Newscast for Friday, August 27, 2010

New shift in US immigration policy could halt deportation of thousands
In a shift in immigration policy, federal authorities say they won’t deport some immigrants who are eligible to be granted legal status. The new rule by the Department of Homeland Security could affect an estimated 17,000 people who are married or related to a legal resident or US citizen – but who are also facing deportation. Tanya Snyder has the details.

Kenya’s new constitution limits presidential powers, expands civil and land rights
Today Kenya's new constitution goes into effect. Earlier this month voters approved it by a wide margin. It's the culmination of a process put in place after clashes in 2007-2008 killed more than 1,000 people. The new constitution reigns in the powers of the president, creates a bill of rights and addresses the long-simmering issue of land reform.

To discuss how it could change the country we're joined by Njonjo Mue, head of the Kenya chapter of the International Centre for Transitional Justice. That's an international human rights organization. He joins us from Nairobi.

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Leaders meet over Collective Security Treaty Organization in Armenia
We go now to Central Asia, where leaders recently met to refine an agreement described by some as a counter to NATO.

The presidents of six Eastern European, Caucasian and Central Asian countries met last weekend in the Armenian city of Yerevan to discuss what's next for The Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO. Officials discussed the possibility of increasing the organization’s jurisdiction and developing joint military response plans. Garegin Khumaryan reports.

Protest over homeless rights brings issue to Santa Cruz’s City Hall
In Santa Cruz, California a two-month long protest continues in front of City Hall.

Since July 4, a group of homeless people and their advocates have been holding “peace camp 2010” to protest a four-decades-old law prohibiting people from sleeping in public places and vehicles overnight. Groups say law enforcement is targeting the homeless and ticketing them for sleeping outside, even though they have no place else to go. FSRN's Judith Scherr has the story.

Photo exhibit marks five-year-anniversary of Katrina
It was Five years ago this week, that Hurricane Katrina approached the Gulf Coast. As news of the devastation emerged - it was often the images from the region that shocked the world and ultimately prompted action. Portraits of residents stranded on roof tops and corpses in the streets spurred condemnation of the Bush administration's handling of the disaster from inside the US and abroad. Now, many of those photographs are part of an exhibit in New Orleans and five years after the disaster the images are still prompting strong emotions. FSRN's Zoe Sullivan has more.

To view photos from the exhibit: http://photos.nola.com/tpphotos/2010/08/chapter_ixchapter_xxvkatrina_b.h...