NPR 2009-07-30

House Democrats 1 reached a deal today on details of a health care bill. A vote in a key committee is now expected by the end of the week. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

Conservative Blue Dog Democrats bargained for changes to the bill going through the Energy and Commerce Committee right now. Arkansas Mike Ross, the Blue Dog's leader is on the committee.

"We cut the cost of the bill of more than $100 billion. We protected small businesses. We ensured that any public options are on a level playing field. We have saved rural hospitals."

The agreement sets the stage for a vote by the full House in September after the summer recess 2. But Ross cautioned that his deal doesn't necessarily mean the debate will be smooth from now on.

"This was a significant victory that I am quite sure had left a lot of rabbles very unhappy right now.” Andrea Seabroo, NPR News, the Capitol.

Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee today also reported progress on health care legislation, estimated to cost $900 billion and cover 95% of the uninsured without adding to the federal deficit 3.

Four-term Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison told a Texas radio station today she will resign from the Senate this fall to run for Texas Governor against GOP incumbent 4 Rick Perry. But later on Capitol Hill, Hutchison hedged on just when she might vacate her seat. NPR's David Welna is on Capitol Hill.

Senator Hutchison told reporters at the Capitol she intends to announce during the August recess that she is running for Governor of Texas. But she added she would not be saying anything about the timing 5 of her departure from the Senate. She said she hoped Texas Governor Rick Perry would not seek reelection since his staying in the race would oblige her to leave the Senate early.

"I would stay all the way through the election, but for... it being very difficult with the governor continuing to run. And he is really trying to hang on too long and maybe he'll rethink."

Hutchison’s Senate term expires in 2012. If she resigns before the end of the year, Texas would hold a special election in May or June of next year to replace her. David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol.

The Centers for Disease Control today issued recommendations on who should be among the first to get vaccinated 6 against swine flu. The CDC's Doctor Anne Schuchat says five groups have been identified.

"These are groups that had higher risk of disease or who had greater burden of complications. And there are five groups that will be very helpful for our planning purposes going forward."

As for the five groups, pregnant women, health care workers, children six months and older, people at risk of complications from flu and healthy 19 to 24 year olds.

On Wall Street today, the Dow fell 26 points to close at 9,070. The NASDAQ lost seven points to close at 1,967. The S&P fell four.

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Orders for durable 7 goods fell in June. The Commerce Department reports orders for big-ticket, long lasting 8 products were down 2.5% last month, the biggest drop in five months. The auto 9 and commercial airline industries saw the steepest declines.

The 911 caller who tipped off Cambridge police to a possible break-in at the home of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates says she feared for her safety in the controversy 10 after Gates' arrest. From member station WBUR in Boston, Bianca Vazquez Toness has the story.

According to the police report, Lucia Whalen identified the possible burglars in front of Gates’ home as black men. Bloggers vilified 11 Whalen as a racist 12. The police tape, however, showed that she only identified them when she was pressed by police and said maybe one of the men was Hispanic. Whalen was shaking today as she told reporters she never imagined her words would be scrutinized 13 by the entire nation.

"Now that the tapes are out, I hope people can see that I tried to be careful and honest with my words."

Whalen said she spoke 14 out to finally put the controversy to rest. For NPR News, I'm Bianca Vazquez Toness in Boston.

A Minnesota man arrested this month for traveling to Somalia to join a terrorist group, has pleaded guilty to providing material support to a terror organization. According to the FBI, Salah Osman Ahmed is one of several young men recruited in Minnesota to train with an Islamic militia 15 in Somalia. Salah told the judge today he went to Somalia to fight invading Ethiopians and ended up fighting with the Islamist militia al-Shabab.