NPR 2009-01-28

Defense 1 Secretary Robert Gates says Afghanistan has emerged as the greatest military challenge. And more American troops could be headed there as earlier as this spring. NPR's Tom Bowman has more.

Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee there is a vacuum in Afghanistan that is increasingly being filled by Taliban forces, there will be a long and difficult fight. The Pentagon is considering doubling the number of US forces in Afghanistan over the next year, there are now about 32, 000 troops there. Gates says there is no pure military solution in Afghanistan and more must be done to help develop the country through international aid. Still Gates told the Senate he believes the United States can achieve its strategic objectives in Afghanistan. They include denying a safe haven 2 for al-Qaida and rejecting a return to power by the Taliban. On Iraq, Gates says American military presence is winding 3 down, but he says the US will be involved in Iraq on some level for many years to come. Tom Bowman, NPR News, Washington.

President Barack Obama today called on Congress to, in his words, "keep politics to a minimum" in terms of moving quickly to act on his proposed 825-billion-dollar economic stimulus 4 package. The president spent more than two hours today in closed-door meetings with Congressional Republicans seeking to reduce some arm-twisting as he continues to try to convince Congress to move on the package. However, some GOP lawmakers have complained the current initiative includes too much spending and not enough money for tax cuts. Democratic-led House and Senate are expected to approve the package by the middle of next month. The House is expected to vote on its version of the plan tomorrow.

A report out today suggests 2009 would be a rough year for the nation's retailers 6 and the weak US economy worries about job security. NPR's Dave Mattingly has more.

The National Retail 5 Federation 7 projects retailers will see a drop in annual revenue. The NRF's Chief Economist 8 says consumers will continue to rein 9 in spending in 2009 amid ongoing 10 job losses, lower home prices and tight credit. More than 50, 000 corporate 11 layoffs 12 have been announced this week alone. The report says retailers will see weak sales through most of the year, but then a rebound 13 should occur in the final quarter, helped in part by economic stimulus from the federal government. It forecasts a 3.6% jump in retail sales in the final three months of the year. Dave Mattingly, NPR News, Washington.

The interest rate setting arm of the Federal Reserve has begun a two-day meeting today with one of its traditional avenues for boosting the lagging economy now largely unavailable. In its last meeting, the Fed's powerful Open Market Committee moves to essentially 14 take short-term interest rate targets to zero, meaning there is no room for more rate cuts. However, Federal policymakers have said they have other options to stimulate 15 the economy. It's expected the Fed will issue the statement tomorrow afternoon.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 58 points, ending the session at 8, 189. The NASDAQ gained 15 points. The S&P 500 rose nine points today.

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Illinois senators for the first time have been listening to FBI wiretap recordings 16 of Governor Rod Blagojevich. Those recordings are part of the government's case against Blagojevich at his impeachment 17 trial being held in Springfield. Prosecutor 18 in the case today said the tape conversations revealed the governor talking with a lobbyist about how to exchange campaign contributions for a legislation being pushed by the horse racing 19 industry. Blagojevich is accused of seeking to sell President Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder 20. The government meanwhile is boycotting 21 his trial. Blagojevich has denied any wrongdoing.

Novelist, short story writer, poet and critic John Updike's died. The author won just about every major literary prize including two Pulitzers. Updike died this morning. NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports.

John Updike was known for his often lyrical descriptions of middle-class America. His works were first published in 1950s. He modeled the fictional 22 small town in his early short stories after his own hometown of Shillington, Pennsylvania. The town provided the backdrop for Updike's most famous character. Harry 23 "Rabbit" Angstrom is the Swedish-American protagonist 24 of four novels. The author followed Rabbit from his days as a young star athlete into adulthood 25. Updike once said that Rabbit was a kind of every man who had glimpsed great success early in life and wasn't gonna find that type of success ever again. John Updike died of lung cancer near his home in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. His last work "My Father's Tears and Other Stories" will be published this summer. Elizabeth Blair, NPR News.

John Updike was 76 years old.

Crude oil futures 26 fell $4.15 a barrel, closing at $41.58 a barrel in New York.