NPR 2010-08-03

President Obama is reaffirming a pledge to end US combat operations in Iraq by the end of the month, but he told a gathering 1 of disabled veterans in Atlanta today about the military's huge shift to the other hot zone—Afghanistan.

"We will continue to face huge challenges in Afghanistan. But it's important that the American people know that we are making progress and we are focused on goals that are clear and achievable. On the military front, nearly all the additional forces that I ordered to Afghanistan are now in place."

The president ordered a surge of 30,000 additional troops in Afghanistan, which, along with Pakistan, is now essential in the US-led fight against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. But at the moment, the Pakistani government is grappling with the aftermath of monsoon 2 rains and floods that have claimed up to 1,200 lives and displaced countless 3 more. One of many military helicopters hovering 4 over flood-ravaged Peshawar, valley part of a broad attempt to reach thousands of stranded 5 survivors 6, as the BBC's Aleem Maqbool reports from Islamabad.

Pakistan's army says it's doing everything it can to help those in need, but there are still thousands waiting for assistance. The biggest challenge for the emergency services is access. So many areas had their transport and communication links destroyed and are isolated 7. For many of those who've already lost their belongings 8 and in some cases members of their family, there are also now real fears about the spread of disease. Food is scarce for the stranded, and water supplies have been contaminated by the floods.

The BBC's Aleem Maqbool reporting.

In the Gulf 9, several minor 10 leaks are being reported near the blown-out well, but retired 11 Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen says though should not delay an operation to plug the oil leak for good. Separately, NPR's Richard Harris tells us the Environmental Protection Agency says dispersants mixed with oil are no more toxic 12 than the oil itself.

BP used large quantities of dispersants in its response to the Gulf oil spill. On the plus side, the dispersants help keep oil away from the sensitive coastal 13 areas. But dispersants themselves are also toxic to wildlife, so the EPA has been testing the chemicals to see how big a hazard they are. New results find that the dispersant Corexit when blended with oil is no worse than oil alone. And since there was 100 times more oil in the Gulf than dispersants, the EPA says the dispersants turn out to pose a relatively 14 small risk. The downside of dispersant use is that it kept oil under the ocean surface, and it's not clear right now how big an environmental problem that in itself could be. The EPA says dispersants do help speed up the natural breakdown 15 of oil in the sea. Richard Harris, NPR News.

August certainly starts on an up note with pretty good economic news out today. Dow's up more than 200.

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Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters has been charged with violating ethics 16 rules. The California lawmaker is a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee. She faces a trial in the fall unless she negotiates a settlement.

A large study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry 17 suggests that children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy 18 are significantly more likely to develop psychiatric disorders 19 in early adulthood 20. NPR's Alix Spiegel has more.

The study looked at all children born in Finland between 1987 and 1989 and found a strong correlation 21 between prenatal smoking and a child's risk of developing mental illness. For children whose mothers did not smoke, there was only a 13% chance of developing a mental illness during early adulthood, but it was nearly twice that if she did. Twenty-one percent of children whose mothers smoked less than ten cigarettes a day later struggled with psychiatric disorders. If a mother smoked more than ten cigarettes a day, the percentage of kids with mental illness went up to 24%. Alix Spiegel, NPR News, Washington.

The first lawsuit 22 challenging President Obama's new health care law clears its first hurdle 23. A federal district judge in Richmond denied the Justice Department's attempt to dismiss the Virginia suit, saying more hearings have to take place before he can weigh the merits of the case. Virginia's attorney general argues Congress overstepped its authority by requiring citizens to buy health insurance or pay a penalty.

Here's an update from Wall Street. Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 209 points at last check at 10,674, amid good economic news out today, NASDAQ up 41 at 2,295.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.