Mexican Drug Cartels Pose Threat To Journalists

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service

“I was threatened to die because I was trying to do my job”, said Emilio Guiterez Soto, a Mexican journalist who was forced to flee Mexico after threats from the Chihuahuan government over his coverage of corruption in the army. Soto reflected on his journey from the Mexico to the U.S. in a press conference on the dangers drug cartels are presenting to journalists in Mexico hosted by the organization Reporters Without Borders

Soto and his son crossed the border into the U.S. knowing that they would be arrested by immigration officials. Soto spent seven months in a homeland security detention camp, and his son was in a custody for two months.

“I had to be in prison for seven months...and that was better than the situation [I was in] in Chihuahua”, said Soto.

According to a report released by Reporters Without Borders on Monday, Mexico is the most dangerous country for the media in the western hemisphere. Since year 2000, 55 journalists have been killed and eight are still missing.

“The Mexican government is reporting that eighty percent of the arms, or weapons, are coming from the U.S.”, said Jose Luis Sierra, a Mexican investigative reporter who works in the Rio Grande River Valley along the border of Mexico and Texas.

Sierra said, “nearly 70% of the local authorities are corrupted by drug traffickers”, and he believes this violence will not end without federal investments from both Mexico and the U.S.

Reporters Without Borders is urging the U.S. Senate to ratify the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in the Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials, knows as CIFTA.

The future of Emilio Guiterez Soto and his son remains unknown. An immigration hearing is scheduled for March 2010. Soto and Reporters Without Borders are confident that immigration will give them refugee status and allow them to stay in the U.S.

Illinois Congressman Calls On Honduran Gov't To Allow Zelaya Back In Country

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service

In a press conference Thursday, Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) said that according to a report written by the Library of Congress, the removal of former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was not a coup, and was, in fact, legal according to the Honduran Constitution.

“The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service concluded that the removal of former President Zelaya was Constitutional, and we must respect that," said Schock.

The report determined that while Zelaya's removal from power was legal, his removal from the country was illegal.

Shock believes Zelaya, who is being held in a Brazilian Embassy, should be released and allowed re-entry into Honduras.

"I call on the Honduran government to issue a general amnesty for everyone involved, including Manuel Zelaya, in his removal from power. With that said, that will require Manuel Zelaya and his supporters to obey the law and not advocate insurrection, the violent overthrow of the government or insight violence," Schock said.

Schock intends to work with the Honduran government to ensure that Zelaya is allowed back into Honduras and given the rights and responsibilities of a free citizen.

Newspaper Industry Expert Says No To Federal Bailout

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service

Experts from the newspaper industry testified Thursday before the Joint Economic Committee to discuss the future of struggling newspapers and the possibility of government assistance.

Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) introduced the Newspaper Welfare Act last week which would allow local newspapers to operate as non-profit entities while still generating advertising revenue.

John Sturm, President and CEO of The Newspaper Association of America, said that while he does consider the bill to be a step in the right direction, he does not believe the legislation is a "comprehensive solution to the problems in the industry at this time."

"The newspaper industry is not seeking a financial bailout or any other kind of special subsidy. We don't believe direct government financial assistance is appropriate for an industry whose core mission is news gathering, analysis and dissemination," said Sturm.

Competition with internet-based news services, the loss of nearly 40 percent in advertising revenue and the current economic recession have all taken a major toll on the newspaper industry.

Sturm added, "the [newspaper] industry is working on a variety of solutions to address these issues...[and] we expect that these solutions will be in the marketplace within the next six months."

Senate Judiciary Committee To Reauthorize Patriot Act, Add Limits

By Meagan Wiseley, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

Three provisions of the USA Patriot Act are set to expire Dec. 31, 2009 and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), intends to reauthorize the expiring provisions, but with sunset provisions to ensure the protection of Americans' civil liberties.

According to a statement from Sen. Leahy the USA Patriot Act Sunset Extension Act mandates new audits by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General on the use of National Security Letters, or federal subpoenas used by a variety of law enforcement entities.

Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice, Glenn Fine, said, “our reports ... found the FBI had engaged in serious misuse of NSLs... we found that the FBI had issued many NSLs without proper authorization and had made improper requests under the statutes cited in the NSLs.”

The Office of the Inspector General is still reluctant to conclude that the FBI has fully eliminated all the problems that were found. Fine suggested that while congress is considering reauthorizing provisions of the Patriot Act “it must ensure through continual and aggressive oversight that the FBI uses these important and and intrusive investigative authorities appropriately.”

Leahy believes that comprehensive audits performed by Congress will help hold the FBI accountable for the organization's NSL use.

Climate Change To Be "Front And Center" At G-20 Summit

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service

John Podesta, President of the Center for American Progress, held a conference call Friday to discuss the importance of putting climate change on the agenda at the upcoming G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, Pa..

“It is clear that climate change will be back on the table, and we think it is extremely important that it be there, front and center, in the Pittsburgh Summit and that it rise to the top of the agenda”, said Podesta.

Former Sen. Tim Worth (D-Colo.), who also spoke, said he believes increasing the rate of energy efficiencies, deforestation and a commitment to renewable energies, with regards to electricity, should be central to the discussion in Pittsburgh.

Podesta also expects a “concrete game plan for joint action to take place” between China and the U.S. with respect to clean energy. He added that the Obama administration is ready to “strongly engage on climate discussion both domestically and internationally,” and said that the G-20 will be the ideal forum for such talks to take place.