Headlines for Monday, April 27, 2009

GM to lay off 21,000 workers
General Motors says it will cut 21,000 more jobs and close 13 more plants in an effort to avoid bankruptcy.  Meanwhile, the auto company is seeking more than 11 billion dollars in government loans to try and stay afloat. Doug Cunningham of Workers Independent News has more.

Same Sex Marriages Begin in Iowa
Same sex marriages began today in Iowa, 3 weeks after the state Supreme Court ruled that a law banning gay marriage violated the states constitution.  Although Iowa has a 3-day waiting period after applying for a marriage license, several couples have had the waiting period waived by a judge and were married today.  Iowa joins Massachusetts and Connecticut as the only US states to permit same sex marriage; Vermont will begin allowing gay marriages in September. Although there were some peaceful protests outside courthouses today, there do not appear to be any legal options for an appeal of the decision.  Iowa voters could ban same sex marriages with a constitutional amendment, but the earliest date it could be on the ballot would be 2012.

Hamid Karzai will run for re-election, and will review Afghanistan’s ‘family law’
After months of speculation, Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he will run for a second term this coming August. Asma Nemati reports from Kabul.

Bolivia and Paraguay sign peace pact ending 74 year old border dispute
The Bolivian and Paraguayan Presidents met in Argentina today to sign a peace pact, ending a border dispute that’s lasted more than 7 decades. FSRN’s Marie Trigona reports from Buenos Aires.

Members of congress arrested at sudan protest
Today in Washington DC, police arrested five members of Congress during a protest in front of the Sudanese embassy. Karen Miller reports.

Iceland elects worlds first openly gay prime minister
Voters in Iceland have put a center-left coalition into power, reaffirming the public's support for the country’s prime minister, who is now the world's first openly gay leader to be elected.  Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, who married her partner in 2002, says one of her first priorities is to have Iceland apply for acceptance into the European Union.  The results are seen as a rejection of the conservative Independent Party, whose financial policies many see as responsible for the nations economic collapse.