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Last Updated: Apr 18th, 2008 - 11:23:41 |
Martin Luther King’s Life and Legacy 40 Years After His Assassination
Commemorations are being held across the country today to mark the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. The civil rights leader and peace activist was gunned down April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was just 39 years old. Click here to go our our complete coverage.
Prosecutors Rest Case in Sean Bell Killing Trial
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| Joseph Guzman, survivor of Sean Bell killing. |
In New York, prosecutors rested their case Wednesday in the trial of three police officers accused of killing Sean Bell. The unarmed Bell died on his wedding day in a hail of 50 police bullets. For its last witness, prosecutors called the emergency room surgeon who treated Bell’s friend, Joseph Guzman, who was shot 16 times. The surgeon, Dr. Albert Cooper, said Guzman nearly died from several intestinal wounds. The trial also heard emotional testimony from Guzman, who described Bell’s last words as he lay bleeding from the 19 wounds caused by police bullets. Guzman says Bell told him he loved him before drawing his last breath.
Carter Suggests He Backs Obama
On the campaign trail, former President Jimmy Carter has appeared to give his endorsement to Sen. Barack Obama. Speaking to reporters in Nigeria, Carter noted that Obama has the support of Carter’s home state of Georgia, his hometown of Plains, and his children and grandchildren. Carter continued: “As a superdelegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for, but I leave you to make that guess.”
Record Number of Food Stamp Recipients Projected
Government officials are projecting the number of Americans receiving food stamps will reach a record 28 million later this year. Over the past year, more than 40 states saw the number of food stamp recipients rise. A 10 percent jump in food stamp recipients was recorded in six states: Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, North Dakota and Rhode Island. In West Virginia, one in six residents now receive food stamps.
1968, Forty Years Later: Remembering the 1968 Orangeburg massacre of Black students.
While jokes are being made of Obama’s bowling skills, 40 years ago it was not easy for a Black man to even enter some bowling alleys in the country. In fact, in South Carolina, it led to a confrontation between Black students and police that became known as the Orangeburg Massacre.
It was February 8th, 1968. A crowd of students gathered on the campus of South Carolina State University to protest segregation at Orangeburg’s only bowling alley. Dozens of police arrived on the scene, and the students lit a bonfire on a street in front of the campus. Tensions escalated and police officers opened fire into the crowd. When the shooting stopped, three students were dead and 27 were wounded. The three killed were Samuel Hammond, Delano Middleton and Henry Smith. Although the tragedy predated the Kent State shootings and Jackson State killings, and it was the first of its kind on any American college campus, it received little national media coverage.
Court Orders New Sentencing for Mumia Abu-Jamal
A federal appeals court refused to overturn the conviction of imprisoned journalist and former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal and rejected his call for a new trial. However, the long-awaited ruling said Abu-Jamal, who has been on death row for 26 years, deserves a new sentencing hearing because of flawed jury instructions. If he is re-sentenced, he will face either death or life in prison without parole. Abu-Jamal was convicted for killing a White police officer in 1982 following a controversial trial before a predominantly White jury.
Officials, Execs Defend Bear Stearns Bailouts
Federal officials and senior Wall Street executives appeared before the Senate Banking Committee to defend the controversial government bailout of the investment bank Bear Stearns. The Federal Reserve put up $30 billion dollars to help JPMorgan Chase purchase Bear Sterns last month. The deal has come under criticism at a time when millions of struggling homeowners have received little assistance to deal with record foreclosures. Federal Reserve chair Ben Barnanke said the government had to protect Bear Stearns to avoid market chaos.
Federal Reserve chair Ben Barnanke: “What we had in mind here was the protection of the financial system and the protection of the American economy. I believe that if the American people understand that we were trying to protect the economy and not to protect anyone on Wall Street they would better appreciate why we took the actions we did.”
Bi-Partisan Housing Deal Slights Struggling Homeowners
On Capitol Hill, Senate and Republican leaders have unveiled a new plan to address the nation’s housing crisis. The $15 billion measure would mostly benefit the home-building industry while offering little to millions of homeowners facing foreclosure. Lawmakers rejected proposals including allowing bankruptcy judges to modify mortgage rates in individual cases. Struggling homeowners would mostly benefit from $100 million allocated to counseling services and increased leeway for local authorities to refinance mortgages through tax-exempt bonds. Home-builders would get the most assistance, with $6 billion in tax rebates. Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research said, “It’s a bipartisan effort not to help the right people.”
Paulson Unveils Plan to Overhaul Regulation of Financial Markets
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson unveiled a sweeping new plan to overhaul how U.S. financial markets are regulated.
Henry Paulson: “Some may view these recommendations as a response to the circumstances of the day. Yet, that is not how they are intended. This blueprint addresses complex, long-term issues that should not be decided in the midst of stressful situations and should not be implemented to add greater burden to a market already under strain. These long-term ideas require thoughtful discussion and will not be resolved this month or even this year.”
Paulson’s plan was quickly criticized by many economists, lobbyists and lawmakers, who predicted that most of the plan would be dead on arrival. The 218-page plan would drastically expand the authority of the Federal Reserve to oversee financial markets, while reducing the enforcement power of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Parts of the plan call for further deregulation. The New York Times reports Paulson recommends that investment advisers no longer be directly regulated by the SEC, but instead by an industry regulatory organization. The Consumer Federation of America issued a statement saying, “Rolling out this plan in the middle of the current crisis is like telling Hurricane Katrina victims stranded on their rooftops in New Orleans, ’Don’t worry, if you can hold for a few years, we’ve got a really great plan to restructure the federal emergency response system.’”
59 Percent of US Doctors Back National Healthcare Plan
In medical news, a new survey shows nearly 60 percent of U.S. doctors said they support a national healthcare plan such as a single-payer system. The survey of 2,000 doctors was published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Dr. Ronald Ackermann, the co-author of the study, said, “Across the board, more physicians feel that our fragmented and for-profit insurance system is obstructing good patient care, and a majority now support national insurance as the remedy.”
Military Considers Recruiting & Hiring Bloggers
In media news, new questions are being raised over the relationship between the Pentagon and bloggers. Wired.com has uncovered a 2006 study written for the U.S. Special Operations Command that suggests the military should clandestinely recruit or hire prominent bloggers. The report stated, “Hiring a block of bloggers to verbally attack a specific person or promote a specific message may be worth considering.” The report also suggested the Pentagon hack blogs that promote messages that are antithetical to US interests. The report went on to say, “Hacking the site and subtly changing the messages and data—merely a few words or phrases—may be sufficient to begin destroying the blogger’s credibility with the audience.”
Military Issues New Rules on Recruiters on Campuses
In education news, colleges and universities may soon be forced to hand over more information about students to military recruiters. According to the Marine Corps Times, the military recently announced a new get-tough policy with schools that interfere with the work of military recruiters and ROTC programs. Under rules that will take effect this month, military officials said they want the exact same access to student directories that is provided to all other prospective employers. The new policy also no longer lets schools ban military recruiters from working on campuses. Federal funding can be cut off if colleges and universities do not give recruiters and ROTC programs campus access.
100 Indian Workers March to D.C. to Protest Slave Conditions
In Washington, nearly 100 workers from India marched to the White House Monday to protest the treatment of guest workers in the United States. The workers accused their former employer, Signal International, of treating them like slaves after they were brought to the United States to help rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. The workers have filed a major class-action anti-racketeering suit against Signal and its US and Indian recruiters in federal court.
HUD Secretary Jackson Resigns
In news from Washington, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson has resigned. Jackson’s resignation came as the country faces its worst housing crisis in years. Jackson had been under investigation by the Justice Department and the Housing Department’s inspector general in inquiries focusing on whether he gave lucrative housing contracts to friends.
After tremendous adverse publicity, retail giant Wal-Mart has announced it is dropping its effort to collect over $400,000 in health care reimbursement from Debbie Shank, a former employee. Debbie lost much of her memory and ability to communicate or walk in a car crash in May 2000. Her family successfully sued the trucking company involved, and after attorneys’ fees and expenses, the $417,000 from the settlement was put in a trust for Debbie’s care. That’s when Wal-Mart stepped in and sued the Shanks to recover the medical costs. Wal-Mart won the case in court. The story generated a public outcry after it was recently featured on several national news networks and newspaper editorials.
Bush Jeered at Baseball Game
Meanwhile, President Bush was met by jeers and cheers last night as he threw out the first pitch of the Washington Nationals baseball season. The Washington Nationals opened their season in a new $600 million stadium that was financed almost entirely by government subsidies.
Chertoff: Many Immigrants Won’t Be Granted Status in Time for November Vote
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has admitted that hundreds of thousands of immigrants awaiting citizenship might not be granted legal status before the November elections. Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy says 580,000 immigrants awaiting citizenship likely won’t be allowed to vote.
“Fusion Centers” Collect, Share Personal Info of US Citizens
New details have been revealed on government collection of Americans’ personal information. The Washington Post is reporting so-called “fusion centers” established following the 9/11 attacks have collected a more extensive array of data than previously known. According to government documents, the fusion centers collect cell phone numbers, insurance claims, credit reports, financial records, and names of relatives and associates. The information is shared among law enforcement officials nationwide.
Venezuelan Parliament OKs Oil Profits Tax
In Venezuela, lawmakers have approved a new tax on “windfall” oil profits. The measure would collect half of oil revenues above $70 a barrel and 60 percent of revenues over $100 dollars a barrel. The tax needs approval from the National Assembly before taking effect. Venezuelan parliamentarian Angel Rodriguez said the tax is justified by what he called excessive oil company revenues “that go beyond reasonable levels of profitability.”
Poll: 81% Believe U.S. on Wrong Track
A new poll shows 81 percent of Americans believe the United States is headed in the wrong direction. According to the New York Times, that’s the highest level of dissatisfaction since the poll began in the early 1990s.
Lawsuit Challenges Legality of Immigration Raids
And in New Jersey, a new lawsuit says federal immigration agents have illegally entered homes and made arrests in raids on undocumented immigrants. Attorneys at Seton Hall’s Center for Social Justice have filed the suit on behalf of ten plaintiffs. The suit accuses Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials of using deceit or raw force to gain unlawful entry and seize immigrant suspects. The case will test the legality of a series of tactics used by immigration officials in nationwide raids since May 2006.
International
WHO: Dozens of Palestinians Die Awaiting Israeli Permission for Medical Treatment
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is reporting dozens of Palestinians have died while waiting for Israeli permission to receive medical care in Israel. The WHO says thirty-two Gaza residents have died awaiting treatment since October. The victims ranged from a one-year-old child to a seventy-seven-year-old man. Six of the dead were waiting for the permits. Others were denied permits because Israeli officials labeled them a security risk. Others had received permits for themselves but had to await Israeli permission to admit Palestinian doctors. And others died while waiting to cross the Erez border crossing into Israel.
Opposition Party Wins Zimbabwe Parliament Vote
In Zimbabwe, final results show the main opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change, has narrowly won parliamentary elections. The MDC won 99 seats, while President Robert Mugabe’s party won 97. Presidential results have yet to be announced, but Mugabe appears headed toward a run-off vote against MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Ecuadorian Parliament OKs Ban on Foreign Military Bases
In Ecuador, lawmakers have approved a ban on foreign military bases. If approved by voters, the measure could bring an end to the US military base in Manta. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has previously said he would not renew the US lease on the base when it expires in 2009.
Zimbabwe Police Raid Opposition Party, Journalists
In Zimbabwe, a series of police raids are renewing fears of a government attempt to maintain power following its losses in this week’s elections. On Thursday, police swept the offices of the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, and sealed off a hotel frequented by foreign journalists. President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party narrowly lost control of parliament to the Movement for Democratic Change in Saturday’s election. Mugabe is likely to face MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai in a run-off presidential vote.
Swiss Bank UBS Loses $19 Billion
In economic news, Switzerland’s largest bank, UBS, has announced it has lost billions of dollars because of the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis. UBS announced it sees losses and write downs of approximately $19 billion. This represents the largest fallout in Europe from the US economic crisis so far.
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