NPR 2011-07-10

Despite threats of retaliation 1 from Muammar Gaddafi, NATO this weekend continued its assaults on government positions inside Libya. Reporting from Tripoli, NPR's Corey Flintoff reports rebels have been trying to push toward the capital city, but they've encountered stiff resistance.

Libyan army units reportedly fired artillery 2 and missiles at rebel positions outside of Misrata, a town about 130 miles east to the capital. The rebels have been slowly advancing out of Misrata in recent days, but they met with heavy resistance from the government. The Reuters news agency says at least six rebel fighters were killed and at least 17 wounded. Rebel groups have been trying a two-pronged attack toward Tripoli, with forces moving from Misrata and from the mountain southwest of the capital. As they approach the capital, they're getting closer to big concentrations of pro-Gaddafi military forces around the city. Corey Flintoff, NPR News, Tripoli.

With less than a month to the deadline to raise the national debt limit, congressional leaders are spending this summer weekend working on talking points for another negotiating session at the White House. From member station WUIS in Springfield, Illinois, reporter Jenna Dooley tells us much is on the line.

An August 2nd deadline looms 3 to increase the debt limit. Democratic US Senator Dick Durbin says if a deal isn't reached by then, the government will have to prioritize who gets paid and who doesn't from Social Security recipients 4 to Medicare providers to combat troops, and he says borrowing more money isn't the way to deal with the deficit 5.

"I think there're ways for us to reduce spending, to find revenue from reasonable places that will not hurt working families and the economy, and to say to the world we're serious about the deficit."

The president blames uncertainty 6 over raising the debt ceiling as a factor for a weaker jobs report. Some Democrats 7 are worried about spending cuts for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in a massive budget deal. For NPR News, I'm Jenna Dooley in Springfield, Illinois.

Baseball history today at Yankee Stadium as Derek Jeter powered in his 3,000 career hit. Yankee's play-by-play announcer John Sterling 8 with the call on WCBS Radio.

"Swung around and here they are. The big one that follows high. Hit as far, hit home, gone. This home run, Derek Jeter home runs that tied the game, and there it is. Hit No. 3000."

Jeter's become the 28th major leaguer to get 3,000 hits and the first to do it with the Yankees. It was his first home run at Yankee Stadium this year.

The world's newest nation, South Sudan, has raised its flag for the first time, the result of a 2005 peace deal that ended a more than two-decade civil war with the North.

This is NPR News.

News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch says the head of his newspaper division in Great Britain has his total support. Rebekah Brooks 9 led the News of the World when some of the events of the phone-hacking scandal occurred. News of the World journalists are losing their jobs with the closing of the paper this weekend.

Bluegrass music fiddler Kenny Baker 11 died yesterday. The 85-year-old died of complications from a stroke in Gallatin, Tennessee. As NPR's Martin Kaste reports, Baker's style influenced a whole generation of musicians.

Baker was known for his "long-bow," stretching out notes and smoothing the harder edges of traditional bluegrass. His son Kenny Baker Jr. says his father was hugely imitated.

"I didn't realize how much so until we sat there in the hospital and received many many many courage from fiddlers that he influenced."

Baker worked more than 20 years in the coal mines of eastern Kentucky and western Virginia, playing his fiddle 10 at weekend barn dances. It was only the late 1960s that he was able to go full-time 12, joining bluegrass greats like Bill Monroe. That's Baker and Monroe playing "Mule 13 Skinner Blues 14." Kenny Baker Jr. says if there’s one song he wanna hear on the radio to remember his father, this is it. Martin Kaste, NPR News.

Continuing his North American tour, Prince William taking part in a Polo match at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club this afternoon. Tickets run 4,000 dollars, proceeds going to charity.

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.