NPR 2010-11-02

A hotly contested issue this campaign season, immigration is the subject of a federal appeals court hearing today. Specifically it involves Arizona's immigration law. Arizona's Governor Republican Jan Brewer 1 is appealing a lower court ruling that put parts of the law on hold. KQED's Mina Kim is outside the courthouse where Brewer recently spoke 2.

Jan Brewer said she was pleased with how the all arguments went. She said she felt like the judges understood the hardship the state was facing, but she's also reiterated 3 that the federal government just hasn't done enough to be able to address the problems that Arizona is facing.

KQED's Mina Kim reporting outside of the federal courthouse in San Francisco.

Incumbent 4 Democrats 6 are fighting an uphill battle this year as they campaign for reelection. But as Grace Hood 7 from member station KUNC reports, freshman 8 Democrats in some districts are fighting an even greater challenge.

In Northern Colorado's 4th Congressional District, freshman Democrat 5 Betsy Markey is locked in a neck-and-neck race against Republican challenger Cory Gardner. When she won her seat in 2008, it was the first time a Democrat controlled the district in three decades. Now Markey is fighting to maintain that seat, but she's finding resistance from voters because she supported the stimulus 9 package and health care overhaul 10. This midterm election marks the most expensive in the district's history. For NPR News, I'm Grace Hood in Greeley, Colorado.

More security measures are being rolled out globally after two explosives originated in Yemen and bound for the US were found in Dubai and north of London last week. Germany is extending its ban on cargo 11 from Yemen to passenger flights now, and from London, Larry Miller 12 reports the British home secretary has also set out a number of new security precautions.

Home Secretary Theresa May told Parliament unaccompanied cargo from both Yemen and Somalia is being banned. Passengers will not be allowed to hand-carry on board print toner cartridges 13 larger than 500 grams. The shipment of toner cartridges will only be permitted from known suppliers. Airport security is receiving updated guidance on what to look for. May says nothing can be taken for granted.

"At this stage, we have no information to suggest that another attack of a similar nature by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is imminent 14."This week, more than a million people displaced by January's earthquake in Haiti are still living under tarps and in tents. The Haitians are dealing 15 with a cholera 16 outbreak that NPR learned likely stemmed from South Asia. NPR's Greg Allen is monitoring the storm's movements from Miami.

Tomas was blamed for at least five deaths, flooding and extensive wind damage when it hit islands in the eastern Caribbean as a hurricane over the weekend. But as it traveled west, Tomas encountered strong upper-level wind shear 17 that weakened it to a tropical storm, though same winds are expected to make the storm system take a hard ride later in the week and pass over Haiti. Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

On Wall Street, the Dow is up six points at 11,125.

This is NPR.

A pivotal player on one of the NBA's great championship teams has died. Maurice Lucas was a power forward for the Portland Trail Blazers when they won the title in 1977. Lucas had been ill with bladder cancer. He died  Sunday at the age of 58. We have more on this from NPR's Tom Goldman.

Maurice Lucas began a 15-year pro-basketball career in 1974 in the American Basketball Association. When the ABA folded, the Portland Trail Blazers picked Lucas in a dispersal draft in 1976. It paid off immediately. His tough style on play made Lucas one of the most feared power forwards in the NBA. He anchored Portland's frontline along with center Bill Walton. With Lucas, Walton and a cast of relative unknowns, the Blazers swept to the 1977 NBA title. They were lauded 18 for their great chemistry in teamwork. The man known to the Portlanders as Luke had been an assistant coach with the Blazers since 2005. After Lucas died Sunday, Portland head coach Nate McMillan said "We have lost a champion of a man." Tom Goldman, NPR News, Portland.

With the US economy dominating voter concerns heading into tomorrow's elections, the government is revealing a mixed picture about the economy. Commerce Department reports consumer spending rose last month at a much slower pace than expected - 0.2%, and incomes fell in September after they pushed up the month before.

Here's the latest from Wall Street: Dow Jones Industrial Average up slightly six points at 11,125 at last check; NASDAQ Composite Index is off about three points. It's at 2,505, and S&P 500 up slightly at 1,184.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.