NPR 2008-12-31（在线收听）

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has named his choice to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the US Senate. Blagojevich today picked former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris. Chicago Public Radio's Tony Arnold reports.

Blagojevich named Burris much to the chagrin of Senate Democrats and Illinois officials. Several have said Burris will make a fine Senator, but the appointment isn't Blagojevich's to make anymore. That's because federal prosecutors allege the governor tried to sell the Senate appointment in exchange for campaign cash and other political favors. Blagojevich has denied any wrongdoing and says Burris has nothing to do with the corruption case. "Please, don't allow the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man. " Burris now works as a consultant but served as a state comptroller in the 1980s. Senate majority leader Harry Reid has released a statement, saying the appointment will not stand. For NPR News, I'm Tony Arnold in Chicago.

 israeli fighter jets pummeled Hamas targets in Gaza for a fourth day and rocket fire from Gaza militants reached into the Israeli city of Beersheba, the deepest attack yet into Israel. NPR's Eric Westervelt has more.

The Israeli air force expanded its targets in the last 48 hours to include homes of militant leaders and government buildings. Many residential areas are next to these structures. Gaza resident Hossam al Madhoun says now nowhere feels safe. "They started to target mosques, they started to target the ministries, the Ministry of Culture that was bombarded. So how come they would figure out what is the safe place anymore." Hamas rocket fire today struck Beersheba, an Israeli city some thirty miles from Gaza, the furthest Gaza rockets that have penetrated into Israel. No one was seriously injured. There's word the French have proposed a 48-hour cease fire to allow for vital food and supplies to enter bomb-battered Gaza. And there is strong diplomatic pressure from the UN and the EU to get a new truce, but it's not clear that will happen and there's little guarantee a two-day lull, if it's implemented, would lead to a lasting calm. Eric Westervelt, NPR News, Jerusalem.

US home prices continue to fall with one key measure that examines prices in 20 large metropolitan areas showing prices falling by another 18% in October from the same period a year ago. The yearly drop in the Case-Shiller index is the biggest since tracking began some eight years ago. Patrick Newport is a housing analyst from Global Insight and says one main factor is pushing down house prices. "What's really driving the numbers right now are foreclosures and the foreclosure problem unfortunately is getting worse and it's bound to get worse next year and we're really not sure what to do to mitigate the number of foreclosures." According to the 20 city index, home prices are now down more than 23% from their peak in July of 2006. Three cities Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Francisco have seen prices plunge by more than 30% compared with a year ago.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 184 points today to close at 8,668. The NASDAQ was up 40 points.

This is NPR.

The government has agreed to come to the aid of General Motors' embattled financial arm GMAC with a five-billion-dollar cash infusion. In addition, the Treasury Department says it will also lend parent company GM as much as a billion dollars. The assistance comes at a time the world's largest automaker's seen a 41% plunge in November sales, in part due to the inability of some would-be car and truck buyers to obtain financing. GM says it will offer 0-4.9% financing on vehicle loans of up to five years on some 2008 models as well as other financing deals on its 2009 models.

New York Times is being sued by the lobbyist that linked to imprint of Senator John McCain amid the presidential primaries last February. Lobbyist Vicky Iceman is seeking 27 million dollars in the defamation of character suit. NPR's David Folkenflik has more.

The Times had reported that members of Senator McCain's inner circle became apprehensive about the frequent presence of lobbyist Vicky Iceman in the senator's company at the early stages of his 2008 presidential bid. The Times did not state a romantic affair occurred but cited instead several unnamed former campaign associates who said top advisers had become convinced one existed. Iceman lobbied on behalf of companies that did business before McCain's Senator Committee. In her lawsuit, Iceman says she had no inappropriate involvement with McCain but suffered professionally and personally from the article's clear implications. In a statement the Times replied that the article was true and accurate saying it "raised questions about a presidential contender and the perception that he had been engaged in conflicts of interest." David Folkenflik, NPR News, New York.