NPR 2009-08-14

The number of US households in some stage of foreclosure took another bump-up in July. The group RealtyTrac which maintains an extensive database of foreclosure activity nationwide says foreclosure filings last month were up 7% from the previous month, 32% from the same period a year ago. Rick Sharga, a senior vice 1 president RealtyTrac: "For the month of July across the country, one at every 355 households received a foreclosure notice, that's the highest level we ever tracked for an individual month." Just four states, California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada were responsible for 57% of all new foreclosure filings last month. RealtyTrac says many of the new foreclosures are occurring in states where job losses are continuing to mount.

 US Marines fighting to gain control of a strategic Taliban-held town in southern Afghanistan got some key reinforcement today in the form of aircraft and missile strikes. Marines along with Afghan troops have been exchanging heavy gunfire with insurgents 2 as they moved into Dahaneh, Afghanistan. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson has been with the Marines and describes where the operation stands now.

 The Afghan National Army did go out with some Marines today on armies patrols. This is the first time they worked together, and they were doing searches of the compounds here. They basically cleared up through most of the town with the exception of a bazaar 3, which is very crucial ’cause apparently 4 there is Taliban activity in that bazaar. So they are still trying to find how they're gonna handle that. But with any luck, what they’re saying tomorrow is that they plan to open this combat outpost and actually move the ANA forces there. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson. US forces have been seeking to secure the town ahead of next week's scheduled presidential election in Afghanistan.

 Guitarist Les Paul has died; the 94-year-old musician died of complications from pneumonia 5 at White Plains Hospital in New York. The guitarist was also a pioneer of the electric guitar and other recording 6 studio technologies. NPR's Felix Contreras has this appreciation 7.

 As early as 1929, Les Paul was already working on trying to make his acoustic 8 guitar louder and once crooner Bing Crosby gave him a tape recorder, he eventually devised technology to create a forerunner 9 of a multi-track recording device. In the 1950s, Paul and his wife vocalist Mary Ford 10 sold millions of records while hosting a television show from their home. But Paul's greatest influence was as a guitarist. His playing and his early work on developing the solid-body electric guitar made him a hero to a legion of rockers such as Eric Clapton and Eddie Van Halen. Felix Contreras, NPR News.

 A public wake is being held today for Eunice Kennedy Shriver at Cape 11 Cod 12 church. The body of the sister of John F. Kennedy and Senator Edward Kennedy arrived in a hearse just afternoon. Shriver died earlier this week at the age of 88.

 On Wall Street today the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 36 points.

 This is NPR.

 Giant Exxon-Mobil has agreed to pay roughly 7,000 dollars each for dozens of migratory 13 birds killed at a number of its company properties. Exxon Mobil pleaded guilty to the charges that it's responsible for causing the deaths of about 85 protected birds, the majority of which died after an explosion of company's natural gas well reserve pits and waste water storage facilities. The birds died in Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. In addition to paying a fine over 600,000 dollars, the company also agreed to make changes to prevent similar bird deaths in the future.

 A US-based human rights group says Israeli troops shot and killed Palestinian civilians 14 who were flying white flags during the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Linda Gradstein reports.

 In a report issued in Jerusalem today Human Rights Watch called on Israel to investigate seven incidents that killed 11 unarmed civilians in Gaza during fighting last winter. The report said that in all of these cases, the civilians were waving white flags and there were no armed Palestinian fighters in the area. In a statement the Israeli army said the report is based on the testimony 15 of a number Palestinians whose credibility has not been substantiated 16. The army also said that merely displaying a white flag does not automatically grant immunity 17. The number of civilians killed during the fighting in Gaza continues to be in dispute. Palestinians say at least 900 civilians were killed while Israel puts the number at just 300 along with 900 fighters. The human rights report is the latest to accuse Israel of possible war crimes in Gaza. For NPR News, I'm Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem.

 Crude oil futures 18 rose 36 cents a barrel to close at $70.52 a barrel in New York today.

 I'm Jack 19 Speer, NPR News in Washington.