NPR 2011-04-26

The US is considering sanctions against Syria, where the government's crackdown on the resistance appears to be getting bloodier 1. According to newswires, witnesses in Daraa report seeing tanks rolling into their town, the heart of Syria's pro-democracy movement. They say troops used heavy artillery 2 in parts of Daraa and killed at least 11 people. Residents say they lost electricity and most phone lines were down. With most foreign media prevented from entering Syria, these reports could not be independently verified.

Libyan officials are calling a NATO air strike early today, an attempt on the life of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from Benghazi that Gaddafi appeared to be unharmed by the strike, which damaged buildings in his military compound in Tripoli.

Officials told reporters in Tripoli that the strike destroyed a library and damaged a meeting hall in the compound. There were conflicting accounts of the number of wounded. Pro-government forces continued their attacks on the western city of Misrata, where rebel fighters claimed to control much of the city. Rocket attacks and artillery pounded the city, where doctors said at least 50 people were killed in the past three days. The attacks continued despite government claims that it was pausing to facilitate a mediation 4 effort. Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Benghazi.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour says he cannot run for president next year, unable to offer what he calls "absolute fire in the belly 5" and "total certainty." The Republican issued a statement today, confirming he will not run in 2012, which is when President Obama will seek re-election. Instead, Barbour says he wants to keep doing his job in Mississippi and helping 6 elect governors across the nation.

The Supreme 7 Court's not backing the Virginia attorney general's call to fast-track a review of last year's health care law. NPR's Julie Rovner reports the court's decision was not a surprise.

The high court almost never grants petitions that skip the appeals process as Virginia Attorney General Ken 3 Cuccinelli wanted, and in this case, it would have been an even bigger slap in the face to the appeal circuit that includes Virginia. That's because there are already two competing decisions there. The Richmond-based judge in Cuccinelli's case found a requirement in the health law that most Americans have health insurance starting in 2014 unconstitutional, but in a separate case, a federal judge in Lynchburg found the requirement well within Congress's constitutional authority. The appeals court hearing is already scheduled for later this spring. Several other cases around the country are also headed for appeals courts. Julie Rovner, NPR News, Washington.

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 26 points at 12,480 in trading of just over two billion shares. NASDAQ had gained six points; it's at 2,826. S&P 500 down two at 1,335.

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About 1,000 people have been evacuated 8 from their homes in Poplar Bluff 9, Missouri, where the rising Black River's threatening to breach 10 a levee. Deputy Police Chief Jeff Rolland says parts of southern Missouri saturated 11 by days of heavy rain are expecting more of the same today.

"We're expecting anywhere from three to five additional inches of rain today. Another three inches of rain forecasted on Tuesday, but then, we're hoping by the end of this week, we'll have, eh, they should be able to be back into their homes."

Some Kentucky residents are moving to higher ground as the Ohio River continues to rise. Heavy rain is forecast for at least two more days. Authorities throughout the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys are bracing 12 for severe flooding.

Millions of people in India are mourning the death of an important Hindu guru. NPR's Corey Flintoff reports from New Delhi that the spiritual leader also had followers 13 in the United States and in Europe.

For more than 60 years, Sathya Sai Baba was a spiritual leader and teacher who promoted education and public health among his millions of followers. He was 85. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will pay his respects at Sai Baba's headquarters in South India. In a written statement, Singh said the guru inspired millions of people to lead moral and meaningful lives. Sai Baba and his organization amassed 14 a fortune in donations from devotees, which was placed in the Central Trust. It's not clear at this point who will replace him or take control of the fortune. Corey Flintoff, NPR News, New Delhi.

A dispute over two ancient Hindu temples is at the center of the latest fighting between Thailand and Cambodia. Authorities say at least 12 people have been killed in the last four days of fighting.