NPR 2008-05-23

The Senate today approved a bill funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with a measure containing money for domestic programs including an expanded GI Bill. NPR’s Brian Naylor has more.

The war funding bill will provide some 165 billion dollars in military spending into next year. The domestic portion includes money for extended unemployment benefits and for expanded education benefits for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Virginia Democrat 1 Jim Webb authored the measure. “There is no politics in this. This is taking care of the people who have taken care of us.” The bill had the support of both Democratic presidential candidates and some two dozen Republicans. Republican Senator John McCain did not vote, but had stated his opposition 2. The funding measures now move back to the House. Brian Naylor, NPR News, the Capitol.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain has rejected the endorsement 3 of a controversial evangelical pastor 4. This time, it was over Rev 5. John Hagee’s remarks about the Holocaust 6. NPR’s Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports.

The latest revelation was about a sermon Hagee gave to his Texas megachurch in the late 1990s, when he said that God used Hitler to shepherd the Jews out of Europe. “And they, the hunters, shall hunt them, that will be the Jews. From every mountain and from every hill and from out of the holes of the rocks. If that doesn’t describe what Hitler did in the Holocaust, you can’t see that.” He said God’s top priority was to get the Jews to reestablish the State of Israel. McCain has stood by Hagee despite his comments that the Catholic Church is "the Great Whore" or that God punished New Orleans for a Gay Pride march with a hurricane. McCain said he found the Hitler remarks “indefensible”. He said he did not know of them before Hagee’s endorsement, even though Hagee's controversial views have been well-known for a long time. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, NPR News.

Authorities in Northern Colorado are confirming at least one death following a tornado 7 touchdown there today, with some of the heaviest damage said to be in Weld County, an area about 50 miles north of Denver. Officials say the storm moved through or near a number of towns including Windser, Colorado. Barbara Kirkmeyer is with Weld County Emergency Services and described some of the damage there. “We do know of several houses that were damaged, a lot of rooftops gone, homes completely damaged.” TV footage showed crumpled 8 farming irrigation equipment. Officials say they are still assessing the number of injuries there. Colorado Governor Bill Ritter declared a state of emergence 9 in Weld County where thousands are said to be without power. (There are) also reports of overturned vehicles on a highway in Laramie, Wyoming.

In yet another measure of home prices, this one from the federal government’s Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight 10, there is more evidence the problems for the housing market continue. The government reports nationally, US house prices fell by 3.1% in the first quarter compared to a year ago, the sharpest decline in 17 years.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 24 points, closing at 12,625. The NASDAQ was up 16. This is NPR.

Stockholders of the nation’s largest home improvement chain had some tough questions for Chief Executive Frank Blake at the company’s annual meeting. Several shareholders 11 of Atlanta- based Home Depot 12 questioned the retailer’s commitment to customer service, talking about their own poor experience at stores. There were also complaints about problems with the chain’s installation business. The criticism comes at a time Home Depot has seen its sales, profits and stock price slide in the continued downturn in the US housing market. Home Depot recently announced plans to close 15 of its stores.

Government forecasters say it’s likely to be a busy hurricane season, but they are cautious about saying just how busy. NPR’s Jon Hamilton has more.

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 13 Administration say there is no way to know exactly how many hurricanes will form or how many will strike the US. So, they are emphasizing probabilities in their seasonal 14 forecast rather than exact numbers. For example, they say there is a 90 percent chance that the season will be normal or busier than normal. There are still numbers in the forecast, though. Scientists are predicting six to nine hurricanes between June 1st and the end of November. That’s nowhere near 2005 when there were 15 hurricanes including Katrina and Rita. But forecasters say it only takes one big storm to make a devastating 15 season. Jon Hamilton, NPR News.

A congressional panel today warned that flight delays at the nation’s airports could cost the industry more than two billion dollars in wasted fuel this year. Study conducted by the Joint 16 Economic Committee estimates that flight delays and congestion 17, especially in the New York area, are hurting airlines at a time they are grappling with higher costs for jet fuel and their overall financial picture is deteriorating 18. Fuel is the second biggest expense for airlines after labor 19.