NPR 2009-05-17

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

President Obama has nominated Republican governor Jon Huntsman of Utah to be the next US ambassador to China. Huntsman has a strong background in Asia, including a stint 1 as ambassador to Singapore. He also served as co-chair of Senator John McCain's unsuccessful presidential campaign. NPR's Frank Langfitt has the story.

President Obama said he chose Governor Huntsman in part for his knowledge of both Asia and international trade. In addition to serving as ambassador to Singapore in the early 1990s, Huntsman also worked as deputy US trade ambassador earlier in the decade. Citing China and America's global influence and the complexity 2 of their relationship, President Obama put Huntsman's new job in perspective. "I can think of no more important assignment than creating the kinds of bridges between our two countries that will determine the well-being 3, not just of Americans and Chinese, but also the future of the world." The President also said Huntsman is fluent in Mandarin 4 Chinese and has an adopted daughter from China. Frank Langfitt, NPR News, Washington.

Astronauts from the Space Shuttle Atlantis have completed another marathon spacewalk as they repair and upgrade components 5 on the Hubble Space Telescope, which is nestled in the shuttle's cargo 6 bay. Pat Duggins of member station WMFE reports the toughest task today was fixing a broken camera that was not designed to be taken apart, especially in the weightlessness of space.

The repair to the advanced camera for surveys was the one job NASA was most nervous about but the spacewalkers made it appear easy. Astronauts John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel took out dozens of screws replaced four electronic circuit boards and rewired the camera's power supply faster than NASA anticipated. The work was considered tricky 7 since the spacewalkers were wearing gloves thick as a boxer's. Despite the quick repairs, mission manager say it could be September before the repaired camera and other new parts on Hubble are calibrated 8 and tested to make sure they work. The spacewalkers also installed a new box on the telescope called "the Cosmic Origin Spectrograph". It measures faint light coming from distant objects like quasars. For NPR News, I'm Pat Duggins in Orlando.

First Lady Michelle Obama spoke 9 to graduates of the University of California at Merced today after students there swamped her with cards and e-mail, urging her to give the school's first ever commencement address. She urged the students to call upon the hope and optimism that got them to this day to help a lot of others who are less fortunate. "By using what you've learned here, you can shorten the path perhaps for kids who may not see a path at all." Mrs. Obama acknowledged that this year's college graduates are facing a very tight job market, but she urged students to put fear and anxiety behind them and hold on to hope instead. The Merced Campus is about 90 miles from the Yosemite National Park. It's the newest and smallest school in California system of public universities.

This is NPR News from Washington.

Opening arguments got under way today in Wisconsin in a trial that pits the responsibility of parents to care for their children against the constitutional right of freedom of religion. Glen Moberg of member station WHRM in Wausau reports.

Leilani Neumann is charged with reckless homicide because she prayed for her daughter Madeline Kara instead of calling a doctor as the daughter died from treatable diabetes 10. Neumann collapsed 11 as prosecutors 13 gave graphic 14 descriptions of her daughter's comatose 15 state in the hours before her death. Prosecutor 12 LaMont Jacobson said the Newmann didn't call for an ambulance or seek medical attention because they felt their faith was being tested. "This case is not about her right to pray. This case is about the needless suffering and death of an 11-year-old child." Leilani Neumann's husband Dale faces a separate trial in July. For NPR News in Wausau, Wisconsin, I'm Glen Moberg.

The owners of 1,100 General Motors' dealerships are considering their options today after being told that they would be dropped by the company next year. Among them, John Wolf, who runs a dealership 17 in Belvidere, Illinois, that was established by his grandparents. "My grandparents made it through the Depression, they made it through both the World Wars, they made it through an awful lot of turns, both positive and negative, within General Motors. And so this is, it's a very tough time that way, but our family has been successful for an awful long time and we will continue that success." Wolf and other dealers 16 are appealing GM's decision. The National Automobile 18 Dealers Association, a trade group, says the dealership cuts announced by GM and Chrysler could eliminate up to 100,000 jobs.

I'm Craig Windham, NPR News in Washington.