NPR 2008-05-14

The death toll 1 in China’s earthquake now stands at nearly 12,000. Thousands of people remain missing. So, that number is certain to rise. Today, bodies covered with sheets line the streets as rescue workers continue to dig through schools and homes toppled by the quake. At least two Chinese-American tourists are listed among the missing. China’s official news agency is reporting that fewer than 60 people have been pulled alive from demolished 2 buildings. One report says 80% of the buildings in one county were destroyed. And to make matters worse, rain is hindering rescue efforts today.

 President Bush leaves today on his second trip to the Middle East this year. The main goal is to give a boost to Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. NPR’s Jackie Northam reports.

 President Bush will spend much of his time in Israel, taking part in celebrations to commemorate 3 the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Jewish state. The president and first lady will host a reception at an Israeli museum. They’ll also travel to the ancient mountaintop fortress 4 of Masada. In the first century A.D., hundreds of Jewish rebels killed their wives, children, then each other, rather than become slaves to the Romans who were set to invade the fortress. President Bush will also use his time in Israel to push for fast progress on Middle East peace negotiations 5. He’ll meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, but he will not meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas until later in the week, when Mr. Bush travels to Egypt. The president says he wants a peace deal by the time he leaves office in January. But analysts 6 say there are still huge divisions between the two sides. Jackie Northam, NPR News, Washington.

 Consumers trimmed their spending again in April, but some parts of the economy held up better than many economists 8 had expected. NPR’s Paul Brown has more.

 The Commerce Department says total retail 9 sales fell in April for the second time in three months. And this figure is considered important because retail commerce accounts for about two-thirds of total US economic activity. The April drop of two-tenths of a percent was twice what most analysts had expected and it comes after an increase in March. The biggest decline in April was in auto 10 sales as consumers struggled with higher fuel prices and other strains on their budgets. But one surprise for analysts was that outside the auto sector 11, April sales actually rose by half a percentage point, much more than anticipated. That led economist 7, Kurt Carl of Swiss Re ,to say the figures don’t point to a recession and other economists say that if there is a recession, it will be mild. Paul Brown, NPR News, Washington.

 Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says turmoil 12 in financial markets has eased, but the situation is still not back to normal.

 On Wall Street this morning, prices were down. At this hour, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 26 points to 12,850. The NASDAQ is down five points to 2,482. This is NPR News.

 Democratic presidential contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are watching West Virginia today where the state is holding its primary. Scott Finn of West Virginia Public Broadcasting has more.

 This year for the first time, independent voters are being allowed to cast ballots 13 in the Democratic primary. A record number participated in early voting and election officials are bracing 14 for a big turnout. West Virginia is one of the oldest, widest and most low-income states. If earlier contests are any guide, these are all demographics that favor Clinton. In recent appearances, Barack Obama has focused on the state’s large population of veterans. Democrats 15 dominate at the local and state level, but the state voted Republican in the last two presidential elections. West Virginia hasn’t been in the primary spotlight 16 since 1960, when the largely Protestant state helped nominate the nation’s first Catholic President, John F. Kennedy. For NPR News, I’m Scott Finn, in Charleston, West Virginia.

 Congressional Democrats are pushing for an extension of the GI Bill. They want a big boost in college aid for military veterans. The plan would essentially 17 guarantee a full-ride scholarship to any in-state public university, along with a monthly  housing stipend 18, for individuals who serve in the military for at least three years. The proposal would give veterans 15 years to use the benefit instead of the current ten-year limit. The Congressional Budget Office says the plan would cost nearly 52 billion dollars over ten years, and that has Republicans and even fiscally-conservative Democrats hesitant about the plan. President Bush has indicated that he supports a modest expansion of GI benefits, but congressional Democrats are not likely to back down.