Tuesday, October 14, 2008

• Supreme Court Denies Hearing Troy Davis's Death Penalty Case
• Treasury Department's Nationalization Plan
• GOP Voter Fraud Myth Debunked by Critics
• Maricopa County Series: The Battle for Wells Fargo
• One Pakistani Teen Suicide Bomber's Motivations

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Supreme Court Denies Hearing Troy Davis's Death Penalty Case

The Supreme Court has denied hearing Troy Davis's appeal this morning.
In 1991, Davis was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a
police officer two years earlier – but he has always maintained his
innocence. Seven of nine people who originally testified against Davis
have recanted or changed their stories, saying they were coerced by
police to take the stand against him; and three people have said that
they can identify the actual killer. Davis's case has garnered the
attention of groups like Amnesty International – but more surprisingly,
from pro-death penalty Libertarian Presidential Candidate Bob Barr, who
is demanding clemency for Troy Davis, because the case against him was
neither fair nor accurate. FSRN speaks with Sara Totonchi, Director of
Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty about the high court's
decision.

Treasury Department's Nationalization Plan

The Treasury Department unveils a plan to buy up to $250 billion worth
of US banks and financial institutions. This partial nationalization of
the banks is a drastic move not seen since the Great Depression. Also
monumental, the US will place limits on executive compensation.  FSRN's
Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

GOP Voter Fraud Myth Debunked by Critics

Republican candidate John McCain and other Republican leaders have
charged that community organizing group ACORN has been involved in
fraudulent voter registration. Two former Republican Senators today
asked Senator Barack Obama to personally deal with the allegations,
claiming that he has specific ties to the ACORN. Some experts disagree,
saying the problems can and will be handled by each state's employees
and that the allegations are a way to detract from Obama's recent surge
in the polls. Katharine Jarmul has more from DC.

Maricopa County Series: The Battle for Wells Fargo

There's a battle taking place in Maricopa County, Arizona: the fourth
largest county in the nation, and home to some of the fastest-growing
cities in the US – all in the middle of a desert. The conflict taking
place is between long-time Sheriff Joe Arpaio and locals who say his
deputies are terrorizing their community. Sheriff Arpaio first made
headlines some years ago, when he clad the county's male prisoners in
pink underwear, housed them in outdoor tents in 120 degree heat and
served them surplus food, including green bologna. Now, his critics say
that he's extended his tactics to humiliate and dehumanize the county's
Latino population. Arpaio, who calls himself "America's Toughest
Sheriff", has implemented some controversial local law enforcement
methods – some of which resulted in deportations. People there say
they've been harassed because of the color of their skin, and are often
scared to leave their homes regardless of their immigration status,
fearing they'll be caught up and questioned in one of the Sheriff's
massive dragnets. While Arpaio defends his department's actions and
says he's simply enforcing immigration law, others say his department
is using racial profiling to create a human rights crisis. FSRN's Aura
Bogado reports.

One Pakistani Teen Suicide Bomber's Motivations

Suicide attacks are on the rise in Pakistan. Last Friday, in the
northwestern tribal region, a suicide attack killed some 30 people and
injured more than 100. Islamadad has also seen a wave of attacks, after
a bomber attacked police headquarters last Thursday, less than 3 weeks
after another suicide bomber killed at least 50 at the Marriot Hotel.
In 2007 alone, more than 50 suicide bombings occurred, killing more
than 600 people, many of them civilians. Many others have been gravely
injured – some disabled for life. Some in Pakistan say there is a
growing trend of teenagers offering themselves to be suicide bombers;
FSRN's Zack Baddorf has more on one such teenager, grooming to
sacrifice his life for what he thinks is a righteous cause.