• Lawmakers Storm Out of Intel Briefing
• Challenge to US Oil Company Plan in Iraq
• Five Year Leases for West Coast Oil and National Gas Development Announced
• Groups Say Olympic Committee Struck Censorship Deal with Chinese Authorites
• Media Consolidation's Effects on the Job Market
• Commentary By Mumia Abu-Jamal "Of Terrorist List and Listers"
  

Click here for Headlines Package
Click here for 13 Meg Version
Click here for Dial-Up Version

Lawmakers Storm Out of Intel Briefing

President Bush issued a broad re-organization of the nation's intelligence community.  While being briefed on the changes, lawmakers walked out, angry about being left in the dark.  And civil liberties groups reject what they see as an erosion of privacy. FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell has more.

Challenge to US Oil Company Plan in Iraq

As President Bush touts what he called progress in Iraq today, US oil companies are also making progress in Iraq getting oil – and Dennis Kucinich, and Democrat of Ohio wants to stop it. Kucinich is introducing legislation that would prevent US based oil companies from investing in petroleum resources in Iraq. Currently, US oil companies are developing technical assistance contracts there, which some say is step towards privatization, and would leave US oil companies in control and the Iraqi people shut out of the process. Karen Miller has more

Five Year Leases for West Coast Oil and National Gas Development Announced

The Department of Interior announced plans yesterday to begin a process for five year leases to explore offshore oil and natural gas developments in the outer continental shelf.  The move follows the department's announced support for west coast ocean protections earlier this week.  FSRN's Christina Aanestad files this report.

Groups Say Olympic Committee Struck Censorship Deal with Chinese Authorites

Human rights and press freedom groups are raising alarms about a secret deal struck between the International Olympic Committee and the Chinese Government, allowing China to block access to certain websites. Before it was chosen as host country, China had to agree to complete media freedom. Human Rights Watch Media Director Minky Worden says the International Olympic Committee's actions are scandalous.

Media Consolidation's Effects on the Job Market

More than 6,000 print journalists have lost their jobs in recent months – part of a nation-wide trend of newspaper cut backs brought on by the steady decline of circulation, advertising revenue and stock prices. Media watchdogs say that coverage of international as well as national news has been suffering the most, with only four major newspapers retaining their foreign bureaus. Some analysts are referring to the job cuts as a crisis for democracy as well as the newsgathering industry – others have begun looking to the internet and a new era of bloggers and citizen journalists to take up the news torch. FSRN spoke with Joe Torres, the Government Relations Manager for Free Press, about the effects of media consolidation on the industry, how that's affected journalists, and how everyday people are getting involved in the struggle for media reform.

Commentary By Mumia Abu-Jamal "Of Terrorist List and Listers"

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist who chronicles the human condition. He has been a resident of Pennsylvania’s death row for twenty-five years. Writing from his solitary confinement cell his essays have reached a worldwide audience. His books "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom” have sold over 150,000 copies and been translated into nine languages. His 1982-murder trial and subsequent conviction have been the subject of great debate.