Scores Missing In Russia Ferry Accident; Murdoch Pressed On BSkyB

Good morning

Talks resume at the White House today as President Obama, his fellow Democrats and Republican lawmakers try to strike a deficit-reduction deal that they can sell to rank-and-file members of Congress from both parties. We posted about the latest developments earlier, and we're planning to live-blog at 11 a.m. ET when the president is scheduled to hold a news conference about where things stand.

Meanwhile, other stories making headlines include:

-- Scores Missing After Cruise Boat Sinks In Russia:"Rescuers scoured the wide waters of a Volga River reservoir on Monday, searching with dimming hopes for survivors after an aged, overloaded cruise ship sank amid wind and rain. Thirteen people were confirmed dead, but more than 100 remained missing. ... Emergency teams and divers from neighboring regions rushed to the site of the tragedy, 450 miles east of Moscow. ... The ship sank about 2 miles from shore in about 65 feet of water, officials said." ( The Associated Press)

-- Murdoch Pressed To Rethink Bid For BSkyB:"Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today stepped up the pressure on Rupert Murdoch, urging him to reconsider his takeover bid for broadcaster BSkyB. Mr Clegg appealed to the media mogul to do the 'decent and sensible thing' and think again in the light of the latest disclosures in the News of the Worldphone hacking scandal." ( The Independent)

-- "Failed Shuttle Atlantis Computer Recovered":"A failed shuttle computer was resuscitated today as the Atlantis astronauts bolted a supply-filled Italian moving van onto the U.S. side of the International Space Station. The faulty General Purpose Computer is one of five on the shuttle. ... The shuttle can operate with only a single computer running. But the loss of three of the five GPCs would prompt a return to Earth at the earliest opportunity." ( Florida Today's The Flame Trench blog)

-- First Funeral Service For Betty Ford Set For Tuesday:"A private funeral service for former first lady Betty Ford will be held Tuesday at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, [Calif.]. ... There will be a departure ceremony for invited guests only at the airport at 9:20 a.m. Wednesday. Funeral services will be held Thursday morning in Grand Rapids, Mich., with burial later that day on the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum." ( The Desert Sun)

From A Related Story:Ford, 93, died Friday. She's being remembered for her candor. ( Weekend Edition Saturday)

-- U.S. Women Win Thriller At Soccer World Cup:At the Women's World Cup in Germany on Sunday, the U.S. defeated Brazil 5-3 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie. It was a stunning result. ( Morning Edition) Next, the U.S. plays France on Wednesday in the semifinals. ( All Things Considered)

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.