Newscast for Monday, March 2, 2009

• International community pledges $3-billion for Gaza rebuilding
• Gaza residents anxiously await reconstruction to start
• Environmentalist youth take to Capital Hill
• Activists urge end to U.S. foreign military bases
• Obama picks Sebelius to head Department of Health and Human Services
• Arpaio Demonstration

International community pledges $3-billion for Gaza rebuilding
International leaders gathered IN Egypt’s resort town of Sharm El Sheikh, in a conference aimed at raising money to rebuild the Gaza Strip after it was devastated as a result of Israel’s recent 23-day long attack. Nearly three billion dollars were pledged in the day-long conference – almost one-third of that money from the United States. But not all the money pledged today will be going to rebuild Gaza: as FSRN’s Aya Batrawy reports, there are strict political conditions on how the money will be spent.

Gaza residents anxiously await reconstruction to start
Meanwhile, thousands of Gazans are waiting for the reconstruction process to begin. More than 30,000 Palestinian homes were devastated during Israel’s attack and people in Gaza are eager to have their homes rebuilt. FSRN’s Rami Almeghari has more.

Environmentalist youth take to Capital Hill
Some 12,000 mostly college student activists arrived in Washington last week to take part in the PowerShift conference, which seeks to unify various efforts pushing for an energy policy that more directly addresses the issues of global warming. The conference culminated today in a historic number of lobby visits, yet many felt that diplomatic action alone will not lead to substantial change. As FSRN’s Sam Greenspan reports, many activists have taken to measures of civil disobedience at the Capital.

Activists urge end to U.S. foreign military bases
Though not as high-profile as the environmentalists that took over Washington today, activists from around the world also came together to protest military bases in foreign countries. They held a conference over the weekend and Monday, they took their message to Capitol Hill. Tanya Snyder reports.

Obama picks Sebelius to head Department of Health and Human Services
President Obama nominated Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to head the Department of Health and Human Services. The nomination comes just in time for a White House convened conference on health care reform. FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

Arpaio Demonstration
Activists from around the country descended on Phoenix Arizona Saturday to demonstrate against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. They say his deputies are responsible for creating a human rights crisis in Arizona by dehumanizing immigrants and racially profiling Maricopa county residents. Evan Wyloge reports from Phoenix.