NPR 2008-03-25

From NPR news in Washington, I'm Jack 1 Speer.

President Bush offered his sympathies to the families who lost their loved ones fighting in Iraq as the death toll 2 of that war has now reached 4000. Mr. Bush made the comments as the White House and the Pentagon engaged in the formal assessment 3 over the future of Iraq policy. NPR’s Guy Raz has more.

Almost exactly 5 years since the start of the war, 4000 US service men and women have lost their lives in Iraq. The president acknowledged the milestone 4 and said history will prove the sacrifices worthwhile. "One day people will look back at this moment in history and say, thank God there were courageous 5 people willing to serve, because they laid the foundations for peace for generations to come."

The president made the comments at the State Department. There he heard from senior diplomats 6, sounding out their views on the way forward in Iraq. Early in the day, the top military commander there, General David Petraeus, offered the president his perspective. Most senior military commanders now favor a temporary freeze in troop withdrawls starting later this summer. Guy Raz, NPR news Washington.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick faces felony charges of perjury 7 and obstruction 8 of justice in a scandal that could end his political career and send him to prison. Detroit Public Radio’s Quinn Klinefelter has more.

Prosecutors 10 say Kilpatrick and his former chief of staff lied under oath about having an affair and firing policemen investigating them. Prosecutors add that various documents they saw as evidence seem to have disappeared or are being withheld 11 by city officials. For his part, Kilpatrick who has often blamed racism 12 and biased 13 media for his troubles says the prosecutor 9 is bowing to the bad press thrown at the mayor. "I am deeply disappointed in the prosecutors' decision. I can’t say that I am surprised, however, this has been a very flawed process from the very beginning. I look forward to complete exoneration 14 once all the facts surrounding this matter have been brought forth 15." Kilpatrick’s attorney argues that the mayor is a victim of, quote, selective prosecution 16.

On Wall Street the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 187 points today closing at 12,548. This is Npr.

The Supreme 17 Court has voted to uphold a federal policy that permits employers to reduce health insurance expenses for retired 18 workers once they turn 65 and qualify for Medicare. The justices turned down an appeal from the group AARP asking the court to undo 19 a rule that allows employers to treat retirees differently based on their age. The rule was put in place by the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission amid concerns employers might reduce or even eliminate benefits for retirees. They could not take Medicare into account when structuring benefit plans.

Today is the deadline for Pennsylvanians to register to vote. Only voters who are registered with the party can vote for their party’s ticket in the Keystone State's April 22nd primary. From Member Station WHYY in Philadelphia, Elizabeth Fiedler reports.

Fans of Senator Hillary Clinton stayed at a center city intersection 20. They held up "Honk 21 for Hillary" signs and directed passers-by like Sheen and *(人名) toward a sidewalk registration 22 table. “I really haven’t been following either of their campaigns, but I know that Hillary stays by Mr. Clinton. So she has experience, she knows.” A few blocks away staff and volunteers filled Senator Obama’s headquarters, where Valerie Roscoe was busy sorting registration forms. “Senator Obama is truly the type of president we need. We need someone who would inspire all of us to do what we can to change the condition of our nation.”  Voter registration forms must be postmarked by today, or Philadelphians have until midnight to drop them off at the city commissioner’s office. For NPR news, I’m Elizabeth Fiedler in Philadelphia.

Crude oil fell 98 cents a barrel today ending the session at 101 dollars and 86 cents a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

I'm Jack Speer, NPR news in Washington.