'Shoe-Thrower' Says He Was Tortured; Dems To Vote On Wilson's Outburst

Good morning.

There's fresh news from Iraq as the day begins. Convicted "shoe-thrower" Muntadhar al-Zeidi, famous around the world for throwing his footwear at then-president George W. Bush last December in Baghdad, was released from prison.

At the TV station where he's a reporter, al-Zeidi told other journalists today that he was tortured by Iraqi security forces while in prison. The abuse included beatings, whippings and electric shocks, al-Zeidi said. NPR's Nora Raum introduces this report from Quil Lawrence, who is in Baghdad:

Other stories making headlines include:

— Politico — Democrats To Vote Today On "Resolution Of Disapproval" Aimed At Rep. Wilson: "House Democratic leaders will move ahead with a 'resolution of disapproval' against Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., on Tuesday afternoon, following through on their threat to sanction the conservative lawmaker for heckling President Obama during his speech to Congress last week." Wilson famously shouted "you lie!" at the president. He has since apologized to the White House — but has declined to apologize from the House floor.

Reminder — Last Thursday, we started this online poll — and as of this morning, nearly 16,000 votes had been cast and the split was an even 50-50. Add your vote if you wish:

— The Associated Press — Sen. Baucus Close To Releasing Health Care Plan: "Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus has been trying for months to write a health care bill that could win Republican support. If he succeeds he may find it's fellow Democrats he has to worry about. Baucus, D-Mont., said Monday that 'we're getting very close' to finalizing sweeping health legislation to enact President Barack Obama's priorities of extending coverage to most of the 50 million uninsured and holding down spiraling health care costs. Following weeks of closed-door negotiations with two other Democratic senators and three Republicans, Baucus plans to unveil his bill Wednesday, and he hopes Republicans are with him. Such a bargain could mark a turning point for Obama's top domestic priority."

— The New York Times — "Pakistan Army Is Said To Be Linked To Many Killings In Swat": " Two months after the Pakistani Army wrested control of the Swat Valley from Taliban militants, a new campaign of fear has taken hold, with scores, perhaps hundreds, of bodies dumped on the streets in what human rights advocates and local residents say is the work of the military."

— Related story on Morning Edition — "Training A 'Flip-Flop Army' ". Capt. Benjamin Tupper has some stories to tell about his work with new Afghan soldiers. His new book, Welcome to Afghanistan: Send More Ammo, details his time as an embedded trainer in the Afghan National Army:

— Bloomberg News — Treasury & Citigroup Exploring Sale Of Government's Stake: "The U.S. Treasury Department and Citigroup Inc. have begun discussing how to sell the 34% stake that the government acquired in the rescue of the bank, people familiar with the matter said. The Treasury, which owns 7.69 billion common shares after a recent preferred-stock conversion designed to shore up the bank's capital, may start unloading the stake as soon as October, one of the people said. It aims to sell the holdings over the next six to eight months, the person said."

— Morning Edition — For Swayze, Dancing Was "Most Intense Way To Connect": Actor and Dirty Dancing legend Patrick Swayze died Monday afte ra long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57. Jesse Baker profiles the man who set millions of girls' hearts fluttering:

Over at Monkey See, Linda Holmes recalls what it was like to be 16 when Dirty Dancing came out. And as she says, "making things that are beloved certainly isn't everything, but it is something, and Swayze made things that were beloved broadly and without cynicism."

As for things to watch today, they include President Barack Obama's speech this afternoon to the AFL-CIO in Pittsburgh. And, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issues the latest news on inflation — the August wholesale prices report.

Click here to read the rest of The Two-Way.