NPR NEWS 2008-03-23

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Craig Windham.

Flood waters are still threatening homes in parts of the Midwest even as some rivers have begun receding 1. Donald Ray was one of the volunteers helping 2 build a protective wall of sand banks today in the town of Arnold, Missouri. "We worked last night and then we are back again this morning. My parents' house flooded in the 1993 flood. So I'm just figuring if I ever had to help again. Someone helped us, so we are here helping other people."

At least 16 deaths have been linked to the severe weather in the nation's midsection over the past week. Parts of the Upper Midwest got more snow today. But flights at Chicago's airports are mainly back on schedule after extensive delays and cancellations yesterday. The Midwest has been dealing 3 with stormy weather and its aftermath for days now. Meteorologist Vickie Nadolski says the region is about to get a short break. "They could see some additional rains move in beyond late Tuesday, Wednesday. But for now the good news is that there won't be any rainfall for the next couple of days."

Nadolski says though the long-range forecast calls for more flooding this spring. It's been over a week since severe storms and tornadoes 5 swept across Georgia and now a body has been found in Atlanta. It could be the city's first fatality 6 from the storms. David Barasoain of member station WABE has more.

Workers clearing rubble 7 from the tornado 4 that struck downtown Atlanta discovered the body of a man while clearing debris 8. Police won't know for sure if the person was a victim of the storm until they get official word from a medical examiner. The man had no identification but he was wearing a wedding band. The body was found close to the King Center near a metro 9 station, east of downtown Atlanta . Last Friday, the tornado cut a 6-mile path from Centennial Olympic park and down toward the Fourth Ward 10. At least 27 people were injured in the Atlanta tornado but until today police believed that no one had died. For NPR News, I'm David Barasoain in Atlanta.

Vice 11 President Dick Cheney has begun a round of talks in the Middle East that aimed at advancing the Middle East peace process. He's meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Cheney said the U.S. is committed to Israel's security and that commitment is enduring and unshakable. "The United States will never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security. As successful democracies, the U.S. and Israel have a basic confidence in the power of freedom to lift up whole societies and to lay the foundation for peace." Cheney was speaking in Jerusalem today.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says Americans are ready for change after two terms of President Bush in the White House. "The era of Katrina and warrantless wiretaps, Scooter Libby justice, Brownie incompetence 12, Kark Rove politics. Those days are coming to an end next year." Obama speaking at a rally in Eugene, Oregon. His rival Hillary Clinton is at home in New York state today. John McCain is overseas on a congressional trip.

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The main opposition 13 candidate has won today's presidential election in Taiwan. He favors closer ties with China including much more open trade relations. Voters rejected the ruling party candidate's protectionist stance. "He had strongly attacked his rival's plans, warning that Taiwan would be swamped with cheap Chinese goods and Chinese labors 14 that unemployment would increase and there would be all kinds of social problems." That's reporter Caroline Gluck in Taipei.

The U.S. Air Force may be getting into the coal business .The idea is to develop a new fuel source. Fred Kight of member station WOUB explains.

The Air Force is launching a plan to wean itself from foreign oil by turning to coal. It wants to build what could be the first facility in the nation to turn coal into cleaner-burning synthetic 15 fuel. The facility would be located at a base in centre Montana. The Air Force is offering to be a partner in the project, hoping to prod 16 Wall Street investors 17 to sink money into similar plants nationwide. This involvement comes at a critical time for the coal industry. Coal's biggest customers, electric utilities, have scrapped 18 at least 4-dozen proposed coal-fired power plants due to rising costs and pollution problems that contribute to global warming. For NPR News ,I'm Fred Kight in Athens, Ohio.

Astronauts from the space shuttle Endeavor are conducting their fifth and final space walk of Endeavor's mission.The shuttle is expected to land next week.

In the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament today, Wisconsin had no trouble with Kansas State, but in the Western Regional second-seed Duke was upset by West Virginia.

I'm Craig Windham, NPR News, in Washington.