manning explained his reasons for passing military and diplomatic documents to Wikileaks. Manning spoke at a military court in Maryland where he pleaded guilty to some offenses, including charges of unauthorized disclosure of specific records. The material he admits to leaking includes the video known as “Collateral Murder,” that shows US military helicopters shooting unarmed civilians in Iraq in 2007, killing a dozen people, including two Reuters staff and wounding two children.

The House of Representatives reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act today, and rejected a Republican amendment that would have stripped out protections for LGBT people, undocumented women, and Native American  tribal members. President Obama has promised to sign it as soon as it reaches his desk. But some lawmakers and women’s rights advocates say the upcoming budget sequester could cut back on many of the same services for abused women that the bill renews.  On Capitol Hill, FSRN’s Alice Ollstein has more.

Wisconsin is one step closer to developing one of the world’s largest iron ore mines. The State Senate passed a bill last night which weakens key environmental protections and clears the way for an open pit mine near the shores of Lake Superior. As Molly Stentz from WORT FM in Madison reports, Native American tribes that live near the proposed mine are vowing to stop it.

In Yemen, This week marks the one year anniversary of the transition of power from long-time leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh to current President Mansour Hadi and large crowds gathered in Sanaa Wednesday to mark the occasion. Political groups are scheduled to convene in just over two weeks to work on a new constitution, but some of those who went to the streets in protests that led to Saleh’s removal say the government has failed to ensure security and to prevent destabilizing outside intervention, such as US air strikes and drone attacks.

• Supreme Court weighs Voting Rights Act case that could weaken protections for voters of color
• Mexico's Interior Ministry says 26,000 disappeared during drug war in Calderon’s term
• As Mali war continues, critics say land grabbing behind intervention
• In India, poaching threatens rhino as officials struggle to stem killing