NPR 2009-02-04

A difficult day for Obama administration nominees 2: the president's pick for health secretary, former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, withdrew his nomination 3 amid ongoing 4 controversy 5 over his taxes, and Nancy Killefer is bowing out from her appointment as the government's first chief performance officer. Daschle said he was ending his bid for the post because he said it would be unable to operate without the full faith of Congress and the American people. In response to reporters' questions about whether the withdrawal 6 would set back the administration's efforts to reform healthcare, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that effort is larger than any one individual. "We are looking for a new nominee 1, but the problem has existed for quite some time, and the work toward a solution to make healthcare more affordable 7 won't stop or won't pause while we look for that nominee."

Daschle came under fire for failure to pay around 128, 000 dollars in back taxes and almost 12, 000 dollars in interest.

The Obama administration's special envoy 8 to the Middle East will be returning to the region later this month. George Mitchell just got back from his first trip and briefed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today. More from NPR's Michele Kelemen.

Mitchell joked that when he took the job, he never thought he'd be traveling so soon and so much, but he said he plans to return in a couple of weeks and establish a regular and sustained presence in the region. Secretary Clinton said this administration wants to send a clear signal that it is engaged and determined 9 to promote peace, but one thing won't change: the US will not negotiate with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

"Hamas knows that it must stop the rocket fire into Israel. There were rockets yesterday, there were rockets this morning. And it is very difficult to ask any nation to do anything other than defend itself."

Israel is also in the midst of an election campaign. Clinton said she looks forward to working with the next Israeli government. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, the State Department.

The FBI has arrested a New Mexico man on charges that he mailed a suspicious powder to banks and federal offices around the country. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports.

Federal authorities arrested Richard Leon Goyette at the Albuquerque Airport on Monday. They say he was behind 65 threatening letters that were mailed to financial institutions and federal regulatory offices last October. Sixty-four of the letters contained an unidentified white powder. And while the powder wasn't hazardous 10, emergency responders were called in after the letters were opened. The letters went out just as the latest financial crisis hit. The FBI says Goyette claimed to have lost nearly 65, 000 dollars on bank stocks he owned, and that might have motivated the mailings. Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 140 points, closing at 8, 077. The NASDAQ was up 21 points. The S&P 500 rose 12 points today to close at 838.

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The White House today issued a statement saying that Iran is not acting 11 responsibly with the country's launch of a satellite. The comment comes after Teheran announced today that it had sent its first domestically made satellite into orbit, using a rocket first tested this past summer. US and a number of other nations have expressed concerns over Iran's fledgling space program, saying it could be a stepping stone to developing longer range ballistic missiles. Iranian officials have denied those charges and say they've placed a telecommunication 12 satellite into orbit.

The cofounder of Habitat for Humanity Millard Fuller died early today at the age of 74, cause of death was not released. NPR's Kathy Lohr has more.

Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International in 1976, and built the nonprofit into a worldwide ministry 13. He was born in Alabama, got a law degree and became a millionaire at age 29. But Fuller had health problems, and his marriage was failing, so he sold his possessions, donated the proceeds and moved to Koinonia Farm, a Christian 14 community near Americus, Georgia. There he began building small homes for the poor. One of Fuller's biggest supporters was former President Jimmy Carter, who continues to build homes with Habitat. President Carter called Fuller one of the most extraordinary people he's ever known. In 2005, after allegations of sexual harassment 15 and a dispute with the board of Habitat, Fuller was dismissed as president. He founded a new organization and continued to build and repair homes. Kathy Lohr, NPR News, Atlanta.

Massive fourth-quarter loss at telecommunications equipment maker 16 Motorola: The company reported today for the three months ending in December a loss of more than 3. 5 billion dollars or 57 cents a share. The company says much of that pool of red ink was a result of losses in its cellphone business.