Democracy & Civics

Local Music Thrills to New Community Radio

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A new, noncommercial FM radio station — one of the first to be approved nationwide in 15 years — is coming to Portland, Oregon. The Oregonian reports that MetroEast Community Media in Portland successfully petitioned the Federal Communications Commission for the license during an unusual weeklong application period last October. The licenses were only accepted if it could be proved that the new stations wouldn’t interfere with signals from existing broadcasters. The idea of a new, commercial-free FM radio station in a heavily commercialized market drew a broad variety of supporters, such as the local cable access service, and the local Musician’s Union chapter. Together, the coalition raised about $250,000 for building the new station — and local musicians are thrilled.

Democracy & Civics

Earthquake Parents Protest China Schools Collapse

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About 100 parents of children killed in schools by China’s recent earthquake have been turned back from a protest at a court in the Sichuan province. Approximately 7,000 classrooms collapsed in the 7.9 magnitude temblor, The Guardian reports, and in some cases were the only buildings to crumble in a given district. Some of the protesting parents called for a lawsuit, and angry questions about inadequate construction and corruption persist. Chinese officials, however, ordered news media to soften any criticism of school construction. Journalists were “dragged away” from the protest, and Zao Ming, an official in China’s foreign affairs office, told The Guardian: “This is not a good place to do interviews.

Economy

A Merrie Olde Credit Crisis

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Aftershocks from the mortgage and credit crises are rattling nerves around the world — particularly in England’s banking and lending sector. The Telegraph reports that investors have pulled more than 2.77 billion pounds (approximately $5 billion) from the British lender Bradford & Bingly, following the revelation of a cash crunch resulting from declines in its mortgage business. Faced with a shortfall from low-rate mortgages, the bank had apparently been hoping — in vain — for an upturn in mortgage lending at higher prices. Other banks may face a similar threat, one analyst said, describing the situation as a “mortgage market contagion” that could spread throughout the system. Source:
“U.K. bank shares fall as investors bail out”
The Telegraph (U.K), June 3, 2008

Nation

Where'd All the Dead Bodies Go?

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You might think that if there’s one product that will never be in short supply, it’s dead bodies. Though there’s no shortage of dead people, but U.S. medical schools and universities are having trouble getting enough cadavers for dissection in anatomy courses. The Los Angeles Times and the Denver Post report that the supply of human cadavers for dissection in Colorado and Wyoming is at its lowest rate in 20 years, and it’s hardly any better in other parts of the country, forcing anatomy instructors to turn away students. Mark Frasier, an associate professor at Colorado State University, told the Los Angeles Times: “This year, I requested 15 (cadavers) and we’ll get seven. So now I’m cutting back on students that can take dissection.

Nation

Olympic Stadium Mobile Home

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The Olympic Torch makes a world tour, why not an Olympic stadium? The Guardian is reporting that organizers of the London 2012 Olympics are planning to build a so-called flatpack stadium, which could be partly dismantled and shipped to another location. According to the Guardian, London organizers have spoken about the proposal with planners for Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics. The paper quoted Chicago organizer Doug Arnott as saying: “If we could box it up and ship it to the next games, that’s something that could benefit the Olympic movement. This is to do with the responsible use of materials and trying to avoid leaving infrastructure that will burden a city.”

Democracy & Civics

Muslims Down Under: Bias, Sketch Comedy

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A fight over a proposed Islamic school in a small Australian town has turned nasty, with locals accusing Muslims of trying to take over their country. The disagreement reflects a larger struggle among Muslims to define their identity in the land Down Under. According to the BBC, Sydney’s Quranic Society has purchased 15 acres of land on the outskirts of Camden, New South Wales, with the idea of building a 1,200-student Islamic school. At a town council meeting last fall to discuss the proposal, one resident said, “Why hasn’t anyone got any guts? They’ve got terrorists amongst ’em,” according to the BBC.

Democracy & Civics

A Gathering Around Cluster Bombs

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Activists and diplomats from around the world are in Dublin, Ireland, this week to try to establish a treaty banning the use of cluster bombs, which they say pose unacceptable risks to civilians. The United Nations and over 100 countries have pledged their support to the ban, according to news reports, as did Pope Benedict XVI. The BBC quoted the pontiff as saying, “It is necessary to heal the errors of the past and avoid them happening again in the future. I pray for the victims of the cluster munitions, for their families and for those who will join the conference too, wishing that it will be successful.” Opposing the ban are some of the world’s leading manufacturers and users of cluster bombs, the United States, Russia, China and Britain.

Democracy & Civics

Australian Press Points to Children of Burmese Junta

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Since Cyclone Nargis ravaged Burma earlier this month, the military junta that rules the nation has been roundly condemned for its handling of the emergency, but Australian newspapers took an unusual tack; several publications revealed that children of Burmese military leaders are residing in Australia as students. Some newspapers went so far as to publish the names of some of these students. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, privacy laws prevent Australian universities from commenting to the press about individual students, but the Herald, along with the Age and other publications, found other sources who identified the Burmese students. The number is apparently small; the Australian Broadcasting Corporation cites an activist who says there are about eight such students in the country, compared to about 10,000 ordinary Burmese also in residence there. The ABC notes that there are strict limits on money transfers into Australia from members of the Burmese junta.

Democracy & Civics

Household-Name Republican Fighting for Her Political Life

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With congressional elections coming up this fall, many Republican incumbents are looking vulnerable even in states where their party previously seemed to have a lock on the vote. Perhaps the most surprising of these is North Carolina, where polls show that the well-known Elizabeth Dole is virtually tied with her Democratic challenger, North Carolina State Sen. Kay Hagan. According to North Carolina’s WRAL, a poll of 500 likely voters earlier this month found Hagan with 48 percent support and Dole with 47. Just a month earlier, before primary elections, a similar poll had found Dole ahead of Hagan by 13 points. The race will mark the first time in North Carolina that two women have competed as party nominees for a U.S. Senate seat, according to the New Burn Sun Journal.

Democracy & Civics

New Execution Inquiries

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The United States resumed executions last week after a brief moratorium, but several other nations that still carry out the death penalty have recently begun to question the practice. Japanese radio listeners were surprised last week to hear a broadcast of a condemned man’s last words and the sound of his hanging. The execution was recorded more than 50 years ago, and was used in a new documentary about the nation’s secretive death penalty practice. Details of executions are rarely released to the public, and according to The Guardian, the condemned are not told the time of their execution until minutes before they are hanged. The newspaper quoted filmmaker Tatsuya Mori as saying, “If the justice ministry masks the reality, then it is up to the media to expose it.