NPR 2008-06-06

Defense 1 Secretary Robert Gates has ousted 2 the Air Force's top military and civilian 3 leaders today，holding them accountable after an embarrassing string of events. At Pentagon news conference, Gates accepted the resignations of Air Force Chief of Staff General Michael Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne. Gates citing two incidents, one in which a B-52 mistakenly, armed with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, flew across the country, and another in which ballistic missile fuses accidentally wound up in Taiwan. "Rather than an isolated 4 occurrence, the shipment of the four forward-section assemblies to Taiwan was a symptom of a degradation 5 of the authority, standards of excellence 6 and technical competence 7 within the nation's ICBM force.” Gates says he has also asked former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger to lead a task force that will recommend ways to ensure accountability in terms of the Air Force’s handling of nuclear weapons.

The self-confessed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks told a military judge at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that he welcomed the death penalty for taking part in the attacks. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told the judge he has wanted to be a martyr 8 for some time. Mohammed is one of five detainees arraigned 9 today for their role in the 2001 attacks. NPR's Jackie Northam reports from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

This was the first time in several years that Mohammed and the other detainees have been seen in public. Mohammed sported a long, gray, bushy beard and thick,owl-like eyeglasses, a far cry from how he looked when he was arrested in Pakistan in 2003. In fact, he told a sketch 10 artist in the courtroom to track down a picture of him from that time. Mohammed, who under trial rules, has the right to approve any pictures done of him, felt the court's artist made his nose too wide in a picture and wanted her to redraw it. Much of the hearing was taken up with the judge and prisoners talking about whether they want to represent themselves. Cultural differences, faulty  translation skills and  miscommunications between defense lawyers and their clients led to protracted  and circular discussions. Jackie Northam, NPR News, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Two and a half percent of all homes were in some stage of foreclosure in the first quarter. NPR's Chris Arnold reports.

Foreclosures are rising even faster than many economists 11 have predicted. Mark Zandy heads up Moodyseconomy.com. He says last year, the first wave of foreclosures involved many speculators or people who just bought way more homes than they could afford. But now, "These are solid,er, steady homeowners that are, that are falling delinquent 12, going into foreclosure and, and being asked to leave their homes. And it's not just subprime, it's not just flippers, it's prime borrowers." Zandy says with home prices down 15 to 20 percent or more in many places, many homeowners end up owing more than their houses' worth. That makes them very vulnerable if, say their employer cuts back on their work hours or they are between jobs. Zandy expects to see upwards 13 of 1.25 million foreclosures in 2008. Chris Arnold, NPR News.

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An Israeli man was killed in a Palestinian mortar 14 attack today and a four-year-old Palestinian girl in Gaza was killed in a subsequent Israeli air strike. NPR's Linda Gradstein has more.

The mortar shell landed outside a paint factory in a kibbutz, a few miles from Gaza. A 51-year-old Israeli man was killed and several others wounded from shrapnel. The Islamist Hamas movement claimed responsibility. Shortly afterwards, Palestinian medical officials said a four-year-old girl was killed and her mother wounded in an Israeli air strike. Hamas officials said the Israeli missile targeted a group of gunmen in southern Gaza, but missed them. Relatives of the girl said she and her mother were in the yard of their home when they were hit. An Israeli army spokesman said they are investigating the incident. An Israeli government spokesman said Israel will not allow the current situation of daily rocket fire on southern Israel to continue. Linda Gradstein, NPR News, Jerusalem.

 Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee 15 Barack Obama has several scheduled appearances in Virginia today. In the town of Bristol, not far from the Tennessee border, Obama today said he is proud of the nation for giving him the opportunity to be the party's presidential nominee, a day after Hillary Clinton's campaign announced she would declare Saturday she is throwing her support behind Obama. The candidate also took on John McCain, the man he will likely face off against in November. Obama is attending an event in Northern Virginia today as well.

Officials in New York have taken a man into custody 16 today after he scaled  the New York Times building in midtown Manhattan reportedly to draw attention to the issue of global warming. The French man, identified as Alain Robert, unfurled a banner at a nearby construction site as workers cheered. Police took him into custody at the top of the building.

On Wall Street, the Dow climbed 213 points today.