Thursday, August 3, 2000

• Ralph Nader Crashes the Party

  
  

  Well, folks, history was made last night at the Republican Convention, and we’re not talking about Dick Cheney’s speech. It was what happened on the convention floor while he spoke. In what is believed to be the first time in US history, a candidate for president held an impromptu but well attended press briefing on the convention floor of an opposing party. We’re talking about Ralph Nader. In fact, we had asked him to come to the convention. We wanted him to provide commentary and analysis. The networks think nothing of bringing in opposition Democrats, but these political figures still invariably reinforce the official line. We brought in Ralph Nader as the voice of an outsider who has been excluded from the political process in many ways. From the moment we arrived, scores of bored reporters desperate for a story, as well as delegates and politicians, swarmed around Ralph Nader as we began our journey to the convention floor. [includes rush transcript]

• Gov. George Ryan of Illinois Speaks on his Moratorium on Death Penalty

  
  

  After we left the convention center, we headed over to the press tents, where Ralph Nader made the rounds on TV and radio shows. As Nader was being interviewed on NBC, we bumped into Illinois Governor George Ryan. Ryan, of course, imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois a few months ago after more than a dozen people on death row there were proved innocent. He set up a blue ribbon panel to look at the issue. Just yesterday it held its first hearing. [includes rush transcript]

• Gov. George Ryan Meets Ralph Nader and Seems to Like Him

  
  

  Illinois Governor George Ryan speaking inside the media tent at the Republican National Convention. With Ralph Nader nearby in the media tent, we asked him to join the discussion. [includes rush transcript]

• Police Step Up Crackdown on Activists

  
  

  Over the last couple of days here in Philadelphia, more than 380 people have been arrested in Philadelphia. Many activists reported being pulled over or detained. Scores remain in prison as stories of brutality against demonstrators continue to surface. [includes rush transcript]

• Healthcare, Seniors and the Pharmaceutical Industry

  
  

  As issue and lobby groups such as the NRA and the anti-abortion right are fine-tuning their demands in the lead-up to the November elections, senior citizens and issues pertaining to their health seem very much on the back burner. [includes rush transcript]

• >Mushroom Workers

  
  

  The Mushroom industry in the United States earns more than $800 million dollars per year, and the state of Pennsylvania is by far the largest mushroom producer in the nation. The people who harvest these Mushrooms are almost entirely from Mexico and they work in taxing and dangerous conditions. Mushrooms are a chemical intensive crop and so far there has not been any research done into the effects of daily exposure to these chemicals. Mushrooms are grown in dark damp enclosures and harvesting is always done in the wee hours of the night so as to have the mushrooms fresh to the packers by dawn. The major mushroom companies say this is necessary to maximize the shelf life of their product.

• National Youth Convention

  
  

  While the nation focuses on the GOP convention here in Philadelphia, there are many voices that have not been included in the Republican Party’s policy consensus. The Shadow Convention, which is taking place at the University of Pennsylvania, is one of the forums organized in opposition to the Republican National Convention. A lesser-known convention is the National Youth Convention which is a grassroots effort that brought delegates from around the country to Philadelphia to create a youth platform.