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1. The House is planning to vote on the repeal¹ of last year’s health care reform law, even though it has almost no chance of passing in the Senate. The GOP says it is not merely symbolic². Some Republicans are also challenging Senate Democrats³ to bring it up for a full vote when the bill reaches them.

2. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao will try to smooth out relations between the two countries today. There are continuing disagreements on economic and security issues. An official state dinner for China is scheduled later tonight.

3. A utility worker is dead and three people remain in critical condition in Philadelphia after a gas main explosion. Firefighters battled the blaze for about three hours. Utility crews had been sent to the scene to investigate reports of a gas odor when the blast occurred.

4. Former Peace Corps⁴ director Sargent Shriver is dead. Shriver also served as ambassador and leader of the War on Poverty. The Kennedy in-law suffered from Alzheimer’s disease since at least 2003. He was 95 years old.