skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Hurricane Milton's outer bands reach Florida as millions of residents race to prepare or flee the path; ME 'living shorelines' counter rising sea levels and stronger storms; NC moms speak out on medical neglect in high-risk pregnancies; TN grant program funds early health care career pathways.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

President Biden cancels international travel as Florida braces for Hurricane Milton, Arizona's early voting brings a focus on Native votes, SCOTUS considers ghost guns, and Nevada gets ready to decide on a voter ID measure.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Hurricane Helene has some rural North Carolina towns worried larger communities might get more attention, there's mixed feelings about ranked choice voting on the Oregon ballot next month and New York farmers earn money feeding school kids.

Civilian Danger Prompts Pleas for U.S. to Stop Ukraine Weapons Transfer

play audio
Play

Monday, July 10, 2023   

The Biden administration faces calls to reconsider its latest round of support to Ukraine.

A member of Minnesota's congressional delegation, along with international relief groups, says this is the wrong choice of weapons to use against Russian forces.

Late last week, the Pentagon confirmed it was sending so-called "cluster" munitions to Ukraine to help with its counteroffensive.

Megan Rodgers, U.S. policy and advocacy manager for the group Nonviolent Peaceforce, said these weapons are indiscriminate - when they're dropped over an area, they disperse hundreds of smaller bombs that can cover a city block, leaving civilians in harm's way.

And she said there are long-term concerns, too.

"Oftentimes, they fail to explode within those cities or areas for years to come," said Rodgers, "with the possibility of exploding later, and then causing some really devastating harm to civilians."

Organizations monitoring these weapons say as many as 86,000 civilians have been killed by them since World War Two.

U.S. defense officials acknowledge the risk, but argue there could be greater civilian harm from attacks by Russia if the weapons aren't sent.

Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar - D-Minneapolis - is co-sponsoring a proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to thwart these types of transfers.

Omar echoes other concerns about the potential harm. Meanwhile, Rodgers noted that through a treaty, dozens of countries have taken steps to prohibit the use of cluster munitions.

"There's a 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions and over 123 signatories," said Rodgers. "So, individual countries have signed this, and it completely bans the use, production, and transfer and stockpiling of those weapons."

Rodgers said nearly two dozen of the signatories are NATO members, potentially complicating U.S. relations with those countries.

She added that still making use of these devices runs counter to a federal law prohibiting the transfer of weapons that have a failure rate beyond 1%.

Defense officials counter that Ukrainian forces will be using these devices in their home country, so will be motivated to do so in a way that minimize the risks.



Disclosure: Nonviolent Peaceforce contributes to our fund for reporting on Criminal Justice, Human Rights/Racial Justice, Peace, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Hurricane Milton grew to become a major hurricane on the morning of Oct. 7, 2024. (AWS S3 Explorer/Wikimedia Commons)

Social Issues

play sound

As powerhouse Hurricane Milton nears the Florida coastline, communities in the Tampa Bay area are extending relief efforts initially launched for …


Environment

play sound

By Matt Vasilogambros and Kevin Hardy for Stateline.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Jour…

Environment

play sound

By Erik Hoffner for Mongabay.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for Maine News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Ser…


According to the Prison Policy Institute, Illinois's incarceration rate of 433 per 100,000 people ranks the state as having nearly the highest lockup rate of any democratic country. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Two specific types of cancer are showing up in high numbers among people in jail and prison and Illinois is no exception. A new study found a lack …

Social Issues

play sound

New data show many Connecticut residents can't afford daily life. This year's ALICE update shows the number of asset-limited, income-constrained …

Lt. Gov. Penny Flanagan, DFL-Minn., could become the first Native American woman to serve as governor if the Harris-Walz ticket wins the White House. (Office of the Governor)

Social Issues

play sound

It is the first day of early voting in Arizona and both presidential hopefuls will be making their cases to voters. Gov. Tim Walz, DFL-Minn.…

Social Issues

play sound

Immigration boosts the economy - in Colorado and across the U.S. But new policies are needed to maximize gains and make it harder for employers to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In Ohio, the effects of domestic violence continue to devastate families. The Ohio Domestic Violence Network released its ninth annual fatality …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021