NPR 2008-02-15

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Paul Brown.

A top Justice Department official goes before a House subcommittee today to talk about interrogation techniques. Steven Bradbury, the acting 1 head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, appears a day after the Senate defied a presidential veto threat and passed a bill banning the use of torture by any US official.

Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig has received a sharply worded reprimand from the Senate Ethics 2 Committee. The panel found he'd acted improperly 3 both in the bathroom sex sting at the Minneapolis airport and then subsequently trying to reverse his guilty plea. NPR's David Welna reports.

The three Democrats 5 and three Republicans on a Senate Ethics panel made public the three-page letter they sent Senator Craig. In it, he's told he's being publicly admonished 6 by the Committee for conduct he pled guilty to 6 months ago after being arrested in the airport men's room sex sting. It said that conduct had, quote, 'reflected discreditably on the Senate.' The panel also chided Craig for showing the arresting officer his Senate business card and saying to him 'what do you think about that?' It further faulted him for trying to reverse the guilty plea in a Minnesota court as well as for having spent more than 200, 000 dollars in campaign funds to pay legal fees. Craig intends to retire from the Senate when his term expires in January. David Welna, NPR News.

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is gearing up for next Tuesday's Wisconsin primary. He's rejecting suggestions that he drop out and leave the GOP nomination 7 to Arizona Senator John McCain. Chuck Quirmbach of Wisconsin Public Radio reports.

Huckabee trails McCain by a wide margin 8 in the Republican convention delegate count. But several hundred supporters came to a campaign rally for Huckabee in suburban 9 Milwaukee last night. The former Arkansas governor told them he's still in the presidential race to win. 'For those who are in the other camp over there telling us it's time to wind it down, a lot of our folks are thinking no it's time to wind it up. And that's what we're doing.' Huckabee says he'll campaign in Wisconsin through Friday morning then take 48 hours off to delivery a paid speech in the Cayman Islands. He says unlike other major candidates still in the presidential race, his salary is not paid by tax dollars, and he has to make speeches to help earn a living. For NPR News, I'm Chuck Quirmbach in Milwaukee.

Democrat 4 Barack Obama campaigned in Wisconsin yesterday. He said the accounting 10 for his proposed initiative to increase employment and fix the economy is good. 'I have paid for every element of this economic agenda by ending a war that's costing us billions, by closing tax loopholes for corporations, by putting a price on carbon pollution, and by ending George Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans.' Obama's rival Hillary Clinton campaigned in Texas yesterday, a state she sees as a must-win along with Ohio to keep her campaign effort afloat.

From Washington, this is NPR News.

Treasury 11 Secretary Henry Paulson is to appear before the Senate Banking 12 Committee today. Yesterday, he praised the economic stimulus 13 package President Bush signed. 'The payments to individuals and the investment incentives 14 for businesses will help create more than half a million jobs by the end of this year.' Paulson also said he does not think the economy will slide into a recession. Appearing with him today will be Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox.

The rebel leader killed during Monday's attack on East Timor's president was buried today. NPR's Mike O'Sullivan reports from Dili.

Several hundred mourners turned out for the burial of former Major Alfredo Reinado near the center of the capital. Reinado was killed on Monday during the attack that left President Jose Ramos-Horta gravely wounded. Ramos-Horta was flown to neighboring Australia for treatment. Doctors there say he is expected to recover. There was a heavy police presence at Major Reinado's funeral today. His coffin 15 draped in the flag of this impoverished 16 island nation. Reinado is seen by some here as something of a folk hero not for his attack on the president but for championing the cause of those from the west of the country, who believe they are discriminated 17 against by those from the east. The state of emergency declared after the attack on the president has now been extended for ten days and a dusk-to-dawn curfew remains 18 in effect. Mike O'Sullivan NPR News, Dili.

A strong earthquake hit Greece today. The exact intensity 19 isn't yet certain. Greek officials say it was magnitude 6.5, while American officials say it was 7.3. It was felt throughout the capital of Athens. And witnesses say it lasted at least 15 seconds. There are no immediate 20 reports of damage or injuries.

I'm Paul Brown. NPR News in Washington.