Headlines From NPR

Obama Reiterates Commitment to Israel

Barack Obama has met with top Israeli and Palestinian officials. His basic message has been that he is a friend of Israel who is committed to the special relationship between the two countries. He also said he would use "big sticks and big carrots" with Iran.

McCain Talks Domestic Issues On 'JV' Press Tour

Republican John McCain held a town hall meeting in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and had a news conference scheduled for later in the day. Even so, he finds himself struggling to keep up with the attention paid to Barack Obama's foreign travel.

Scholar Believes Israel Will Strike Iran Nuclear Sites

An Israeli professor believes that Israel will attack Iran's nuclear program within the next four to seven months. He bases that timeline on unsuccessful diplomatic efforts and Iranian tehnological advances.

Minimum-Wage Hike A Lift For Seniors, Too

The federal minimum wage increases by 70 cents on Thursday to $6.55 an hour. About one quarter of the people who work for a minimum wage are teenagers, but most are adults like 63-year-old Shirley Golliday.

Americans Cutting Back On Medical Care, Poll Finds

Many middle-class Americans with jobs and health insurance have trouble paying their medical bills, according to a new survey. For one couple in Florida, that means putting off dental work. And a woman in Ohio shelved her doctor's request for more medical tests.

Minimum-Wage Workers Getting Bump In Pay

The federal minimum wage goes up 70 cents an hour on Thursday, to $6.55. Although only 2 percent of hourly earners are paid the federal minimum, it does indirectly affect many more workers.

Q&A: The Future of Provincial Voting In Iraq

Iraq's parliament passed a long-sought provincial election law, but only after Kurdish lawmakers walked out in a dispute over the way elections would be conducted in the northern city of Kirkuk. Iraq's president rejected the draft law as unconstitutional.

Massachusetts Steps Forward On Health Coverage

In the most closely watched health care experiment in the United States, Massachusetts is requiring nearly all of its citizens to have insurance. Support remains strong for the program, and the number of uninsured has dropped by half.

Bush Drops Opposition To Housing Rescue Bill

President Bush reversed his stance on a congressional plan to help Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac weather the mortgage crisis and to provide struggling homeowners with more affordable loans. White House press secretary Dana Perino said the president had decided it was not the time for a veto fight.

Ambassador Recalls 1995 Meeting With Karadzic

After living as a fugitive for more than a decade, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was arrested Monday on charges related to genocide and war crimes during the Bosnian war. U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke discusses a meeting he had with Karadzic in 1995.

Hurricane Dolly Comes Ashore In South Texas

Hurricane Dolly lashed the Texas coast on Wednesday, coming ashore near South Padre Island with maximum sustained winds of nearly 100 mph.

China Looks To Row Away With Most Gold Medals

To win the race for gold at this summer's Olympics, China has been looking to sports where the medals are plentiful. Many of these sports, like rowing, are not China's traditional strong suits.

Anglicans Boycott Meeting, Split Over Women, Gays

Leaders of the world's Anglicans are meeting in London amid speculation that the church might split. Conservatives argue that there is no place for practicing homosexuals in the church.

Karadzic's Dual Life: War Fugitive, New Age Mystic

Since the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, the media in Belgrade have been filled with details of how he lived on the run for more than a decade. The former Bosnian Serb leader wanted for war crimes was passing himself off as a New Age mystic.

McCain Talks Iraq, Energy Costs In New Hampshire

As Barack Obama makes headlines overseas, his presidential rival, John McCain, returned to New Hampshire on Tuesday. It's the site of his primary victory, and he used the visit to criticize the Illinois senator on foreign policy.