Archive - Nov 8, 2007

• Iraq War Funding again Comes before Congress
• Veterans Make up Large Percentage of US Homeless
• ENDA Excludes Trangendered Americans, but Wins Support in House
• Senate Environment Committee Debates Cap and Trade Pollution Control
• BenAzir Bhutto Breaks with Musharraf in Pakistan, Threatens Massive Protest
• South American Leaders Take on Social Issues at Santiago Summit

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• Georgian President Calls for Early Elections
• More Clashes in Venezuela Over Referendum
• Nigeria Sues Tobacco Giants
• Big Fuel Spill in the SF Bay
• Watada Court Martial Stay Expires Tomorrow
  

Congress prepares to debate 50 billion dollars for the Iraq and Afghanistan. Democrats will add restrictions to the money, including a non-binding timeline for a troop withdrawal.

The Democrats in the House of Representatives have not debated Iraq withdrawal legislation since the summer. But with a 190 billion dollar emergency war funding bill standing by, waiting for action, and with the President needing money to fight the war, the Democrats decided tomorrow would be the time to re-ignite the debate.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that “In the next day or so, we will once again bring to the floor legislation that makes clear a new distinction, shows a new direction from the Bush policy, the Bush failed policy in Iraq.”

Santiago is home to the 17th Ibero-American Summit, where 22 heads of
Government and State are meeting today. This morning at the meeting of
Foreign Ministers, the final agenda for the Summit was approved. It
included several issues, many aimed as substantially improving the
social welfare of the continent. From Summit Place, FSRN's Jorge
Garretón explains.

The Pakistan People's Party chair Benezir Bhutto has broken ranks with
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, This in response to the President
declaring a state of emergency and suspending the constitution
following mass protests. Bhutto has threatened to lead a protest of her
own. She says she will launch a 162-mile long march from Lahore to
Islamabad next week if Musharraf fails to meet her demands. From
Lahore, Devin Theriot-Orr reports.

The Senate Environment Committee is debating a landmark bill aimed at
curbing global warming. The climate change legislation would create a
new market. The goods traded would be permits to pollute. It would
implement a cap and trade system intended to reduce green house gas
emissions across all sectors of the economy. But the legislation is not
without its detractors. As Yanmei Xie reports, criticism is coming from
both environmentalists and industry supporters.

The US House has passed a bill that would extend discrimination
protections to gays and lesbians. The Employee Non Discrimination Act,
or ENDA added "sexual orientation" to a list that already includes race
and gender. The Bill passed with 235 votes, but did not break down
along party lines. 25 Democrats voted against the legislation; 35
Republicans voted for it. Openly-gay Representative Barney Frank says
the bill is necessary because gays and lesbians…

(Frank sound clip)

Sponsoring Democrats compromised on several aspects of the bill –
including a broad exemption for Religious employers. But even with the
exemptions, most Republicans would not support the measure. Including
Michigan Representative Tim Walberg.