By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As we just posted, there's considerable reporting and analyses out there about what President Barack Obama will be saying next week when he outlines his plan for sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan and the mission they will be asked to perform.

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- Dawn.com (of Pakistan) -- Seven Indicted Over Mumbai Attacks: "A Pakistani court on Wednesday charged seven suspects in connection with the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people one year ago, a defense lawyer said. The men were indicted at an anti-terrorism court in a high security prison in the city of Rawalpindi on the eve of the first anniversary of India's worst militant attacks, which dramatically soured relations with rival Pakistan. All seven pleaded not guilty to the charges."

From a related story by the Associated Press: "Proceedings are taking place behind closed doors at a maximum-security prison not far from the capital, Islamabad. Lawyers for the suspects have said they are unable to disclose any details of the charges against the men, who have appeared in court for pre-indictment hearings in recent months."

-- The Associated Press -- "Toyota To Replace 3.8 Million Gas Pedals": "Toyota Motor Corp. will replace gas pedals on 3.8 million recalled vehicles in the United States to address problems with sudden acceleration or the pedal becoming stuck in the floor mat, The Associated Press has learned."

Update at 8:05 a.m. ET. Toyota has posted details about the recall here. It says the vehicles involved are:

2007 to 2010 MY (model year) Camry, 2005 to 2010 MY Avalon, 2004 to 2009 MY Prius, 2005 to 2010 MY Tacoma, 2007 to 2010 MY Tundra, 2007 to 2010 MY ES350, 2006 to 2010 MY IS250, and 2006 to 2010 MY IS 350.

-- Morning Edition -- File Error Might Have Stalled FBI Inquiry Into Fort Hood Suspect Hasan. NPR's Daniel Zwerdling reports that "the FBI might have missed important and troubling clues about the behavior of Maj. Nidal Hasan, the alleged Fort Hood shooter, due to a simple oversight -- FBI agents did not ask Hasan's supervisors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the most relevant information from a filing cabinet":

-- The Associated Press -- Eleven More Bodies Recovered In Philippines Killings: "Philippine authorities, under intense public pressure to make arrests in the country's worst election massacre, said Wednesday they are investigating a member of a powerful clan allied with the government along with four police commanders. Officials recovered 11 more bodies Wednesday -- six in a large pit buried alongside three vehicles and five in a mass grave -- bringing the death toll in Monday's attack on an election caravan to 57, including 18 journalists."

To friendship. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

-- Morning Edition -- With Summit And State Dinner, Leaders Of U.S. And India Work At Getting Comfortable With Each Other. NPR's Don Gonyea and Andrea Seabrook report on Tuesday's pomp and policy:

Update at 8:10 a.m. ET. And here is video of the two leaders delivering their toasts:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

Obama and his advisers met last night. (Pete Souza/White House/AP)

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

There will be considerable action at the White House today, where reporters will be trying to get more details about the rapidly approaching announcement on how many more U.S. troops will be sent to Afghanistan and where President Barack Obama is welcoming Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the new administration's first State Dinner.

On Morning Edition, NPR's Don Gonyea talked with co-host Renee Montagne about the decision on troops, which is expected to be made public next Tuesday:

McClatchy Newspapers' Washington bureau is reporting the president is likely to announce that 34,000 more U.S. troops will be sent to the effort in Afghanistan.

The current schedule for events at the White House (much of which will be webcast here):

-- 9:15 a.m. ET: Singh arrives for meetings.

-- 11:35 a.m. ET: Singh and Obama hold a joint news conference (we'll live-blog during it; there are almost sure to be questions about the president's decision on troops for Afghanistan).

-- 7 p.m. ET: Guests arrive for the State Dinner.

-- 8:15 p.m. ET: The two leaders offer their toasts.

On Morning Edition, NPR's Michele Kelemen reported about India's role in global affairs, and how it's a nation that the U.S. needs on its side on issues such as climate change, trade and countering terrorism:

Other news to watch for this morning:

-- At 8:30 a.m. ET, the Commerce Department releases its latest estimate of third-quarter gross domestic product growth. Last month, in its first look at third-quarter GDP, Commerce said the economy grew at a 3.5% annual rate -- a rebound after four straight quarters of GDP declines.

-- At 9 a.m. ET, the latest S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices are due. They're widely watched measures of the housing sector's health.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- Reuters -- "Philippines Imposes Emergency; Massacre Toll Reaches 46": "The Philippines placed two southern provinces and a city under emergency rule on Tuesday after gunmen killed 46 people in a brutal election-related massacre that has shocked the country. Many of the victims in the killings in Maguindanao province were women from the powerful Mangudadatu clan. About a dozen journalists were also among the dead."

-- Morning Edition -- "FBI Charges Eight In Missing Somalis Probe": NPR's Dina Temple-Raston talks with co-host Steve Inskeep:

-- The New York Times -- "Iran Expanding Effort To Stifle The Opposition": Iran's government "appears to be starting a far more ambitious effort to discredit its opponents and re-educate Iran's mostly young and restive population. In recent weeks, the government has announced a variety of new ideological offensives. It is implanting 6,000 Basij militia centers in elementary schools across Iran to promote the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, and it has created a new police unit to sweep the Internet for dissident voices."

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

This morning's headlines include:

-- The Associated Press -- Four U.S. Military Personnel Killed In Afgahnistan: In the past 24 hours four U.S. service members died in Afghanistan, NATO officials said today. The AP writes that:

Three of the Americans died in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, the statement said. Two of them were killed by a bomb attack and the third in a separate firefight. The military said the fourth U.S. service member died in the east Monday in a bomb explosion. The deaths bring the number of Americans killed in Afghanistan in November to 15. October was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in the eight-year war, with 58 dead.

From Kabul, NPR's Tom Bullock filed this report. As he says, 2009 has been the deadliest year so far for U.S. forces in Afghanistan:

-- BBC News -- "Philippines Gunmen Kill 21 In Election Violence": "Twenty-one politicians and journalists abducted in the southern Philippines have been found dead, the army says. The group was seized on the southern island of Mindanao early on Monday. ... The country is to hold national elections in May 2010. Registration for local and national races began earlier this month."

-- The Associated Press -- "Miners' Families Want Answers In China Mine Blast": "Grieving family members demanded answers Monday from mining officials about the underground gas explosion that left at least 104 men dead in northeastern China. The massive blast Saturday in Hegang city in frigid Heilongjiang province erupted at night when some 500 miners were working below ground. Most escaped, but 104 were confirmed dead and an additional four were missing and feared dead, the official Xinhua news agency reported Monday."

-- The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pa.) -- "Three Mile Island Incident Considered Minor, But Some Question Communication": "A radiation leak inside a reactor building at Three Mile Island posed no risk to public safety, according to TMI officials, but some local officials are upset about a lack of communication in what they agree was a minor incident. At 4 p.m. Saturday, about 150 workers inside the Unit 1 containment building were sent home after a radiation alarm sounded inside the building. TMI spokesman Ralph DeSantis said the employees were safe; the employee most seriously exposed to radiation received roughly the same dosage as an X-ray, he said."

Related NPR Newscast report from Scott Gilbert ofWITF -- Cause Is Unclear; Plant Grabbed Headlines In '79 After Partial Core Meltdown:

-- The Associated Press -- "Democrats At Odds Over Health Bill": "Moderate Senate Democrats threatened Sunday to scuttle health care legislation if their demands aren't met, while more liberal members warned their party leaders not to bend. The dispute among Democrats foretells of a rowdy floor debate next month on legislation that would extend health care coverage to roughly 31 million Americans. Republicans have already made clear that they aren't supporting the bill. Final passage is in jeopardy, even after the chamber's historic 60-39 vote Saturday night to begin debate."

Related story by USA TODAY -- "Health Care Lobby Booms": " Companies and groups hiring lobbying firms on health issues nearly doubled this year as special interests rushed to shape the massive revamp of the nation's health care system now in its final stretch before Congress. About 1,000 organizations have hired lobbyists since January, compared with 505 during the same period in 2008, according to a USA TODAY analysis of congressional records compiled by the nonpartisan CQ MoneyLine."

-- Morning Edition -- "Unexploded Bomb May Shatter N. Ireland Peace". "In Northern Ireland, a 400-pound car bomb failed to detonate over the weekend. It was placed outside police headquarters in Belfast, and that has residents wondering if dissident factions of the IRA are intent on stepping up violence." NPR's Rob Gifford spoke with ME host Renee Montagne:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

ABC News is reporting this morning that:

United States Army Major Nidal Hasan told a radical cleric considered by authorities to be an al-Qaida recruiter, "I can't wait to join you" in the afterlife, according to an American official with top secret access to 18 e-mails exchanged between Hasan and the cleric, Anwar al Awlaki, over a six month period between Dec. 2008 and June 2009.

Hasan has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder for the Nov. 5 shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, in which more than 30 other people were injured.

ABC adds that "two FBI task forces, in Washington and San Diego, received the intercepted messages, but deemed them innocent."

NPR's coverage of the Fort Hood shootings is collected here.

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- Morning Edition -- "New Guidelines Issued On Cervical Cancer Screening". "The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is offering new guidelines for cervical cancer screening -- delaying the start of pap smears for young women and cutting back on the frequency of the tests." NPR's Brenda Wilson reports:

Related story by The New York Times -- "Culture Clash In Medicine": "This week, the science of medicine bumped up against the foundations of American medical consumerism: that more is better, that saving a life is worth any sacrifice, that health care is a birthright. Two new recommendations, calling for delaying the start and reducing the frequency of screening for breast and cervical cancer, have been met with anger and confusion from some corners, not to mention a measure of political posturing."

-- Morning Edition -- Pelosi Says Abortion Issue Won't Sink Health Care Legislation. "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday predicted that she can corral enough moderate Democrats to guarantee passage of health care overhaul legislation -- even if it doesn't contain a controversial House proposal that would expand abortion limits. In an interview with NPR's Renee Montagne, Pelosi said that the key will be separating House members who are looking for any way to kill the bill from those who, "in good faith," want to pass legislation that embraces the longtime practice of prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortion":

-- USA TODAY -- "Housing Bust Halts Growing Suburbs": "The recession and housing collapse have halted four decades of double-digit growth for nearly half of the nation's biggest rapidly expanding suburbs. Twenty-four of the 53 cities of 100,000 or more that grew by at least 10% every decade since 1970 lost population in the last two years."

-- The Associated Press -- "European Union Selects Belgian, Briton For Top Posts": "EU leaders on Thursday handed the European Union's top new jobs to two little-known compromise figures -- Belgium's prime minister and the EU's trade commissioner -- dashing hopes of those who wanted to raise the continent's global profile."

Related report from Frank Browning in Paris -- The choice of Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as EU president puts someone in charge who strongly opposes making Turkey a member of the union:

-- Chicago Sun-Times -- "Say It Isn't So-Prah": "A couple of months ago, Oprah Winfrey closed down three blocks of Michigan Avenue to celebrate the beginning of her show's 24th season. 'Chicago, I love you!' she shouted to 20,000 fans who spent their day -- and in many cases, their lives -- hanging onto every profound word. Fast-forward to Friday morning, when Winfrey will announce on her syndicated talk show that it will end after its 25th season, in September 2011."

Related story on Morning Edition -- Hollywood Reporter features editor Matt Belloni tells NPR's Renee Montagne this "signals a major change in the television business" since Winfrey is going to launch programming on cable next year:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

He's got another term. (Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai was sworn in for a second term today, and at his inauguration in Kabul promised to crack down on corruption. This comes, of course, after an election marred by massive fraud.

As NPR's Philip Reeves reports from Kabul, Karzai has "been under intense pressure from the international community, especially since he was elected in August in a contest marred by widespread fraud. His speech was tailored to address some of those concerns. He heavily emphasized the need for his government -- which has a reputation for rampant graft and ineptitude -- to bring an end to corruption":

Just across the border from Afghanistan, in Peshawar, Pakistan, there's been more deadly violence. Reuters writes that "a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a court building in Peshawar on Thursday, killing 18 people, officials said, in the latest of a series of attacks on the northwestern Pakistan city."

Later this morning, the Senate Homeland Security Committee opens hearings on the Fort Hood massacre. Chairman Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and ranking Republican Susan Collins of Maine want to know about any breakdowns in communications that might have contributed to the tragedy.

Yesterday, as Frank posted, NPR's Daniel Zwerdling reported on a memo written in 2007 about the lone suspect in the killings of 13 people and wounding of more than 30. The chief of psychiatric residents at Walter Reed, Maj. Scott Moran, detailed a series of problems concerning Army Maj. Nidal Hasan.

On Morning Edition today, Daniel followed up with more about that memo:

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama is on his way home from his tour through Asia. He left South Korea earlier today.

The Los Angeles Times says the White House is trying to put a "positive spin" on the president's trip.

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- ABC News -- Which Hospitals Are Ignoring New Mammogram Recommendations? There's A List: "Medical leaders across the country announced they will not heed the recommendations to stop routine mammograms for low-risk women in their 40s." ABC compiled a list of such centers that told the network about their decisions.

Related reports on Morning Edition --

NPR's Richard Knox on the medical debate:

NPR's Mara Liasson on the politics of the recommendation:

-- Politico -- "Obama Rewards Big Donors With Plum Jobs Overseas": "Of the nearly 80 ambassadorship nominations or confirmations since Obama's Inauguration, 56% were given to political appointees and 44% have gone to career diplomats, according to records kept by the American Foreign Service Association. ... White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said it is unfair to judge the Obama administration by its first wave of ambassadorial nominations. ... 'We're well-aware of the historical target of career vs. noncareer ambassadors, and we will be right on that target,' said Vietor. That historic benchmark is roughly 30% political appointees to 70% career diplomats."

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Some Courts Raise Bar On Reading Employee E-mail": "Recent cases have shown that employees sometimes have more privacy rights than they might expect when it comes to the corporate email server. Legal experts say that courts in some instances are showing more consideration for employees who feel their employer has violated their privacy electronically."

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As we reported earlier, President Barack Obama is now in South Korea. He's been giving interviews to U.S. TV news correspondents, and among the messages he's sent is this: That he's worried about a "double-dip recession" if the government piles on too much more debt.

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- Reuters -- Clinton In Afghanistan: Hillary Rodham Clinton has arrived in Afghanistan for her first visit since becoming secretary of State last January.

-- The Washington Post -- Afghan Minister Accused Of Taking $30 Million Bribe: "The Afghan minister of mines accepted a roughly $30 million bribe to award the country's largest development project to a Chinese mining firm, according to a U.S. official who is familiar with military intelligence reports." In an interview, Mohammad Ibrahim Adel "denied repeatedly that he has received any bribes or illicit payments during his three-year-old tenure as minister."

-- Morning Edition -- Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Spent Isolated Days While Studying In U.S. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston went to North Carolina to report on the time that the Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks, spent at Chowan College in the early '80s. She found he spent much of the time "in a kind of self-imposed isolation":

Related story on CBSNews.com -- "Poll: Most Oppose Terror Trials In Open Court": "The Obama administration appears to be going against public opinion with its decision to try five terrorist suspects -- including self-proclaimed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- in a civilian trial in New York City. A new CBS News poll finds that only 40% of Americans believe suspected terrorists should be tried in an open criminal court. Fifty-four percent say such suspects should be tried in a closed military court."

-- Army Times -- Suicides In Army "Top Top 2008, But Progress Reported": "Soldier suicides this year are almost sure to top last year's grim totals, but a recent decline in the pace of such incidents could mean the Army is starting to make progress in stemming them, officials said Tuesday. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli said that as of Monday, 140 active duty soldiers were believed to have died of self-inflicted wounds so far in 2009. That's the same as were confirmed for all of 2008."

-- Morning Edition -- "Cheap Money May Lead To New Financial Bubble". "There are fears that parts of Asia are developing financial bubbles because cheap money is flooding their markets. In countries where interest rates are low, people are borrowing money and then investing it in hot emerging markets. David Wessel of The Wall Street Journal tells Renee Montagne that the prospects of a 'killing' seems to be enticing investors":

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As the day begins there are reports from Iran that one of its officials has told Reuters that neither economic sanctions nor the threat of a military attack will derail its nuclear program. And:

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the U.N. nuclear watchdog, told Reuters the agency's concern that Tehran may be hiding more nuclear work after it unveiled the enrichment site was an unfair political judgment beyond its mandate.

On Morning Edition, NPR's Mike Shuster talked with host Steve Inskeep about the first look that international inspectors have gotten of a previously secret uranium enrichment facility in Iran:

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

Hu and Obama reveiw the honor guard at the Great Hall of the People today in Beijing. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

-- The Associated Press -- "Obama, Hu Divided Over Economy, Human Rights": "President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao emerged from hours of intense talks Tuesday determined to marshal their combined clout on crucial issues, but still showing divisions over economic, security and human rights issues that have long bedeviled the two powers."

Related report on Morning Edition -- From Beijing, NPR's Scott Horsley talked with Steve Inskeep about Obama's effort to press the Chinese leader on human rights issues:

Also on Morning Edition -- NPR's Anthony Kuhn reported on the Chinese people's reaction to Obama's visit:

-- ABC News -- Officials Say Hasan Sought 'War Crimes' Prosecutions of American Soldiers: "Major Nidal Malik Hasan's military superiors repeatedly ignored or rebuffed his efforts to open criminal prosecutions of soldiers he claimed had confessed to 'war crimes' during psychiatric counseling, according to investigative reports circulated among federal law enforcement officials." Hasan has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder for the Nov. 5 shootings at Fort Hood in Texas.

-- The Seattle Times -- "Paul Allen Being Treated For Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma": "The Microsoft co-founder was diagnosed earlier this month with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer similar to the one that led to his early retirement from the software company in 1983." Allen is 56.

From a related story by the Associated Press: "In a memo sent to employees, the CEO of Allen's investment firm says the 56-year-old Allen received the diagnosis this month and has begun chemotherapy. The CEO, Jody Patton, noted that doctors say Allen has a relatively common form of the disease -- and that Allen survived Hodgkin's disease in the 1980s."

-- The Salt Lake Tribune -- Woman In Elizabeth Smart Case Expected To Plead Guilty: Wanda Eileen Barzee, "the 64-year-old wife of street preacher Brian David Mitchell," is expected to plead guilty today to federal charges for her role in the 2002 abduction of Utah girl Elizabeth Smart.

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

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 president held a town hall meeting with future Chinese leaders in Shanghai. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

-- 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.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Already today we've posted about the news that alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be brought to the U.S. to stand trial, that the lawyer for the suspect in the Fort Hood shootings says Army Maj. Nidal Hasan is paralyzed, and that President Barack Obama says critics of the time he's taking to decide on how many troops to send to Afghanistan may not fully understand the gravity of the situation.

Other stories making headlines include:

-- The Associated Press -- "Attacks Kill 16 In Pakistan, Spy Agency Targeted": "A suicide bomber in a pickup truck attacked the northwestern regional headquarters of the Pakistani spy agency overseeing a campaign against militancy, killing 10 people Friday. Another suicide assault in the area killed six more. ... About an hour later, a second suicide car bomber attacked a police station farther south near the Afghan border, killing six people, said police official Tahir Shah."

-- BBC News -- British Prime Minister Thinks NATO Will Send More Troops To Afghanistan: "Gordon Brown has said he is hopeful he will be able to persuade countries both in and outside NATO to send more military personnel to Afghanistan. The prime minister said he had 'taken responsibility' for making the case for reinforcing the Afghan effort and believed 'burden sharing will happen.' He told the BBC that U.K. strategy was 'in line' with that of the U.S., which is considering how many troops to send."

Related report from the Associated Press: "A suicide car bomber attempting to strike an international military convoy on the outskirts of Kabul wounded at least 19 people Friday, including nine NATO service members, on a road that has become a frequent target."

-- Morning Edition -- Obama Begins 10-Day Swing Through Asia. From Tokyo, NPR's Scott Horsley talks with Renee Montagne about what's on the president's agenda. The central focus of the trip is China, Scott says:

-- Politico -- Obama Will Use 'State Of The Union' Address To Focus On Deficits: "President Barack Obama plans to announce in next year's State of the Union address that he wants to focus extensively on cutting the federal deficit in 2010 -- and will downplay other new domestic spending beyond jobs programs, according to top aides involved in the planning."

-- Morning Edition -- U.S. Seeks Complete Forfeiture of NY Skyscraper And Four Mosques Tied To Iran. NPR's Mike Shuster reports:

He wants an exit strategy. (Pete Souza/The White House/AP)

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Since last evening there have been more developments on the story of how many -- if any -- additional U.S. troops President Barack Obama may decide to send to Afghanistan.

As NPR's Mary Louise Kelly reports, the president " is pushing his national security team for more detail about an exit strategy for U.S. forces fighting in Afghanistan." Administration officials tell her that during a 2 1/2 meeting yesterday with his top advisers, the president "pushed his team for more detail about an exit strategy for U.S. forces. They said he wants to make clear to the Afghan government that the U.S. commitment is not open-ended."

As we reported yesterday, there are said to be four options on the table at this time and the president's military advisers favor adding about 40,000 troops -- most of them American, but perhaps some from NATO partners.

Here's how Mary Louise summed up the current state of play on Morning Edition:

Staying on that subject, The Washington Post broke the story that "the U.S. ambassador in Kabul sent two classified cables to Washington in the past week expressing deep concerns about sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan until President Hamid Karzai's government demonstrates that it is willing to tackle the corruption and mismanagement that has fueled the Taliban's rise, senior U.S. officials said." The ambassador is retired Gen. Karl Eikenberry, who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007.

The Wall Street Journal ties the threads together this way: "President Barack Obama expressed fresh doubts about the credibility of Afghanistan's government in high-level discussions Wednesday over what troops to send there, after his ambassador to Kabul warned against any reinforcements until the Afghan regime cracks down on corruption."

And The New York Times adds that "In Leaning On Karzai, U.S. Has Limited Leverage".

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- Morning Edition -- "Hasan's Psychological Health Raised Concerns". NPR's Daniel Zwerdling followed up his reporting from yesterday (that colleagues of Fort Hood shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Hasan were concerned that he might be psychotic) with more details about Hasan's past and the Army's concerns about both his psychological state and his job performance. Here's the conversation Daniel had with ME's Steve Inskeep:

Thirteen people were killed -- 12 of them military personnel -- in last Thursday's rampage at the Army post.

-- ABC News -- When Hasan Bought A Gun, Authorities Didn't Share Information. "Sources tell ABC News that in August 2009, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan walked into the Guns Galore gun store in Killeen, Texas, and legally purchased the FN Herstal tactical pistol that authorities believe was used to massacre soldiers at Fort Hood. An FBI background check under the National Instant Background Check System was done when Hasan purchased the pistol -- but that information was never shared with the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Washington, which was aware that Hasan had repeatedly contacted a radical imam suspected of having ties to al-Qaida."

-- Morning Edition -- "Fort Hood Survivor Recalls Day Of Deadly Shooting". "Staff Sgt. Paul Martin was in the Soldier Readiness Center at Fort Hood, Texas, waiting to receiving a final medical checkup before shipping out to Iraq. That's when Maj. Nidal Hasan allegedly jumped on a table and opened fire with a semi-automatic handgun." He ended up being shot four times. When the first bullet struck him, "I grabbed my arm and I realized, I ain't never been hit that hard. ... I said, 'Golly, this hurts.' "

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Wal-Mart Posts Higher Net Despite Weak Sales": "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 3.2% as profit for the world's largest retailer topped expectations despite a 0.1% drop in U.S. same-store sales. President and Chief Executive Mike Duke attributed the profit growth to improved productivity and inventory management."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

The latest stories about the investigation into last Thursday's shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas, which left 12 soldiers and one civilian dead, include:

-- ABC News -- Senior Official Says Investigators Are Looking At More Connections Between Suspect And Radicals: "A senior government official tells ABC News that investigators have found that alleged Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan had 'more unexplained connections to people being tracked by the FBI' than just radical cleric Anwar al Awlaki. The official declined to name the individuals but Congressional sources said their names and countries of origin were likely to emerge soon."

-- Los Angeles Times -- "Military Not Told About Fort Hood Supsect's E-Mails": "Two high-profile anti-terrorism task forces did not inform the Defense Department about contacts between a radical Islamic cleric and the Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in last week's rampage at Ft. Hood, a senior Defense official said Tuesday."

On Morning Edition today, NPR's Mara Liasson reported about President Barack Obama's speech at the service held yesterday on Fort Hood and NPR's Wade Goodwyn reported about the service itself.

Other news making headlines this morning includes:

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Obama Receives New Afghan Option": " President Barack Obama on Wednesday will consider a new compromise plan for adding troops to Afghanistan that would deploy 30,000 to 35,000 new forces, including as many as 10,000 military trainers, over the next year or more."

-- The New York Times -- "Three Top Obama Advisers Favor Adding Troops In Afghanistan": "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton are coalescing around a proposal to send 30,000 or more additional American troops to Afghanistan, but President Obama remains unsatisfied with answers he has gotten about how vigorously the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan would help execute a new strategy, administration officials said Tuesday."

-- The Washington Post -- "In Afghanistan, Taliban Surpasses Al-Qaida": "As violence rises in Afghanistan, the power balance between insurgent groups has shifted, with a weakened al-Qaida relying increasingly on the emboldened Taliban for protection and the manpower to carry out deadly attacks, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials."

-- The New York Times -- "Blackwater Said To Pursue Bribes To Iraq After 17 Died": " Top executives at Blackwater Worldwide authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials that were intended to silence their criticism and buy their support after a September 2007 episode in which Blackwater security guards fatally shot 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, according to former company officials. ... Stacy DeLuke, a spokeswoman for the company, now called Xe Services, dismissed the allegations as 'baseless' and said the company would not comment about former employees."

-- Richmond Times-Dispatch -- At End, D.C. Sniper Said Nothing: John Allen Muhammad, "the man who played God with sniper fire seven years ago, ending 10 lives in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, was quietly executed by injection last night. ... Given the chance to make a last statement, Muhammad stared stoically at the ceiling and did not move a muscle."

-- Morning Edition -- Budget Director Orszag Makes Case That Deficit Spending Now Is Helpful, But 'Walk Down' Is Needed In Next Few Years. NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with federal budget director Peter Orszag about the "extraordinarily challenging" problem of running up huge deficits now -- which, he argues, is necessary -- and then reversing course once the economy is healthy again. This all "keeps me up at night" worrying, Orszag admits:

By Mark Memmott

Today will be marked by a solemn ceremony at Fort Hood, where President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will join with the families of those wounded and killed during last Thursday's shooting that left 13 dead and about 30 wounded.

As NPR's Wade Goodwyn reported on Morning Edition, the Army plans a traditional memorial service for all those at the post who were affected by the tragedy.

The service, which begins at 2 p.m. ET, will be televised. NPR plans special coverage that will be carried by most member stations. NPR.org will also be following it. The Two-Way is set to post live updates as the memorial service is underway. Check back with us as the time draws near.

There's also news to pass along this morning about the Fort Hood tragedy.

-- As Frank noted earlier, NPR's Tom Gjelten reported last night that FBI officials have acknowledged they "took a look" at Major Nidal Hasan, the accused shooter, in recent months because he had been in communication with a person who espoused radical views.

On Morning Edition, Tom followed up with more on that part of the story:

Also on Morning Edition, NPR's Daniel Zwerdling reported that some of Hasan's fellow psychiatrists colleagues found him to be detached, unproductive and sometimes hostile. And, Daniel has learned that at least one official at Walter Reed Army Medical Center wanted to remove Hasan from the residency program there -- but that supervisors had not adequately documented his alleged deficiencies and could not take such administrative action.

The Washington Post reports, meanwhile, that Hasan "warned a roomful of senior Army physicians a year and a half ago that to avoid 'adverse events,' the military should allow Muslim soldiers to be released as conscientious objectors instead of fighting in wars against other Muslims."

On CBS-TV's The Early Show this morning, the Associated Press writes:

The attorney for the Army psychiatrist accused in the mass shooting at Fort Hood says he's assured the suspect that all of his rights as a defendant in the military justice system will be respected.

Retired Col. John P. Galligan said he found Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan to be "coherent" when he met with him Monday. Galligan said Hasan is "aware that he's a suspect. But there were no formal charges that I could discuss with him."

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- The Associated Press -- Bomb Kills At Least 15 In Pakistan: "A police officer says a bomb near a crowded market in northwest Pakistan has killed 15 people. The bombing is the third attack in as many days in or close to Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. Police officer Riaz Khan says Tuesday's bombing in Charsadda city also wounded at least 25 people. The city is some 25 miles north of Peshawar."

-- BBC News -- Korean Naval Ships Clash At Sea: "A South Korean warship has exchanged fire with a North Korean naval vessel, reports from both countries say. Officials in Seoul say the South Korean vessel opened fire when the Northern ship crossed a disputed sea border. The North Korean vessel then fired back."

-- The New York Times -- "Democrats Raise Alarm Over Costs Of Health Bills": "As health care legislation moves toward a crucial airing in the Senate, the White House is facing a growing revolt from some Democrats and analysts who say the bills Congress is considering do not fulfill President Obama's promise to slow the runaway rise in health care spending."

The Wall fell 20 years ago today. This morning, flowers decorated a portion that has been perserved. (John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Today is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the historic occasion is being marked in that city with speeches, a symbolic walk across the old border between what was East and West Germany, and the toppling of giant foam dominoes "painted with messages of freedom," as the BBC writes.

From Berlin, NPR's Eric Westervelt reports that for one German man, the fall of the wall was something of a collision between freedom and fatherhood:

NPR.org's Kevin Whitelaw writes this morning that while the fall of the wall is now viewed as a joyous event, at the time it also sparked much anxiety.

The widely read political blog Powerline has posted a video clip of then-president Ronald Reagan's famous 1987 "tear down this wall" speech in Berlin. And Powerline's post has an entry from Peter Robinson, who wrote the Reagan address.

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- The Washington Post -- "Authorities Scrutinize Links Between Ford Hood Suspect, Imam Said To Back Al-Qaida": "Federal investigators are examining possible links between Fort Hood shooting suspect Maj. Nidal M. Hasan and an American-born imam who U.S. authorities say has become a supporter and leading promoter of al-Qaida since leaving a Northern Virginia mosque, officials said."

Related story on Morning Edition -- Investigators Say If Hasan Had "Jihadist Connections" They Would Have Found Them By Now; Connection To Imam May Be Just A Coincidence. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports:

Related story by the Dallas Morning News -- "Pursuing Death Penalty In Fort Hood Shooting May Be Difficult: "If history is any judge, the Army will find it difficult to impose the death penalty on the accused killer in the bloodiest mass shooting on a U.S. military base in history. Military experts say Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is almost certain to face capital charges before an Army court-martial. But they warn that death penalty cases are so rare in the military, and so prone to big mistakes, that death sentences rarely stick."

Related story on Morning Edition -- At Fort Hood And In Killeen, Friends And Family Cope. NPR's Jeff Brady reports:

-- The Philadelphia Inquirer -- Transit Strike Ends: "The strike by SEPTA workers that had paralyzed much of the region since last week ended this morning with a signing of an agreement by SEPTA officials and leaders of Transport Workers Union Local 234. Buses, subways and trolleys, idled since 3 a.m. Tuesday, should be running in time for this morning's rush."

Related report from WHYY's Dave Heller in Philadelphia -- Both Sides Are Now Presenting "A United Front"; 900,000 Riders Breathe Sighs Of Relief:

-- National Hurricane Center -- "Ida Continues To Weaken As It Moves Across The Gulf Of Mexico: "A hurricane warning remains in effect for the northern Gulf Coast from Pascagoula, Miss., eastward to Indian Pass, Fla. ... Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion." Ida is now a "category one" hurricane.

From a related story by Reuters -- Ida Left More Than 120 People Dead In El Salvador: "Hurricane Ida headed toward oil and gas facilities in the central Gulf of Mexico on Monday on a path to the U.S. Gulf Coast after killing 124 people in El Salvador following floods and mudslides."

-- Politico -- "Republicans Take Aim At Vulnerable Democrats In Health War: "Within minutes of Saturday's historic House vote on health care reform, Republicans pronounced the political death of Rep. Thomas Perriello (D-Va.), pointing to the vulnerable freshman congressman's vote in favor of the bill. And in the aftermath of the politically charged vote, Perriello wasn't the only Democratic congressman whose fortunes were being reassessed. The GOP, which voted nearly in lock step against the measure, began crowing about the demise of various other vulnerable members and seized on the moment as a milestone in the path back to a House majority."

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

On the morning after the morning after the analysis continues about what, if anything, Tuesday's elections say about the mood of the country, the president's popularity and what will happen on Election Day in 2010.

Politico says the results have congressional Democrats "focused like never before on jobs -- their own."

The Boston Globe strikes a similar theme: " Democratic moderates who will determine the fate of much of President Obama's domestic agenda heard an early warning from this week's off-year elections: Congress had better do something about the economy, or sitting lawmakers will lose their jobs in 2010."

The Wall Street Journal says the votes have "left Democrats scrambling to renew the coalition that elected President Barack Obama after independent voters, whose power to determine U.S. elections is rising with their numbers, broke heavily toward Republicans."

At The New York Times, the focus is on the other side: "Energized GOP Looking To Avoid An Intraparty Feud."

And USA TODAY is looking well down the road. It's top political story is headlined "Huckabee Leads Republican Prospects In Poll." Those prospects would be the Republican Party's 2012 presidential hopefuls.

On Morning Edition, Republican political strategist Mike Murphy told host Steve Inskeep that the biggest message from Tuesday's elections was that voters' honeymoon with President Barack Obama is over:

As for other stories making headlines, the include the U.N.'s decision to relocate about half its staff in Afghanistan following last week's attack on a guest house in Kabul.

Also on Morning Edition Andrew Exum of the Center for a New American Security told host Renee Montagne that Obama should use the possibility of sending more troops to Afghanistan as leverage to push President Hamid Karzai to clean up government corruption:

Later today, All Things Considered is planning to spend an hour on Afghanistan and the issues Obama is considering as he debates whether to send more U.S. troops there. Click here to find an NPR station near you.

Other news:

-- The Associated Press -- AARP To Endorse House Health Care Plan: "The House is steaming toward a historic vote on President Barack Obama's remake of the U.S. health care system, with Democratic leaders increasingly confident and the powerful seniors' lobby AARP about to get on board. A debate and vote are expected Saturday on the 10-year, $1.2 trillion bill that would extend coverage to 96 percent of Americans, require employers to insure their employees and bar such insurance company practices as dropping coverage for sick people."

-- The Guardian's Greenslade blog -- Reporter For French News Service Detained In Iran: "An Iranian journalist working for the international news agency Agence France Presse has been detained by Iran's security forces. Farhad Pouladi was taken into custody while on his way to cover a state-sanctioned rally to mark the 30th anniversary of the US embassy takeover. AFP's acting bureau chief in Tehran, Jay Deshmukh, says the reporter's whereabouts are unknown."

And finally, there's the 27th World Series championship for the New York Yankees:

Matsui was the man. (Nick Laham/Getty Images)

As NPR's Mike Pesca said on Morning Edition, the Yankees got some clutch performances from some big stars and proved they are "once again the toughest out in baseball":

By Mark Memmott

The morning-after punditry is in full-swing now that the smattering of elections across the nation are over. As we wrote, Republicans had a good day -- winning the governors' mansions in New Jersey and Virginia. But Democrats managed to take advantage of a split with the GOP to take a New York congressional seat that had been in Republican hands since before the Civil War.

NPR's Political Junkie blog will have much more about the election results as the day continues.

Among the other stories making headlines:

-- The Guardian -- "British Soldiers Killed In Attack By Afghan Policeman": "Five British soldiers have been killed and several others injured in a gun attack by a 'rogue' Afghan policeman in Helmand province, the Ministry of Defense said today. The soldiers -- three from the Grenadier Guards and two from the Royal Military police -- were killed by gunshot wounds suffered in the attack, which happened in the Nad-e'Ali district yesterday."

NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports from Kabul: The Afghan police officer ran from the scene, and "the feeling is that he's crossed over and joined the Taliban."

-- BBC News -- "Iran Police Clash With Protesters": "Police have clashed with opposition supporters in the Iranian capital, Tehran, witnesses and state media say. Police used tear gas and batons, said witnesses. Unconfirmed reports said the authorities had also opened fire."

Related conversation on Morning Edition -- Protests Were Widespread Despite Government's Warning: Borzou Daragahi of the Los Angeles Times talks with host Steve Inskeep about this 30th anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, and the remarkably different (anti-government) kind of protests that occurred today:

-- Morning Edition -- Secretary Clinton Says Her Comments About Israeli Settlements Did Not Create A "Long-Term Problem". The secretary of State spoke with NPR's Jackie Northam:

-- CNN International -- "Israel Detains Ship Loaded With Weapons": "The Israeli Navy detained a ship loaded with weapons that was traveling about 100 miles west of the country's coast and headed to Syria, Israeli officials said Wednesday. The ship was detained on Tuesday and was escorted to an Israeli port to be searched, an Israel Defense Forces statement said."

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Fears Of A New Bubble As Cash Pours In": "Concerns are mounting that efforts by governments and central banks to stoke a recovery will create a nasty side effect: asset bubbles in real-estate, stock and currency markets, especially in Asia."

Related news to watch for today: Federal Reserve policymakers end two-days of meetings. They're expected to say this afternoon that they aren't going to adjust short-term interest rates, which it how is holding between zero and 0.25%.

-- The Times of London -- "German Government Blasts 'Unacceptable' GM U-Turn": "Germany's Economic Minister today branded a decision by America's General Motors to scrap the sale of its European business as 'totally unacceptable.' ... British unions were delighted with the decision, which was announced late yesterday after a GM board meeting in Detroit."

Related story by The Detroit News -- "GM Calls Off Sale, Keeps Opel": "General Motors Co.'s board of directors Tuesday voted to keep its German carmaker, Adam Opel GmbH, instead of selling it to Canada's Magna International Inc. and its Russian partner, Sberbank. The board based its decision, in part, on an improved business environment in Europe and GM's overall financial health and stability since emerging from bankruptcy court after receiving about $50 billion in federal aid."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

One of the nation's largest cities, as we just reported, is having some mixed emotions today.

The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the New York Yankees 8-6 last night to extend the World Series to a game six on Wednesday. The Yankees lead three-games-to-two in the best-of-seven championship.

But at 3 a.m. ET, transit workers in the city went on strike -- bringing a system that averages nearly 930,000 trips a day to a halt.

There's much more than that going on today, of course.

NPR's Dave Mattingly and Isaac-Davy Aronson of NPR member station WNYC report on the voting today in Virginia, New Jersey, New York and elsewhere:

The contests are being closely watched to see what, if anything, they may reveal about voters' attitudes toward President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats.

Looking ahead to next year, by the way, Politico says that "in what could be a nightmare scenario for Republican Party officials, conservative activists are gearing up to challenge leading GOP candidates in more than a dozen key House and Senate races in 2010." They're looking at today's special election in New York's 23rd Congressional district, where Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman pressured the GOP nominee to drop out, as something of a template for 2010.

We'll be combining forces with Ken Rudin of the Political Junkie tonight to "live-blog" election results. So check both The Two-Way and Political Junkie for updates.

Other stories making headlines include:

-- BBC News -- "Karzai Vows To Battle Corruption": "Afghan President Hamid Karzai has vowed to remove the 'stigma' of corruption, a day after winning a new five-year term.
In his first remarks since being declared winner on Monday of August's fraud-marred poll, he also pledged to lead an inclusive government."

Related conversation on Morning Edition "Karzai's Team Needs To Establish Strong Government." Former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad tells host Renee Montagne that he has no doubt Karzai will try to reach out to his critics, but that putting together an effective government will be difficult:

Related story by NPR.org -- "Karzai 'Victory' Puts Spotlight On U.S. Troop Decision": "Afghan President Hamid Karzai's victory by default in the contested election may resolve the country's immediate political crisis, but it could complicate the outcome of the Obama administration's much-anticipated decision on sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan."

-- The New York Times -- "Gore's Dual Role In Spotlight: Advocate And Investor": "Critics, mostly on the political right and among global warming skeptics, say (former vice president Al) Gore is poised to become the world's first 'carbon billionaire,' profiteering from government policies he supports that would direct billions of dollars to the business ventures he has invested in. ... Mr. Gore says that he is simply putting his money where his mouth is. 'Do you think there is something wrong with being active in business in this country?' Mr. Gore said. 'I am proud of it. I am proud of it.' "

-- Morning Edition -- "Clinton Clarifies Statement On Jewish Settlements": NPR's Jackie Northam reports:

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As we just reported, President Hamid Karzai has been declared the winner in Afghanistan's presidential election -- without having to go through the runoff that had been scheduled for this coming Saturday.

His challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, dropped out of the runoff yesterday. Abdullah said he did not think the process would be transparent enough. Already, the results of the country's August election had been set aside because of widespread corruption.

This morning's news comes as President Barack Obama continues to review U.S. policy in Afghanistan and considers whether or not to send tens of thousands of more American troops there. Earlier, the Los Angeles Times reported that:

U.S. and other Western officials, who leaned heavily on Karzai to accept a runoff after the tainted election in August, are now pressing him and electoral officials to find a legally acceptable way to cancel the poll and declare Karzai the winner. Neither the U.S. nor the United Nations is prepared to risk more lives for an election with only one candidate, said a Western official familiar with the talks.

There will surely be lots of reaction and analysis about the news from Afghanistan as the day goes on. We'll pass them along as the story develops.

We also just reported the news that Ford Motor earned $997 million in the third quarter -- a huge turnaround for the automaker.

Meanwhile, other stories making headlines include:

The aftermath in Rawalpindi. (Aamir Qureshi/Getty Images)

-- The Associated Press -- "Bomb Outside Bank Kills 30 Near Pakistani Capital": "A suicide bomber killed 30 people outside a bank near Pakistan's capital Monday, as the U.N. said spreading violence had forced it to pull out some expatriate staff and suspend long-term development work in areas along the Afghan border. Islamist insurgents have carried out numerous attacks in Pakistan in recent weeks, killing some 250 people in retaliation for an army offensive in the Pakistani Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, also along the frontier shared with neighboring Afghanistan."

Related report from NPR's Julie McCarthy in Islamabad: Today's attack in Rawalpindi appeared to target both military personnel and civlians. Both groups were in line at the bank at the time of the explosion.

Update at 9:30 a.m. ET: Both Reuters and the Associated Press are now reporting that the death toll from the bombing stands at 35. We've also updated this post's headline, which earlier put the death toll at 30.

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "CIT Files Its Bankruptcy Plan": "CIT Group Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection Sunday, in a final attempt to restructure and keep the doors open at the century-old commercial lender."

Related report from the Associated Press: "The bankruptcy of a key lender that helps retailers stock their shelves is adding to the industry's worries ahead of the critical holiday shopping season."

Related report on Morning Edition: " The government lent CIT more than $2 billion a year ago. Taxpayers will probably lose that money as a result of the bankruptcy."

-- Boston Globe -- "Billions In Aid To Banks Not Reaching Many Seeking Loans": "Many small businesses are having a difficult time getting SBA loans from lenders that took government handouts. In addition to frustrating owners who say they need the money to survive, the banks' reluctance to lend undermines a goal of the federal stimulus program: Ease the credit crunch so companies can grow and hire again."

-- San Francisco Chronicle -- "Bay Bridge Stays Closed": "Pushing traffic turmoil into a second week, Caltrans said late Sunday that the workhorse Bay Bridge will probably remain closed through the morning commute after a fix meant to shore up a cracked beam failed a critical stress test. When the region's busiest span will reopen remains unknown. Caltrans officials refused to speculate."

-- Morning Edition -- Yankees Are One Win Away From 27th World Series Title: As NPR's Mike Pesca reports, a key at-bat by Johnny Damon led to the Bronx Bombers' 7-4 win last night in Philadelphia:

The Yankees lead the series three games to one. Game five is tonight, in Philadelphia, at 7:57 p.m. ET.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

If you've been wondering how many jobs the White House thinks have been created or saved by this year's $787 billion stimulus program, keep an eye on Recovery.gov. The administration plans to release its latest numbers on just that subject today.

NPR's Scott Horsley and Politico's Mike Allen say that administration officials have sent reporters an e-mail to say that they anticipate reports from state and local governments, businesses and organizations "will credit the Recovery Act with directly creating or saving about 650,000 jobs." The e-mail says that number stems from about half of the stimulus spending so far, meaning the program has likely "created or saved at least 1 million jobs."

CNN is also already reporting the news will be that 650,000 jobs were saved or created by about $150 billion in the funding so far. That's the number The Wall Street Journal is citing as well.

We'll pass along more news as it comes in -- as well as the inevitable second-guessing and analysis from various quarters.

Update at 1:25 p.m. ET. The White House has now posted some of the details behind the job estimates.

It states that:

Today's release by the independent Recovery, Accountability, and Transparency Board shows that recipients of a subset of Recovery Act funds have reported creating or saving 640,329 jobs so far. Since this reporting is based on only a portion of the Act's funds -- about $160 billion, which represents less than half of the money put to work so far -- it represents a subset of the jobs created or saved. This number also leaves out indirect jobs: employment created as a result of ARRA funds money spent by direct recipients. ...

Since, as noted above, the recipient reporting represents less than half of the obligations plus tax cuts so far, we can get a rough sense of its comparability to the more comprehensive estimates above by doubling the recipient-reported job creation of 640,329, yielding a jobs number -- almost 1.3 million. ...

Given that more than half of Recovery Act funds have yet to be obligated, the fact that many funded projects have a lot more hiring to do, and the fact that these reports account for around 640,000 jobs through the end of September despite all the omissions just noted, we are solidly on track to meet our goal of 3.5 million jobs saved or created by the end of next year.

Update at 12:45 p.m. ET: At the White House a moment ago, Vice President Joe Biden just remarked that "I can say without fear of being contradicted by any responsible source that so far" the stimulus has saved or created more than 1 million jobs.

Here's audio of the vice president:

Update at 8:05 a.m. ET. More from CNN:

"We're solidly on track to create or save 3.5 million jobs by the time this program winds down," administration economist Jared Bernstein told CNN on Friday. "There's a lot more ammunition in that Recovery Act. The stimulus package is absolutely working, both in GDP terms and in terms of saving or creating jobs."

Among the other stories making headlines this morning, as we just reported it looks like there's a deal in place to end the political crisis in Honduras and return ousted president Manuel Zelaya to office.

Other news:

-- Morning Edition -- "Afghan Decision Will Come With A Price Tag". NPR's David Welna reports that the high financial cost of any surge in the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan is putting some Democrats in a tight spot:

-- The Washington Post -- "Dozens In Congress Under Ethics Inquiry": "House ethics investigators have been scrutinizing the activities of more than 30 lawmakers and several aides in inquiries about issues including defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July."

Related story by The Associated Press -- Ethics Committee Says No Inferences Should Be Drawn: "The House ethics committee announced Thursday it is investigating two California Democratic lawmakers (representatives Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson), but its embarrassed leaders then had to explain that other members -- named in a confidential memo that leaked out -- may have committed no wrongdoing."

Update at 8:25 a.m. ET: A statement from the committee.

-- The Associated Press -- "Search Is On For Mid-Air Collision Survivors In California": "The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy were searching early Friday for as many as nine people off the Southern California coast following a collision between a Coast Guard plane and a Marine Corps helicopter, officials said. The crash was reported at 7:10 p.m. Thursday, about 50 miles off the San Diego County coast and 15 miles east of San Clemente Island, Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Officer Allyson Conroy said."

-- The New York Times -- "Iran Rejects Deal To Ship Out Uranium, Officials Report": " Iran told the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Thursday that it would not accept a plan its negotiators agreed to last week to send its stockpile of uranium out of the country, according to diplomats in Europe and American officials briefed on Iran's response."

-- The Associated Press -- "France's Jacques Chirac Ordered To Stand Trial": "Former French President Jacques Chirac has been ordered to stand trial in an alleged corruption scandal dating back to his tenure as Paris mayor, a judicial official said Friday. A magistrate has ordered Chirac to stand trial on charges of 'embezzlement' and 'breach of trust,' the official said."

Frank Browning reports on the story for NPR from Paris:

-- World Series -- Yankees Win Game 2 By 3-1 Score; Series Tied At 1-1; Resumes Saturday.

They'll play in Philadelphia on Saturday. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

President Barack Obama, as we reported earlier, paid a middle-of-the-night visit to Dover Air Force Base to pay his respects as the bodies of 18 Americans killed in Afghanistan were returned home.

For a close-up look at the dangers American personnel face in Afghanistan, particularly from improvised explosive devices, NPR's Tom Bowman continued Morning Edition's series of reports on the threats.

Another story that developed overnight: The Lost Angeles Times reports that "Iran's president today appeared to lend support to an International Atomic Energy Agency proposal to ship the bulk of his country's enriched uranium abroad, casting it as a victory for Iranian steadfastness as the world awaits Tehran's formal response to the deal."

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Washington Post -- "Obama Seeks Study On Local Leaders For Troop Decision": "President Obama has asked senior officials for a province-by-province analysis of Afghanistan to determine which regions are being managed effectively by local leaders and which require international help, information that his advisers say will guide his decision on how many additional U.S. troops to send to the battle."

-- The New York Times -- "Shortage Of Vaccine Poses Political Test For Obama": "Despite months of planning and preparation, a (swine flu) vaccine shortage is threatening to undermine public confidence in government, creating a very public test of Mr. Obama's competence."

-- San Francisco Chronicle -- "Bridge Parts Couldn't Take The Wind": "High winds caused a steel crossbeam and two steel tie rods to snap off the Bay Bridge's eastern span and fall to the upper deck, Caltrans officials said (Wednesday) as commuters unable to drive over the closed bridge jammed alternative routes and crowded onto BART in record numbers."

On All Things Considered, NPR's Richard Gonzales reported that it's not clear when the bridge will reopen:

-- Detroit Free Press -- Mosque Leader Believed He Was At War With Government, FBI Says: The Detroit imam killed in a shoot-out with FBI agents yesterday:

Believed he and his followers were soldiers at war against the government and non-Muslims.

"Abdullah told his followers it is their duty to oppose the FBI and the government and it does not matter if they die," FBI agent Gary Leone said in an affidavit unsealed Wednesday. "He also told the group that they need to plan to do something."

-- World Series -- Phillies Win First Game; 6-1 Over The Yankees.

By Mark Memmott

There's already been breaking news from Afghanistan and Pakistan, as we reported a short time ago, about deadly attacks in Kabul and Peshawar.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

Ahmed Wali Karzai. (A.R. Khan/AP)

-- New York Times -- "Brother Of Afghan Leader Said To Be On CIA Payroll": "Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of the Afghan president and a suspected player in the country's booming illegal opium trade, gets regular payments from the Central Intelligence Agency, and has for much of the past eight years," say current and former U.S. officials.

Related conversation on Morning Edition -- The Times' Mark Mazzetti tells NPR's Renee Montagne that Ahmed Wali Karzai has long been rumored to be involved in Afghanistan's drug trade, but might be of use to the CIA in peeling militants away from the Taliban:

-- San Francisco Chronicle -- "Bay Bridge Closed After Repair Falls Apart": "Three pieces of an emergency repair to the Bay Bridge's cantilever section made over Labor Day weekend snapped and crashed onto the upper deck of the span late Tuesday afternoon, striking three vehicles and forcing the indefinite closure of the region's busiest bridge."

Related: SFGate.com's live traffic updates.

-- USA TODAY -- Year Later, Poll Shows Changed Views On Obama: "As the anniversary of the election approaches, the tidal wave of hope that swept (President Barack) Obama into office has ebbed and some perceptions of the president have changed, the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds. He's seen more as a down-the-line liberal, less as someone who can bridge partisan divides. Still, he retains a fair share of voter regard and his approval rating, while no longer in the stratosphere of those early days, remains at 50% or just above in Gallup's daily survey. A year later, it's a wait-and-see nation."

-- Morning Edition -- Bill And Melinda Gates Make The Case For More Global Health Aid. The Microsoft co-founder and his wife Melinda talk with NPR's Steve Inskeep about the aid work they do. Bill Gates fires back at critics who say too much aid makes some nations too dependent. "I think it's pretty outrageous to say that you ought to wait some years to create a few hundred jobs, and let hundreds of thousands of children die," he says:

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As the day gets started, Reuters offers this news alert from Tehran. It captures the "maybe, maybe not" nature of that country's relations with the rest of the world:

Iran will accept the framework of a U.N.-drafted nuclear fuel deal, but will also demand changes to it, al Alam state television reported on Tuesday. Al Alam, citing an unnamed official, said Iran would present its response to the proposed agreement within 48 hours.

Also in the news this hour: NASA is hoping to launch its newest rocket -- the Ares I-X. But rain could delay the flight. NASA TV is webcasting here.

Meanwhile, the stories making headlines include:

-- The Associated Press -- Pakistan Claims Progress In Push Against Taliban: " Pakistan's army says 42 militants have been killed in the latest stage of its offensive against the Taliban close to the Afghan border. A statement Tuesday says that troops were making steady progress in the 11-day old campaign in South Waziristan."

-- Morning Edition -- "No. 3 Man Moving Up In Al-Qaida". NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports on the new face of al-Qaida:

-- The Associated Press -- "Obama Putting $3.4 Billion Toward A 'Smart' Power Grid": "President Barack Obama, during a visit to a solar energy facility in Arcadia, Fla., is announcing Tuesday that he is making available $3.4 billion in government support for 100 projects aimed at modernizing the power grid. The projects include installing "smart" electric meters in homes, automating utility substations, and installing thousands of new digital transformers and grid sensors."

Related report from NPR's Scott Horsley:

-- The New York Times -- "Ex A.I.G. Chief Is Back, Luring Talent From Rescued Firm": "Maurice R. Greenberg, who built the American International Group into an insurance behemoth with an impenetrable maze of on- and offshore companies, is at it again. Even as he has been lambasting the government for its handling of A.I.G. after its near collapse, Mr. Greenberg has been quietly building up a family of insurance companies that could compete with A.I.G. To fill the ranks of his venture, C.V. Starr & Company, he has been hiring some people he once employed."

-- Morning Edition -- Clinics Struggle To Keep Up With Swine Flu. Steve Inskeep talks to clinic staffers in Indiana, Ohio, Maryland and Florida:

Getting the shot in L.A. (David McNew/Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

As the day gets going, details are still coming in about two deadly incidents involving U.S. helicopters in Afghanistan. The Associated Press writes that the crashes killed 14 Americans, most of them military personnel.

From southern Afghanistan, NPR producer Graham Smith reported that one of the helicopters had just left the scene of a firefight -- but that U.S. officials do not believe it was brought down by fire from the ground:

In other news involving Afghanistan:

-- The Washington Post reports that "the Pentagon's top military officer oversaw a secret war game this month to evaluate the two primary military options that have been put forward by the Pentagon and are being weighed by the Obama administration as part of a broad-based review of the faltering Afghanistan war, senior military officials said." One involved the hypothetical addition of 44,000 more troops. The other added 10,000 to 15,000.

-- On Morning Edition, NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reported that some parts of northern Afghanistan have also destabilized in recent months:

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Senate On Verge Of Health Bill": "Top Senate Democrats are close to finalizing their health bill and could unveil a measure as soon as early this week that would include stiffer penalties on employers who fail to provide health coverage. Senate leaders plan to submit the bill to the Congressional Budget Office for a cost estimate as soon as Monday, and make the legislation public as soon as Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the negotiations."

Related story on Morning Edition -- A "Public Option" Is Looking More Likely" NPR's Julie Rovner talked with host Steve Inskeep:

-- The New York Times -- "U.S. Considers Reining In 'Too Big To Fail' Institutions": "A senior administration official said on Sunday that after extensive consultations with Treasury Department officials, Representative Barney Frank, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, would introduce legislation as early as this week. The measure would make it easier for the government to seize control of troubled financial institutions, throw out management, wipe out the shareholders and change the terms of existing loans held by the institution."

-- The Associated Press -- "Death Toll Rises To 155 In Dual Baghdad Bombings": "The death toll from Iraq's worst attack in more than two years climbed to 155 Monday as Iraqis buried the dead from the twin suicide bombings that devastated the heart of Baghdad. Funerals were held around the city amid heightened security that snarled traffic during the morning rush hour. The bombings targeted two government buildings, calling into question the state's ability to protect itself as it prepares for January elections and the U.S. military withdrawal."

Related report from NPR's Nishant Dahiya in Baghdad -- Iraqi Leaders Blame Al-Qaida And Neighboring Countries:

-- Morning Edition -- "Karadzic Boycotts Start Of War Crimes Trial". The Bosnian Serb claimed he needs more time to prepare his defense. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli filed this report:

From a related report by BBC News: "Karadzic, 64, was taken to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague last year, after 13 years in hiding. ... He was indicted in 1995 on two counts of genocide and a multitude of other crimes committed against Bosnian Muslim, Bosnian Croat and other non-Serb civilians during the 1992-1995 war, which left more than 100,000 people dead."

By Mark Memmott

The day begins with word of more deaths and violence in Pakistan. The Associated Press reports that:

A suicide bomber killed seven people near a major air force complex in northwest Pakistan on Friday, while an explosion killed 17 on a bus heading to wedding elsewhere in the region, the latest in a surge of militant attacks this month.

There's also word this morning that the U.S. has formally asked Switzerland to extradite film director Roman Polanski to California, which he fled in 1978 after pleading guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

As NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates reported on Morning Edition, the 76-year-old director will likely spend considerable time in prison if he is returned to the U.S. (her report includes some graphic details about his crime):

Soupy Sales in 1966. (AP Photo/File)

And it was reported overnight that comedian Soupy Sales has died. He was 83.

As the Los Angeles Times says, sales was "a comic with a gift for slapstick who attained cult-like popularity in the 1960s with a pie-throwing routine that became his signature."

Other stories making headlines include:

-- The New York Times -- "Senate Leader Takes Risk Pushing Public Insurance Plan": "In pushing to include a government-run health insurance plan in the health care bill, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, is taking a calculated gamble that the 60 members of his caucus could support the plan if it included a way for states to opt out."

-- Politico -- "Pelosi Lacks Votes For Most Sweeping Public Option": "Speaker Nancy Pelosi counted votes Thursday night and determined she could not pass a 'robust public option' -- the most aggressive of the three forms of a public option House Democrats have been considering as part of a national overhaul of health care. Pelosi's decision -- coupled with a significant turn of events yesterday during a private White House meeting -- points to an increasingly likely compromise for a trigger option for a government plan."

-- ESPN.com -- American League Series Goes Back To The Bronx After Angels Beat Yankees: Game six of the AL championship series is set for Saturday night in Yankee Stadium after the Angels win 7-6 Thursday night.

-- Morning Edition -- Protesters Storm BBC Over Interview With Fascist Politician. NPR's Rob Gifford reports from London:

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

This is a big day for "fans" of Microsoft's Vista operating system. Windows 7, a new system, becomes available today. As NPR's Wendy Kaufman reported on Morning Edition, it's "good riddance Vista":

Other stories making headlines include:

-- Boston Globe -- "FBI Calls Sudbury Suspect Inept But Serious Terror Plotter": "They allegedly tried to get into terrorist training camps overseas, but could not find one that would take them. They plotted to shoot shoppers and emergency responders at a suburban mall, but scrapped the plan because they could not get their hands on automatic weapons, according to the FBI. Yet, even though Tarek Mehanna, 27, of Sudbury and his friend, Ahmad Abousamra, who allegedly was rejected by the Taliban because of a lack of experience, were portrayed as hapless would-be terrorists in an FBI affidavit unsealed yesterday, federal authorities allege their intentions were deadly serious."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Massachusetts Arrest Spurs Fears Of Homegrown Terrorism": NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports.

-- The New York Times -- "Pakistani Brigadier Is Assassinated": In Islamabad, "two assailants on a motorbike fired on a Pakistani Army jeep amid heavy rush-hour traffic Thursday morning, killing a brigadier and his driver, a security official said."

From NPR's Julie McCarthy in Islamabad:

Unidentified gunmen ambushed the brigadier as he drove in an SUV through a sector of Islamabad that had been undisturbed by attacks. Eyewitnesses reported that his assailant opened fire then sped off on a waiting motorcycle. The brigadier is reported to have been on leave from duties with the U.N. in Sudan when he was gunned down by what the army called "an act of terrorism."

That a senior ranking officer could be so vulnerable in the capital has shaken residents. Their alarm deepened when a gunman open fire hours later at a popular market in a residential area full of embassies and foreigners. Analysts have warned of the possibility of more attacks as the military squeezes the militants in the tribal area of South Waziristan. The army acknowledges encountering stiff resistance in its advance on the Taliban's stronghold.

-- The Associated Press -- Election Preparations Begin In Afghanistan: "Ballots and voting kits are already heading out across Afghanistan ahead of the Nov. 7 presidential runoff. International election monitors called on authorities to avert the widespread fraud that marred the first round of voting in August as the United Nations began delivering voting materials today. Organizing the ballot in a little more than two weeks poses a huge challenge amid a growing Taliban insurgency and ahead of mountainous Afghanistan's winter snows, which begin around the middle of November. Also, scores of election staff accused of misconduct have been fired and new personnel still need to be hired."

-- Morning Edition -- Management Expert: Pay Restrictions For Bailed-Out Firms Are Appropriate: NPR's John Ydstie reports.

Related article in The Wall Street Journal -- Pay Restrictions Mark A "Seismic Shift".

-- Charleston Gazette -- Woman Recants Story Of Rape And Torture, But Authorities Don't Believe Her: "Megan Williams, who was supposed to take back her story that seven Logan County (W. Va.) residents beat, raped and tortured her (in September, 2007), didn't speak at a press conference at her lawyer's office on Wednesday. Instead, lawyer Byron L. Potts recanted her claims for her. He said Williams told him that the only injuries that weren't self-inflicted were the bruises on her face. ... Authorities don't believe Williams' new claims. They point to the physical evidence and the fact that all seven defendants pleaded guilty and confessed their roles in the incident."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As we just reported, there's word from Vienna this morning that a draft agreement has been reached for Iran to export most of its enriched uranium to Russia for processing. That's been a critical goal of negotiators from the U.S., France and Russia because it could lessen the chances of Iran obtaining enough fuel for a nuclear weapon.

We'll watch for more news on that as the day continues.

Meanwhile, other stories making headlines include:

-- USA TODAY -- "White House Neglecting Bioterrorism," Bipartisan Commission Warns: " The Obama administration is working hard to curb nuclear threats but failing to address the more urgent and immediate threat of biological terrorism, a bipartisan commission created by Congress is reporting today. The report obtained by USA TODAY cites failures on biosecurity policy by the White House, which the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction says has left the country vulnerable. ... White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said protecting the nation from deadly weapons is among President Obama's 'top national security priorities.' "

-- The Associated Press -- "Watchdog: Bailout Helped But At A Great Cost": "A government watchdog said the $700 billion bailout for the financial industry played a major role in rescuing the economy over the last year but also engendered anger and distrust among Americans because of secrecy and confusion about the way the program was handled. The mixed and blunt assessment by Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general in charge of oversight for the bailout fund, comes just as the administration is taking steps to wind down and refocus the Wall Street rescue effort. Barofsky's conclusions are in a quarterly report scheduled for release Wednesday." (That report is to be posted here.)

From a related story by USA TODAY:

"The American people's belief that the funds went into a black hole, or that there was a transfer of wealth from taxpayers to Wall Street, is one of the worst outcomes of this program, and that is the reputational damage to the government," said Neil Barofsky, special inspector general of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), in an interview.

-- The Washington Post -- "U.S. Deeply Split On Troop Increase For Afghan War": "As President Obama and his war cabinet deliberate a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, Americans are evenly and deeply divided over whether he should send 40,000 more troops there, and public approval of the president's handling of the situation has tumbled, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll."

Related story by the Associated Press -- "Afghan President's Rival Accepts Nov. 7 Runoff": "President Hamid Karzai's chief political rival agreed Wednesday to take part in the Nov. 7 runoff election, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown in the face of Taliban threats and approaching winter snows. Ex-Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah made his comment to reporters one day after Karzai bowed to intense U.S. and international pressure and accepted findings of a U.N.-backed panel that there had been massive fraud on his behalf in the Aug. 20 vote. Those findings showed Karzai failed to win the 50 percent required to avoid a runoff."

Helping the injured after a train crash today near Agra, India. (AP photo)

-- NPR News -- At Least 21 Killed In Train Crash. NPR's Philip Reeves reports from New Delhi:

-- Morning Edition -- Obama To Increase Credit To Small Businesses. As NPR's Scott Horsley reports, some small business owners say they desperately need more help if they're going to stay in business:

-- The New York Times -- Administration Doesn't Always Listen To Volcker: Former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker is a top economic adviser to President Barack Obama, but his advice that the nation's banks "be prohibited from owning and trading risky securities, the very practice that got the biggest ones into deep trouble in 2008," isn't gaining favor within the administration.

-- Morning Edition -- The "Public Option" Is Short On Support In Senate. NPR's David Welna reports:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

A draft agreement has been reached for Iran to export most of its enriched uranium, NPR's Eric Westervelt and the Associated Press are reporting from Vienna, where negotiators have been meeting.

Diplomats from Iran, the U.S., Russia and France have been discussing Iran's nuclear ambitions and the other nations' concern that it wants to develop weapons of mass destruction.

According to the AP:

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Wednesday that Iran and the U.S., Russia and France have signed off on a draft deal that he hoped would be approved by the nations' capitals by Friday.

He gave no details. But a diplomat inside the closed meeting told the Associated Press that the draft foresees the export most of Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium.

Getting Iran to send its enriched uranium elsewhere for processing has been a critical goal of the other nations because that would in theory reduce the chances of the Persian nation obtaining enough of the material to produce a weapon.

Update at 8:30 a.m ET. The AP's latest version of the story adds a bit of uncertainty about Iran's position (we've highlighted key phrases used by AP):

Iranian negotiators on Wednesday agreed to consider a draft deal that -- if accepted by the Tehran leadership -- would delay its ability to make nuclear weapons by sending most of the material it would need to Russia for processing, diplomats said Wednesday.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei confirmed that representatives of Iran and its three interlocutors -- the U.S., Russia and France - had accepted the draft, which still has to be finalized by the four nations' capitals. ElBaradei said he hoped that would occur by Friday.

Update at 7:55 a.m. ET. NPR's Westervelt reports that:

Diplomats say if the deal is finalized, most of the enriched uranium would be sent to Russia for conversion into fuel that could be used for medical research and cancer care.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As we reported just a few minutes ago, it's looking more and more like there will be a election run-off in Afghanistan between incumbent President Hamid Karzai and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah. Also, as we've already noted, firm director Roman Polanski was told today that he must wait in a Swiss prison while he fights against extradition to the United States.

Among the other stories making headlines:

-- The Washington Post -- Poll Shows Most Americans Support "Public Option" In Health Care: "A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public. ... Sizable majorities back two key and controversial provisions: both the so-called public option and a new mandate that would require all Americans to carry health insurance.

-- The Associated Press -- Talks With Iran Bog Down: "Talks meant to persuade Iran to send most of its enriched uranium abroad -- and thus delay its potential to make a nuclear weapon -- bogged down Tuesday over fierce Iranian resistance to French participation, diplomats said. Tuesday was the second day of talks in the Austrian capital between Iran and the United States, Russia and France over Iran's nuclear program. But discussions were delayed at least two hours in an attempt to resolve the impasse over the French."

Related report from NPR's Eric Westervelt in Vienna:

The talks are aimed at hammering out details of a plan Iran agreed to in principle in Geneva earlier this month. The deal would send about 75% of Iran's declared stockpile of low enriched uranium to Russia and France for processing and would be returned to Iran as fuel for use in a medical research reactor in Tehran.

-- Morning Edition -- "Iran, U.S. Wage A Quiet War Over The Economy". NPR's Tom Gjelten reports:

-- BBC News -- Blast Rocks University In Islamabad: "At least four people have been killed and 18 wounded in bomb explosions at a university in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, officials say. Police say the blasts at the International Islamic University were caused by suicide bombers. The attack is the first since the Pakistani army began its offensive against militants in South Waziristan, in the country's north-west. Pakistan was hit by a wave of bombings in the days before the assault began."

-- Los Angeles Times -- AIDS Vaccine Positive Results Might Have Been Just By Chance: "A secondary analysis of data from the Thai AIDS vaccine trial -- announced last month to much acclaim -- suggests that the vaccine might provide some protection against the virus, but that the results are not statistically significant. In short, they could have come about merely by chance."

By Mark Memmott

The "balloon boy" story isn't over yet, but international news dominates the headlines this morning.

-- Morning Edition -- "U.S. Policy To Use Incentives To Engage Sudan": Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, tells NPR's Michele Kelemen that the policy, to be announced today, will mix pressure and incentives to push for an end to the genocide in western Darfur. Rice also says the U.S. can't ignore Sudan's government, which has been guilty of atrocities:

-- Morning Edition -- "Iran, World Powers Resume Nuclear Talks": "Representatives from Russia, France and the United States meeting in Vienna will try to nail down details of an agreement with Iran on Monday to send most of its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France for further processing, thereby removing a possible threat to use the uranium to make a bomb. But it is unclear if Iran is totally committed to the plan." NPR's Mike Shuster reports:

Related story by the BBC -- "Iran 'Retreats' From Nuclear Deal".

-- The Associated Press -- Iran Claims U.S., Britain & Pakistan Are Linked To Attack On Revolutionary Guard: "The chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard on Monday accused the United States, Britain and Pakistan of having links with the Sunni militants responsible for a suicide bombing that killed five senior Guard commanders and 37 others. Iran's president said those behind Sunday's bombing are hiding across the border in Pakistan, and in a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart on Monday he demanded their arrest."

-- Morning Edition -- "Karzai Challenger Says Runoff Could Restore Faith": Former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah told host Renee Montagne that a runoff election between him and incumbent President Hamid Karzai would restore the Afghan people's faith in the process:

-- The Associated Press -- "Pakistan Steps Up Border Offensive": "Troops fought militants on three fronts and fighter jets bombed insurgent positions near the Afghan border Monday as Pakistan pressed ahead with an assault on the country's main Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Pakistani Forces Battle Taliban In South Waziristan". NPR's Julie McCarthy reports from Islamabad:

-- The Washington Post -- "Flow Of Terrorist Recruits Increasing": "U.S. and European counterterrorism officials say a rising number of Western recruits -- including Americans -- are traveling to Afghanistan and Pakistan to attend paramilitary training camps. The flow of recruits has continued unabated, officials said, in spite of an intensified campaign over the past year by the CIA to eliminate al-Qaida and Taliban commanders in drone missile attacks."

-- The New York Times -- "A Variety Of Sources Feed Into Taliban's War Chest": " The Taliban in Afghanistan are running a sophisticated financial network to pay for their insurgent operations, raising hundreds of millions of dollars from the illicit drug trade, kidnappings, extortion and foreign donations that American officials say they are struggling to cut off."

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

There have been more attacks on military sites in Pakistan today, as we just reported, and a loud explosion has been heard in the city of Peshawar. We'll keep an eye on events there as the day continues.

The economy will be in the news again this morning. At 8:30 a.m. ET, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the September consumer price index -- the most-watched measure of inflation at the consumer level. And at 9:30 a.m. ET, stocks resume trading on Wall Street. Will the Dow Jones industrial index move even higher after cracking the 10,000 mark yesterday?

Also today, President Barack Obama visits New Orleans for the first time since taking office last January. At an early afternoon town hall meeting, he'll get a chance to hear directly from residents about how the long, slow recovery from 2005's Hurricane Katrina is going.

The Times-Picayune asked locals about what things they think the president should see. As the newspaper says:

Though most New Orleans-area residents were heartened by the news that Obama would be making his first presidential visit to the region Thursday, nine months into his first term, there also has been carping that his itinerary is on the light side.

From WWNO in New Orleans, Eileen Fleming reports that some local officials wish Obama was spending more than a few hours in their battered region:

Other stories making headlines include:

-- The Associated Press -- "Italy Denies Paying Off Taliban In Afghanistan": "The Italian government denied a newspaper report Thursday that its secret services paid the Taliban thousands of dollars to keep an area in Afghanistan controlled by the Italians safe. Premier Silvio Berlusconi's office called the report in the Times of London 'completely groundless.' The defense minister said the paper published 'rubbish.' "

Times of London -- "Berlusconi Attempts To Duck Afghanistan Bribe Scandal": "Silvio Berlusconi today sought to duck the blame for a series of secret Italian payments to Taliban fighters that left French soldiers exposed in Afghanistan. The Italian prime minister denied any knowledge of money paid to Afghan warlords in an apparent attempt to divert attention over the clandestine deals to his predecessor's administration. The Times has learned that when French soldiers arrived to assume control of the Sarobi area, east of Kabul, in mid-2008, they were not informed that the departing Italians had kept the region relatively peaceful by paying local Taliban fighters to remain inactive.

Update at 9:25 a.m. ET. The Associated Press now reports that:

In Kabul, a U.S. spokesman for NATO forces in Afghanistan denied the allegations. "We don't do bribes," Col. Wayne Shanks said. "We don't pay the insurgents."

-- Morning Edition -- Zazi Allegedly Made Contact With Top Al-Qaida Operative. "The man arrested last month for allegedly plotting to blow up targets in New York contacted one of Osama bin Laden's right-hand men, U.S. intelligence officials say." NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports:

-- The New York Times -- "Public Option Is Next Big Hurdle In Health Debate": "As the White House and Congressional leaders turned in earnest on Wednesday to working out big differences in the five health care bills, perhaps no issue loomed as a greater obstacle than whether to establish a government-run competitor to the insurance industry."

-- NPR News -- Foreclosures Rose 5% From Summer To Fall. NPR's Jack Speer reports:

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Now that the Senate Finance Committee has passed its version of legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system, work begins on melding that bill with the version passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Meanwhile, as we reported a few minutes ago, there's going to be renewed attention today for the bonuses paid to executives at bailed-out insurance giant AIG. A House committee will hear testimony on the problem that the Treasury Department had trying to understand AIG's compensation plan.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- CBS News -- "Afghan Corruption Could Derail Troop Surge": "Rampant government corruption might derail the fight against the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan even if as many as 80,000 additional U.S. troops are sent to the war, the top military commander there has concluded, according to U.S. officials briefed on his recommendations. The conclusion by Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal is part of a still-secret document that requests more troops even as he warns that they ultimately may not prevent terrorists from turning Afghanistan back into a haven."

-- The Guardian -- "Gordon Brown To Send More British Troops To Afghanistan": British Prime Minister Gordon Brown "will announce in parliament today that he has agreed to send 500 more soldiers to Afghanistan, straight after reading out a grim roll call of the 37 troops who were killed in the conflict while MPs were on their summer recess."

-- Morning Edition -- "U.S. Lawmakers Tout Aid Plan That's Heavily Criticized In Pakistan": NPR's Michele Kelemen reports:

-- The Washington Post -- "Health Insurers Emerge As Obama's Top Foe In Reform Effort": "Attacks on the leading Democratic reform plan this week by the insurance lobby left little doubt that two of the most powerful institutions involved in the debate -- the White House and the nation's insurance companies -- have abandoned any real hope of forging a compromise."

Related report on All Things Considered -- "Insurance Lobby Group Says Plan Would Spike Costs":

-- Los Angeles Times -- Southern California Battered By Storm: About 12,000 people in Los Angeles were without power last night as a storm pummeled Southern California. "The storm, which battered the northern part of the state with heavy rain and wind, was losing power but could still dump up to 4 inches of rain in mountain areas ravaged by recent wildfires, according to the National Weather Service. About half an inch of rain was expected in coastal areas."

Related report from NPR News -- Record Rainfall In Many Areas:

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Drink's iPhone 'App' Gets Anger Flowing": "Energy drinks are meant to be edgy and cool, and drunk by young men. So PepsiCo Inc. decided to release an Apple iPhone application for its Amp Energy drink to appeal to guys out on the prowl. Now the snack and beverage giant is facing a storm of criticism for 'Amp Up Before You Score.' The app, released last Friday, purports to help men pick up any one of 24 types of women, such as the 'sorority girl,' 'cougar,' 'rebound girl' or 'punk rock girl.' "

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Pepsi Apologizes After iPhone App Spurs Complaints". NPR's Laura Sydell reports:

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

The top story as the day gets going, as we reported a few minutes ago, is the Senate Finance Committee vote on its version of legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system.

The committee meets at 10 a.m. ET. We'll post an update on the news, and the NPR Health Blog will also be following the action.

Among the other stories making headlines:

-- The Washington Post -- "Support Troops Swelling U.S. Force In Afghanistan": "President Obama announced in March that he would be sending 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. But in an unannounced move, the White House has also authorized -- and the Pentagon is deploying -- at least 13,000 troops beyond that number, according to defense officials. The additional troops are primarily support forces, including engineers, medical personnel, intelligence experts and military police. Their deployment has received little mention by officials at the Pentagon and the White House, who have spoken more publicly about the combat troops who have been sent to Afghanistan."

-- BBC News -- Al-Qaida Faces A "Funding Crisis": Al-Qaida "is in its worst financial state for many years while the Taliban's funding is flourishing, according to the US Treasury. Senior Treasury official David Cohen said al-Qaida had made several appeals for funds already this year. The influence of the network -- damaged by U.S. efforts to choke funding -- is waning, he said. The Taliban, meanwhile, are in better financial shape, bolstered by Afghanistan's booming trade in drugs."

-- The Associated Press -- Pakistani Jets Bomb Militants: "Pakistani jets bombed militant targets in the main insurgent stronghold along the Afghan border Tuesday ahead of an expected ground offensive there, while the army killed 26 insurgents elsewhere in the northwest, authorities said."

Related conversation on Morning Edition -- Journalist Rashed Rahman tells NPR's Steve Inskeep that militants may be trying to provoke the Pakistani military into attacking:

-- The New York Times -- "Congress Is Split On Effort To Tax Costly Health Plans": "A proposed tax on high-cost, or 'Cadillac,' health insurance plans has touched off a fierce clash between the Senate and the House as they wrestle over how to pay for legislation that would provide health benefits to millions of uninsured Americans."

-- Morning Edition -- After Saying GOP Health Plan Is To Have Folks "Die Quickly," Rep. Grayson Stirs Debate: NPR's Greg Allen reports:

-- Los Angeles Times -- "Schwarzenegger Pens A New Course For California": "After threatening a mass veto to spur a big water deal, the governor reversed course, revved up his ballpoint pen and signed a surprising slate of legislation. It included bills he had vetoed in the past and a flurry of measures that steered sharply away from the socially conservative Republican base the governor has rarely embraced."

-- Morning Edition -- "Arrest For Wearing Pants Galvanizes Women In Sudan": NPR's Gwen Thompkins reports:

By Mark Memmott

Good morning. It's Columbus Day, so many folks in the U.S. aren't at work, most schools are closed and the mail isn't being delivered.

But The Two-Way is up and running -- and we've already passed along the news that two Americans (and for the first time, a woman) won this year's Nobel Prize in economics. And, there's been word that North Korea has reportedly test-fired two more short-range missiles.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The New York Times -- "U.S. Can't Trace Foreign Visitors On Expired Visas": "Eight years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and despite repeated mandates from Congress, the United States still has no reliable system for verifying that foreign visitors have left the country. New concern was focused on that security loophole last week, when Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, a 19-year-old Jordanian who had overstayed his tourist visa, was accused in court of plotting to blow up a Dallas skyscraper."

-- The Associated Press -- "New Blast In Pakistan As Taliban Vow More Attacks": "The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility Monday for a weekend siege on army headquarters and vowed to activate militant cells across the country for more attacks as another explosion in a market killed at least 41 people."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Attack On Pakistani Army Spotlights Punjab Province": The region is a terrorist recruitment and training ground, NPR's Julie McCarthy reports:

-- CBS News -- "Gun Troubles For U.S. Troops In Afghanistan": The problems some U.S. troops have had with misfiring weapons during intense firefights raises a question -- "Eight years into the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, do U.S. armed forces have the best guns money can buy? Despite the military's insistence that they do, a small but vocal number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq has complained that the standard-issue M4 rifles need too much maintenance and jam at the worst possible times."

-- Morning Edition -- Expert Says Already Strapped U.S. Military Will Be Strained Even Further By Any Ramping Up In Afghanistan. John Nagl, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and president of the Center for a New American Security, spoke with host Steve Inskeep:

Related story in The New York Times -- "Civilian Goals Largely Unmet In Afghanistan."

-- The Associated Press -- "Insurers Mount Attack Against Health Overhaul": "After working for months behind the scenes to help shape health care legislation, the insurance industry is now sharply attacking the emerging plan with a report that maintains Senate legislation would increase the cost of a typical policy by hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars a year."

On the march. (Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images)

-- The Washington Post -- Gay Rights March Pushes Marital, Military Equality: "Tens of thousands of gay-rights activists marched Sunday in Washington to show President Obama and Congress that they are impatient with what they consider piecemeal progress and are ready to fight at the federal level for across-the-board equality, including for the right to marry and the right to serve in the military."

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Well, the big news this morning has certainly been President Barack Obama winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. We've got much more about that here.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Associated Press -- "Suicide Car Bomb Kills 41, Wounds 100": "A suicide bomber blew up his vehicle near a crowded market in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing 49 people and pushing the country closer to an offensive against militants in their main stronghold along the Afghan border. The attack, which wounded more than 100 people in Peshawar, was Pakistan's deadliest in six months and was a reminder of the ability of insurgents to strike in major cities despite operations against them and the death of their leader in a U.S. missile strike."

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Top Troop Request Exceeds 60,000": "The request for troops sent to President Barack Obama by the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan includes three different options, with the largest alternative including a request for more than 60,000 troops, according to a U.S. official familiar with the document. Although the top option is more than the 40,000 soldiers previously understood to be the top troop total sought by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. officer in Kabul, 40,000 remains the primary choice of senior military brass, including Gen. McChrystal, the official said."

-- The New York Times -- "Concerns Grow About Another Mortgage Giant": "A year after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac teetered, industry executives and Washington policy makers are worrying that another government mortgage giant could be the next housing domino. Problems at the Federal Housing Administration, which guarantees mortgages with low down payments, are becoming so acute that some experts warn the agency might need a federal bailout."

-- Morning Edition -- "Insurers Say Changes Could Derail Health Bill": NPR's Julie Rovner reports.

Finally, if you're near a TV or computer screen at 7:31 a.m. ET you can watch NASA crash a satellite into the moon. The object: See if any water or ice shows up in the dust cloud.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Earlier this hour, as we reported, the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to German writer Herta Mueller. The Nobel committee praises her depictions of "the landscape of the disposed."

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Associated Press -- Taliban Claim Responsibility For Bomb That Kills At Least 12 In Kabul: "The Taliban have claimed responsibility for Thursday's suicide car bomb in the Afghan capital, saying their target was the Indian Embassy. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement posted on the group's Web site that the attacker was an Afghan man who blew up a sporty utility vehicle laden with explosives just outside the embassy. Afghan officials have said at least 12 people were killed and more than 80 wounded in the morning blast. The explosion occurred in an area that is also full of shops and near the Interior Ministry."

-- The New York Times -- "Afghan War Debate Now Leans To Focus On Al-Qaida": " President Obama's national security team is moving to reframe its war strategy by emphasizing the campaign against al-Qaida in Pakistan while arguing that the Taliban in Afghanistan do not pose a direct threat to the United States, officials said Wednesday."

-- CBS News -- "McChrystal Wanted 50,000 Troops": "Gen. Stanley McChrystal wanted to ask President Obama for 50,000 more troops for Afghanistan on top of the 68,000 already stationed there, but he was convinced to lower the request to 40,000, reports CBS News White House correspondent Chip Reid."

Related story by The Washington Post -- "Civilian, Military Officials At Odds Over Resources Needed For Afghan Mission".

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Obama Seems To Be Narrowing Choices On Afghanistan. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with host Steve Inskeep:

-- Morning Edition -- Challenges That U.S. Faces In Afghanistan Should Be No Surprise, BBC Journalist Says In New Book. NPR's Renee Montagne talks with journalist/author David Loyn about his new book that looks at 200 years of attempts to occupy Afghanistan:

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "GOP Faces Multiple Hurdles As It Aims For A 1994 Replay": "Some little-understood forces" suggest it's unlikely the Republican Party will sweep as many Democrats out of Congress in 2010 as it did in 1994.

-- Morning Edition -- "North Korea's Kim Jong Il Reasserts Control". NPR's Louisa Lim reports on her recent trip to the rarely visited Communist nation:

And, Louisa spoke with Morning Edition's Renee Montagne. The consensus is that the transition of power from Kim to his son won't happen anytime soon:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

We already passed along word that this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded to three scientists who did ground-breaking work on ribosomes, which help translate DNA information into life.

But there's plenty of other news as the day gets going. Among the stories making headlines:

-- The New York Times -- "Obama Rules Out Large Reduction In Afghan Force": " President Obama told Congressional leaders on Tuesday that he would not substantially reduce American forces in Afghanistan or shift the mission to just hunting terrorists there, but he indicated that he remained undecided about the major troop buildup proposed by his commanding general."

Related story by the Los Angeles Times -- "Obama Mulls Middle Ground In Afghanistan War Strategy".

Related story by NPR News -- Congressional Leaders Signal They'll Support President's Decision; But Have Differing Views On What Strategy Should Be.

Related story by Politico -- "Tensions Surface In Afghanistan Meeting": "Sen. John McCain drew a direct response from (President Barack) Obama during the meeting Tuesday afternoon when the Arizona Republican told his former opponent that he shouldn't be making a decision on a strategy for the war in such a 'leisurely' fashion, two sources familiar with the meeting said. A little later in the meeting, Obama told McCain that his decision-making won't be 'leisurely,' because no one feels more urgency to get this right than Obama, the sources said."

-- Morning Edition -- "Amid Afghan Debate, What About Pakistan?" Many analysts say Pakistan is more critical than Afghanistan to long-term U.S. plans for Central Asia, as NPR's Jackie Northam reports:

Related conversation on Morning Edition -- Washington Post columnist David Ignatius talks with host Renee Montagne about his recent visit to Pakistan's Swat Valley, which until recently was under Taliban control:

-- Dallas Morning News -- Inquiry On Hold In Flawed Arson Case That Led To Execution: " The Texas Forensic Science Commission's inquiry into a flawed arson investigation that led to a Corsicana man's execution is on hold for now, and it's unclear how or when it will move forward, the commission's new chairman said Tuesday. Gov. Rick Perry appointed Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley last week, two days before a scheduled public hearing with experts critical of the evidence used in Cameron Todd Willingham's murder-arson case. Bradley canceled the hearing, saying he and another new commissioner needed time to prepare."

-- Morning Edition -- Supreme Court Takes Up Case On Legality Of Memorial Cross On Federal Land. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports:

-- The Associated Press -- Obama's Approval Rating Edges Up In AP-GfK Poll: "President Barack Obama's approval ratings are starting to rise after declining ever since his inauguration, new poll figures show as the country's mood begins to brighten. But concerns about the economy, health care and war persist, and support for the war in Afghanistan is falling. An Associated Press-GfK poll says 56% of those surveyed in the past week approve of Obama's job performance, up from 50% in September. It's the first time since he took office in January that his rating has gone up."

Related chart from Pollster.com. Consensus of polls shows president's approval and disapproval ratings converging since Inauguration Day -- but holding steady in recent weeks:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As we reported a short time ago, the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded today to three scientists who pioneered fiber optics and the transmission of digital data over those lines.

Coming up this afternoon, President Barack Obama will visit the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean, Va. The Washington Post says he will tell intelligence officials "that their recent successes have proved how effectively multiple agencies can perform when they work in concert." As the Post adds:

The White House has been charting a delicate course as it attempts to turn the page on Bush-era anti-terrorism policies. Even as Obama wages a war in Afghanistan that he has called critical to curbing terrorism, his administration is trying to defend itself from criticism by former vice president Richard B. Cheney and other Republicans for casting aside what they say are critical tools for protecting the United States.

Obama aides pointed to the events leading up to the recent arrest of Najibullah Zazi as a prime example of what they say is the president's deep involvement in anti-terrorism efforts.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Independent -- Arab States, China, Russia, Japan And France Are Discussing Not Using Dollar For Oil Trading: "In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning -- along with China, Russia, Japan and France -- to end dollar dealings for oil, moving instead to a basket of currencies including the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, the euro, gold and a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar. ... The plans, confirmed to The Independent by both Gulf Arab and Chinese banking sources in Hong Kong, may help to explain the sudden rise in gold prices, but it also augurs an extraordinary transition from dollar markets within nine years."

Related story by Bloomberg News -- "Saudi Bank Governor Denies Talks To Replace Dollar": "Saudi Arabia hasn't held talks with China and other countries on dropping the dollar as the currency for pricing oil, Saudi Central Bank Governor Muhammad al-Jasser said, denying a report in the U.K.'s Independent newspaper. The Independent report is 'absolutely incorrect' and there has been 'absolutely nothing' of that nature discussed between Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, and other countries, al-Jasser told reporters in Istanbul, where he's attending an International Monetary Fund summit. The dollar pared losses after his remarks."

-- Morning Edition -- McChrystal In Hot Water Over "Appearance" Of Speaking Out Of Line. NPR's Tom Bowman reports that the comments made by the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan are not all that unusual:

Related story by The Wall Street Journal -- "Afghan War Units Begin 2 New Efforts": "The Pentagon is establishing two new units devoted to the Afghan war, highlighting the military's focus on the conflict even as the White House considers scaling back the overall U.S. mission there. The units -- a so-called Afghan Hands program run out of the Pentagon and a new intelligence center within Central Command, which oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- are designed to help troops deepen their intelligence about the country's complex political and tribal dynamics."

Related story by ABC News -- "Exclusive: Wounded U.S. Soldiers Refused To Leave Taliban Fight".

-- The New York Times -- "U.S. Push To Expand In Pakistan Meets Resistance": "Steps by the United States to vastly expand its aid to Pakistan, as well as the footprint of its embassy and private security contractors here, are aggravating an already volatile anti-American mood as Washington pushes for greater action by the government against the Taliban."

-- Morning Edition -- "Tale Of Exploding Assassin Worries Security Officials": An al-Qaida suicide bomber who had hidden an explosive inside his body managed to have a private meeting with a Saudi prince. The resulting explosion killed the bomber, the prince was only slightly injured -- and security experts are deeply troubled. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly reports:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning. It's the first Monday in October and that means a new Supreme Court session begins today. As NPR's Nina Totenberg reported on Morning Edition, the issues on the court's docket include gun rights, the separation of church and state and the tension between efforts to regulate campaign finance and the First Amendment:

For an interactive look at the major cases in the new term, click here.

Meanwhile, among the stories making headlines are:

-- NPR News -- "Three Americans Share Nobel Medicine Prize": "Three American scientists who made key discoveries about how living cells age have received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The winners are Elizabeth Blackburn of the University of California, San Francisco; Carol W. Greider of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore; and Jack Szostak of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston." The news of their honor was announced this morning in Stockholm. NPR's Jon Hamilton also filed this audio report:

-- The Associated Press -- Suicide Bomber Kills 5 At U.N. Office In Islamabad: "A suicide bomber disguised as a security officer struck the lobby of the U.N. food agency's Pakistan headquarters Monday, killing five people a day after the new leader of the Pakistani Taliban vowed fresh assaults, authorities and witnesses said."

Related story on Morning Edition -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Says If U.S. Knows Where Taliban Leader Is, His Country Will Catch Him. NPR's Renee Montagne spoke with Shah Mahmood Qureshi:

-- The New York Times -- "Attacks On Remote Posts Highlight Afghan Risks": " Insurgents attacked a pair of remote American military bases in Afghanistan over the weekend in a deadly battle that underscored the vulnerability of the kind of isolated bases that the top American commander there wants to scale back."

Related story on Morning Edition -- Insurgents Are Pouring Across Border From Pakistan, Says Governor Of Afghan Province. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports from Kabul:

Related story by The Washington Post -- Gen. McChrystal "Faulted On Troop Statements": "National security adviser James L. Jones suggested Sunday that the public campaign being conducted by the U.S. commander in Afghanistan on behalf of his war strategy is complicating the internal White House review underway, saying that "it is better for military advice to come up through the chain of command."

-- BBC News -- "Search Ends For Sumatra Survivors": "Officials in the earthquake-hit city of Padang, Indonesia, have called off the search for survivors in the rubble of buildings five days after the disaster. The focus has turned to bringing aid and medical help to survivors in the city and the surrounding areas. At least 1,000 people have died and at least 1,000 remain missing after the earthquake struck last Wednesday."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Thousands Still Missing In Wake Of Sumatra Quake." Doualy Xaykaothao reports from Padang, Sumatra:

-- Morning Edition -- First Doses Of Swine Flu Vaccine Start Arriving This Week. Have Questions? NPR Will Try To Answer Them:

Click here at noon ET for an online chat, hosted by the NPR Health Blog, with NPR's Richard Knox and Dr. Richard Wenzel, professor and chair of internal medicine at the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond.

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

It's already been a busy morning, there's much more news expected as the day gets going and there are several interesting stories from overnight to pass along. So let's get right to it.

As we just reported, President Barack Obama has made his in-person pitch to the International Olympic Committee on behalf of Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Games. The IOC's decision is due around 12:30 p.m. ET.

While Air Force One was still on the ground in Copenhagen, Obama met with the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal. The general has said he needs more troops. Obama is reviewing U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.

Coming up at 8:30 a.m. ET, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports on September job losses and that month's unemployment rate. As NPR's John Ydstie told Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep, economists say it's likely the jobless rate inched up from August's 9.7%.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Associated Press -- 3,000 May Be Trapped Under Quake Rubble In Indonesia: "Indonesia's Health Ministry says nearly 3,000 people may still be trapped under rubble after a powerful earthquake two days ago. Priyadi Kardono, a spokesman for the ministry's Disaster Management Agency, said Friday 715 people have been confirmed dead and 2,400 hospitalized."

Related story from BBC News -- "Indonesia Awaits World Quake Aid": "International rescue teams are heading to Indonesia in a last-ditch effort to free trapped earthquake survivors. Experts from the U.K., Australia and South Korea were en route to Sumatra, hit by a 7.6-magnitude quake two days ago. Others pledged emergency cash. More than 1,000 people are already known to have died, the U.N. says, with thousands thought to remain trapped. But one survivor was found on Friday: a young woman pulled, barely conscious, from within a collapsed school."

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Comcast, NBC In Deal Talks": "Talks to merge Comcast Corp.'s cable networks and General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal are the latest sign of a big shift in television, with cable channels becoming more valuable than broadcast networks and companies rethinking their strategies for making and delivering content to consumers in a digital era."

-- Las Vegas Review-Journal -- Reid Says Health Care Legislation Will Have "Public Option": "Any health insurance reform bill that lands on the desk of President Barack Obama will include a so-called 'public option,' Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Thursday. What that public option will be remains unclear. 'We are going to have a public option before this bill goes to the president's desk,' (the Senate majority leader) said during a conference call with Nevada residents."

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

The death toll continues to rise in Indonesia, where it's thought that more than 1,000 people were killed during yesterday's earthquake off West Sumatra. We've rounded up the latest news from there in this post.

There's much more news to pass along this morning, of course, from the multi-nation talks underway in Geneva between Iran, the U.S. and other nations, to the ongoing discussions within the Obama administration over the appropriate strategy to pursue in Afghanistan.

Among the top stories:

-- NPR.org -- "U.S. Allies Open Nuclear Talks With Iran": "While the U.S. and other powers want to press Iran on its nuclear aspirations and uranium-enrichment program, Iranian officials insist that they will not discuss the issue if it veers beyond a general conversation about nuclear technology amid a host of other unrelated topics."

Related story by The Washington Post -- "Iranian Opposition Warns Against Stricter Sanctions": "As the United States and its allies consider further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad fear that such punishment could have unintended consequences, strengthening the government's hand against domestic dissent and triggering an even harsher crackdown on political foes."

Related story on Morning Edition -- U.S. Has Relatively Low Expectations, But Might Hold One-On-One Talks With Iran. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports from Geneva:

-- The Washington Post -- "On War, Obama Could Turn To GOP": "With much of his party largely opposed to expanding military operations in Afghanistan, President Obama could be forced into the awkward political position of turning to congressional Republicans for support if he follows the recommendations of the commanding U.S. general there."

Related story on Morning Edition -- Differing Views On What To Do. NPR's Steve Inskeep, Tom Gjelten and Don Gonyea talk about the options in Afghanistan:

From a related story by the Associated Press -- McChrystal Reiterates That "Neither Success Nor Failure Can Be Taken For Granted": In a speech today in London, Reuters reports, the head of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan said today of the task ahead in Afghanistan that "I discount immediately anyone who simplifies the problem or offers a solution...or says 'this is what you have got to do' because they absolutely have no clue about the complexity of what we are dealing with." Gen. Stanley McChrystal was speaking to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

-- Morning Edition -- Obamas Lead Final Push For Chicago's Olympics Bid. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports from Copenhagen:

Related story from All Things Considered -- Some In Chicago Don't Want The Games:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

We reported a short time ago on the breaking news from Indonesia, where a major earthquake has triggered a tsunami watch for neighboring countries along the Indian Ocean. We'll keep an eye on news from that region. Yesterday, an earthquake near Samoa triggered a tsunami that killed dozens as it swept across the South Pacific islands of Samoa and American Samoa.

As for other stories making headlines this morning, they include:

-- Morning Edition -- Poll Shows Public Doesn't Think Its Voice Is Being Heard In Health Debate: "Perhaps no other issue Congress deals with touches every American as intimately as health care. Yet a new poll by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health finds that, so far, the public feels profoundly shut out of the current health overhaul debate." Here is a report from NPR's Julie Rovner:

Related story by Politico -- "Public Option Fate In Obama's Hands."

-- The Washington Post -- Administration Cites Successes In Infiltrating Al-Qaida: "U.S. and international intelligence officials say that improved recruitment of spies inside the al-Qaida network, along with increased use of targeted airstrikes and enhanced assistance from cooperative governments, has significantly reduced the terrorist organization's effectiveness."

Related post at ABC News' Political Punch blog -- Obama Sits Down Today With Key Advisers To Plot Afghan Strategy.

-- Morning Edition -- Former Ambassador Is Skeptical About "Engagement" Changing Iran's Behavior: On the eve of key talks in Geneva about Iran's nuclear program, NPR's Steve Inskeep spoke with Nicholas Burns, the State Department's top negotiator on Iran during the last Bush administration. Burns has his doubts about whether "unconditional" talks with Iran will produce a change in its behavior:

Related analysis by the Associated Press -- "Iran Plant Could Defer Israel Strike."

-- The Associated Press -- "U.S. Speeding Up Military Withdrawal From Iraq": "The United States is speeding up its military withdrawal from Iraq, sending 4,000 more troops home next month, the top American commander there says. The reduced number of troops in Iraq -- from 124,000 to 120,000 by the end of October -- marks the latest U.S. step in winding down the six-year war. The reduction was to be announced Wednesday by Army Gen. Ray Odierno."

-- Morning Edition -- "Defense Bill Ladened With Earmarks". NPR's Scott Horsley reports that despite President Barack Obama's promise to keep lawmakers pet projects out of spending bills, billions of dollars worth have been inserted into the defense bill making its way through the Senate:

Among news to watch for later today: At 8:30 a.m. ET, the Commerce Department releases its latest estimate on second-quarter gross domestic product. Last month, it said GDP declined at a 1% annual rate in that quarter -- relatively good news since that followed a much more severe 6.4% drop in the first quarter.

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Afghanistan tops the news this morning.

As we reported a short time ago, there's word from the southern part of the country that a bus packed with civilians hit a land mine today. The death toll is rising. Some reports put it at 30 as of this hour.

Meanwhile, as NPR's Scott Horsley reports, the Obama administration continues its strategy sessions about what to do next in that central Asian nation:

Other stories making headlines today include:

-- Morning Edition -- More Arrests Possible By End Of Week In Zazi Case: "The man at the center of a major terrorism investigation appears today in a federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y. Najibullah Zazi has been accused of conspiring to build and detonate explosives inside the United States. More arrests could come by the end of the week."

From a related story by the Associated Press: "Authorities know the identities of three people believed to be in on a terrorist scheme targeting New York City, a
law enforcement official has confirmed, as an Afghan immigrant accused of plotting with them to try to turn common chemicals into explosives is due in federal court Tuesday morning."

From a related story by Newsday: Security will be tight at the courthouse.

-- The Wall Street Journal -- Al-Qaida In Yemen "Worries The West": "Arab and Western officials" worry that al-Qaida "is securing a stronghold in Yemen, where the government's focus on quelling a rebel insurgency is allowing the terror group to strengthen its ability to destabilize neighbors in East Africa and the Mideast."

-- The New York Times -- "Abortion Fight Complicates Debate On Health Care": "Abortion opponents in both the House and the Senate are seeking to block the millions of middle- and lower-income people who might receive federal insurance subsidies to help them buy health coverage from using the money on plans that cover abortion. And the abortion opponents are getting enough support from moderate Democrats that both sides say the outcome is too close to call."

-- Marketplace Morning Report -- Consumer Confidence And Housing Reports Today Should Offer Evidence That The Economy Is Getting Better (Slowly):

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

There's word from Iran as the day begins that it has test-fired a long-range missile capable of reaching Israel and U.S. bases elsewhere in the Middle East. NPR's Carl Kasell introduces this report:

Sticking with news about Iran, The New York Times reports that the Obama administration "is scrambling to assemble a package of harsher economic sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program that could include a cutoff of investments to the country's oil-and-gas industry and restrictions on many more Iranian banks than those currently blacklisted, senior administration officials said Sunday."

Also this morning, the death toll continues to climb in the Philippines, where at least 140 people have died after a tropical storm caused massive flooding.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Washington Post -- "U.S., Allies Vow Support For Karzai": "The United States and NATO countries fighting in Afghanistan have told President Hamid Karzai's government that they expect him to remain in office for another five-year term and will work with him on an expanded campaign to turn insurgent fighters against the Taliban and other militant groups."

Related story by CBS News' 60 Minutes -- Gen. Stanley McChrystal lays out his case for more troops.

-- USA TODAY -- "Confidence, Optimism Grow In Pockets Of U.S.": In communities such as Paris, Ill., unemployment remains high but some people are heading back to work. And "there is growing confidence as workers who are getting paychecks spend money, spreading optimism to small-business owners and city leaders."

-- Morning Edition "Honduras Restricts Liberties To Prevent Rebellion". NPR's Jason Beaubien reports from Tegucigalpa that the current government is allowing warrantless arrests and has banned "unauthorized" public meetings as ousted president Manuel Zelaya remains holed up in the Brazilian embassy (ME co-host Renee Montagne introduces his report):

-- The Associated Press -- "Merkel Vows Quick Deal On German Coalition": "Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to press ahead quickly with forming a new center-right German government following her election victory. Sunday's election gave the conservative Merkel a second four-year term. It allows her to dump her 'grand coalition' with the center-left Social Democrats and form a new government with the pro-business Free Democrats."

-- The New York Times Safire Was "Oracle Of Language": "William Safire, a speechwriter for President Richard M. Nixon and a Pulitzer Prize-winning political columnist for The New York Times who also wrote novels, books on politics and a Malaprop's treasury of articles on language, died at a hospice in Rockville, Md., on Sunday. He was 79." He was, among many other things, "an unofficial arbiter of usage."

Related story on Morning Edition -- It Was "Hard Not To Love" Safire. NPR's David Folkenflik reports:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

The U.S., Britain and France will this morning accuse Iran of secretly operating a second facility that produces nuclear fuel, NPR, the Associated Press, The New York Times and other news media are reporting.

President Barack Obama is expected to make the announcement at 8:30 a.m. ET in Pittsburgh, where he and other leaders of the so-called G-20 nations are meeting to talk about global economic issues.

As the Times says:

"The revelation ... appears bound to add urgency to the diplomatic confrontation with Iran over its suspected ambitions to build a nuclear weapons capability."

Iran has long insisted that it is pursuing peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Yesterday, as we reported, Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep interviewed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. For complete coverage of their conversation, click here. And here's what was on ME this morning:

Update at 8:25 a.m. ET: Iran has acknowledged the facility's existence, the International Atomic Energy Agency says.

As for the G-20, NPR's John Ydstie says the leaders have agreed on new compensation rules for executives at financial institutions:

The Wall Street Journal says the leaders will announce today that the G-20 is becoming "the permanent council for international economic cooperation, eclipsing the Group of Eight."

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is following the protests in the Steel City. Yesterday, more than 60 people were arrested.

Later today, by the way, Obama is due to hold a news conference. It's scheduled for 4:40 p.m. ET, after the close of the G-20 summit.

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- NPR News -- Zazi Due In Court Again Today; Arrests Made In Separate Plots Involving Alleged Attempts To Bomb Targets In Texas And Illinois: NPR's Dina Temple-Raston and Giles Snyder report:

Related story by The Denver Post -- Feds Say Zazi "Shopped For Bomb Materials At Beauty-Supply Stores": "For nearly a week, Najibullah Zazi told the FBI, reporters and even his own attorney that he had nothing to do with plotting a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. But an FBI affidavit and indictment unsealed Thursday charge that for weeks Zazi had been following bomb-making instructions, collecting chemicals from beauty-supply shops and testing the preparation of a hydrogen peroxide bomb in a metro-area hotel room."

Related story by the Dallas Morning News -- "Man Arrested In Alleged Attempt To Bomb Dallas Skyscraper": "A 19-year-old Jordanian citizen was arrested Thursday in a dramatic FBI sting operation after he parked a vehicle laden with government-supplied fake explosives at an iconic downtown Dallas skyscraper and attempted to detonate it, authorities said."

Related story by The State Journal-Register in Springfield, Ill. -- "Alleged Downtown Terrorism Plot Defused": "Over the two years that authorities tracked Michael C. Finton, accused Thursday of trying to bomb Springfield's federal courthouse, they gave Finton plenty of chances to drop the idea. According to a 25-page affidavit filed in support of the charges against Finton, however, he would not be deterred. Authorities say Finton tried Wednesday to ignite what he thought was a huge quantity of explosives contained in a van parked near Sixth and Monroe streets."

-- CBS News' 60 Minutes -- "McChrystal: Violence 'Worse' Than Expected": "As the news from Afghanistan moves to the front pages of Americans' newspapers, the general tasked with turning things around there tells 60 Minutes that the spread of the violence in Afghanistan was more than he expected. Gen. Stanley McChrystal's interview with CBS News National Security correspondent David Martin will be broadcast on the 42nd season premiere of 60 Minutes this Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Related report on Morning Edition -- McChrystal Moves To "Reposition" Forces. NPR's Jackie Northam reports:

Related story by USA TODAY -- "Poll: 50% Oppose U.S. Surge In Afghanistan".

-- The New York Times -- "In Poll, Public Wary Of Obama On War And Health": "President Obama is confronting declining support for his handling of the war in Afghanistan and an electorate confused and anxious about a health care overhaul as he prepares for pivotal battles over both issues, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll."

-- The Associated Press -- "Justice Ginsburg Hospitalized": "Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the 76-year-old Supreme Court justice who underwent pancreatic cancer surgery earlier this year, fell ill at work after a treatment for anemia and was hospitalized overnight. Ginsburg was taken to Washington Hospital Center at 7:45 p.m. ET Thursday and would remain there for the night as a precaution, a statement from the court said."

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

For the first time ever, a U.S. president will chair a meeting of the U.N. Security Council when President Barack Obama assumes that role this morning in New York. The session is scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m. ET. We're planning to live-blog the highlights, so check back as the time draws near.

On Morning Edition, NPR's Don Gonyea talked with host Steve Inskeep about the Security Council meeting and about what Obama has been saying this week as he meets with leaders at the U.N. (and prepares for the opening later today of the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh). As Steve says, Obama's message so far has basically been "we're changing, now it's your turn":

For more on the Security Council session and Obama's agenda, there's The Washington Post account of how the president "will use the forum of the U.N. Security Council ... to press his efforts to slow the spread of nuclear weapons and reduce global stockpiles."

And The Wall Street Journal wraps up the news with this:

A draft nuclear-safeguards resolution, expected to be adopted unanimously Thursday by the United Nations Security Council, would begin to lay the legal framework for military and diplomatic action against nations that use civilian nuclear technology for military purposes.

Last night at the U.N., Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- speaking to a mostly empty chamber -- renewed his verbal attacks on Israel and claimed his country has one of the most democratic governments in the world. NPR's Michele Kelemen filed this report for Morning Edition:

Ahmadinejad, in an interview yesterday with reporters and editors from The Washington Post and Newsweek, said Iran "is willing to have its nuclear experts meet with scientists from the United States and other world powers as a confidence-building measure aimed at resolving concerns about Tehran's nuclear program," the Post writes.

Among the other stories making headlines this morning:

-- Reuters -- "U.N. Agencies Say AIDS Vaccine Results Are Promising": "Two U.N. agencies said on Thursday promising results with an experimental AIDS vaccine in Thailand gave 'new hope' in the fight against the disease, but more work was needed to see if it could be used elsewhere."

Related video report from ITN News:

-- Morning Edition -- "FBI Not Showing Cards" As Terror-Plot Suspects Prepare For Court. "Three men arrested in connection with a possible terrorist plot are scheduled to be back in court for detention hearings Thursday in Denver and New York." NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports on the case investigators are building:

Related story in The Denver Post -- "No More Arrests Expected In Colorado."

-- Dow Jones Newswires -- "TARP Watchdog Questions Whether Taxpayers Will Be Repaid $700B": "The U.S. government's $700 billion financial rescue program has improved market stability but has fallen short on broad goals, highlighted by the likelihood that U.S. taxpayers won't get 100% of their investment back, a watchdog will tell lawmakers Thursday. Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, said in prepared testimony for a Senate Banking Committee hearing that Treasury has frequently ignored suggestions to increase the transparency of the program and has never solved the difficult issue of what to do with the toxic assets that still remain on banks' balance sheets."

-- Los Angeles Times -- Rallies, Walkouts And Teach-Ins Across UC System Today: "Rallies, walkouts and teach-ins are scheduled today across the University of California system, with professors, students and staff expected to protest state cutbacks in higher education funding and UC's handling of the crisis. The extent of the protests was hard to predict; many faculty and students said they were reluctant to skip classes today, the first day of fall classes for the seven undergraduate UC campuses on the quarter calendar."

-- Boston Globe -- New Mass. Senator To Be Announced This Morning; Signs Point To Kirk: "Governor Deval Patrick huddled with a small group of trusted advisers last night to finalize his choice for an interim US senator, with indications pointing to former Democratic National Committee chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr., who has the strong backing of the immediate family of the late Edward M. Kennedy, as the overwhelming favorite. ... The governor will announce the appointment at an 11 a.m. press conference today at the State House."

-- Morning Edition -- Biden Decries "Hokum" About Health Care Overhaul And "Death Panels". NPR's Julie Rovner reports:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

President Barack Obama delivers his first address to the United Nations General Assembly this morning, and according to excerpts released a short time ago by the White House he will tell the world leaders that:

"Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world's problems alone. We have sought -- in word and deed -- a new era of engagement with the world. Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."

The Los Angeles Times puts this headline on its preview story: "Obama To Seek Support For His World Vision".

The president is due to begin speaking around 10 a.m. ET. You'll have many ways to follow the address. NPR will broadcast it live (click here to find a station near you). NPR.org will be streaming the audio. The cable news networks will have it on the air as well. And The Two-Way will live-blog the highlights -- you'll have a chance to add your comments and observations as we do that, so check back with us as the time draws near.

Also today at the U.N., Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is due to address the delegates. As NPR's Michele Kelemen reported on Morning Edition:

Ahmadinejad has been coming to New York for the annual gathering for several years now, and he is always met with protests. This year, those protests are stronger than ever following Iran's disputed presidential election in June and a harsh government crackdown on the opposition. Some academics who normally meet with Ahmadinejad say they don't plan to have any contact with the Iranian leader.

Here is Michele's report:

As for other stories making headlines this morning, they include:

-- The New York Times -- "Obama Is Considering Strategy Shift In Afghan War": " President Obama is exploring alternatives to a major troop increase in Afghanistan, including a plan advocated by Vice President Joseph Biden to scale back American forces and focus more on rooting out al-Qaida there and in Pakistan, officials said Tuesday."

McChrystal. (Manan Vatsyayana / AFP/Getty Images)

Related story on FoxNews.com -- McChrystal's Request For 30,000 To 40,000 More Troops Could Go To White House Today: "Gen. Stanley McChrystal's request for an additional 30,000-40,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan may be received by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in coming days, a senior defense official speaking on background told FOX News on Tuesday." Fox says the request might be delivered "as early as" today.

Related story in The Wall Street Journal -- Administration "Fends Off Calls" For McChrystal To Testify Before Congress.

Related story on MSNBC.com -- Poll Signals That Public Is "Pessimistic" About Afghanistan.

-- The New York Times -- "Justice Dept. Plans To Limit Use Of State Secrets Privilege": "The Justice Department is preparing to impose new limits on the government assertion of the state secrets privilege used to block lawsuits for national security reasons. The practice was a major flashpoint in the debate over the escalation of executive power and secrecy during the Bush administration."

-- San Diego Union-Tribune -- "Border Agents Fire On Vans At Port Of Entry": "Three federal agents fired shots Tuesday as three vans filled with illegal immigrants tried to run the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, and four people were injured, three by gunfire, authorities said. A preliminary investigation indicated there was no return fire, said San Diego police homicide Lt. Kevin Rooney."

Related story on Morning Edition -- NPR's Carrie Kahn tells Steve Inskeep that the incident at the nation's busiest land border crossing led to the apprehension of more than 70 illegal immigrants. "They just hit the gas," she says of the vans' drivers:

-- Morning Edition -- "Floodwaters Begin To Recede In The Southeast"; Damage Assessments Begin. John Sepulvado of Georgia Public Broadcasting reports:

Related story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Commutes Should Be Better In Atlanta.

-- The Sydney Morning Herald -- Dust Storm "Blankets Sydney": "Sydneysiders woke to a red haze after strong winds brought large amounts of dust from inland NSW and South Australia, and dumped it on the city. The conditions could trigger asthma attacks and cause problems for people with other respiratory conditions, medical experts said. The ambulance service of NSW said 300 people had called to report breathing calls by midday today."

A red dawn down under. (Greg Wood / AFP/Getty Images)

One more thing to note: At 2:15 p.m. ET today, policymakers at the Federal Reserve are due to issue their latest comments about the economy -- and they're expected to say they're leaving short-term interest rates alone, for now.

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

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

There's quite a bit of news happening today, so let's get right to it.

This morning, President Barack Obama speaks at a one-day, 90-nation summit on climate change. As NPR's Richard Harris reported on Morning Edition, the gathering at the United Nations is "supposed to be a pep rally for action":

The president is due to address the group around 9:15 a.m. ET. We'll live-blog the highlights. So check back with us later.

Climate change is a popular topic at news outlets' websites this morning, as you might imagine. The Guardian reports that tomorrow airlines will "make a dramatic pledge to slash carbon dioxide emissions in half by 2050 in a move that will force up air fares and spark a green technology race among aircraft manufacturers." The New York Times looks at a project underway in West Virginia, where for the first time a coal-fired power plant is poised "to capture and bury some of the carbon dioxide it churns out."

Later this morning, the president is due to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. No diplomatic breakthroughs are expected.

This afternoon, Obama is scheduled to sit down with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

World leaders are gathered in New York for the opening of the U.N.'s general session. The president is scheduled to address the General Assembly tomorrow.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Washington Post -- "U.S. Commanders Told To Shift Focus To More Populated Areas" In Afghanistan: "Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top military officer in Afghanistan, has told his commanders to pull forces out of sparsely populated areas where U.S. troops have fought bloody battles with the Taliban for several years and focus them on protecting major Afghan population centers. But the changes, which amount to a retreat from some areas, have already begun to draw resistance from senior Afghan officials who worry that any pullback from Taliban-held territory will make the weak Afghan government appear even more powerless in the eyes of its people."

Related story by Politico -- Who Leaked McChrystal's Report And Why? Monday's story by The Washington Post's Bob Woodward about Gen. Stanley McChrystal's stark assessment of conditions in Afghanistan "touched off another familiar Washington ritual: speculation about the leaker's identity and motives. ... Unless the West Wing somehow orchestrated an elaborate head fake -- authorizing what looks at first blush like an intolerable breach of Obama's internal deliberations -- the Woodward story suggests deeper problems for a new president than a bad news cycle."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Insurgent Success In Afghanistan Is Mystifying". NPR's Mary Louse Kelly reports:

-- Denver Post -- "Evidence In Colorado-NYC Terror Investigation Might Be Sealed": "Federal prosecutors signaled Monday that they will try to keep secret key portions of their case against an Aurora shuttle driver accused of ties to international terrorists. During a federal court appearance, and in documents filed later in the day, the U.S. Attorney's Office served notice that it intends to use classified information gathered under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in the cases against Najibullah Zazi, 24, and his father, Mohammed Zazi, 53."

Related report by NPR's Dina Temple-Raston and Jeff Brady -- More Charges Likely: "It is clear the younger Zazi is of the most interest to the FBI, and officials close to the case told NPR that more charges are coming. His charging documents suggest as much. They were released Sunday by the Justice Department and, among other things, state that Najibullah Zazi admitted he trained in explosives at an al-Qaida camp. Zazi has publicly denied involvement in a terrorist plot and says the arrest is a mistake."

-- NPR News -- Senate Finance Committee Takes Up Chairman Baucus' Health Care Bill. NPR's Julie Rovner reports:

Related story by the Associated Press -- Hundreds Of Changes Up For Debate As Baucus' Bill Goes To Committee.

-- Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- "Six Dead In Floods; More Missing": "Four deaths occurred in Douglas County, with Gwinnett and Carroll also reporting fatalities."

Related report from NPR's WABE in Atlanta -- Motorists Advised To Stay Home" "Hundreds of roads remain closed throughout Cobb, Cherokee, Fulton, Douglas and Paulding Counties this morning."

-- USA TODAY -- Audit Shows That Schools Are Slow To Pull Tainted Food From Cafeterias: "Federal agencies that supply food for 31 million schoolchildren fail to ensure that tainted products are pulled quickly from cafeterias, a federal audit obtained by USA TODAY finds. The delays raise the risk of children being sickened by contaminated food, according to the audit by Congress' Government Accountability Office."

-- The Associated Press -- "Zelaya's Daring Return Reignites Honduras Crisis".

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

The lead headline on the front of The Washington Post is getting quite a bit of attention. "McChrystal: More Forces Or 'Mission Failure' ", it reads, and the story starts this way:

The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan warns in an urgent, confidential assessment of the war that he needs more forces within the next year and bluntly states that without them, the eight-year conflict "will likely result in failure," according to a copy of the 66-page document obtained by The Washington Post.

The New York Times summarizes the news with this:

The top military commander in Afghanistan warns in a confidential assessment of the war there that he needs additional troops within the next year or else the conflict "will likely result in failure."

The Post has put a copy of McCrystal's assessment online here.

Update at 8:45 a.m. ET: In that copy of the assessment put online by the Post, McChrystal writes that "success is achievable, but it will not be attained simply by trying harder or 'doubling down' on the previous strategy. Additional resources are required, but focusing on force or resource requirements misses the point entirely. The key take away from this assessment is the urgent need for a significant change to our strategy and the way that we think and operate."

McChrystal also says that:

"Our campaign in Afghanistan has been historically under-resourced and remains so today. ... Resources will not win this war, but under-resourcing could lose it. ... Ideally, the (Afghan National Security Force) must lead this fight, but they will not have enough capability in the near-term given the insurgency's growth rate. In the interim, coalition forces must provide a bridge capability to protect critical segments of the population. The status quo will lead to failure if we wait for the ANSF to grow."

On Morning Edition, NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman told host Steve Inskeep that it's no surprise that Gen. Stanley McChrystal wants more troops for the war in Afghanistan -- and notes that there's growing opposition in Congress to the idea of sending more combat forces:

Sticking with news about the war on terror, there's more to report about the arrests of three men over the weekend in connection with a cross-country probe into a possible plot to bomb transportation hubs in New York City. On Morning Edition, NPR's Dina Temple-Raston told guest host Linda Wertheimer that law enforcement officials feared the plotters "actually had the capacity and expertise to launch a credible attack." So far, the men have been charged with lying to authorities:

As The Denver Post reports, "today, 24-year-old Najibullah Zazi and his father, Mohammed, 53, are scheduled to make initial appearances in federal court." The third man facing charges is New York imam Ahmad Wais Afzali.

One more story to pass along, from Sunday's Los Angeles Times: "CIA Expanding Presence In Afghanistan".

As for other stories making headlines this morning, they include:

-- The Hill -- "Obama Frames G-20 Meeting As Debate Over Future Global Economy": The G-20 summit of world leaders in Pittsburgh on Thursday and Friday "is shaping up as a debate over what the world economy of the future should look like." On Sunday, President Barack Obama "made it clear he wants to talk about fostering a new era in global economic affairs."

Related story by Politico -- Highlights From Obama's Sunday TV Marathon.

Related story on Morning Edition -- At U.N., Obama Will Continue Effort To Mend Fences. NPR's Michele Kelemen looks ahead to the president's appearance this week at the United Nations:

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "IRS Extends Deadline To Declare Foreign Accounts": "In an effort to keep its doors open to tax evaders, the Internal Revenue Service will extend until Oct. 15 its limited amnesty program for U.S. taxpayers with undeclared income on foreign accounts, according to government officials. The special voluntary disclosure program was to have ended Wednesday. It began in March after UBS AG in February turned over the names of more than 250 account holders as part of a criminal settlement."

-- BBC News -- Thai King In Hospital; Condition Stable: "The 81-year-old king of Thailand has been admitted to hospital suffering from a fever. Doctors said King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-serving monarch, had shown signs of fatigue and was being treated with antibiotics. ... Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters there was 'nothing to be concerned about.' "

-- NPR News -- "FCC Chief Seen Edging Toward 'Net Neutrality' Rules". "A speech scheduled for Monday by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski is being closely watched by both sides of a debate over 'network neutrality' -- a term describing a world in which Internet service providers can't charge different rates for different levels of service." NPR's Laura Sydell reports:

Finally, if you're looking for a lively minute-by-minute recap of last night's Emmy Awards, check out Planet Money.

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

This morning's breaking news includes:

-- Los Angeles Times -- "Pro- And Anti-Government Marchers Face Off In Tehran;" Ahmadinejad Questions Holocaust Again: "Tens of thousands of demonstrators chanting, 'Not Gaza, not Lebanon, I sacrifice my life for Iran,' swarmed the streets of the capital, turning a day in support of the Palestinian cause into a major opposition rally. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose disputed reelection three months ago triggered Iran's worst political domestic crisis in decades, delivered a blistering condemnation of Israel on the occasion of annual Quds Day. In a fiery speech, he questioning the Holocaust and blamed 'Zionists' for ongoing wars in the Middle East."

Related story by the Associated Press -- Reformist Attacked: "Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at Israel and the West saying Friday the Holocaust was a lie and a pretext for occupying Palestinian lands, while hard-liners attacked a reformist cleric who was marching with the opposition at an anti-government rally in Tehran."

Related story from NBC News -- "Ahmadinejad Refuses To Rule Out" Developing Nuclear Weapons: "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad refused Thursday to explicitly rule out development of nuclear weapons and said in an interview with NBC News that he would 'never' halt Tehran's work on peaceful nuclear programs to mollify Western skeptics." Asked if he stole Iran's June election, Ahmadinejad said "I don't know what you mean by that. ... We should be courageous enough to accept the vote of the people." And, he said of the death of protester Neda Soltan: "I was saddened as well ... We are treating it as a suspicious death."

-- The Associated Press -- Suicide Bomb Kills 25 In Northwest Pakistan: "A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a hotel in a northwest Pakistan market Friday, killing 25 people in a possible sectarian attack, police and a government official said. The attack in Usterzai village on the outskirts of Kohat town was the second in two days in the area, which is not far from the Afghan border and has witnessed past incidents of violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. A bomb Thursday in Kohat wounded six people."

-- NPR News -- Double Suicide Attack In Somalia Condemned:" NPR's Paul Brown introduces a report from Ofeibia Quist-Arcton on the deadly twin suicide bomb attacks in Mogadishu:

Other stories making headlines include:

-- Morning Edition -- For Some In Europe, "A Sense Of Betrayal" After U.S. Shift In Missile Defense Plan. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports:

Related Morning Edition report from NPR's Mike Shuster -- "New Picture Of Iran's Progress On Missile Development" Led To Change In Plan:

Related story by The Times of London -- "Obama Scraps Star Wars And Gambles On Russia."

-- The New York Times -- "Reasons Unclear For Terrorist Fears": "As they zeroed in on Najibullah Zazi, law enforcement authorities came to view him as a potential terrorist threat. They raided homes connected to him, his relatives and friends in New York and Colorado, but have said very little other than to proclaim that the investigation revealed no imminent danger. The public, then, has been left struggling to make sense of what is known about Mr. Zazi and his acquaintances, his travels and intentions, if any, and how he came to the attention of the federal agents and local police who were intently tracking him."

Related story by the Denver Post -- "Federal Agents Grill Aurora Shuttle Driver For Second Day": "An Aurora (Colo.) man in the cross hairs of a multistate anti-terrorism investigation met with federal agents for a second day of questioning Thursday. Najibullah Zazi, the 24-year-old airport-shuttle driver who has become the focal point in the investigation, arrived with his lawyer at the FBI's Denver offices shortly after 2 p.m. He was questioned until late in the evening and was scheduled to return for more questioning at 9 a.m. today. His attorney, Art Folsom, said earlier in the day he was confident Zazi, who has proclaimed his innocence, would not be arrested."

-- Boston Globe -- "House Backs An Interim Senator": Massachusetts state House lawmakers "approved legislation last night that gives Governor Deval Patrick the power to appoint a temporary successor to the late Edward M. Kennedy in the US Senate, putting Massachusetts on track to have a new senator in place by next week. ... Possible candidates are believed to include former governor Michael Dukakis and former Democratic National Committee chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr., who is chairman of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Several stories have broken since we signed off last night. Among them:

-- The Associated Press -- "Suicide Car Bomber Hits Italian Convoy In Kabul;" At Least 16 Killed: "A suicide car bomber attacked an Italian military convoy on a road in Afghanistan's capital Thursday, killing six Italian soldiers and 10 Afghan civilians, officials said. ... Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility, saying in a text message that they had ordered had carried out the suicide attack against foreign forces."

Also in Afghanistan -- "Karzai Defends Afghan Vote."

-- The Denver Post -- "FBI Searches Two Aurora Residences In Connection With Anti-Terror Probe": "Federal investigators released an Aurora man late Wednesday night after 8 1/2 hours of questioning in connection with a multi-state anti-terrorism investigation. Najibullah Zazi, 24, left the Byron G. Rogers Federal Building after 10:30 p.m. -- but is scheduled to return this afternoon for another round of questioning, according to his attorney, Art Folsom. The move came after a day that saw federal agents raid Zazi's apartment and a house where his aunt and uncle live."

Related report from NPR's Dina Temple-Raston on Morning Edition: "Raids In N.Y., Denver Yield Questions, No Arrests":

-- The Associated Press -- "Obama Scrapping Missile Shield" In Poland & Czech Republic, Czech Prime Minister Says: "The Czech prime minister says President Barack Obama has told him that the U.S. is abandoning plans to put a missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland. Czech Premier Jan Fischer told reporters in Prague on Thursday that Obama phoned him to say that Washington has decided to scrap the plan that had deeply angered Russia."

Related reports -- "Pentagon to announce major changes to missile defense system," Reuters says; "pool report" from Baghdad says that Vice President Joe Biden declined comment on the news.

-- NPR News -- Folk Singer Mary Travers Dies; She Was 72. NPR's Paul Brown reports:

-- NPR News -- Actor/Comedian Henry Gibson Has Died; He Was 73. NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates reports:

-- The Washington Post -- Baucus' Bill "May Weather The Blows": "On the surface, it appears that no one is happy with Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) -- and that may be the best news President Obama has had in months. Within minutes of the release of the Senate Finance Committee chairman's long-awaited health-care reform bill Wednesday, the attacks started flying. ... But behind the rhetorical fireworks was a sense that the fragile coalition of major industry leaders and interest groups central to refashioning the nation's $2.5 trillion health-care system remains intact."

Related story by The New York Times -- "Magic Number For Democrats In Senate On Health Bill Is 60": "The unveiling of a compromise health care proposal has Senate Democrats pondering a daunting mathematical challenge: how to keep all 59 Democrats united and attract at least one Republican to pass an overhaul measure."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Republicans Who Helped Craft Health Bill Don't Endorse It". NPR's David Welna reports:

-- Politico -- "In The Race From Race, Democrats Rebut Jimmy Carter": "Jimmy Carter is 84 years old and three decades removed from the White House, but he still has the power to make Democrats run. Away from him, that is. From the White House to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Democrats raced to distance themselves from the former president's claim that racism was behind Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie" outburst and other attacks on President Barack Obama."

-- New Haven Register -- Arrest "Imminent" In Death Of Yale Grad Student.

Coming up later today: The Census Bureau releases figures on August housing construction, at 8:30 a.m. ET; President Barack Obama holds a health care rally in College Park, Md., starting around 11:40 a.m. ET.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Former president Jimmy Carter has gotten into the middle of the debate over whether racism may be playing a part in the protests aimed at President Barack Obama. Carter tells NBC News that "an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man":

Based on the results so far of this poll we've been running, many Two-Way readers agree:

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- Morning Edition -- Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., Prepares To Release His Health Care Plan; It's Getting Mixed Reviews:

Related story by The Hill -- "Snowe Falls Away, Leaving Senate Dems Without GOP Health Support".

Related story by The Wall Street Journal -- "Mandated Health Insurance Squeezes Those In The Middle".

Related story by The Washington Post -- "Young Adults Likely To Pay Big Share Of Reform's Cost".

-- The New York Times -- "Man In Queens Raids Denies Any Terrorist Link": "A Colorado man whose visit to New York apparently set off government raids on several Queens apartments on Monday has denied having ties to al-Qaida or any other terrorist group. 'I have nothing to do with this,' said the man, Najibullah Zazi, 25, who was reached by telephone in Colorado on Monday and Tuesday. 'This looks like it's going toward me, which is more shocking every hour.' "

-- Morning Edition -- Al-Qaida Operative Killed In Somalia Linked To Minneapolis Boys Who Had Been Recruited By Terrorists:

-- The Associated Press -- New Prime Minister & Cabinet Take Places In Japan: "Longtime opposition leader Yukio Hatoyama was elected prime minister and installed his new Cabinet Wednesday, promising to reinvigorate Japan's economy and shake up government with his left-of-center party after more than 50 years of nearly unbroken rule by conservatives."

Among the things to watch for today -- At 8:30 a.m. ET, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the consumer price index figures for August. President Obama meets with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the White House. And Vice President Joe Biden continues his visit to Iraq.

By Mark Memmott

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:

Farewell. (Jae C. Hong / AP)

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.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Though health care remains atop the agenda in Washington, financial regulation will be competing for the spotlight today.

As this timeline shows, it's the one-year anniversary of Lehman Brothers' collapse. And as NPR's John Ydstie reports, "a year ago this week the global financial system teetered on the edge of collapse":

President Barack Obama will be on Wall Street today to deliver what the White House is billing as a "major speech on the financial crisis." That happens at noon ET. We'll "live-blog" the highlights, and NPR's Neal Conan will be on many NPR member stations anchoring coverage of the president's address.

Related story by Bloomberg News -- "Stiglitz Says Bank Problems Bigger Than Pre-Lehman": " Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize- winning economist, said the U.S. has failed to fix the underlying problems of its banking system after the credit crunch and the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc."

Related story by The Wall Street Journal -- "Government's Trial And Error Helped Stem Financial Panic": "It was only a year ago that the world economy was enveloped in a financial panic of such dimensions that, if one believes Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, it threatened to produce a calamity as bad as the Great Depression. Today, the economy is far from vigorous. Unemployment remains high. Huge swaths of the financial system remain on government life-support. But the global recession appears over, and now forecasters are arguing over the pace and sustainability of recovery."

As for the other stories making headlines this morning, they include:

-- The Washington Post -- Poll Signals That "Reform Opposition Is High But Easing": "President Obama continues to face significant public resistance to his drive to initiate far-reaching changes to the country's health-care system, with widespread skepticism about central tenets of his plan, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. But after a summer of angry debate and protests, opposition to the effort has eased somewhat, and there appears to be potential for further softening among critics if Congress abandons the idea of a government-sponsored health insurance option, a proposal that has become a flash point in the debate."

Related report by CBS News Face the Nation -- Sen. Snowe Says Public Option Blocks Consensus: "Moderate Republican Senator Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said a public option in the health care bill is 'universally opposed by all Republicans in the Senate' and called it 'a roadblock to building the kind of consensus that we need to move forward,' on Face the Nation Sunday."

-- Morning Edition -- "U.S.-China Trade Frictions Escalate":

-- The Associated Press -- "Bin Laden Reportedly Calls Obama 'Powerless' ": "In an audio message posted on militant websites, a man thought to be al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden says President Barack Obama is "powerless" to stop the war in Afghanistan. The voice also asserts that the new U.S. president is following the policies of his predecessor, George W. Bush. The terrorist-monitoring group SITE Intelligence has more on the message here.

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Timeline Of Afghan War's Progress Differs In U.S., Kabul":

-- New Haven Register -- Body Found May Be That Of Missing Graduate Student: " A body believed to be that of missing Yale graduate student Annie Le was found Sunday hidden inside a wall at 10 Amistad St., the building where she was last seen alive. It was supposed to be the day she would marry her college sweetheart and celebrate at a reception in a tony section of Long Island."

-- The Associated Press -- Kanye West Disrupts MTV Video Music Awards; Later Apologizes For Interrupting Taylor Swift's Acceptance Speech:

And he's due on the new Leno show tonight. (Scott Gries / PictureGroup/AP)

Related story on Morning Edition -- "NBC Gambles Big With Jay Leno In Prime Time":

New York firefighters remembered their fallen colleagues, and other 9/11 victims, in 2007. They will do so again today. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

On this, the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the nation will pause to remember those who were lost and honor those who have put their lives at risk to protect the nation since then. As NPR's Don Gonyea reports, President Barack Obama will -- as his predecessor did -- observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. ET:

On Morning Edition, retired firefighter John Vigiano Sr. remembered his sons -- John Jr. and Joe. Also firefighters, both young men died on 9/11 at the World Trade Center. Here's a passage from the story, and you can listen to it below:

John would talk to his sons on the phone each day while they were working. Around 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 10, John talked with John Jr. They ended the call by saying "I love you" to each other.

The next morning, Joe called his father, telling him early details of the terrorist attacks. That call also ended with "I love you."

"We had the boys for -- John for 36 years, Joe for 34 years, ironically. Badge number 3436," John Sr. says.

On the loss of his sons, John Sr. reflects, "I don't have any could've, should've or would'ves. I wouldn't have changed anything. It's not many people that the last words they said to their son or daughter was 'I love you.' "

Other 9/11-related news:

-- ABC News -- "FBI Informant Says Agents Missed Chance To Stop 9/11 Ringleader Mohammed Atta".

-- The New York Times -- "Remembering A Future That Many Feared".

-- Morning Edition -- Airport Security May Be Smoother, But Are We Safer? NPR's Brian Naylor reports:

Update at 9:15 a.m. ET. A few minutes ago, NPR News' Giles Snyder introduced a short clip of live audio from ground zero in New York City, where the names of those killed at the World Trade Center are being read:

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Washington Post -- "Details Lacking On Obama Plan": "One day after President Obama pitched his plan for comprehensive health-care reform to a joint session of Congress, administration officials struggled Thursday to detail how he would achieve his goal of extending coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans without increasing the deficit."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Obama's Speech 'Breathed New Life' Into Democrats" -- NPR's David Welna reports:

-- ProPublica.org -- "Iran's New Proposal For Nuclear Talks": "The Iranian government has told the Obama administration and its Western allies that it is ready to hold 'comprehensive, all-encompassing and constructive' negotiations on a range of security issues, including global nuclear disarmament. But the new proposal is silent on Iran's own nuclear program. U.S. officials have said Iran is stockpiling uranium at an alarming rate and needs to account for unanswered questions about the program. The five-page Iranian proposal, hand-delivered to foreign diplomats in Tehran on Wednesday, has not been made public, but a copy was obtained by ProPublica and is available here."

-- The Associated Press -- Afghan Presidential Challenger Alleges "State-Engineered" Fraud In Election:

In an interview with The Associated Press, President Hamid Karzai's chief challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, charged that the massive scale of what he called "state-engineered" fraud has become clear only as the numbers have trickled out over the past three weeks after Afghanistan's Aug. 20 presidential election. With results in from 92% of the country's polling stations, Karzai has 54% of the vote, according to the latest official count. That's enough to avoid a runoff election with Abdullah, who has 28%. But if the U.N.-backed Electoral Complaints Commission invalidates enough votes, Karzai's margin could drop below 50%, forcing him to face Abdullah one-on-one in a second round of voting.

-- Times of London -- "Thatcher Told Gorbachev Britain Did Not Want German Reunification": "Two months before the fall of the Berlin Wall, (then British prime minister) Margaret Thatcher told President Gorbachev that neither Britain nor Western Europe wanted the reunification of Germany and made clear that she wanted the Soviet leader to do what he could to stop it."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

We've already covered the morning-after news about President Barack Obama's health care address to Congress -- here and here.

As for other stories making headlines, they include the serious and the not-so-serious:

-- The Associated Press -- Commission Orders Some Ballots Be Voided In Afghanistan: "The U.N.-backed commission investigating fraud in Afghanistan's Aug. 20 presidential election has issued its first orders to completely exclude some ballots from the final tally. A statement issued Thursday by the Electoral Complaints Commission says all ballots from five polling stations in Paktika province should be voided because they show clear evidence of fraud. This is a more severe step than ordering a recount, in which the votes could eventually be included."

Related statements from the commission -- Some ballots also voided in:

Kandahar province.
Ghazni province.

-- Dow Jones Newswire -- GM To Sell Opel To Canada's Magna: "General Motors Co. said Thursday it had made a decision on the future of German unit Adam Opel GmbH and its U.K. sister company Vauxhall, as people familiar with the matter told Dow Jones Newswires that GM's board had recommended a sale to a consortium led by Canadian car parts maker Magna International Inc."

-- New York Post -- Ellen Lands Place On Idol's Judging Panel: "Ellen DeGeneres is replacing Paula Abdul on American Idol. 'I just finally got the OK ... just moments ago to announce this to you today,' DeGeneres told her studio audience during yesterday's taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, airing today."

Related statement at AmericanIdol.com: "As the new judge, Ellen will offer her own unique perspective to the contestants throughout the competition."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

There's news from Afghanistan this morning that New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell, who along with his interpreter had been held captive by militants since Saturday, was freed by British commandos.

But the interpreter, Sultan Munadi, and one British commando were killed during a firefight. Farrell's kidnapping had not been reported prior to the raid that freed him. He is the second Times reporter in recent months to have been kidnapped in Afghanistan. In June, reporter David Rohde and interpreter Tahir Ludin escaped from their captors after being held for seven months.

Update at 8:40 a.m. ET: The BBC adds that two civilians also died during the raid.

The main story of the day, though, looks to be President Barack Obama's prime-time address to a joint session of Congress.

The Wall Street Journal says Obama "will press for a government-run insurance option in a proposed overhaul of the U.S. health-care system that has divided lawmakers and voters for months."

On Morning Edition a short time ago, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told NPR's Renee Montagne that Obama believes the so-called public option is "a valuable tool" and something "he'd like to see." Gibbs did not directly answer Renee's question about whether the president would veto a health care overhaul bill that doesn't include that option. "We're not going to accentuate the negative," Gibbs said:

Staying with health care for a moment:

-- The New York Times' Prescriptions blog offers its advice on how to watch tonight's presidential address. Among the things to look for: "Any sign that he is now willing to let Democrats go it alone, maybe by using a controversial procedural tactic known as budget reconciliation."

-- On Morning Edition, NPR's Mara Liasson said the president's goal remains the same -- to find some consensus so that a health care overhaul bill can be passed this year:

-- NPR's Richard Knox takes a look at a key Republican, Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine:

-- Former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin takes aim at the president's health care "bureaucratization" again in an op-ed piece published by The Wall Street Journal. She once again brings up the "death panels" that she has warned about before (panels the president and his supporters say don't and won't exist).

For much more about Obama's speech and the health care debate, see this story by NPR's Liz Halloran.

There will, of course, be many ways to watch and monitor the president's address, which is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast by all the cable news networks, on many NPR stations, and at NPR.org.

We will "live-blog" the speech, using a "Cover It Live" box that lets you -- the readers -- discuss the address as it's happening. We're hoping to have Ken Rudin of NPR.org's Political Junkie blog and Scott Hensley of NPR.org's Health Blog join us. As the time draws near, come back here if you want to follow along.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- Morning Edition -- "High Court Weighs Upending Campaign-Money Rules": "The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court have returned early from their summer recess to hear arguments in a case that could rip apart the legal underpinnings of the nation's campaign finance laws. For more than a century, for all practical purposes, those laws have barred corporations from spending money on candidate elections. Wednesday's argument is a double first: The first argument to be heard by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and the first time new U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan will argue a case before the Supreme Court." NPR's Nina Totenberg reports:

Related story by On the Media -- The case goes well beyond Hillary: The Movie, the film that kicked off the legal debate:

The Supreme Court hears the case at 10 a.m. ET. Audio of the argument is scheduled to be released by late morning.

-- Variety -- Columnist Army Archerd, A "Defining Voice" In Show Business, Has Died: "Showbiz has lost one of its defining voices, one who honed his craft in the bygone era of close-knit Hollywood and evolved through the many iterations of the industry. Army Archerd, who became an industry institution and beloved figure in his more than half a century at Daily Variety, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He had a rare form of mesothelioma cancer, thought to be the result of his exposure to asbestos in the Navy during WWII. He was 87."

One more story to watch for today: The Federal Reserve releases its latest "beige book" review of how the economy is doing at 2 p.m. ET.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

President Barack Obama is set to tell the nation's school students today that they should study hard -- in an address that sparked controversy when conservative critics and some parents across the nation complained that the president might use the occasion to spread his political views as well.

The address is to begin at noon ET and will be streamed live at WhiteHouse.gov/live and C-SPAN.org (which has posted video of presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan delivering their own messages to the nation's students in past years).

Judge for yourself whether there's any politics in the address -- the White House has posted the as-prepared-for-delivery remarks here.

At the liberal Daily Beast, by the way, a former adman for the presidential campaigns of Republicans George W. Bush and John McCain laments the criticism some conservatives have aimed at Obama over the speech to students. "Do we need any more proof that partisanship has entered uncharted territory than the fact that an American president can't give a simple inspirational speech to students about staying in school and working hard without having his motives, character, and politics questioned?" Mark McKinnon writes.

Also today, there's a formal investiture ceremony for new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. It will be held at 2 p.m. ET at the court. The justices get to work tomorrow with a rare between-sessions hearing on a case that could reshape the nation's campaign finance system.

Sticking with happenings in Washington, Congress returns from vacation. Health care remains topic No. 1 on the lawmakers' agenda. Tomorrow night, Obama addresses a joint session of the House and Senate. He'll use the address to spell out some of the things he wants to see in any overhaul legislation. As The New York Times writes, there are also new details emerging about what Senate Finance Committee Max Baucus would like to see. And The Washington Post adds that "deeply divided House Democrats return to work ... still unsettled over pending health-care legislation."

Earlier on Morning Edition:

-- NPR's Scott Horsley outlined Obama's effort to rekindle support for his health care plan.

-- NPR's Julie Rovner reported about a key challenge for the president -- selling a health care overhaul to the 180 million Americans who already have private health insurance coverage.

-- And, NPR's Andrea Seabrook talked with Renee Montagne about the prospect for progress on health care.

As for other stories making headlines this morning, they include:

-- San Francisco Chronicle -- "Bay Bridge Reopening Delayed Until Wednesday": "A crack in a steel link discovered while construction crews completed a complex project elsewhere on the east span will keep the Bay Bridge closed today -- a day longer than planned -- and probably send a flood of commuters to other bridges, BART and ferries."

Related site for information on traffic conditions in the Bay area: 511.org.

-- ABC News -- "U.S. Meets Karzai Over Vote Fraud Allegations: "The United States and United Nations became so concerned about the legitimacy of the vote count in last month's Afghan election that they called an emergency meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai late (Monday), criticizing a decision by the Independent Election Commission to count 'knowingly' fraudulent votes. U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry attended the meeting."

Related report from Reuters -- "Afghan Vote Fraud Watchdog Orders Recounts": "Afghanistan's mainly U.N.-appointed election fraud watchdog ordered on Tuesday a recount of polling stations where it suspects fraud in last month's presidential election."

-- The Associated Press -- "U.K. Court Convicts Three Of Plot To Blow Up Airliners": "Three British Muslims were convicted Monday of conspiring to kill thousands of civilians by blowing up trans-Atlantic flights in mid-air with liquid explosives disguised as soft drinks. A jury at a London courthouse found Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 28, Assad Sarwar, 29, and Tanvir Hussain, 28, guilty of conspiracy to murder by detonating explosives on aircraft. The trial started in February. The jury found that they were the ringleaders of a conspiracy to carry out the biggest terrorist attack since 9/11. Four other alleged conspirators -- whom the prosecution said were to have carried the bombs onto the planes -- were acquitted of conspiring to blow up planes. The jury could not reach a verdict on an eighth man."

Related report on Morning Edition -- The plot led to sharp restrictions on carrying liquids aboard passenger planes.

-- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- "Police Say Man Arrested In Serial Killer Case Linked To Eight Deaths": "A 49-year-old man suspected in the killings of at least eight women over 21 years in Milwaukee has been charged in connection with two of the homicides, authorities announced Monday. Walter E. Ellis of Milwaukee faces two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the killings of Joyce Mims, 41, and Ouithreaun Stokes, 28, who were strangled a decade apart."

-- Boston Globe -- "Kennedy Says No, And Race Is On": "After days of anguished deliberation, Joseph P. Kennedy II said yesterday that he will not seek the US Senate seat of his uncle, Edward M. Kennedy, probably ending the family's half-century of political dominance in Massachusetts and opening up the Democratic primary race."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Set aside some time around 8:30 a.m. ET if you're anxious to hear about what's expected to be the day's big news. That's when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases figures on the August unemployment rate and the number of jobs eliminated last month by U.S. businesses (it would be a HUGE surprise if there was job growth last month). The BLS will post the employment report here. We'll pass along the news as quickly as we can. Planet Money will be on the story as well.

On Morning Edition, NPR's Chris Arnold told guest host Ari Shapiro that the jobless rate likely ticked up to 9.5% in August from 9.4% in July and that employers probably eliminated about 250,000 jobs. Those aren't great numbers, but they're much better than the losses of last winter and spring:

A not-as-bad-as-before jobs report, of course, would add to the evidence gathered in recent weeks that signals the economy may be on the mend. The Wall Street Journal this morning offers another such sign: An increase in the number of people at shopping malls hints that consumers may be coming out of their shells.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Associated Press -- Dozens Of Afghan Civilians Reported Killed In NATO Airstrike: "A NATO jet blasted two fuel tankers hijacked by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan, setting off a huge fireball Friday that killed up to 90 people, Afghan officials said. The NATO command said a 'large number of insurgents' were killed or injured in the pre-dawn attack near the village of Omar Khel in Kunduz province. An Afghan police officer said the 90 dead included about 40 civilians who were siphoning fuel from the trucks."

Related story in The New York Times -- "Advisers To Obama Divided On Size Of Afghan Force."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Two Democrats Criticize Afghan War Strategy." NPR's Tom Bowman talks with Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts and Sen. Russell Feingold of Wisconsin about their concerns regarding President Barack Obama's Afghan strategy:

-- The Associated Press -- North Korea Claims It Is In Final Stage Of Enriching Uranium:

-- Los Angeles Times -- Incendiary Materials Found Near Site Where Wildfire Started; Homicide Investigation Launched: "A source close to the investigation said investigators found incendiary material near the site. The source, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, would not be more specific or identify the material. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said investigators don't want to release details out of fear it could hurt their ability to find and prosecute an arsonist." Two firefighters were killed while battling the blaze.

Related report from NPR News' Paul Brown:

-- El Paso Times -- "Juarez In Shock" After Massacre: "The brutality of a massacre (Wednesday) at a Juarez drug rehabilitation center in which 18 people were killed shocked a city already plagued with record-breaking violence. A motive for the attack was under investigation, but it appeared to be linked to feuding drug trafficking groups."

Related report on Morning Edition -- "Mexico's Murder Capital Lives Up To Its Reputation":

-- Los Angeles Times -- "Democrats Consider Setting 'Trigger' For Government Healthcare": "Looking to break the logjam on healthcare legislation, the White House and Democrats in the Senate are increasingly placing their hopes on the idea of a 'trigger' that, if set off, would allow the government to offer health insurance to many Americans."

-- Michael Jackson Is Interred:

The King of Pop, who died June 25, was laid to rest last night at Glendale (Calif.) Forest Lawn Memorial Park. (Harrison Funk/AP Photo/The Jackson Family)

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As our day begins, there's fresh -- and mildly encouraging -- news from the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development. In a new report, the global economic development agency concludes that:

Recovery from the global recession is likely to arrive earlier than had been expected a few months ago but the pace of activity will remain weak well into next year.

You can expect to hear more about the economy, and why the Obama administration believes its actions have helped turn things around, when Vice President Joe Biden speaks this morning at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Other news that's occurred overnight includes:

-- Word from the western Chinese city of Urumqi about more protests there. In July, ethnic clashes between the majority Han and ethnic Uighurs left about 200 people dead.

-- A vote by the Iranian parliament to approve President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's new cabient. the ministers include "the first woman in the 30-year history of the Islamic republic," the BBC reports.

As for stories making headlines:

-- Morning Edition -- Obama Seeks To Regain Momentum On Health Care. NPR's Mara Liasson reports on the administration's strategy and the address President Barack Obama will make before Congress next Wednesday:

Related story by The New York Times -- "Obama Aides Aim To Simplify And Scale Back Health Bills": "President Obama plans to address a joint session of Congress next week in an effort to rally support for health care legislation as White House officials look for ways to simplify and scale back the major Democratic bills, lower the cost and drop contentious but nonessential elements."

Related story by Politico -- "Obama's Speech: High Risk, High Reward."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Minnesota Experiment Puts Patient Health First." NPR's David Welna reports:

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Records Of Health Worker Misdeeds Kept Secret."

-- USA TODAY -- "Women Take Over The Workplace": "Women are on the verge of outnumbering men in the workforce for the first time, a historic reversal caused by long-term changes in women's roles and massive job losses for men during this recession. Women held 49.83% of the nation's 132 million jobs in June and they're gaining the vast majority of jobs in the few sectors of the economy that are growing, according to the most recent numbers available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics."

Related story by The New York Times -- "A Reluctance To Retire Means Fewer Openings."

-- Los Angeles Times -- "Crews Probe Point Of Origin As Fire Marches East": "Fire investigators hunched under a scorched, 20-foot-tall oak tree off Angeles Crest Highway on Wednesday afternoon, using wire mesh sifters to search through the ash in an attempt to determine whether the largest brush fire in Los Angeles County history was deliberately set."

-- Morning Edition -- Haqqani Network Conducts Its Own Reign Of Terror In Afghanistan. The Haqqani Network is a terrorist group that is not as well known as the Taliban or al-Qaida. From its base in Pakistan, the group has mounted a series of sophisticated attacks in Afghanistan. NPR's Renee Montagne talks with terrorism expert Vahid Brown about the group:

One final thing to note: The body of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, will be interred in a mausoleum this evening at Forest Lawn Glendale, just north of downtown Los Angeles. It's supposed to be a private ceremony.

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

By Mark Memmott

There's breaking news from Afghanistan this morning -- a suicide bomber set off an explosion that killed the nation's deputy chief of intelligence and at least 22 other people.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, which happened in the eastern province of Laghman as the intelligence chief, Abdullah Laghmani, was leaving a ceremony that marked the inauguration of a mosque. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson filed this report from Kabul:

Related story in The Washington Post -- "Taliban Surprising U.S. Forces With Improved Tactics."

Related story in The Wall Street Journal -- "Warlord's Defection Shows Afghan Risk."

Unfortunately, there's other breaking news of death and destruction to pass on from overseas:

-- "A bomb has exploded outside the Athens stock exchange, slightly injuring a female passer-by and damaging the building," the BBC reports. "The blasts may be the work of a Greek extremists' group, Revolutionary Struggle, says the BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Athens."

-- "A powerful earthquake in Indonesia has killed at least 11 people and injured dozens of others," the Associated Press writes. "National Disaster Management Agency Satrio Nurhadiwibowo spokesman says those killed were in two towns in West Java province."

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- Politico -- "Obama Shifts Strategy;" Won't Insist On "Public Option": "Aides to President Barack Obama are putting the final touches on a new strategy to help Democrats recover from a brutal August recess by specifying what Obama wants to see in a compromise health care deal and directly confronting other trouble spots, West Wing officials tell Politico. Obama is considering detailing his health-care demands in a major speech as soon as next week, when Congress returns from the August recess. And although House leaders have said their members will demand the inclusion of a public insurance option, Obama has no plans to insist on it himself, the officials said."

Related story on Morning Edition -- Lobbyists Campaign For Their Versions Of Health Care Overhaul. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with lobbyist Paul Lee about how it works:

-- Los Angeles Times -- "Weather Aids Firefighters, But Some Flanks Of Fire Have Lethal Potential": "Higher humidity and slightly lower temperatures helped firefighters inch closer to subduing the monstrous fire that has lashed about the San Gabriel Mountains for a week, but they were scrambling late Tuesday in gusty winds to keep it from overrunning Mt. Wilson."

-- U.N. Office On Drugs and Crime -- "Afghan Opium Production In Significant Decline": "Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is down 22%, opium production is down 10%, while prices are at a 10-year low. The number of opium poppy-free provinces has increased from 18 to 20 out of a total number of 34, and more drugs are being seized as a result of more robust counter-narcotics operations by Afghan and NATO forces."

Related report from Kabul by NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson:

-- The New York Times -- "Tribal Leaders Say Karzai's Team Forged 23,900 Votes": "The accusations ... are the most serious allegations so far that have been publicized against (President Hamid) Karzai's electoral machine, which faces a deluge of fraud complaints from around the country."

-- Morning Edition -- Some Jobs Are "Gone For Good". "The labor market will remain tough for many months to come. But when jobs eventually come back, traditionally strong areas such as health care and education are expected to lead the way. Analysts say weaker ones -- such as construction -- could take years to return. And many jobs in areas such as autos and newspapers are gone for good." NPR's Frank Langfitt reports:

Firefighters set this "back fire" in La Crescenta in a bid to control the spread of flames. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

The news from southern California this morning isn't good. As the Los Angeles Times puts it, "Blaze Consumes 105,000 Acres, No End In Sight. Huge Wildfire Shows Little Sign Of Slowing Down."

"This is a very angry fire that we're fighting right now," U.S. Forest Service Cmdr. Mike Dietrich said Monday night.

Nova Safo filed this report for NPR News earlier. Firefighters are trying to box in the blazes outside Los Angeles, but are hindered by the rugged terrain:

As we noted yesterday, there are many online sources for keeping track of the fires.

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- The New York Times -- "Justice Dept. To Recharge Enforcement Of Civil Rights": "Seven months after taking office, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. is reshaping the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division by pushing it back into some of the most important areas of American political life, including voting rights, housing, employment, bank lending practices and redistricting after the 2010 census."

-- Politico -- "White House Fears Liberal War Pressure": "White House officials are increasingly worried liberal, anti-war Democrats will demand a premature end to the Afghanistan war before President Barack Obama can show signs of progress in the eight-year conflict, according to senior administration sources."

Related stories on Morning Edition:

-- "Afghan Commander Calls For New Strategy."

-- "Fraud Complaints Cloud Afghan Election."

-- ABC News' Political Punch blog -- Obama Is Having More Success Against Terrorists Than Bush Did, President's National Security Adviser Says: "Responding to criticism from former Vice President Cheney that President Obama is making the nation more vulnerable to terrorism, the president's National Security Adviser, Gen. Jim Jones (Ret.), told ABC News in an exclusive interview that actually the reverse is true: President Obama's greater success with international relations has meant more terrorists put out of commission."

-- The Associated Press -- "Mexico Tries To Evacuate Thousands Ahead of Jimena": "Emergency workers struggled to evacuate thousands of reluctant slum dwellers as extremely dangerous Hurricane Jimena approached Mexico's resort-studded Baja California Peninsula on Tuesday. Jimena, just short of Category 5 status with winds of near 155 mph (250 kph), could rake the harsh desert region fringed with picturesque beaches and fishing villages as a major storm by Tuesday evening."

-- BBC News -- "Iran Has 'New Nuclear Proposal' ": "Iran has prepared a new nuclear proposal and is ready to resume talks on its nuclear program, according to media reports. The Islamic Republic's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili was quoted making the claim on Iranian television."

Among the news to watch for later today: At 10 a.m. ET, the Census Bureau releases figures on construction spending in July.

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

In Acton, Calif., flames soared into the sky Sunday. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

Raging wildfires in Los Angeles County lead the news this morning. Two firefighters lost their lives yesterday, and about 12,000 homes are threatened. The so-called Station fire covers thousands of acres and is "very much out of control," the Los Angeles Times reports.

As NPR's Mandalit Del Barco reports, the flames also threaten to disrupt vital communications networks in southern California. She spoke with Morning Edition's Renee Montagne:

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- Kyodo News -- "Japan Bureaucracy Appears Unruffled By DPJ's Sweeping Victory": "Central government officials on Monday appeared unruffled by the Democratic Party of Japan's landslide victory driving the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party from power for only the second time in its 54-year history. ... 'It's just like when the president changes in a private company,'' said a high-ranking Finance Ministry official, who refused to be named. ''All we have to do is to follow the policy of our new head.'' The DPJ, which has never governed since its inception in 1996, has pledged to wrest power from elite bureaucrats in formulating policies and put an end to what it sees as wasteful spending."

Related story from NPR's Louisa Lim on Morning Edition -- A "seismic shift" in Japan:

-- The New York Times -- "As Big Banks Repay Bailout Money, U.S. Sees A Profit": "Nearly a year after the federal rescue of the nation's biggest banks, taxpayers have begun seeing profits from the hundreds of billions of dollars in aid that many critics thought might never be seen again. The profits, collected from eight of the biggest banks that have fully repaid their obligations to the government, come to about $4 billion, or the equivalent of about 15 percent annually, according to calculations compiled for The New York Times."

Related story by The Wall Street Journal -- "Raft Of Deals For Failed Banks Puts U.S. On Hook For Billions."

-- Boston Globe -- "In Or Out, Joe Kennedy Will Affect Race For Senate Seat": "With Massachusetts having paid its final respects to Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the politics of succession begins in earnest this week -- candidates will emerge, a race will take shape, and the Kennedy clan will have to reveal whether it wants to keep the seat in the family. All eyes now are on Joseph P. Kennedy II, the former US representative, with family members and political allies expecting him to make a decision very shortly on whether to enter the Democratic primary."

-- The Wall Street Journal -- Home Haircuts Are Recession Indicators: "The downturn has created a nation of cost, and hair- cutters. To help pare their budgets, more Americans are bypassing the salon and opting to lop off their own locks. The results, can be shear disaster -- clogged drains, fresh cowlicks and crooked trims."

Related story by NPR's Jack Zahora on Morning Edition -- The "layway" is making a comeback thanks to the weak economy:

Related story by The Washington Post -- But an uptick in sales of mens' underwear may be sign the economy is on the mend.

-- USA TODAY -- "$3.1 Billion Set Aside For Jobless Unclaimed": "More than $3.1 billion in stimulus money for state unemployment insurance programs is sitting in a federal trust fund because 23 states haven't expanded their jobless benefits, Labor Department records show."

Related story by NPR's Joseph Shapiro on Morning Edition -- "Social Security Administration Struggles With Backlog":

City Year Boston volunteers, Boy Scouts, and Boston Police officers are among the last to pay their respects to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy as the first day of public viewing comes to an end at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, early Friday, Aug. 28, 2009 in Boston. (Charles Dharapak / AP Photo)

By Frank James

Good morning from NPR's news blog, The Two-Way. Here are some of the most important or interesting news stories for Friday, Aug. 28, 2009.

Tens of thousands of people paid their respects to Sen. Edward Kennedy, the last member of the most famous generation of his family, as his body lay in repose in Boston at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and, before that, during a 70-mile motorcade in whose route was lined with mourners.

Vote-fraud charges continued to mount in Afghanistan and threatened to undermine the recent election's outcome as preliminary results appeared to favor President Hamid Karzai. Meanwhile. U.S. envoy to the region Richard Holbrooke recently had angry discussions with the Afghan president when the American complained about irregularities and told the president a run-off would add to credibility.

Afghan boys have been increasingly fleeing to Europe, leaving their families behind, to avoid the violence in their native land, living on the streets of European cities and causing new challenges for European officials.

The current health-care debate has a major similarity with others in the past: fear has been used by opponents to overcome logic going all the way back to 1915, the first national health insurance was debated.

California is holding one of its occasional state "garage sales" to sell surplus government items in a bid to raise funds. The largest begins Friday and items to be sold include 15 state cars with sun visors signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A woman kidnapped as an 11-year old 18-years ago appeared in a San Francisco Bay-area police station and was reunited with her family. She had two children with the convicted sex offender who allegedly abducted her. He and his wife were charged for the kidnapping.

Continue reading "Ted Kennedy Mourned By Thousands; Afghan Vote Fraud Etc." >

By Frank James

Good morning from The Two-Way blog at NPR. Here are some of the most important or interesting headlines for Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009.

As mourners prepared to pay their respects to Sen. Edward Kennedy whose body was begin lying in repose at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, the list of his would-be successors was long due to pent-up demand; it was the first open Senate seat in Massachusetts for 25 years, as NPR correspondent Tovia Smith reported on Morning Edition. Still, potential contenders were discrete out of respect for Kennedy though they also ran the risk of waiting too long to make their intentions known.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts Democrats sought to once again give the power to fill the seat to the Democratic governor as Kennedy requested just before his death which would return the law to where it was five years ago when Democrats changed it out of fear a possible vacancy might be filled by the then-Republican governor.

Sen. Kennedy was recalled as a civil-rights champion who made the cause of equality one of his signature issues from almost the start of his legislative career. As NPR's Nina Totenberg reports on Morning Edition, perhaps it was his family's Irish Catholic heritage with its history of anti-immigrant prejudice. There was also the sense of his picking up the mantle from his fallen brothers.

Continue reading "Ted Kennedy Mourned; August Ties U.S.' Deadliest Month In Afghanistan Etc" >

Times Square news ticker reports Sen. Edward Kennedy's death. (Mark Lennihan / AP Photo)

By Frank James

Here's a belated morning roundup of some of the most important or most interesting headlines from The Two-Way, NPR's news blog for Wednesday Aug. 26, 2009.

For millions of people the day got off to a sad start because of the day's biggest story, the death from brain cancer of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, at 77. He was the Senate's long-time liberal lion and the last of the generation of Kennedy brothers who devoted their lives to public service, from the White House to Congress.

On Morning Edition, host Steve Inskeep and political correspondent Ken Rudin, discussed what Kennedy's illness and his death means to the future of one of his signature issues, health-care reform.

Meanwhile, the future of the Senate seat Kennedy held is unclear.

Now that he has received been reappointed by President Barack Obama, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's next major task will be carefully reversing the massive infusions of cash he pumped into economy to keep it from slipping into depression. Now the concern is inflation. NPR's Renee Montagne discussed Bernanke's challenge with David Wessel of The Wall Street Journal.

A poll indicated that most employers plan to add new full-time employees over the next year, another sign the economy may be pulling out of recession and that confidence is on the rebound, according to a report by NPR's Yuki Noguchi.

The just released report on CIA interrogation techniques against terrorist suspects and detainees during the Bush Administration suggests that the interrogations were closely controlled by officials in Washington.

Major newspapers relied on the same crowd-sourcing technique used by much smaller Internet operations to have the web community explore the hundreds of pages on CIA interrogation practices released by the Justice Department.

Continue reading "Morning Roundup: Ted Kennedy's Death; Bernanke's Reappointment Etc" >

By Frank James

Good morning from The Two-Way news blog at NPR. Here's a look at some of the most important or most interesting stories for Aug. 25, 2009.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is expected to be reappointed to head the nation's central bank for a second term with President Barack Obama crediting the former Princeton University economist as a steady influence who took the extraordinary steps needed to keep the economy from falling into another Great Depression. NPR's John Ydstie discussed the reappointment with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep.

The Justice Department's release Monday of a lengthy report on the Central Intelligence Agency's interrogation practices towards terrorist detainees and its naming of a prosecutor to further examine those practices for possible criminal conduct represents a victory for the American Civil Liberties Union which has pressed for a public review, as NPR.s Peter Overby reports.

Meanwhile, the fallout began in earnest from the Obama Administration's release of the interrogation-related documents and Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to appoint a prosecutor, with NPR's Ari Shapiro reporting that critics either accuse the administration of going too far or not going far enough.

The Obama Administration will continue to use the controversial practice of rendition, the sending of terrorist suspects to other nations for interrogations which was widely reviled when Bush officials used it. Obama officials promise to oversee the practice closely, however, to prevent allies from torturing detainees.

Health experts are predicting that half the U.S. population will get swine flu this coming flu season, leading to the hospitalization of as many as 1.8 million people and causing 90,000 deaths, more than twice the numbers of a normal flu season.

Continue reading "Fed Chair Ben Bernanke Gets Another Term; CIA Interrogation Fallout Etc." >

Good Morning. Here are some of Monday, Aug. 24, 2009's most important or most interesting headlines and some of what we'll be following today.

The Obama Administration is expected to release a report detailing the use of extreme interrogation techniques some have called torture against terrorist suspects by interrogators working for the Central Intelligence Agency during the Bush era's war on terror.

Some details have leaked out in recent days, including the use of mock executions to get some detainees talking.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that the Justice Department will recommend that investigations be reopened into a dozen cases of reported abuse of terrorist suspects, raising the possibility that a prosecutor would be named, that the CIA would come under new pressure and contradicting President Barack Obama's stated intention to move forward.

In a related story, the Washington Post reports that the Obama Administration has approved the creation of a new interagency group to interrogate the highest value terrorist suspects. A response to alleged CIA abuses and to be based out of the FBI and managed by the National Security Council, the new group would effectively move responsibility for such interrogations into the White House and out of the CIA's hands.

Millions of ballots have yet to reach the counting stations, potentially slowing the final determination of a winner in last week's presidential elections, according to a two-way discussion between NPR's Morning Edition host Renee Montagne and correspondent Jackie Northam. Meanwhile, substantial vote fraud has been alleged in Afghanistan by Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the main challenger to Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Continue reading "CIA's Harsh Interrogations Detailed In New Report Raise Criminal Probe Chances" >

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

On this sultry summer Friday there are some things to keep an eye on.

At 10 a.m. ET, the National Association of Realtors releases its figures on July sales of so-called existing homes. Those numbers are closely watched because home sales are good indicators of how the economy's doing and how healthy it will or won't be in coming months.

Sticking with the economy for a minute, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to speak at the Kansas City Fed's annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyo. His appearance is also set for 10 a.m. ET, and his words will be parsed for clues to whether the Fed thinks the economy has indeed begun to strengthen. Steve Beckner of Market News International reports:

In Washington this morning, friends and family will gather for the funeral of conservative commentator and journalist Robert Novak.

Out in the Atlantic near Bermuda, meanwhile, Hurricane Bill has weakened slightly -- but still threatens to flood the island's coastlines and bring dangerous waves and riptides to the eastern coast of the USA.

Finally, Muslims around the world are preparing for the start of their religion's holiest month. NPR's Jamie Tarabay filed this report about Ramadan:

As for stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Associated Press -- "Karzai, Abdullah Teams Claim Wins In Afghan Vote": "Campaign teams for President Hamid Karzai and top challenger Abdullah Abdullah each positioned themselves Friday as the winner of Afghanistan's presidential election, one day after millions of Afghans braved dozens of militant attacks to cast ballots. Partial preliminary results won't be made public before Saturday, as Afghanistan and the dozens of countries with troops and aid organizations in the country wait to see who will lead the troubled nation for the next five years."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "U.S., Candidates Call Afghan Election A Success":

Related story in the Los Angeles Times-- "In Afghanistan Election, Deciding Who Won Is The Hard Part."

-- ABC News -- "Opposition To Health Care Reform Is On The Rise": "Public doubt about health care reform has grown as the debate's raged this summer, with a rise in views it would do more harm than good, increasing opposition to a public option -- and President Obama's rating on the issue at a new low in ABC News/Washington Post polls."

Related stories on Morning Edition -- Obama uses radio and his grassroots network to push his proposals; and "a look behind the number" of uninsured:

-- The New York Times -- "CIA Said To Use Outsiders To Put Bombs On Drones": "From a secret division at its North Carolina headquarters, the company formerly known as Blackwater has assumed a role in Washington's most important counterterrorism program: the use of remotely piloted drones to kill al-Qaida's leaders, according to government officials and current and former employees."

-- The Washington Post -- "Detainees Shown CIA Officers' Photos; Justice Dept. Looking Into Whether Attorneys Broke Law At Guantanamo": "The Justice Department recently questioned military defense attorneys at Guantanamo Bay about whether photographs of CIA personnel, including covert officers, were unlawfully provided to detainees charged with organizing the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to sources familiar with the investigation."

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

By Mark Memmott

Afghans have gone to the polls to vote for a president, and as we reported a short time ago the turnout is said to have been light and there has been some violence. Click here for all of NPR.org's coverage of news from Afghanistan.

As for other stories making headlines this morning, they include:

-- Boston Globe -- "Kennedy, Looking Ahead, Urges That Senate Seat Be Filled Quickly": "Senator Edward M. Kennedy, in a poignant acknowledgment of his mortality at a critical time in the national health care debate, has privately asked the governor and legislative leaders to change the succession law to guarantee that Massachusetts will not lack a Senate vote when his seat becomes vacant." The Democratic senator is battling brain cancer. The Globe has posted a copy of Kennedy's letter to Gov. Deval Patrick here.

-- The New York Times -- "CIA Sought Blackwater's Help In Plan To Kill Jihadists": "The Central Intelligence Agency in 2004 hired outside contractors from the private security contractor Blackwater USA as part of a secret program to locate and assassinate top operatives of al-Qaida, according to current and former government officials."

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "New Rx For Health Plan: Split Bill": "The White House and Senate Democratic leaders, seeing little chance of bipartisan support for their health-care overhaul, are considering a strategy shift that would break the legislation into two parts and pass the most expensive provisions solely with Democratic votes."

-- The Associated Press -- Poverty Rate Said To Have Risen: "The ranks of poor and uninsured Americans are likely increasing -- with more than 38.8 million believed to be in poverty. Rebecca Blank, the Commerce Department's undersecretary of economic affairs, spoke to The Associated Press in advance of next month's closely watched release of 2008 census data. Noting the figures are not yet final, Blank said the numbers likely will show a 'statistically significant' increase in the poverty rate, to at least 12.7%. That would represent a jump of more than 1.5 million poor people compared with the previous year."

-- The Times of London -- Alleged Killer Of Neda Soltan Identified: "The man accused of killing Neda Soltan has been identified as Abbas Kargar Javid, a pro-government militiaman, after photographs of the Basiji's ID cards appeared on the Internet." Neda's death, which was shown around the world on YouTube, galvanized outrage about the Iranian government's crackdown on protests over the country's disputed June 12 presidential election.

-- National Weather Service -- Hurricane Bill Weakens To 'Category Three'.

-- Morning Edition -- "Kilogram's Future Hangs In The Balance": Since 1889, the official kilogram -- a small metal cylinder weighing around 2.2 pounds -- has been at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Paris. But there's a problem. Its mass seems to be changing. Now, scientists say, the world needs a new official kilogram. That's going to require a special kind of scale.

One explosion was near the Foreign Ministry (in background). (Khalid Mohammed / AP)

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

There have been a series of explosions in Baghdad today. Dozens are reported dead and more than 300 are said to have been wounded. Carl Kasell introduces this report from NPR's Deborah Amos, who is in the Iraqi capital:

Violence also continues to flare in Afghanistan, where the presidential election is scheduled for tomorrow. On Morning Edition, co-host Renee Montagne spoke with NPR's Jackie -- who is in Kabul. Then Renee, who just returned from Afghanistan, talked with co-host Steve Inskeep about what's happening there as the time to vote draws near:

For those who like to mix some history with their news, Morning Edition also aired a conversation between Steve and Amin Tarzi, director of Middle East studies at the Marine Corps University, about the events of 1979 in Afghanistan (when the Soviet Union invaded):

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The New York Times -- "Democrats Seem Set To Go It Alone On A Health Bill": "Given hardening Republican opposition to Congressional health care proposals, Democrats now say they see little chance of the minority's cooperation in approving any overhaul, and are increasingly focused on drawing support for a final plan from within their own ranks."

Related story by The Washington Post -- "Debate's Path Caught Obama By Surprise": "President Obama's advisers acknowledged Tuesday that they were unprepared for the intraparty rift that occurred over the fate of a proposed public health insurance program, a firestorm that has left the White House searching for a way to reclaim the initiative on the president's top legislative priority."

-- Morning Edition -- "Health Co-Ops Touted As Alternative To Public Plan": "The Obama administration appears to be backing away from the idea that a health care overhaul has to include the option of a government-run insurance program. If this public plan is removed from the bills currently under construction in Congress, it could be replaced by nonprofit health insurance plans run on the co-op model, where people who buy the insurance are the ones who own the insurance company." NPR's Joanne Silberner reports:

-- Related story by the Boston Globe -- "Health Co-Ops' Fans Like Cost And Care."

-- National Weather Service -- "Bill Strengthens To A Category Four Hurricane": As of 5 a.m. ET, the season's first hurricane had intensified.

-- From a related story by the Associated Press -- "Forecasters say the dangerous hurricane could get even stronger. ... The most significant threat could be to Bermuda, which the storm could pass in three or four days."

-- Morning Edition -- Sanctions On Myanmar Are 'Huge Strategic Error,' Sen. Webb Says: In a conversation with NPR's Steve Inskeep, Democratic Sen. James Webb of Virginia talked about the trip he just made to Myanmar, his meetings with its reclusive leader and democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi and why he thinks it no longer makes sense to have economic sanctions aimed at that country:

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Reluctant Shoppers Hold Back Recovery": "Major retailers reported that American consumers are continuing to hunker down, casting a cloud over the durability of the U.S. recovery and underscoring the importance of overseas demand in restoring the world economy to health."

-- USA TODAY -- "Climate Plan Calls For Forest Expansion": " New forests would spread across the American landscape, replacing both pasture and farm fields, under a congressional plan to confront climate change, an Environmental Protection Agency analysis shows. About 18 million acres of new trees -- roughly the size of West Virginia -- would be planted by 2020, according to an EPA analysis of a climate bill passed by the House of Representatives in June."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Things will be busy today at the White House, where President Barack Obama meets with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak late this morning, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in the early afternoon and former president Bill Clinton in late afternoon. Bill Clinton's trip to North Korea, where he met with leader Kim Jong Il, is sure to be on their agenda.

Also today, at 8:30 a.m. ET, the Commerce Department reports about July home construction.

As for the stories making headlines, two familiar subjects -- health care and Afghanistan -- lead the way again. And there's word from South Korea that former president Kim Dae-jung, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring peace between the North and South, has died. He was 85.

The day's top stories:

-- Politico -- "Liberals Revolt Over Public Option": "The White House's signal that it's willing to back off support for a public health insurance option has sent congressional liberals into full revolt, bluntly warning the administration that no legislation will pass without a government-run plan."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Even though some Democrats want to hold on to what's known as the public option, the plan is losing appeal. A likely alternative to that plan is a network of nonprofit health co-ops:"

Related story by The New York Times -- "Alternate Plan As Health Option Muddies Debate."

-- Morning Edition -- "Is Britain's Health System Really That Bad?" "The National Health Service in the United Kingdom has become a punching bag for some critics of proposals to remake the U.S. health care system. Britons are offended by how some U.S. media outlets have singled the British system out for what not to do."

Related conversation on Morning Edition -- Host Steve Inskeep talks to Lord Ara Darzi, a surgeon and British government advisor, about Britain's National Health Service:

-- USA TODAY -- "Unemployed Workers Flock To COBRA": "A federal subsidy designed to make health insurance more affordable for laid-off workers has led to a doubling in the number of people who have opted to continue their former employer's coverage. The coverage, known as COBRA, allows people who leave their jobs to continue their former employer's health coverage for up to 18 months."

-- The Associated Press -- "Bomb Attack Kills At Least 7 Near Kabul": "A suicide car bomber attacked a NATO convoy Tuesday on the outskirts of Kabul, killing at least seven civilians and wounding 50 people, including several international troops, officials said. A U.N. spokesman said three U.N. staff were also wounded. The attack occurred two days before national elections in which Afghans are to select a new president."

Related story by Reuters -- "Suicide Car Bomb, Rockets Strike Kabul Ahead Of Vote."

Related story on Morning Edition -- The head of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan says he expects there will be more violence ahead of Thursday's voting:

Related graphic at WashingtonPost.com -- How The Afghan Election Will Work. A key point: If no presidential candidate wins more than 50% of the votes, a runoff of the top two will be held, most likely on Oct. 1.

Locations and projected paths of Ana and Bill. (National Hurricane Center; USGS / AP)

-- The Associated Press -- "Hurricane Bill Gathers Strength Out In Atlantic": "The first hurricane of the Atlantic season loomed far out in the ocean Tuesday, gaining power and moving on a track that forecasters said could take it close to Bermuda by the end of the week."

-- YnetNews.com -- "Israel Agrees To Freeze Settlement Construction As Gesture To U.S.": "In a subtle overture to the U.S., Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Housing Minister Ariel Atias agreed upon a de facto moratorium on new building in the settlements."

-- BBC News -- "Russia Detains Ship 'Hijackers' ": "Eight people have been arrested for hijacking the cargo ship Arctic Sea, Russia's defense minister says. Anatoly Serdyukov said the group of suspects included Russian, Estonian and Latvian nationals."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As the day gets going here in the USA, there are some conflicting signals about whether the Obama administration is or is not ready to abandon the so-called public option plan in its proposed health care overhaul.

Yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on CNN that such a government alternative to private health insurance is "not the essential element" of the administration's plan. That led to headlines such as this one by The New York Times: " 'Public Option' In Health Plan May Be Dropped."

But widely respected political blogger Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic reports that he's been told by "an administration official" that Sebelius "misspoke." Ambinder writes that "the official said that the White House did not intend to change its messaging and that Sebelius simply meant to echo the president, who has acknowledged that the public option is a tough sell in the Senate." And he quotes White House spokeswoman Linda Douglass as saying "nothing has changed."

Expect much more discussion about this as the day goes on.

In other health care related news, the new president of the Canadian Medical Association says her country's health care system is in deep trouble. NPR News' Carl Kasell introduced this report:

President Barack Obama, by the way, is due in Phoenix today. He's scheduled to address the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention. The Arizona Republic writes that while the Democratic president "may not have been their first choice," the veterans plan to give Obama a warm and respectful reception.

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- Morning Edition -- In Afghanistan, U.S. Ambassador Gets Out To Meet People In Advance Of Thursday's Election: As Afghanistan's presidential election draws near, Morning Edition's Renee Montagne continues her reports about that country and its future. Today, she speaks with U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, who is trying to spotlight women's affairs and to "visibly try to reassure the Afghan people" that the U.S. is there to help for the long haul:

Related story in The Wall Street Journal -- "Afghan Road Project Shows Bumps In Drive For Stability."

Related story in The New York Times -- "Threats By Taliban May Sway Vote In Afghanistan."

-- BBC News -- "Japan's Economy Leaves Recession": "Japan has come out of recession after its economy grew by 0.9% (a 3.7% annual rate) in the April-to-June quarter. The growth comes after four consecutive quarters of contraction." Japan's economy is the world's second-largest.

-- Politico -- "White House Will Change E-mail rules": "The White House said Sunday night that it will change its e-mail sign-up procedures after some recipients of a health-care e-mail complained that they had not asked to receive updates."

-- Tallahassee Democrat -- "Worst Is Over" as Tropical Storm Claudette Dumps Rain On Panhandle: "Some remnant bands of rain from Tropical Storm Claudette are expected to come through Tallahassee this morning, but the worst is over, according to Parks Camp, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tallahassee. The Tallahassee airport only measured .06 inches of rain in the past day, but the Big Bend coastal area was hit harder."

-- CBS News -- "American Leaves Myanmar After Release": "An American man imprisoned for sneaking into the home of detained Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi flew out of the country Sunday after a visiting U.S. senator won his release. John Yettaw of Falcon, Missouri, was headed to Bangkok, Thailand, on a military plane with Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, who secured his freedom Saturday with a plea to Myanmar's ruling military junta."

Related report from NPR's Michael Sullivan in Bangkok:

-- Itar-Tass -- Truck Bomb Kills About 20 In Ingushetia: "Monday morning's truck bomb blast in Nazran left 18 people killed and 69 others injured, the Ingush Interior Ministry told Itar-Tass. Earlier reports said there were 15 fatalities."

Related news from The Associated Press -- Suicide bomber kills at least 20.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

President Barack Obama heads west today for more town hall meetings about his proposals for overhauling the nation's health care system. The first one is in Montana today. Tomorrow, he's due in Colorado.

Will he get as polite a reception -- inside the halls, at least -- as he did earlier this week in New Hampshire?

In advance of the president's stop Saturday in Grand Junction, Colo., NPR's Scott Horsley took at look at that city's innovative program for controlling health care costs. Here's his report for Morning Edition:

Related story by The New York Times -- "False 'Death Panel' Rumor Has Some Familiar Roots."

Also this morning, at 8:30 a.m. ET, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is scheduled to release the July consumer price index -- the most widely watched gauge of inflation at the consumer level.

Among the other stories making headlines this morning:

-- The Wall Street Journal -- Geithner Says Government Won't Let Wall Street Go Back To Its Old Ways: "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the Obama administration wouldn't allow Wall Street to return to such old habits as taking on excessive risk, and that plans to overhaul financial-market regulation were on track. Mr. Geithner pushed back against criticism that Wall Street, which is returning to profitability, is also returning to business as usual, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal."

-- NY1 News -- FAA Suspends Two Employees Over Helicopter/Plane Collision: "The Federal Aviation Administration has suspended a supervisor and the controller handling the small plane that collided with a tour helicopter over the Hudson Saturday. The FAA says it has learned the controller was involved in what it's calling inappropriate phone conversations at the time of the accident. The agency also says a supervisor was not present in the building as required." Nine people died in the crash.

Related news: Tourists' Video Shows Collision. (Fair warning: The video may be disturbing to some.)

-- The Guardian -- Taliban Commanders Agree To Election Cease-Fire: "A series of secret ceasefire deals have been (reached) with Taliban commanders to ensure that voting can go ahead in Afghanistan's volatile south during next week's presidential elections. Under the deals, brokered by Ahmed Wali Karzai -- the controversial brother and campaign manager of the president, Hamid Karzai -- individual Taliban commanders will agree to pull back on election day and allow the Afghan army and police to secure the polling centers."

Related story at CBSNews.com -- "Poll Shows Karzai Leading Ahead Of Afghan Election."

Related story by the Associated Press -- "Observers See Pattern Of Fraud Before Afghan Vote."

On Morning Edition -- "In Afghanistan, Trucking Can Be A Deadly Business." NPR's Renee Montagne tells the story of Shafi Noorzi (photo gallery here), who was a cook for NPR in 2002 and now runs a highly lucrative -- but dangerous -- trucking business:

A good, but dangerous business in Afghanistan. (David Gilkey / NPR)

Also on Morning Edition -- "Critic Questions Afghan Policy Goals." Former U.S. Army colonel (now Boston University professor) Andrew Bacevich tells NPR's Steve Inskeep why he disagrees with U.S. policy that aims to stabilize Afghanistan:

-- BBC News -- "Taiwan Mudslide Death Toll Rises": "Taiwan's president says the number of people killed in mudslides and floods caused by a typhoon could exceed 500, almost 400 of them in a single village. Hsiaolin was hit by a massive mudslide that covered all but two houses -- and officials now say those missing in the village were probably buried alive. The official death toll has already climbed to 118 but is set to go higher."

-- NPR News -- Vick Signs With Eagles: One-time NFL star Michael Vick, who went to prison for his role in a dog-fighting ring, has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. But he still isn't fully cleared to play. NPR's Paul Brown introduces this report:

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

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Two familiar subjects -- the economy and health care -- are atop the news again today. And so are some familiar names -- Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney.

Let's get right to it.

-- Eurostat -- German & French Economies Post Small Gains: The European Union's statistics agency said today that the German and French economies each grew 0.3% in the second quarter. Across the 16-nation "Euro area," gross domestic product edged down just 0.1%. The Associated Press says the data provide "the clearest evidence so far" that in the two biggest economies in Europe, at least, "the worst of the recession is over." NPR's Eric Westervelt says the data raise hopes that the recession may be easing in the rest of Europe as well:

Related story on Morning Edition -- Is U.S. Recession Over? Many Economists Think So. NPR's Chris Arnold reports:

Related story from NPR News -- But Foreclosure Crisis Continues In The U.S.:

More news about how the U.S. economy is doing is due at 8:30 a.m. ET, when the Commerce Department releases figures on July retail sales.

-- Sarah Palin on Facebook -- Obama Is Being Misleading About "Death Panels": "With all due respect," the former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee writes, "it's misleading" for President Barack Obama to say that provisions in one of the health care overhaul bills simply increase the information offered to Medicare recipients about end-of-life issues. "The issue is the context in which that information is provided and the coercive effect these consultations will have in that context. ... Is it any wonder that senior citizens might view such consultations as attempts to convince them to help reduce health care costs by accepting minimal end-of-life care?"

Related story by USA TODAY -- Poll Signals That "Raucous Protests" Have Fueled Opposition To Health Care Bills Among Some."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Sen. Cardin Feels Heat On Health Care". NPR's Pam Fessler reports from a town hall meeting held yesterday by Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.:

Related story by The New York Times -- "Obama Injects Himself Into Health Talks, Despite Risks."

Related story at NPR.org -- "Why Obama Can't Brush Off Health Care Protests."

-- The Washington Post -- "Cheney Uncloaks His Frustration With Bush": "In his first few months after leaving office, former vice president Richard B. Cheney threw himself into public combat against the 'far left' agenda of the new commander in chief. More private reflections, as his memoir takes shape in slashing longhand on legal pads, have opened a second front against Cheney's White House partner of eight years, George W. Bush."

-- The Courier-Journal -- "Pitino Apologizes For Affair": "University of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino apologized Wednesday to his family, the university, his players and fans for what he called his 'indiscretion' six years ago, when he had sex with a woman in a Louisville restaurant. But speaking during a late-afternoon news conference, Pitino said he had no plans to resign, and UofL President James Ramsey and Athletic Director Tom Jurich said in prepared statements afterward that they support him."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Policymakers at the Federal Reserve finish up two days of meetings this afternoon and many eyes will be on the statement they make afterward. It's widely expected they will leave short-term interest rates alone, but investors will parse the Fed's words for clues to how its policymakers think the economy's doing.

Today's Financial Times, by the way, has a piece by University of Chicago economics professor Randall Kroszner about how difficult it is for the Fed and other central banks to figure out the right time to lift its foot off the accelerator.

And The Washington Post looks at the signs that we're having an economic recovery "only a statistician can love."

Over at the White House, President Barack Obama this morning will host a reception for the newest Supreme Court justice, Sonia Sotomayor. In the afternoon, he will hand out 16 Medals of Freedom. The honorees include Bishop Desmond Tutu, Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy and tennis legend Billie Jean King.

As for stories making headlines, they include:

-- Morning Edition -- Marines Move Into Taliban-Held Town In Southern Afganistan. From Helmand province, where she is embedded with U.S. Marines, NPR's Soroya Sarhaddi Nelson tells host Steve Inskeep that the U.S. forces she's with were met with a lot of resistance that lasted for several hours today, but that all is now quiet in the village:

The U.S. operation is part of an effort to push the Taliban out of towns and villages in Helmand prior to Afghanistan's Aug. 20 presidential election. NPR's Renee Montagne, who's also in Afghanistan, reported on Morning Edition about a much different effort to boost voter participation -- a "rock the vote" style concert featuring one of the country's most popular singers:

And, Renee filed the second part of her interview with the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who talked about American efforts to go after the country's drug lords:

One more Afghanistan-related story to pass along. Morning Edition's Inskeep talked with defense analyst Anthony Cordesman, who makes the case that even more troops are needed to fight corruption and build that country:

-- The Wall Street Journal -- Democrats Say E-Mails Show Improprieties By Rove In Firing Of U.S. Attorneys: "House Democrats turned over to federal prosecutors thousands of investigative documents Tuesday, alleging they are evidence of impropriety by Karl Rove and other Bush White House officials in the controversial 2006 firing of nine U.S. attorneys. It remains far from certain whether the 5,400 pages of emails and other documents released Tuesday contain information that would help prosecutors bring criminal charges against Mr. Rove, who served as former President George W. Bush's political adviser, or against any other former Bush officials."

-- The New York Times -- "Shiites In Iraq Show Restraint As Sunnis Keep Attacking": "Shiite clerics and politicians have been successfully urging their followers not to retaliate against a fierce campaign of sectarian bombings, in which Shiites have accounted for most of the 566 Iraqis killed since American troops pulled out of Iraq's cities on June 30."

-- Morning Edition -- Debunking The "Kill Grandma Scare Tactic". NPR's Julie Rovner adds to the reporting that shows "no, the health care overhaul bill now working its way through Congress would not require seniors to learn how to die prematurely":

-- The Associated Press -- More Found Alive In Taiwan Towns Hit By Mudslides: "Rescuers have found nearly 1,000 people alive in the area around three remote villages devastated by Typhoon Morakot, which pummeled the island over the weekend, Taiwan's military said Wednesday."

Related report by NPR News' Giles Snyder -- Many Still Missing:

By Mark Memmott

Will there be disruptions at President Barack Obama's town hall meeting in Portsmouth, N.H., this afternoon?

That's one of the stories to watch today.

Obama is due to hold a town hall on his health care overhaul plans, and as you're probably already aware there have been verbal fireworks at many of the such meetings that the president's fellow Democrats have been holding around the country in recent days. The White House is bracing for what could be a "vigorous" exchange with voters at the 1 p.m. ET event.

But as the New Hampshire Union Leader reports, to get one of the 1,800 tickets to the town hall you had to fill out a form on the White House website. Then, the White House contacted those who had applied before issuing the tickets. According to the newspaper, "police said only ticketed guests will be allowed onto Andrew Jarvis Drive, the road leading into the school."

Related story by The New York Times: "White House Adapts To New Playbook In Health Care Debate."

We're planning to live-blog the town hall, so check back later to see what happens.

Update at 8:28 a.m. ET. From Portsmouth, NPR's Don Gonyea filed this preview of the town hall meeting:

Don will be reporting from the scene, where opponents of the president's health care plans are reportedly already gathering.

As for other stories making headlines as the day gets going, they include:

-- Morning Edition -- Top U.S. Commander In Afghanistan Says Voters Will Be Able To Get To Polls. NPR's Renee Montagne spoke with Gen. Stanley McChrystal about Afghanistan's Aug. 20 presidential election and the current state of the war there. "We will win," McChrystal said. Of one troubled region, he said that "the vast percentage of voters in Helmand are going to have the option to vote":

-- BBC News -- Myanmar's Suu Kyi Returned To House Arrest: "Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to an additional 18 months' house arrest by a court in Rangoon. Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate, was convicted of violating state security laws by allowing a US national into her lakeside home after he swam there."

From a related Associated Press story: Suu Kyi looked alert but tired during the 90-minute court session. She stood as the verdict was announced and then thanked foreign diplomats for attending her trial. 'I look forward to working with you in the future for the peace and prosperity of my country and the region,' Suu Kyi said in a soft voice to diplomats seated nearby. She then was led out of the courtroom."

-- The Associated Press -- 300 Typhoon Victims Rescued In Taiwan: "Taiwan's military rescued about 300 people Tuesday after a mudslide touched off by Typhoon Morakot consumed a village, but scores remained missing. A helicopter on a relief operation in the area crashed into a mountain with three crew aboard."

-- Politico -- "Congressional Jets May Be Scrapped": "After an uproar over a proposed purchase of new executive jets for use by senior government officials, including members of Congress, the top Defense appropriator in the House has offered to eliminate funding for the planes -- but only if the Pentagon, which operates the jets, agrees. 'If the Department of Defense does not want these aircraft, they will be eliminated from the bill,' Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), the chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommitee said Monday evening."

By Mark Memmott

As the day gets going here in the U.S., there's word from Iraq of bombings near Mosul and in Baghdad. More than 40 people were killed and more than 200 wounded, Iraqi officials tell the Associated Press. From Baghdad, NPR's Deborah Amos reports that the attack near Mosul may have been aimed at a small minority group. The attacks in Baghdad, she says, were in a Shiite neighborhood:

Also atop the news this morning: The cleanup in Taiwan and mainland China from Typhoon Morakot, which forced the evacuation over the weekend of nearly 1 million people. Hundreds of people on Taiwan are missing.

Flooded. In southern Taiwan, water is everywhere -- but clean water is scarce. (Sam Yeh / AFP/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama wraps up a two-day summit with the leaders of Mexico and Canada. NPR's Scott Horsley, reporting from Guadalajara, Mexico, says there are three things on the agenda:

Obama and the other leaders are expected to hold a news conference this afternoon.

Other stories making headlines include:

-- USA TODAY op-ed -- Pelosi And Hoyer Say "Disruptions" At Town Halls Are "Un-American": The Democratic leaders in the House write that "these disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views -- but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task (health care reform) for decades."

Related poll by USA TODAY/Gallup: "Americans Divided On Health Care Overhaul."

Related story on Morning Edition: Is The Canadian Health Care System Really That Bad? From KQED, Sarah Varney reports:

-- Times of London -- "More Troops, Fewer Caveats," U.S. Adviser Says About Afghanistan: The Taliban "have been winning the war for control of Afghanistan's territory," U.S. security expert Anthony Cordesman, an adviser to U.S. commanders, writes. "Afghan security forces were not given serious priority until 2007 -- more than five years into the war," Cordesman adds, "and many Nato/ISAF planners feel that numbers need to be doubled and training time cut by one third to get more Afghan forces on the ground."

Related story in The New York Times: "U.S. To Hunt Down Afghan Drug Lords Tied To Taliban".

Related story in The Wall Street Journal: "Taliban Now Winning: U.S. Commander In Afghanistan Warns Of Rising Casualties."

Related story on Morning Edition: "With Scars Of War, Swat Town's Residents Return". Across the border from Afghanistan, NPR's Philip Reeves reports on the people of Pakistan's Swat Valley, who are returning home after intense fighting there drove Taliban fighters from "the Switzerland of Asia":

-- The Washington Post -- New Wave Of Swine Flu Expected In U.S.: "As the first influenza pandemic in 41 years has spread during the Southern Hemisphere's winter over the past few months, the United States and other northern countries have been racing to prepare for a second wave of swine flu virus. At the same time, international health authorities have become increasingly alarmed about the new virus's arrival in the poorest, least-prepared parts of the world."

-- New York Daily News -- Helicopter Pilot's Colleague Says Crash Was "Inevitable": "He was a witness to horror and he's seen it coming for years. A close colleague of the pilot of the doomed tourist helicopter says it can be dicey in the skies over the Hudson River -- and Saturday's disaster that killed nine was 'inevitable.' 'We were borderline surprised that it took so long for a crash like this to happen,' saidBen Lane, 34, who frantically radioed his pilot pal Jeremy Clarke that a plane was bearing down on him."

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

(Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.)

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As our day gets going, there's more news about the fate of Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the Taliban in Pakistan. One of his commanders, Kafayat Ullah, tells the Associated Press that he can "confirm that Baitullah Mehsud and his wife died (Wednesday) in the American missile attack in South Waziristan."

From Islamabad, NPR's Philip Reeves says that if Mehsud is dead that would be a "major coup" for American and Pakistani intelligence agencies:

Another story just breaking comes from northern Iraq, where at least four bombs have exploded -- killing at least 26 people.

News of a much different sort is likely to grab lots of attention at 8:30 a.m. ET. That's when the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports on the July unemployment rate and issues its estimate of how many jobs were cut from businesses' payrolls last month. The agency will post the news here, and we'll pass it along as quickly as possible.

According to Bloomberg News, economists expect BLS will say that employers cut 325,000 jobs (less than the 467,000 in June) and that the jobless rate edged up to 9.6% from 9.5% in June.

Politico writes this morning that "the White House is playing a delicate expectations game as it braces for Friday's release of the nation's unemployment rate." It has put the possibility of a 10% jobless rate "on the table" so that anything lower will look like "a win."

Among the other stories making headlines:

-- St. Petersburg Times' The Buzz blog -- "Mayhem" At Democratic Lawmaker's Town Hall: "Pity the many Tampa Bay TV, radio and print radio reporters who showed up to cover a nuanced discussion of health care reform options at a town hall meeting headlined by state Rep. Betty Reed and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor. Instead they had to make do with covering total mayhem, as hundreds of protesters turned the event into a near riot."

The Buzz also posted video:

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Drug Deal Poses Problem To Health Overhaul":