News Headlines

With a career spanning more than six decades, Gore Vidal is one of America?s most respected writers and thinkers. He?s authored more than twenty novels and five plays. His latest book is Point to Point Navigation: A Memoir. [includes rush transcript]

May 1968 was a watershed month for France, when a wave of student and worker protests swept the country and changed French society forever. We speak to George Katsiaficas, author of numerous books, including The Imagination of the New Left: The Global Analysis of 1968. [includes rush transcript]

China Quake Toll Hits 15,000, Amidst Desperate Recovery Effort, Burma Could Face New Storm, 60 Killed in India Bombing, Overnight Clashes Claim 7 Lives in Sadr City, Bush Begins Israel Visit, Bush: Iran "Biggest Threat" to Mideast Peace, Clinton Wins West Virginia Primary, Democrats Score Upset Win in Mississippi District, Colombia Extradites 14 Paramilitary Leaders to US , Berlusconi Can Be Called to Testify in CIA Kidnap Case, Report: US Forcibly Injecting Deportees with Psychotropic Drugs

Last month marked the fifth anniversary of the US military shelling of the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad. The attack killed two journalists: Reuters cameraman Taras Protsyuk and Jose Couso, a cameraman for the Spanish television network Telecinco. The Pentagon has called the killings accidental, but in this broadcast exclusive Army Sgt. Adrienne Kinne (Ret.) reveals she saw secret US military documents that listed the hotel as a possible target. Kinne also discloses that she was personally ordered to eavesdrop on Americans working for news organizations and NGOs in Iraq. [includes rush transcript]

Over 12,000 Killed in Chinese Earthquake, Clinton Expected to Win in WV; Obama Looks to November, McCain Outlines Plans to Address Global Warming, Former Republican Bob Barr to Run as Libertarian, Up to 700 Arrested in Immigration Raid in Iowa, Report: 83 Immigrants Have Died in US Custody, Bush Vows to Help Arm Lebanese Army, Bush Accuses Iran of Arming Militias in Iran, US Admits Some "Iranian-Supplied" Arms Aren't from Iran, Iran to Sue US and UK for Backing Group Behind Mosque Bombing, Ban Ki-moon Presses Burmese Junta to Accept Aid, Inglewood, California Police Shoot Dead Unarmed Teenager, Rep. John Conyers Holds Forum in NYC on Sean Bell Case, South African Apartheid Suit to Proceed, Nawaz Sharif's Party Pulls Out of Coalition Government, Pentagon Drops Charges Against Alleged 20th Hijacker

"This is very much similar to what is happening in Sudan, in Palestine, in Iraq, in Afghanistan and Somalia, [where] the United States is basically instigating and funding civil wars," says professor As'ad AbuKhalil. [includes rush transcript]

Part two of our wide-ranging discussion with Slavoj Zizek, the philosopher, psychoanalyst and cultural theorist. He has been called the "Elvis of cultural theory" and is widely considered to be one of Europe's leading intellectuals. He has written more than fifty books and speaks to sold-out audiences around the world. [includes rush transcript]

Oxfam: Burma on Brink of Massive Public Health Catastrophe, Junta Blocks & Delays Aid Supplies to Burma, Burma Held National Referendum Saturday on New Constitution, Climate Change Group: Cyclone Is a Sign of Things to Come, GOP Convention Coordinator Resigns Over Ties to Burma's Junta, Obama Gains Support of 21 Superdelegates, 81 Killed in Lebanon Since Wednesday, After 1,000 Killed, a Ceasefire Is Reached in Sadr City, US-Backed Iraqi Troops Launch Attack in Mosul, Report: Blackwater Won't Face Criminal Charges for Civilian Deaths, Israeli Troops Kill UN Palestinian Teacher, Sudan Cuts Off Ties with Chad Following Rebel Attack, Price of Oil Reaches New High: $126 Per Barrel, Military Judge Dismisses General Involved in War Crimes Trials, NYPD Disciplines White Officer Who Stopped Black Commander, Environmental Activist Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

Blogger, author and nationally syndicated columnist Arianna Huffington revealed this week that Senator John McCain had told her eight years ago that he did not vote for President Bush in the 2000 election. McCain has angrily denied the claim. Huffington joins us to talk about her disillusionment with McCain, whom she says has abandoned his principles in his quest for the Republican nomination. Huffington is author of the new book, Right is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution, and Made Us All Less Safe -- and What you Need to Know to End the Madness. [includes rush transcript]

The Nigerian government, along with foreign oil companies, have reaped enormous profits over the years from the sale of oil and gas reserves, while the residents of the Niger Delta live in abject poverty. We speak to Sandy Cioffi, director of the the upcoming documentary Sweet Crude. She was recently arrested by the Nigerian military and held for a week before being released following international pressure. [includes rush transcript]

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the Sudanese government for Sunday?s air raids against three villages in North Darfur that killed fourteen civilians and injured several others. Antonov bombers targeted a marketplace, water installations and a village school that was holding classes. We speak to filmmaker, activist and writer Jen Marlowe of Darfur Diaries, an independent American project that helped raise funds to restart the school last year. [includes rush transcript]

UN Chides Burma Junta for Delaying Aid Relief, US Denies Capture of al-Qaeda Leader in Iraq, KBR Faces New Sexual Harassment Claims in Iraq, Beirut Clashes Stoke New Fears of Civil Conflict, Israelis, Palestinians Mark 60th Anniversary of Israel?s Founding, Clinton Cites White Support to Press Case for Campaign, CIA Ordered to Release 2002 Torture Memo, Special Counsel Thwarted Siegelman Probe, State Dept. Imposes Gag Order on India Nuke Deal, Pentagon Cancels Pakistan Post for Gitmo General, House Approves Homeowner Measure, Bolivia to Hold Referendum on Morales Government, Israeli PM Denies Taking Bribes

The first major international delivery of aid has finally landed in Burma amidst new fears the death toll from this week's cyclone could top 100,000. We speak to Jeremy Woodrum, co-founder of the US Campaign for Burma. [includes rush transcript]

Panamanian President Martin Torrijos was in Washington earlier this week to discuss a pending free trade agreement with the United States, where he drew praise from President Bush on winning national approval for the $5.2 billion expansion plan for the Panama Canal. But three decades ago the moves to nationalize the Panama Canal by President Torrijos's father, General Omar Torrijos, met with enormous resistance in this country. [includes rush transcript]

The House Judiciary Committee is preparing to hold a series of hearings examining the Bush administration's role in authorizing the illegal torture of prisoners in US custody at Guantanamo and elsewhere. We speak to British attorney and author, Philippe Sands, author of the new book Torture Team: Rumsfeld's Memo and the Betrayal of American Values. On Tuesday, Sands testified before the House Judiciary Sub-Committee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. [includes rush transcript]

Many political analysts say Tuesday's primary results in North Carolina and Indiana make Senator Barack Obama the all-but-certain nominee. But Senator Hillary Clinton is vowing to press on with her presidential bid. We speak to former senator, Senator George McGovern, who has dropped his support of Clinton to endorse Obama. Senator McGovern won the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972 and ran against Richard Nixon. [includes rush transcript]

More than 200 people have been arrested in a day of protest over acquittal of three police officers in the killing of Sean Bell. The twenty-three-year-old Bell died in a hail of fifty police bullets on the morning of what would have been his wedding day in November 2006. He was unarmed. On Wednesday, demonstrators halted traffic at six busy intersections in Manhattan and Brooklyn. [includes rush transcript]

Burma Cyclone Toll Could Top 100,000, Sadr City Residents Told to Flee Homes, Report: 10M Children Die Yearly from Preventable Causes, Vowing to Press On, Clinton Loans Campaign $6.5M, McCain to Yield $7M at New York Fundraiser, Independent Whistleblower Agency Targeted in FBI Raid, FBI Withdraws National Security Letter Issued to Internet Archive, Michigan Supreme Court Upholds Denying Benefits to Gay Couples, Philadelphia Police Caught Beating Unarmed Victims

Senator Barack Obama scored a landslide victory over Senator Hillary Clinton in the North Carolina primary last night and lost narrowly to her in Indiana. The results moved Obama closer to clinching the Democratic nomination as the contest enters its final month. [includes rush transcript]

Legendary broadcaster Bill Moyers helped organize the Peace Corps and served under President Johnson before going on to a distinguished career in journalism that continues today with the PBS series Bill Moyers Journal. His latest book, just published, is Moyers on Democracy. Moyers joins us to talk about the 2008 elections, the media and war. He addresses the controversy over Barack Obama's former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. It was nearly two weeks ago on Bill Moyers Journal where Wright first spoke out since his criticism of US government policies became a major issue in the 2008 Democratic presidential race. [includes rush transcript]

Obama Widens Lead Over Clinton with Big NC Win, Narrow Indiana Loss, Burma Toll Could Top 80,000, White House Missing Emails Around Iraq Invasion, Gitmo Lawyers Allege Government Spying, San Diego Orders Probe of Blackwater Permit, House Subpoenas Cheney Chief of Staff on Interrogation, US Re-establishes Navy Fleet in South America, Studies: Racial Disparity in Drug Arrests Grows, Newly Published Photographs Depict Hiroshima Aftermath, Brazilian Jury Overturns Rancher Conviction for Killing of US Nun, NY Activists to Protest Sean Bell Killing

Over the past five years, Denis Moynihan has overseen the remarkable growth of Democracy Now! Today, DN! airs on over 700 public radio and TV stations. Denis is moving to Denver today to become the CEO of Free Speech TV. [includes rush transcript]

Renowned political analyst Kevin Phillips argues successive administrations have imperiled the US economy by a combination of shortsighted policies and a trend against regulation. These include unparalleled credit card debts, the expansion of financial industries such as hedge funds, ballooning national debts, and deliberately altering statistics like inflation and unemployment to mask the accurate picture. [includes rush transcript]

Monsanto already dominates America?s food chain with its genetically modified seeds. Now it has targeted milk production. Just as frightening as the corporation?s tactics -- ruthless legal battles against small farmers -- is its decades-long history of toxic contamination. We speak to James Steele, contributing editor at Vanity Fair. [includes rush transcript]

In Burma, at least 15,000 people have now died following a devastating cyclone. Another 30,000 people are still missing. Aid agencies estimate as many as one million people may be without shelter. The storm hit Burma on Friday night. David Scott Mathieson joins us on the telephone from the Thai-Burma border. He is a consultant to Human Rights Watch on Burma. [includes rush transcript]

Cyclone in Burma Kills at Least 15,000, Pro-Democracy Groups Urge Postponement for Referendum, Obama & Clinton Face Off in N.C. & Indiana, NYT Scrutinized for Report on Hezbollah Training Iraqis in Iran, John Bolton: Striking Iran Is "Really the Most Prudent Thing to Do", Iran Suspends US Talks to Protest US Offensive, Report: Suicide May Be More Deadly Than Combat for Troops, UN Adviser Calls for Overhaul of Food Aid System, Iraqi Man Files Torture Suit Against US Contractors, Georgia Schedules First Execution Since End of Moratorium, New Book Alleges Mumia Abu-Jamal Is Innocent, Lawsuit Filed to Stop California Prison Expansion, Mildred Loving, 68, Dies; Challenged Interracial Marriage Ban, North Carolina Man Released After 14 Years on Death Row

On May 1, activists locked themselves together in the lobby of weapons manufacturer General Dynamics in Burlington, Vermont. The activists were demanding "General Dynamics stop giving campaign contributions to the politicians responsible for regulating it, stop making Gatling guns, missiles and other weapons of mass destruction, and give back the $3.6 million in Vermont tax breaks General Dynamics received in 2007." [includes rush transcript]

A US military judge dismissed the argument Friday that Guantanamo's youngest detainee, Omar Khadr, was a child soldier when captured in Afghanistan and therefore in need of protection and not prosecution. US Army Colonel Peter Brownback's ruling clears the way for Khadr's trial, which will be the first war crimes trial in history of anyone under the age of eighteen. [includes rush transcript]

Elections Under Threat portrays the everyday people of Iran as well as the candidates running for Parliament, as they debate and discuss the relevance of these elections, their economic conditions and the international pressures on their nation. The documentary offers a unique glimpse into the political dynamics of the struggles for participation and democracy in a nation facing increasing economic and military threats from the United States. [includes rush transcript]

In Bolivia, President Evo Morales has rejected an autonomy vote by the country's richest region of Santa Cruz, calling the poll "illegal and unconstitutional." The proposals voted on Sunday include giving Santa Cruz more control over land distribution and rich oil and gas reserves. [includes rush transcript]

Thursday's air strike comes in the midst of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Somalia that the International Committee of the Red Cross described as ?catastrophic.? Over one million people have been made internal refugees, and 3.5 million, or nearly half the country's population, may need food aid by the end of the year. [includes rush transcript]

Cyclone Kills Nearly 4,000 People in Burma, Clinton Defends Statement about "Obliterating" Iran, Report: Bush Authorizes Covert Offensive Against Iran, US Missile Hits Iraqi Hospital, 30 Injured, Iraq's First Lady Survives Bomb Attack, Iraqi Journalist Killed in Mosul, Private Contractors to Help Train Iraqi Military, KBR's Profits Triple Due to Iraq War Contracts, Obama and Clinton Spar Over Gas Tax, NAACP Files Voter Suppression Complaint, Lawmakers Demand Probe into Pentagon Propaganda Program, US Military Launches Foreign Language News Websites, US Considers Sending 7,000 More Troops to Afghanistan, UN Relief Agency Suspends Food Aid in Gaza, Zimbabwe Releases Official Election Results, Sami al-Haj: Koran Desecrated at Guantanamo

Just two months after local opposition thwarted its effort to build a massive outdoor training facility near San Diego, the private military company Blackwater USA is being accused of secretly trying to build a new one just blocks from the US-Mexico border. Blackwater received approval for the 61,000 square-foot indoor facility in Otay Mesa, California, by filing for permits using the names of two subsidiaries. [includes rush transcript]

Arrested in Pakistan in December 2001, Sami al-Haj spent nearly six-and-a-half years at Guantanamo without charge or trial. He had been on a more than a year-long hunger strike to protest his imprisonment. We hear al-Haj's first public remarks from his hospital bed in Sudan and speak to his brother, Asim al-Haj. [includes rush transcript]

In the largest labor strike since the invasion of Iraq, ports along the West Coast -- all twenty-nine of them -- were shut down as some 25,000 dockworkers went on a one-day strike to protest the war. We speak to Jack Heyman of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. [includes rush transcript]

We speak to the top election officials from two states -- California Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan -- about some of the contentious issues facing the American electorate ahead of the November presidential election. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court upheld an Indiana law requiring voters to show photo identification. Many Democrats and civil rights groups have opposed the law, saying it is a thinly veiled effort to suppress elderly, poor and minority voters, those most likely to lack proper ID and who tend to vote for Democrats. [includes rush transcript]

Al Jazeera Cameraman Sami al-Haj Freed From Guantanamo, 36 Killed, 65 Wounded in Baghdad Suicide Bombing, Turkey Resumes Attacks in Northern Iraq, Protests Mark 5 Years Since "Mission Accomplished", Tens of Thousands Rally for Immigrant Rights, Dockworkers Shut Down Ports in Antiwar Protest, Bush Admin Forces Out EPA Regulator Who Sought Regulation of Dow, Bush Proposes Additional Food Aid, Exxon Posts $10.89B Quarterly Profit, Nicaraguan President Accuses US of Destabilization, New Zealand Activists Damage US-Linked Spy Base

Reverend Jesse Jackson has just returned from Haiti, where the World Food Program is warning of a "major crisis" if international donors fail to help feed Haiti's poor. Prices of rice, beans and cooking oil have doubled in the past few months. The soaring food prices have had a devastating effect: two-thirds of Haitians live on less than a dollar a day, and 47 percent are undernourished. We speak to Rev. Jackson about the US responsibility to feed a nation long targeted by Western subversion. Rev. Jackson also shares his thoughts on the recent fallout between Democratic candidate Barack Obama and his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. [includes rush transcript]

Tens of thousands are expected to march in cities across the country today, linking immigrant rights to May Day for the third year in a row. The major demands include legal status for undocumented migrant workers and an end to the raids and deportations that have torn families apart. We speak to Anike Tourse of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. [includes rush transcript]

In what's believed to be a first, a group of US citizens and lawful residents have brought claims against the government for being illegally detained during an ICE raid earlier this year. If the claims are successful, this legal strategy could force the Department of Homeland Security to change its policy about workplace raids. [includes rush transcript]

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has been organizing to shut down ports on the West Coast today, May Day, to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But yesterday an arbitrator ordered the union to tell its members that they must report to work today. We speak to Clarence Thomas, an executive board member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 10 and a member of US Labor Against the War. [includes rush transcript]

Casualties Mount in Ongoing US Assault on Sadr City, US Death Toll Highest in 7 Months, 5 Years Since ?Mission Accomplished?, US: Iran ?Most Active? State Sponsor of ?Terrorism?, Palestinian Factions Accept Gaza Truce with Israel, UN: Gaza at ?Point of Explosion?, 10 Killed in US Airstrikes on Somalia, Iran Complains to UN over Clinton Comments, Venezuela Marks May Day with Min. Wage Hike, Peruvian Women Rally Against Rising Food Prices, Agricultural Firms Post Record Quarterly Profits, Scandal-Linked GSA Head Resigns, ?Robocalls? Discourage African American Votes in North Carolina, Barrick Gold Sues Canadian Publisher over Book Alleging Abuses

CorpWatch Managing Editor Pratap Chatterjee has just returned from Iraq, where he was embedded with the US military and investigating the outsourcing of both military logistics and intelligence gathering. A new CorpWatch report offers a scathing assessment of intelligence contractors L-3 and Titan. We also speak to Marwan Mawiri, who worked in Iraq as a translator with Titan in 2003 and 2004. [includes rush transcript]

As the Reverend Wright controversy continues to dominate media attention, we host a debate with two guests. Melissa Harris-Lacewell is associate professor of politics and African American studies at Princeton University. A Barack Obama supporter, she was a member of the Trinity United Church, and Reverend Wright was also her pastor. And Adolph Reed, Jr. is professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania. He makes the case against voting for Senator Barack Obama in the latest issue of The Progressive magazine. [includes rush transcript]

On Tuesday, Senator Barack Obama said he was ?outraged? and ?saddened? by ?divisive and destructive? comments by his former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Since the weekend, Reverend Wright has publicly defended himself after weeks of being lambasted by politicians and pundits for his sermons. We hear from both Obama's and Wright's speeches. [includes rush transcript]

Dozens of Civilians Feared Dead in US Attack on Sadr City, UN to Form Task Force on Food Crisis, Rev. Jackson Urges Haiti Food Aid, Bush Rejects Biofuel Link to Food Crisis, Latin American, European Leaders Meet on Poverty, Inequality, Zimbabwe Opposition Accuses Mugabe Supporters of Crackdown, Chevron Accused of Complicity in Burma Abuses, Obama Condemns Former Pastor, Study: Nearly 1/3 of Americans Struggle to Pay for Medical Care, Insurance, Home Foreclosures Rise in 1st Quarter of 2008, McCain Healthcare Proposal Mirrors Bush Admin

It's been described as ?the government-sanctioned bombing of Appalachia.? The controversial coal mining practice known as mountaintop removal has been used widely in West Virginia. The technique involves blasting off the tops of mountains and dumping the rubble into valleys and streams. Its use has expanded under the Bush administration. We speak with Ed Wiley, one of the leading activists behind the grassroots effort to stop mountaintop removal in West Virginia. [includes rush transcript]

Debbie Almontaser was forced to step down in August 2007 as the founding principal of the Khalil Gibran School, New York City?s first public school dedicated to the study of Arabic language and culture. Her resignation followed a rightwing campaign that painted her as an educator with a militant Islamic agenda. In a Democracy Now! exclusive, Debbie Almontaser joins us in her first national broadcast interview since stepping down and suing the city. [includes rush transcript]

Supreme Court Upholds Voter ID Law, House Democrats Prepare New War Funding Bill, Cindy Sheehan to Run Against Nancy Pelosi, April Becomes Deadliest Month Since September for US Troops, Mourners Bury Palestinian Family Killed in Bombing, Israeli Warplanes Reportedly Violated Lebanese Airspace, Rev. Wright Responds to Critics & Defends Sermons, Blackwater to Build Facility Near Mexican Border, UN Officals: Biofuels Are a "Crime Against Humanity", OPEC: Oil Prices Could Hit $200 a Barrel, Shell & BP Report Record Profits, Economists Question McCain and Clinton's Gas Tax Proposal, Number of Vacant Homes in US Reach 18.6 Million, Wells Fargo's Subprime Loan Practices Come Under Scrutiny, Burger King Refuses to Increase Pay for Farmworkers, Longshoremen to Shut West Coast Ports on May 1 to Protest War, Antonin Scalia: Torture Is Not "Cruel and Unusual Punishment"

James Lee is a former Marine from California who served two tours of duty in Iraq in 2001 to 2004. He's been back in Iraq more recently, this time as an embedded photographer. Lee is now a journalism student at San Francisco State University and filed reports from Iraq for the college newspaper, the Golden Gate XPress. But earlier this month, Lee was abruptly de-embedded. On April 2nd, just before General Petraeus was due to brief Congress on progress in Iraq, Lee was ordered to leave Basra. [includes rush transcript]

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog group, Mohamed ElBaradei, has criticized the United States for withholding intelligence that it says showed the construction of a nuclear reactor in Syria that Israel bombed in September. The International Atomic Energy Agency chief was critical of both the US delay in releasing the information and of Israel's bombing of the site before the IAEA could inspect it. We speak with former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, Scott Ritter. [includes rush transcript]

In New York, a coalition of civil rights advocates are calling for a permanent state-level special prosecutor to handle police brutality cases following the acquittal of three NYPD detectives in the killing of Sean Bell. The twenty-three-year-old Bell died in a hail of fifty police bullets on the morning of what would have been his wedding day in November 2006. Two of his friends were also injured in the shooting. All three men were unarmed. We speak with Sanford Rubinstein, the attorney representing Sean Bell's fiancee Nicole Paultre-Bell, and with Jessica Sanclemente, the co-coordinator of People's Justice. [includes rush transcript]

NYPD Officers Acquitted in Killing of Sean Bell, Afghan President Karzai Survives Assassination Attempt, Bush Administration Claims It Can Ignore Anti-Torture Laws, Human Rights Groups Push for Trial of Rumsfeld, Pentagon Admits Planning Potential Military Action Against Iran, Adm. Mullen Claims N.Korea-Syria Nuke Link, Palestinian Family Killed in Israeli Shelling, Green Zone Hit by 10 Rockets or Mortars, US Firm Builds Amusement Park and Zoo Near Green Zone, US Sergeant Acquitted in Killing of Unarmed Iraqi, Pentagon Suspends Briefings for Retired Military Officers, 27 UN Agencies Meet to Tackle Global Food Crisis, Profits Soar for Global Agribusinesses & Speculators, Truckers Protest Rising Fuel Costs in D.C., Bush to Veto Democratic Plan to Help Homeowners, Canadian Police Arrest Five Mohawk Protesters, Saudi Blogger Released After Four Months in Prison

Forty years ago this week, hundreds of students at Columbia University started a revolt on campus. Students went on strike. They occupied five buildings, including the president?s office in Low Library, and barricaded themselves inside for days. The students were protesting Columbia's ties to military research and plans to build a university gymnasium in a public park in Harlem. The 1968 Columbia uprising inspired student protests across the country. We spend the hour with four of the strike leaders: Gustin Reichbach is now a New York State Supreme Court Justice; William Sales is now a professor at Seton Hall University; Tom Hayden is a former California state senator; and Juan Gonzalez, our own Democracy Now! co-host. [includes rush transcript]

Facing Fuel Shortage, UN Halts Aid to Gaza, Israel Rejects Latest Hamas Truce Offer, Bush Hosts Abbas Amidst Claims of Secret Approval of Israeli Settlement Expansion, Israeli Ambassador to UN: Carter a ?Bigot?, 7 Killed, 45 Wounded in Baghdad Clashes, I-G: Pentagon Overestimating Iraq Troop Readiness, Admin Shares Intel on Alleged Syrian Nuke Site, Pakistan Nearing Truce with Militants, WFP Warns of Food Aid Cut, Soaring Heating Costs Could Bring Record Energy Shut-Offs, California Delays Controversial Pesticide Spraying, Senate Commerce Committee Moves to Veto FCC Repeal of Media Ownership Limits, McCain Faults Bush Admin on Katrina Response, Obama?s Ex-Pastor Breaks Silence Following Controversy over Criticism, Verdict in Bell Murder Trial Expected Today

The Three Gorges Dam along China's Yangtze River is the world's largest hydroelectric project and is due to be completed in 2009. Widely touted as a feat of modern engineering, the dam was supposed to stop flooding along the river and provide clean energy to fuel China's economic boom. But it has also gained notoriety as an environmental and human catastrophe. Up the Yangtze is a critically acclaimed new documentary about the social impact of the Three Gorges Dam. We speak with Chinese Canadian filmmaker Yung Chang. [includes rush transcript]

Bolivian President Evo Morales came to New York this week to deliver the keynote address at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Morales became Bolivia's first indigenous president when he was elected in 2005 with more popular support than any Bolivian leader in decades. Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez had a chance to sit down with President Morales at the Bolivian mission in New York for an interview. Morales discusses issues of world hunger, biofuels and climate change, relations with Paraguayan President-Elect Fernando Lugo, his push to introduce a new constitution in Bolivia, his accusations that the US ambassador is leading a conspiracy against his government, his thoughts on the US presidential elections, and more. [includes rush transcript]

Representatives of the world's 370 million indigenous people are gathered at the United Nations this week to demand that their voices be included in future talks on climate change. Over 3,000 delegates are attending the seventh session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. We speak with Casey Camp-Horinek, a member of the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma. [includes rush transcript]

As people around the world continue to protest the soaring prices of basic food items, the World Food Program has described the crisis as a silent tsunami. The head of the Food and Agriculture Organization blamed the current global food crisis on ?inappropriate? policy decisions over the past two decades. Nowhere is this more clear than in Haiti, where hungry people are rioting in the streets because they cannot afford to buy rice. Haiti imports most of its rice from the United States, which in turn remains heavily subsidized. We speak with human rights lawyer, Bill Quigley. [includes rush transcript]

Clinton, Obama Set Sights on Indiana, Senate GOPers Block Pay Discrimination Bill, House Votes to Block Admin Cuts of Medicaid, Top Iraq Generals Get Promoted, Israeli Blockade Could Halt UN Shipments to Gaza, Israel: Bush Secretly Endorsed Settlement Expansion, Syria Says Israel Has Offered to Return Golan, ALBA Leaders Launch Joint Food Effort, Survey: 60% of EPA Scientists Witness Political Interference, CIA Holds 7,000 Docs on Secret Prisons, Interrogations, US Food Chains to Ration Rice Sales, Slain Palestinian Journalist Remembered in Gaza

Lawmakers and the NAACP are calling for an investigation into reports that federally funded scientific experiments in 2000 spread sewage sludge on yards in poor black neighborhoods to test if it could fight lead poisoning in children. The Associated Press reported Sunday that researchers spread a mix of human and industrial wastes from sewage treatment plants on the lawns of nine low-income families in Baltimore and a vacant lot next to an elementary school in East St. Louis, Illinois. We speak with John Heilprin, the AP reporter who broke the story. [includes rush transcript]

The race for the Democratic presidential nomination is continuing following Hillary Clinton's win over Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania primary. We host a roundtable discussion on the 2008 race with Clinton supporter Kim Gandy, the president of the National Organization for Women; Obama supporter Bill Fletcher, the executive editor of The Black Commentator; and Cynthia McKinney supporter Ted Glick, a member of the Green Party. [includes rush transcript]

Senator Hillary Clinton has won the Pennsylvania primary, beating Senator Barack Obama by ten percentage points. Clinton received 55 percent of the vote, Obama had 45 percent. Pennsylvania was seen as a must-win state for Clinton. We get analysis of the results with Will Bunch, senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News. [includes rush transcript]

Clinton Wins Penn. Primary, Report: Almost Impossible for Obama to Lose Pledged Delegate Lead, NYT Blasts Clinton's "Negativity", World Food Program Warns About "Silent Tsunami", Rising Food Prices Forces World Vision to Cut Aid to 1.5 Million People, Cousin of Colombia's President Arrested for Ties to Death Squads, Bush Urges Congress to Approve Colombian Free Trade Deal, Drugging of Guantanamo Detainees Comes Under New Scrutiny, UN Warns Death Toll in Sudan May Be 300,000, Court: Ex-EPA Chief Can't Be Held Liable for 9/11 Statements, Murdoch Bids $580 Million to Buy Newsday, Former Army Engineer Arrested for Spying for Israel, Three Members of MOVE Denied Parole, Charges Dropped Against Buffalo Art Professor

Army reservist Sergeant Marshall Thompson spent a year in Iraq working as a military journalist. He reported from across Iraq, interviewing thousands of US soldiers. In October 2006, Sgt. Thompson walked the entire 500 miles across his native state of Utah to protest the war and call for a withdrawal of US troops. [includes rush transcript]

The New York Times has revealed new details on how the Pentagon recruited more than seventy-five retired military officers to appear on TV outlets as so-called military analysts ahead of the Iraq war to portray Iraq as an urgent threat. The Times reported the Pentagon continues to use the analysts in a propaganda campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration?s wartime performance. We speak with Col. Sam Gardiner (Ret.) and Peter Hart of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. [includes rush transcript]

In Paraguay, a former Catholic priest once known as the Bishop of the Poor has been elected president. Fernando Lugo will be the first Paraguayan president since 1946 not to be from the conservative Colorado Party. Lugo won 41 percent of the vote, beating Blanca Ovelar, who received 31 percent. Lugo has pledged to crack down on corruption and channel Paraguay?s wealth into social programs. We go to Asuncion to speak with journalist Michael Fox. [includes rush transcript]

Obama & Clinton Square Off in Pennsylvania, Clinton: US Could "Totally Obliterate" Iran If Iran Attacks Israel, Obama Accuses Clinton of Employing "Politics of Fear", Clinton Faces Delegate and Money Shortfall, Pentagon Allows More Felons to Enter Army, Army Expands Involuntary Extensions of Duty, Israel Rejects Offer from Hamas After Carter Visit, Report: Israel to Pay Family of Slain British Filmmaker, Congress Urged to Probe Pentagon Propaganda Program, CNN Hires Ex-White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, New HUD Nominee Has No Experience in Housing Issues, Bush Has Highest Disapproval Rating in History of Gallup Poll, Ex-Justice Dept. Official Charge in Abramoff Scandal, Life Expectancy Falls for American Women in 1,000 Counties, Supreme Court Rejects Appeals from 11 Death Row Inmates, Indigenous Summit at UN Tackles Climate Change, US Postal Service Honors Ruben Salazar

Aime Cesaire, the esteemed poet, writer, politician and anti-colonial activist from Martinique died on Thursday at the age of ninety-four. Cesaire is revered in the Francophone world as a leading figure in the movement for black consciousness and pride, which he called "Negritude." His use of culture to fight colonialism and racism influenced generations of activists and writers around the world. [includes rush transcript]

It remains to be seen whether the Democrats will ultimately take their fight for a presidential candidate all the way to the Democratic National Convention this August in Denver, but for many activists tired of the two-party system and the ongoing war, they will be demonstrating at the convention regardless of who the final nominee is. We speak with Mark Cohen, an organizer with Recreate '68, and Mark Silverstein, the legal director of the ACLU in Colorado. [includes rush transcript]

While there are differences between the healthcare plans offered by Democratic presidential opponents Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, neither of them is proposing a single-payer system of national healthcare. That's despite the endorsement of precisely such a plan last December by the American College of Physicians, the largest medical specialty organization. We speak with Dr. Rocky White, a passionate, if unusual, advocate for a single-payer health insurance program. He describes himself as an evangelical from a conservative background and is on the Board of Directors of the nonprofit Health Care for All Colorado. [includes rush transcript]

Sadr Warns of "Open War" in Iraq, Rice Praises Iraqi Crackdown on Basra & Baghdad, Pentagon Propaganda Program Exposed, Obama & Clinton Prepare for Penn. Primary, Carter: Hamas Willing to Live in Peace with Israel, Israel to Probe Killing of Reuters Journalist, "Bishop of Poor" Wins Paraguayan Election, Pope Fails to Mention Iraq in UN Speech, 81 Die in Somalia, S. African Dockworkers Refuse to Unload Arms for Mugabe, Citigroup and AT&T to Lay Off Thousands, Bush Heads to New Orleans for SPP Summit, Arizona Bill to Prohibit Anti-American Teachings, Ban Ki-moon: Surging Food Prices Threaten Anti-Poverty Efforts, Study: GM Crops Reduces Productivity, Palestinian Activist Found Dead in Texas

The United States maintains over 700 military bases in dozens of countries across the globe. We speak with two international activists who are in the US for a speaking tour as part of a campaign called ?No Bases for Empire.? Jan Tamas, from the Czech Republic, is the founder of the No Bases Initiative, a coalition against the proposed US missile system in Eastern Europe. Olivier Bancoult is with the Chagos Refugee Group. He was expelled from his native Diego Garcia when he was four years old. The US has operated a military base there since British forces expelled native islanders in the early 1970s. [includes rush transcript]

ABC News is coming under intense criticism for its handling of Wednesday night?s Democratic debate in Pennsylvania. During the first forty-five minutes of the debate, the moderators Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos focused on Obama?s comments that some voters in Pennsylvania were bitter, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy, Clinton?s Bosnia ?sniper fire? story, flag pins and the Weather Underground. We speak with Glenn Greenwald, author of Great American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican Politics. [includes rush transcript]

Several states have announced plans to resume carrying out executions by lethal injection after a major Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday. In a seven-to-two decision, the Court upheld Kentucky?s method of execution by lethal injection. We speak with the founder of the Texas Coalition Against the Death Penalty, David Atwood. [includes rush transcript]

Report: 300,000 Iraq & Afghan Vets Suffer PTSD & Depression, Suicide Bomber Kills 50 Iraqis at Funeral, US Builds Wall Around Sadr City, Pentagon Report: Iraq War Is a "Major Debacle", US to Release Iraqi Prisoners, Teach Them About Islam, Kenya Swears in Power-Sharing Government, Pope Meets with Sex Abuse Victims, Amnesty Calls for Probe into Civilian Deaths in Gaza, Carter Heads to Syria to Meet with Hamas Leader, Merrill Lynch to Eliminate 4,000 Jobs, Bank of America Ends Private Student Loan Business, Barrick Gold Threatens Canadian Book Publisher, Rep. Frank Introduces Marijuana Decriminalization Bill

Renowned Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig is one of the world's leading figures in the field of cyberlaw. He joins us for a conversation about today's FCC hearing on net neutrality; Creative Commons; the rise of Google and its efforts to influence public policy; and Change Congress, his most recent project to take on corruption in Washington. [includes rush transcript]

We speak with independent vice-presidential candidate, Matt Gonzalez, who is running on Ralph Nader's ticket in November. Gonzalez is a San Francisco-based attorney and the former president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. In 2003, he ran for mayor of San Francisco on the Green Party ticket but lost in a close race to Democrat Gavin Newsom. [includes rush transcript]

ABC News is coming under intense criticism for its handling of Wednesday's Democratic debate in Pennsylvania. During the first forty-five minutes of the debate, the moderators focused on Senator Barack Obama's comments that some voters in Pennsylvania were bitter, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy, Senator Hillary Clinton's Bosnia "sniper fire" story, flag pins and the Weather Underground, before later turning to the issues. We play highlights of the debate. [includes rush transcript]

20 Palestinians & 3 Israelis Killed in Gaza, Israeli Troops Kill Reuters Cameraman, ABC Criticized Over Handling of Democratic Debate, US Military Releases AP Photographer Held for Two Years In Iraq, Supreme Court Upholds Lethal Injections, Pope Expresses Deep Shame Over Sexual Abuse Scandal, Pope Calls for Fair Treatment of Immigrants in the US, 400 Detained in Immigration Raids, Groups Call for Rice to Resign Over Role in Approving Torture, ACLU Uncovers New Details on US Torture in Afghanistan, Mistrial Declared Again in Miami Terror Case, House Passes International Debt Relief Act, Bush Sets 2025 Goal to Stop Emissions Growth, Three Arrested in Anti-Coal Plant Protest in Virginia, Report: Netanyahu Says 9/11 Has Been Good for Israel, Nigeria Releases US Filmmakers, Tim Robbins Slams State of Broadcasting at NAB Meeting

The rise in global food prices has sparked a number of protests in recent weeks, highlighting the threat of worsening already dire levels of global hunger. The World Bank estimates world food prices have risen 80 percent over the past three years and that at least thirty-three countries face social unrest as a result. The World Food Program has issued a rare $500 million emergency appeal to deal with the growing crisis. We go to Part II of our conversation with Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System. [includes rush transcript]

In Egypt, twenty-five members of the opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, were sentenced to jail by a military court on Tuesday. Among those sentenced was the group's second most senior member. In the weeks ahead of Egypt's municipal vote earlier this month, hundreds of members of the group were arrested. The verdicts come on the heels of food riots in Egypt in response to skyrocketing prices for food staples such as bread, rice, pasta. We speak with Hossam el-Hamalawy, an Egyptian journalist, blogger and activist. [includes rush transcript]

Maoist rebels in Nepal say an end to monarchy is near, following their surprise victory in last week's national elections. The Communist Party of Nepal is expected to come out with more than half the seats in the constituent assembly when final results are released. Maoist officials say one of their first orders of business will be to abolish the monarchy and declare a republic. We speak with New York-based journalist Kashish Das Shrestha, and we go to Nepal to speak with anthropologist Mary Des Chenes. [includes rush transcript]

70 Die in Iraq; Bus Bombing Kills 40 in Baquba, Report: Sadr Movement Largest Humanitarian Organization in Iraq, Home Foreclosure Filings Surge 57 Percent, Senate Foreclosure Bill Includes Corporate Tax Breaks, Poll: 70% Disapprove of Bush's Handling of Economic Crisis, Warning Issued about Chemical Used in Plastic Baby Bottles, Pope Benedict Vows to Kick Pedophiles Out of Church, Report: Sea Levels Could Rise Five Feet by 2100, Bush to Endorse "Intermediate Goal" for Cutting Greenhouse Gases, Gov't Obtains Phone Records of NYT Reporter, Carter: Engage Hamas & Syria in Peace Talks, Jewish Liberals Form Lobbying Group to Counter AIPAC, Amnesty: US Remains One of World's Top Executioners

China mobilises thousands of extra troops for relief efforts after an earthquake which affected about 10m people.

A 19-year-old man is charged with the murder of 16-year-old Jimmy Mizen in a bakery in south-east London.

Riot police and Rangers fans clash in Manchester, after a big screen showing the Uefa Cup final breaks down.

The UK's postal regulator calls for the part privatisation of Royal Mail to ensure a high-quality mail service.

An 18-year-old man is charged with murdering 22-year-old Steven Bigby in London's Oxford Street on Monday.

The number of crimes committed by girls in England and Wales has gone up by 25% in three years, according to figures.

US Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has been endorsed by former rival John Edwards.

West Midlands Police and prosecutors are to apologise for accusing the makers of a Channel 4 show of distortion.

The US lists the polar bear as a threatened species but says the decision will not affect climate change policies.

BBC reporter in Burma describes patchy aid efforts

The number of crimes by girls is up by 25%. Why?

Afghan medals for Royal Marines, some badly hurt

Swift pilot whales are the 'cheetahs of the deep'

Austrian cellar family release public message

Property price crash in Spain hits British residents hard

A man is found guilty of murdering his wife and hiding her body in a car roof top box in the couple's garden.

Rangers fans are left heartbroken after the club's Uefa Cup dream ended in defeat in Manchester.

A man is found guilty of trying to smuggle £40m worth of cocaine into the UK hidden in a luxury yacht.

A post-mortem examination prompts a murder investigation to begin in a County Down town.

Zimbabwe's government extends by 90 days the deadline for a presidential run-off to be held.

Peru sets up its first environment ministry, ahead of a Latin American-EU summit focusing on climate change.

Lebanon reverses measures targeting Hezbollah that triggered a week of violence between political factions.

Ban Ki-moon is to send a top official to Burma, where the UN says 2.5m people have been affected by the cyclone.

One policeman is killed after a car bomb explodes outside barracks in the Basque region of Spain.

A curfew is imposed in the historic old city in Jaipur in western India after a series of bombings killed 63 people.

The UK's outlook for inflation has deteriorated in the past few months, the head of the Bank of England says.

Gordon Brown faces questions on the economy after a Bank of England warning that "the nice decade" is over.

Initial results of clinical trials on a possible vaccine against meningitis B show "encouraging" results.

Schools in England are being told how to tackle bullying of children with special needs or disabilities.

A survey concludes that shifts in the Earth's physical and biological systems are driven by global warming.

An invasion of panda bears helps launch the 61st Cannes Film Festival, which is getting under way in France.

MySpace has won $234m in damages from spammers - but has little chance of getting the cash say experts.

US orchestra is conducted by a robot.

Russia's Zenit St Petersburg lift the Uefa Cup thanks to a 2-0 victory over Scotland's Rangers in Manchester.

World number one Justine Henin quits tennis with immediate effect - at the age of 25.

What do you want the world to talk about?