Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown
Date: 02-04-03
PRSS Channel: A67.7
9:00-9:01 Billboard:
What did the seven Columbia astronauts die for? Velcroe?
Tractors? Pharmaceuticals? We'll look at the experiments
in the sky and the commercialization of space
"It's kind of like me putting a spinning gun to
my head": a soldier refuses to take the anthrax vaccination
and faces court martial
Physicians and Congresspeople present a national health
insurance bill
"The Price of Oil is too High": hundreds of protests
outside gas stations from Logansport, Indiana to London, England
9:01-9:06 Headlines
9:06-9:07 One-minute music break
9:07-9:09 "THE PRICE OF OIL IS TOO HIGH": HUNDREDS
OF PROTESTS OUTSIDE GAS STATIONS FROM LOGANSPORT, INDIANA
TO LONDON, ENGLAND
Today peace demonstrators across the United States and the
United Kingdom are trying a new tactic: they're protesting
outside gas stations, from Marin County to Miami Beach, from
London, England to Logansport, Indiana.
Guest: Jen Carr, organizer for Peace Action, one of the
groups involved in the international day of action.
Contact: www.targetoil.com
9:06-9:07 One Minute Music Break
9:07-9:20 WHAT DID THE SEVEN COLUMBIA ASTRONAUTS DIE FOR?
VELCROE? PHARMACEUTICALS? TRACTORS? A LOOK AT EXPERIMENTS
IN THE SKY AND THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF SPACE
A year ago, one of the biggest stories in the space world
was tourism. Many a newspaper wrote about how for $20 million
you could get buy a chance to travel aboard the International
Space Station.
It was part of the growing commercialization of space.
In May of 2001, Pizza Hut became the first company in history
to deliver a pizza to outer space. The pizza was topped with
salami because pepperoni did not fare well in space. The delivery
location was the International Space Station.
In December 2001, NASA Chief of Staff Courtney Stadd predicted
future collaborations between NASA and film giant Warner Brothers.
Last summer MTV and Pepsi announced plans to send Lance
Boss of the pop group Nsync into space. The trip was postponed.
But someday commercial space tourism may become common.
The Futron Corporation predicted last year that by 2021, as
many as 15,000 passengers could be flying in sub-orbital space
annually. An additional 60 tourists are projected to fly each
year in orbital space.
Much of this is possible because of a 1998 law passed by
Congress. It was called the Commercial Space Act. It established
economic development as a priority goal for NASA and the International
Space Station.
And the commercial aspects are also in the scientific experiments
conducted in space.
Newsday reported yesterday that an increasing number of
space experiments are funded by pharmaceutical companies as
well as unlikely companies such as John Deere, the manufacturer
of tractors. One mission included an experiment on the flammability
of Velcro.
On board Space Shuttle Columbia crewmembers grew protein
crystals that pharmacists use to develop drugs. They also
researched ways to improve long stays in space, such as converting
urine into drinking water.
Guest: Robert Park, director of the American Physical Society
in Washington, D.C. and professor of physics at the University
of Maryland.
Contact: www.aps.org
9:20-9:21 One Minute Music Break
9:21-9:35 "IT'S KIND OF LIKE ME PUTTING A SPINNING
GUN TO MY HEAD": A SOLDIER REFUSES TO TAKE THE ANTHRAX
VACCINATION AND FACES COURT MARTIAL
Corporal Anthony Fusco joined the Marine Corps in 1999 with
a firm desire to protect the constitution of the United States.
But this past December he was ordered to take the anthrax
vaccine before a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf.
Fusco refused it, citing research that the vaccine had harmful
side effects.
Fusco was removed from his unit and now faces a court martial
and a possible year in prison.
He is the only member of the 45,000-person First Marine
Expeditionary Force charged with refusing the vaccine since
the controversial program resumed.
Randy Airola was a staff sergeant in the Air Force for over
seven years. In September 1998, Airola voluntarily took the
first four of six anthrax inoculations as a condition for
being deployed to Qatar. When Airola suffered several adverse
reactions to the vaccine, she decided not to complete the
dosage. She was dishonorably discharged from the Air Force.
Guest: Corporal Anthony Fusco, faces a court martial for
refusing to take the anthrax vaccine
Guest: Randy Airola, former Air Force staff sergeant who
took the first four of six anthrax vaccine shots, had adverse
reactions, and refused to complete the vaccination course.
She was discharged.
Guest: Dr. Meryl Nass, doctor of Internal Medicine and a
biological warfare researcher. She originally supported the
military's use of the anthrax vaccine during the Gulf
war. She has since reversed her position. She has been investigating
anthrax and biological warfare for the last 14 years, and
issues regarding the anthrax vaccine for the last five years.
Dr. Nass testified at a congressional hearing in 1999 on the
subject.
Contact: anthraxvaccine.org
Guest: Jane (a pseudonym). Jane's husband is currently
on a naval ship. he is being pressured to take the anthrax
vaccine. She says he will refuse no matter what. They want
to have another child and are concerned that the anthrax vaccine
will result in birth defects.
9:35-9:40 OVER A HUNDRED HOSPITALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY REFUSE
TO IMPLEMENT BUSH'S SMALLPOX VACCINATION PROGRAM: DOCTORS
AND NURSES DEBATE THE CDC
The State of Arizona's largest hospital chain has become
the latest to refuse to vaccinate doctors, nurses and other
front-line workers against smallpox under the Bush administration's
voluntary smallpox vaccination program.
Banner Health System is far from alone. More than a hundred
hospitals from every region across the US are forgoing the
vaccinations. The American Federation of State, County and
Municipal employees is calling for a delay in the program
and says several of his chapters had advised their nurses
not to cooperate. That union represents 350,000 health care
workers. The Service Employees International Union, the American
Public Health Association and the American Nurses Association
have also called for a delay.
Under the first phase of the Bush administration's
program, half a million health workers are to be vaccinated
in the coming weeks. Then, an additional 10 million health
care workers, police officers, firefighters and other emergency
personnel are to be vaccinated by late summer. (The military
began its mandatory vaccination program last month). By next
year, the administration hopes to make the vaccine available
to the general public.
The Center for Disease Control has shipped out over 100,000
doses to 35 states so far. In New Jersey one hundred health
care workers were expected to take the vaccine on Friday,
and 97 did. But last week in Connecticut, only four health
care workers took the vaccine. In Vermont, only seven showed
up, and in Los Angeles, only 27.
Guest: Cheryl Peterson, Senior Policy Analyst, American
Nurses Association
Contact: www.ana.org
Guest: Dr. Richard P. Wenzel, Chairman, Medical College
of Virginia Hospitals. His was the first hospital to announce
they would not participate in Bush's program to vaccinate
11 million Americans against smallpox.
Guest Phone: Tom skinner, Spokesman, Centers for Disease
Control
Contact: www.cdc.gov
9:40-9:41 One Minute Music Break
9:41-9:53 SMALLPOX DEBATE, CONT'D
9:53-9:58 Physicians and Congresspeople present a national
health insurance bill
Some two dozen nationally prominent physicians and some
congressional leaders have teamed up to introduce a national
health insurance bill.
Guest: Dr. Quentin Young, former President, American Public
Health Association and a national coordinator of Physicians
for a National Health Program
Contact: www.pnhp.org
9:58-9:59 Outro and Credits
For a copy of today's program, call 1 (800) 881 2359. Our
website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Kris Abrams, Mike Burke, Angie
Karran, Ana Nogiera and Alex Wolfe. Mike Di Filippo is our
engineer and webmaster.
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