NPR 2008-08-09

Opening ceremonies in Beijing for the 2008 Summer Games where the show began with movie director Zhang Yimou's version of Chinese history complete with drummers and lavish 1 traditional garb 2. With the lighting 3 of the Olympic Flame, the Games officially got underway with 80 foreign heads of state in attendance including President Bush. Opening ceremonies also featured the traditional parade of athletes to China's National Stadium and some 30,000 fireworks. A gold medal gymnast hoisted 4 to the top of the Olympic Stadium on wires lit the Olympic torch. On the first full day of competition at the Games, seven gold medals will be up for grabs.

The Bush administration has pledged to support for the territorial 5 integrity of Georgia as the ex-Soviet state tries to get control of a breakaway region that is backed by Russia. NPR's Michelle Keleman has more.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is urging Russia to stop its aircraft and missile attacks in Georgia and withdraw all combat forces. She's also sending a diplomat 6 to the region to try and negotiate a cease-fire. The crisis started when Georgia launched its latest bid to retake South Ossetia, a region that broke away in the 1990s. Russia responded to the latest moves by sending in troops and bombing Georgian air bases. US military officials have been monitoring the situation, but say they haven't received any specific request for help from Georgia. Georgia is an ally of the US and the Bush administration has supported the ex-Soviet state's efforts to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. Michelle Keleman, NPR News, Washington.

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is now admitting the rumors 7 in the tabloid 8 reports he had an extramarital affair were true after all. After vigorously denying an affair with Rielle Hunter, a woman hired to do videos for his political action committee, Edwards in an interview with ABC's Bob Woodruff on "Nightline" now admits the affair. However Edwards says he's not the father of Hunter's six-month-old daughter, born earlier this year. He said he told his wife of the 2006 affair and asked for her forgiveness. Edwards' wife Elizabeth is battling cancer.

US stock prices soared today with the major stock indexes up more than 2%. Jim Zarroli reports.

The price of a barrel of oil finished the day at a little more than 115 dollars, a drop of nearly five dollars. Oil has fallen sharply since earlier this year when it peaked at 147 dollars a barrel. Energy analyst 9 Phil Flynn of Alaron Trading says the decline in price is beginning to be felt by consumers. "I mean anybody who's filled up their cars in the last week sees the prices are well down from their highs. And this is a trend that could continue. " The drop in oil prices has sent stocks sharply higher. The decline has happened in part because of signs that the European and Asian economies are slowing down. And that signals that the demand for oil and other commodities could fall. Jim Zarroli, NPR News, New York.

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The death toll 10 from an overnight bus crash near Sherman, Texas has now risen to 14. Authorities today removed the crumpled 11 wreckage 12 of the charter bus which fell onto its side, hit a guardrail and then slid off Highway 75. The passengers were part of a Vietnamese Catholic group that was on a trip to Missouri. Many of those killed were apparently 13 crushed to death. Police say investigators 14 have interviewed the bus driver who is in stable condition. They say it appears a blown tire may have been to blame for the accident.

Tyson Foods has come to a new agreement with employees of a Tennessee poultry 15 plant. This year they will have both Labor 16 Day and the Muslim celebration Eid-al-Fitr as paid holidays. From member station WPLN in Nashville, Blake Farmer reports.

Tyson had dropped Labor Day in favor of the Muslim celebration at the union's request. Tyson's spokesperson Libby Lawson says the change was a practical concern. At least 250 Somali refugees work at the Shelbyville plant. Many Muslim employees were taking off Eid-al-Fitr unpaid 17. "For many, many, many years at that particular plant, team members worked on Labor Day anyway. So I don't think that they thought that this was such a big deal. " After a media backlash this week, Tyson asked to renegotiate. Now workers will get paid for both Labor Day and Eid-al-Fitr. The plant will drop a paid floating holiday meant for birthdays. For NPR News, I'm Blake Farmer in Nashville.

American workers were slightly less productive during the April to June quarter. The Labor Department says productivity still rose. The government says worker productivity in the second quarter grew an annual rate of 2.2%.

On Wall Street, the Dow closed up 302 points to end the week at 11, 734. That was a gain of 3.6%. The S&P was up 30 points.