NPR 2008-02-26

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Paul Brown.

The government reports that wholesale 1 prices rose by 1 percent in January, more than twice what economists 2 had expected and giving the fastest inflation pace (of 口误) in 16 years.

The full Senate has 2 politically charged votes ahead of today. One is on a Democratic sponsored measure to restrict funds already approved for the Iraq war, another would require President Bush to report on the nation's strategy to fight terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and elsewhere, a mission the measure's Democratic sponsors believe is at least as important as the Iraq war if not more so. The Senate may vote later today on whether to begin debate on a measure backers say would make it easier for some homeowners to avoid foreclosure. NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

The bill will allow judges to modify mortgage terms during bankruptcy 3 proceedings 4 including reducing the amount of principal owed. Sponsors say that might help hundreds of thousands of borrowers avoid foreclosure. Democrats 5 argue that the subprime mortgage crisis and a newly reported decline in sales of existing homes is evidence some consumers need help hanging onto their homes and that the housing industry needs a boost. But lenders opposed the measure. They say it could actually increase costs for borrowers, because lenders would have to charge more for loans with the risk then mortgage terms would be changed. They have support from Republicans and it's uncertain whether Democrats can muster 6 the 60 votes necessary to bring up the bill without making some changes. Brian Naylor, NPR News, the Capitol.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will debate tonight in Cleveland, Ohio. It's their last one-on-one encounter before the crucial March 4th primaries in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont. NPR's Mara Liasson has more.

Tonight's debate sponsored by MSNBC gives Hillary Clinton one last chance to stop Barack Obama's momentum 7. Even her husband Bill Clinton has said she must win both the big primaries next week, Ohio and Texas, in order to stay in the race for the Democratic nomination 8. And Although she is ahead in the polls in both states, Obama has been making inroads with key voting groups Clinton used to own, less affluent 9 white Democrats, Hispanics and Union members. Tonight Clinton might repeat some of the attacks she made in a foreign policy speech yesterday when she went after Obama in the area her campaign considers his greatest weakness. Without mentioning his name she suggested he was not ready to be Commander in Chief, because his approach to foreign policy was reckless and naive 10. Mara Liasson, NPR News.

Secretary of Defense 11 Robert Gates is in New Delhi today where he said he wants the US relationship with India to improve. "Well, we get to deal with the world as we find it, er, India is the world's largest democracy. It's in our interest to develop this relationship. " The US is also interested in promoting sales of American-made arms to India.

From Washington, this is NPR News.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Chinese officials in Beijing today. She wants the Chinese to keep pressing North Korea to dismantle 12 its nuclear programs. And she said Chinese officials have assured her that they will do that. Rice's visit to China came on the same day that the New York Philharmonic performed a history-making concert in North Korea. Rice downplayed the importance of the concert in recent days and she didn't mention it today.

A new study shows that poor people made health gains on rich people between 1960s and 1980s in the US, but they've lost out ever since. NPR's Joanne Silberner has more.

Health statistics show a higher rate of infant mortality and early deaths in adults among poor people and minorities as compared to rich people. Harvard University researchers wanted to see whether the difference has been constant. So they looked at death statistics and census 13 data from 1960 to 2002. They found that in the early years, the difference between rich people and poor people lessened 14. But between 1980 and 2002, disparities increased. The findings are in the online journal PLoS Medicine. The researchers say the changing pattern isn't easily explainable. It's not likely to be the economy, HIV AIDS, smoking or better diagnostic tests. They suggest the emphasis on civil rights in the 1960s and 70s may have helped minorities get better access to health care. Joanne Silberner, NPR News, Washington.

A new government projection 15 shows overall spending on health care in the US will nearly double over the next ten years. One reason, the large baby boom generation is starting to hit retirement 16 age, which means eligibility 17 for the federal Medicare program and need for more prescriptions 18.

I'm Paul Brown in Washington.