NPR 2011-10-17

 President Obama praised Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today as a man who stirred the nation's conscience and made the nation more perfect. He spoke 1 during the dedication 2 of a memorial of King on the National Mall on the same spot where King had addressed the March on Washington in 1963.

 
"It is right that we honor that march, that we lift up Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech–for without that shining moment, without Dr. King's glorious words, we might not have had the courage to come as far as we have."
 
Then the president joined hands with other dignitaries on the stage and sang along with the choir 3. About 1.5 million people have visited the 30-foot-tall statue of King since it was opened to the public in August.
 
The heads of the Intelligence Committees in the House and the Senate say the US must take very seriously the alleged 4 Iranian plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the US on the American soil. House Republican Mike Rodgers says the US was very fortunate. He told ABC's "This Week" the plot appeared amateurish 5 only because it was prevented early in the planning stages. Democrat 6 Dianne Feinstein of a Senate panel told "Fox News Sunday" the US must do more to stop Iran’s bad behavior.
 
"It’s a very dangerous situation and my hope is that there can be some kind of discussion that can be convincing for the Iranians to change course. Absent that, at one time or another, if you project out a number of years, we are on a collision course."
 
Both Feinstein and Rodgers say the US should push for tougher economic sanctions and should pressure China and Russia to support the US.
 
Israel has begun the process of exchanging Palestinian prisoners for a captive Israeli soldier. The BBC's Richard Galpin in Jerusalem reports that some Israelis are trying to prevent the release of the Palestinian prisoners.
 
"More than half the Palestinian prisoners on the list which has now been published are serving life sentences. Some were found guilty of involvement in the most serious attacks of the past decade. These include the bombing of a hotel in the coastal 7 city of Netanya in which 29 people were killed. One organization representing the relatives of those killed or injured in the violence of recent years has already lodged 8 an appeal with the High Court to stop or delay the release of the prisoners. But analysts 9 believe the appeals will be dismissed by the court." 
 
The BBC's Richard Galpin reporting from Jerusalem.
 
The Arab League called an emergency meeting in Cairo today to consider suspending Syria from the league. Several Gulf 10 countries asked for the meeting, showed soldiers' pleasure over Syria's bloody 11 crack-down on anti-government demonstrations 12. UN officials estimate at least 3,000 people have died since the protest began in March.
 
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It appears Bangkok would escape for now the worst flooding in Thailand in decades. Barriers erected 13 to protect the capital are holding and the floodwaters are starting to recede 14. Relentless 15 monsoon 16 rains began in July and caused floods and mudslides that have affected 17 2/3 of the nation, swamping farms, factories and entire villages. Officials say at least 297 have died.
 
Movie studios estimate that Real Steel may be the No.1 movie at the box office again this weekend. It stars Hugh Jackman as a father who bonds with his son, while restoring a boxing robot to fight the championship.
 
"You still had human fighters, human bodies. So you couldn't give the people what they really wanted. True, no-holds-barred violence. So the next logical step, get the humans out of there and let the machines kill each other." 
 
It's earned 16.3 million dollars this year, but it has a very close challenger.
 
Yes. Footloose, a remake of the 1980s hit movie about a town that banned dancing.
 
In baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals 18 are leading the Milwaukee Brewers three games to two in the National League Championship. Game 6 will be held tonight in Milwaukee. Brewers third baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. says the team is happy to be home. "Our record kind of, you know, speaks volumes. Our crowd has been outstanding for us all year. We definitely get energized 19 by them. Uh, So, you know, we feel confident at home." 
 
But St. Louis can wrap up its best-of-seven series and its 18th National League pennant 20 tonight. The Texas Rangers 21 won the American League Championship series. They beat the Detroit Tigers 15-5 last night.
 
I'm Nora Raum, NPR News in Washington.