Headlines for February 11, 2010
11 Feb 2010
Iran Curbs Opposition Protests, Blocks Communications, Declaring Uranium Enrichment, Ahmadinejad Says Iran a “Nuclear State”, US, UK Lose Bid to Censor Docs in British Torture Case, Iraqi Official Calls for Expulsion of Ex-Blackwater Forces, Ex-Employees Accuse Blackwater of Defrauding US, Billing for Prostitutes, Freed Iraqi Journalist Speaks Out Upon Release from US Military Prison, Obama Hosts Civil Rights Leaders on African American Unemployment, Study: Lowest-Income Americans Face 30% Unemployment, Student Files Suit over Detention for English-Arabic Study Materials, Appeals Court to Hear Arguments in Cell-Phone Tracking Case, Insurance Company Sued for Denying Treatment to 5-Year-Old Cancer Patient, Ex-Rep. Charlie Wilson Dies at 76

Palestinian Families Appeal to UN Over Israeli Construction of “Museum of Tolerance” on Jerusalem’s Historic Mamilla Cemetery
10 Feb 2010
Palestinian families have filed a petition with the United Nations over the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s plans to build a “Museum of Tolerance” over the historic Muslim cemetery Jerusalem. Opponents of the project have long questioned how a monument to tolerance can be built on the remains of the graves of generations of Palestinian Muslims. We speak to Columbia University professor and author Rashid Khalidi, a petitioner whose ancestors were buried at the Mamilla cemetery; and Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which is representing the families in their petition.

“Haiti: Killing the Dream”: Excerpt of Documentary on Centuries of Western Subversion of Haitian Sovereignty
10 Feb 2010
To put the history of Haiti in context we turn to the 1992 documentary “Haiti: Killing the Dream” produced by Hart and Dana Perry of Crowing Rooster Productions and narrated by Ossie Davis. In this excerpt, the film looks at the nearly-20-year occupation of Haiti by U.S. Marines beginning in 1915.

As Haiti Toll Revised to 230,000, Journalist Reed Lindsay Reports on Scarcity of Aid in Devastated Port-au-Prince
10 Feb 2010
One month after the earthquake in Haiti, the official death toll is now at 230,000. On Tuesday, Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said it would take another ten years to rebuild Haiti and admitted officials have no clear plan for relocating the one million Haitians made homeless by the earthquake. We go to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince to speak with journalist Reed Lindsay. [includes rush transcript]

Actor, Activist Danny Glover: Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide “Mystified” at US Resistance to His Return
10 Feb 2010
Actor, activist and TransAfrica Forum chair Danny Glover joins us just after returning from South Africa, where he met with the ousted former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Glover reports Aristide wants to come back to his country five years after his ouster in a US-backed coup, but the Obama administration hasn’t dropped the US stance of blocking Aristide’s return to the Western hemisphere. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for February 10, 2010
10 Feb 2010
US Prepares New Sanctions on Iran, Haitian Death Toll Revised to 230,000, Haitian Women Protest Lack of Aid, US Firms Lobby Haiti for Reconstruction Deals, US Frees Jailed Iraqi Journalist, NATO Warns Afghan Civilians Ahead of Assault, India Blocks Sale of Monsanto GM Crop, Dems Help Defeat Nomination of Union Attorney to Labor Board, Prisoners Launch Hunger Strike at Texas Immigration Jail, Another US Activist Denied Entry to Canada Ahead of Olympics

Rep. John Murtha, Iraq War Critic, Dies at 77
9 Feb 2010
Democratic Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania has died at the age of seventy-seven from complications after gall bladder surgery. He was the powerful chair of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. In 2002 Murtha voted to support the invasion of Iraq, but three years later he shocked many in Washington when he introduced a bill calling for the immediate withdrawal of US troops. [includes rush transcript]

Eamon Javers on the Secret World of Corporate Espionage and Moonlighting CIA Operatives
9 Feb 2010
The CIA is under fire following the news it’s allowing active-duty operatives to work for private companies on the side. The previously undisclosed “moonlighting” has granted wealthy private entities such as financial firms and hedge funds access to top-level intelligence officials. It?s said to be viewed internally as a means to prevent agency defections to the private sector. A CIA spokesperson said “moonlighting” operatives are required to submit detailed information on their outside employment. But few details have been revealed, including how long the policy has been in place and how many operatives have taken part. We speak to Eamon Javers, author of the new book Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy: The Secret World of Corporate Espionage.

David Price: “The CIA Is Welcoming Itself Back onto American University Campuses”
9 Feb 2010
In the latest edition of Counterpunch Magazine, the anthropologist David Price reveals the U.S. intelligence community has established academic outposts at twenty-two U.S. universities over the past four years. Government agencies including the CIA, FBI, National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, and Homeland Security, have helped found “Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence”, or I.C.C.A.E.s—pronounced “Icky.” The ICCAEs aim to create a “systematic long-term program at universities and colleges to recruit and hire eligible talent for [Intelligence Community] agencies and components” and “increase the [intelligence recruiting] pipeline of students.”

Rep. Dennis Kucinich v. Glenn Greenwald on the Supreme Court’s Landmark Campaign Finance Ruling on Corporate Money
9 Feb 2010
A new poll has found nearly two-thirds of respondents oppose the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Citizens United to allow corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money to elect and defeat candidates. Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Glenn Greenwald offer differing opinions on the controversial ruling. [includes rush transcript]

Obama Administration: US Forces Can Assassinate Americans Believed to Be Involved in Terrorist Activity
9 Feb 2010
The Obama administration has acknowledged it’s continuing a Bush-era policy authorizing the killing of US citizens abroad. The confirmation came from Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair in congressional testimony last week. Blair said, “Being a US citizen will not spare an American from getting assassinated by military or intelligence operatives overseas if the individual is working with terrorists and planning to attack fellow Americans.” We speak to Rep. Dennis Kucinich and blogger and attorney Glenn Greenwald. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for February 9, 2010
9 Feb 2010
US Pushes for New Sanctions Against Iran, Toyota Expands Recall to Include 2010 Prius, Rainy Season Approaches in Haiti, Anthem Blue Cross to Raise Rates by 39 Percent, Eli Lilly CEO Earned $16 Million in 2009, Report: Democratic Governors Assoc. Takes in Record Amount of Corporate Donations, First Lady Launches Campaign Against Childhood Obesity, Soda Industry Successful in Campaign Against Soda Tax, Russian-Backed Politician Wins Ukrainian Election, Report: Head of Pakistan Taliban Killed in Drone Strike, Chinese Court Sentences Earthquake Activist to Jail, Israeli Court Orders Release of International Activists, 12 Arrested at UC Irvine at Speech by Israeli Ambassador, Canadian Air Force Commander Charged with Murder, Army Sergeant Accused of Waterboarding Four-Year-Old Daughter, Rep. John Murtha, Iraq War Critic, Dies at 77

Michael Pollan on “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual”
8 Feb 2010
Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore?s Dilemma and In Defense of Food, discusses the link between healthcare and diet, the dangers of processed foods, the power of the meat industry lobby, the ?nutritional-industrial complex,? the impact industrial agriculture has on global warming, and his sixty-four rules for eating. “The markets are full of what I call edible food-like substances that you have to avoid,” says Michael Pollan. “So a lot of the rules are to help you, you know, navigate that now very treacherous landscape of the American supermarket.” Today we air an excerpt of the Oscar-nominated documentary Food, Inc. and then spend the rest of the show with Michael Pollan. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for February 8, 2010
8 Feb 2010
G7 Nations Pledge to Forgive Haiti’s Debt, One Million Remain Homeless in Haiti, 20,000 Jobs Eliminated in January; Unemployment Rate Decreases, Goldman Sachs CEO Receives $9 Million Bonus, Regulators Probe Goldman Sachs Role in Collapse of AIG, Laura Chinchilla Elected President of Costa Rica, Two International Solidarity Movement Activists Arrested in West Bank, Israel Blocks Palestinian Geographer from Traveling Abroad, Iran Pledges to Build 10 New Uranium Enrichment Facilities in Next Year, Iran Arrests Seven Linked to US-Funded Radio Farda, At Least Five Workers Die at Power Plant Explosion in Conn., Mitch Landrieu Wins New Orleans Mayoral Election, Canada Blocks Olympic Critic from Entering Country

Yemeni Journalist Nasser Arrabyee: US Involvement Undermines Sound Response to Yemen-Based Militants
5 Feb 2010
Yemen has been the focus of growing international concern over insecurity and Islamist extremism. US officials say the suspect in the failed Christmas Day bombing is now providing valuable intelligence in hunting the US-born Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who the Obama administration has approved for assassination. Democracy Now!’s Anjali Kamat speaks to Yemeni journalist Nasser Arrabyee, who writes for the Dubai-based Gulf News and the Cairo-based Al-Ahram Weekly. [includes rush transcript]

How to Get Our Democracy Back: Lawrence Lessig Says “If We Want to Change, We Have to Change Congress”
5 Feb 2010
In a cover story of The Nation magazine, Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig writes, “At the center of our government lies a bankrupt institution: Congress. Not financially bankrupt, at least not yet, but politically bankrupt.” He goes on to argue that, “Congress is the core of the problem with American democracy today. In a single line: There will be no change until we change Congress.”

Dave Zirin on Super Bowl Fever in New Orleans and the Militarization of Sport’s Biggest Spectacle
5 Feb 2010
Sportswriter Dave Zirin, author of A People’s History of Sports in the United States, says the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl appearance—at least for the moment—is boosting spirits in New Orleans on a level unseen since Hurricane Katrina. Zirin also discusses pro athletes who have stood up for gay rights, and how the Super Bowl spectacle continues to be used to promote US militarization. [includes rush transcript]

Pro-Choice Advocates Criticize CBS for Accepting Anti-Abortion Super Bowl Ad
5 Feb 2010
With the Super Bowl just two days away, the game’s broadcaster CBS is coming under criticism for accepting an anti-abortion ad paid for by Focus on the Family. For years, CBS and other networks have rejected advocacy ads during the Super Bowl. We get reaction from Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood and sportswriter Dave Zirin, author of A People’s History of Sports in the United States. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for February 5, 2010
5 Feb 2010
27 Killed, 75 Wounded in Iraq Bombing, Intelligence Chief Confirms US Can Assassinate Americans Abroad, US Missionaries Charged with Kidnapping Haitian Children, Zelaya Criticizes Foes from Exile in Dominican Republic, Hundreds Protest Siddiqui Conviction in Pakistan Rally, Romania to Host US Missiles, Toyota Considers Prius Recall as Regulators Probe Brakes, Bank of America, Ex-Execs Indicted on Civil Fraud Charges, Google-NSA Partnership Draws Ire of Privacy Groups, Study: Charter Schools Increasing Racial Segregation in Classrooms, Right-Wing Activists Attend Inaugural Tea Party Convention, Vancouver Activists Prepare Anti-Olympic Protests

Robert McChesney and John Nichols on “The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution that Will Begin the World Again”
4 Feb 2010
University of Illinois Professor Robert McChesney and The Nation correspondent John Nichols, two leading advocates of the media reform movement, join us to talk about their new book, The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution that Will Begin the World Again. McChesney and Nichols argue that journalism should be seen as a public good and that the government should help save American journalism by granting more subsidies to newspapers and media outlets.

Ignoring Torture Claims and Questionable Evidence, New York Jury Convicts Pakistani Scientist Aafia Siddiqui
4 Feb 2010
A New York jury has convicted the US-educated Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui of attempted murder for shooting at US forces while jailed in Afghanistan in 2008. None of the Americans were injured, but Siddiqui was shot and wounded while in US custody. Human rights groups have long alleged that Siddiqui was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani authorities in 2003 and interrogated and tortured at the behest of the United States. In her testimony, Siddiqui claimed to have been held in a US secret prison. We speak to Siddiqui family spokesperson Tina Foster of the International Justice Network and Petra Bartosiewicz, an independent journalist who has been closely following Siddiqui’s case. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for February 4, 2010
4 Feb 2010
Haiti Confirms Toll of Over 200,000, Clinton to Coordinate Haiti Relief for UN, Soldier Killings Highlight US Military Role in Pakistan, NATO, Afghan Forces Prepare War’s Largest Joint Offensive, Iraqi Appeals Court Overturns Candidate Bans, Powell Backs Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Toyota Admits New Flaws Amidst Mass Recall, House Bill Would Repeal Health Industry Antitrust Exemptions, EPA Guidelines Could Boost Ethanol Production

“In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts”: Dr. Gabor Mat, Physician at Vancouver Safe-Injection Site, on the Biological and Socio-Economic Roots of Addiction and ADD
3 Feb 2010
Dr. Gabor Mat is the staff physician at the Portland Hotel Society, which runs a residence/harm reduction facility and North America’s only supervised safe-injection site in Vancouver, Canada, home to one of the world’s densest areas of drug users. The bestselling author of four books, we speak to Dr. Mat about his latest, “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction”, which proposes new approaches to treating addiction through an understanding of its biological and socio-economic roots. Mat also discusses his work on Attention Deficit Disorder and the mind-body connection.

In Historic First, Military Leaders Call for Repeal of Ban on Openly Gay Servicemembers
3 Feb 2010
For the first time, the Pentagon’s top leaders have called for an end to “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the military policy barring gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military. We get reaction from Alexander Nicholson, a former Army intelligence officer who was discharged for being gay, and Nathaniel Frank, author of Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America. [includes rush transcript – partial]

Headlines for February 3, 2010
3 Feb 2010
Military Leaders Back Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, 1M Earthquake Survivors Lack Food Aid, Missionaries Appear Before Haitian Judge, 3 US Soldiers Among Dead in Pakistan Bombing, 17 Killed in US Drone Strike in Pakistan, 20 Killed in Attack on Shiite Pilgrims, Ex-UK Minister: Cabinet Misled on Iraq Invasion, Report: US, Russia Reach Nuke Deal, Iran: “No Problem” with Enrichment Deal, Prisoner Swap Possible, ICC Ordered to Review Genocide Omission in Bashir Case, Italian Peace Activists Protest US Military Base, AIG to Pay $100M in Bonuses, Justice Dept. Probes Imam Killing, Oscar Nominees Include Docs on China Earthquake, Burma and Pentagon Papers, Iran to Execute 9 Arrested in Post-Election Unrest