Democracy Now!, packed with real news today as always:
Headlines for January 24, 2005
- Bomb Explodes Near Allawi's Office; Injures 10
- Expected Future Iraqi PM: U.S. Should Withdraw Troops
- Report: Secret Military Commando Unit Stationed in D.C.
- U.S. Claims Maher Arar Suit Endangers National Security
- Facing War Crimes Suit, Rumsfeld Cancels Trip To Germany
- GOP Lawmakers Downplay Social Security "Crisis"
- UN Marks 60th Anniversary of Liberation of Auschwitz
- U.S. Ranks As 45th Most Environmentally Sustainable Nation
Violence Continues in Iraq as Jan. 30 Vote Looms
A large explosion rocks Baghdad just six days before the scheduled Jan. 30 election. As violence continues to rage across the country, the U.S.-backed interim Iraqi government has announced sweeping security measures intended to protect voters. We go to Baghdad to speak with journalist Patrick Cockburn of the London Independent.
Protesters Disrupt Bush's Inaugural Address
We continue our coverage of inauguration 2005, looking at the protests in Washington DC that were ignored by the corporate media. We speak with two people who disrupted President Bush's inaugural address, Medea Benjamin of CodePink and Jeremiah Jones of Harvard Divinity School. Media Concentration Proponent Michael Powell Resigns From FCC
As Michael Powell announces his resignation as chairman of the Federal Communication Commission, we take a look at his four years in office and his push to loosen media ownership rules with Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy and Pete Tridish of the Prometheus Radio Project.
Truthout's William Rivers Pitt on the "Perfect Propaganda" in the Corporate Media
We hear an address by William Rivers Pitt of Turthout.org on the role of the media in the election and the coming four years. He spoke at the University of the District of Columbia soon after President Bush's second inauguration.
Damu Smith: "Bush Doesn't Know Anything About Freedom"
We hear a speech by Damu Smith of Black Voices for Peace speaking at the Plymouth Congregational Church in Washington DC. Smith says, "Bush knows nothing about freedom. We know everything about freedom. We are the moral authority of our nation."
John Hess 1917-2005: Veteran Journalist and Radio Commentator Dies at 87
Longtime journalist and radio commentator John Hess also died at the age of 87. For 24 years he worked at the New York Times. He was best known for his 1968 coverage of the Paris Peace talks, a major expose on nursing home corruption and for his writings as a food critic. We hear one of his radio commentaries on Pacifica station WBAI.
As Marcia notes, "Democracy Now!, always worth watching." Remember if you're in Europe or have friends or family in Europe that Amy Goodman will be there this weekend:
1/29: Kildare, Ireland1/29: Dublin, Ireland1/30: London, England
So help get the word out.
And please check out Why Are We Back In Iraq? (http://www.whyareweback.blogspot.com/) for the coverage of "Ricky" among other things. We've got 10 e-mails on that this morning already, so make you sure you're keeping up.
And check out Matthew Rothschild's take on the Bully Boy's inauguration speech (http://www.progressive.org/webex05/wx012105.html).
