Body of War: New Doc Tells the Story of a Paralyzed Iraq War Veteran Coming to Terms with Disability and Speaking Out Against War
24 Mar 2008
As the US occupation of Iraq enters its sixth year, we take a look at a new documentary that captures the struggles of one of the tens of thousands of US troops injured in the war. Body of War is directed by filmmaker Ellen Spiro and veteran broadcaster Phil Donahue. The film tells the story of Iraq war veteran Tomas Young. On April 4, 2004, his fifth day in Iraq, Young’s unit came under fire in Baghdad. He was left paralyzed, never to walk again. Released from medical care three months later, Young returned home to become an active member in Iraq Veterans Against the War. We play excerpts of Body of War and speak with Tomas Young and with filmmakers Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for March 25, 2008
24 Mar 2008
Bush to Keep 140,000 Troops in Iraq, Bush: Outcome of War Will “Merit the Sacrifice” of 4,000 Dead Troops, Heavy Fighting Erupts in Basra, Threatening Ceasefire, Sadr Supporters Launch Nationwide Civil Disobedience Campaign, Human Rights Activists Disrupt Olympic Torch Ceremony, Olympic Committee Defends Decision to Hold Games in China, Bhutto Ally Sworn In As Pakistan’s New Prime Minister, Americans Spend More on Food, Energy & Medical Care, One in Ten Residents of Ohio Receive Food Stamps, Sen. Clinton Admits She Misspoke About Bosnia Trip, Arab League Calls For Nuclear Free Middle East, Ecuador Considers Bringing Charges Against Colombia, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Indicted, Starbucks Ordered to Pay More Than $100 Million in Back Tips, Contest Launched to Name Most Abuse Corporation of 2008

So Wrong for So Long: Greg Mitchell on How the Press, the Pundits—and the President—Failed on Iraq
23 Mar 2008
As the Iraq war passes its fifth anniversary, we take a look at the corporate media’s coverage of five years of war with Greg Mitchell, editor of Editor & Publisher. He has just written a new book chronicling the media’s failing on covering Iraq titled, So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits?and the President?Failed on Iraq. [includes rush transcript]

Anti-Epileptics, Sex Hormones, Mood Stabilizers, Antibiotics Among Array of Pharmaceuticals in US Water Supply
23 Mar 2008
Anti-epileptics were found in the drinking water of Southern California; a sex hormone was found in San Francisco’s water; three medications and an antibiotic were found in the water supply of Tuscon, Arizona; and a mood stabilizer was found in the water of New Jersey. And that’s just to name a few. An exhaustive five-month investigation by Associated Press has found the drinking water in at least twenty-four major American cities across the country contains trace amounts of a wide array of pharmaceuticals. We speak with Associated Press national writer, Jeff Donn. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for March 24, 2008
23 Mar 2008
U.S. Deaths in Iraq Reach 4,000, 58 Iraqis Killed; Green Zone Shelled, Report: U.S. To Urge British to Launch “Surge” in Basra, Ex-Diplomat Says US Pressured, Spied on Allies Ahead of 2003 War, Bush Accused of Lying Over Iran’s Nuclear Program, Cheney Accuses Hamas of Trying To Torpedo Peace Deal, Richardson Says Obama’s Candidacy is “Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity”, Passport Breach Linked to Obama Campaign Adviser, China Threatens to Crush Tibet Protests, World Food Program Launches Emergency Appeal Due to Rising Food Costs, Kansas Governor Vetoes Plan For New Coal Plants, Life Expectancy Gap Widens Between Rich and Poor, Report: Murdoch Wants to Buy Third Daily NY Paper, Court: Barring Protesters From Inaugural Parade Was Unconstitutional, 500 Arrested in Belgium at Anti-NATO Protest, Six Arrested in Chicago For Staging Easter Mass Die-In to Protest War, Police in Binghamton, NY Accused of Using Excessive Force Against War Protesters, Ex-Radical Sara Jane Olson Rearrested, Legendary Cuban Bassist Cacho, 89, Dies

Censoring Science: Inside the Political Attack on Dr. James Hansen and the Truth of Global Warming
20 Mar 2008
Dr. James Hansen is widely regarded as the leading climate change scientist in the country. For the past 25 years he has headed NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Just over a year ago, Dr. Hansen went public with a charge that made headlines around the world – that the Bush administration had been trying to silence his warnings about the urgent need to address climate change. Dr. Hansen joins us in our firehouse studio. His story is detailed in a new book by author Mark Bowen titled, “Censoring Science: Inside the Political Attack on Dr. James Hansen and the Truth of Global Warming.” Bowen joins us from Massachusetts.

Al-Arian Enters 19th Day of Hunger Strike in Protest of “Government Harassment”
20 Mar 2008
Jailed Palestinian professor Sami al-Arian has entered the 19th day of a hunger strike to protest what he calls continued government harassment. He was brought before a third grand jury Thursday, but did not testify. We speak with Al-Arian’s eldest daughter, Laila and his local counsel in Virginia, Will Olson.

Headlines for March 21, 2008
20 Mar 2008
Rise in Staple Prices Outpacing Luxury Goods, Gov. Richardson to Endorse Obama, State Dept. Employees Fired for Obama File Breach, Obama, Clinton, McCain Address War, Iraqi Families Turn Down Blackwater Compensation Offer for Nisour Slayings, U.S. Toll in Iraq Approaches 4,000, Dalai Lama Calls for China Talks on Tibet Crisis, Italian Judge Orders Resumption of CIA Kidnap Trial, Ex-SLA Member Released from Jail, Fruit Giant Chiquita Sued for Colombia Deaths, U.S. Immigration Agent Arrested for Sexual Blackmail

Iraqi American Reflects on Five Years of War
19 Mar 2008
As the US occupation of Iraq enters its sixth year, we turn to an Iraqi American voice to get a rarely heard perspective on the war. Ayad Al-Qazzaz is a professor of sociology at California State University, Sacramento. He was born in Iraq and immigrated to the United States in the 1960s. [includes rush transcript]

Fed Bailout of Bear Stearns First of its Kind Since Great Depression
19 Mar 2008
The nation’s fifth largest investment bank Bear Stearns nearly collapsed last week. It was saved only after the Federal Reserve took extraordinary measures to help JPMorgan purchase the eighty-five-year-old firm. The Fed has become the lender of last resort for other investment banks in a move that marks one of the broadest expansions of the Fed?s lending authority since the 1930s. We speak with Nomi Prins, an author and former investment banker at Bear Stearns, and Max Fraad Wolff, an economist and writer. [includes rush transcript]

China Continues Crack Down on Tibet Protests
19 Mar 2008
China has acknowledged for the first time that anti-government protests in Tibet over the past few days have spread to other provinces. The protests erupted last week when Buddhist monks took to the streets of Lhasa to mark the anniversary of the 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Human rights groups say dozens of people have been killed and hundreds arrested. We speak with Lhakpa Kyizom, a Tibetan activist in Dharamsala, India, and Robert Thurman, president of Tibet House US. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for March 20, 2008
19 Mar 2008
Over 200 Arrested in Nationwide Protests on 5-Year Mark of Iraq War, Bush, Cheney Dismiss Iraq War Opposition, Obama, Clinton Tout Iraq Stances, China Admits Tibetan Protests Spreading to Provinces, Witnesses Speak Out on Deadly U.S. Raid in Afghanistan, Ex-Soldiers Reveal New Details of Abuses at Abu Ghraib, Gitmo Prisoner: U.S. Interrogators Threatened Rape, Israel Kills Palestinian Farmer in Gaza, McCain Shuns Palestinians on Israel Trip, Mass Held for Victims of Colombia Attacks in Ecuador, Citing Racial Bias, Supreme Court Orders Retrial for Death Row Prisoner

Half a Decade of War: Five Years After Iraq Invasion, Soldiers Testify at Winter Soldier Hearings
18 Mar 2008
Five years ago tonight, on March 19, 2003, the US launched the invasion of Iraq. Half a decade later, as the occupation continues with no end in sight, some of the most powerful voices against the war have been the men and women who have fought in it. For four days this past weekend, soldiers convened at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Maryland for Winter Soldier, an eyewitness account of the war and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. We broadcast their voices. [includes rush transcript – partial]

Headlines for March 19, 2008
18 Mar 2008
Anti-War Events Nationwide Mark 5th Anniversary of Iraq Invasion, 6 Civilians Killed in Afghanistan, In Gaffe, McCain Says Iran Backing al-Qaeda, Obama Criticizes Ex-Pastor?s Political Comments, Murtha Backs Clinton Ahead of Pennsylvania Primary, Dalai Lama Threatens Resigntation as Chinese Crackdown Continues, British Court Overturns Venezuela Asset Freeze, UN Calls for Investigation into Colombia Deaths, Foreign Workers Sue U.S. Oil Firm for Exploitation, Fraud, Science Fiction Author Arthur C. Clarke Dies at 90, Justices Appear to Favor Overturning DC Handgun Ban

Headlines for March 18, 2008
17 Mar 2008
Feds Criticized for Wall Street Bailout While Failing to Aid Homeowners, Fear Grows Over Other Bank Collapses, Carlyle Capital Private Equity Firm Collapses, Greenspan: Economic Crisis Could Be Worst Since WWII, Suicide Bomber Kills 42; Cheney & McCain Cite Success in Iraq, Amnesty: Human Rights Situation in Iraq is “Disastrous”, Florida Democrats Reject Do-Over Primary, Obama to Address Race in Campaign Speech, Georgia Supreme Court Rejects New Trial for Troy Davis, Supreme Court to Review FCC Indecency Rules, Paterson Sworn in as New York Governor

Winter Soldier CONT’D: US Vets, Active-Duty Soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan Testify About the Horrors of War
17 Mar 2008
As we mark the five-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq this week, we continue to bring you the voices of U.S. veterans and active duty soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan testifying about the horrors of war. For four days, soldiers convened at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Maryland for Winter Soldier—an eyewitness indictment of atrocities committed by US troops during the ongoing occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War, the event was modeled after the historic 1971 Winter Soldier hearings held during the Vietnam War.

1968, Forty Years Later: My Lai Massacre Remembered by Survivors, Victims’ Families and US War Vets
16 Mar 2008
This weekend marked the fortieth anniversary of the My Lai Massacre, when US troops killed more than 500 men, women and children in Vietnam. We speak with investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, who won a Pulitzer Prize for exposing the killings and the cover-up. [includes rush transcript]

Winter Soldier: US Vets, Active-Duty Soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan Testify About the Horrors of War
16 Mar 2008
US veterans gathered in Maryland this past weekend to testify at Winter Soldier, an eyewitness indictment of atrocities committed by US troops during the ongoing occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers spoke of free-fire zones, the shootings and beatings of innocent civilians, racism at the highest levels of the military, sexual harassment and assault within the military, and the torturing of prisoners. While the corporate media ignored the story, we broadcast their voices. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for March 17, 2008
16 Mar 2008
Global Economy Shaken by Fall of Bear Stearns, Bush on the Economy: I Am An “Optimistic Fellow”, Food Prices Continue To Rise, 80 Feared Dead In Tibet; China Cracks Down On Protest, McCain & Cheney Visit Iraq, Poll: Two-Thirds of Iraqis Say U.S. Should Leave, Bush “A Little Envious” of U.S. Troops in Afghanistan, House Rejects Telecom Immunity, U.S. Admits Afghan Held in Secret CIA Prison, Fifth Anniversary Of Death of Rachel Corrie, 24 Arrested At Chevron Protest

Winter Soldier: Hundreds of Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan Gather to Testify in Echo of 1971 Vietnam Hearings
13 Mar 2008
Hundreds of veterans and active duty soldiers of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are gathering today for the Winter Soldier hearings. The soldiers plan to give eyewitness accounts of the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War, the gathering is modeled after the 1971 Winter Solider hearings organized by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

House Holds Rare Secret Session on Spy Bill
13 Mar 2008
The House of Representatives postponed a vote on a spy bill Thursday after Democrats agreed to a request from Republicans to hold a rare secret session to discuss what they termed classified security matters. It marked the first time a secret session was held in a quarter of a century and only the sixth time in the House’s history. We speak with Ohio Congressmember Dennis Kucinich, who refused to attend the secret session. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for March 14, 2008
13 Mar 2008
Bush Intervened to Weaken EPA Smog Rules, Paterson Prepares to Replace Spitzer as N.Y. Governor, At Least 6 Killed in U.S. Strike on Pakistan, Kidnapped Iraqi Catholic Cleric Found Dead, Ex-Prisoner Reveals Torture Ordeal in U.S. Custody, Palestinians Rally Against Israeli Attack in Bethlehem, Abbas: Israel Practicing ?Ethnic Cleansing? in Jerusalem, Brazilians Protest Rice Visit, Jailed Immigrant Left in Cell for 4 Days

Defeat: British Journalist Jonathan Steele on Why America and Britain Lost Iraq
12 Mar 2008
As the fifth anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq approaches, we speak with Jonathan Steele, one of the journalists who has covered the Iraq war since 2003. Steele is the senior foreign correspondent and in-house columnist on international affairs for the London Guardian. His latest book is Defeat: Why America and Britain Lost Iraq. [includes rush transcript]

David Paterson Invokes Paul Robeson, Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X in Remembrance of Jazz Legend Max Roach
12 Mar 2008
Last August, New York’s incoming governor, David Paterson, spoke at Riverside Church in Manhattan during the funeral of the jazz legend Max Roach. In his address, Paterson invoked the memory of blacklisted actor and singer Paul Robeson, abolitionist Harriet Tubman and black nationalist leader Malcolm X. [includes rush transcript]

David Paterson to Become First African American Gov in NY History, First Blind Gov in US History
12 Mar 2008
On Monday, New York Lieutenant Governor David Paterson will be sworn in to replace Eliot Spitzer as the state’s chief executive. Paterson will become New York’s first African American governor and the first blind governor in the nation’s history. We speak with Harlem journalist Herb Boyd, who has covered Paterson for years; New York State Senator Liz Krueger, who worked closely with David Paterson during his time in the New York Senate; and Carl Augusto, the president of the American Foundation for the Blind. [includes rush transcript]