NPR 2008-06-16

Iowa's Governor Chet Culver says the flood damage in his state will run into the billions of dollars. Gloria Kelsey of Des Moines says her home remains 1 completely underwater. “We don't know if  they’re gonna be able to rebuild and more on social security. So, we don't know what we are gonna be able to do.”

 National Guard troops are assisting in sandbagging operations along the Mississippi River. And the Iowa River in Iowa City is still rising, threatening the University of Iowa campus there. One official in that town said, in his words, "this is our version of Katrina". A top federal emergency official said some of the hard lessons learned from the hurricane are helping 2 efforts to assist people who have been flooded out of their homes in the Midwest. NPR's Allison Keyes reports.

 David Paulison, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, just got back from touring the damage in Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin. He told CNN's “Late Edition” that it's some of the worst flooding he's seen since Katrina, but authorities are working in tandem 3 this time. "I was extremely pleased with the cooperation I saw from the city, the county and the state and into the federal government. It is truly a partnership 4 we’re developing there. And that's the way it should operate which we did not see in Katrina. " Paulison says this flooding was different than what happened with the hurricane, and people were warned that the flooding was coming. "People moved very quickly to get out of the homes, most everybody did. The water didn't rise as fast as it did. We didn't have a tidal surge, so to speak. So, a little bit different scenario 5, but the aftermath is similar. " There are still people displaced by Hurricane Katrina, who have not been able to return to their homes. Allison Keyes, NPR News, Washington.

 Firefighters in California have gained the upper hand in battling a major wildfire north of Sacramento. Residents of the City of Paradise have begun returning to their homes to assess the damage. Bob Hensley of member station KXJZ reports.

 The blaze ravaged 6 Paradise. As of Sunday morning, 23,000 acres in and around the community had been scorched 7. At least 74 homes were destroyed, another 21 damaged. Dozens of motor vehicles are charred 8. There was one fire-related death. At one point, as many as nine emergency shelters were open to accommodate the thousands of residents who had to flee. Cal Fire spokeswoman Mary Anne Aldrich says even with the evacuation order lifted, ample resources remain in Paradise. “We have 521 engines. We’re flying eight air tankers 9 for solving the incident, ten helicopters. We've also got 3, 800 firefighting personnel.” Officials hope to have the fire completely contained by Monday evening. The total amount of property damage is expected to be in the tens of millions of dollars. For NPR News, I'm Bob Hensley, in Modesto, California.

 Saudi Arabia's oil minister says the kingdom will boost oil production by 200, 000 barrels a day next month on top of a 300,000-barrel rise that took effect last month. That earlier increase had little impact on the oil market. Word of the new increase came from a spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who is in Saudi Arabia today.

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 Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai is threatening to send Afghan troops into Pakistan to strike at Taliban militants 10 there if they keep staging cross-border attacks into Afghanistan. "We will get them and we will defeat them. And we will avenge 11 all that they have done to Afghanistan for the past so many years. " Karzai's warning came days after a coordinated 12 Taliban assault on a prison in Kandahar that freed more than 850 inmates 13. US, NATO and Afghan troops are searching for the escapees.

Canada's military chief says the prison breakout will not alter the mission in Afghanistan, though. Dan Karpenchuk has that story.

 Canadian soldiers along with US and Afghan forces are taking part in the house-to-house searches in Kandahar for escapees. Canadian engineers and police have also visited the prison in Kandahar to assess the damage and to get it functioning again. As many as 400 of the escapees are Taliban fighters, many of them prisoners the Canadians had already captured during operations in the Kandahar region. In Canada, the Chief of Defense 14 Staff, General Rick Hillier is playing down the prison break. Hillier describes it as “a setback”, one that demonstrates no mission will always run smoothly 15. “How you handle the surprises”, he adds, “will be the mark of the mission.” But some military analysts 16 say it also shows the Taliban are organized and veteran fighters. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

 In London, police in riot gear kept hundreds of protesters away from President Bush's motorcade as he arrived at No. 10 Downing Street this evening for dinner with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The menu included Scottish salmon 17 and Yorkshire pudding. Talks tomorrow between the two leaders are expected to center on the situations in Iran and Iraq. Earlier today, the president and Mrs. Bush had tea with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle.