Rustbelt Radio for June 12, 2006

Intro

Welcome to this week's edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots and news overlooked by the corporate media.

On today's show...

• We'll hear from Eli Kuti and Khalia Latte, organizers of the Pittsburgh Dyke March, on the mobilization of queer women's community in Pittsburgh and plans for Friday's march.
• A look at the conservative movement's recent push for what they call Academic Freedom,
• as well as local updates on last week's anti-war protest, a wind power conference held in Pittsburgh, universal health care in Pennsylvania and global news from independent media sources around the world

Rustbelt Radio airs live every Monday from 6-7pm and again Tuesday mornings at 9AM 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 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 for download or podcast at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.

We now turn to local headlines from Pittsburgh Indymedia.

Headlines

Local News

[3:00] Tinius-Olsen worker lock out

Unionized Workers at the Tinius Olsen Plant have been locked out of work for Sixteen weeks, the longest worker lockout in Pennsylvania History. Tinius Olsen is a privately owned small machine manufacturing company on the WillowGrove naval base in Horsham, PA. The lock out began on February 13th 2006 after management of Tinius Olsen decided to severely increase the cost of workers' health care. Fabricio Rodriguez, the executive director of the Philadelphia based organization Jobs with Justice, brings us more.

• tiniusolsen.ogg: 2:00

That was just Fabricio Rodrigues of Jobs With Justice speaking about the locked out workers at the Tinius Olsen Plant in Horshap PA. Workers are hoping that they will be allowed to bring these issues to the table and return to work while an a greement is reached.

[5:30] Local Protest Against U.S. killings in Haditha

Local activists with the Pittsburgh Organizing Group and Code Pink continued their efforts against the U.S. War in Iraq with an emergency protest last week called in response to allegations of mass murder of civilians by U.S. Marines.

The two groups cited reports that in November of 2005, Marines in the city of Haditha deliberately killed 24 Iraqis including a three year-old girl and a 76-year old amputee. POG calls the massacre "the tip of the iceburg" and calls for accountability of both soldiers and the higher-up officers in the military and US government officials. As they took to the streets of Bloomfield and Shadyside, Rustbelt Radio talked to people on the streets who watched or participated in the protest. Here's what they had to say:

• audio collage (4:34) (http://lucy.indypgh.org/~toups/rustbelt/2006-06-12/4_30_main_mix.wav)

Those were just the voices from the streets of Pittsburgh during last week's anti-war demonstration.

As the march went through Shadyside's upscale Walnut street shopping district, a window at the American Apparel store was broken as some protestors disrupted the businesses. Several Pittsburgh Police officers arrived and followed the marchers; the march ended without incident in Bloomfield.

[3:45] Universal Health Care rally

Supporters of universal health care held a rally downtown last Wednesday June 7 in front of the headquarters of insurance giant Highmark.

The rally was sponsored by the Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Single-Payer Healthcare, in affiliation with the national group Healthcare-NOW! Healthcare-NOW supports a national bill for universal health coverage introduced to the U.S. house of representatives by Michigan representive John Conyers. The Pittsburgh rally was one of many held in cities across the nation. About 100 people gathered, including representatives of several labor unions healthcare providers, and religious groups.

The Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Single Payer Healthcare is working to advance a comprehensive healthcare reform proposal that would provide universal health coverage for all Pennsylvanians. The proposal has been introduced into the P.A. house and senate, as HR. 2722 and Senate Bill 1085.

Doctor Martin Seltman described the need for a single-payer healthcare system:

• Doctor-insurance.ogg (1:45)

Ed Grystar, an organizer of the Pittsburgh rally, said they chose to protest outside of the Highmark offices because the company represents (quote) all that is wrong with the healthcare system (endquote). According to protesters, Highmark reported a surplus of 2.8 billion dollars in 2005, while 46 million Americans were uninsured. The Pennsylvania single-payer proposal would abolish insurance and pay for medical expenses directly from a fund raised through a ten percent payroll tax and several other sources. According to advocates, the elimination of insurance companies from the healthcare system would result in a 20 percent reduction of healthcare costs.

In a statement, Highmark said its surplus was within limits considered appropriate by state insurance officials and that it provided $140 million last year in financial support for a variety of community programs, including more than $101 million to help hold down health care costs and expand access for lower-income families, older adults and children.

[1:15] Wind Power Confrence

Last week, the American Wind Energy Association held what it's calling its �largest conference ever� in Downtown Pittsburgh. The group is the trade association that represents businesses involved in every aspect of wind power generation. We spoke with Christine Real de Azul from AWEA, who had this to say:

• Wind.mp3 [0:52]

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 Rustbelt 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.

[:30] Atenco Update

Last week, Rustbelt Radio reported on the political prisoners of San Salvador Atenco, in Mexico. In that report we stated that one of the political prisoners is a woman who was raped by police, and subsequently is now pregnant. We would like to correct that statement. Upon entering the prison, this woman was already pregnant, however she was still raped and abused by the police and prison guards. Prison authorities refused to provide her and the approximately 30 other women who were sexually abused, a medical specialist to provide an examination.

Also this past week, the 20 year old student Alexis Benhumea (bain-- oo-- may- a) died. He had been in a coma for the past month due to an injury caused by the police during the invasion of Atenco on May 4th. A candlelight vigil and memorial march were held in his honor in Mexico city this past weekend.

[4:45] COPE act passes without Net Neutrality

The US House of Representatives passed the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act, or COPE Act, while rejecting the Net Neutrality provision. Supporters claim that this legislation will lower video prices by allowing more competition in the cable TV market.

The rejected Net Neutrality amendment would have given the Federal Communications Commission the ability to regulate network neutrality, and make sure that Internet traffic is delivered without priority based on fees or content. Diverse groups, including House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, major internet companies, and citizen groups, advocated for the importance of net neutrality, claiming that without this provision, internet providers can decide which websites and services users can access.

Jon Andersen with his weekly program Media Minutes will bring us some of the statements made by members of the House of Representatives

• copeact.ogg: 4:00 edited piece

That was just Media Minutes with Jon Andersen. The debate over net neutrality next moves to the Senate, which is considering its own version of the legislation.

[0:30] GE food bills

Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio has introduced two bills relating to Genetically Engineered foods. The Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act would require all genetically engineered foods to be labeled. The Genetically Engineered Food Safety Act would require safety testing of GE foods.

The Food and Drug Administration does not have federal rules to test the safety of genetically engineered foods, and leave it to the food producer to make sure food products are safe. Many crops are genetically engineered to make them resistant to pesticides.

An ABC News poll found that 92 percent of American people think that the government should require labeling on genetically engineered foods.

The European Union already requires the labeling of human and animal food with more than point-five-percent genetically modified ingredients.

[0:50] More NSA Domstic Spying

The New Scientist Magazine is reporting that the National Security Administration is funding research into the automatic gathering of personal information from social Networking sites such as MySpace.com, Facebook.com, or Friendster.com. The National Security Agency, or NSA, is the agency responsible for the wide-scale domestic warrant-less wiretap program in which the call records for hundreds of millions of Americans were illegally obtained from telephone companies.

The new program seeks to develop tools to gather information posted on social networking sites, and to combine that information with banking, property, financial, and other data to create comprehensive profiles of individual citizens, automatically.

[2:00] In Greece, Students Protest the Privatization of Higher Education

The government of Greece has made a list of intended measures that would drastically change the nature of public education for college students in Greece. The Greek Constitution stresses a free education for all which means that universities must provide free textbooks to all students, and police are not allowed to enter college grounds unless they're authorized by a designated asylum committee. New legislation, slated to be introduced by the government and education ministry in July, would end the free distribution of textbooks, establish the first private universities in Greece, give police much easier access to university grounds, and end the possibility of student transfers.

June 8th marked the day of student protests, bringing out over 15,000 students in Athens and between 7 and 10 thousand in Thessaloniki. Photographs from Athens and Thessaloniki posted to the Independent Media Center's global news site, show college students muffling their faces with cotton bandanas to avoid the effects of tear gas sprayed by police in riot gear. Since June 7th, over 75% of all academic departments in Greece have been occupied. The International Art and Activism Caravan has arrived in Athens to support the demonstrations, en route to Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, and finally to the Ecotopia activist gathering in Slovakia. The caravan is conducting skillshares in street theatre, independent media strategy, rebel clowning, and music.

Observers say this is the most significant student uprising in Greece since the 1970's. In 1973, while Greece was under military junta rule, a government tank crashed through the gates of Politecnik University in Athens and killed several students . This event brought about an amnesty for all universities, schools, and churches in Greece, barring all police and certain government officials from entering their spaces. New proposed legislation would end this amnesty.

Death Row appeal

Clarence Hill, a death row inmate in Florida, was granted a stay of execution by the US Supreme Court so that he may bring a Civil Rights-based challenge to the state's use of lethal injection.

Mr. Hill's appeal claims that the use of lethal injection is a violation of his constitutional protection from Cruel and Unusual punishment, as the chemicals used will cause him pain before death.

In ruling to stay his execution, the Supreme Court has not yet made a ruling as to whether the injections do, in fact, cause pain; rather, the ruling prevents Mr. Hill's execution until the court has time to consider his appeal.

Lethal injection is used by all of the 38 states that allow capital punishment, with the exception of Nebraska.

Attempted murder charges for indiginous activists

Canadian Authorities are charging seven people with attempted murder and assault stemming from protests and a blockade by indigenous Canadians. The Six Nations Confederacy has been blockading a site in their territory to prevent the construction of a housing development; a Canadian court ruled in March that the Police could remove the indigenous demonstrators. In April, the police tried and failed to clear the blockade- tensions have been growing since.

The Six Nations Confederacy has condemned the violence, and told the BBC that "Our prayers and concern are with those who were injured during the outbreaks... A peaceful co-existence with our neighbours and the safety of all remain at the paramount of our concerns."

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.

• Music - The Gossip: Where the Girls Are

Features

Intro

You're listening to Rustbelt Radio.

[9:00] Dyke March

On Friday June 16th, the city of Pittsburgh will be having its first ever dyke march. Andalusia Knoll spoke with Eli Kuti (eee-lie koo-tie) and Khali Latte (kuh-lee-ah Lah-tay), organizers of the march, about the Dyke March and queer women's community. (play segment)

• dykemarch.ogg: Dyke March

[12:30] Academic Freedom

David Horowitz is a conservative writer and activist who has been attempting for years to focus national attention on what he perceives as liberal bias in the American school room. His recent book, The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America, came out this year, and, when appearing on MSNBC last month, he claimed that 1 out of every 8 professors in the United States are anti-American and identify with terrorists.

In support of his book, and also his political agenda of creating a [quote] Academic Bill of Rights, Horowitz debated Ward Churchill recently on the topic of: Can politics be taken out of the classroom, and should it be?

The debate was held at George Washington University as part of the 1st National Academic Freedom Conference, and admission to the debate was pricey at 75 dollars a ticket for the general public. However, as a condition for his participation, Churchill requested that he be given 75 tickets, which he gave away for free through the Brian MacKenzie Infoshop.

The debate was moderated by the centrist-conservative radio talk show host Alan Nathan.

• acfree.ogg: (12:00)

The program Horowitz has championed won a major victory last week when Yale University abandoned an effort to hire professor Juan Cole away from the University of Michigan. Cole is a tenured professor of History who specializes in Middle Eastern Studies and is frequent guest on Democracy Now.

Ending

Calendar of events

And now we present the Indymedia calendar of events:

• On Wednesday, June 14, Book Em will be having a food and movie night fundraiser at the Thomas Merton Center, with a screening of Hector Babencu's 2003 film Carandiru, a documentary of a 1992 prison riot in Brazil. The event is $5 at the door, and all money goes to Book'Em. Everyone is encouraged to bring books for prisoners, dictionaries are especially welcome. For more information contact kakestevens@yahoo.com or bookem@keromail.com or 412-802-8575.

• On Thursday June 15, support the Thomas Merton Center by watching the Temptations perform live, 8 pm at Heinz Hall downtown. Call 412-361-3022 for more information.

• At midnight on Friday June 16, watch the opening screening of An Inconvenient Truth at Manor Theatre, 1729 Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill. For more information, see www.climatecrisis.net.

• On Friday June 16th at 6:30Pm, the Pittsburgh Dyke March will take place, beginning at Carnegie Mellon University Lawn at Forbes and Morewood in Oakland. Set-up will begin at 5 Pm, with poster making and picnics. A statement from organizers: "This is Pittsburgh's first Dyke March ever, and we want this soon to be long tradition to start out with a bang, so bring drums, noisemakers, instruments, and your voices. We are dykes organizing for other womyn loving womyn to take our pride, struggle, voices, and love to the streets. We are bisexuals, trannydykes, lesbians, boi-dykes, femmes, butches, femmedykeboi's, butchdykeboys, multisexuals, brazen femmes, soft butches, genderqueers, and many more... Since we are an event organized for womyn who love womyn we are asking that all men, straight allies, and non womyn loving womyn support us from outside teh march on the sidewalk.

Outro

Thanks for tuning in to Rust Belt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh, WARC Meadville, WVJW Benwood and WPTS Pittsburgh.

Our hosts this week are Matt Toups, Ellen Pierson and Abie Flaxman with additional contributions from Carlin Christy, Andalusia Knoll, Jessica McPherson^?, Vani Natarajan and Jessi Berkelhammer. This week's show was produced by Donald Deeley. 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 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.