Story on polluted beaches

On Wednesday, San Diego Republican Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-CA) spoke to a Senate hearing about polluted beaches -- and as the former mayor of Imperial Beach, he has some experience in the matter. He wants to speed up the time it takes to alert the public of a pollution hazard by improving the testing methods employed by the EPA.

To listen to the story, click here.

Washington Rally for Habeas Corpus

Outside of the U.S. Capitol, hundreds of people rallied for the restoration of the right of habeas corpus, which was stripped for prisoners at Guantanamo Bay last year in the Military Commissions Act. The event was sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Conservative Union. In this piece for WSHU in Fairfield, Connecticut, I report what Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) had to say at the rally.

To listen to the story, click here.

National Bio and Agro Defense Facility -- Take 3

This is another version of my story on the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility, this time for WFAE in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Interviews include:

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
Rep. David Price (D-NC)
Edward Hammond, Sunshine Project
Warwick Arden, Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University

To listen to the story, click here.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg Quits Republican Party

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to quit the Republican Party is fueling speculation that he will launch an independent bid for president. In this piece for WSHU in Fairfield, Connecticut, I ask Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) what she thinks about Bloomberg's move.

To listen to the story, click here.

National Bio and Agro Defense Facility -- Part 2

In addition to the group in San Antonio mentioned in the post below, a consortium of Oklahoma institutions is also trying to bring the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility (NBAF) to El Reno, OK. In this piece for KGOU in Oklahoma City, I interviewed the key players trying to bring the lab to the state.

From KGOU's website:

In the coming weeks, the Department of Homeland Security will decide where to build the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility, a proposed 520,000 square foot high-security laboratory that will research cures and vaccines for biological threats such as mad cow disease and bio-weapons. Many lawmakers are clamoring to have the facility and its high-paying jobs in their district. But critics call it unnecessary pork, and say it could present a danger to the surrounding community. Fourteen sites are currently being considered, including one in El Reno.

Guests include Congressman Frank Lucas; Grazinglands Lab Director Jean Steiner; John Kerr, President of the San Antonio-based Southwest Foundation; and Renee Porter, spokesperson for Advancia, the company helping OSU and the Grazinglands lab try to bring the facility to Oklahoma.

Click here to listen to an MP3 of the story.

The National Bio and Agro Defense Facility

Here is a recent feature I filed for KSTX, Texas Public Radio (San Antonio, TX):

A Department of Homeland Security funded, $500 million federal laboratory is looking for a home and San Antonio has three potential sites for the proposed National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility. The biolab will focus on both potential biological terror threats and naturally occurring diseases that could affect the food supply or spread from animals to people. But while many see the biolab as a job generator for San Antonio, others are looking at the potential hazards and deadly agents it would bring into our community. Texas Public Radio's Charles Davis has more on the story from Capitol Hill.

Click here to listen to an MP3 of the story.

Interview with Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)

An excerpt:

Ron Paul is not your typical Republican. The Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee in 1988, he believes in limited government and a "live and let live" social policy. He voted against going to war in Iraq back in 2002, and he strongly opposes any military action against Iran. In fact, Paul’s considered to be the most consistent antiwar member of Congress. Though that position may be out of step with today's Republican Party, Paul has enjoyed enormous success online. In the following conversation, Paul talks about his campaign, the issues he’s focused on, and the fallout from his exchange in the South Carolina Republican debate with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani over the role United States foreign policy may have played in providing motivation for the attacks of 9/11.

Click here to read the rest of the interview.

Interview with Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-TN)

Though considered to be one of the most conservative members of Congress, Representative Jimmy Duncan (R-Tennessee) has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration when it comes to foreign policy. I spoke to Representative Duncan about his views on foreign policy and on what he thinks will happen to the Republican Party in light of the growing unpopularity of the war in Iraq.

An excerpt:

Duncan: "I think the foreign policy that we're following, and the policy on homeland security, is just leading to a great expansion of federal power. I opposed the creation of the Homeland Security Department. I've opposed the PATRIOT Act. Because to me those things are leading to more and more and bigger and bigger and much more expansive government that I don't think we can afford. And it's making our federal government more powerful and more intrusive, invading the privacy of many of our citizens and so forth. And it goes against every traditional Republican, traditional conservative view that I've ever known."

Click here to read the rest of the interview.

Oklahoma Lawmakers on Cuban Embargo

In Oklahoma, the state Department of Agriculture and many local farmers support increasing trade with Cuba. They think that it could be a big market for the state's wheat, beef, and other agriculture products. In this piece, I look at the ongoing debate over the Cuban trade embargo and speak to Oklahoma Republican Congressmen Frank Lucas and Tom Cole, both of whom support the embargo. The story aired in the greater Okalahoma City region on KGOU.

To listen to the story, click here.

Cuban Trade Embargo

Should the U.S. lift the current travel and trade restrictions against Cuba? That was the focus of this feature I did for Alabama Public Radio. If the trade embargo against Cuba was lifted, Alabama agriculture would benefit greatly thanks to its close proximity to the island nation. But while the state legislature in Alabama has called on Congress to lift the embargo, the state's lawmakers in Washington are opposing any changes in the status quo.

To listen to the story, click here.