NPR 2010-07-27

The Pentagon says it's trying to assess the potential damage caused by the leak of more than 90,000 classified documents on the Afghanistan War. In a briefing today, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says Wikileak.org's unauthorized action was irresponsible.

"It poses a very real and potential threat to those that are working hard every day to keep us safe."

But Wikileak argues the secret military records reveal a deeper message about the Afghanistan War including growing frustration 1 over reports that Pakistan colluded with insurgents 2 and civilian 3 casualties by US-led forces. Adding to the friction 4 over civilian casualties, Afghan President Hamid Karzai says at least 50 civilians 5 including many women and children were killed in a rocket attack by NATO last week. He says the attack targeting the Taliban took place in Helmand province. NATO says it is still investigating.

President Obama is urging the Senate to approve a bill designed to shed more light on political spending by businesses, labor 6 unions and other groups. As NPR's Scott Horsley reports, the bill has been modified in hopes of winning some Republican support.

Ever since the Supreme 7 Court cleared the way for unlimited 8 campaign spending by corporations, unions and others, President Obama has been looking for ways to contain the ruling's impact. The bill before the Senate would require those independent campaigns to say where their money is coming from, otherwise, Mr. Obama says, special interests could influence elections from behind a wall of secrecy 9.

"A group can hide behind a name like 'Citizens for a Better Future', even if a more accurate name would be 'Companies for Weaker Oversight 10'."

Senate backers modified a House version of the bill to address Republican complaints that it favored labor unions over corporations. It's not clear the bill has the 60 votes it needs, though, to overcome a Republican filibuster 11. Scott Horsley, NPR News, the White House.

A new study shows most men with low-grade prostate cancer get aggressive treatment. As NPR's Richard Knox tells us, study authors say this treatment may be causing patients more harm than good.

The widely used blood test called PSA triggers a biopsy and diagnosis 12 of prostate cancer in a growing number of men. But the new study of nearly 124,000 men with prostate cancer shows that one in every seven had a low PSA level, below four considered the upper limit of normal. Most of these men turned out to have low-risk, slow-growing cancers. Nonetheless, the great majority of these low-risk men get aggressive treatment—removal of the prostate gland 13 or radiation therapy. Writing in the Annals of Internal Medicine, study authors say many American prostate cancer victims are not likely to benefit from this aggressive treatment. Their cancers could safely be monitored rather than treated, and many would never become a threat. Richard Knox, NPR News.

Dow's up more than 100 at 10,526.

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There's word BP executive Tony Hayward may be stepping down this fall, but still no confirmation 14 from BP on various reports about Hayward's future at the company. Hayward has been in the face of BP's struggles with the Gulf 15 oil spill. If he leaves, he may be replaced by American Bob Dudley.

Thousands of small nonprofits that failed to file tax forms this year are getting a temporary reprieve 16 from the IRS. NPR's Pam Fessler reports the government is giving the groups until October 15th to file the required forms if they want to keep their tax-exempt 17 status.

The announcement affects about 325,000 small charities and nonprofits. Many of these groups apparently 18 were unaware 19 of a new law that required them to file tax forms for the first time, or else they'd lose their tax-exempt status. Previously 20, groups with revenue of $25,000 or less were exempt from filing. Many of the affected 21 nonprofits were small like local PTAs and had been required to file by May 17th. Officials believe some of the groups might have missed the deadline because they no longer exist. The IRS has now posted on its website a list of the nonprofits, it says, are at risk of losing their tax-exempt status if they don't file by October 15th. Pam Fessler, NPR News, Washington.

The federal prosecution 22 delivered closing arguments today in Rod Blagojevich's corruption 23 trial in Chicago. Illinois' ousted 24 governor is accused of scheming to sell or trade President Obama's old Senate seat.

There's been a double car bombing in southern Iraq near the holy Shiite city of Karbala. Authorities say at least 19 people were killed, more than 50 were injured.