On this week's show we'll hear from Sankofa Community Empowement about their Saturday School and We'll go to a Guatemalan village, where the Women's Self-Reliance Program is using intensive gardening to promoting economic independence, environmental sustainability, and stronger community
and an update on police misconduct and taser use from Ron Anicich
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 live every Monday from 6-7pm on WRCT 88.3FM in Pittsburgh, PA, every Thursday from 11am to noon on WARC-Meadville from the campus of Allegheny College, and every Saturday from 5-6pm on WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area. WRCT will also feature a rebroadcast of today's show Tuesday morning at 9AM. 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, where a podcast feed of the show is also available!
On today's show...
We'll hear from Sankofa Community Empowement about their Saturday School
We'll go to a Guatemalan village, where the Women's Self-Reliance Program is using intensive gardening to promoting economic independence, environmental sustainability, and stronger community
and an update on police misconduct and taser use from Ron Anicich
but first, these headlines
Headlines
Local News
[1:30] 1,500 rally in Harrisburg against pay raise
About 1,500 protesters gathered on the steps of the state Capitol in Harrisburg this afternoon to demand that the legislators working inside repeal the 16 to 34 percent pay raise they approved for themselves in July.
Speakers incited the crowd to express their disgust with the pay increase. The crowd responded by chanting “Repeal the Raise.”
Barry Kauffman, the leader of Common Cause/Pennsylvania, announced that his group is planning to file a federal lawsuit next week to try to prevent the pay increase. He will allege that the raise, approved at 2 A.M. on July 7th, violated several sections of the state constitution, including one that says a bill has to have consideration in public on three different days before being voted on. He said people upset over the raise can't get a fair hearing in state court because state judges, along with Gov. Ed Rendell's cabinet, were included in the pay raise bill.
Another leader of the protest, Timothy Potts of the group Democracy Rising Pa., urged the crowd to vote on Nov. 8 against two sitting Supreme Court judges, Russell Nigro and Sandra Schultz Newman, who will be up for retention election. He charged that the state Supreme Court routinely rubber stamps unconstitutional actions of the Legislature, such as the pay raise and the July 2004 bill legalizing slot machines, which also was passed in the middle of the night without proper public hearings, he said.
Potts also urged the crowd to vote against incumbent legislators when they seek re-election in the May 2006 primary or November 2006 general election. He hopes that voting against the Supreme Court Justices this November will send a clear message to the incumbent legislators.
[1:00] Pennsylvania joins suit on energy regulations
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has joined 13 other states and New York City in a suit against the U.S. Department of Energy, seeking to force it to obey laws passed in 1987 and 1992 that mandate increased energy efficiency for many household and commercial products. The suit claims the DOE is up to 13 years late in implementing new standards and years from creating new ones.
The plaintiffs, including New York, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts and now Pennsylvania, cite in the suit "this nation's urgent need to reduce the consumer costs and environmental impacts of energy and to increase our energy independence." The Energy Department developed new federal standards for furnaces which were to be implemented in 1994. Over 11 years later, they still haven’t been put into effect, and consumers have been paying the price.
One expert has estimated the new furnace standard won't go into effect until at least 2013. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy calculates that a 2 to 4 percent drop in U.S. consumption of natural gas could bring the cost down by 20 percent. If the reality is even close to that, it would be welcome relief for consumers.
The lawsuit is an attempt to compel a higher priority and faster progress on federal energy-efficiency regulations. The implementation of better regulations could mean savings in energy and money, and also reductions in pollution and greenhouse gases.
[1:30] State screening schoolchildren for obesity
In addition to report cards, parents of elementary school children in Pennsylvania will also be receiving a separate report of their child's health.
The State Health Department is now requiring school nurses to measure student's body-mass index- or height to weight ratio- during annual growth screenings. A letter will be sent home to parents, explaining whether the child's BMI is above, below, or normal for their age and gender
Height and weight screenings have been conducted in schools for nearly 50 years, and calculating the body mass index will be one additional step in determining the child's health.
About 35 percent of Pennsylvania's children are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight, according to a state Health Department study of more than 25,000 student's health records during the 2001-02 school year.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports Pennsylvania will be the fifth state to collect student's BMI data in addition to Arkansas, California, Florida and Missouri. And by 2007, the report will be required for all grade levels in Pennsylvania.
Some doctors are skeptical of the practical effects of the BMI report. Dr. Reginald Washington, a Denver pediatrician who co-chairs an obesity task force for the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the recommended doctor visit is a simplistic solution. He states that to even begin combating child obesity takes and hour of counseling and evaluation.
'Schools should be prepared to help children address weight problems by educating them about proper nutrition and providing adequate exercise time, among other things,' said Ivy Silver, founder of A Chance to Heal, an advocacy group for people with eating disorders.
Parents will also have the option of not receiving the letters if they choose.
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.
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 Centers around the world.
[1:00] St Patrick's Day Four Acquitted in Second Trial
Four Ithaca, NY based protestors who call themselves the St Patrick's Day Four were acquitted late Monday morning of charges that could have led to 5 years in jail and a $250,000 fine. The four protestors, Peter DeMott, Clare Grady, Teresa Grady, and Danny Burns, had entered a military recruiting station in Lansing, a suburb of Ithaca, and poured bottles of their own blood on the wall in an act of protest on Saint Patrick's Day of 2003, on the eve of the Iraq War. After pouring their blood, the four Catholic Workers and long-time peace activists knelt and prayed, waiting to be arrested.
A 2003 trial in Ithaca resulted in a hung jury, with 9 of 12 jurors voting to acquit. A vindictive county prosecutor intially said that there was no point in a second trial, but later contacted a federal prosecutor and suggested that they be prosecuted under heavier charges, including conspiracy to impede a federal prosecutor, a little-used charge that carries heavy penalties. The week-long trial that just ended took place in federal court in Binghamton, with jurors drawn from mostly conservative, rural New York State, and under heavy restrictions. The four had been barred from discussing their first trial or the vindictive prosecution, as well as the religious and moral motivation that they had for entering the recruiting center. After a day and a half of deliberation, the jury found the 4 protestors not guilty of the conspiracy charge, but guilty of misdemeanor trespassing and damaging a federal facility. Sentencing is set for January, and both charges carry possible jail time, of six months and one year, respectively.
Representatives of the defendants called the verdict a victory.
"Regardless of the penalties, we will continue to call for justice for the Iraqi people and our troops," stated Daniel Burns, one of the four defendants. "We know our principled dissent now represents the majority of the public, and we're inspired by the jury's decision to refuse the government's attempt at intimidation."
[3:00] Reports of mass murder, "thugs" in New Orleans false
Everyone who knows what happened in New Orleans at the Superdome and Convention Center in the days following Hurricane Katrina. Authorities and the national media described horrifying tales of mass murder, rape and other unspeakable crimes commited by what Bill O'Reilley called "armed thugs" while law enforcement was distrupted by the storm.
A report in today's New Orleans Times-Picayune has revealed that there is no evidence of victims at the Superdome or Convention Center for the rumors repeated by police, politicians, and the national media. Despite reports of hundreds of bodies piled up at the Superdome, only six were found. Four died of natural causes, one overdose, and one person jumped to their death in an apparent suicide. Health Department officials say no one was killed inside the Superdome.
At the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, just four bodies were
recovered, despites reports of corpses piled inside the building. Only
one of the dead appeared to have been slain.
Sargent first class Jason Lachney, who played a key role in security and
humanitarian work inside the Dome, told the Times-Picayune (quote) "I
think 99 percent of it is bulls---. Don't get me wrong, bad things
happened, but I didn't see any killing and raping and cutting of
throats or anything." (end quote)
The New Orleans District Attorney said authorities had confirmed only four
murders in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina. In a city that
expects over 200, and sometimes as many as 400 murders per year, that
murder rate is about average.
But this widespread misconception of the hurricane survivors in New
Orleans, mostly poor black people, had many effects on the outcome of
the crisis. Police from the westbank suburb of Gretna opened fire on
storm survivors attempting to escape the starved city across the
Mississippi River Bridge. Since then Police Chief Arthur Lawson has
defended his orders to fire and the city's mayor has also come to his
defense. They said they did not want (quote) "another superdome" in
their town.
When Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco finally sent national guard
units into New Orleans, she announced at a press conference (quote)
"Three hundred of the Arkansas National Guard have landed in the city
of New Orleans. These troops are fresh back from Iraq, well trained,
experienced, battle-tested and under my orders to restore order in the
streets. They have M-16s and they are locked and loaded. These troops
know how to shoot and kill and they are more than willing to do so if
necessary and I expect they will." (end quote)
Also, the American Red Cross was never able to deliver any aid to the
city of New Orleans, because the National Guard were under order to
clear the city which was considered "too dangerous." But the claims
of mob violence cited by the Gretna Police, the Governor, and the
National Guard to justify these actions have no evidence to back them up.
[3:00] Puerto Rican nationalist dies in shootout
A Puerto Rican nationalist wanted in a 1983 robbery of an armored truck in Connecticut was shot and killed by FBI agents in a shootout, ending the fugitive's 15 years on the run, the bureau said Saturday.
Luis Fraticelli, an FBI agent in Puerto Rico said Filiberto Ojeda (oh-hay-da) Rios, 72, fired on the agents Friday from a farmhouse in the western Puerto Rican town of Hormigueros, wounding an agent. Fraticelli claims the agents went to arrest Ojeda Rios, when he began firing at them. The shots fired at the puerto rican were in self defense.
Puerto Ricans are accusing the FBI of mishandling the arrest.
Fraticelli said the FBI tried to persuade Ojeda Rios to surrender but negotiations fell apart.
The armored car robbery of 22 years ago is considered an act of domestic terrorism because the money was used to fund activities by the Puerto Rican nationalist Macheteros, or Cane Cutters. Only about $80,000 of the $7 million has been recovered.
Ojeda Rios had been on the run since 1990 when he cut off an electronic monitoring bracelet and went into hiding while awaiting trial for the robbery of $7.2 million of the Wells Fargo depot in West Hartford, Conn. Ojeda Rios was one of four men still wanted for the robbery.
A hero in the independence movement, Ojeda Rios was convicted in absentia in 1992 on charges of robbery, conspiracy and transportation of stolen money and sentenced to 55 years in prison.
The FBI agents also arrested Ojeda Rios' wife, Elma Rosado Barbosa, who was unharmed. She was released without charge Saturday evening from a federal prison outside the capital of San Juan, said her lawyer, Julio Fontanet.
Puerto Ricans who have argued for decades about their island's relationship with the United States were unified in criticizing the FBI's handling of the arrest.
"I always said that when they went to arrest him, they would have to kill him," said Juan Mari Bras, a veteran independence leader.
Independence Party President Ruben Berrios, a critic of the violent tactics of the Macheteros, called Ojeda Rios' death "shameful."
Puerto Rico Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila, who supports keeping the island's status as a U.S. Commonwealth, criticized the FBI for refusing to provide information about Ojeda Rios' fate until Saturday evening. He said Puerto Rican authorities would investigate whether his death could have been prevented.
The nationalist died on the anniversary of a brief 1868 rebellion against Spanish colonial rule in the western town of Lares. Ojeda Rios traditionally distributed a recorded speech to mark the anniversary.
"It's not a coincidence," said Hector Pesquera, the president of the Hostosiano independence movement. "They chose the moment, the date and the political circumstances to carry out this assassination."
On Saturday afternoon, as part of the global day of opposition against the war in Iraq, hundreds of Puerto Ricans marched to a military recruiting station outside of San Juan to protest the United States invasion of Iraq and also their agresion against the puerto rican independence movement.
Pittsburghers flock to DC for Anti-War, Global Justice Protests
RMO-dc track
(start reading once horns start and lower music)
On Saturday, September 24th, 300,000 attended the largest anti-war march in Washington, DC since the war began. Thousands more took to the streets of many cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, London and and other cities across the world. The Thomas Merton Center Anti-War Committee dispatched 15 buses containing 700 passengers--more buses than any other city except New York. Senator Jim Ferlo also organized a bus to DC, as did Beaver Peace Links, bringing the total number of buses for the region to 17. Saturday's caravan to DC included many for whom this was their first protest. Elaine from Sewickly said that "Bush's response to Katrina put it over the top." Maria, a Chatham student from Russia said she attended this protest because she "had to finally do something."
Saturday's march and rally anchored a weekend filled with more than a dozen protests and related events organized by various groups. Code Pink members, delivered Haliburton a pink slip for corporate greed, the Mobilization for Global Justice hosted a teach in on “the global war on the poor, a wedding of the century" action focused on the cozy relationship between the World Bank and the Pentagon and 200 people rode for global justice in a critical mass bike ride.
On Saturday a massive rally and march took place at the Ellipse and featured the voices of Cindy Sheehan, Reverends Al Sharpton, Bob Edgars, and Jesse Jackson, Jr., as well as Julian Bond and California Congresspersons Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey. Later in the day musicians including Joan Baez, The Coup, Sweet Honey in the Rock, the Evens, and Steve Earle performed at an Operation Ceasefire concert. We will hear from Cindy Sheehan from her speech at the concert: Sheehan 1:30
Other actions of the weekend also included War Resistors League members blocking access to the Pentagon Metro station and as many as 1,000 individuals lobbied their elected representatives at the same time that hundreds engaged in non-violent civil disobedience at the White House in a mass action organized by United for Peace and Justice. Cindy Sheehan was first to be arrested while attempting to deliver a letter to President Bush.
[2:30] Direct Action at the IMF/WB
Massive Direct Acton also took place surrounding the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings. About 100 people delayed IMF and World Bank delegates from getting to their annual meetings yesterday morning by blocking traffic at intersections surrounding the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel where the delegates were staying.
Starting at 4am, affinity groups gathered at different intersections near the hotel and blocked the flow of buses and vans to the meetings, which were to take place at the IMF and World Bank headquarters eight blocks away. To accomplish their aim, some activists dressed as clowns and stood in the road; others used ropes and physical barricades prevent the flow of traffic. Meanwhile, larger groups of activists jammed the sidewalk outside the hotel and heckled delegates who attempted to walk to the meetings.
Police communicated to the activists that so long as the activists allowed emergency vehicles through the police would take no action, though around 8:15am they gave a warning that they would start to clear the streets. At 8:30am the groups had dispersed.
One demonstrator was clubbed by the police and arrested. Another was hit by a SUV, after which the SUV sped off with the activist still lying dazed on the hood of the vehicle.
The action was part of the Adopt an Intersection Campaign, which called for coordinated direct action to prevent delegates of the World Bank and IMF from getting to their meetings on September 25. It marked the first time since 2000 that delegates to the IMF/World Bank meetings had to confront protestors face to face.
This year's protest had special significance for anti-war activists not only because of the concurrent United for Peace and Justice mobilization DC, but because of the recent appointment of Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank. Wolfowitz was one of the primary authors of the Bush administration’s National Security Strategy which advocates the pre-emptive war on Iraq and calls for U.S. economic and military domination in every corner of the globe.
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 ]
Bad Cop No Donut
On this week's Bad Cop No Donut, a Pennsylvania officer pleads guilty to
sexual assault charges, an Ohio officer is charged with public indecency
and another has been suspended and is charged with a weapons violation.
In addition to those updates from our region, we'll hear updates on
Taser use by police across North America, including our region.
[ BCND 6:10 ]
Features
Intro
That was .... Welcome back to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
[12:00] Sankofa
And now for Light at the end of the fort pitt tunnel, our highlight of a local grassroots organization. This speak we speak with Sankofa Community Empowerment a non-profit organization that strives to cultivate community based leadership amongst people of African Decent. Nazeera Eshe gives us a history of Sankofa and speaks about their Saturday school program.
sankofaintro1.ogg:
Shardaza (shar-day-za) and Deja, participants in the Saturday school demonstratetheir gifts, skills, and talents.
sankofasinging2.ogg:
Nazura explain the other components of the Saturday School
sankofasaturday3.ogg:
Peaches a junior counselor at Saturday School explains what she likes about the program
sankofaheritage4.ogg:
Nazura describes Sankofa's other programs
sankofabrotha5.ogg:
For more information about Sankofa Community Empowerment you can contact Nazura at 412 720 3288 or h-e-y-d-l-y-n-n-2@hotmailSTOPSPAM.com and you can check out their website at www.sankofaempowerment.org
[13:00] Intensive Gardening
And now, let's go to the Guatemalan village of Al Ramate, where women are coming together to grow vegetables
[outro after the feature]: Rose and Marta Luz left today for their third trip to Al Ramate. Their goal this time is to facilitate the establishment of a microbusiness to be run by El Groupo, an organization founded in May by the women of El Ramate.
You're listening to Rust Belt Radio.
Ending
[1:00] Calendar of events
And now we present the Indymedia calendar of events:
Tomorrow at 8:30 am, the first court hearings will be held for protesters arrested and brutalized during the August 20th anti-war protest in Oakland. Come pack the courthouse and show solidarity for these activists. The courthouse is located at 660 1st ave downtown.
This Saturday October 1st, the Pittsburgh Organizing Group will be holding another protest at the Oakland Army Recruitment Center. The protest will be held from 11am to 1pm. For more information on both these events, go to organizepittsburgh.org
This Friday September 30th, from 10am to 4pm, learn how to build a portable green house with recycled materials. This event takes place at the Healcrest Urban Community Farm,5208 Brown Way in Garfield. For more information contact: Maria Graziani at
412-362-1982
Also this Friday, the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh will be hosting a talk on international terrorism from 4:30 PM to 6:30pm. The talk will be held at the University of Pittsburgh 1500 Posvar Hall in Oakland. For more information call 412-682-5555 x4
This Friday the monthly Critical Mass Bike Ride will also take place. To join in the bike ride come to the Dinosaur in front of the Carnegie Library at 5:30.
Outro
[ Outro music ]
Thanks for tuning in to Rust Belt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh, WARC Meadville and WVJW Benwood.
Our hosts this week are Abie Flaxman and Lora Gordon with contributions from Andalusia Knoll, Matt Toups, Quinten Steenhuis, and David Meieran. This week's show was produced by Andalusia Knoll. Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.
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. All of our shows are available for download on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG
You can hear this week's show again tomorrow morning on WRCT after Democracy Now! This fall an encore presentation of Rustbelt Radio will be at 9am on Tuesdays on WRCT 88.3.
Tune in next week at this time for another edition of Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
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