NPR 2009-08-02

Iran's state-run television station says three American tourists have been arrested after entering the country from northern Iraq without permission. The State Department is looking into the reports, as NPR's Allison Keyes reports.

 The three were reportedly hiking in mountains in the area and crossed into Iran's Kurdistan Province from northern Iraq. A State Department spokesman says it is seen in Iranian media reports. The U. S. has asked the Swiss to confirm those reports with Iranian authorities and to arrange for diplomatic access to the American citizens if the reports are true. The Swiss represent American interest in Iran. The State Department says the protection of American citizens is its highest priority. Allison Keyes, NPR News, Washington.

 President Obama says a vote by a key House panel on compromised legislation to overhaul 1 the nation's healthcare system is a historic step. The House Energy and Commerce Committee approving last night, a bill that attempts to strike a balance between the different approaches favored by Conservative and Liberal lawmakers. Three House panels have now passed variations of the legislation. But Republican lawmakers are sharply critical of the proposals. NPR's Carol Van Dam has the story.

 In the Republicans' weekly address, Senator John Thune of South Dakota says the Democrats 3' plan would cost far too much and wouldn't even improve the delivery of health care in this country.

 "Their plan for government-run health care would disrupt our current system and force millions of Americans who currently enjoy their employer-based coverage 4 into a new healthcare plan run by government bureaucrats 5."

 Thune also charges the Democrats' proposal would burden States with fewer people such as his own, because it expands Medicaid coverage without an identified source of funding. He says the money to cover more Medicaid recipients 6 would have to come from somewhere, and that somewhere would likely be in the form of higher taxes. Carol Van Dam, NPR News, Washington.

 In eastern Pakistan, hundreds of rioting Muslims attacked Christians 8 today and burned their homes. At least six of the Christians including a child were burned to death and ten others were injured. Dozens of homes have been torched over the past three days after a rumor 9 spread that Pakistani Christians had desecrated 10 pages from the Koran. The BBC's Shoaib Hasan has more.

 Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had condemned 11 Thursday's violence and ordered an inquiry 12. Saturday's riots have drawn 13 calls from President Asif Ali Zardari who says it has tarnished 14 Pakistan's international image. He has sent the country's Interior Minister to personally carry out an investigation 15 into the events. Christian 7 leaders point out that the incident is the second in the Punjab in just over a month. The BBC's Shoaib Hasan.

 Three American troops were killed by roadside bomb explosions in southern Afghanistan today, and a French soldier was killed and two others wounded during a gun battle with insurgents 16 north of Kabul. The latest violence follows a pledge by the Taliban to disrupt the upcoming presidential election in Afghanistan.

 This is NPR News from Washington.

 A bomb scare at New York's busy LaGuardia airport this morning forced terminals to be evacuated 17. But even though the terminals reopened by afternoon, frustrated 18 passengers such as David Clarke of Long Island are trying to cope with dozens of flight cancellations and delays.

 "Society right now, unfortunately, that one person can cause a lot of inconvenience to a lot of people."

 That one person in this case was a homeless man who tried to board a flight with what police say was a fake bomb. The man faces charges including placing a false bomb in a transportation facility and making terroristic threats.

 Democratic Congressman 19 Ed Markey of Massachusetts who chairs the House Committee on global warming says he'll investigate some deceptive 20 advocacy letters. They were written in June to lobby against climate change legislation. NPR's Peter Overby has the story.

 The letters are purported 21 to be from two civic 22 groups in Charlottesville, Virginia, the local NAACP and Cresciendo Juntos, an organization to help Latino families and workers. They urged the local Congressman Democrat 2 Tom Perriello to vote against the climate change bill that he supported. But the NAACP and Cresciendo Juntos had nothing to do with the letters and the people who supposedly signed them don't exist. The forged letters actually came from Bonner and Associates, a Washington firm that specializes in grassroots campaigned for corporate 23 clients. The firm told the NAACP and Cresciendo Juntos about the forgeries 24. In a letter to Cresciendo Juntos, it called them a mistake and an error, and it says it fired the person who produced them. Peter Overby, NPR News, Washington.

 Thousands of people marching in Malaysia's largest city were scattered 25 by riot police firing tear gas today. The demonstrators were protesting a law that allows indefinite detention 26 without trial.

 I'm Craig Windham, NPR News.