July 16, 2002
Bush Plan for Homeland Security Targets Immigrants (3:05)
President George Bush laid out his plan to beef up homeland security today. The objectives of the new plan include preventing domestic terrorist attacks, reducing the country’s vulnerability to attack, and minimizing the damage that an attack may incur. One proposal encourages states to set up minimum standards for immigrants to receive driver’s licenses. The largest immigrant population exists in California, where legislation allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license has stalled in a post September 11th environment. But immigrant rights activists say that restricting immigrants rights to a driver’s license is targeting the wrong people. Pointing out Timothy Mcveigh and Ted Kazcensky, they say terrorists are as likely to be US citizens as are immigrants. From Sacramento, Mitch Jeserich reports.
Corporate Criminal to Lead Bush’s New Fraud Taskforce (3:49)
As President Bush attempts to reassure the American public that he will come down hard on corporate fraud and abuse, one of his proposals is a corporate crime watchdog team. The man named to lead the President’s new corporate fraud task force, Larry Thompson, is the former head of a San Francisco credit card company, which just two years ago paid a $400 million settlement on charges it cheated consumers. From San Francisco, Max Pringle reports.
White House Decides on Funding for International Family Planning (3:17)
The White House is expected to decide this week whether to provide funds for life-saving international family planning efforts. The US contribution to the UN population fund is now seven months overdue. Some in congress say the White House is bowing to pressure from anti-abortion groups by withholding evidence that UN family planning programs are working. Joshua Chaffin reports from Capitol Hill.
Protests Against US Oil Companies in Nigeria (5:34)
Chevron-Texaco yesterday agreed to build schools and electrical and water systems to satisfy a week-long peaceful, all-women protest that had taken 700 workers hostage in a southeast Nigeria oil terminal. The unarmed women, some with babies bound to their backs, sang and danced on the docks at the Chevron-Texaco facility when they learned the company had offered to hire at least 25 villagers and to build schools and other amenities. The people in the Niger Delta are among the poorest in Nigeria, despite living on the oil-rich land. The protest comes as Nigeria is increasing oil exports to the United States under an American plan to reduce dependence on Middle East oil. New offshore oil fields are being given out for exploitation to meet the US demands and most of the oil concessions have gone to American companies. The Nigerian government and the American companies will share the oil proceeds. Local communities bearing the ecological impacts of the oil exploitation are angry that they are denied a share of the oil proceeds. Sam Olukoya reports from Akwa Ibom State where there is growing anger against Exxon-Mobil.
Mexican Farmers Defend Their Land Against Development of Airport (3:40)
As we continue our July summer special looking at issues of global capitalism in Mexico, today we go to the streets of Mexico city where farmers and the police clashed last Thursday and Friday over the construction of a new airport on communal farmland in the village of San Salvador Atenco. The farmers, fighting to block a $2.3 billion airport project outside Mexico City, released all their hostages after officials freed 10 of their imprisoned comrades. There were more than 30 farmers who were seriously injured. The situation however remains far from being resolved despite President Fox’s pledge yesterday that the government would look at other options and put the residents first. Yet as Sara Harris reports from Mexico City, the farmers fight is one that harks back to the days of the Mexican Revolution.
