Headlines Package - Friday, January 9, 2009

• Israel & Hamas Reject Ceasefire Resolution
• Oil Worker Strike Causes Fuel Shortages in India
• IL House Votes to Impeach Blagojevich
• Prop 8 Proponents Want Campaign Doner Information Removed from State Website
• Deposit Due on Oil Leases Purchased by Utah Activist

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Israel & Hamas Reject Ceasefire Resolution
Israel rejected a ceasefire resolution by the United Nations Security Council today. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said they must continue to protect the country from Hamas rocketfire.  Hamas also rejected the ceasefire bid saying the plan was not in the best interest of the Palestinian people.  Meanwhile, Gaza's death toll mounted to 790 as Israeli attacks continued. FSRN's Rami Almeghari has more.
Today, Israeli warplanes hit dozens of targets in Gaza, killing more than 20 and wounding many others, including civilians.  The number of Israeli deaths from homemade rocket fire from Gaza currently stands at 6.  Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today called for an independent investigation into a particularly bloody incident.  Earlier this week, 100 Gaza civilians were ordered to move to a single residence.  A day later, the Israeli military shelled the building, leaving 30 dead.  The Commissioner says the incident appears to have all the elements of a war crime.  For Free Speech Radio News, I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza.

Oil Worker Strike Causes Fuel Shortages in India
Thousands of India's Oil Sector employees ended a three-day strike today, but the resulting lag in fuel supplies sparked panic across the country.  And several groups continue to strike, demanding higher wages.   Bismillah Geelani reports
Long queues of vehicles, waiting outside petrol pumps to get a few liters of fuel - this was a common sight in all the major Indian cities today. The strike called by the Oil Sector Officers Association has crippled oil supplies across the country.  The strike has also affected refueling services at several airports, causing flight delays.  Following threats of arrests, the government says 50-thousand workers from several major employee groups have call off their strike, and are now back at work without achieving any wage concessions.  But a few thousand workers in key positions are still on strike.  For FSRN, this is Bismillah Geelani from New Delhi.

IL House Votes to Impeach Blagojevich
The Illinois House of Representatives voted 114 to 1 today to impeach Governor Rod Blagojevich.  They charge him with abuse of power – for allegedly trying to sell President Elect Barack Obama's senate seat.  The State Senate is now left to take the reigns – that body would ultimately vote whether or not to remove the governor from office.

Prop 8 Proponents Want Campaign Doner Information Removed from State Website
Two groups that backed California's Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to ban gay marriage, are suing to block public disclosure of their campaign finance records. They allege that their donors are being harassed. Kellia Ramares has more.
Protect Marriage.com AND the National Organization of Marriage California want California's Secretary of State to remove donation information for Proposition 8 from its website.  The federal suit also asks that the plaintiffs and all other similarly situation persons be relieved from state financial reporting requirements.  The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiffs' donors have received mail threatening violence and that businesses have been threatened with boycotts. Gay rights advocates say Prop 8 supporters used campaign finance records themselves to threaten boycotts of businesses that support same-sex marriage.  But Peter Scheer, Executive Director of the First Amendment Coalition, says the lawsuit's arguments are not trivial:
"There is in fact, a first amendment right to anonymous speech, recognized by the Supreme Court. And there is also a first amendment right that allows people to organize together without having to reveal their identities to government."
But Scheer also said that for these arguments to prevail, decades of US supreme Court precedents regarding the government's right to regulate political campaigns would have to be overturned.  For FSRN I'm Kellia Ramares.

Deposit Due on Oil Leases Purchased by Utah Activist
In December, Tim DeChristopher committed an act of civil disobedience by disrupting an auction for oil and gas leases in Utah.  He bid on and won over 1.5 million dollars in leases.  And now facing possible jail time, he's struggling to raise enough money to cover the deposit that would allow him to protect the land a bit longer.  Africa Jones reports.
DeChristopher WON oil and gas leases for over 20,000 acres of BLM land in Utah - some of it in or near national parks. The university of Utah student says today is the deadline for him to raise $45,000 to secure the 1.7 million dollars worth of leases. So far he's raised over $41,000.
"The BLM was trying to push through an auction of some of the most beautiful lands in southern Utah. Once I saw the opportunity, I just kind of faced an ethical choice of whether I was going to take that opportunity knowing it would have very serious consequences most likely including prison time."
DeChristopher says, even if he raises the money to keep the leases, he could still face federal criminal charges for disrupting the auction.  For FSRN, I'm Africa Jones.