Democracy Now! Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Today's Headlines

• Ban Ki-moon: Global Food Crisis Reaches Emergency Proportions
• Food Protests Start in Bangladesh and South Africa
• US Food Inflation at Highest Level in 17 Years
• US Military to Release AP Photographer After Two Years
• Kidnapped CBS Journalist Released in Iraq
• GOP Congressman Describes Obama as a “Boy”
• Delta and Northwest Airlines to Merge
• Israel Blocks Jimmy Carter from Entering Gaza
• Maoist Rebels Win Majority in Nepalese Assembly
• Pope Benedict XVI Begins US Trip
• Four US Journalists Arrested in Niger Delta

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  War Tax Resistance: How a Portland Couple Have Refused to Pay Taxes for Over 30 Years to Protest Military Funding

  Today is April 15th, Tax Day, a day when tens of millions of Americans scramble to file their income taxes on time. It’s also a day when people across the country are planning to protest the use of tax dollars to fund war. A recent study shows that more than 40 percent of every income tax dollar in 2007 went towards military spending. We speak with Pat and John Schwiebert, a Portland couple who have refused to pay their taxes for the past thirty years to protest military spending. [includes rush transcript]

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  Lawmakers Hold Tax Day Press Conference on Cost of Iraq War

  On Capitol Hill, several Democratic lawmakers are holding a Tax Day press conference this morning on the cost of the Iraq war. They will present taxpayers with a bill that shows how much each American family owes for the Iraq War. We speak with Illinois Representative Jan Schakowsky. [includes rush transcript]

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  Torture and Democracy, Part II: Scholar Darius Rejali Details the History and Scope of Modern Torture

  As the ACLU calls on Congress to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration’s approval of torture, we speak with Darius Rejali, a renowned expert on the history and politics of torture. He is professor of political science at Reed College and author of a new book called Torture and Democracy. [includes rush transcript]

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  Portland Considered Most Bicycle-Friendly City in North America

  For many, Portland is a haven of green-friendly urban planning. It recently topped Popular Science‘s list of the Greenest Cities in the United States. A big part of that is bikes. Portland is widely considered the most bicycle-friendly city in North America, so much so that bikes are on display throughout the Portland airport. Worldwide, it’s seen as only second to Amsterdam. We speak with two local Portland transportation activists. [includes rush transcript]

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  Thousands of Children Pack Seattle Arena to Hear Dalai Lama

  The Dalai Lama addressed 15,000 children at the Key Arena in Seattle on Monday. We hear from three of them reflecting on the Tibetan spiritual leader’s message. [includes rush transcript]