NPR 2010-02-23

From NPR News in Washington, I’m Craig Windham.

An Afghan immigrant is slated 1 to appear in a federal courtroom in New York within the hour and Najibullah Zazi is expected to plead guilty to terrorism charges. He’s accused of plotting a bomb attack on New York’s transportation system. Zazi was arrested last fall in Denver where he was working as an airport shuttle driver.

Senate Democrats 3 are facing a key test today of their ability to garner 4 enough GOP support to avert 5 a filibuster 6. NPR’s David Welna reports a procedural vote on a jobs bill will mark the Democrats' first effort to push forward a piece of legislation since losing their filibuster-proof majority.

Democrats will need at least two Senate Republicans to join them to get the 60 votes needed to move the jobs bill forward. The ruling party’s new 59-seat majority has temporarily been reduced to 58 since New Jersey 7 Democrat 2 Frank Lautenberg will be absent due to treatment for stomach cancer. Republicans have not made any commitments to vote for the jobs measure, though their leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday they may well give it their support. The bill’s price tag is $15 billion, far less than an 85-billion-dollar bipartisan measure drafted last week. It includes a tax break for firms that hire workers who’ve been jobless for more than two months. And it also releases $20 billion for road building, but it does not renew other tax breaks Republicans sought, nor does it extend unemployment insurance that expires at the end of the month. David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol.

The top US general in Iraq says he may consider slowing the withdrawal 8 of US combat forces if Iraq’s political picture seems chaotic 9 after upcoming parliamentary elections. But for now, General Ray Odierno says he does not think that will be necessary. “I don’t think it's so much about Iranian interference that would delay our withdrawal, but it’s about the overall situation in Iraq, and if Iran and any other country would cause some significant change in the conditions in Iraq, we certainly have to consider our timeline.” The US currently has about 96,000 troops in Iraq. All American combat forces are slated to leave that country by the end of August, but about 50,000 troops will remain to help train Iraqi security forces.

Palestinians are reacting angrily to the possible addition of two West Bank sites to Israel’s national heritage list. Sheera Frenkel reports Israeli troops fired tear gas and stun 10 grenades at rioting Israeli young people today.

More than 100 youths clashed with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Hebron today following an announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he hoped to add the city's Tomb of the Patriarchs to Israel's list of national heritage sites. Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem was another historic site slated for the 100-million-dollar project that, Israel says, will restore and renovate 11 the area. Palestinians say it is an attempt to assert Jewish control over sites that are important to Christianity, Islam and Judaism, particularly in West Bank areas inhabited by Jewish settlers. For NPR News, I’m Sheera Frenkel in Jerusalem.

Stock prices have been mainly mixed today as investors 12 react to cautious economic signals from two major consumer firms. The Dow was down three points.

This is NPR News.

At least six people are dead in Pakistan after a suicide bomber 13 attacked a security convoy 14. NPR’s Julie McCarthy reports the attack occurred as the convoy traveled through the largest city in the Swat Valley.

Eyewitnesses 15 said the blast occurred as two vehicles carrying Pakistani security forces passed through a busy intersection 16. Television broadcasts from the scene showed a fire engulfing 17 shops and cars that had been destroyed in the blast. Residents including children could be heard screaming over the devastation 18. Mingora is the capital of Swat Valley, once a prime tourist destination. But the mountainous region near the tribal 19 areas along the Afghan border had been infiltrated 20 by Taliban militants 21. Pakistani military forces fought a major offensive last summer to dislodge them. Today’s bombing was a reminder 22 that while the Swat offensive may be over, the fight against the militancy 23 there is not finished. Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission meanwhile said it was gravely concerned over the detention 24 of family members of suspected militants. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Islamabad.

Democrats in Congress are cautiously welcoming the compromised health care overhaul 25 plan unveiled today by the White House. The proposal does not include a so-called government option for uninsured Americans, but Republican lawmakers are already rejecting the plan. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the proposal is designed to be a starting point for a bipartisan summit on health care later this week. “A series of ideas that relate to cost, that relate to insurance reforms, and that relate to coverage 26 that the president would like to discuss on Thursday.” The president has invited key lawmakers from both parties to the summit which will be held at Blair House across the street from the White House Thursday.

I’m Craig Windham, NPR News in Washington.