FSRN Weekly Edition – October 14, 2016
- Boko Haram releases 21 kidnapped Chibok girls held more than two years
- UN extends Haiti mandate; death toll exceeds 1000 and full scope of destruction still unclear
- Chicago Public Schools narrowly avoid teachers strike with eleventh hour deal
- Former ITT Tech students still reeling; declare a debt-strike
- Senators ask Obama to suspend all Dakota Access Pipeline permits
- Oil industry has more than 30 accidents a week in and off the coast of Louisiana; data analysis
- Denver joins cities celebrating Indigenous People’s Day instead of Columbus Day
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Boko Haram releases 21 kidnapped Chibok girls held more than two years
The Nigerian extremist group Boko Haram has released 21 of the school girls it abducted two-and-a-half years ago in Chibok, but the group is believed to still hold about 200 others. Sam Olukoya reports from Lagos.
UN extends Haiti mandate; death toll exceeds 1000 and full scope of destruction still unclear
The United Nations extended its mandate in Haiti this week for an additional six months – a move that many Haitians may not welcome. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is set to arrive in the devastated island nation Saturday following the largest hurricane to make landfall there in more than 50 years. FSRN’s Nell Abram has more.
Chicago Public Schools narrowly avoid teachers strike with eleventh hour deal
Chicago public school narrowly avoided a system-wide teachers strike this week thanks to a last minute deal ahead of the union-set deadline. But now charter schools in the nation’s third largest city face a similar walkout threat. Arielle Zionts has more from Chicago.
Former ITT Tech students still reeling; declare a debt-strike
Many of the 35,000 former students at the now shuttered ITT Technical Institute are still scrambling to figure out what to do after the for-profit school collapsed. The mass closure of ITT campuses came shortly after the Department of Education blacklisted the school from receiving federal aid, a measure the agency said was designed to protect students. ITT’s failure follows similar closures as the Department of Education works towards reforming for-profit schools. FSRN’s Lena Nozizwe reports more changes are ahead in for-profit colleges and universities and students are caught in the middle.
Senators ask Obama to suspend all Dakota Access Pipeline permits
Five U.S. Senators, led by former presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, asked President Barack Obama Thursday to suspend all construction permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline and halt work on the nearly 4 billion dollar, four state project. The senators requested a full stop on the pipeline until a “complete environmental and cultural review” is done for the entire project. Nell Abram has more.
Oil industry has more than 30 accidents a week in and off the coast of Louisiana; data analysis
While the movement to stop the Dakota Access pipeline grows, a coalition of groups calling for a moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico has released the results of a review of accidents in the oil industry – and the frequency with which they happen — at least those that get reported. FSRN spoke with Anne Rolfes, founding Director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, who looked at reports filed between September 15 to October 6.
Denver joins cities celebrating Indigenous People’s Day instead of Columbus Day
The Dakota Access Pipeline struggle has brought renewed solidarity between tribes across the country and indigenous peoples around the world — many of whom face their own battles against extractive industries. One fight they’ve long shared is years of protest over the glorification of Christopher Columbus and the process of colonization that followed his so-called ‘discovery’ of the Americas. This week, Denver, Colorado joined a short list of cities opting to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day instead of Columbus Day. FSRN’s Hannah Leigh Myers reports.
