June 04, 2003
Bush Brokering Peace in Mid East?
In the first time since he became President of the US, George W. Bush held a joint meeting between Palestinian and Israeli leaders. Thousands of Israeli border guards and military personnel were deployed along the West Bank today while in the Balata refugee camp near Nablus and in Jenin curfews were imposed. This as talks took place at the three-way summit in the Jordanian Red Sea port city. Oula Farawati Reports.
Senate Looks at FCC Ruling
The Senate Commerce Committee conducted an over-site hearing of Monday’s FCC decision to greatly reduce restrictions on media consolidation. Congress has the power to overturn these rule changes with more than 100 members of the House and roughly 20 members of the Senate asking the FCC not to approve these rule changes just prior to the vote. For more with the story is Miranda Dunn in Capitol Hill.
Birth Defects for Gulf War Vets’ Kids
A government study has found children of veterans of the first Persian Gulf War were born with higher rates of specific birth defects than the children of soldiers who never served. Laura Doggett reports from DC.
Massive French Strikes Continue
The French government is coming under growing pressure to withdraw its controversial pension reform plan which would require French public employees to work more years before they qualify for retirement. More than a million public sector workers took part in demonstrations nationwide as the strikes affected air and rail traffic, hospitals, post offices, newspapers and schools. But prime minister Jean Pierre Raffarin says he’s prepared to push the reform through regardless. Nick Champeaux reports from Paris:
DOJ: 9-11 Detentions Violate Civil Rights
The Department of Justice released a report this week accusing the Attorney Generals Office and the FBI of violating the civil rights of hundreds of immigrants detained after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Among the violations documented in the 198 page report was the “pattern of physical and verbal abuse at a federal prison where 84 prisoners mostly of Arab and South Asian descent” were held. The report is the most thorough accounting of the governments handling of more than 760 immigrant detainees taken into custody after 9/11. But human and immigrant rights groups say more needs to be done to address the concerns not contained in the report, in particular, the level of secrecy surrounding the identities of those detained. Jackson Allers reports from Pacifica station WBAI in New York.
Hip Hop Theater Festival
Last night a national festival kicked off in NY, called the Hip Hop Theater Festival. In its fourth year, the festival features work from accomplished artists such as Danny Hoch, whose last work, Jails, Hospitals and Hip Hop won worldwide acclaim, to new and emerging artists blending Hip Hop with stage theater. Here are some sounds from last night’s opening in NYC featuring Danny Hoch’s latest work: Till the Break of Dawn.
