NPR 2009-10-13

There are fresh signs the Senate could move forward with climate legislation in the next month or two. That would help the Obama administration negotiate an international climate deal in December. NPR’s Richard Harris reports.

Democrat 1 Barbara Boxer 2 heads a key Senate committee where climate legislation will get its first hearing, and she says she is hoping her committee will pass legislation in the coming weeks. The Obama administration can’t really negotiate an international treaty without knowing how far the Senate is willing to go on climate change, so getting a domestic climate deal is key. And there is another sign the Senate could be ready to move. In Sunday’s New York Times, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrat John Kerry of Massachusetts outlined a plan that could garner 3 at least modest bipartisan support. That would include more nuclear power, more domestic drilling for oil and gas and ambitious long term targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions 4. Richard Harris, NPR News, Washington.

On the eve of a crucial Senate vote on efforts to rework healthcare, there is a new insurance industry report warning of large cost associated with the proposed plan. According to the study, the comprehensive Senate bill could add 1,700 dollars a year to the cost of a family’s healthcare coverage 5 in 2013 while a single person could see the cost of their coverage rise by 600 dollars. The study was commissioned by the group America’s Health Insurance Plans. Senator Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat responsible for the ten-year 829-billion-dollar plan, through his office is calling the report “an insurance industry hatchet 6 job.”

Data out today shows the world’s central banks are increasingly snubbing dollars in favors of Euros and Yen 7, forcing the dollar to new record lows. Eleanor Beardsley sends this report.

Barkley’s bank figures show that nations reporting currency breakdowns 8 have put nearly two thirds of their new cash investment in the last two quarters into Euros and Yen. Until recently they’ve been putting the same amount into the dollar. Foreign companies and officials said the weak dollar is hurting them. Analysts 10 say world leaders are dumping the dollar while the Obama administration shows a willingness to tolerate a weaker currency in an effort to boost American exports. One analyst 9 said people are buying the Euro not because they want that currency but because they want to get rid of the dollar. He added that he thinks the US will not remain the powerful country that it has been. Still another banker predicted that central banks’ moves away from the dollar are a temporary trend that will reverse once the US Federal Reserve starts raising interest rate from near zero. For NPR News, I’m Eleanor Beardsley in Paris.

Survey released by the National Association for Business Economics finds more than 80% of those polled believe the recession that began in December of 2007 is now over. They say they look for the US economy to expand at a rate of nearly 3% in the second half of this year.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 20 points to end the session at 9,885. The S&P closed up four points. The NASDAQ closed down a fraction today.

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The Taliban is claiming responsibility for a 22-hour attack on Pakistan’s army headquarters over the weekend. Today a suspected suicide car bombing killed at least 41 people as the Taliban has vowed 11 to carry out more attacks in the region. Militants 13 say they’re making good on threats to avenge 14 the killing 15 of Pakistani Taliban Chief Baitullah Mehsud. The pace of militant 12 attack has picked up as the Pakistani army prepares to launch a ground defensive 16 on al-Qaeda fighters in the south Waziristan region of the country.

There are new tensions between Israel and Turkey after Turkey called off an international military drill that was supposed to include Israel. The Turkish foreign minister told CNN the decision was taken to protest Israel’s war last winter in Gaza that killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians 17. Linda Gradstein reports.

The aerial drill was supposed to include the US and NATO as well as Israel. Turkish officials said all international participation 18 was cancelled as a way to protest Israel’s actions in Gaza last winter. A recent report by the United Nations accuses both Israel and Hamas of war crimes during the fighting. Turkey has been Israel’s closest ally in the Muslim world with extensive military trade and tourist exchanges. Israeli analysts said this is believed to be the first time that Turkey’s criticism of Israel has resulted in concrete action. Israeli officials today held an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis between Israel and Turkey. For NPR News, I’m Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem.

It’s not a baseball first, but you can now add the Chicago Cubs 19 to a fairly shortlist. The storied franchise 20 has filed for Chapter 11 today as part of the move that will allow the team’s parent company sell the ball club in an anticipated 845-million-dollar deal.