NPR 2010-07-30

Demonstrations 1 against Arizona's immigration law lead to arrests in downtown Phoenix 2 today. Several dozen people were handcuffed. This a day after a federal judge blocked the most contentious 3 parts of the state's law. From member station KJZZ Peter O'Dowd reports protests and marches were planned before the injunction and went forward peacefully.

The day began with a prayer service that broke out in cheers among those opposed to the law. Politicians and religious leaders asked the congregation to continue its fight against SB 1070 as the state prepares to appeal yesterday's decision. After the service, hundreds of people marched to the federal courthouse. Anna Duran was one of them.

"Now, I can say I'm so happy. We know we haven't won yet. We know this is just a little piece of what we want."

Demonstrators have promised civil disobedience throughout the day. For NPR News, I'm Peter O'Dowd in Phoenix.

The public's learning more about the 13 counts of misconduct launched against New York Congressman 4 Charles Rangel. A House ethics 5 panel detailed 6 those charges today. NPR's David Welna reports it appears no deal has been cut to avert 7 a House trial.

Just before the House ethics panel publicly aired the charges against former Ways and Means Chairman Rangel, this man, who's represented Harlem for nearly 40 years, told reporters there was no deal to avoid a trial until he hears otherwise. Texas House Republican Michael McCall, who's on that panel, later declared the time for making deals had passed.

"Let me be clear that Mr. Rangel under these rules was given opportunities to negotiate a settlement during the investigation 8 phase. We're now in the trial phase."

The allegations against Rangel stemmed from charges he improperly 9 sought donations for a college building to be named after him, that he used a rent-stabilized apartment for campaign purposes, that there were omissions 10 in his financial disclosure statements, and that he failed to report rental 11 income and pay taxes on property in the Dominican Republic. David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol.

Defense 12 Secretary Robert Gates says the recent leaks of Afghanistan war documents may have severe consequences for American troops and their allies.

"Intelligence sources and methods, as well as military tactics, techniques and procedures, will become known to our adversaries 13."

But at the Pentagon today, Gates repeated there was no new information in those documents posted by Wikileaks. Still, the source of the leak is under federal investigation.

Meanwhile, a second American Navy sailor who went missing in a dangerous part of eastern Afghanistan was found dead, his body recovered, according to a senior US military official and Afghan authorities today. Officials had said that they suspected the Taliban was involved.

Looking at stocks, Dow was down 30 points at last check at 10,467, NASDAQ also down 13 at 2,252.

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The number of unlabeled or misidentified graves at Arlington National Cemetery 14 may be in the thousands, not the hundreds as previously 15 thought. That's today from Senator Claire McCaskill, chair of a Senate subcommittee that demanded answers today from the cemetery's former superintendent 16, John Metzler. McCaskill asked Metzler whether he told people about unknown remains 17 that were found several years ago.

"Did the chief of staff of the Army ever see a document from you that we've got a problem, we've found cremated 18 remains and we don't know where they belong?"

"No."

"Did that ever occur, Mr. Metzler?"

"We annotated 19 the records. We buried the remains as unknowns in the cemetery. We did not send—I did not send a memoir 20 to chief of staff of the Army."

A Senate hearing on Capitol Hill today.

Exxon Mobil says it made more than $7.5 billion in the second quarter of this year, exceeding expectations. More from NPR's Anthony Brooks 21.

That's when Exxon Mobil earned almost $15 billion in one quarter, thanks to the high price of oil, which spiked 22 at close to $150 a barrel back then. Then came the global recession and oil prices fell and so did earnings 23 to a six-year low. But oil prices are up from last year, causing Exxon Mobil's second-quarter profit this year to nearly double to $7.56 billion. It made most of its profits from oil and natural gas production in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. It does relatively 24 little business in the Gulf 25 of Mexico, unlike its rival BP, which reported quarterly losses of $17 billion in the wake of the oil spill disaster. Anthony Brooks, NPR News.

US stocks lost ground. Dow was down 30 at 10,467