NPR 2010-03-26

From NPR News in Washington, I’m Lakshmi Singh.

Leaders on Capitol Hill are condemning 1 threats and vandalism against lawmakers. Most of the threats have centered around those who voted for health care overhaul 2. NPR’s Sonari Glinton reports a prominent Republican is now saying that he is being targeted.

At least ten Democratic lawmakers have been targeted with a variety of menacing phone calls, faxes and vandalism. Now, Republicans say they’ve been victims also. Republican Congressman 3 Eric Cantor says a gunshot was fired outside his Virginia campaign office. He says he refuses to make political hay out of the situation, unlike some Democrats 4.

“It’s reckless to use these incidents as media vehicles for political gain.”

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says leaders need to be careful about their rhetoric 5.

“I believe that words have power, they weigh a ton and they’re received differently by the people depending on their, shall we say, emotional state.”

Speaker Pelosi says the FBI is working with members of Congress to investigate the threats. Sonari Glinton, NPR News, the Capitol.

President Obama’s drumming up public support for the new law, reminding them that it extends coverage 6 to millions more Americans and holds insurers more accountable.

“The days of the insurance industry running roughshod over the American people are over. So if you already have insurance, this reform will make it more secure and more affordable 7.”

The president speaking this afternoon at the University of Iowa. Meanwhile, the Senate has passed reconciliation 8 fixes to the legislation. The House is expected to hold a final vote on the changes tonight.

Survivors 9 of sexual abuse in Wisconsin are demanding accountability from the Vatican. They accuse Pope Benedict of choosing not to protect them when he had the chance. The story first reported in the New York Times, Benedict is criticized for ignoring repeated warnings about an alleged 10 sex offender 11 in the clergy 12. We have this update from Ann-Elise Henzl of member station WUWM.

A Catholic priest who taught at a school for deaf boys in a Milwaukee suburb is accused of molesting 13 as many as 200 children from the 1950s to the 1970s. In the 1990s, Wisconsin bishops 14 urged the Vatican to permit a church trial against priest. Cardinal 15 Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, was head of the Vatican office that investigates abuse cases and prevented a trial from moving forward. Mark Salmon 16 is with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. He wants answers from the Vatican.

“And I think it’s time that they step up and take responsibility and stop with these vacant apologies and start fessing up to this”

The Vatican has responded to the complaints, by saying they’re part of a campaign to smear 17 the Pope. For NPR News. I’m Ann-Elise Henzl in Milwaukee.

Dow’s up five at 10,841.

This is NPR News.

In Pakistan, security forces are still pounding militant 18 havens 20 in tribal 21 areas, killing 22 between 25 to 30 suspected extremists in operations in the district of Orakzai. The latest from NPR’s Julie McCarthy in Islamabad.

There are reports that a seminary where Taliban commanders were believed to have been meeting was hit in the latest onslaught. Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas says in the last several weeks intensified 23 air and ground assaults have killed some 80 to 90 militants 24 in the Orakzai area. Orakzai belongs to Pakistan’s restive 25 tribal belt near but not on the Afghan border. Military sources say that Orakzai became a haven 19 for Taliban escaping Pakistan’s army offensive in the tribal area of South Waziristan. The recent capture in Pakistan of Afghan Taliban, including the second-in-command, have sown nervousness among the militants. The Afghan Taliban’s supreme 26 leader has reportedly replaced his detained top deputy with a relatively 27 young but hardened fighter. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Islamabad.

Defense 28 Secretary Robert Gates is putting his stamp on series of changes to the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. That's the law that bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. Gates says it’ll now be tougher to discharge someone for violating that policy. Under the revisions, more senior officers will be in charge of proceedings 29 to discharge gay member of the military. The policy also places tougher rules on evidence.

Hare Krishnas are now banned from asking for donations outside Los Angeles International Airport. Today, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously to end a long-running dispute between the city and the religious group. This could lead to similar actions at other airports.

I’m Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, Washington.