 Edición Semanaria de Noticiero Latino |
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April 2007
April 6th | Listen to the program
SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS BUSH’S ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY This week the Supreme Court declared that the federal government has the authority to regulate toxic emissions such as carbon dioxide. At the same time, a group of international scientists reports that if new measures of environmental protection are not implemented soon, global warming will have severe effects on water, air, and public health. Zaidee Stavely interviewed Javier Sierra of the Sierra Club, one of the organizations that took the case to the Supreme Court.
NEW IMMIGRATION BILL UNDER SCRUTINY Faced with the urgent need for immigration reform, Latino organizations in the United States analyze the only immigration bill introduced so far, known as the STRIVE Act. The bipartisan bill introduced by legislators Luis Gutiérrez and Jeff Flake has won initial support from some national groups, but a cautious reaction from others. As Marco Vinicio González reports, the discussion continues, but the majority agrees that only undocumented immigrants themselves can decide what is best for them, and that in the end, the issue affects everyone.
FAMILY ASKS FOR FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO REPORTER’S DEATH The U.S. State Department cited the case of independent journalist Bradley Will to alert tourists to the danger of traveling to the Mexican state of Oaxaca this spring. Meanwhile, the journalist’s family was in Oaxaca to demand more serious and impartial federal investigations into the reporter’s death. Vladimir Flores reports from Oaxaca.
April 13th | Listen to the program
TOMATO PICKERS WIN LABOR VICTORY This week Florida tomato pickers won a victory for fair wages and better working conditions in the fields. The world hamburger giant McDonalds agreed to pay one penny more per pound of tomatoes harvested, among other changes. This is the second agreement reached by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers with a fast food giant. Their first victory was two years ago with Taco Bell. Irma López has the details from McDonalds headquarters in Chicago.
BUSH ASKS FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM THIS YEAR President Bush’ speech in Arizona pushes for immigration reform, but a large part of his proposal refers to coercive measures against immigrants. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutiérrez says that the only political voice speaking for reform is the president, but Democrats from both houses refute this idea. Activists reject these punitive policies, citing the high cost of lives lost on the border. Marco Vinicio González has more.
U.S. IMMIGRATION RISES IN MEXICO We hear a lot in the news about the presence of Mexican immigrants in the United States, but not much is heard about American immigration in Mexico. As our correspondent Kent Paterson reports from Puerto Vallarta, a mini United States seems to be burgeoning in many regions of Mexico. María Eraña narrates the report.
April 20th | Listen to the program
AMERICANS SUPPORT IMMIGRATION REFORM – Surveys released this week indicate that a large majority of the American public favors legalization of millions of undocumented immigrants. This news comes on the brink of the anniversary of the May 1st marches, when immigrant rights groups will again take to the streets to demand reform. In Congress, the situation is none too promising, as Patricia Guadalupe reports from Washington.
LATINO WORKERS IN NEW ORLEANS – Thousands of immigrants working to rebuild New Orleans are living in marginalized conditions. More than a year and a half after cleaning and recovery efforts began, community leaders say that poor housing, meager wages, and fear of police and immigration agents make these workers more vulnerable to illness and abuse. Marco Vinicio González presents this report.
WATER SCARCITY TO BECOME WORSE IN CALIFORNIA - Scientists predict that California will suffer water supply problems in coming years, because its population is growing fast, and because global warming will alter water deposits. Representatives of the agricultural industry and some communities are seeking to expand an important reservoir in the San Joaquin Valley to assure more water supplies, but some consider the operation unreliable. Our environmental reporter Zaidee Stavely has the story.
April 27th | Listen to the program
INTENSE NEGOTIATIONS ON IMMIGRATION REFORM The White House is holding intense, complicated negotiations with Congress on bipartisan immigration reform. The general principles of the negotiation are national security, an extensive temporary guest worker program, and a path to legalization. According to some observers, a reform is still possible if agreements are reached before the August recess. Rubén Tapia spoke with sources in Washington, D.C. and has the report.
SCHOOL SUES RADIO HOST Two weeks after radio host Don Imus was fired for making offensive comments against African-American athletes, an independent school in East Los Angeles files its own suit against another well-known commentator in L.A. The school accuses talk show host Doug McIntyre, of Disney station KABC-AM, of spreading defamatory, racist, and incendiary opinions. McIntyre has qualified the school as separatist because of its multilingual curriculum and indigenous focus. Ana Lilia Barraza reports from Los Angeles.
PERUVIAN INDIGENOUS LEADER WINS ENVIRONMENTAL "NOBEL" The prestigious Goldman prize, known as the Nobel for the Environment, was given this week to indigenous Shipibo leader Julio Cusurichi, of Perú. The prize is given every year to an environmental advocate from each continent. Cusurichi and the Native Federation of the Madre de Dios River and Subsidiaries (FENAMAD), helped designate a territorial reserve for indigenous groups who live isolated in the Peruvian Amazon. Now, Cusurichi is struggling against the illegal trade of petroleum, gold and precious woods extracted from the reserve. Zaidee Stavely talked with the environmental leader after he received the prize in San Francisco.