NPR 2009-07-08

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack 1 Speer

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton says that Costa Rica's President will try to mediate 2 an end to a political crisis in Honduras. NPR's Michele Keleman reports.

Just days after his failed attempt to return home, the ousted 3 President of Honduras paid a visit to the State Department to meet with Secretary Clinton. She made clear that she doesn't want to see Manuel Zelaya try again to force his way back to power, and she said she is pleased that he has agreed to a new mediation 4 effort.

"I believe that it is a better route for him to follow at this time than to attempt to return in the face of the implacable opposition 5 of the de facto regime."

Clinton says the de facto rulers of Honduras have also agreed to let Costa Rica's President Oscar Arias 6 mediate an end to this political crisis. Arias won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end political violence in Central America in the 1980s. Michele Kelemen, NPR News the State Department.

In a ceremony attended by thousands at the Staples 7 Center in Los Angeles, entertainer Michael Jackson was eulogized today in words and music. The late entertainer who died last month at the age of 50 was celebrated 8 by fellow entertainers, athletes and celebrities 9. Actress Brooke Shields, a longtime friend, described her relationship with Jackson, how, in her view, was often mischaracterized.

"Whenever we were out together and there would be a picture taken, there would be a caption 10 of some kind. And the caption usually said something like an odd couple, or an unlikely pair. But to us, it was the most natural and easiest of friendships."

Singers Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder also paid tribute to Jackson. Jackson's 11-year-old daughter Paris Jackson broke down as she described Jackson as the best father you can ever imagine.

The administration today made some major moves toward improving the safety of the nation's food supply. NPR's Joanne Silberner has more.

Vice 11 President Joseph Biden joined the heads of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture to talk about the changes. Biden estimated that one in four people get sick every year from contaminated food, an untenable situation.

"You know, there are few responsibilities that are more basic, or more important than for the government to make and ensure that our families in America eat food that is not contaminated, that’s safe."

Biden announced that HHS and the USDA are now developing new safety standards for eggs, poultry 12, beef and some produce/ and increasing inspections 13 of food processing facilities. The initiatives are planned to coordinate 14 with legislation now making its way to Congress to give the Food and Drug Administration more money and power. Joanne Silberner, NPR News, Washington.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 161 points to close at 8,163. That was a decline of nearly 2%. The S&P 500 was down 17 points.

This is NPR.

As President Obama prepares to leave Russia, he is calling for both sides to, as he put it "move beyond Cold War thinking” and try and achieve common goals. President told graduates of the New Economic School today, it's "difficult to form a lasting 15 partnership 16 between adversaries 17." However Mr. Obama also said it's in the interest of both countries to halt the spread of nuclear weapons. The President met with Russian leaders and also with opposition leaders, reporters and environmentalists during his visit. Mr. Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev have also agreed to work to negotiate a new nuclear arms deal that by year’s end would slash 18 the arsenals 19 of both countries by a third.

The District of Columbia now recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states. The DC council passed the bill in Maine today. The deadline passed for the US Congress to review the measure. NPR's Jack Zahora has more.

Congress has the final say over DC laws and it has 30 days to review the bill, and it elected instead to take no action. DC council member Jim Gram who was openly gay and a supporter of gay marriage in the district, says this is a huge victory for his constituents 20.

"If I am legally married in Connecticut, and for some reason I might want to move to District of Columbia, of course I want to know whether my marriage is valid 21 in DC."

Gram says the next step is to pass a bill this year that would allow gay marriages to take place in the city.

"We have a council that is overwhelmingly supportive."

While this is true, today's new law came under heated attacks by council member and former mayor Marian Barry. Protests were also organized by black church leaders who oppose gay marriage. Jack Zahora, NPR News, Washington.

Crude prices fell $1.12 a barrel to settle at 62.93 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange today.