Archive - Oct 26, 2007

FSRN's Leigh
Ann Caldwell interviewed Presidential Candidate Representative Ron
Paul.  A self-proclaimed libertarian and war opponent.

(photo from sandiego.indymedia.org)

• California's Fire Evacuees Tell Their Stories
• Southern California's Undocumented Immigrants Hit Hard by the Wildfires
• White House Censors Global Warming/Public Health Testimony, Democrats Respond
• US Secretary of Defense Says Planning for an Attack on Iran is "Routine"
• Issues Surrounding Iran Begin to Appear in Presidential Campaign Rhetoric
• Low Income Tenants in East Harlem File Suit to Save Their Homes

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• Water Crisis in the Southeast
• Nationwide Anti-War Protests Saturday
• Tension Over South Korean Steel Plant in Orissa
• Embezzlement Charges Dropped Against Pinochet
• Local Elections in Colombia This Weekend
  

It's day six of California's wildfire emergency, and although the
blazes are threatening fewer homes, they are not yet fully contained.
At least 12 people are reported dead and 60 injured. The fires have
burned a total area twice the size of New York City. Authorities have
given some residents permission to return to their homes, while others
remain evacuated in nearby shelters. Yasmin Madadi visited one
evacuation shelter in Orange County and spoke to some of the victims.

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union and legal observers say
that some victims of the fire have been refused emergency services due
to racial profiling. FSRN's Producer Monica Lopez spoke with Andrea
Guerrero, field and policy director for the ACLU in San Diego and
Imperial counties.

Public health and environmental experts are up in arms over the
White House's editing of Congressional testimony about the potential
public health effects of global warming. Dr. Julie Gerberding, the
director of the Centers for Disease Control, submitted testimony to
Congress on Tuesday. ABC News is reporting, the original transcript of
the testimony is 14 pages long – but the White House Office of
Management and Budget edited and released a version that was only six
pages long.

Comparing the original and edited versions, it appears the White
House deleted any section that said climate change was a public health
concern. These include increases in air pollution, extreme weather, and
an enhanced risk of water and food-borne illnesses.

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told reporters yesterday that
planning for military action with Iran is 'routine'. He dismissed
suggestions that an attack is immanent, but said it is one of the many
scenarios that are planned. Shervin Boloorian, is an independent
Iranian analyst: (sound clip) Meanwhile, US lawmakers are taking
precautions. Assistant Majority Leader, Richard Durbin of Illinois,
introduced legislation that forces the president to ask congress before
any military action is taken against Iran. This comes one day after a
group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced a measure
that would strengthen congress' role in the war powers act. In their
bill the president must also come to congress and provide detailed