Obama's Closely Watched Trip to Israel and The West Bank

Presumed Democratic nominee Barack Obama completed a day long trip to Jerusalem, where he met with Israeli leaders, and to the West Bank, where he met with Palestinian leaders. Obama pledged continued support of Israel need for security. Obama said he does not back away from statements made at a speech last month to the American Jewish Lobby where he said Jerusalem should not be divided, a major sticking point in Palestinian negotiations. Obama said it's a final status issue and not for the US to decide. Joining us to talk about Obama's trip is Rabbi Michael Lerner Editor of Tikkun Magazine and Chair of the Interfaith Network of Spiritual Progressives.

PART 2

• US Lawmakers Encourage More Domestic Surveillance
• Obama Visits Israelis on the Gaza Border
• Border Patrol to Check Immigration Status During Disaster Evacuations
• Tensions Between Russia and Georgia Continue to Escalate
• Indigenous Leaders Meet to Strategize Against Bitumen Extraction on Their Lands

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• 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

The government's expansion of data collecting and sharing of information about US citizens lacks proper oversight and privacy protections – that's according to a new report by a federal watchdog agency.  A Senate panel held a hearing on the report today.  And instead of critiquing local and federal law enforcement agencies for collecting the data without proper checks, lawmakers encouraged a continuation of more.  FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

Click here for newscast for Wednesday, July 23, 2008 

The government's expansion of data collecting and sharing of
information about US citizens lacks proper oversight and privacy
protections – that's according to a new report by a federal watchdog
agency.  A Senate panel held a hearing on the report today.  And
instead of critiquing local and federal law enforcement agencies for
collecting the data without proper checks, lawmakers encouraged a
continuation of more.  FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

US Senator Barack Obama continued his Middle Eastern tour today though
areas vital to US interests – including Israel and the West Bank. 
Obama packed meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders into a
tightly scheduled 36 hours.  The presidential candidate also went down
to Israel's border with Gaza to see Israeli residents who live under
rocket fire from Palestinian militants.  From Jerusalem, Irris Makler
reports.

Click here for newscast for Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Tensions are escalating between Georgia and Russia over Georgia's
breakaway regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia where Russian peacekeepers
are stationed. Recently, Georgia recalled its Moscow Ambassador after
Russian military jets entered Georgian airspace.  French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner urged the European Union to mediate.  FSRN's
Deborah Wild traveled to upper Kodori, the frontline of the standoff
between Georgia and Russia and files this report.  

Click here for newscast for Wednesday, July 23, 2008  

The market may be in recession, but the United States is still the
world's most oil-hungry economy. And its corporations are busy tapping
new energy sources like tar sands, a mixture of sand and an extremely
dense form of petroleum called bitumen. The world's largest deposits of
tar sands are in North America and companies use it to produce more
than a million barrels of oil per day. But the explosive growth of such
projects has huge environmental costs.  They damage land, air, water,
forests, and the climate. FSRN's Christina Aanestad traveled to Lee,
Nevada for the 15th annual indigenous environmental network conference
where she talked to people who live in areas environmentally impacted
by bitumen production.