Headlines for Monday, June 1, 2009

Air France plane missing over Atlantic – 228 presumed dead
228 people are presumed to be dead after an airplane en route from Rio de Janiero to Paris drops off the radar – Zoe Sullivan reports.

Air France flight 447 from Rio to Paris disappeared late Sunday evening after a short circuit in its electrical system. The plane had passed through an area of heavy turbulence, and Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon said that Flight 447 had reported "the failure of several onboard computer systems." Of the 228 people on board, 216 were passengers including eight children — 12 were crew. The Brazilian Air Force is searching for the lost jet over the Atlantic Ocean, and the French Air Force has been deployed from Senegal. According to Reuters, the French Minister of the Environment, Energy and Development said that it was necessary to imagine the worst, since the plane would have run out of fuel. Zoe Sullivan, FSRN, Salvador.

Taliban abducts hundreds of students, teachers and family members returning from college
Militants in Pakistan kidnapped what may be as many as 400 college students and their escorts today – Sean Kinane reads for our correspondent in Peshawar – Gabe Mathews.

The students are from Razmak Cadet College in North Waziristan. Along with teachers and family members, they were travelling in a caravan of mini-buses as they made their way home for summer holiday. They were abducted by Taliban fighters wielding hand grenades. Nearly seventy escaped. In Peshawar, Ikram Shah waited the whole day to pick up his cousin.

The government ordered most schools in the region to close two weeks early. Last week, Pakistan's military started operations in South Waziristan -- the strong hold of Taliban. The Swat Valley operation is still going on and analysts believe Taliban getting weak. But so are civilians – the International Red Cross gained access to the area over the weekend. Red Cross team leader Daniel O'Malley said people trapped in the battleground have little food and that there is no running water, electricity or fuel for generators. Reading for Gabe Matthews in Peshawar, I'm Sean Kinane, FSRN.

GM files bankruptcy: another nine plants to close
General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New York today. The move comes as part of an Obama plan to downsize the automaker to a manageable size. It also grants a majority ownership stake to the federal government. The company’s reorganization will be based on up to $30 billion of additional money from the Treasury Department. That's on top of the $19.4 billion in taxpayer money GM already has received in low-interest loans. Nine more US plants will be shuttered and three others idled – affecting up to 20,000 employees. And Canadian taxpayers are ponying up another 9.5 billion to keep GM in Canada and in return GM will not file for Canadian bankruptcy protection.

Reporter given probation for ostensibly interfering with investigation
A Michigan reporter who has regularly covered stories involving police brutality and abuse of power was sentenced today to one year of probation, 200 hours of community service, and a $4,000 fine. Diane Bukowski, a reporter for the African-American owned Michigan Citizen newspaper, was found guilty of two felony counts of police obstruction last month after police claim she interfered with the investigation of a high-speed police crash. 

US Supreme Court reopens possibility of death sentence for mentally challenged man
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling today that may pave the way for the re-instatement of a death penalty sentence against mentally challenged inmate in Ohio. Evan Davis has more.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled today that a kentucky man convicted in 1992 of raping and murdering a Cincinnati grade school student may once again face the death penalty despite a  lower court ruling that the killer, Michael Bies is mentally retarded. Bies and an accomplice, Daryl Gumm, abducted, attempted to rape and then murdered 10 year old Aaron Raines. Gumm received a death sentence, but it was overturned on the basis of Gumm's diminished mental capacity. Bies, whose IQ is estimated to be 69, just one point short of the legal definition for mental retardation, may see his death sentence re-instated after today’s unanimous Supreme Court decision. The High Court found that a lower court may have incorrectly interpreted a 2002 Supreme Court ruling that held that to execute mentally retarded convicts violates the U.S. constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.  Evan Davis, FSRN, Columbus.

Nevada Assembly overrides Governor, making domestic partnerships legal
The Nevada assembly has voted to override a gubernatorial veto of a domestic partnership bill -- as of October 1st domestic partners – be they same sex or not – will be able to sign a registry, pay a fee and essentially receive the same legal rights and responsibilities as married couples. Bob Fulkerson is the Director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, or PLAN, calls the move the most significant vote for equality since the legislature ratified suffrage in 1920.

Fulkerson adds that the group will begin work on overturning Nevada’s constitutional amendment banning gay marriage right away.