Russia and China are again blocking the UN resolution that threatens sanctions against Syria, further vexing their western counterparts on Security Council including US ambassador Susan Rice.

 

“It’s pitiful and deeply regrettable that again today Russia and China for the 3rd time have vetoed the resolution that garnered the overwhelming support of this Security Council.”

From New York, Linda F offers more details on this controversial resolution what that could mean for the UN’s mandate in Syria.

 

“The resolution would have given the Syrian government 10 days to stop using heavy weapons and withdraw its troops in cities and towns or face the possible US sanctions against the regime officials. Russia had publicly warned it would block the measure if it included the threat of sanctions on the chapter 7 of the UN Charter, a provision it feared could open the way to the military intervention as Libya. Failure to adopt the measure leaves the future of UN observation mission Syria in limbo. For NPR news, I’m Linda F, in New York."

 

Confronting voter worries over jobs, President Obama tried to make the case today that he’s trying the steer the country away from the kinds of Republican policies that he says brought the country to the brink of collapse a few year ago. 

 

“They don’t know the plan to revive the middle class. Everything they are proposing we tried for a decade and didn’t work.”

 

The president campaign in Jacksonville, Florida, in Roxbury, Massachusetts, Republican challenger, Mitt Romney told voters not to buy to the President’s promises, saying the incumbent is just looking out for No.1.

 

“The job he’s interested in protecting is his own. The job that should be protected is the job of men and women in this country who want to get jobs, who want to go back to work, who want to have rising incomes again.”

 

The presidential candidates’ comments come hours after the Labor Department reported today that the number of people they fell 1st time unemployment claims rose last week by 34000. 

 

Sales of previously-owned homes have declined unexpectedly, dropping 5.4% in June. NPR’s Craig Windham reports home re-sales were down to the lowest level in 8 months. 

 

“Economy studies expected sales of existing homes to rise. Even with the decline though, sales were still 4.5% higher than they were in June last year. Walter Maloney with the National Association of Realtors says some procedures the ways may be contributing to the dropping closing.

‘There is a clog of mortgage applications in the process, both for purchases and hand for refinances, and we are hearing more about delays in closing process, so hopefully we will see some of the belts back in the next months for sale.’

The median price previously-owned homes sold in June was about $189000. That’s up nearly 8% from a year earlier. Craig Windham, NPR news, Washington.”

 

Before the close on Wall Street, Dow was up 34 points at 12943. 

 

This is NPR.

 

Home interest rates are down yet again according to the mortgage giant Freddie Mac. The fix rate on 30-year loans felt to 3.53%. The rate on 15-year mortgage slipped to 2.83%.

Long range weather and drought outlooks have been released and the forecast is discouraging. From many it shows several more weeks of above average temperatures and dry conditions. South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s Gary Ellenbolt has more.

 

“Officials are calling the current drought ‘the worst of 50 years’. About half of the country is going to through a long heats spelled summer and getting little relive from the former precipitation. South Dakota State Climate *** Toddy says the northern plains likely will remain hot and dry.

‘If you look over further east into the corn belts, their outlook looks even stronger, then the temperatures will be warmer than the average, and are stronger on staying dry even it is early part of the fall.’

Toddy says damage has mostly been done too much of the corn crop, but he says timely rains could help soybean farmers that he advised raising it effect today covering an area from Northwest Dakota to Southern Arkansas. For NPR news, I'm Gary Ellenbolt in Vermillion, South Dakota.”

 

Bulgaria’s authorities are working to confirm the identity of the man they say carried out a suicide attack yesterday on the bus filled with Israeli vacationers. They say the bomber was carrying an apparently fake Michigan driver’s license. Israel has blamed Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group supported by Iran.

 

Before the close on Wall Street, Dow was up 35 points, NASDAQ gaining 23 and the S&P 500 was up 4 points.