NPR 2008-09-28

Negotiators on Capitol Hill say they're making progress toward agreement on a plan to rescue the financial system, a plan that includes the key elements proposed by Treasury 1 Secretary Henry Paulson. But House Republicans, including Eric Cantor of Virginia, say they do not like the idea of spending taxpayer 2 dollars on private industry. "It's important that we move. But it's important that we move with discretion 3. I think the American people send us here to protect their tax money." And GOP Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania says public reaction to the proposal has been largely negative. "It is a gigantic figure, and the public response understandably is a why." But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the 700-billion-dollar deal could be completed as soon as tonight.

The Senate has passed a huge stopgap spending bill to keep the government operating until the next president takes office. The House approved the bill last week. NPR's Libby Lewis has details.

Lawmakers took up the spending bill on an emergency basis because the government's budget year ends on Tuesday. The bill includes a record budget for the Pentagon, 488 billion dollars. That's a 6% increase. In addition, the bill includes 70 billion dollars for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also includes about 23 billion dollars for victims of flooding in the Midwest and the recent hurricanes across the Gulf 5 Coast. As part of the bill, senators agreed to lift a 26-year-old ban on drilling for oil off the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. Libby Lewis, NPR News, Washington.

A car bomb exploded in Damascus near the Syrian capital's airport road today, killing 6 17 people and injuring dozens more. Dale Gavlak has the story.

Syria's state-run TV said a car packed with more than 400 pounds of explosives blew up on Mahlak Street, a road near the city's international airport. It said police have sealed off the area, blocking motorists and pedestrians 7 from approaching as anti-terror units investigate the incident. Bombings of this kind are rare in Syria. But it is so far among the biggest to have taken place in the tightly-controlled country. Over the past years, Syria has also witnessed two prominent political assassinations 8. For NPR News, I'm Dale Gavlak in Amman.

Academy Award-winning actor Paul Newman has died of cancer at his farm house in Westport, Connecticut. He was 83 years old. In a career that spanned more than half a century, Newman appeared in over 65 movies including "Cool Hand Luke".

"I laughed out loud once, they turned me in. But I got it here. Oh, come on, stop beating it, get out there yourself, stop feeding off me."

Newman is survived by his wife of fifty years actress Joanne Woodward, five children and two grandsons.

This is NPR News from Washington.

The UN Security Council has unanimously passed a resolution that reiterates 9 the Council's demand that Iran halt its uranium enrichment activity. But at the insistence 10 of Russia, the measure includes none of the new sanctions the US had advocated. The resolution calls on Iran to comply fully 11 and without delay with previous UN Security Council resolutions concerning Iran's nuclear program.

Senator Ted 4 Kennedy's doctors say a medication change as part of his ongoing 12 cancer treatment caused him to suffer a mild seizure 13 yesterday. From member station WBUR in Boston, Shannon Mullen reports.

This was Kennedy's third reported seizure in five months. He's at home on Cape 14 Cod 15 today after a brief trip to the hospital yesterday. A statement from his office said Kennedy was looking forward to watching last night's presidential debate. GOP candidate John McCain mentioned Kennedy's scare and his support for the Lion of the Senate at the start of the debate. Kennedy has cancer and underwent brain surgery to remove a malignant 16 tumor 17 last spring. He has since had six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. And he's been making a gradual transition back to his public life including surprise trips to Washington in July to vote on a Medicare bill, and to the Democratic National Convention in August to speak in support of Barack Obama. Earlier this month, Kennedy announced plans to return to the Senate in January. For NPR News I'm Shannon Mullen in Boston.

The House has voted to approve an agreement that would allow the United States to provide nuclear materials to India. The Senate will take up the pact 18 in the coming week. The measure was supported by the Bush administration. But critics argue that the deal would undermine efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.