In His Mother’s Footsteps: California Man Jailed for Five Days After Sit-In at Blue Cross Office in Los Angeles20 Oct 2009On Thursday, Sam Pullen was arrested at the Los Angeles offices of the insurance giant Blue Cross. He refused to give his information to police and vowed to remain in prison until Blue Cross agreed to hear demands that it stop denying doctor-recommended medical treatment to seriously ill patients. Despite his resistance, Pullen was finally ordered released from jail on Monday, against his will. In protesting Blue Shield, Sam Pullen was following in the footsteps of his late mother, who was diagnosed with cancer when he was a teenager. Leanna Bell staged a one-person sit-in in front of Blue Cross after the company denied her coverage for a bone marrow transplant. Blue Cross gave in, and the transplant helped extend her life for several years. [includes rush transcript]
Congress Considers Revoking Health Insurance Industry’s Exemption from Antitrust Laws20 Oct 2009Democrats say the McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945 has granted the insurance industry a captive market with no curbs on price fixing and other anti-competitive practices. Last week the Justice Department’s top antitrust regulator, Christine Varney, voiced support for a repeal. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are also backing a repeal, and New York Senator Charles Schumer has called for including it as part of the healthcare reform bill. The House Judiciary Committee plans to vote on the issue on Wednesday. [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for October 20, 200920 Oct 2009Under US Pressure, Karzai to Accept Runoff Election, Obama Unveils New Strategy Toward Sudan, Hidden Cost of Burning Fossil Fuels: $120 Billion, Shell Given OK to Drill Oil Exploration Wells Near Arctic, Poll: 57% of Americans Support Public Option, Eric Holder: Medical Marijuana Prosecutions Not a Priority, US Scientist Accused of Trying to Spy for Israel, Banks Expand Perks to CEOs Despite Taxpayer Bailouts, Bombing at Pakistani University Kills Six, Mexican Human Rights Official Detained in US Immigration Jail, Reporters Without Borders Release Press Freedom Index, CIA Unit Invests in Firm that Monitors Social Media Websites, Zelaya Supporters to Protest at National Autonomous University, Colombian Official: 27,000 People Disappeared Since Late 1980s, Seven Arrested at WV Gov. Office Protesting Mountaintop Removal, New York Times to Eliminate 100 Newsroom Positions
Island Nation of Maldives Holds Cabinet Meeting Underwater to Highlight Danger of Global Warming19 Oct 2009Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed and eleven of his government ministers wore scuba gear and plunged nearly twenty feet into the Indian Ocean for a special cabinet session on Friday calling for concerted global action on climate change ahead of the Copenhagen conference. Maldives, the lowest-lying nation on earth, could be submerged by rising sea levels due to global warming. We air excerpts of a recent discussion between President Mohamed Nasheed and Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Department of Homeland Security Expands Controversial 287(g) Program Empowering Local Police to Enforce Immigration Laws19 Oct 2009The Department of Homeland Security said Friday it plans to enter into new agreements with sixty-seven state and local law enforcement agencies. These agreements expand the existing 287(g) program, which delegates some federal immigration enforcement authority to certain state and local agencies. The 287(g) program has come under intense criticism in recent months, with over 500 organizations, including the ACLU and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, calling on the government to end the program. Many of the agencies involved have been accused of racial profiling, and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Phoenix, Arizona is being investigated by the Justice Department. We host a debate between the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and the Center for Immigration Studies.
Six Senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commanders Killed in Suicide Bombing, Iran Blames US and Pakistan19 Oct 2009Iran’s president is accusing Pakistani agents of involvement in a suicide bombing in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan on Sunday that left at least forty-two people dead and injured dozens more. According to state media, one or more suicide bombers targeted a group of Revolutionary Guard leaders who had arranged to meet tribal leaders in the Sunni region close to the Pakistani border. Some other Iranian officials are pointing the finger of blame at the United States. Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said “US action” contributed to the attack. [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for October 19, 200919 Oct 2009Suicide Blast in Iran Kills 42, Including Six Iranian Commanders, With US Support, Pakistan Launches Offensive in South Waziristan, US Drone Attacks in Pakistan Rise Dramatically under Obama, Afghan Election Crisis Intensifies, Kidnapped NYT Reporter: Taliban Galvanized by US Policies, House Panel Reduces Power of Proposed Consumer Agency, Goldman Sachs Exec Tapped to Top Post at SEC, Lawmakers Considers Overturning Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Exemption, White House Not Demanding Public Option in Final Legislation, Ex-Bush Official Jailed for Lying about Abramoff Ties, UN Human Rights Council Endorses Goldstone Report on Gaza, Israel Accused of Setting Off Explosions in Lebanon, Maldives Holds Cabinet Meeting Underwater to Highlight Dangers of Global Warming, Report: Nigeria Considers Deal to Share Oil Revenue with Niger Delta, Latin American Leaders to Create New Currency, Iran Releases Newsweek Reporter Maziar Bahari
Journalist Ann Louise Bardach on her new book “Without Fidel”, Cuban Exile Luis Posada Carriles and Fidel and Raul Castro16 Oct 2009Luis Posada Carriles is accused of masterminding the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed all seventy-three people on board, and he has publicly admitted ties to a series of hotel bombings in Cuba in 1997. In 2000, he was arrested in Panama City for plotting to blow up an auditorium where Fidel Castro would be speaking. Despite his record, Luis Posada Carriles is currently living freely in Miami. He is awaiting trial in Texas early next year on charges of immigration fraud and lying to authorities about his involvement in the hotel bombings. A new book by award-winning investigative journalist Ann Louise Bardach provides an insider’s view on the case against Posada. Bardach first interviewed Posada in 1998 for the New York Times in one of his only in-depth interviews. [includes rush transcript]
Amnesty International Head Irene Khan on “The Unheard Truth: Poverty and Human Rights”16 Oct 2009Saturday marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The poverty rate here in the United States has now risen to 13.2 percent, the highest level in eleven years. And around the world, two billion people, or a full third of humanity, are poor, living on less than $2 a day. One billion live in extreme poverty, earning less than $1 a day. The latest numbers from the United Nations indicate that over a billion people are also going hungry. Irene Khan argues that these harsh numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. Poverty, the book argues, must be recognized as the world’s worst human rights crisis. [includes rush transcript]
150 Years Ago Today: Abolitionist John Brown Raided Arsenal at Harpers Ferry in Attempt to Start Slave Insurrection in South16 Oct 2009Commemorations are being held in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland today to mark the 150th anniversary of abolitionist John Brown’s raid on the arsenal at Harpers Ferry. We end today’s show with a reading of John Brown’s address to the court in Virginia that ordered his hanging. Actor Harris Yulin read his words as part of a larger reading of Howard Zinn’s classic work, A People’s History of the United States. Yulin was followed by James Earl Jones reading Frederick Douglass. [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for October 16, 200916 Oct 2009Report: US Considers Rewriting Intel Report on Iranian Nuke Program, 12 Die in Suicide Blast in Pakistan, Runoff Election May Be Held in Afghanistan, Four US Soldiers Die in Afghanistan, House Votes to Allow Gitmo Prisoners to be Tried in US, Obama Makes First Visit to New Orleans as President, Dozens Arrested at Sit-In Protests at Health Insurance Companies, CNN Commentator Revealed to be Working for America?s Health Insurance Plans, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Backs Goldstone Report, Syrian Dissident Attorney Arrested, Mothers Seek Release of US Hikers Detained in Iran, Puerto Rican Workers Stage General Strike, Social Security Recipients Will Receive No Cost of Living Increase in 2010, House Panel Votes to Regulate Part of Derivatives Market, Low Power FM Movement Wins Victory on Capitol Hill, Louisiana Justice of Peace Refuses to Marry Interracial Couple, Beef Industry Threatens California School over Michael Pollan Speech, Report: Little Progress in Reducing World Hunger Since 1990
Slovenian Philosopher Slavoj Zizek on Capitalism, Healthcare, Latin American “Populism” and the “Farcical” Financial Crisis15 Oct 2009Dubbed by the National Review as “the most dangerous political philosopher in the West” and the New York Times as “the Elvis of cultural theory,” Slovenian philosopher and public intellectual Slavoj ?i?ek has written over fifty books on philosophy, psychoanalysis, theology, history and political theory. In his latest book, First as Tragedy, Then as Farce, ?i?ek analyzes how the United States has moved from the tragedy of 9/11 to what he calls the farce of the financial meltdown.
As Foreclosures Hit All-Time High, Wall Street on Pace to Hand Out Record $140B in Employee Bonuses15 Oct 2009The Dow Jones Industrial Average has topped 10,000 for the first time in a year, as JPMorgan Chase reported massive profits in the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that major US banks and securities firms are on pace to pay their employees about $140 billion this year—a record high. But on Main Street, foreclosures are also at record levels, and the official unemployment rate is expected to top ten percent. We speak to former bank regulator William Black, author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank Is to Own One. [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for October 15, 200915 Oct 2009Britain: Afghan Troop Increase “Consistent” with US Plans, Report: Obama to Deploy Additional 45,000 Troops, Pentagon Bans Photos of Afghan War Dead, White House, Senate Dems Open Healthcare Talks, Activists to Protest Outside Insurance Firms, House OKs New Iran Sanctions, Report: Wall Street to Pay Record $140B in Bonuses, Geithner Aides Made Millions from Wall Street Firms, 40 Killed in Pakistan Attacks, Suspected US Drone Attack Kills 4 in Pakistan, Coup Rep. Denies Agreement in Honduras Talks, UN Takes Up Gaza War Crimes Report, Israel Continues E. Jerusalem Home Demolitions, Groups: 335 Palestinians Unlawfully Jailed, Puerto Ricans to Hold National Strike Against Public Sector Layoffs, Judge Bars Public in Blackwater Case, Pentagon Credits Recession for Recruiting Milestone, Military Piloting Middle School Recruitment Program, Home Foreclosures Rise 5%, Report: Coal Cleanup Technology Leads to Unfettered Water Pollution
With Senate Finance Vote, Fate of Public Option Uncertain as Healthcare Reform Talks Move Behind Closed Doors14 Oct 2009The Senate Finance Committee has become the fifth and final congressional panel to approve legislation to reform the nation’s healthcare system, voting 14-to-9 to approve an $829 billion measure. Maine Senator Olympia Snowe was the only Republican to support the package, which omits a public option. Talks now move behind closed doors, where Senate leaders will craft final legislation. We get analysis from Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake. [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for October 14, 200914 Oct 2009Senate Panel OKs Healthcare Reform Without Public Option, Health Rallies to Be Held at Insurers’ Offices, Thousands Rally in DC as Immigration Bill Unveiled, Iraq: 85,000 Deaths Since 2004, UN: 100,000 Displaced by Northern Iraq Drought, Russia Rejects New Iran Sanctions, Groups Warn of Civilian Toll in Congo Fighting, Obama to Sign Pakistan Aid Bill, Zelaya Delegation, Coup Regime Discuss Restoration, Honduran Drug Chief: Smugging Unimpeded Since Coup, Alleged Cuban Spy Re-Sentenced to 22 Years, EPA Releases Email Ignored by Bush Admin, Jury Selection Begins in Trial of Bear Stearns Execs
The Fight for Equality: A Look at the State of the Gay Rights Movement13 Oct 2009Tens of thousands took to the streets of Washington, DC on Sunday to continue the nationwide fight for equal protection for LGBT people in all matters governed by civil law. It’s been described as the largest demonstration for gay rights in the nation’s capital in over a decade. We speak with attorney and longtime gay rights activist Urvashi Vaid about the state of the gay rights movement and the Obama administration’s stance toward gay rights. [includes rush transcript]
Author Barbara Ehrenreich on “Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America”13 Oct 2009In her new book, author Barbara Ehrenreich documents what she says is the destructive power of the positive thinking movement in the United States, from breast cancer, to the workplace, to the economy, to politics as a whole. Ehrenreich opens the book by writing about her own experience with breast cancer culture after being diagnosed with the disease in 2000. She says in the prevailing positive thinking culture of America, breast cancer patients are urged to avoid feeling angry and instead find meaning and even uplift in the disease. She writes, “In the most extreme characterization, breast cancer is not a problem at all, not even an annoyance—it is a ?gift,? deserving of the most heartfelt gratitude.”
“Love Is Worth It”: Iraq War Vet Facing Discharge for Violating “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Helps Lead Massive Rally for Gay Rights13 Oct 2009President Obama has once again pledged to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which bars openly gay men and lesbians from serving in the military. But many queer activists are frustrated with Obama for neither following through on previous vows nor offering a new timetable. We speak with West Point graduate and Iraq war veteran Lieutenant Dan Choi, who’s facing discharge from the military for revealing he is gay. He was among tens of thousands that marched in Washington, DC on Sunday for gay rights. [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for October 13, 200913 Oct 2009Senate Finance Panel to Hold Healthcare Vote, Afghan War Troop Escalation Tops 34,000, Afghan Panelist Resigns from UN Election Comission, Honduras Talks Approach Zelaya Deadline, Report: US to Silence Criticism of Russian Abuses, Netanyahu: UN Gaza Inquiry “Encourages Terror”, China Sentences 6 Uyghurs to Death, US Professor is First Woman to Receive Nobel in Economics, Military Bars Chomsky Book at Gitmo, King Children Reach Deal in Estate Dispute, 2009 Right Livelihood Winners Announced
Democracy Now! Special: An Hour of Music and Conversation with Legendary Native American Singer-Songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie12 Oct 2009In a Democracy Now! special, an hour of conversation and music with Cree Indian singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. In the turbulent 1960s, she was just out of college but already famous for her beautiful voice and moving lyrics in songs like “Universal Soldier” and “Now that the Buffalo’s Gone.” Over the years, Buffy Sainte-Marie has worked with the American Indian Movement, but also with Sesame Street, and even Hollywood, winning an Academy Award for the song “Up Where We Belong” in 1982. She’s won international recognition for her music, has a PhD in fine arts, and began a foundation for American Indian Education that she remains closely involved with. We speak with the folk icon about her life, her music, censorship, and her singing and speaking out about the struggles of Native American peoples for the past four decades. She also performs live in the firehouse studio. [includes rush transcript – partial]
Headlines for October 12, 200912 Oct 2009Insurance Industry Threatens Higher Costs Without Harsher Mandates, WFP: Rich Donors’ Aid Cuts Threaten Millions with Starvation, As Talks Continue, Honduran Coup Regime Extends Media Crackdown, UN Panel Warns of Growing Mercenary Presence in Honduras, UN Envoy Acknowledges Fraud, Defends Role in Afghan Vote, 24 Killed, 90 Wounded in Iraq Violence, At Least 40 Killed in Pakistan Bombing, Residents: Ethiopian Troops Entered Somalia, Iran Sentences 3 Opposition Leaders to Death, Argentina Enacts Landmark Media Reform Law, Obama Renews Vow to End “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, Tens of Thousands March for Gay Rights in DC, Obama “Surprised and Humbled” by Nobel Peace Award, Family Denied Health Coverage for Overweight 4-Month-Old Infant, Iraq War Vet Arrested on Shooting Charges, Obama Criticizes Finance Industry Opposition to Consumer Agency, Cuban 5 Prisoners to Receive New Sentences, Palestinian Factions Delay Unity Deal
Democracy Now