NPR 2009-08-12

President Obama today took his health care proposal to a town hall style meeting in New Hampshire where the President told a mostly supportive crowd he will not sign any health care initiative that adds to the deficit 1. The President also said the proposal would contain strict guidelines to prohibit insurers from dropping coverage 2.

"Insurance companies will be prohibited from denying coverage because of a person's medical history. Period. They will not be able to drop your coverage if you get sick. They will not...they will not be able to water down your coverage when you need it."

Taking aim at his GOP critics, the President said his proposed health care overhaul 3, unlike the prescription 4 drug law passed several years ago, would be paid for. Mr. Obama did not say how he plans to fund the plan expected to cost more than a trillion dollars over ten years, saying he intends to work with Congress on that.

The Pentagon is dismissing claims the head of Pakistan's Taliban fighters is still alive. Baitullah Mehsud is believed to have been killed by US missile strike last week. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly has more.

US and Pakistani officials have grown increasingly confident these past few days that Baitullah Mehsud is dead, but Taliban commanders have insisted their leader is still alive. At the Pentagon, Spokesman Geoff Morrell called the credibility of these Taliban sources "probably very much lacking." "If they really wanted to convince anybody that Baitullah Mehsud was still alive, they would probably do as many people do which is offer some sort of proof of life. But I don't think they are in a position to do so." Without forensic 5 evidence, there is still no definitive 6 proof one way or the other. But the Pentagon's Morrell says the US has "intelligence that would lead us to believe there is a 90% certainty Mehsud is no longer living." Mary Louise Kelly, NPR News, Washington.

Federal Reserve officials held the first of two days of discussions today in Washington. Steve Beckner of Market News International has more.

Since the Fed's policy making Federal Open Market Committee last met in late June, financial markets have shown increasing signs of stabilization 7 and the recession has diminished in intensity 8. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said last month that modest economic growth is apt to resume in the second half of this year, although, he said the unemployment rate is unlikely to peak until early next year. Against that backdrop, he and his fellow FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) members must decide whether and for how long it remains 9 appropriate for the Fed to hold short-term interest rates near zero and to pump money into the financial system to stimulate 10 the economy. When the Fed issues its policy statement tomorrow afternoon, it is expected to keep its easy credit strategy in place for a while longer. For NPR News, I'm Steve Beckner.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 96 points to end the session at 9,241. The S&P 500 closed down 12 points today.

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Tributes are pouring in today for Eunice Kennedy Shriver. The Special Olympics founder 11 and sister of John F. Kennedy and Senator Edward Kennedy died early today. Senator Kennedy said his sister through her work with the mentally disabled "touched the lives of millions". President Obama in a statement says Shriver's lesson to the nation was that no physical or mental barrier can restrain the power of the human spirit. Eunice Shriver was with her husband, five children and all of her 19 grandchildren when she died. She was 88 years old.

Kuwait has arrested an Al-Qaeda leader linked to group or Al-Qaeda-linked group planning to attack US military base in that country. Dale Gavlak reports.

Kuwait's Interior Ministry 12 said it had arrested a six-member Kuwaiti terrorist cell plotting to attack Camp Arifjan and the country's Internal Security Headquarters. Kuwait is a strong US ally, but Islamic militants 13 in the country oppose the US military presence there. There have been several attacks on US troops and contract workers in recent years. Militants shot dead a contract worker and wounded another when they pumped 24 bullets in an SUV in 2003. A year earlier, two Al-Qaeda-linked gunmen attacked US troops on Kuwait's Failaka Island, killing 14 one marine 15 and injuring another. For NPR News, I'm Dale Gavlak in Amman.

The annual sky show known as the Perseid meteor shower will be taking place this week with the early morning hours providing the best viewing opportunity. But how many meteors will be visible would depend on the weather conditions in the town or city where you live. The Perseids which can result in dozens of sightings an hour are expected to reach their peak tonight and into Wednesday night. Forecasters say the best time to watch is likely from 4 to 5 AM Eastern Standard Time.