While much of the world denounced the killing of Sheik Yassin as a dangerous escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence, the Bush administration withheld judgment and worked to defeat a UN Security Council resolution condemning the murder. Observers noted that the assassination of Sheik Yassin may have been timed to bolster public support for Ariel Sharon in advance of his government's expected unilateral withdrawl of Israeli troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip and areas of the West Bank. Meanwhile, Sharon is facing a possible indictment on political corruption charges that could bring down his government.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Phyllis Bennis, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, who examines the rationale and timing of Sheik Yassin's assassination and the likely repercussions of the killing, including the possible strengthening of the Sheik's Hamas movement.

Phyllis Bennis is author of the book, "Before and After: U.S. Foreign Policy and the September 11 Crisis." Contact the Institute by calling (202) 234-9382 or visit their website at www.ips-dc.org

Related links:

• "Yassin and Annexation," Z Magazine, March 30, 2004
• "Murdering Sheikh Yassin," Tikkun Magazine, March 30, 2004
• Electronic Intifada Publishes news, commentary, analysis, and reference materials about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict from a Palestinian perspective
• Tikkun Magazine, www.tikkun.org A community of people from many faiths and traditions, with a vision of healing and transforming our world. Guided by the principles to achieve social justice, ecological sanity, and world peace, and the inner healing needed to foster loving relationships, as well as a generous attitude toward the world and toward others
• "Israel/Occupied Territories: Wanton Destruction Constitutes a War Crime," Amnesty International, Oct. 14, 2003
• "The origin of the Palestine-Israeli conflict," Jews for Justice, April 5, 2002
• "Background to the Israel-Palestine Crisis," by Stephen R. Shalom, Z Magazine, May 2002
• "Middle East Time Line," by Stephen R. Shalom, Z Magazine, (revised, Dec. 12, 2001)
• ZNet Middle East Watch, History and Context, a resource page featuring articles, links and resources explaining the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict and providing contextual background information.
• "Ten Years After Oslo," by Catherine Cook, Traverse City Record-Eagle (Traverse City, Mich.), September 2003

While healthy foods can be expensive and are often are hard to find, junk food is ubiquitous and cheap. High-calorie foods and sugary soft drinks are sold everywhere from gas stations to schools. Researchers say sedentary lifestyles exacerbate the obesity crisis, with television viewing and video game playing often replacing physical exercise.

In their book, "Food Fight: How America is Eating Itself into a National Health Crisis and What We Can Do About It," Kelly Brownell and Katherine Horgen describe the root causes of the obesity epidemic. The authors also discuss public policy initiatives that they say could help reverse America's expanding waistline.

Between the Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Brownell, director of Yale University's Center for Eating and Weight Disorders, who describes the food industry's role in the obesity crisis, and proposals that would tax junk food and make healthy foods more affordable.

For more information about "Food Fight," visit the Center for Eating and Weight Disorder's website at www.yale.edu/ycewd

This week's summary
of under-reported news

Compiled by Bob Nixon

• U.S. government investing $10 billion in a new Manhattan Project, doubling the budget for chemical and biological defense projects. ("The Next Worst Thing," by Michael Scherer, Mother Jones, March/April 2004)
• Bush administration offers another bailout for the nuclear industry by proposing a $1.1 billion reactor to manufacture hydrogen as the "ultimate" alternative fuel. ("Three Mile Island," The Nation, April 5, 2004)
• Fox News Channel likes to boast that it's number one in cable news, but according to the media watch group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, CNN has higher cumulative ratings, or total number of viewers watching specific channels for at least six minutes a day. ("The Ratings Mirage," by Steve Rendall, Extra, March/April, 2004)
  

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Credits:
Senior news editor: Bob Nixon
Program narration: Denise Manzari
News reader: Zelphia Hunter
Segment producer: Melinda Tuhus
Distribution: Anna Manzo, Harry Minot, Jeff Yates
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Newswire Editor: Hank Hoffman
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