NPR 2008-07-04

Campaigning in Fargo, North Dakota today, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said if elected, he still plans to bring troops home from Iraq. However, the presumptive Democratic nominee 1 also said that depending on what he learns from an upcoming visit to Iraq, he may refine his policy, and he said any troop withdrawal 2 would be phased in. "I have seen no information that contradicts the notion that we can bring our troops out safely at a pace of one to two brigades per month. And again, that pace translates into having our combat troops out in sixteen months' time. So, the last point I would just make is that this is the same position that I had four months ago. It's the same position that I had eight months ago. It's the same position that I had twelve months ago. " Republicans were quick to say Obama appears to be reversing himself, including his previous hard-line opposition 3 to the war. Republican John McCain has been a vocal 4 supporter of current Iraq war policy.

The Pentagon is extending the tour of 2,200 marines sent to Afghanistan earlier this year and expected to come home in October. Now, those troops will stay an extra 30 days. NPR's Tom Bowman reports.

Defense 6 Secretary Robert Gates sent the Marines from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to Afghanistan in March for seven months. Gates said recently he’d be loath 7 to add to that time. Now, the Pentagon is extending the 24th Marine 5 Expeditionary Unit, because NATO and other countries are not sending enough combat forces. Twenty-eight American troops were killed in Afghanistan last month, making June the deadliest month for American forces in Afghanistan since 2001, when a US-led invasion overthrew 8 the Taliban government. This week, the nation's top military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, told reporters more troops are needed in Afghanistan, saying he can't send any more until he can reduce American forces in Iraq. Tom Bowman, NPR News, the Pentagon.

Treasury 9 Secretary Henry Paulson wound up a European trip in London, where he admitted politicians are limited to what they can do about the cost of oil. Larry Miller 10 reports.

Treasury Secretary Paulson warned there will be no quick fix that will slow or bring down the oil price. He told a London news conference there are short-term questions about the ability of oil producers to meet demand. Paulson said the cost of oil is serving as a strong headwind which will prolong the global economic slowdown. The treasury secretary and his British counterpart Alistair Darling warned that both countries must urgently become less dependent on oil and promote investment in renewable alternatives. Paulson said he wants more transparency from oil producers about their reserves. His comments come as the oil price hit a new record and after the Saudi oil minister said his country has no plans to increase production further. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

On Wall Street, in a holiday-shortened trading day, the Dow gained 73 points. The NASDAQ was down six points.

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An internal State Department report is suggesting that some employees may have spent more time looking at the passport records of celebrities 11 than previously 12 disclosed. (The) report from the Inspector 13 General's Office examined the records of 150 politicians, athletes and entertainers, and found 127 of them, or 85%, had been accessed more than 4, 100 times between September of 2002 and March of 2008. Of those 150 files, nine had been looked at more than 100 times.

 One of the nation's largest grocery store chains is expanding its voluntary recall of ground beef products, and is asking customers to check items they may have at home. From member station WVXU in Cincinnati, Katie Orr reports.

The Kroger Company is recalling ground beef products in more than 20 states. Spokeswoman Meghan Glynn says the recall affects products from supplier, Nebraska Beef, with sell-by dates of May 21st or later, because they may be contaminated with E. coli. Glynn says Kroger is taking precautions to prevent further sales of the affected 14 items. "All the ground beef supplied to us by Nebraska Beef, based on information the USDA gave us, has been removed from our stores. And ground beef for sale in our stores across the country, as of yesterday and today, that ground beef is from other suppliers. " Glynn says customers should check any ground beef products they might have at home and either throw out or return affected items. For NPR News, I'm Katie Orr in Cincinnati.

Serena Williams has set herself up for a third Wimbledon final against her older sister Venus, defeating Zheng Jie 6-2, 7-6. The two-time winner had little trouble fending 15 off her Chinese challenger, the first woman to ever make it to the semi-finals from China.