NPR 2009-02-05

President Barack Obama at this hour is signing a bill that will provide government-sponsored health coverage 1 to an estimated four million children. The State Children's Health Insurance Program dubbed 2 SCHIP was approved by a 290-135 vote in the House today. "Today with one of the first bills that I signed, reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program, we fulfill 3 one of the highest responsibilities that we have." The health program which also may be opened to another 2.4 million children who otherwise would have access to private insurance is expected to cost 32.8 billion dollars. The SCHIP program covers children and families that make too much for Medicaid but still struggle to afford private health insurance.

Interior Secretary Ken 4 Salazar has canceled the sale of controversial oil and gas leases in Utah offered in the waning 5 days of the Bush administration. The affected 6 parcels are closed to national parks and other sensitive areas. From Salt Lake City, NPR's Howard Berkes reports.

The decision affects 77 of the federally owned parcels put up for bid in December. They're all adjacent to or near Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, Dinosaur 8 National Monument and Nine Mile Canyon 7, a place rich in archaeological sites. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says the parcels did not get the environmental reviews sensitive lands should get. He says other last-minute Bush administration actions are also under review. "We are looking at many of those matters that are on the table. This is only one among a dozen or so of those matters that we're looking at." The canceled oil and gas leases are worth about 6 million dollars. Bidders 9 will get their money back. Salazar says some of the parcels may be offered for leasing in the future after the appropriate reviews are conducted. Howard Berkes, NPR News, Salt Lake City.

New Secretary of Veterans Affairs is promising 10 a top-down review of the embattled VA. Retired 11 General Eric Shinseki made his first appearance before Congress today. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports.

The former Army Chief of Staff told the House Veterans Affairs Committee that he would review every line of operation to see that veterans get timely access to the highest quality of benefits and services. Shinseki takes over the government's second largest agency with a 6-month backlog 12 of disability claims and a host of other problems. He said he would hire more staff to work through the backlog and switch the VA from paper processing to an electronic claim system. House Veterans Affairs Chairman Bob Filner said the VA must work hard to restore its credibility. The Californian Democrat 13 said many veterans view the VA as "Veterans adversary 14". Shinseki promised a change of culture at the agency. Debbie Elliott, NPR News, Washington.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 121 points to close at 7,956. The NASDAQ was down a point today. The S&P 500 dropped six points.

This is NPR News in Washington.

Police in Arkansas now are saying an explosion that injured the head of the state's Medical Board was the result of a bomb planted in his car. Officials say Dr. Trent Pierce was injured when the device blew up as he was leaving his West Memphis home for work. Pierce chairs the State Board that licenses 15 and disciplines doctors. Police say it appears Pierce was outside the vehicle when the blast took place. He's currently hospitalized in a critical condition. According to the FBI official in Washington, a second person was also injured in explosion. It's not clear who's behind the planning of the explosive device or why.

Following an international outcry, the Vatican today ordered an ultra-traditionalist bishop 16 to recant his statements denying the Holocaust 17 before he can be fully 18 admitted into the Roman Catholic Church. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from Rome.

In order for Bishop Richard Williamson to be admitted back into the church, he must in an absolutely unequivocal and public way, distance himself from his positions regarding the Holocaust. The Vatican statement also said that Pope Benedict XVI did not know about Bishop Williamson's views when he agreed to lift his excommunication and that of three other ultraconservative bishops 19 two weeks ago. An interview in which Williamson claimed there were no gas chambers 20 in Nazi 21 death camps had been circulating on the Internet for several days before his rehabilitation 22 was announced. Today's statement came a day after German Chancellor 23 Angela Merkel urged Pope Benedict to make a clear rejection 24 of Holocaust denial, which is a crime in Germany punishable with prison terms. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Rome.

The House's followed the Senate's lead today voting to postpone 25 the transition from analog 26 to digital television. The House vote/ to postpone the switchover to June 12th came amid concerns that more than 6. 5 million Americans with older televisions will not be ready for the changeover by the February 17th target day.