NPR 2009-01-26

Some key Congressional Republicans are voicing opposition 1 to President Obama's proposed 825-billion-dollar economic recovery plan in its current form. GOP Senator John McCain of Arizona. "The plan was written by the majority in, Democratic majority in the House primarily, and so yeah, I think there has to be major rewrites, if we wanna stimulate 2 the economy." McCain on Fox News Sunday said he wants to see more tax cuts for both working Americans and for businesses. At least two Republicans will have to back the plan in the Senate to produce a filibuster-proof majority.

In the House, Republican leader John Boehner says many in his party will vote "No" unless there are significant revisions. But Vice 3 President Joe Biden predicts the legislation will eventually be enacted 4. "I think at the end of the day after the Senate, to use Senate jargon 5, the House and the Senate go to conference and reconcile the differences which would be very rapidly. I think you'll see a fairly strong vote across the board out of 535 members for this stimulus 6 package." Biden was on CBS's "Face the Nation".

On another topic, Biden said with more US forces set for deployment 7 in Afghanistan, Americans should be prepared for what he called "an uptick" in US casualties there. Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai is condemning 8 a US raid, which he claims killed as many as 16 civilians 10. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports from Kabul.

Karzai said the US raid in the eastern province of Laghman killed 16 civilians, including women and children. Karzai warns such raids are strengthening terrorists. His office said it has sent draft agreements to Washington and NATO, demanding more Afghan control over western military operations. The US military has repeatedly stated that it killed 15 militants 11 in a predawn raid Saturday, including one woman with a rocket-propelled grenade. Officials say they have photos to prove it, but that they would not release them to the public. Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, NPR News, Kabul.

Emergency crews are working to restore power and reopen roads following a severe storm that swept through France and Spain. Anita Elash reports.

The storm blew in from the Atlantic Ocean, and brought winds as high as 110 miles an hour. It ripped the roofs off houses, toppled hundreds of thousands of trees, cut off train service, and left eight hundred thousand homes without electricity. Nineteen people were killed, many of them in northern Spain. Today French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited the worst hit area in France around Bordeaux. He said he announced the army to help bring services back to normal as quickly as possible. Helicopters were trying to locate down power lines and dozens of generators 12 were being delivered to old people's homes. In Spain, hundreds of firefighters were battling three forest fires that started after the storm toppled electricity towers. Anita Elash reporting.

This is NPR News from Washington.

Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is pledging to defend any Israeli soldier who might face war crimes charges in connection with the recent Israeli military offensive against militants in the Gaza Strip. His comments come amid a concern that some officers could face international prosecution 13 over civilian 9 deaths in the operation. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights says there're nearly 1,300 Palestinians killed during the offensive, more than half were civilians. Thirteen Israelis were killed including three civilians.

In Bolivia, voters went to the polls today for a referendum on a new constitution that will give the indigenous 14 majority there more political clout 15 and allow incumbent 16 President Evo Morales to run for reelection. NPR's Juan Forero reports from Bogota.

Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, says the new constitution will expand rights for the country's 36 indigenous communities. The constitution would also give the state a bigger role in economy, while limiting the size of land holdings. But critics among them, former President Carlos Mesa said the new charter could lead to more turmoil 17 in the historically tumultuous country. Leaders in the richer eastern lowland say the constitution amounts to a power grab for Morales. Indeed, the drafting of the constitution has been so controversial that it led to bitter recriminations and violent anti-government protests last year. Morales, though, has the support of most of the country's nine million people, the majority of whom are indigenous. Juan Forero, NPR News, Bogota.

Gasoline prices have increased again, up just over 7.5 cents a gallon over the past two weeks. The average price nationally now for self-service regular is $1.85 a gallon. Highest gas prices were found in Anchorage, the lowest were in Billings, Montana.