CNN 2009-08-28

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Good morning, I’m Melissa Long here at the CNN center here in Atlanta, it’s a Thursday morning, here’s a look at some of the stories happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

The war in Afghanistan is apparently¹ getting more deadly. This month is now tied with last month, the deadliest in the eight-year conflict there, 44 US troops died in August. The latest American serviceman who is killed in a militant² attack today involving in a roadside bomb and gunfire.

Today, those who knew Senator Ted³ Kennedy well, and those who knew him, are not saying goodbye just yet. First, a private Mass at the family compound in Hyannis Port, and then a motorcade to Boston where he will lie in repose⁴ at the presidential library of his brother John F. Kennedy.

Intelligence officials are telling CNN that at least 20 people were killed today in a suicide bombing in Pakistan. The bombing happened near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan. A local official says the victims were security personnel gathering⁵ to eat to end the daily fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

NASA has resumed the countdown for the launch of space shuttle Discovery. It’s scheduled to lift off just after midnight 12:22 a.m. eastern on Friday. It’s been delayed twice already this week. The first delay was weather-related, the second was due to a faulty valve.

And gas prices are slightly down today. AAA reporting the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is $2.62, that’s down two-tenths of a penny from Wednesday. Last year, remember the regular unleaded gas price was $3.67 a gallon.

Those are the headlines for you this hour. Do stay with CNN and CNN.com for more on these stories and other news that develops today.