Democracy Now! Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Today's Headlines

• At Least 18 Killed in Iraq Violence
• Iraqi Forces Raid US-Backed Iranian Exile Group
• General: US Control of Iraqi Airspace Likely Beyond 2011
• Hundreds Protest Gates in Baghdad
• British Forces Exiting Iraq
• Colombian Troops to Join US in Afghanistan
• US Revokes Visas for Honduran Coup Officials
• Following Global Protests, Iran Frees 140 Prisoners, Closes Jail
• Toll in Nigeria Clashes Hits 150
• Afghanistan Offers to Repatriate Gitmo Teen
• Rights Group Sues UK for Torture, Rendition of Ex-Gitmo Prisoner
• Senate Panel Backs Sotomayor Nomination
• Regulators: Speculation Inflated Oil Prices, Limits Considered
• Schwarzenegger Cuts More Social Spending from California Budget Bill
• Protesters Demand Network Coverage of Single Payer
• Suspect in Tiller Murder Pleads Not Guilty
• IG: Tennessee Valley Authority Ignored 20 Years of Warnings Before Coal Ash Disaster

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  Obama Admin Expands Law Enforcement Program 287(g), Criticized for Targeting Immigrants and Increasing Racial Profiling

  The Obama administration has expanded the controversial 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement agencies to enter into agreements with Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, effectively giving local police the powers of federal immigration agents. The agreements have been widely criticized for increasing racial profiling and singling out immigrants for arrest without suspicion of crime. We speak to Aarti Shahani of Justice Strategies and Roberto Lovato of New America Media. [includes rush transcript–partial]

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  US Revokes Visas for Honduran Coup Officials; Human Rights Abuses Escalate

  The US has revoked the visas of four officials serving in the Honduran coup government. Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya had asked the Obama administration to revoke the visas in order to increase international pressure on the coup regime.

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  Christopher Pyle, Whistleblower Who Sparked Church Hearings of 1970s, on Military Spying of Olympia Peace Activists

  The news of peace activists in Olympia, Washington exposing Army spying, infiltration and intelligence gathering on their groups may strengthen congressional demands for a full-scale investigation of US intelligence activities like those of the 1970s. We speak with law professor and former Army whistleblower Christopher Pyle, whose 1970 disclosure of the military’s widespread surveillance of civilian groups triggered scores of congressional probes, including the Church Committee hearings, where he served as an investigator.