NPR 2009-07-04

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced today that she will resign on July 26th and will not seek re-election next year. As last year's Republican vice-Presidential candidate, Palin's move is seen as a potential first step toward a bid for the White House in 2012. NPR's Ken 1 Rudin reports.

The decision to opt 2 out of a second term was not a surprise. Her approval numbers in Alaska have been falling since last year's campaign and she's been feuding 3 with legislators from both parties over the budget. She has also been in many controversies 4 away from home. Battling with talk show host David Letterman, giving mixed signals about attending a GOP fund-raising dinner in Washington and being blamed by some unnamed John McCain's staffers for the party's defeat last year. But few expected her decision to resign. On the one hand, it could give her more time to prepare for a 2012 presidential run. Polls show her popularity among Republicans still very high, or it could signal that she's had enough of the attacks and the ridicules 5 she and her family have endured since she was named to the ticket in 2008. Ken Rudin, NPR News, Washington.

On the second day of a major offensive in Afghanistan, US marines have fanned out across the southern Helmand province and are setting up forward operating bases. It's part of the Obama administration's new Afghan strategy which includes cutting off supplies to Taliban insurgents 6, weakening their hold on the province and rebuilding local governments.

The head of the Organization of American States has arrived in Honduras to push an interim 7 government there to step aside and reinstate President Manuel Zelaya who was overthrown 8 Sunday. NPR's Juan Forero reports from Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza has said he talked to the Supreme 9 Court and the church, but not interim President Roberto Micheletti. The OAS recognizes Manuel Zelaya as President. Insulza says the OAS will suspend Honduras if Micheletti doesn't bring Zelaya back by Saturday. Zelaya is a former cattle rancher who aligned 10 with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Alarming some Hondurans, he tried to carry out a referendum that critics charged would have led to a new constitution. Micheletti says Zelaya violated the law and wanted to extend his rule. Many diplomats 11 here disagreed with that interpretation 12, but the interim government is defiant 13 and so is Zelaya. He says he will return this weekend to regain 14 his presidency 15. Juan Forero, NPR News, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Los Angeles, California is asking for a financial help after the family of the late pop star Michael Jackson announced today a public memorial service will be held at L.A.'s Staples 16 Center Tuesday. The city, like the state, is in financial trouble and council members say L.A. doesn't have the money to pay police's overtime 17 and for all the other expenses including sanitation 18 and staging. A call has gone out for donations. This is NPR News.

German prosecutors 19 say accused Nazi 20 concentration camp guard John Demjanjuk is fit to go on trial. The 89-year-old former autoworker was deported 21 from Ohio in May. His family says he is too ill and frail 22 to withstand a trial. But a team of doctors disagrees.

Top executives at General Motors could be facing a holiday weekend filled with anxieties as they wait for a federal judge to rule on its bankruptcy 23 plan. Michigan Radio's Vincent Duffy has details.

Judge Robert Gerber adjourned 24 a three-day bankruptcy hearing before the holiday weekend without indicating when he will rule on GM's plan to sell its good assets to a new company owned mostly by the US government. Gerber asked GM's attorneys to submit in writing how they would like things settled if the sale was approved. The attorneys say they will do that by tonight or tomorrow. The judge is expected to rule some time after that. GM's lawyers say the only alternative to the automaker's plan would be a liquidation 25 of the company's assets. They warned that would have horrific consequences for everyone involved. The Obama administration has set a July 10th deadline for the sales to be approved or it will cut off funding to the automaker. Hundreds of parties including bond holders 26, unions, state officials, consumer groups and individuals have filed objections to the sale, threatening to hold up the process. For NPR News, I'm Vincent Duffy in Ann Arbor 27, Michigan.

The coach with the most NBA championships has decided 28 to try to extend his winning streak 29. Phil Jackson says he will return to coach the L.A. Lakers next season. On his website, the nearly 64-year-old hall of famer said he consulted the team of doctors before making the final decision. Jackson won his tenth NBA title and guided the Lakers to their 15th last month.