March 05, 2002
More Carnage in Israel and the Occupied Territories (1:38)
The Bush administration is considering returning special envoy Anthony Zinni to the to the Middle East. Secretary of State Colin Powell will discuss Zinni’s return with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon later today. President Bush previously refused to return the special envoy to the region. Inigo Gilmore reports from Jerusalem that the carnage continues.
Mubarak Says — Bush: Please Don’t Bomb Iraq (2:00)
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak brings a mixed message to the White House today. With one hand he supports the US war on terrorism — with the other he encourages restraint regarding Iraq. Rafael Kraft reports from Cairo on Mubarak’s annual meeting with the President of the United States.
Another Iran Contra Figure Back in Government (4:07)
The Bush administration named retired admiral John Poindexter to head the Information Awareness Office — a Pentagon department created to combat terrorism. In the Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980s, Poindexter was convicted of felony conspiracy charges, lying to congress and obstructing justice. Those convictions were later overturned. In his new post, Poindexter becomes one of the most powerful public officials in the Unites States. Joshua Chaffin reports from Washington.
Los Alamos Weapons Lab to Develop Anthrax (2:40)
The department of Energy announced this week that an environmental assessment found there would be no significant impact from a new bio-safety designation at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The new Bio-safety Level 3 designation allows the New Mexico lab to work with live anthrax and other deadly organisms. As Leslie Clark reports from Albuquerque, Los Alamos is already initiating design of the facility while activists continue to rally asking for a more stringent environmental impact statement before the BSL3 lab is approved.
Thousands Protest Bush Welfare Plan (4:23)
Thousands of advocates from around the country met on Capitol Hill today for a National Day of Action. They called for the reduction of poverty as the main focus for continuing welfare reform. Last week, President Bush proposed his plan for re-authorization of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act that forces states to purge their welfare rolls and establish stricter work requirements. Critics say Bush’s proposal is out of touch and locks people in poverty. Demonstrators marched in Washington and took a list of what they call real reform measures to lawmakers. Free Speech Radio News correspondent Kata Mester was there.
Labor Strategy and Taco Bell Truth Tour (3:43)
Farm workers with the Taco Bell Truth Tour continued their cross-country journey with stops in the Midwest over the weekend, drawing attention to the working conditions tomato pickers face in the fields of South Florida. Their efforts hightlight a new organizing strategy for farm workers who are increasingly targeting the major buyers of produce rather than growers. John Hamilton reports from Chicago.
