NPR 2010-08-20

New unemployment claims hit the half million mark, the highest level since November. Analysts 1 say last week's surge underscores more trouble in the jobs market with employers slashing 2 positions as the economic recovery continues to slow.

A symbolic 3 moment for American troops today. The 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry 4 Division is the last official combat brigade to leave Iraq more than seven years after the US-led invasion. And it happened well before the Obama administration's August 31st deadline, but the withdrawal 5 had been taken place for months. And as NPR's Mike Schuster reports, many American troops will stay behind.

After September 1st, the goal and it looks like it's going to be reached. There will be 50,000 American troops left in Iraq, and Their role will shift from primarily combat to primarily assisting the Iraqi security forces. But this doesn't mean that these American troops are out of harm's way, and it doesn't mean that they are not armed or may not be involved in combat in the coming year.

NPR's Mike Schuster.

Three weeks after Pakistan's flood disaster began, assistance is beginning to ramp 6 up. Senator John Kerry says the US will contribute 150 million for emergency aid to the country, but international efforts still slow. NPR's Margot Adler with details.

The foreign minister of Pakistan is in New York, responding to criticism that his government was slow to respond. He said there was initial shock and paralysis 7. The Pakistani community here has also been slow to respond. Pakistani journalist Jehangir Khattak.

"Those who want to donate, they don't want to donate to the government. They are funding the money through private channels."

The UN and other aid groups have complained that donors 8 have not been quick or generous in a crisis that has inundated 9 1/5 of Pakistan and affected 10 20 million people. He says half of the 459 million pledged for initial relief funding has been secured. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.

A grand jury's indicted 11 former baseball pitcher 12 Roger Clemens on obstruction 13 of justice, false statements and perjury 14 charges. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports the criminal charges stemmed from the pitcher's testimony 15 to Congress in 2008.

Roger Clemens made a defiant 16 appearance before the House Government Reform Committee in February, 2008. Congress was conducting a broad investigation 17 into the use of steroids in Major League Baseball. Clemens started as a pitcher in Toronto and New York in a career that's spanned more than two decades, but prosecutors 18 say he lied to Congress when Clemens flatly denied using anabolic steroids and human growth hormone 19 to improve his performance. Clemens faces as many as 30 years in prison, if he's convicted of obstruction, false statements and perjury. His defense 20 team has already signaled they will attack the credibility of a key government witness who says he provided steroids to the baseball star. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

Dow's down 145 points at 10,271. This is NPR.

Well, fans have heard this before, but Brett Favre says this NFL season really is his last. The 40-year-old is back with the Minnesota Vikings. The three-time MVP returned to the field yesterday, hoping to cap this 20th season with a Super Bowl victory. Last season, the Vikings were just one win away from appearing in the NFL Championship.

A recall due to salmonella contamination has been extended to nearly 400 million eggs in several states. Federal authorities say the eggs were sold by an Iowa farmer and may have sickened hundreds of people since May.

The heat wave that's crippled Russia for two months is finally over. From Moscow, Peter Van Dyk reports cooler temperatures are helping 21 firefighting efforts and the numbers of wildfires burning across the country is down by 100 just the past 24 hours.

Temperatures in the Russian capital have returned to normal and are not expected to rise above the mid-70s today. The change was sudden. Yesterday was the hottest August 18th on record. The 23rd time since June a daily record has been set. Forest and peat bog 22 fires near Moscow are almost all out, and the situation continues to improve in the rest of the country. The Emergencies Ministry 23 says 313 fires are burning, but most are under control. More than 28,000 fires have been extinguished since the start of the summer. More than 50 people have died in the fires, but the toll 24 from the heat and smoke could run into the thousands. Figures from Moscow alone for this July show almost 6,000 more deaths than in July, 2009. For NPR News, I'm Peter Van Dyk in Moscow.

Parts of Tennessee hit with severe floods in recent months received another dose of heavy rains and flash floods. Authorities say high water swept through a town northeast of Nashville this morning.

This is NPR News.