Archive - Oct 23, 2008

Just over a week until election day, third Party candidates participated in their first debate this campaign season. Not all showed, a spokesperson for Representative Bob Barr, Libertarian Party candidate, said Barr had a scheduling conflict, saying he just got the invitation Tuesday. … also said the independent party did not request input from the Barr campaign on how or when the debate would be conducted. 
 
Green Party Candidate Cynthia McKinney declined to participate. McKinney put out this message on You Tube.

• Government Requiring Gender and Birthday to Fly
• Big Banks Could Eat Small Banks with Bail-Out Money
• Alternative Lenders Avoid Banking Crisis
• Obama Leaves Campaign Trail
• Two Third Party Candidates Set to Debate
• Same Sex Marriage in Jeopardy in California 
• Indigenous March Against Free Trade Policies

• Wisconsin Judge Throws Out Voter Suppression Case
• Judge Orders Maricopa County Jails to Improve Conditions
• Amnesty Groups Call for Release to Two Female Activists Arrested During Peaceful Protest in Zimbabwe
• EU Awards Top Human Rights Prize to Chinese Activist
• Deaths Connected to Perscription Drugs Reach Record Levels

When you fly, the government will now ask for your full, legal name, gender, and birthday. Not to give you special deals on your special day, but they say it's to make sure you are not the same Susan Smith or Jay Jones on the no-fly list.  The program is called Secure Flight. Airlines will require the information and pass it over to the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration. Joining us to talk about this program is Tim Sparapani, Senior Counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union. 

On Capitol Hill, A Senate panel quizzed Neel Kashkari, the Treasury official in charge of spending 700 billion taxpayers dollars on Wall Street. Lawmakers want assurance that the banks will use the money to loosen credit and issue loans, not to expand the banks personal portfolio.  The questions arise one day after Treasury Secretary Paulson said banks might use government money to buy smaller banks.  FSRN's Karen Miller reports.

While massive banking institutions, like Wachovia, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and others hope to weather this financial storm, alternative lenders who avoided the pitfalls that have brought down the big banks appear to be as strong as ever. They say credit is flowing and
business is good. But some microfinance institutions and affordable homeownership organizations are feeling some of the pain as the impacts trickle down from Wall Street. FSRN's Tanya Snyder reports.