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Almost two years ago, then President Clinton signed an executive order that set a May 2003 deadline for the U.S. Navy to pull out of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques. That was of course before September 11 and the subsequent war on terrorism. Because of current military action and talk of war with Iraq Puerto Rican activists now feel that the agreement for the navy to stop its training exercises on Vieques has effectively been shelved. WBGO's David Cruz examines how the pro-Vieques movement in Puerto Rico has been affected by the nation's current military situation.

On October 7 President Bush made his case to the American people for preemptive military action against Iraq. Going into this speech most polls showed most Americans divided over whether to send the military into Iraq. As Congress debated the language of a resolution to grant the president authority for military action, many Americans still had questions about the timing and need for unilateral preemptive action. This national debate reminded commentator Delores Villarreal del Barco of history.

In the copper canyon hills of the sierra de los Tarahumara, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, the Tarahumara Indians have lived for centuries. A stubbornly independent people, the Tarahumara are known for keeping to themselves and shunning the outside world. But a severe drought lasting nearly ten years has taken its toll on the region and its people. For the last couple of year's one group, El Grupo Apoyo Tarahumara, has been raising money to take badly needed food and supplies into this desolate region of Mexico. Independent producer Reese Erlich recently documented one such trip to deliver these goods to the Tarahumara Indians and he sent us this sound portrait.