NPR 2011-08-01

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The top Republican in the Senate reports progress in negotiations¹ between Congress and the White House on raising the debt limit. Mitch McConnell tells CNN he hopes to present a plan to his fellow Republicans soon. 

 

"We're still working on the parameters² of it. We're very, very close to being able to recommend, I am to my members, that this is something they ought be able to support."

 

In a separate interview with CNN, Democratic Senator Charles Schumer says there's still no deal that many issues remain unresolved, but there are hopeful signs.

 

"Default is far less of a possibility now than it was even a day ago because the leaders are talking and talking in a constructive³ way to come up with a solution that would avoid default, but there are lots of things that are not filled in and many more discussions to go."

 

On "Meet the Press" White House advisor⁴ David Plouffe says today is critical to get an agreement in place. There is a general agreement he says on a plan that would cut the deficit⁵ in two stages with the trickier⁶ issues of entitlements and tax reform left for the second round of negotiations.

 

Activists⁷ and Western diplomats⁸ say at least 100 people were killed in Syria during a new military crackdown against anti-government protests. NPR's Deborah Amos reports from Beirut.

 

The Syrian army shelled neighborhoods on the outskirts⁹ of the city, and tanks rolled over makeshift barricades¹⁰ on the way into Hama, said residents reached by phone. With sustained fire clearly heard in the background, residents described an assault that began before dawn. Casualties quickly overwhelmed the hospitals. An army offensive in eastern Syria also intensified¹¹ against army deserters, say activists, in the town of Deiral-Zour. In Damascus, thousands have been detained in the past two days. The stepped-up assaults came a day before the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, when the opposition¹² plans to step up protests against President Bashar al-Assad. Deborah Amos, NPR News, Beirut.

 

The president of Yemen is calling for an end to anti-government protests during the Holy month of Ramadan, which begins tomorrow. For six months, protesters have been calling for the president to step down. 

 

Protests are increasing in Israel over the high cost of living. Sheera Frenkel reports from Tel Aviv.

 

More than 150,000 Israelis took to the streets Saturday night in what the Israeli press called the largest domestic protest in the country's history. The protesters said they were spurred to action by high housing costs. Many of them chanted "the people demand social justice" and suggested the government subsidize housing projects for young couples and students. The protest started two weeks ago, when activists pitched tents along one of Tel Aviv's priciest avenues. Other groups have since joined the protest, including Israel's labor¹³ federation¹⁴ and doctors protesting poor working conditions in hospitals. For NPR News, I'm Sheera Frenkel in Tel Aviv. 

 

And you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

 

A boating accident in Moscow is heightening concerns about lacked safety rules in Russia. A crowded motorboat slammed into a barge¹⁵ in the Moscow River early this morning. Officials say nine people were killed, including the captain. There were a total of 16 people on the boat which had a maximum capacity of 12. It struck a docked barge before daylight and quickly sank. The survivors¹⁶ managed to swim to safety or rescued. The Moscow River runs past the Kremlin and has been a popular route for barges¹⁷ and tour boats.

 

There's a new requirement to getting a driving license¹⁸ in Britain. As Larry Miller¹⁹ reports, motorists now must say whether they will agree to donate their organs.

 

Twenty nine percent of British registered to donate their organs after death, and the government hopes the number will double by making everyone face the question when they renew their driving license or get one for the first time. While critics say this is the first step to compulsory²⁰ organ donation, it's welcomed by the National Health Service. Eight thousand people are on its waiting list, and it says 1,000 die each year due to a lack of available organs. The previous government proposed allowing hospitals to remove organs from the dead patients without consent, but backed down after opponents said it would take away patients' rights over their bodies. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London. 

 

Wildlife experts are concerned that the drought in Texas is killing²¹ this year's oyster²² harvest. The dry conditions make the waters in Galveston Bay saltier than usual; good conditions for disease and predators²³. They say many of the oysters²⁴ now being taken from the bay are dead. Meanwhile, the problem in Louisiana, Mississippi is too much water. Floods have affected²⁵ harvest there. Oysters are a 270-million industry in the Gulf²⁶ Coast.

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