NPR 2011-02-16

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President Obama is appealing for patience in tackling some of the nation's long-term fiscal¹ challenges. NPR's Scott Horsley monitored this morning's White House news conference. Scott, the president staunchly defended his budget proposal of more than 3.7 trillion dollar spending plan.

He did, Lakshmi, he argued that the spending plan is a responsible mix of savings² and investments, saying budget cutters used a scalpel not a machete to trim domestic programs, and he also shrugged³ off criticism that his budget does not address the long-term funding gap in entitlement programs like Social Security.

"The truth is Social Security is not the huge contributor to the deficit⁴ that the other two entitlements are. I'm confident we can get Social Security done in the same way that Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill were able to get it done by parties coming together, making some modest adjustments. I think we can avoid slashing⁵ benefits, and I think we can make it stable and stronger for not only this generation but for the next generation."

The president says his budget is only a first step and that addressing some of those longer-term issues will require compromise between Democrats⁶ and Republicans.

Yeah but Scott, what kind of fight does the president really face in the coming weeks and months?

Well, in the short term, congressional Republicans are pushing for deeper cuts in domestic spending. At the same time, Democrats are howling that the president's plan imposes big cuts and real pain on some of the neediest Americans.

Okay, thanks Scott. NPR's Scott Horsley reporting.

After two demonstrators in Bahrain were killed in clashes with police, the Bahraini king has called for an investigation⁷ into the deaths. Police have pulled back, and NPR's Peter Kenyon tells us that pro-reform demonstrators have swarmed⁸ to a central monument in the capital.

At the start of a funeral procession for Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima, a clash with riot police killed another young man. Such deaths, though not uncommon⁹ in some Mideast countries, are rare here, and the government quickly regrouped. The police left the funeral area and did not interfere¹⁰ as thousands of demonstrators moved on to a main square in Manama. Some began calling it their Tahrir Square. And a few tents quickly popped up. King Hamad bin¹¹ Issa al-Khalifa said he was sorry for the deaths of the protestors and had launched a committee to look into the fatalities¹². Another funeral for the second demonstrator is scheduled for tomorrow. Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Bahrain.

The New York Stock Exchange's parent company is joining forces with Frankfort's Deutsche Borse to create the largest financial exchange owner in the world. Deutsche Borse shareholders¹³ will own 60% of the new company. The remainder will be under shareholders for Euronext.

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was down 53 points at 12,215. This is NPR News.

A group is being recognized today for extraordinary contributions to this country. At a White House ceremony, Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian¹⁴ honor, was bestowed¹⁵ on 15 recipients¹⁶, including:

"The honorable George Herbert Walker Bush. Over the arc of his life, President Bush has served our nation as a tremendous force for good, and we proudly salute¹⁷ him for his unwavering devotion to our country and our world."

"Jasper Johns. Jasper Johns' innovative¹⁸ creations helped shape the pop, minimal¹⁹ and conceptual art movements, and the United States honors him for his profound influence on generations of artists."

Tom Little was recognized posthumously²⁰. He was killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan where he provided eye care services to the Afghan people.

Oklahoma lawmakers are working on legislation which would deny state citizenship²¹ to any children born of undocumented workers. From member station KOSU, Michael Cross has more.

Supporters of Senate Bill 898 believe the fourteenth amendment²² should require that at least one parent of a child born in the US not have allegiance to any other nation. State Senator Ralph Shortey says 15 other states want this addressed by the federal government.

"They can go to the Supreme²³ Court. If that's the case, that's a good way to do as well. My preference is that Congress actually take action on this, and if there's an urging from the states to do that, then they will take action."

Opponents say Oklahoma doesn't have the right to redefine the fourteenth amendment which gives citizenship to anyone born in United States. The measure passed out of a state Senate Judiciary Committee and is heading to the full Senate. For NPR News, I'm Michael Cross in Oklahoma City.