NPR 2011-08-02

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"We've worked with our members and listened to the American people who have a real interest in making sure that we don't get into this spot again, and that we ought to have a balanced budget amendment² to the Constitution."

 

Meanwhile, the Obama administration is urging lawmakers to approve the last-minute deal to raise the debt ceiling and prevent a government default. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the House is likely to vote on the measure by tonight.

 

Vice³ President Biden traveled to Capitol Hill today to urge Democrats⁴ in both the House and the Senate to support the measure, even though it includes no new tax revenue to balance the spending cuts. White House spokesman Jay Carney says while the deal is not perfect, it does allow the government to keep paying its bills after tomorrow and lifts the threat of a looming⁵ default.

 

"You may have noticed, if you look outside, that the cloud of uncertainty⁶ has been lifted."

 

The White House still hopes to pursue increased tax revenue as part of the deal's second round of deficit⁷ reduction. Scott Horsley, NPR News, the White House.

 

The tentative debt-ceiling agreement is behind this morning surge in US stocks, and the latest manufacturing data is behind a sudden drop. The Institute of Supply Management said its manufacturing index fell to barely above 50 in July. Economists⁹ were expecting higher. John Silvia, chief economist⁸ at Wells Fargo Securities, says a pickup¹⁰ in the economy just isn't happening.

 

"I think the fundamental issue is the economy doesn't have the upside momentum¹¹ that many firms had expected, and so they're cutting back on orders."

 

But before the close, stocks were paring back losses with the Dow down just 11 points at 12,132 before the close, and the NASDAQ was off 12 points at 2,745.

 

Egyptian police and soldiers broke up the last vestiges¹² of the protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square today. NPR's Mike Shuster reports there were some scuffles as the three-week occupation of the square came to an end.

 

Protesters impatient with the pace of political change in Egypt hope their occupation of Tahrir Square on July 8th would bring back some of the spirit of the movement that toppled President Hosni Mubarak in February, but the number of demonstrators in the square varied¹³ between just a few hundred and several thousand. Last Friday, the crowd in the square swelled¹⁴ to tens of thousands, mostly supporters of Egypt's emerging Islamist political parties. After that, most of the protest groups decided¹⁵ to leave the square but not all. Many Egyptians are growing tired of the protests and expressed the desire to see the demonstrators remove. Security forces were not gentle. They tore down tents that had sprouted¹⁶ in the square and in some cases used their truncheons to chase away protesters, but there were no reports of serious injuries. Mike Shuster, NPR News, Cairo.

 

This is NPR News.

 

A year from today, nearly all new health insurance plans will be required to cover a variety of women's preventive services at no upfront cost, including prescription¹⁷ birth control. NPR's Julie Rovner reports the decision by the Department of Health and Human Services is not without some controversy¹⁸.

 

The new rules are part of last year's health law. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asks the Institute of Medicine to recommend a package of women's health services that should be offered without deductibles or co-pays. It came up with a list of aid, including contraception, breastfeeding support and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. There was pushback on the contraceptive coverage¹⁹ by conservatives and some religious groups. As a result, the new rules allow religious institutions that offer health insurance to choose whether or not to cover birth control. Julie Rovner, NPR News, Washington.

 

The government is expanding its investigation²⁰ into faulty wheel studs on some 2010 model Ford²¹ Fusion²² sedans. The Mercury Milan is now under review. The National Highway Safety Administration says it received more than two dozen complaints that wheel studs, the bolts that hold the wheel to the car, had broken. There were few reports of the wheel coming loose but no word of injuries. More than 317,000 midsize sedans are under investigation.

 

"That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind."

 

MTV is 30 years old today. As Rolling Stone magazine put it, the first images broadcast on the 24-hour music video channel were the image of the launch of Apollo 11.

 

This is NPR.

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