NPR 2009-6-25

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

According to witnesses in Tehran, there were more clashes today between police and protestors with reports of baton-wielding riot police striking demonstrators and firing tear gas and rounds of ammunition 3 into the air. Meanwhile Iran’s Supreme 4 Leader Ayatollah Khamenei appeared on Iranian state-run television today, ordering supporters of opposition 5 candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi to drop their protests. BBC's Jeremy Bowen has more from Tehran.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is going about his business as if he has shrugged 6 off the challenge of the opposition. He said that neither the system nor the people would give in to pressure to annul 7 the election whatever the price. The opposition has been taking heavy blows from the hard hand of the state.

Mir-Hossein Mousavi who believes he is the rightful president needs to get people out on to the street, but he's struggling to provide a lead. When he attempted to reopen his newspaper, the premises 8 were raided and 25 members of staff arrested. BBC's Jeremy Bowen in Tehran.

Iraqi officials now say at least 69 people were killed; more than 130 others were wounded following a bombing in the main Shiite district of the Sadr city region of Baghdad. Police say the bomb which was apparently 9 hidden beneath some vegetables on a motorized push cart, detonated near a crowded market where it was timed to maximize casualties. Major-General GD Johnson is deputy commanding general of operations for coalition 10 forces in Iraq. He says insurgent 11 forces are trying to take advantage of an up-coming US pull-out though he said the Iraqi forces are filling the gap.

“There's little doubt that the extremists will attempt to challenge them, and we stand ready to support them in whatever way they need.”

The latest bombing comes just six days before the scheduled withdrawal 12 of US combat forces from Iraqi towns and cities. Officials say in some cases people as far as six hundred yards away from the bombing were hit by shrapnel.

South Carolina governor Mark Sanford has confessed to an extramarital affair. The 2nd term Republican was the subject of intense speculation 13 after he disappeared for several days without notifying his staff. NPR's Adam Hochberg reports from state capital.

In a tearful news conference, Governor Sanford revealed that he'd been carrying on a-year-long relationship with a woman from Argentina. Sanford had been away from the capital since Thursday and had let his staff to believe that he's gone hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Now he admits he was in Argentina, visiting the woman on a secret trip.

"I hurt her, I hurt you all, I hurt my wife, I hurt my boys, I hurt a lot of different folks, and all I can say is that I apologize."

Sanford, who's been considered a possible Presidential candidate in 2012 said he's resigning his position as head of the Republic Governors Association, but he did not say whether he plans to step down as governor. His wife and their four children are living at the family beach house while Sanford is back at the Governor's mansion 14. Adam Hochberg, NPR News, Columbia, South Carolina.

On Wall Street today the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 23 points. The S & P 500 was up five points today.

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Giant Citigroup announced today it is boosting base salaries for many of its employees, some by as much as 50%. That comes as the bank reconstructed its compensation program under new government restrictions 15 on bonuses for financial firms receiving government loans. Some members of Congress have been critical of high levels of executive pay at banks that receives billions under the government's financial bail-out program. By altering the mix of its compensation package, the Citi would be able to pay most employees as much as they received in 2008.

A prominent Iowa high school football coach and former NFL high school Coach of The Year is dead after being shot multiple times in the school's weight-lifting room this morning. Alex Heuer Iowa Public Radio reports.

 Ed Thomas was the athletic 16 director and football coach at Aplington-Parkersburg High School, about 80 miles northeast of Des Moines. The alleged 17 gunman is a 24-year old man and former football player at the school; he is in custody 18 and charged with first degree murder. School’s Superintendent 19 Jon Thompson says the community is mourning the death.

“Mr. Thomas was a football coach and I think around our state, maybe beyond our borders he's known as a football coach. But to those of us locally, he goes far beyond that. Ed Thomas was a mentor 20.”

Thomas mentored 21 four current NFL players, in a small town of about 2000 residents, including Green Bay Packers pro 2 bowler 22 Aaron Kampman. Thomas won multiple state titles and coached the football team for more than 30 years. For NPR news, I’m Alex Heuer in Cedar 23 Rapids, Iowa.

According to a White House spokesman, President Obama will include a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI as part of his visit to Italy for next month's G-8 summit. President's support of abortion 24 rights and stem cell research which the Vatican opposes has drawn 25 some fire from Catholic Bishops 26 in the US.

I'm Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.