President Obama will get a first hand look at the damage done by Isaac. The storm caused widespread flooding, power outages and some deaths along the gulf coast before turning inland. ** say Mr. Obama will meet with local officials and make sure that federal crews led by FEMA are doing all they can to help in the cleanup and recovery. Republican challenger Mitt Romney also paid a visit to the storm damming region. ** said the timing of the President's trip was worked out with local officials to avoid diverting resources from relief efforts. The Labor Day visit will force Mr. Obama to shorten a planned campaign swing through Ohio. Scott Horsley, NPR News, the White House. 

 

 

Romney is campaigning in Ohio today.

You know I was asked why it was we made Cincinnati our first stop after becoming the nominee, our first political stop. I think you gave them the answer this morning. Thank you.

Later, Romney will travel to Jacksonville Florida for a joint appearance with his running mate Paul Ryan.

 

 

Two insurgents blew themselves up near a US base in eastern Afghanistan today. Officials say at least 12 people were killed and at least 50 others were wounded. One of the attackers was driving a fuel tanker that caused a powerful explosion, breaking windows in homes and shops nearby.

 

 

The Syrian government says force loyal to president Assad have repelled a large scale attack by rebels at an airforce college near the city of Aleppo. The new United Nations envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi takes up his post today to try to find a diplomatic settlement. BBC's Jim Muir reports.

The new envoy has made it clear he has no magic formula to end the situation where both the regime and the opposition seem determined to slag out on the battle field what ever they cost. There is no sign of a charge of heart by either party or their outside supporters. Mr. Brahimi's boss, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met the Syrian prime minister in Tehran and repeated the UN's view that the government should break the deadlock by withdrawing its heavy weapons and troops from the cities. Syria's refusal to do that is backed by Russia, whose Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that it's absolutely unrealistic to call for the one side capitulation of one of the warring parties. The BBC's Jim Muir reports.

 

 

This is NPR News from Washington. 

 

 

The World Health Organization reports Guinea worm disease is on the verge of eradication with fewer than 400 cases in four African countries. Lisa Schlein reports Guinea worm will become only the second disease after smallpox to be wiped off the face of the earth. 

Several decades ago, there were millions of cases of Guinea worm in 20 Asian and African countries. Now the disease is only present in Mali, Ethiopia, Chad and newly independent South Sudan. WHO expert ** says 99% of the remaining cases are in South Sudan.

I think the efforts are on, so that we can very quickly interrupt transmission so that the world can be certified as free of the disease. 

Guinea worm is transmitted when people drink water contaminated with parasite-infected water fleas. It is rarely fatal, but infected people aren't able to work for months. The economic impact on poor communities is devastating. For NPR News, I'm Lisa Schlein, in Geneva.

 

 

The National park service is trying to track down thousands of people who may have been exposed to a deadly virus while staying at Yosemite national park this summer. Workers found deer mice that carry Hanta virus had infiltrated 91 cabins. Doctor Pierre Rollin is an epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He says the disease is not fatal if it's caught in time.

Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for Hanta virus. It is only symptomatic and we know that the people that are treated earlier have a better chance of survival. 

Officials say at least six people fell ill at Yosemite national park this summer. Two of them died.