Newscast for Monday, October 10, 2011

As Occupy movement gains steam, some in DC join Columbus Day protest

The Occupy movement spread over the weekend across the US. In Minneapolis, protesters occupied Government Plaza and were joined on Friday by the mayor and a city council member. In DeS Moines, Iowa police arrested 32 at the State Capitol late on Sunday. Participants intended to camp out, and vow they’ll be back. In Cincinnatti, local media says that about 60 people have camped out in Piatt Park for a third day, despite some receiving citations for sleeping overnight and threats of removal by local police. And In New York, thousands marched on Saturday from Zucotti Park up to Washington Square Park, for what protesters called a Second General Assembly. Washington D.C. has two occupations, and both are growing. This morning, some of them joined protesters who marked Columbus Day by sharing an anti-colonialist message. Alice Ollstein has the story.

Company with ties to TransCanada conducted environmental study for Keystone XL Pipeline

Critics of TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline have pointed to the possibility of massive environmental damage  - whether in the form of oil spills, damage to the Great Plains Ogallala aquifer, or the release of tons of carbon from the Albert tar sands. Supporters of the project have long countered these arguments by pointing to a State Department study that concluded earlier this year that the project would have “minimal environmental impact.” Now it’s come out that the Environmental Impact Statement was conducted by a Houston-based contractor, with ties to TransCanada, raising serious questions of possible conflicts of interest. For more details, we go to John Echeverria, an expert in Environmental Law and professor of law at Vermont Law School.

New voting laws could restrict access to polls in upcoming elections

In a move that could have lasting effects for voters in the upcoming election season, lawmakers have passed changes in requirements for voting or voter registration in 13 states and are proposing changes in 21 more. In response, campaigns to push back against Voter ID laws are active both on the local level and in Washington. A new report by the Brennan Center is the first to quantify the potential impact of these laws, which it says disproportionately affects Democratic voters.  Michael Lawson reports.

Cairo clashes pit security forces against Coptic Christians, with deadly outcome

Today, Egypt's government held an emergency meeting following a series of bloody clashes in Cairo on Sunday night, which pitted Coptic Christian protestors against Egyptian security forces. During the clashes, some Egyptian Muslims turned out in support of the Copts while others took the side of the army. The death toll is still unclear but at least 25 people have been reported killed. Hundreds were injured. Noel King reports from Cairo.

Iranian Kurdish rebels agree to cease-fire, refugees remain wary

For the first time since they took up arms, guerrillas from the Party for Free Life in Kurdistan, also known as PJAK, have reached a mutual cease-fire with the Iranian government. But after years of conflict, civilians are still living in refugee camps and skeptical the peace will last. David Enders reports from the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq.