Headlines for July 14, 2010
14 Jul 2010
Oil Gusher Continues as Containment Test Delayed, Cleanup Workers Photographed Without Protective Gear, Senate to Vote on Financial Reform, Libyan Aid Ship Heads to Egypt After Being Blocked from Gaza Strip, Israel Resumes Demolitions of Palestinian Homes, Palestinian Woman Killed in Israeli Attack, Israeli Parliament Bars Travel for Arab Lawmaker, Afghan Soldier Kills 3 UK Troops, Iranian Scientist Claims US Kidnapping, Returns to Iran, Appeals Court Strikes Down FCC Indecency Rules, Six NOLA Officers Indicted for Danziger Bridge Shootings, Cover-up

Sean Penn on Haiti Six Months After the Earthquake, Recovery Efforts, and Why He Decided to Manage a Tent Camp of 55,000 Displaced Haitians
13 Jul 2010
Two-time Academy Award-winning actor and director Sean Penn was honored by the Haitian government on Monday at a ceremony marking the six-month anniversary of the earthquake that killed 300,000 people and left more than 1.5 million homeless. Penn first came to Haiti after the earthquake struck to help with immediate relief efforts. He decided to stay to finish what he started. He co-founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization and is managing a tent camp on the Ptionville golf course that now shelters some 55,000 people. On Sunday night, we went to visit Sean Penn’s camp. We walked in and asked to speak to him. We were ushered into a large tent and ended up sitting down with the Hollywood star for more than an hour talking about Haiti, recovery efforts and the lack of them, his life and what inspired him to do what he is doing.[includes rush transcript]

Headlines for July 13, 2010
13 Jul 2010
Abducted Iranian Nuclear Scientist Surfaces in U.S., U.S. Issues New Deepwater Oil Drilling Moratorium, BP Attaches New Containment Cap Over Oil Well, Coast Guard Lifts Media Restrictions in Gulf, Bill Clinton: Not Enough Done Yet For Haiti, Israeli Military Probe Says Attack on Gaza Flotilla Was Justified, Arab-Israeli Faces Five Months in Jail For Sailing on Gaza Flotilla, ICC Issues New Arrest Warrant For Sudan’s Al-Bashir, Somali Militant Group Claims Responsibility for Uganda Blasts, Omar Khadr Rejects Plea Deal, Senate Closer To Passing Financial Reform Bill, Indictment Against Animal Rights Activists Thrown Out, Fidel Castro Gives Rare Televised Interview, Bohemian Poet and Singer Tuli Kupferberg, 86, Dies, Comic Book Author Harvey Pekar, 70, Dies

Displaced Haitians: “We Can’t Continue In This Situation Anymore”
12 Jul 2010
We visited Camp Corail, one of the hundreds of camps for displaced people in Haiti. We spoke to two displaced Haitians Romain Arius and Fenel Domercant. They talked about how little aid has trickled down to the 1300 families in the camp. They were told they would only be in the camp for there months, but long after the deadline they continue to wait for permanent housing. [includes rush transcript]

Beverly Bell: There is No Plan For Permanently Housing the 1.9 Million Haitians Who Lost Their Homes in the Quake
12 Jul 2010
“People are living in ravines, they are living on sidewalks, jammed up against other houses,” says Beverly Bell, of the group Other Worlds. “They are creating structures out of any temporary material they can find, a lot of them no more than four sticks and bed sheets.” Bell also talks about how the international reconstruction plan for Haiti revolves around the creation of four new free enterprise zones which will expand the number of sweatshop factories in Haiti.[includes rush transcript]

Democracy Now! in Port-Au-Prince: Patrick Elie on Haiti Six Months After the Earthquake
12 Jul 2010
Haiti remains a nation in ruins, six months after one of the world’s worst natural disasters killed more than 300,000 people. Thousands of bodies still lay under rubble. We begin today’s show in Port-Au-Prince outside what remains of the Montana Hotel where some 200 people died in the earthquake. We speak to Patrick Elie, a longtime Haitian democracy activist and Haiti’s former Secretary of State for Public Security. “We are a people who can fend for ourselves,” Elie said. “We have a vision of where we want to go so we do need friends but we don’t need people to think for us or to pity us and that is probably this attitude that is playing a part in the aid not being forthcoming.”

Headlines for July 12, 2010
12 Jul 2010
BP Attempts To Put New Cap On Oil Well, Report: BP Pays Out Half of Claims Filed By Gulf Residents, Former BP Contractor: BP’s “Bottom Line is Just About Money”, Over 60 Die in Twin Bombs Blasts in Uganda, Karzai Seeks to Remove Taliban Officials From UN Blacklist, Holder: U.S. May File Another Suit Against Arizona Over Anti-Immigrant Law, APA Supports Efforts To Strip License of Psychologist Tied to Torture Program, Toyota Cuts Funding to School After Professor Exposed Vehicle Flaws, Libyan Humanitarian Aid Ship Heads to Gaza, Two Striking Banana Workers Killed in Panama, Greenpeace Marks 25th Anniversary of Rainbow Warrior Ship Bombing

Report: 27,000 Abandoned Wells Pose Threat to Gulf Coast
9 Jul 2010
Concerns are being raised about the hazards posed by thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells throughout the Gulf Coast. An Associated Press investigation found more than 27,000 abandoned sites are in danger of leaking, with about 13 percent said to be particularly worrisome. Regulations forcing companies to plug the wells have been routinely ignored with no government intervention. We speak with Jeff Donn, the AP reporter who broke the story.[includes rush transcript]

ProPublica: BP Texas Refinery Had Huge Toxic Release Just Before Gulf Blowout
9 Jul 2010
Just over three months ago, thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals begin spewing into the skies from BP’s massive oil refinery in Texas City. The release began on April 6, two weeks before the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, but it took BP weeks to even realize there was a problem. BP now estimates 538,000 pounds of chemicals escaped from the refinery over a 40-day period. We speak with reporter Ryan Knutson of ProPublica and Frontline who traveled to Texas City to investigate what happened.

Photographer Harassed by BP Security, Detained by Police While on Assignment at BP Texas Refinery
9 Jul 2010
We speak with Lance Rosenfield, a freelance photographer who was hired by ProPublica to take pictures of BP’s Texas City refinery that had spewed thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals into the skies. While on assignment Rosenfield was followed by BP Security and then detained by local police.

Outrage in Oakland: Transit Officer Convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter – Not Murder – in Killing of Unarmed Oscar Grant
9 Jul 2010
Scores of people were arrested in Oakland, California Thursday night in protests over the verdict in the Oscar Grant shooting. Grant was the unarmed 22-year-old African-American man who was shot dead by Johannes Mehserle, a white transit officer, on an Oakland train platform on New Year?s Day, 2009. A jury in Los Angeles convicted Merserle of involuntary manslaughter but he was acquitted on the more serious charges of second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter.

Gary Rivlin on “Broke, USA: From Pawnshops to Poverty, Inc. – How the Working Poor Became Big Business”
9 Jul 2010
In his latest book, bestselling author and journalist Gary Rivlin says the rapacious practices of subprime lenders laid the foundation for powerful mainstream banks to get into the subprime business and turn it into a multi-billion dollar enterprise. He calls this the “poverty industry.” And for those in this industry, business is booming. The book is called, “Broke, USA: From Pawnshops to Poverty, Inc. – How the Working Poor Became Big Business.”[includes rush transcripts]

Headlines for July 9, 2010
9 Jul 2010
Appeals Court Maintains Reversal of Deepwater Drilling Ban, Mass. Judge Rules Same-Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional, Protests Erupt in Oakland After Verdict in Grant Trial, CENTCOM Nominee Led Fallujah Assault, Dropped Charges in Haditha Massacre, Over 50 Killed in Pakistan Bombing, U.S., Russia Swap Alleged Spies, European Lawmakers OK U.S. Monitoring of Financial Transactions, Netanyahu: Israel “Has Done Enough” for Resumption of Talks, Libyan Charity Claims Aid Ship Heading to Gaza, Wages for High School, College Graduates Fell in Last Decade, Wealthier Americans Have Higher Mortgage Default Rate, U.S. Denies Visa to Colombian Journalist, CNN Fires Middle East Editor for Twitter Post, Protesters Call for Cancellation of MLB All-Star Game in Arizona, Nixon and Kissinger Admitted to CIA Assassination Attempt in Chile; Nixon Ordered Plans for Nuking North Korea

A Debate on Geoengineering: Vandana Shiva vs. Gwynne Dyer
8 Jul 2010
Supporters of geoengineering have proposed radical ways to alter the planet to decrease the level of greenhouse gas emissions. Proposals include creating artificial volcanoes to pollute the atmosphere with sulfur particles, fertilizing the oceans and placing sun-deflecting aluminum foil in the sky. But opposition is growing to geoengineering. We host a debate between Indian environmentalist, scientist, philosopher and eco-feminist, Vandana Shiva, and geopolitical analyst and columnist, Gwynne Dyer.

Gwynne Dyer on “Climate Wars: The Fight for Survival as the World Overheats”
8 Jul 2010
As a heat wave from Boston to Baghdad to Beijing sets record-breaking temperatures in cities across the world, a new analysis says the world is headed for an average temperature rise that far exceeds pledges at the Copenhagen climate conference last year. We speak with geopolitical analyst and columnist Gwynne Dyer about his new book, “Climate Wars: The Fight for Survival as the World Overheats.”

Military Psychologists Face Complaints With Licensing Boards Over Roles at Guantanamo
8 Jul 2010
Two U.S. military psychologists are facing complaints with their state licensing boards over their actions at Guantanamo Bay. The psychologists, Major General John Leso and Col. Larry James, are accused of helping perpetrate the abuse and torture of prisoners in violation of standards of professional conduct. We speak with Dr. Steven Reisner, a New York psychologist who filed one of the complaints.[includes rush transcript]

Juan Gonzalez Remembers Puerto Rican Analyst Juan Manuel Garca Passalacqua
8 Jul 2010
The well-known Puerto Rican attorney, political analyst and historian Juan Manuel Garca-Passalacqua has died at the age of 73. After his death on Friday, Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuo declared three days of mourning. Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez, who has known Passalacqua for many years, talks about his life and legacy.[includes rush transcript]

Headlines for July 8, 2010
8 Jul 2010
Appeals Court to Weigh Attempt to Restore Drilling Ban, BP Claims New Target Date for Sealing Well, Report: 27,000 Abandoned Wells Pose Threat to Gulf Coast, 60 Killed in Iraq Bombings Targeting Shiite Pilgrims, U.S., Russia Negotiate Swap of Alleged Spies, Cuba to Free Over 50 Jailed Dissidents, Indian Forces Impose Curfew in Kashmir in Wake of Protest Deaths, Spanish Court Orders New Probe of U.S. Killing of Spanish Journalist, Ex-Guatemalan Soldier Pleads Guilty to Concealing Role in 1982 Dos Erres Massacre, British Probe Clears “Climategate” Scientists, Obama Vows to Push Trade Pacts, Report: Raytheon Hired for NSA Surveillance of Infrastructure Hacking

As Dalai Lama Marks 75th Birthday, A Look at His Views on the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Tibet
7 Jul 2010
The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama turned 75 years old yesterday. The Nobel Peace Prize winner addressed a crowd of thousands gathered to celebrate the occasion at a temple in the Indian Himalayas where he as lived since fleeing Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959. At a recent event in New York, Amy Goodman asked him his thoughts on the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the status of Tibet. We also speak with Dr. Robert Thurman, professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies at Columbia University and president of Tibet House US.

Media Clampdown in the Gulf Coast: Government and BP Place More Restrictions on Journalists Covering the Oil Spill
7 Jul 2010
Covering BP’s massive oil spill disaster has been a challenge for journalists given the numerous restrictions placed by BP and in many cases, local law enforcement and federal officials. But reporting on the spill and the clean-up efforts just got even harder. Last week the Coast Guard put new restrictions in place across the Gulf Coast that prevent the public – including photographers and reporters covering the BP oil spill – from coming within 65 feet of any response vessels or booms on the water or on beaches.[includes rush transcript]

BP Oil Spill Cleanup Workers Getting Sick, Exxon Valdez Survivor Warns of Long Term Health Effects
7 Jul 2010
As the BP oil spill enters its 78th day, cleanup crews across the Gulf Coast are working to try and remove what they can of the expanding oil slick. And many of them are getting sick doing it. A growing number of cleanup workers have reported suffering flu-like symptoms including headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea and problems with memory and concentration. We speak with a Louisiana chemist who testified before Congress to call for greater worker protections and a former general foreman of the cleanup crews of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

After U.S. Praise for Netanyahu’s “Restraint”, Israeli Journalist Amira Hass Asks Obama to Imagine Life as A Palestinian Under Occupation
7 Jul 2010
Meeting at the White House, President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the “unbreakable” bond between Israel and the United States. Despite ongoing Israeli settlement expansion, roadblocks, closures and the attack on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Obama said he thinks Israel “has shown restraint.” The meeting came on the heels of a decision by the Israeli military prosecutor to take disciplinary and legal action in four separate cases from Israel’s 22-day assault on Gaza last year. We speak to veteran Israeli journalist Amira Hass.

Headlines for July 7, 2010
7 Jul 2010
U.S. Army Analyst Charged in Wikileaks Case, U.S. Military Restricts Media Access Following McChrystal Controversy, NATO Forces Mistakenly Kill 5 Afghan Soldiers; 3 U.S. Troops Die in Roadside Bombing, Admin Seeks Reinstatement of Deepwater Drilling Ban, Environmental Groups Announce Settlement to Prevent Burning of Sea Turtles, Justice Dept. Sues Arizon over Anti-Immigrant Law, Obama Praises Israeli “Restraint” at Netanyahu Meeting, UK Opens Inquiry of Role in U.S. Torture of Foreign Prisoners, Vows to Compensate Victims, Study: Climate Pledges Will Lead to 4C Increase by 2100, Heat Wave Breaks Records on U.S. East Coast, Environmentalist Avoids Jail Term for Senate Protest

“Promised Land” – New Doc Follows Struggles Over Land in South Africa
6 Jul 2010
A new film premiering tonight on PBS called “Promised Land” follows two legal struggles over land in contemporary South Africa. In 1994, the African National Congress-led post-apartheid government promised to redistribute a third of the land within 10 years but the struggle for economic justice continues. We speak with filmmaker Yoruba Richen.

Plaintiff in ACLU Suit Challenging Government No-Fly List Describes Struggle, First Against Deportation, Then To Be Allowed to Board a Plane
6 Jul 2010
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against top Justice Department and F.B.I. officials on behalf of 10 Americans and legal residents on the government?s no-fly list. We speak with one of the plaintiffs, 22-year old Adama Bah, who’s lived in the U.S. since she was two years old. She got political asylum from Guinea to prevent her undergoing genital mutilation. We also speak with ACLU attorney, Ben Wizner.