NPR 2012-06-29

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Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy usually sides with the majority in close cases, not this time. Kennedy said from the bench that he found the President Obama's health care law “invalid in its entirety.” Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito all signed on to that reasoning. The four dissenting⁶ justices criticized the attempt to cast the individual mandate as a tax, when Congress shied away from using that word in the law. The dissenters⁷ wrote that in upholding the Affordable Care Act, “the court today decides to save a statute⁸ that Congress did not write.” Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

 

While it’s expected political reaction has been fasting, coming in largely among party lines, it's a major election year boost for President Obama.

 

“Whatever the politics, today's decision was a victory for people all over this country whose lives will be more secure because of this law and the Supreme Court's decision to uphold it.”

 

But Republican presidential candidate Mitt⁹ Romney calls the law a “bad idea.”

 

“Let's make clear that we understand what the court did and did not do. What the court did today was say that Obamacare does nott violate the Constitution. What they did not do was say that Obamacare is good law or that's good policy.”

 

Romney says if elected, he will work to repeal¹⁰ what he calls “Obamacare.” 

 

The high court has struck down the Stolen Valor¹¹ Act, a law that makes it a crime to lie about receiving military awards, including the Medal of Honor. Justices say “yes, a lie is contemptible¹², but still protected by the First Amendment¹³.”

 

In Colorado Springs, officials say hundreds of homes have been destroyed by the Waldo Canyon¹⁴ fire. The massive blaze has also burned some land on Air Force Academy. More from Kirk Siegler of member station KUNC. 

 

The fire has forced the evacuations of two housing complexes on the Air Force Academy's sprawling¹⁵ grounds. Most regular operations, like flying and field training, are on hold. But Lieutenant¹⁶ General Mike Gould says the scheduled processing of new cadets is proceeding¹⁷. 

 

“We've looked at pros¹⁸ and cons⁴ of delaying, but we've made the decision that it is safe, and it's the smart thing to do to receive the class of 2016.”

 

Air Force officials have moved the processing to a safer location that's farther away from the fire. Alternative housing accommodations are also being arranged for some new cadets whose host families have been evacuated¹⁹. For NPR News, I Kirk Siegler.

 

Before the close, Dow was down 25 points. 

 

This is NPR.

 

A third clean-energy company that received a government loan reportedly has gone bankrupt in the face of stiff foreign competition. According to the Associated Press, the Colorado-based Abound²⁰ Solar says it will suspend operations next week. The solar panel maker²¹ received a 400-million-dollar loan guarantee under the government's economic stimulus²² law.

 

Rupert Murdoch has announced plans to split News Corp. in two. As NPR's David Folkenflik reports, the conglomerate's newspapers would be separated from its TV and entertainment wing. 

 

Investors²³ complained the company's stock has been punished because its newspapers don't perform as strongly as Fox News and other TV holdings. But the move occurs against the teen of the phone-hacking and corruption²⁴ scandal at its British newspapers. Fox Business anchor Neil Cavuto asked his boss about that Thursday and got this reply.

 

“It's got nothing to do with it at all. At all. This is not any reaction. This is looking forward to what's best for our companies, and what's best for our shareholders²⁵.”

 

The publishing wing, including Wall Street Journal, the British tabloid²⁶ the Sun and more than 140 Australian papers, would be spun²⁷ off debt-free.

 

The company's Australian TV interests will remain bundled with its newspapers. Murdoch said he’ll remain chairman of both companies and still be CEO of the entertainment and TV giant as well. David Folkenflik, NPR's News, New York.  

 

Europe's debt crisis is at the center of crucial talks in Brussels this week. Leaders have agreed that more needs to be done to stimulate²⁸ growth and regulate banks. However, deep divisions remain over the issue of pooling government debt. 

 

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was off 25 points; NASDAQ down 26; S&P 500 down three points. 

 

This is NPR News.

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