NPR 2008-07-29

Senator John McCain had a small patch of skin removed from his face today. NPR’s Joanne Silberner has more.

The presumptive presidential nominee 1 has already had four melanomas removed. Medical records he shared with the press indicate that all four were caught before they had a chance to spread. During a photo opportunity in California, McCain said neither he nor his dermatologist 2 are concerned. “She said that I was doing fine, took out a small little nick from my cheek as she does regularly and that will be biopsied, just to make sure that everything is fine.” The results of skin biopsies are usually available within a few days. Joanne Silberner, NPR News.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama met with his economic advisors 3 today to talk about the state of the economy. Obama said he would move rapidly and vigorously to put in place new incentives 4, saying the US needs another round of economic stimulus 5. “What I would like to do today is figure out how can we start taking both short-term steps and long-term steps to restore balance in our economy so that entrepreneurship is encouraged, so that the market is thriving, so that hard work is rewarded.” Among those meeting with Obama were AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and former Fed Chief Paul Volcker.

Israel’s prime minister today said he now believes Israel will not be able to achieve a peace deal with the Palestinians by year’s end as outlined at a US-sponsored meeting eight months ago. Ehud Olmert cited the disputed status of Jerusalem as the main hurdle 6 to any agreement. From Jerusalem, NPR’s Eric Westervelt reports.

Prime Minister Olmert told a parliamentary committee Monday that the conflicting claims to Jerusalem remain the biggest obstacle to a comprehensive peace deal. “I don’t believe that understandings that will include Jerusalem can be reached this year,” Olmert told members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense 7 Committee. Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast War, and later annexed 8 the area in a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians claim the eastern part of the city as the capital of a future state. Olmert’s spokesman Mark Regev said the prime minister was being realistic and said the two sides had made progress on other key issues, including borders and refugees. At the US-hosted peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland last November, Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pledged to work toward a lasting 9 agreement by the end of 2008. Eric Westervelt, NPR News, Jerusalem.

At least 47 people were killed today at a Shiite pilgrimage in Baghdad and a Kurdish protest rally in northern Iraq. Police say at least three female suicide bombers 10 were behind the attacks.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down nearly 240 points to 11,131. Declining issues beat advancers by more than 2-1. The NASDAQ was down 46 and the S&P down 23. This is NPR.

The man accused of opening fire yesterday in a Tennessee church apparently 11 targeted the congregation because of its liberal social policies. Knoxville police say they recovered a letter in an SUV belonging to 58-year-old Jim Adkisson. According to officials, the letter indicates Adkisson was motivated by his frustration 12 at not being able to find a job and his “hatred of the liberal movement”. Two people were killed at the Unitarian Universalist Church which promotes progressive social work and gay rights.

Celebrated 13 American gymnast Paul Hamm will not be competing at the Summer Olympics next month. An injury has forced the Olympian to pull out of the Beijing Games. NPR’s Howard Berkes has details.

Paul Hamm was in the midst of an amazing comeback after winning a gymnastics gold medal in Athens four years ago, and then taking a two-and-a-half-year break. He won every competition he entered this year before breaking his right hand at the National Championships in May. Surgery and an attempted fast-pace recovery followed, but Hamm concluded he couldn’t perform at his best, which could’ve hurt the US team’s chances of winning a medal in the overall team event. The American men won a silver in the team event at the Athens Games, the first team medal for the US men in 20 years. Hamm participated in a gymnastics training camp two weeks ago and said then he was 90% healthy. But he’s continued to suffer pain, and he struggled with some skills（很多技术动作做起来很吃力）. One of three alternates will take his place. Howard Berkes, NPR News.

Syndicated columnist 14 Robert Novak has announced that he has brain cancer. In a statement released by Novak today, the tumor 15 was found after he became ill while visiting his daughter yesterday in Cape 16 Cod 17 and was rushed to the hospital.