News Segments

The rainy season is looming in the earthquake-torn country of Haiti. A light shower fell throughout Port-au-Prince last night. For thousands that were left homeless and living in makeshift tents across the country, the need for adequate shelter is urgent. FSRN's Dolores M. Bernal has more.

Washington is attempting to dig out from the storm that dumped more than two feet of snow over the weekend. The snow has closed the Federal and local governments today as streets are still covered in snow and public transportation is limited. The Senate was supposed to begin debating legislation to create more jobs today, but now the Senate isn't expected to meet until tomorrow afternoon. Joining us to talk about the upcoming week in Washington is FSRN’s DC Editor Leigh Ann Caldwell.

The Obama Administration has signaled interest in nuclear power as part of a solution to the nation’s energy needs.  But groups say that the plant relicensing process is in need of attention. They say that public safety and fiscal responsibility could be getting overlooked. James Aramayo reports from Central California where the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is scheduled to host public meetings on the relicensing of two reactors at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.

Supporters of a 34-year-old Iraq war veteran say the US military will be extraditing him to Iraq to face a military trial for a song he wrote called “Stop Loss.” Marc Hall spent 14 months in Iraq and was due to end his military contract at the end of this month, February. Instead, like thousands of other soldiers, he received a stop-loss order that would continue his active duty and send him back to Iraq. So Hall recorded and released this song as a form of protest, he says, and mailed it to the Pentagon.

That song has now landed him in jail where he faces charges in violations of the Uniform Code of Military Conduct.  Hall could be extradited, according to his supporters, as soon as this week.

To discuss this case we're joined by attorney David Gespass, president of the National Lawyers Guild and founding member of the Military Law Task Force.

Farmers and environmentalists in India are protesting the government’s plans to introduce genetically modified food in the country. The groups have stepped up their campaign after a government committee recently recommended a transgenic version of the popular Indian vegetable Eggplant for commercial release, declaring it safe for human consumption. The government is holding public meetings to decide whether or not to allow the country’s first genetically modified food crop for cultivation. From New Delhi FSRN'S Bismillah Geelani has the story.

Today, the US Treasury Department called for the cancellation of all debts owed by Haiti to international institutions. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said the US would work towards "comprehensive multilateral debt relief" for the country, including the $102 million emergency IMF loan approved at the end of January. The move follows international calls for Haiti's debt to be erased in order to pave the way for long-term recovery after the January 12 earthquake. Currently, Haiti's total national debt stands at around $1 billion, according to Jubilee USA.

Meanwhile, relief organizations in Haiti are reassessing their strategies. Food and shelter for thousands of survivors are still of primary concern. The UN's top official in Haiti also called on Haitians to take a central role in the recovery of their country. FSRN's Dolores M Bernal spoke with Edmond Mulet, head of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti and Special Representative for the Secretary General, about this and other topics in the recovery effort.

Job figures are out for January and they're showing that the official unemployment rate dipped below 10 percent last month. Temp and retail jobs are up, but the construction, transportation and warehousing sectors all lost jobs.

To take a closer look at the numbers and what they mean, we're joined by our regular guest, Lauren Appelbaum. She's Research Director at the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at the University of California, Los Angeles.