NPR 2011-11-15

 A long-anticipated legal battle over the country's health care law is now slated 1 to unfold before the nation's highest court. The US Supreme 2 Court decides next year whether Congress acted within its constitutional authority in passing a law that requires most Americans to either have health insurance or pay a penalty.

 
The Obama administration meanwhile is announcing an initiative to replicate 3 successful health care models and expand the US health care workforce 4. NPR's Paul Brown reports up to $1 billion in new funding will go to programs that are already working well.
 
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says the initiative is another step in fulfilling the health care bill's promise of improved, more accessible care with restrained costs. She says grand funds will help people and programs with records of improving health care in their communities.
 
"By supporting sustainable projects that can be rapidly deployed 5 and a high priority will be given to the projects that are creating the next generation of health care workers."
 
That will boost health care employment, which the White House sees as good in a tough job market and it could help address a predicted shortage of doctors and other medical personnel in a decade or more ahead. Paul Brown, NPR News, Washington.
 
Germany's Chancellor 6 Angela Merkel is calling for tighter political union in Europe to overcome the ongoing 7 debt crisis in that region which she calls maybe Europe's most difficult hours since World War II. NPR's Eric Westervelt has details on the chancellor's latest response to debt woes 8 that threaten the future of the single currency.
 
Chancellor Merkel told members of her conservative CDU party that the European Union's treaties have to be overhauled 9 to create a stronger political and by extension, fiscal 10 union. She renewed the call for measures to force eurozone countries in violation 11 of fiscal discipline rules to face strong and quick sanctions. She said the euro is more than a currency. It's a symbol of Europe's unification for half a century of freedom and peace, adding "Now we have to make sure Europe emerges strengthened from the crisis." Merkel has faced strong criticism within her own party for the costly 12 bailouts of debt-burdened Greece and other countries. She's also taken flak from critics who say her cautious take-it-slow approach to eurozone reforms has only made the crisis worse. Eric Westervelt, NPR News.
 
A bipartisan committee's deadline to identify at least $1.2 trillion in deficit 13 cuts is just 10 days away. They remain divided over the same issues that have stalled previous debt talks, higher taxes as well as deeper spending cuts. But the lawmakers say they're still optimistic they will find common ground.
 
At last check on Wall Street the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 90 points at 12,064; NASDAQ off 17 at 2,662.
 
This is NPR News.
 
The Syrian government warns the Arab League's decision to suspend Damascus is "extremely dangerous". It has called on the league to hold an emergency meeting in an apparent effort to delay the suspension that was prompted by Syria's deadly crackdown on political dissidents. Jordan is adding its voice to the condemnations against Syria. King Abdullah has told the BBC that he believes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should resign. The United Nations estimates more than 3,500 people have died since the uprising began in Syria more than seven months ago.
 
Amazon is shipping 14 its new tablet out one day early. NPR's Zoe Chace reports Amazon is banking 15 on the price of the Kindle 16 Fire attracting a lot of customers.
 
OK, it's not the first tablet to hit the market but it's one of the cheapest. The Kindle Fire costs $199. Apple's iPad 2 costs about $500, which is the point. Amazon is hoping to snap up everyone who sat out of the iPad frenzy 17 because the iPads were too expensive or the line was too long to get one.
 
"Amazon is trying to put a storefront in your hands for which they're willing to more or less give it away."
 
Andrew Rassweiler is with iSuppli, a company who estimated that Amazon sells each Kindle Fire at about a $10 loss, that is, it costs $10 more to make it than they're charging for it. Because once you have your little tablet, you're kind of married to the company who manufactured it. You buy all your books, movies and music at the Amazon. That's the strategy anyway. Zoe Chace, NPR News, New York.
 
US stocks trading lower with the Dow down 84 points at last check at 12,070.
 
I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.