• Minnesota Tribes Express Concern About New Border-Crossing ID Requirements
• Judge Rules Interior Department "Unreasonably Delayed" Indian Trust Fund Accounting
• Republicans Debate One Last Time Before Super Tuesday
• Israeli Supreme Court Rules Fuel Restriction Not Causing a Crisis in Gaza
  
• Wheat Shortage in Pakistan Threatens Country's Food Supply
• United Airlines Mechanics Prepare to Vote to Join the Teamsters

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Minnesota Tribes Express Concern About New Border-Crossing ID Requirements

A Minnesota tribe is raising concerns about new boarder crossing rules. Starting January 31st, all people
traveling into the United States will be expected to carry a passport
or an accepted form of photo identification and proof of citizenship
– like a driver's license and birth certificate. This change is
part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative that is set to go
into full effect in June of 2009. W-T-I-P's Barbara Jean Meyers has
more.

Judge Rules Interior Department "Unreasonably Delayed" Indian Trust Fund Accounting

A federal judge ruled yesterday on a
long-standing lawsuit filed by Indian landowners against the Interior
Department. The lawsuit alleged the Department mismanaged Indian
trust funds – to the tune of 100-billion dollars. The federal
judge ruled the Interior Department "unreasonably delayed"
its accounting for the money. The judge partly blamed Congress for
not appropriating sufficient funds to figure out where the missing
money went. A hearing will be scheduled in the next month to discuss
ways to solve the accounting shortcomings. In an interesting
historical side note, the original judge assigned to the case, Judge
Royce Lamberth, was removed by US Court of Appeals. The Court
claimed he lost objectivity after he issued a ruling saying the
Interior Department – quote – "is a dinosaur — the morally
and culturally oblivious hand-me-down of a disgracefully racist and
imperialist government that should have been buried a century ago."
In related news, 4 days after President Bush gave his state of the
union address, the National Congress of American Indians gave its 6th
annual state of the Indian Nations address in Washington DC. FSRN's
Karen Miller was there and files this report.

Republicans Debate One Last Time Before
Super Tuesday

Presidential candidates are busy
jockeying for votes in the lead-up to Super Tuesday. California has
been a major focus for candidates because of the high number of
delegates up for grabs. Because most of the delegates are awarded on
a district-by-district basis, localized voter blocks have become all
the more important. Today, Republican John McCain picked up the
endorsement of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The four remaining
Republican candidates battled it out at a California debate last
night, all trying to position themselves as the most similar to
Ronald Reagan. The event was held at Reagan's Presidential library
with his Air Force One serving as the backdrop for the presidential
hopefuls. FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell has more.

Israeli Supreme Court Rules Fuel Restriction Not Causing a Crisis in Gaza

The Israeli Supreme Court reaffirmed
yesterday its November 2007 ruling that Israeli cuts of Gaza's power
and fuel supplies does not harm the civilian life of the population –
and Israel's methods do not have to be altered. The court responded
to a petition filed by 10 human rights groups. The Israeli
government has argued the fuel limitations will create popular
pressure against Palestinian militants, who continue to fire rockets
at Israel – arguably because of Israeli sanctions against Gaza.
FSRN's Rami Almeghari has more.

Wheat Shortage in Pakistan Threatens Country's Food Supply

As Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf
returns from his European tour, the people of Pakistan are suffering
under record wheat prices and power shortages which are making life
difficult for the working class as well as business owners. The wheat
crisis is the result, in part, of the smuggling of wheat to
neighboring countries and inaccurate government projections. FSRN's
Devin Theriot-Orr reports.

United Airlines Mechanics Prepare to Vote to Join the Teamsters

Nine-thousand 3-hundred United Airlines
mechanics are set to vote on whether they want to leave the Aircraft
Mechanics Fraternal Association in favor of the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters. Several disgruntled mechanics have said the
Teamsters would better represent their interests. But the Mechanic's
union could face desertification if they don't get a 50 percent
majority to favor the move. Correspondent Max Pringle reports.