Obama Presses China On Censorship; Radical Cleric Says He Knows Hasan

Good morning.

As we reported just a short time ago, there's word this morning that General Motors plans to repay the $6.7 billion in government loans it's gotten by 2011 — four years early.

Among the other stories making headlines:

— Morning Edition — "Obama Pushes China Not To Censor Information". NPR's Scott Horsley reports from Beijing:

— The Washington Post — "Cleric Says He Was Confidant To Hasan": " In his first interview with a journalist since the Fort Hood rampage, Yemeni American cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi said that he neither ordered nor pressured Maj. Nidal M. Hasan to harm Americans, but that he considered himself a confidant of the Army psychiatrist who was given a glimpse via e-mail into Nadal's growing discomfort with the U.S. military."

— The Associated Press — Afghan Officials Announce Anti-Corruption Effort: "Afghan officials launched a new anti-corruption unit and major crime fighting force Monday amid stiff international pressure to clean up the government following a fraud-tainted presidential election. ... Law enforcement agencies from Britain and the United States, along with Interpol, helped set up the unit, Interior Minister Hanif Atmar said. The British and U.S. ambassadors to Afghanistan attended the launch in a show of support."

Related story from the Associated Press — "Clinton: U.S. Wants More Accountability From Kabul": "The United States is limiting its goals in Afghanistan and demanding better accountability from that country's underperforming leader, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday, and she tied additional U.S. civilian help to results from Kabul."

Related story on Morning Edition — "Afghans Grow Frustrated Waiting For Obama's Plan. NPR's Philip Reeves reports from Kabul:

— Chicago Tribune — Officials Will Tour Prison That Might House 'Gitmo' Detainees: "A delegation from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons is scheduled to tour and inspect the Thomson Correctional Center Monday as part of a White House proposal to buy the facility and use it to house some terror suspects now detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, officials said Sunday morning. Speaking Sunday at news conferences in Moline and Chicago, Gov. Pat Quinn called the Obama Administration's interest in the prison near the Mississippi River a 'great, great opportunity for our state.' "

— The New York Times — "Drug Makers Raise Prices In Face Of Health Care Reform": "Even as drug makers promise to support Washington's health care overhaul by shaving $8 billion a year off the nation's drug costs after the legislation takes effect, the industry has been raising its prices at the fastest rate in years. ... Drug makers say they have valid business reasons for the price increases. Critics say the industry is trying to establish a higher price base before Congress passes legislation that tries to curb drug spending in coming years."

— The Associated Press — "U.N. Summit Approves New Approach To Hunger Fight": In Rome, "world leaders at a food summit on Monday rallied around a new strategy to fight global hunger and help poor countries feed themselves, but failed to pledge funds sought by the U.N. ... The summit did not commit to a specific figure of $44 billion a year for agricultural aid that the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says will be necessary in the coming decades."

— Florida Today — Shuttle Atlantis On Schedule For Afternoon Launch: "Shuttle Atlantis is being fueled for flight at Kennedy Space Center this morning as NASA gears up for a planned launch this afternoon of Atlantis and six astronauts on an International Space Station outfitting mission. The 18-story spaceship and its crew are slated to blast off from Launch Complex 39A at 2:28 p.m. ET, the middle of a 10-minute opportunity to put the shuttle on course for a ground-up rendezvous and docking at the station just before noon Wednesday."

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.