NPR 2008-12-08

Democratic Congressional leaders and White House officials have been conferring again today as they work out final details of a plan to offer emergency short-term federal loans to struggling US automakers. Democratic Senator Carl Lewin of Michigan says he is optimistic that a deal is nearly complete. "There is now, I think a great likelihood that within 24 hours, you're gonna see a bipartisan bill which the leadership of the Congress and the White House will both support, which will provide these bridge loans. " Lewin was less certain that the plan will have the 60 votes needed in the Senate to avoid a possible filibuster 1 by Republican lawmakers such as Richard Shelby of South Carolina who does not think the loan proposal will work. "As long as we, the taxpayer 2 will support them, give them last support, we have no endgame.” Both Shelby and Lewin were on Fox News Sunday.

President-elect Barack Obama says he supports the short-term loan plan as long as it's tied to requirements that the automakers undertake some major restructuring. "If they expect taxpayers 3 to help in that adjustment process, then, they can't keep on putting off the kinds of changes that they frankly 4 should have made, 20 or 30 years ago.” Mr. Obama was on NBC’s Meet the Press.

The President-elect today formally introduced retired 5 general Eric Shinseki as his choice to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, the government's second largest agency. Shinseki says US military personnel returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan deserve better treatment than they've been getting. "They deserve a smooth, error-free, no-fail, benefits-assured transition into our ranks as veterans, and that is our responsibility.”  Shinseki served as army chief of staff until 2003 when he stepped down after criticizing the Bush administration's plan to invade Iraq with a relatively 6 small military force which he felt was inadequate 7 for the task. Shinseki is the first army four-star general of Japanese-American ancestry 8.

Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he was ashamed of Jewish settlers who attacked Palestinian civilians 9 in the West Bank town of Hebron last week. He called the incident a pogrom, a riot targeting a particular group in much the same way Jews have themselves been targeted in the past. Linda Gradstein has the story from Jerusalem.

Speaking at the opening of the Israeli cabinet meeting, Olmert said the sight of Jews firing at innocent Palestinians has no other name than a pogrom. He was speaking about Thursday's rampage by Jewish settlers in Hebron, after Israeli police evicted 10 some 200 settlers from a house that has disputed ownership. Palestinian said 17 Palestinians were wounded in the clashes, five of them by gunfire. The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem showed footage of a settler firing shots at Palestinian stone-throwers, hitting two of them. For NPR news, I'm Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem.

This is NPR News from Washington.

For a second day, hundreds of young people went on rampages in Athens and other cities in Greece following the killing 11 of a teenage boy by police this weekend. Two officers have been arrested for their roles in the boy's death. But that did not quell 12 the protests. Thousands of people took part in a march to protest the killing of the boy in Athens. But the peaceful demonstration 13 was interrupted by rioters throwing rocks and homemade bombs. Police lobbed tear gas in an effort to disperse 14 the crowd.

Canada's political crisis shows no sign of ending, rallies this weekend for and against the minority government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, have highlighted the country's sharp divisions. Dan Karpenchuk has more.

Two of Canada's opposition 15 leaders stood together before several thousand people in front of Toronto city hall this weekend to sell the idea of a coalition 16 to replace Harper's minority government. Stephane Dion, the Liberals and Jack 17 Layton of the New Democratic Party denounced the Prime Minister and accused him of running away from a vote in parliament. The two leaders shook hands and promised to work together to fight the economic crisis that is coming to Canada. In Montreal, the leader of the separatist Bloc 18 Quebecois Party also lent his support to the coalition, accusing Harper of doing nothing about the economy, and instead trying to make Canada into a banana republic. But in other cities, such as Ottawa and Calgary, thousands also gathered for rallies in support of Mr. Harper. The issue has become an emotional one and has galvanized Canadians to take sides in a way that is rarely seen. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

Gasoline prices have fallen to a near five year low. Prices at the pump were down 22 cents a gallon over the past two weeks. The national average now for self-service regular is $1. 75. The highest gas prices in the most recent survey were in Anchorage, the lowest in Cheyenne Wyoming.