NPR 2009-6-12

President Barack Obama kicked off a campaign for health care reform today in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He disputed claims he wants to socialize medicine. He also said there's a moral-led economic imperative 1 to make health care more affordable 2 and accessible. From Wisconsin Public Radio, Patty Murray reports.

President Obama said he came to Green Bay because the area has high quality care at lower-than-average prices compared to the nation as a whole. He said it’s a model that can be emulated 3 elsewhere. The president is proposing what he calls a health insurance exchange where people can go to pick out an insurance plan. Someone who can't afford a private plan could pick a public option.

"If you've got a private plan that works for you, that's great. But we want some competition. If the private insurance companies have to compete with a public option, it'll keep them honest and it'll help keep their prices down."

Mr. Obama said he is open to hearing other ideas on health care reform and that he is willing to "steal" them. He said the only things he won't accept are more delay and denial. The president wants a bill on his desk by October. For NPR News, I'm Patty Murray in Green Bay.

Authorities now say the 88-year-old white supremacist accused of entering the US Holocaust 4 Memorial Museum and opening fire yesterday has been charged with the murder of a security guard. According to a filing in a federal court, James von Brunn has been charged with the premeditated murder of 39-year-old Stephen Johns who was on duty at the time of the shooting. FBI officials say they are also pursuing hate crimes charges against von Brunn who in postings on the internet and elsewhere has railed against Jews and Blacks. Officials say a notebook found in von Brunn's car read “the holocaust is a lie.” von Brunn is hospitalized in critical condition. He was wounded by other guards inside the museum who returned fire.

Powerful thunderstorms have torn through Dallas, leaving tens of thousands without power. From Dallas, NPR's Wade 5 Goodwyn reports.

The storms began hitting Dallas and Fort Worth yesterday afternoon with 70-mile-an-hour winds, hundreds of bolts of lightning and more than half a foot of rain. The damage was extensive. Trees, chimneys and fences were felled across the northern counties and flights out of DFW and Love Field were canceled and delayed. Hundreds of thousands of homes lost electricity, but linesmen trailed in the storms’ wake, restoring the power within hours. Lightning balls were striking the ground at a rate of 100 every five minutes and knocked out a major flood water pumping station in west Dallas. Residents were forced to evacuate 6 as electricians worked to repair the pump which was struck twice by lightning. Wade Goodwyn, NPR News, Dallas.

The government says first time jobless claims fell by 24,000 last week to a seasonally 7 adjusted 601,000, however, the number of people collecting unemployment benefits for more than one week is now at 6.8 million. That's the highest number on records dating back more than 40 years.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 31 points. The NASDAQ gained nine points today.

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In a weak economy, airplane builder Boeing is lowering its forecast for the commercial aviation market. Citing declining traffic and volatile 8 fuel prices, the Chicago-based company says it expects the market for passenger and cargo 9 planes to decline by 1.4% over the next two decades. Boeing said today, over the next twenty years it projects sales of around 29,000 airplanes valued at $3.2 trillion. Tight credit markets have made it more difficult for customers to finance airplane purchases.

Insurance industry crash tests show many of the very small cars that will become popular sustained thousands of dollars worth of damage in fender-benders. NPR's Dave Mattingly reports.

Seven mini cars were run through the low-speed crash test. Average repair bills for the Hyundai Accent about 2,100 dollars; the Honda Fit nearly 2000; the Mini Cooper more than $1,600. Joe Nolan is with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The worst was the Kia Rio. To cite an example, in one test alone we racked up about 30% of the car's purchase price in damage in a 60-mile-an-hour collision.

In four crash tests, repairs to the Kia Rio averaged about $2,700. None of the fuel-efficient mini cars tested received a top rating. Dave Mattingly, NPR News, Washington.

You are like many people, you are feeling a little poorer these days apparently 10 with a good reason. Federal Reserve in a new report says falling stock prices and declining home values have eroded 11 upwards 12 of $1.3 trillion in household wealth in the first three months of the year. According to the Fed, household net worth declined to just over $50 trillion, down just over 2.5% from last year.