NPR 2009-03-02

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Carol Van Dam.

A powerful winter storm is dumping snow on southern states including Alabama and Georgia, and is soon expected to blanket North Carolina before it turns northward 1. The system is expected to dump several inches of snow on northeastern states. In Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service says Philadelphia could get as much as 14 inches by tonight. Gene 2 Blaum of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says people are bracing 3 for the worst. "We'll have 400 trucks out throughout the five-county Philadelphia region as the storm beginning early this evening, and we will be on top of the storm throughout the morning." More than a foot is expected around New York City.

The nation's top military official says he's optimistic US troops will accomplish their new mission in Iraq. Admiral Mike Mullen appeared on two of the Sunday talk shows. The appearances bolstered 4 President Obama's recent announcement detailing his withdrawal 5 plans for Iraq. NPR's Kate Davidson has more.

The Chairman of the Joint 6 Chiefs of Staff told Fox News Sunday that conditions are set for the Iraqi government to assume control of the country. But, he did not speak of victory. "I'm a little bit reluctant to talk specifically about winning and losing. We've turned it around over the last two years, and in great part that's because of our incredible young men and women who've served us so well." Mr. Obama's plan calls for all combat troops to leave Iraq by August 2010. A transitional force would remain temporarily. Mullen said the president arrived at his decision through a very deliberate and very thorough consultation 7 with military leaders. He added that if past is prologue 8, he expects the president to continue listening if conditions in Iraq should change. Kate Davidson, NPR News, Washington.

European Union leaders held an emergency summit today to device strategies for combating the global financial crisis, but also to dispel 9 the appearance of deep rifts 10 between Eastern and Western Europe. As Teri Schultz reports, EU officials say they've achieved both.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy in particular has been under fire from many other EU governments, especially those in Central and Eastern Europe, for his bailout plan for French automakers along with his recommendation they keep industry jobs home in France. But after today's discussions, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, who presided over the meeting, said it was now clear no member was enacting 11 protectionist policies. And European Commission President José Manuel Barroso insisted the bitter differences of view had been overcome. "And I'd like to underline the high level of convergence that was achieved during this meeting, in fact, a meeting of minds and a meeting of purpose." One topic which did not find support was Hungary's call for a special aid program for the newer members hardest hit by the financial crisis. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz in Brussels.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Egypt today. It's her first stop on a visit to the Middle East and Europe. She'll be attending a donors 12' conference on Gaza and is pledging about 900 million dollars for the Palestinians. She says the trick is to figure out how to get the aid to the people without it falling into the hands of Hamas.

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President Obama is expected to announce tomorrow that Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius is his nominee 13 for Health and Human Services Secretary. Sebelius was praised by several Republican governors today on TV talk shows. She's also receiving favorable reviews from the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Montana Democratic Senator Max Baucus. That panel will handle her nomination 14 hearings.

A Chinese spacecraft crashed into the surface of the moon today. The impact had been planned as part of the mission of the unmanned space probe called “Chang'e”. Patt Duggins of member station WMFE reports.

Today's crash landing of the “Chang'e” spacecraft followed its mission to orbit the moon to create a map of its surface. The box-shaped probe named for a Chinese moon goddess was launched aboard a Long March rocket back in 2007. It's only the latest achievement for that country's growing space program. China became only the third nation to launch a man into orbit when astronaut Yang Liwei circled the earth 14 times in 2003. A follow-up mission last year included China's first spacewalk. A docking flight between two of that country's Shenzhou space capsules is scheduled for 2011. China says it also wants to build a space station and land a man on the moon. For NPR News, I'm Patt Duggins in Orlando.

Defense 15 Secretary Robert Gates says Iran is not anywhere close to possessing a nuclear weapon. And he says that gives the US and other allies time to try to convince Tehran to abandon its suspected nuclear arms program. Gates told NBC's “Meet the Press” today that the continuing focus has been on how to get the Iranians to walk away from an atomic weapons program. Washington suspects Tehran of using its nuclear energy program to build an atomic bomb, but Tehran insists its program is for peaceful purposes only.

I'm Carol Van Dam, NPR News, in Washington.