audio by year 2008

A new traffic law is causing commotion in Colombia. Under the so-called "traffic light" law, Colombia's police could fine drivers who buy things from street vendors near traffic lights and busy intersections. Those who give money to beggars would also have to pay up. The senator who proposed the law says it will help to ease traffic in Colombia's congested cities; but street vendors say it threatens their livelihoods. Manuel Rueda reports from Bogotá.

• Oil Spill on the Mississippi River at New Orleans
• Dept of Labor Pushes for Changes to Workplace Toxin Rules
• NYC Transit Riders Call For Federal Support
• Some Rosenberg Grand Jury Testimony Will Remain Secret - For Now
• People's Tribunal in Bogota

Hurricane Ike took its toll in Haiti this weekend – the small nation has been ravaged by four brutal storms in as many weeks, leaving about 650,000 people stranded, and claiming some 600 lives. Haiti has yet to recover from April's food riots, a result of demonstrations against rising basic food prices that turned violent – and women and children are some of the hardest hit. As aid workers attempt to make their way to help with relief efforts, they are finding that essential infrastructure such as roads and bridges have literally been washed away. We hear from Diana Duarte, Media Coordinator for MADRE, and international human rights organization...

Since the September 11 attacks 7 years ago today, thousands of Ground Zero rescue and recovery workers have fallen ill due to inhaling toxins at the cite. The New York City Police Department honored its members in May who died after the attacks on its Wall of Heroes. Now, some within the Big Apple's Fire Department are asking for the same. Ari Paul has more from New York.

For months, the Department of Interior has also been criticized for what many say are destructive policies. Environmentalists have been trying to halt exploratory drilling for uranium near the Grand Canyon. The price for uranium has soared in recent years, and now the Department of Interior wants to open the region up to mining companies. Africa Jones reports.

• Contradictions in McCain's Domestic Plan
• Republicans Launch "Voter Fraud Alert" Campaign
• Bloomberg Seeks Forbidden Third Term
• Treasure Seeks Wall Street's Help in Bailout
• US Launches New African Military Command amid Little Fanfare
• Niger Delta Violence Takes its Toll on Civilians

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• Joblessness Hits New High
• Hybrid Advocates Weigh in on Auto Industry Bailout
• Activists Call for Ending Afghanistan Military Strategy
• Zimbabwe Faces National Health Emergency
• NOLA Activist Malik Rahim Runs for Congress
• Blackriders Say They Were Targeted by Police

• Supreme Court: Guantanamo Detainees Can Sue Over Torture
• Arne Duncan Tapped for Secretary of Education
• Latinos Seek Expansion of Hate Crimes Laws
• Prenatal Immigration

• Paulson Seeks Second Half of Bailout
• Obama Faces Rick Warren Backlash
• US To Send Up To 30,000 More Troops to Afghanistan
• The War Comes Home: Number of Homeless Vets on the Rise
• Arizona: Tribes Rally Against Coal Mine
• Los Angeles: Youth Rally Against Incarceration

With the presidential inauguration just three weeks away, one of the biggest puzzles facing President Elect Barack Obama is the war in Iraq. On the campaign trail, he promised to withdraw troops within 16 months. But recently the military's signaled it will re-classify some soldiers as "advisors" to keep them in Iraq past a formal pullout. Meanwhile, the US military is promising to send at least 20,000 more troops into Afghanistan. FSRN's Karen Miller has more.

Commentary by Mumia Abu-Jamal

Click here for the full newscast for Monday, December 29, 2008

With an unemployment rate that could reach 10% by the end of the 2009 and the continued loss of homes to foreclosure, some of the most vulnerable victims of the financial crisis are the least able to be seen and heard... children. FSRN's Karen Miller reports on how the worsening economy is impacting children around the US.

In Indian-administered Kasmir, a mixed verdict has come out of the state elections, with three parties emerging as key players. Kashmir's first election since a wave of massive protests against Indian rule, however, witnessed large voter participation. While India interprets the Kashmiri election as a defeat for separatist thinking, the separatists warn India not to misread the vote. FSRN's Shahnawaz Khan has more.

Israeli officials say the attacks were provoked by Palestinian rocket fire into southern Israel. Only two deaths have been reported so far as a result of the Palestinian attacks. Humanitarian experts say Israel's military is a Goliath to the Palestinians' David. It hits close to home for Allegra Pacheco, Deputy Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian Occupied Territories.

Humanitarian workers are trying to get much needed supplies to Gazans in the wake of Israeli attacks. The Free Gaza Movement has sent its ship, the Dignity, to the coastal territory. The ship carries physicians, human rights workers and three tons of donated medical supplies. Green Party Presidential candidate and former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney travels with them on this emergency mission.