[Imc-newsroom] headlines from newshour

[Peter Miller]

Thanks to Avram, Dan (Chambers), Orion, and Lindsay for the headlines this 
week.  Here they are, post-editing; I also published them on the website.

-Peter

Afghanistan Envoy Former Unocal Representative

Last a French publication revealed that the new Washington envoy to 
Afghanistan had oil ties with the Taliban.  Zalmay Khalilzad, America's new 
special envoy to the region represented an oil company, Unocal in 
discussions with the Taliban about constructing a pipeline.  In order to 
become a major player in the international oil markets, Kazakhstan, a 
country north of Afghanistan, must move its oil either through Russia to 
the north or through Afghanistan to the south. Unocal was involved in 
discussions to create a pipeline that would have enriched the Taliban 
enormously. According to journalist and cartoonist Ted Rall, Khalilzad 
worked for the Reagan Administration arming the mujahadeen warriors against 
the invading Soviets.  Khalilzad and the Clinton administration appeared to 
share a familiar US foreign policy goal, support an authoritarian 
government capable of protecting American business interests. Once arriving 
in the capital of Kabul, Khalilzad was quoted as saying "This is a moment 
of opportunity for Afghanistan," a comment gains meaning when reading 
reports in the Pakistani press that talks about reviving the pipeline are 
already underway.  -Dan Chambers

Bush Makes Ethnic Slur

President George Bush unwittingly used an offensive ethnic slur that 
slanders Pakistanis according to the Toronto Globe and Mail. According to 
Aziz Khaki, vice-chair of the Muslim-Canadian Federation, using the term 
"Pakis", which Bush said, is an offensive word used against people of 
color. Bush was describing the tense situation between nuclear rivals 
Pakistan and India. The word , which is of British origin, tends to have a 
greater impact on people of Pakistani descent worldwide than on those 
within the country.  -Dan Chambers

N. Carolina Death Sentence Commuted

After two appeals were denied by the state supreme court the governor of 
North Carolina may have just saved an innocent man's life. North Carolina 
gov. Mike Easley commuted the sentence of death row inmate Charlie Alston 
just hours before he was set to die by lethal injection. Alston was 
sentinced to die for the 1990 murder of his ex-girlfriend Pamela Renee 
Perry. Alston was convicted on circumstantial evedence and no evidence, 
either physical or eye-witness ever placed him at the crime sciene. 
Evidence that could have proved his giult or innocence by DNA annialisis 
was lost. -Avram Golden-Trist
most of the info was gotten from www.prodeathpenalty.com under January 2002 
executions

Yucca Mountain Approved--Nuclear Waste to Come Through C-U

In a 30-day advance notice given to the governor of Nevada, Energy 
Secretary Spencer Abraham stated the Department's intention on recommending 
Yucca Mountain as the site for burying thousands of tons of highly 
radioactive waste. The site, only 90 miles from Las Vegas, would bring 
trains of nuclear waste into Champaign.  Some say trains carrying nuclear 
waste would pose an immediate threat to the lives of everyone living in 
Champaign County. The decision, which has already spawned three lawsuits 
against the site as a repository, raises questions on the safety of 
transporting toxic nuclear waste from 35 states across the country to a 
site which has been seen well over 600 earthquakes of 2.5 or greater on the 
Richter Scale within a 50 mile radius. Laura Huth, an Urbana City Council 
official, calls the decision quote-"an atrocity for Urbana-Champaign that 
necessitates immediate action towards Congress", unquote. If approved by 
President Bush, the decision would then go to the U.S. Congress, where 
Assistant Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has vowed to attempt to 
block it in the Senate. A simple majority in either house could block the 
project.  -Orion Weill

Auto Parts Manufacturer Contaminates N. Champaign

A group of residents living near the Alloy Casting and Engineering plant in 
Champaign have filed suit against the company for emitting a hot metallic 
dust into the air. A hearing was held on December 21st to determine whether 
a motion filed by Alloy to dismiss the Personal Injury claim would be able 
to go to trial. For now, the Residents will get a chance to argue their 
claim at trial, but the battle has not ended yet. Alloy has a few other 
options in order to block the residents claim. Check the Independent Media 
Website at urbana.indymedia.org for further updates. -Lindsay Robinson

Budget Cuts for UI Academics, But Increases for Sports

While the front page of the News Gazette announced that the university will 
cut $14.8 million out of the budget this year, the sports page is telling a 
very different story. When announcing budget cuts, U of I Provost Richard 
Herman said that things are "going to have to get slowed down". The 
university has its priorities, the library will not have to cut any 
spending, but increasing spending in the athletic department is all that is 
talked about in the sports page. The Gazette says that football coach Ron 
Turner's salary will be bumped up from about $700,000 to over one million 
dollars making him the first "Million Dollar Man" at Illinois and more than 
doubling his salary science he started in 1997. The sports page also talks 
of a new video scoreboard for Memorial stadium that will be put up before 
the 2002 football season. The sports page talks of things still being 
planed like more seating in the football stadium, "lavish executive boxes 
at Memorial stadium", more tennis courts at Atkins Tennis Center, an Illini 
hall of fame, and possibly even a new $75 million basketball 
stadium.  -Avram Golden-Trist

Champaign School Board Clamps Down on Speech

The Champaign School board meeting tonight at 7 p.m. At the Mellon 
Administration building will discuss several different policy changes 
including a change in how or whether people can give public input at the 
meetings. Thechanges are reportedly designed to shorten the length of board 
meetings.  The proposal will reduce the length of time someone may speak to 
the school board from five minutes to three minutes, and speakers will be 
required to give advance notice of what they plan to say.  The school board 
president will then decide whether that person's comments are appropriate 
and he will decide who may speak. Some charge that the proposals are 
intended to limit the public voice at school board meetings, some thing 
that superintendent's office has denied.At the meeting tonight there will 
be copies of the proposed changes and all meeting are open to the 
public.  -Avram Golden-Trist

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