By Frank James

After a marathon, all-day debate, the House made history late Saturday evening with the passage of massive health-care overhaul legislation by a vote of 220 to 215.

Support for the $1.2 trillion legislation came almost entirely from Democrats providing all but one of the yes votes. The sole Republican to vote for the bill was Rep. Joseph Cao of Louisiana.

Saturday's passage represented the furthest point ever achieved by any legislative effort to recast the nation's health care system. The House bill would end the practice of insurance companies rejecting applicants for pre-existing conditions and would create exchanges where the uninsured could but health coverage..

When the House vote tally reached 218, the number needed for passage, cheers erupted from the Democratic side of the chamber, with Democratic members high-fiving each other on the floor. More cheers went up when the single Republican vote was registered on the electronic tote board.

Thirty night Democrats, many from historically Republican districts, voted against the legislation.

Prior to the final vote, the House rejected a far more modest Republican alternative.

The House also passed an anti-abortion amendment sponsored by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) that would prevent the legislation from providing federal funding of abortions.

The Stupak amendment would prevent public-option coverage purchased by the uninsured through insurance exchanges from covering abortion services. People receiving taxpayer funded affordability credits under the new legislation would also be barred from receiving insurance that covered abortions.

The vote to approve the amendment was 240-194 with 64 Democrats voting for the legislation, an exceptionally large number of Democrats voting for anti-abortion legislation.

Continue reading "House OKs Historic Health Care Overhaul Bill 220-215" >

By Mark Memmott

Author Jerome Corsi, who was among the group that "Swift Boated" Sen. John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election and more recently penned The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality, has another eye-catching story at the conservative World Net Daily website.

The headline reads: "Shooter Advised Obama Transition; Fort Hood Triggerman Aided Team On Homeland Security Task Force."

And the story begins with this:

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged shooter in yesterday's massacre at Fort Hood, played a homeland security advisory role in President Barack Obama's transition into the White House, according to a key university policy institute document.

Here's what NPR national security/intelligence correspondent Tom Gjelten tells us about Corsi's conclusion:

This claim is so exaggerated as to be without merit.

Nidal Hasan was one of 308 people whose names appear on a list of "participants" in a series of public roundtable meetings organized by the "Presidential Transition Task Force," a project of the Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) at George Washington University. Hasan was not himself a member of the Task Force.

Frank Cilluffo, the HSPI director, says the participants' list, published as an appendix to the Task Force report, was no more than a tally of those people who RSVP'd to a notice of the roundtable meetings, which took place between June 2008 and February 2009. "Hasan joined as a member of the audience," Cilluffo says.

When Cilluffo saw a picture of Hasan, he remembered him making a public comment during one of the roundtable meetings. "I had to cut him off, because he was going on too long," Cilluffo says. He says he can not recall what Hasan was saying.

Corsi's report, by the way, does something of a U-turn about midway through. "While the GWU task force participants included several members of government, including representatives of the Department of Justice and the U.S Department of Homeland Security," he writes, "there is no indication in the document that the group played any formal role in the official Obama transition, other than to serve in a university-based advisory capacity."

And an "editor's note" attached to Corsi's story after its publication says "Hasan is being reported as a participant in the GWU Homeland Security Policy Institute's Presidential Transition Task Force, not as a member, noting the group was a university think-tank, not part of the Obama administration official transition team."

So, he begins with a sure-to-shock conclusion -- that Hasan played a "homeland security advisory role" in the transition. Then, at a point in the story that many readers won't reach or hear about, Corsi reverses course.

By Frank James

One question among the many that await answers in the wake of Thursday's shootings at Fort Hood in Texas is how was it possible for the Army to let alleged shooter, Maj. Nidal Hasan, treat soldiers with psychological disturbances related to their Iraq or Afghanistan deployments?

Hasan's behavior was apparently deeply troubling to his colleagues at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

Not only has Hasan described as a cold, distant personality and not particularly impressive as a doctor in training, but his behavior alarmed his colleagues.

NPR's Daniel Zwerdling told a chilling story on Morning Edition Friday about a lecture Hasan gave at Walter Reed.

As Daniel said:

And he gave a lecture one day that really freaked a lot of doctors out. They have grand rounds right? Dozens of doctors come into an auditorium and somebody stands at the podium at the front and gives a lecture about some academic issue, what drugs to prescribe for what condition.

Instead of that, Hasan apparently gave a long lecture on the Koran. And talked about how if you don't believe you are condemned to hell, your head is cut off, burning oil is burned (sic) down your throat.

Continue reading "How Does Army Explain Letting Alleged Fort Hood Shooter Treat Patients?" >

By Frank James

The jury in the too-fat-too-kill murder case didn't buy a Florida man's argument that he was too overweight to have climbed the stairs at his ex son-in-law's New Jersey home to shoot him to death.

Edward Ates was convicted by a New Jersey jury Friday for the murder of Paul Duncsak who had a nasty custody fight with Ate's daughter.

At the time of the murder, Ates was 5 feet 8 inches tall and 285 pounds at the time of the murder in 2006. His defense team had argued that their client would have been too winded after climbing the stairs to hold a gun steady enough to shoot Duncsak.

But prosecutors said Ates, who been a good shot in the military and, more recently, had shot a snake, and therefore, certainly capable of committing the killing.

As we wrote earlier in the week, the defense and prosecution arguments in the courtroom were more colorful than most television crime-drama scripts.

By Frank James

House Democratic leaders are still hoping to have a vote on their health-care overhaul legislation Saturday night but said Friday the high-profile vote could slip to Sunday or even next week as they try to secure the 218 votes needed to pass the bill and deal with obstacles Republicans could throw in the path.

Complicating the path to the needed 218 votes are negotiations over the exact abortion language that moderate and anti-abortion Democrats want in the legislation.

President Barack Obama had planned to visit Capitol Hill today to personally lobby House Democrats to line up behind the bill. But he delayed his visit because of the Ft. Hood Army Base shootings and also because the schedule for the House vote had slipped.

Gibbs told reporters Friday:

The schedule, as of now, has him going tomorrow. Obviously the events of the past few hours have changed schedules, and the president preferred to go slightly closer to the vote, which put it at tomorrow.

An excerpt from CQ.com:

(House Majority Leader Steny) Hoyer said he will bring the House back on Sunday afternoon, and on Monday and Tuesday before the Nov. 11 Veterans' Day holiday to get the job done. "What I have said to people is we will consider this to its conclusion," he said.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also sounded an optimistic tone, saying the measure was on track for a floor vote Saturday. "We will come to the floor with great pride . . . with historic legislation," Pelosi said.

Continue reading "House Leaders Seeking More Health-Care Overhaul Votes" >

By Frank James

President Barack Obama was supposed to leave for his first trip to Asia as president on Wednesday but the mass shootings at Ft. Hood Army Base have caused the White House put its schedule in "flux" according to the White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

The president will attend a Ft. Hood memorial service whenever it occurs, Gibbs said, and he indicated Obama will do so even if it means pushing back Obama's departure for China. Indeed, Gibbs told reporters that the White House has told the Pentagon that the president will plan his Asia schedule around the timing of the memorial service.

Here's Gibbs' exchange with a reporter:

MR. GIBBS: I anticipate -- we will attend a memorial service at Ft. Hood when it is scheduled. I anticipate that that will likely happen prior to Asia. But again, this is, again, somewhat in flux based on the scheduling of this -- families that would have to come in from all over the United States. And our schedule is -- will be formed around that.

REPORTER: And they're not building the schedule around his schedule, I take it, for the memorial service, as far as you know?

MR. GIBBS: We have communicated with -- with the Department ofDefense that our schedule is built around the families that suffered tragic losses yesterday.

REPORTER: So if they were to delay it until Tuesday or Wednesday or something like that, he could end up changing his schedule on the Asia trip?

MR. GIBBS: We -- we anticipate going to Asia and we anticipate we will go to a memorial service. I -- I hate to get into hypotheticals --

REPORTER: Right, but you're not ruling out the possibility of changing the departure time.

MR. GIBBS: I'm not ruling -- I'd -- I'd prefer to talk about the schedule when we have a better sense of its formation.

By Mark Memmott

2:28 p.m. ET: One person is dead and at least five other people are hospitalized after a shooting incident today at an Orlando office building that shut down part of the that city as police searched for the gunman.

The suspect has now been apprehended.

We began this post at 12:38 p.m. ET with an the Orlando Sentinel report:

Eight people have been shot at an office building in downtown Orlando. Four of the eight are in trauma condition. The building is called Legions Place.

As the story developed, we updated this post. Scroll down and read "up" if you want to see things chronologically.

Update at 2:23 p.m. ET: "The gunman has been apprehended," Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer just told reporters at the scene.

The suspect was arrested at his mother's home.

One victim has died, City Police Chief Val Demings added. Five other people were injured (one apparently had a heart attack).

Update at 2:20 p.m. ET: WESH-TV in Orlando is broadcasting from overhead as police search an apartment complex where the suspect's vehicle may have been spotted.

The office building where the shooting occurred has been "cleared," an Orlando Fire Department spokesman just told reporters.

Update at 2:10 p.m. ET: The Sentinel, CNN, WESH-TV and other media report the shooting happened in the offices of Reynolds, Smith & Hill, a "facilities and infrastructure consulting firm."

Update at 2:02 p.m. ET: More shifting numbers. The Sentinel and other local media reported earlier that they had been told of two deaths. Now, the Sentinel and WESH-TV are saying there has been one fatality. Still no official confirmation from police on that.

Update at 2 p.m. ET: As happens in breaking news events, details keep shifting. The Associated Press is now reporting that Orlando Police say "at least six people were hurt."

Update at 1:55 p.m. ET: Orlando Police have released an undated photo of the suspect, Jason Rodriguez.

Update at 1:32 p.m. ET: "I don't want to say if anybody is deceased," Orlando Police Sgt. Barb Jones just told reporters (from WESH-TV broadcast).

Update at 1:25 p.m. ET: As we just said, the numbers reported a short time ago suddenly jumped -- but had not been confirmed by authorities.

Orlando Police Department spokesman Sgt. Barb Jones just knocked down those reports.

There are fewer than 10 victims, she told reporters. As for the reports about fatalities, she would not discuss any of the victims' conditions.

Also on WESH-TV, Jones just confirmed that police are looking for a man named Jason Rodriguez, 40. He may be in a 2002 silver Nissan SUV, Florida license plate D11-9UX, WESH-TV reports.

Update at 1:19 p.m. ET: These numbers are even more grim that those from earlier reports.

WFTV in Orlando reports:

Eyewitness News (has) learned that at least two people were killed in a shooting at a downtown Orlando office building Friday. There are as many as 17 others that were shot and transported to a local hospital.

The Sentinel and local news radio station WFLA are also saying there are two fatalities.

But neither the Associated Press nor WESH-TV are saying anyone has died. And police have not confirmed the new numbers.

Update at 1:07 p.m. ET: Police say the suspect they're looking for is a man wearing a light blue polo shirt and jeans, WESH-TV reports.

Update at 1 p.m. ET: A woman identified by WESH-TV as Sgt. Barb Jones of the Orlando Police Department just said that the first call about shots being fired came in around 11 a.m. ET. She says there are "multiple" victims, but would not provide a number. A search is on for the shooter, Jones says.

"If I knew where he went we'd be there," she says of the suspect.

Jones does not want to answer questions about the conditions of those who have been shot.

Update at 12:58 p.m. ET: Local media, including the Sentinel and WESH-TV, say a search is on for a shooter.

Update at 12:52 p.m. ET. The location:

View Larger Map

Update at 12:47 p.m. ET: An Orlando Fire Department spokesman tells WESH-TV that eight people have been taken to hospitals -- seven for gunshot injuries and one for a possible heart attack.

Update at 12:45 p.m. ET: WESH-TV is webcasting its coverage here.

By Frank James

President Barack Obama said Friday he met with Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller and other officials to review what is known about Maj. Nidal Hasan and the circumstances surrounding the officer's alleged shooting rampage at Ft. Hood Army Base.

Entering the Rose Garden to make a brief statement about the Ft. Hood killings and the economy, Obama cautioned Americans against "jumping to conclusions" regarding the shooter and his motivations. In addition, he requested prayers for the victims and their families as well as for service members serving in harm's way to protect the nation.

Furthermore, the president ordered all flags on federal buildings to be lowered to half staff until Veterans Day which is next Wednesday.

Obama's Ft. Hood related remarks:

"I want to begin by offering an update on the tragedy that too place at Ft. Hood. This morning I met with FBI Director Mueller and the relevant agencies to discuss their ongoing investigation into what caused one individual to turn his gun on fellow servicemen and women.

"We don't know all the answers yet and I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts. What we do know is that there are families friends and an entire nation grieving right now for the valiant men and women who came under attack yesterday in one of the worst mass shootings ever to take place on an American military base.

So from now until Veterans Day I've ordered the flags at the White House and other federal buildings to be flown at half staff. This is a modest tribute to those who lost their lives even as many were preparing to risk their lives for their country. And it's also recognition of the men and women who put their lives on the line everyday to protect our safety and uphold our values.

We honor their service; we stand in awe of their sacrifice and we pray for the safety of those who fight and for the families of those who have fallen. And as we continue to learn more about what happened at Ft. Hood this administration will continue to provide you updates in the coming days and weeks.

By Mark Memmott

Last month's 10.2% unemployment rate -- the first time that statistic has been in double-digits since 1983 -- is a "sobering" reminder that the economy faces many challenges, President Barack Obama just said:

As Obama says, he also today signed into law an extension of unemployment benefits for almost two million people.

By Mark Memmott

The civilian police officer who shot and wounded the gunman yesterday at Fort Hood -- bringing to an end the rampage that left 13 people dead -- is being hailed as a hero today by the post's commanding officer.

Lt. Gen. Robert Cone told CNN's American Morning that officer Kimberly Munley and her partner "responded very quickly. ... She, in an exchange of gunfire, she was wounded -- but wounded the shooter four times." It was "really a pretty amazing and aggressive performance by this police officer":

Munley is among those who remain hospitalized. She is in stable condition, according to Army officials.

ABC News says that Munley is 34 and originally from Enola, Pa.

The suspect, Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, is also hospitalized.

For more of NPR.org's coverage of the story, click here.

By Mark Memmott

There's big news in the world of toys (and we could all use a break from the serious stories):

The Ball has been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y.

Now, you're probably thinking to yourself -- as I did -- that this must be a new hall of fame that's just inducting its first honorees. Surely The Ball was put in the Hall with the first class of inductees? Like Babe Ruth at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Who's been bigger than Ball in the world of play? Stick? ("You'll poke your eye out!") Cardboard Box? Barbie? Please.

But no. It turns out that the Toy Hall of Fame has been around in one form or another since 1998. Here it is 2009 and The Ball is just getting its due. Stick, Cardboard Box, Barbie, Lincoln Logs, Play-Doh -- they were already in.

So I called curator Nicolas Ricketts at the Toy Hall of Fame. He says, basically, that the competition's tough and The Ball's time just hadn't come around until now. "Since we only take in two or sometimes three toys a year and it is a relatively young institution -- the Hall of Fame -- it's taken a while for some of the classic toys to catch up."

That's why playing cards and sidewalk chalk still aren't in the hall, Ricketts adds.

As you might expect, Ricketts seems like a good guy. He is after all, an expert on fun.

Here's some of our conversation:

If you're interested in nominating a toy for next year's class of inductees, click here.

The current hall of famers:

Continue reading "'The Ball' Gets Its Due: It's Now In The Toy Hall Of Fame; Joins 'Stick'" >

By Mark Memmott

The nation's unemployment rate jumped to 10.2% in October from 9.8% in September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics just reported. The jobless rate hasn't topped 10% since 1983. Employers shed 190,000 jobs from their payrolls.

We'll pass along more on this as the news develops. Planet Money follows the economy as well.

Update at 11:15 a.m ET: Christina Romer, chair of the president's Council of Economic Advisors, has issued a statement that says, in part:

"Today's employment report contained both signs of hope for recovery and painful evidence of continued labor market weakness.

"Payroll employment declined 190,000 in October, continuing the steady trend of moderating job loss that began last spring. ...

"(But) having the unemployment rate reach double-digits is a stark reminder of how much work remains to be done before American families see the job gains and reduced unemployment that they need and deserve."

Update at 9:10 a.m. ET: Economist Hugh Johnson tells NPR's Dave Mattingly that while the employment news is disappointing, he does not think the jobless rate will go up much more:

Update at 8:37 a.m. ET. BLS says:

-- The largest job losses over the month were in construction, manufacturing, and retail trade.

-- The number of unemployed persons increased by 558,000 to 15.7 million.

-- About 2.4 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force in October, reflecting an increase of 736,000 from a year earlier. ... Among the marginally attached, there were 808,000 discouraged workers in October, up from 484,000 a year earlier.

-- Total nonfarm payroll employment declined by 190,000 in October. In the most recent 3 months, job losses have averaged 188,000 per month, compared with losses averaging 357,000 during the prior 3 months. In contrast, losses averaged 645,000 per month from November 2008 to April 2009. Since December 2007, payroll employment has fallen by 7.3 million.

Economists will likely say that last data -- about the trend in job losses -- is important. The labor market usually "lags" the rest of the economy. If indeed the recession is easing or perhaps even over, it still could be a while before the labor market picks up. A slowing of job losses could be a sign that things may soon start getting a little better.

By Mark Memmott

Army officials just briefed reporters at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, where 13 people were killed and another 30 or so were wounded yesterday during a shooting rampage. Be sure to click your "refresh" button to see our latest updates.

9:15 a.m. ET. Also this morning, the commanding officer at Fort Hood spoke with The Today Show's Matt Lauer. Lt. Gen. Robert Cone confirmed that there are "first-hand" accounts that the gunman shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is great!") during the rampage:

Our earlier updates on the news conference:

7:48 a.m. ET: The briefing just wrapped up. If you scroll down and read "up", you can see things chronologically. A recap of key points: The number of wounded still in hospitals is now said to be 28, not 30 as previously reported by Army officials; it is still thought that the suspect, Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, acted alone; he remains in stable condition after being shot several times by a civilian police officer.

7:46 a.m .ET: The suspect was wearing his Army uniform during the rampage.

7:45 a.m. ET: "We had no problems with him (the suspect, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan" at the post, says Col. Steve Braverman.

7:42 a.m. ET: All the wounded are in "stable condition."

7:40 a.m. ET: The soldiers at the scene were not armed. The "first responder" who wounded the suspect was a female police officer. She was wounded and is now in stable condition.

7:39 a.m. ET: One civilian was killed. The other fatally wounded victims were military personnel, Col. John Rossi says.

7:37 a.m. ET: The suspect's condition is "stable." Why was it originally said by Army personnel that suspect Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan was dead? "Confusion," says the briefer, Col. John Rossi.

7:35 a.m. ET: The post is operating at a "heightened level of security."

7:34 a.m. ET: About half of the wounded personnel required surgery.

7:33 a.m. ET: The number of dead remains at 13. Slight change in the number of wounded from earlier briefings -- Col. John Rossi puts that number at 28, though he may have meant that is the number still in hospitals. His exact meaning was unclear.

By Mark Memmott

The killings Thursday at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, where the death toll now stands at 13, continue to dominate the news this morning.

We just updated that story here. And NPR.org has much more coverage, starting here.

A news conference is expected to begin at the post around 7:30 a.m. ET. Check back with us for news from that.

Here are a few other stories to note:

-- The Associated Press -- Jobless Rate Likely Rose Again In October: The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its October employment report at 8:30 a.m. ET. In advance, the AP writes that:

The nation's economy probably lost a net total of 175,000 jobs in October, pushing the unemployment rate to 9.9%, according to a survey of Wall Street economists by Thomson Reuters.

Watch for the BLS report to be posted here.

-- Morning Edition -- "Karzai Must Kick Out 'Cronies' To Succeed, Sen. Kerry Says". Afghan President Hamid Karzai "needs to seize this opportunity in a very clear and tangible way" to institute reforms and improve Afghanistan's government, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., told host Renee Montagne:

Related story by BBC News -- "Brown Warns Karzai On Corruption": British Prime Minister Gordon Brown "has told Afghan President Hamid Karzai he will not put UK troops 'in harm's way for a government that does not stand up against corruption.' "

-- The Associated Press -- "Texas Sect Member Guilty Of Sexual Assault Of Minor": "After being duped by false leads and chastised by a court for its handling of polygamist sect children, the state of Texas has won a criminal conviction in its first trial of a sect member charged with sexually assaulted an underage girl. Raymond Jessop, 38, was convicted late Thursday for having sex with the teen with whom he had a so-called spiritual marriage. He faces up to 20 years in prison when the jury reconvenes Monday to begin deciding his sentence."

By Mark Memmott

A 13th victim of yesterday's shooting at Fort Hood has died. The word is coming from public affairs officers at the post.

That's the most important, and saddest, update on the story since we wrapped up our live-blogging last evening.

The additional death means, authorities say, there are 30 people recovering from injuries.

Other updates to pass along:

-- The local Killeen Daily Herald says officials at Fort Hood plan to brief the news media at 7:30 a.m. ET.

-- The Washington Post reports that the suspect, Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, was "a devout Muslim who, despite asking to be discharged from the U.S. Army, was on the eve of his first deployment to war." Hasan, as the Daily Herald reports, "was in stable to critical condition as of Thursday night" after apparently being shot during the rampage.

-- The Associated Press says that Hasan "is on a ventilator, unconscious and under guard
in a hospital."

-- At Fort Hood, personnel will observe a day of mourning today. Schools are open. Security remains heightened.

-- The injured have been "dispersed to hospitals throughout Central Texas, where few details of their injuries or prognoses were released Thursday evening," The Austin American-Statesman reports.

We'll pass along more news about all this as the day continues.

Update at 7:25 a.m. ET. On Morning Edition, NPR's Wade Goodwyn reported from the scene about yesterday's massacre, and NPR's Tom Gjelten talked about what's known about the suspect: