NPR 2008-07-08

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama cancelled a planned appearance in North Carolina today when his plane had mechanical problems. But speaking in St. Louis where the plane landed, he outlined proposals for revitalizing the sagging 1 US economy. "Instead of Washingtongimmicks, like a three-month gas tax holiday that will only pat oil company profits, we need to do what I called for months ago, and pass a second stimulus 2 package that provides energy rebate 3 checks for working families，a fund to help families avoid foreclosure and increased assistance for states that have been hard hit by the economic downturn.” At a town hall-style meeting in Denver, Obama's GOP rival John McCain said Obama's plans are expensive and will hurt many Americans. "The choice in this election is stark 4 and simple. Senator Obama will raise your taxes. I won't. I will cut them where I can." McCain wants to extend President Bush's tax cuts and cut the corporate 5 tax rate.

Congress returns to Washington this week after an Independence Week break. The Senate has been in session today with housing and domestic spying on the agenda. NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

Lawmakers returned to Washingtonafter hearing from constituents 6 about record gasoline prices, but there is little they're likely to do on that front. Another sector 7 of the economy, the housing market, will be addressed as the Senate resumes debate on a measure aimed at providing help for some homeowners facing foreclosure. The bill would give qualified 8 borrowers a chance to get out of adjustable-rate mortgages whose interest rates keep rising, and into lower-cost fixed-rate loans backed by the government. While it has wide bipartisan support, the measure still faces procedural hurdles 9. The Senate also takes up a proposed overhaul 10 of the nation's warrantless surveillance laws this week. Some Democrats 11 opposed the bill, because it would grant immunity 12 to telecommunications companies who gave information to the government. Brian Naylor, NPR News, the Capitol.

One of the three Americans rescued from a Colombian rebel camp last week spoke 13 out about the FARC rebels today at a public ceremony in Texas. Marc Gonsalves slammed the people who held them captive for years. "The FARC are not (a) revolutionary group. They are not a revolutionary group. They are terrorists. Terrorists with a capital 'T'. Bad people." Gonsalves claimed other hostages are being punished, because he and 14 other people were rescued from the Colombian jungle.

A suicide car bombing outside the Indian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan today has left 41 people dead, and injured at least 139. The explosion was the worst in Kabul since the Taliban leadership fell in 2001. Afghan officials quickly accused Pakistan of possible involvement. But Pakistan denied that.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 56 points today to close at 11,231.

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Scientists in California may have come up with a novel way of someday treating kidney cancer. They have found a compound that persuades cancer cells, and only cancer cells, to commit suicide by digesting themselves. NPR's Joe Palca has more.

 Cells are constantly going through a kind of "internal recycling": breaking down internal parts and re-using the chemicals. But there has to be a balance, or the cell will digest itself out of existence, breaking down all its internal parts so the cell can no longer function. Now, scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found a compound that kicks this internal digestion 14 process into overdrive, but only for cells that have a genetic 15 defect that causes them to become cancers. The compound doesn't have this effect in normal healthy cells. The researchers cautioned it would be years before this compound would be ready for testing in patients. The research appears in the journal Cancer Cell. Joe Palca, NPR News, Washington.

There is no comment from the State Department on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's remark that his country is now interested in a timetable for foreign troop withdrawals 16. In a meeting with Arab ambassadors in the United Arab Emirates, Maliki said, (quote)" we are looking at the necessity of terminating the foreign presence, and restoring full sovereignty". He said there is a need for a memorandum 17 of understanding regarding the departure of foreign forces from Iraq or an understanding that a timetable will be set. Maliki didn’t specifically mention the US in his comments. However, US forces make up the vast majority of foreign troops on Iraqi soil. Maliki's government and the US have been negotiating on the terms of US troop presence after a UN mandate 18 expires in December.