Newscast for Wednesday, July 21, 2010

US announces sanctions on North Korea ahead of military exercises in region
Today Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced new sanctions against North Korea. The news came during a visit to the border between South and North Korea.

"Today I'm announcing a series of measures to increase our ability to prevent North Korea's proliferation, to halt their illicit activities that help fund their weapons programs and to discourage further provocative actions."

Clinton made the visit with Defense Secretary Robert Gates. This also comes ahead of an increase in military exercises, set to begin this weekend. Tensions in the region have been high since the torpedo sinking of a South Korean ship called the Cheonan, that killed 46 sailors in March.

For more, we're joined by Christine Ahn. She's a policy analyst with the Los Angeles-based Korea Policy Institute. She's addressed the United Nations, U.S. Congress, and the South Korean National Human Rights Commission on US-Korea relations, trade and militarization. She's part of the National Campaign to End the Korean War.

Firing of black USDA official reassessed after right wing attacks
The conservative news media's sharp criticism of a black agricultural department employee leads to a quick firing. If you feel like you’ve heard a similar story before, you have: it happened to Green Jobs Advisor Van Jones last fall. And this week, it happened to the USDA's Shirley Sherrod. But now more has come out in the case - causing some to question the Administration's rapid action. Tanya Snyder reports.

Disability advocates push for funding ahead of anniversary of key law
Next Monday is the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act – and today activists gathered outside the US Capitol to mark this significant milestone. While they are celebrating achievements, the activists are also urging Congress to pass stalled funding for states.  FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

BP considers new method to repair damaged well in Gulf
The federal government’s oil disaster leader says BP can go ahead with a new method to try to permanently seal the damaged well. Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said the static kill would force mud into the well and push the oil back down into the reservoir. Allen said officials are continuing to monitor pressure within the well - to determine if such a procedure is possible.

Leaks have been discovered - even as far away as nearly two miles at another production site, but Allen said that authorities did not consider them “consequential.” Allen also said a weather system over the Caribbean could threaten work if it worsens in the next few days.

Meanwhile in Washington,  the House passed two bills in response to the BP oil disaster, one that would invest in technologies to ensure gas and oil drilling safety, the other – sponsored by California Representative Lynne Woolsey – would fund research and development to prevent and clean up oil spills.

Woolsey said California’s experiences with an oil spill four decades ago is evidence more money is needed for drilling safety research.

"Madame speaker, if we learned anything from the COSCO Busan spill it’s that we need to strengthen coordination and leadership of oil spill response leadership and development and everything we learned from the BP Gulf of Mexico disaster magnifies my concerns."

Also on Capitol Hill today, Kenneth Feinberg testified for the second time this week about the claims process for those affected by the BP oil disaster. Before the House Judiciary committee, he emphasized the independent nature of his position:

"Under the arrangement entered into between the Administration and BP I am designing and administrating an independent facility, I am beholden to neither the Administration nor BP, I'm really beholden to the people who live in the Gulf and who are in desperate straits and seek financial assistance from this facility."

Feinberg said the transition of claims from BP to this independent facility will go through in August. He credited BP with paying out some $200 million in claims - but said the independent facility will be better, quicker and more efficient.

Black employees of Southern California Edison claim racial discrimination
A group of African American employees of Southern California Edison have filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, claiming racial discrimination in pay, advancement and harassment.

The suit alleges Edison has refused to incorporate previous federal consent decrees in 1974 and 1994 in order to change a racist management culture. FSRN's Dan Fritz has the story.