The US has agreed to give additional support to an Israeli effort to shoot down missiles fired from the Gaza strip and Lebanon. As NPR’s Larry Abramson reports the decision was made as Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta today.

After a meeting in the Pentagon, Panetta said he told Barak the US will give Israel 70 million dollars in assistance for the Iron Dome missile defense system. Iron Dome has been successful in shooting down some of rockets that have rained down on Israel from bases in Gaza strip and Lebanon. In the past, the US has given Israel a total of 205 million dollars to support Iron Dome. Those amounts come on top of the three billion dollars in security aid that the US gives to Israel every year. Panetta made no mention of any discussions about possible Israeli plans to attack Iran’s nuclear installations. Larry Abramson, NPR news.

 

 

President Obama is declaring a new chapter in relations with the once reclusive(隐遁的) government of Myanmar, also known as Burma. In a statement today, the President praises Myanmar’s democratic progress, but he also expresses concern about human rights abuses. The administration says the sanctions will not be eased on anyone accused of violating human rights.

 

 

The Queen of Disco has died. Donna Summer, a wife, mother, grandmother, and a five time Grammy winning artist, passed away today from cancer in Florida, according to a family statement. She was 63 year old. NPR’s Elizabeth Blair has this appreciation.

In the world of pop music in the 1970’s, Donna Summer was the complete package, a powerful sexy voice, song writing skills. And she was gorgeous. Donna Summer had numerous hits in the 1970’s. She was trained as a gospel singer and spent time singing backup for Three Dog Night. But her glamor and her music embody of the disco dance era and even foreshadow today’s technocrats. Donna Summer was living in Englewood, Florida before she died. Elizabeth Blair, NPR news.

 

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 82 points.

 

 

This is NPR news.

 

 

An out-of-control wild fire in Northern Colorado is forcing people from their homes, imposing problems for fire fighters trying to get a hand on the blaze. It’s grounded more than 5,000 arcs. From member station KUNC, Kirk Siegler reports a * fire has tripled in size in just for last day.

The fire is burning through steep and rocky terrain in a canyon, popular with hikers and river rafters northwest of the city of Fort Collins. That’s about 70 miles north of Denver. The hot and windy weather is posing challenges for crews trying to contain the blazes. Dramatic TV footages are showing large flames screening up steep mountain slopes and gaffing(剥离) trees brush. One fire fighter has been treated for injuries. And despite some recent rains, the wild fire danger across drought district in Colorado remains high. National fire managers are warning this part of this country could be in for a long wild fire season. For NPR news, I’m Kirk Siegler in Denver.

 

 

* note this year can turn out to be a busier than usual firefighting season, not just for that region, but the entire country, the government is projecting the warmer than usual or warmer than normal weather to continue through the summer in 3 quarters of the nation. The Pacific Northwest in Alaska are expected to be cooler than average.

 

 

A billionaire reportedly has changed his mind above funding in anti-Obama ad campaign that highlights racial incendiary remarks from the President’s former pastor. The decision by Joe Ricketts, funder of TD Ameritrade, was made after criticism surface from both the Obama and Mitt Romney campaigns.