September 14, 2006
Headlines (6:11)
PYONGTAEK
South Korean protesters were in front of the White House today as President Bush met with the president of South Korea. This week, rice farmers in Pyongtaek, South Korea have been evicted from their homes and land to make way for the expansion of a US military base. The base’s expansion will force about 200 mostly elderly rice farmers to leave their rich agricultural land. Construction plans include military buildings, as well as lodging, golf courses and other recreational facilities in the fields emptied of local residents. Chow-Chun Hoh, representative of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in Seoul spoke with Washington reporter Yanmei Xie today. He says many of the rices farmers have already moved once in their lives to make room for US military base. Thousands of South Korean police began to forcibly remove people from the land and demolish homes two days ago.
POLAND TO SEND MORE TROOPS
The government of Poland has agreed to send 1000 new troops to Afghanistan. The offer follows an appeal to NATO member nations to send re-enforcements. The new contingent should be joining the 100 Polish soldiers already on the ground in Afghanistan by February.
UK MP RESIGNS
In Britain, after the damaging spate of recent resignations by eight government ministers, Tony Blair today faces another former cabinet minister publicly condemning his government and resigning as a Member of Parliament. From London, Naomi Fowler reports:
SHOOTING RAMPAGE IN MONTREAL
A college in downtown Montreal was the scene of a deadly shooting rampage yesterday. Stefan Christoff reports.
DETROIT TEACHERS END STRIKE
Public school teachers in Detroit were back in their classrooms today. Members of the Detroit Federation of teacher voted yesterday to end their two-week strike while the union decides on whether to accept a new contract. The teachers began their strike on August 28th in protest of the school district’s plans to cut their wages by more than 5 percent and increase co-pays on health benefits. The three year contract pending approval by the union membership freezes wages for one year, with very small raises in the 2nd and 3rd years. Teachers hired before 1992 will also have to start paying for part of their health insurance.
DISGRUNTLED INFORMANT
A New York Police Department informant whose testimony helped convict an anti-terror case is complaining of mistreatment to Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton. Rebecca Myles reports from New York.
Features
Bush Pushes Anti-Terror Laws (4:15)
President Bush made a special trip to the House of Representatives today to push Republican lawmakers to support a new package of anti-terror legislation. … Among other things, Bush wants to create secret military tribunals to try inmates currently incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay. He also wants Congress to strip the right of detainees to challenge their detention. Leigh Ann Caldwell reports from Washington.
Native Americans Sue to Stop Ski Resort (3:30)
A legal battle between Native Americans and a ski resort in Arizona culminated at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco today. The Arizona snowbowl ski resort has plans to use reclaimed waste water to make artificial snow outside Flagstaff, an area that’s sacred to Native American tribes. FSRN’s Christina Aanestad was at the court-house this morning and filed this report.
Feds Detain, Deport California Immigrants (4:09)
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a series of pre-dawn raids last week along California’s Central Coast. The government dubbed the raids “Operation Return to Sender.” One-hundred-seven people were rounded up in the sweeps. This week, religious leaders and social justice activists responded, taking aim at the raids and federal immigration policy. From Santa Cruz, Vinny Lombard reports.
Land Mines Block Aid Workers in Senegal (3:00)
Fighting between the Senegalese military and hardliner rebels from the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), have caused thousands of Senegalese living to flee to Gambia over the last month. Ndiaga Seck reports from Senegal, aid agencies are reluctant to help the refugees because the area is full of land mines
Ann Richards Dies at 73 (4:30)
Former Texas Governor Anne Richards died of cancer at her home in Austin yesterday. She was 73. As Governor from 1990 to 1994, she proclaimed a “New Texas” and appointed record numbers of women and minorities. She supported gay rights, instituted ethics reforms and set up new programs for prison inmates addicted to drugs or alcohol. She also vetoed a bill that would have allowed people to carry concealed handguns. Host Aaron Glantz has this obituary.
