NPR News 2012-06-29 加文本

NPR News 2012-06-29

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone.

The administration's historic health care law that has been under attack since day one has survived the US Supreme Court. In a five-to-four ruling, the court announced today that the Affordable Care Act, including its individual insurance mandate, were constitutional under Congress's power to impose taxes. Chief Justice John Roberts cited with the high court's liberal justices to make a five-vote majority. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports on the strong dissent from conservatives.

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy usually sides with the majority in close cases, not this time. Kennedy said from the bench that he found the President Obama's health care law “invalid in its entirety.” Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito all signed on to that reasoning. The four dissenting justices criticized the attempt to cast the individual mandate as a tax, when Congress shied away from using that word in the law. The dissenters wrote that in upholding the Affordable Care Act, “the court today decides to save a statute that Congress did not write.” Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

While it’s expected political reaction has been fasting, coming in largely among party lines, it's a major election year boost for President Obama.

“Whatever the politics, today's decision was a victory for people all over this country whose lives will be more secure because of this law and the Supreme Court's decision to uphold it.”

But Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney calls the law a “bad idea.”

“Let's make clear that we understand what the court did and did not do. What the court did today was say that Obamacare does nott violate the Constitution. What they did not do was say that Obamacare is good law or that's good policy.”

Romney says if elected, he will work to repeal what he calls “Obamacare.”

The high court has struck down the Stolen Valor Act, a law that makes it a crime to lie about receiving military awards, including the Medal of Honor. Justices say “yes, a lie is contemptible, but still protected by the First Amendment.”

In Colorado Springs, officials say hundreds of homes have been destroyed by the Waldo Canyon fire. The massive blaze has also burned some land on Air Force Academy. More from Kirk Siegler of member station KUNC.

The fire has forced the evacuations of two housing complexes on the Air Force Academy's sprawling grounds. Most regular operations, like flying and field training, are on hold. But Lieutenant General Mike Gould says the scheduled processing of new cadets is proceeding.

“We've looked at pros and cons of delaying, but we've made the decision that it is safe, and it's the smart thing to do to receive the class of 2016.”

Air Force officials have moved the processing to a safer location that's farther away from the fire. Alternative housing accommodations are also being arranged for some new cadets whose host families have been evacuated. For NPR News, I Kirk Siegler.

Before the close, Dow was down 25 points.

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A third clean-energy company that received a government loan reportedly has gone bankrupt in the face of stiff foreign competition. According to the Associated Press, the Colorado-based Abound Solar says it will suspend operations next week. The solar panel maker received a 400-million-dollar loan guarantee under the government's economic stimulus law.

Rupert Murdoch has announced plans to split News Corp. in two. As NPR's David Folkenflik reports, the conglomerate's newspapers would be separated from its TV and entertainment wing.

Investors complained the company's stock has been punished because its newspapers don't perform as strongly as Fox News and other TV holdings. But the move occurs against the teen of the phone-hacking and corruption scandal at its British newspapers. Fox Business anchor Neil Cavuto asked his boss about that Thursday and got this reply.

“It's got nothing to do with it at all. At all. This is not any reaction. This is looking forward to what's best for our companies, and what's best for our shareholders.”

The publishing wing, including Wall Street Journal, the British tabloid the Sun and more than 140 Australian papers, would be spun off debt-free.

The company's Australian TV interests will remain bundled with its newspapers. Murdoch said he’ll remain chairman of both companies and still be CEO of the entertainment and TV giant as well. David Folkenflik, NPR's News, New York. 

Europe's debt crisis is at the center of crucial talks in Brussels this week. Leaders have agreed that more needs to be done to stimulate growth and regulate banks. However, deep divisions remain over the issue of pooling government debt.

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was off 25 points; NASDAQ down 26; S&P 500 down three points.

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