Underreported from WNYC's The Leonard Lopate Show

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Underreported: The End of Nepal’s Monarchy Jun 05, 2008

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Last week, Nepal officially abolished its 240-year-old monarchy. Now Nepal’s ex-king is vacating his palace, and the country’s political parties are squabbling over power-sharing in the new government. Journalist and photographer Thomas Laird has reported on Nepal for both Time and Newsweek; he lived in Nepal for more than 30 years. He’s the author of several books including The Story of Tibet. Social and political activist Dr. Tara Niraula is the immediate past president of America-Nepal Friendship Society and the current Senior Vice President of the Nepalese Americas Council, an umbrella group for 28 Nepali American groups in North America.

Underreported: Lebanon’s New President, Michel Suleiman May 29, 2008

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Lebanon’s new President, Michel Suleiman, has just taken office after a 6-month presidential void. We find out more about why President Suleiman has become a symbol of unity, and whether he can help heal the country's deep divisions. Dr. Fawaz Gerges is an author, Mideast scholar and Beirut native who holds the Christian A. Johnson Chair in International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies at Sarah Lawrence College. His new article for Dissent magazine is "Hezbollah and the Future of Lebanon."

Underreported: Longest-Serving Inmate May 29, 2008

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The longest-serving inmate in the United States prison system is William Heirens, also known as the Lipstick Killer for the message left scrawled in lipstick at a crime scene. He’s been continuously incarcerated for 62 years and counting. Journalist Adam Higginbotham tells us about Heirens’s many years in prison. His article in the June GQ magazine is “The Long, Long Life of the Lipstick Killer.”

Underreported: America's Last Wild Buffalo May 22, 2008

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America's last herd of wild buffalo are in Yellowstone. When they wander outside of park limits, they are vulnerable to "hazing" - i.e., capture and slaughter - because ranchers and the Montana Department of Livestock fear that the buffalo can transmit brucellosis to cattle. But some scientists and activist groups like the Buffalo Field Campaign say that the threat of brucellosis transmission is extremely low, and the buffalo are an essential part of the plains ecosystem and need to be protected. Journalist Christopher Ketcham has written an article about the fight over the buffalo in the June Harper's magazine.

Underreported: Air Pollution and Bees May 15, 2008

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A new study by University of Virginia researchers suggests that air pollution interferes with bees’ and other insects’ ability to follow the scent of flowers to their source, which interferes with the pollination process. UVa’s Department of Environmental Sciences Professor Jose D. Fuentes explains more about their findings and what it means for the pollination process and bee populations.

Underreported: Justice for Darfur May 08, 2008

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Last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for two people for their alleged role in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. But Sudanese authorities have not only refused to arrest and hand over the two suspects, they have given one of them increasingly prominent public positions and released the other from prison. Richard Dicker of Human Rights Watch and the “Justice for Darfur” campaign talks about why it’s been so difficult to achieve justice for Darfur war crimes.

Underreported: Ecotourism vs. Land Rights in Kenya May 08, 2008

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We look into how ecotourism may be interfering with ancestral land rights in Kenya. In 1974, the Endorois community were evicted from their land by the Kenyan government to make way for a game reserve and tourist resort. They’ve been fighting for repatriation and reparations since then, and now have taken their claim to the highest regional human rights body, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights.
Korir Singoei of Kenyan NGO Centre for Minority Rights Development (CEMIRIDE) and WITNESS have co-produced a new film about the Endorois, “Rightful Place.”

Underreported: Chevron in Burma May 01, 2008

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Find out more about Chevron's support of the repressive military regime in Burma. Chevron co-owns the Yadana natural gas pipeline, which is the Burmese government’s single largest source of income and undermines international sanctions against the regime. Rick Herz is litigation coordinator with Earth Rights International, which worked on the Doe v. Unocal lawsuit brought by Burmese villagers against Unocal (which was later bought by Chevron).

Underreported: Albania May 01, 2008

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Albania is fledgling democracy with a tumultuous political climate and a controversial prime minister. It’s also a strategic ally of the United States, yet we rarely hear about it in the American media. Erion Veliaj is a recipient of the United Nations Civil Society Award and was director of Albania’s leading watchdog group, MJAFT , from 2003 to 2007.

Underreported: Crisis in Mogadishu Apr 24, 2008

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Violence in Somalia’s war-torn capital, Mogadishu, has worsened in the last week, leaving dozens of people dead after fighting between Ethiopian forces and Islamist fighters. We’ll find out more about what’s happening and how it could further destabilize the Horn of Africa. David Shinn is former US ambassador to Ethiopia and currently adjunct professor with George Washington University's Elliot School of International Affairs.

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Underreported from WNYC’s The Leonard Lopate Show

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