Radio Workshop

Newscast (Transcript)

by Collin Campbell

I'm Collin Campbell with these headlines.

President Bush is preparing to declare the war Iraq over, possibly as soon as next week. White House officials announced today that Bush will visit an aircraft carrier returning to San Diego from the Persian Gulf to make the announcement … and outline plans to rebuild Iraq, and continue the war on terrorism.

Today, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that the U.S. will maintain a fighting force in Iraq until it is satisfied with the nation's new leadership.

CUT - 10 seconds - ORANGE MD - TRACK 1

IN: "Our policy in Iraq is"

OUT: "…as soon as that work is done."

Yesterday the Pentagon said the US will not allow an Iranian-style Islamic government to develop in Iraq. Iran rejected Bush administration accusations that it is interfering in Iraq and said the United Nations should run an interim postwar government.

At least 4,000 people are being kept in isolation today after they were suspected of being exposed to the SARS virus in Beijing. The city now has 877 cases of the respiratory illness that has infected more than 4,300 people worldwide. Elsewhere, the World Health Organization added Toronto to a list of cities that people should avoid visiting because of SARS. Sixteen people have died in Canada, most of them in Toronto. Prime Minister Jean Chretien pledge $10 million dollars to help the city endure the expected slump in tourism.

Actress Lyric Benson is on life support in a New York hospital today after her ex-boyfriend shot her in the face. The shooting occurred in the doorway of Benson's Chinatown apartment early Thursday. Benson's boyfriend killed himself moments after pulling shooting her.

The U-S economy is growing faster this year than it did last year, according to a Commerce Department report. The growth rate of one-point-six percent is barely above numbers from the beginning of 2002. But analysts say any positive gain is encouraging as a rough winter and the war were both expected to hurt the nation's performance. Investors appeared unimpressed:

the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 134 points; the Nasdaq shed 20 and the S&P 500 fell 11.

For Columbia Radio News, I'm Collin Campbell.