NPR 2010-11-03

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

President Obama is spending part of his election day on the radio. As NPR's Scott Horsley reports, he's urging Democrats 1 to get to the polls in an effort to stem big losses.

President Obama taped a series of interviews with national radio programs. He's also making local appeals in Los Angeles, Chicago, Jacksonville, Florida and on KVEG in Las Vegas, where Senator Majority Leader Harry 2 Reid is in a tough battle for reelection.

"We have made progress all across the board, but it is always at risk if people don't turn out and vote today."The president scheduled a postelection news conference tomorrow to address what's likely to be a new governing reality. Republicans are expecting big gains in one or both houses of Congress. Scott Horsley, NPR News, the White House.

NPR's Don Gonyea reports that one of the things today's election will show is the strength of Tea Party-backed candidates in the general election.

This is the first big general election test for the Tea Party movement. Many of the candidates it backed pulled off unexpected wins in Republican primaries that include Senate hopefuls Rand Paul in Kentucky, Ron Johnson in Wisconsin and Ken 3 Buck 4 in Colorado. Each has run a strong race in the general and could win today. Then, there’re Sharron Angle running against Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid in Nevada, Joe Miller 5 in Alaska and Christine O'Donnell in Delaware. Each is in a contest the GOP had much higher hopes of winning earlier this year. Don Gonyea, NPR News.

Across the Iraqi capital, evidence of yet more major attacks on the people. More than a dozen coordinated 6 explosions and mortar 7 fire killed at least 57 people and wounded more than 240. NPR's Kelly McEvers reports most of the attacks were in Shiite neighborhoods. Officials say the blasts were mainly car bombs, plus a few roadside bombs and mortar attacks in a dozen neighborhoods around the capital. Unlike attacks in previous months, these explosions targeted civilians 8. The blasts come just two days after militants 9 affiliated 10 with al-Qaeda have seized a church in Baghdad and took more than 100 hostages. Fifty-eight people died during that takeover and a subsequent raid by an Iraqi counter-terrorism force. While that operation first appeared to be a robbery attempt of a nearby stock exchange, it's now believed it was planned well in advance. Iraq's prime minister has fired the commander responsible for security in the area. Kelly McEvers, NPR News.

Greek authorities are investigating a second day of mail bomb attacks addressed to Western embassies including the office of German Chancellor 11 Angela Merkel. In the latest incident, police have destroyed two suspicious packages at Athens International Airport. Authorities insist this is likely the work of domestic terrorists, and not linked to the discovery of two explosive parcels found in Dubai and Britain last week.

Last check on Wall Street, Dow was up 64 points.

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Yemen has put a US-born Islamic cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, on trial in absentia for plotting to kill foreigners. However, the hunt continues for those responsible for last week's foiled bomb plot out of Dubai and the UK.

An omega-3 fatty acid called DHA that's been associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease may not deliver as much as some people had hoped. NPR's Alix Spiegel reports that a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests DHA probably won't stop the progression of Alzheimer's.

Because of evidence that a diet high in this omega-3 fatty acid lowers the risk of Alzheimer's disease, researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University wanted to test whether DHA supplements might benefit people who already had mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. To do this study, the researchers gave supplements or placebos 12 to almost 300 patients with Alzheimer's for 18 months, and then measured their cognitive 13 ability and brain atrophy 14. At the end of the study, they could find no significant difference between patients on DHA and patients on placebos. Alix Spiegel, NPR News, Washington.

BP says that the cost of the Gulf 15 oil spill is likely closer to $40 billion, and that dragged down the British company's third-quarter net income by more than 60 percent. It dropped to $1.79 billion from more than five billion same time a year ago. BP says it wants to start working again in the Gulf of Mexico, but it's taking its time while it reevaluates its equipment.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.