NPR 2011-02-19

Emotionally charged protests are under way at the state Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin over a bill critics call a union-busting measure. Democrats 1 in the state Senate fled the state yesterday, forcing Republicans to delay action on the controversial measure. One of the missing state lawmakers from Milwaukee spoke 2 to WUWM's Ann-Elise Henzl today.

With the Democrats gone, there aren't enough senators in the body to vote on Republican Governor Scott Walker's so-called "Budget Repair Bill". One of the missing lawmakers, Senator Chris Larson from Milwaukee, says they might not return anytime soon. He and his colleagues remain out of the state in undisclosed locations.

"Well, I can tell you that we've been moving around, quite a bit, and physically 3, but, again, in spirit, we're still standing 4 in solidarity 5 with the people of Wisconsin, who're standing up outside the Capitol and inside the Capitol."

Larson says Democrats will come back as soon as Senate Republicans back away from a provision to eliminate most collective bargaining rights for some public employees. For NPR News, I'm Ann-Elise Henzl in Milwaukee.

The standoff in Bahrain is intensifying 6. Today, troops fired tear gas and gunshots at thousands of protesters as they marched toward the capital's main square, the heart of the uprising against the monarchy 7. Salmaniya Hospital estimates at least 50 people were injured, some with gunshot wounds.

Government crackdowns are also reported out of Libya and Yemen. Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan says there's a sense that unrest could spread to any number of other Middle East nations.

"We're just watching for those indications that there might be another serious situation in any one of them."

President Obama is calling on the governments of Bahrain, Libya and Yemen to show restraint.

A warrant is out for the arrest of the driver of a vehicle that crushed a man in Lahore, Pakistan in a botched rescue attempt of Raymond Davis, an American embassy employee. Davis fatally shot two local men that he said had tried to rob him. From Islamabad, NPR's Julie McCarthy reports that the warrant issued today intensifies 8 pressure on the US in the Davis case as Washington tries to win his release.

Friday's court ruling highlights the death of the third man killed in the Davis affair, which has been eclipsed by the double shooting involving Davis. The Lahore High Court chief justice was acting 9 on a petition filed by the dead man's family. The United States is under pressure to produce the driver of the vehicle that hit Ibad Rehman, killing 10 him and then fleeing. The US has said little about the Land Cruiser, acknowledging only that US embassy staff was in the vehicle that Lahore police believed took refugee at the US consulate 11 in Lahore. The US embassy declined to comment, saying the incident is under investigation 12. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Islamabad.

The Dow's up more than 50 points at 12,371.

This is NPR News.

The Republican-led House is back to work on a huge spending plan aimed at keeping the government running. The House has been debating the bill for much of the week. And this morning, lawmakers focused on whether to block funding for President Obama's health care law. NPR's Giles Snyder reports a possible government shutdown is coloring this debate.

The bill covers spending for the rest of the fiscal 13 year, which ends in September, but current funding runs out in two weeks, so a temporary spending bill could be needed to avoid a shutdown. House Republicans want to reduce spending by some $60 billion from last year. There is a stack of amendments 14 still to go through, but the House is expected to vote on the package today. Assuming it gets through, there will then be up to the Democratic-controlled Senate to come up with its version of the bill, which would likely contain fewer cuts. Lawmakers face a March 4th deadline for settling their differences. Giles Snyder, NPR News, Washington.

The Vatican is complaining that some travel agents are asking Roman Catholics to pay a service fee for procuring 15 places at the beatification of the late Pope John Paul II. The Holy See said in a statement today that neither tickets nor invitations were needed for the ceremony in St. Peter's Square, which is gonna be held May 1st. It said there have been "unauthorized" offers especially on the Internet to procure 16 tickets for a service charge. When other public ceremonies unrelated to the beatification are held at the Vatican, tickets are required but never for a fee.