On this week's show...
* In Feburary, Pennsylvania prisoner-rights activists converged on Harrisburg to protest abusive prison conditions at home
* Last week the BBC obtained an rare interview with a Guantanamo Bay detainee, and we'll hear about his experience in the Guantanamo Bay prison
* updates on a general strike in Africa, students against sweatshops in Santa Cruz, and an update on the South Central Farmers in LA
* and also our local headlines
Welcome to this week's edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots, news overlooked by the corporate media. The show airs every Monday from 6-7pm on WRCT 88.3FM in Pittsburgh, every Thursday from 11am to noon on WARC Meadville 90.3 FM from the campus of Allegheny College, every Saturday from 5-6pm on WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area, and also every Saturday at 5pm on WPTS Pittsburgh, 92.1 FM from the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.
And we're also available on the internet, both on W-R-C-T's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and archived at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.
On today's show...
Last week the BBC obtained an rare interview with a Guantanamo Bay detainee, and we'll hear about his experience in the Guantanamo Bay Prison
And in Feburary, Pennsylvania prisoner-rights activists converged on Harrisburg to protest abusive prison conditions at home
but first, these local news headlines
Headlines
Local News
[3:30] Help America Vote Act in PA
In 2002, congress passed the Help America Vote Act,
which sets new standards for all voting systems to be
used by the states and provides funds for states to
update their systems. In response, many states are
switching to electronic voting systems.
Pennsylvania's county election boards are in the
process of selecting machines to use in the upcoming
May primary elections.
Rustbelt Radio has previously reported that a group of
citizens in Westmoreland County has sued the county
over its plan to purchase electronic voting machines.
Marybeth Kunzler, one of those who initiated the
action, describes the lawsuit for Rustbelt Radio:
Clip kunzler [1:25]
Since 2002, state officials have told counties that
referendums were not required, because federal law
supercedes state law. However, on Monday February 19,
commonwealth court judge Dan Pellegrini ruled in favor
of the Westmoreland county citizens, saying that the
new federal law did not directly address the
referendum requirement, and thereby did not nullify
it. The ruling applies to counties throughout
Pennsylvania. Funds available under the Help America
Vote act are set to expire if not used before the
spring primaries occur, and county officials fear
there is not time before May to hold referendums and
to install new voting systems if they are approved.
However, there is some uncertainty about the federal
deadline, as other states including New York have
exceeded the deadline without penalty.
Richard King describes a bill initiated by the group
Vote PA, designed to secure the reliability of vote
counting amidst the proposed introduction of
potentially unreliable electronic systems.
Clip king [ :28]
[1:00] This bike is a pipe
Controversial band names have been a mainstay of punk rock since the Sex Pistols. And Pensacola-based band This Bike is a Pipe Bomb has followed in the tradition admirably. Last week in Athens, Ohio the university police proved that they are no fans of folk-punk and that any threat will be taken seriously.
When Ohio University police discovered a that mountain bike bearing a sticker with the band’s name, This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, was locked up on campus, they took no chances. The police closed off 4 university buildings and called in the bomb squad. When bomb experts detonated the bike they determined conclusively that there was no bomb inside.
http://www.infoshop.org
[3:25] (FSRN) Steel Workers Strike in Ohio
One of the Midwest's largest steel producers has locked out all 2,700 hourly employees after a union contract expired earlier this week. AK Steel Works in Middletown, Ohio primarily supplies steel for the automotive and manufacturing industries. Picketers are holding a 24-hour vigil outside the mill as their union leaders plan their strategy for contract negotiations. The success of these negotiations not only impacts the workers, it could also cause a slow down for the automotive industry. Allison Raaum reports.
http://www.fsrn.org
Wrapup
For more on all of our local news stories, visit pittsburgh dot I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot O-R-G.
[ Musical Break -- This Bike, of course!]
Global News
Intro
You are listening to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news overlooked by the corporate media. We turn now to headlines from Independent Media Sources around the world.
[1:00] Libyan government pardons political prisoners
Last week, the Libyan government pardoned 132 political prisoners. According to Human Rights Watch, most of the released prisoners had spent more than seven years in detention, after being imprisoned for nonviolent activities by unfair trials.
The authorities released the men from Tripoli's Abu Salim prison on a national holiday called "The Day of People's Authority." The government did not make a list of the prisoners' names available, nor did it clarify how the pardon had come about.
The Qadhafi Foundation for Development, run by a son of the Libyan leader Mu`ammar Qadhafi, had been urging the release of 131 prisoners for months, arguing that the men did not pose a security threat to the state.
http://humanrightswatch.org
[1:00] General strike in Guinea
Workers in Guinea, West Africa, have been on a general strike since February 27, when talks between the unions and government broke down. The strike has brought the capital city Conakry to a standstill.
Anger has grown over low wages in the public sector, unpaid arrears and the spiralling cost of living. In Guinean, the majority of the population lives on less than $1 per day, which is considered a state Extreme Poverty by economists. The cost of rice, the staple food for most Guineans, nearly doubled between January 2004 and November 2005. Gas prices have also increased greatly in the past few months.
The main demand of the strikers is for a fourfold increase in wages, but the government has rejected this demand.
Guinea has almost one third of the global reserves of bauxite, the raw material used to make aluminium. Pittsburgh-based Alcoa World Alumina, which owns part of Guinea's largest bauxite plant, issued a statement claiming that the strike will have minimal impact on Aluminium production.
[1:00] McDonald's close across UK
Last week in Britain, 25 McDonald's stores closed their doors. The fast food company said slow sales were the cause. McDonald's European boss Denis Hennequin said [quote] "The UK has been in negative territory for a couple of years now. The brand 15 years ago was very trendy and modern. It is now tired."
Over the past 10 years, the British beef industry has suffered because of the discovery of mad cow disease in British herds. McDonalds has also come under recent criticism for not properly disclosing the contents of its french fries: It was recently discovered that McDonalds french fries are not gluten-free, as advertised, and in 2001 McDonalds was forced to admit that the "natural flavor" in the fries contained beef extract: a fact that outraged vegetarians and Hindus around the world.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,,1723350,00.html
[0:30] Food Safey Regulations Bill
The House of Representatives delayed a planned vote on the controversial
National Unity for Food Act until March eighth after Congress received over
50,000 emails and phone calls from consumers concerned about the bill.
The Attorney Generals of thirty-seven states have asked Congress to defeat the bill as
it will [quote] "strip state governments of the ability to protect their
residents through state laws and regulations relating to the safety of
food and food packaging."
The bill would prevent states from having food labeling standards stricter
than the federal ones. Industries including food processing and
retail chains have been lobbying in favor of the legislation.
[1:00] Virtual product placement
In April 2005, a breakthrough in television advertising debuted without fanfare -- a new technology that allows product placements to be digitally added, after scenes are filmed. The technology, called Digital Brand Integration, was developed by Marathon Ventures, as part of an unprecedented marketing deal with CBS. This technology has been used to add brands like Kellogg's to the sitcom "Yes, Dear," and StarKist and Chevrolet to "CSI" and "How I Met Your Mother."
Marathon Ventures expects to unveil a new pact soon with the Fox network, reports Reuters. But virtual product placement dates back to at least 1999, when images of several brands, including Coca-Cola and Blockbuster video, were digitally spliced into an episode of the now-defunct drama 'Seven Days.' According to Nielsen Media Research, there were over 100,000 product placements in prime time television last year, which is a 30 percent increase over the previous year.
http://prwatch.org/
[0:30] Supreme Court rules colleges must allow military recruiters
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that colleges which accept federal money must allow military recruiters on campus, despite university objections to the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, said that the campus visits are an effective military recruiting tool. He wrote "A military recruiter's mere presence on campus does not violate a law school's right to associate, regardless of how repugnant the law school considers the recruiter's message."
[4:30] UC Sweat-free
In other college news, students at UC Santa Cruz protested the practice of manufacturing university apparel in sweat shops by getting naked.
[4:22] uc_sweat_free.ogg
[1:30] South Dakota Abortion Law
On February 22, the South Dakota state government passed legislation making all abortion in the state illegal. This is far out-of-line with mainstream opinion and even George Bush believes that abortion should be legal in the instances of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at stake. The South Dakota legislation will be evaluated by the Supreme Court where the decision could overturn the precedent set by Roe vs. Wade in 1973.
Many people beyond the stereotypical feminists and radicals are concerned that this ruling in South Dakota will set a dire trend for the rest of the country. People have been fighting for 40 years and longer for women to have rights over their own bodies. This ruling is just another in a series of legislations passed in the last few years taking away people’s rights.
Here in Pennsylvania we have restrictions on abortions even in the first trimester. The Supreme Court upheld these restrictions in a 1992 case of Planned Parenthood vs. Casey.
With all these restrictions being placed on abortion, many are worried that people will return to unsafe abortions practices. Radical groups have begun publishing DIY abortion advocacy information, and a Radical Pro-choice contingent is being organized for the March 18th Protest Against the Iraq War. Pittsburgh’s chapter of Anti-Racist Action is calling marchers wearing pink, black, and purple to follow their pink and black flags.
[1:00] South Central LA Urban Farm Update
Rustbelt Radio has previously reported on efforts to save the South
Central Farm, an urban farm located in the South Central neighborhood of
Los Angeles. The fourteen-acre farm is the largest urban farm in the US.
Over 300 low-income families farm plots there to feed their families. The
farm adjoins the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank's headquarters.
There has been a multi-year land battle between the farmers, the city, and
a private developer who previously owned the land and wants to build
warehouse facilities there. Earlier this year, an LA court ruled in favor
of the developer. An eviction notice was posted at the farm on March
first, stating that the farm must be vacated by March sixth.
Lawyers representing the farmers are appealing the eviction. Last week,
farmers met with the LA Deputy Mayor, who says the city is trying to
negotiate other options in order to save the farm.
Police surveillance in the area has been increasing throughout the
weekend.
Wrapup
You can read more about our global news stories by visting I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot O-R-G. We'll be back after a brief break.
[ Musical Break -- This Bike ]
Bad Cop No Donut
That was This Bike is a Pipe bomb. Welcome back to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
On this week's Bad Cop No Donut, Ron brings us reports on police misconduct in the region, including officers in Scranton Pennsylvania, Columbus Ohio, and Ironton Ohio.
local bad cop no donut (1:50)
Features
Intro
You're listening to Rustbelt Radio.
[8:30] Somalia update
Now we have an update from the Somalia Organisation for Community Development Activities on the growing social movements that are demanding an end to conflict in Somalia.
[8:15] somaliamp3
[10:00] PA prisons
Last month prisoner-rights activists rallied in Harrisburg to seek the end of abusive practices in Pennsylvania’s prisons. Etta Cettera has more.
[9:45] pa_prisons_update.ogg
[10 min] BBC interviews Gunatanmo detainee
Last week, the Pentagon finally released the names of the detainees being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The names were not released in a simple list, but as part of 6,000 pages of documents reluctantly posted to a remote section of the Pentagon's website in response to a Freedom of Information Act Request.
Meanwhile, 15 Members of Witness Against Torture were arrested on the White House steps where they gathered to protest the policies they say have injured and killed people in prisons such as Guantanamo Bay, Bagram in Afghanistan, and Abu Ghraib in Iraq. The arrests took place on Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent, the annual period when Catholics pray and fast to repent for sins.
For years reporters have attempted to interview the detainees in the Guantanamo prison, and the US has rebuffed all attempts. In a recent breakthrough, the BBC managed to perform something approximating an interview with a Kuwaiti detainee by submitting questions and receiving answers through his lawyer.
[8:30] Fawzi-al-Odah.ogg
Last week, the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a suit to stop the force feeding on behalf of another hunger-striking detainee in Guantanamo Bay. This is the first suit under the new McCain torture amendment, which passed into law as the Detainee Treatment Act recently.
Ending
Calendar of events
And now we present the Indymedia calendar of events:
A rally for International Women's Day will be held on Wednesday March 8th at noon in front of the Federal Building in Pittsburgh. The event will celebrate the accomplishments of women and call for an end to the war in Iraq. The Federal building is at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and Grant street in downtown Pittsburgh.
Also on Wednesday, March 8th at 4:30pm Simon Sedillo will present El Enemigo Comun: The Common Enemy. This lecture and film will document indigenous resistance to neoliberalism that's taking place in Oaxaca, Mexico. The film was produced by Simon Sedillo and other members of the Austin Independent Media Center. It will be held at Carnegie Mellon University, Doherty Hall 2210, and is open to the public and free to all.
On Saturday March 11th there will be a workshopon Gentrification and Displacement from 10am-noon at the Friends Meeting House, 4836 Ellsworth Ave, in Oakland. For more information call 412-687-5263
On Tuesday the 14th at 11AM a rally for equality will be held in Harrisburg opposing the “Marriage Protection Amendment.” For more info email equalitynow(at)msn.com or call 412-858-3057
Outro
[ Cue Outro music ]
Thanks for tuning in to Rust Belt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh, WARC Meadville, WVJW Benwood and WPTS Pittsburgh.
Our hosts this week are Abie Flaxman and Jessica McPherson. This week's show was produced by Matt Toups and Donald Deeley. Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.
This show includes material from portland indymedia, pr watch, human rights watch, the bbc, free speech radio news, news.infoshop.org.
Your story submissions are welcome! To get involved with Rust Belt Radio, or to send us your comments, email RADIO at I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot ORG or call 412-923-3000. All of our shows are available for download on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG, and this program can be heard again on Tuesday morning at 9AM after Democracy Now on WRCT 88.3FM Pittsburgh.
Tune in next week at this time for another edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots.
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