JUDY WOODRUFF: In the day's other news: President Trump called for the world to act in concert
to rein in North Korea.
And he said again that military action is still an option.
Meanwhile, the top U.S. military officer said there's no sign that North Korea is gearing
up for war.
But at a Senate hearing, Marine General Joseph Dunford, the chair of the Joint Chiefs, said
the North's missile threat is real.
GEN.
JOSEPH DUNFORD, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman: There are some technical elements of the program
that haven't been fully tested, from a reentry vehicle to some of the ability to stabilize
a missile in flight, but I view all those as engineering solutions that will be developed
over time.
And, frankly, I think we should assume today that North Korea has that capability and has
the will to use that capability.
JUDY WOODRUFF: We will return to the war of words between North Korea and the U.S. right
after the news summary.
Senate Republican leaders threw in the towel today on the latest Obamacare repeal effort.
The Graham-Cassidy bill was pulled in the face of certain defeat.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate is moving on, but Republicans are not abandoning
the idea of repeal.
SEN.
MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), Majority Leader: We haven't given up on changing the American
health care system.
And we are not going to be able to do that this week, but it still lies ahead of us,
and we haven't given up on that.
We do think it's time to turn to our twin priority, reforming the tax code.
JUDY WOODRUFF: The tax reform effort formally kicks off tomorrow, when President Trump unveil
proposals for a major overhaul.
Republicans in Alabama voted today in a primary runoff for a U.S. Senate seat.
Interim Senator Luther Strange campaigned with strong support from President Trump against
challenger and former Alabama State Chief Justice Roy Moore.
Meanwhile, Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee announced today that he will not
run for reelection next year, making him the first sitting senator to do so.
He's been at times openly critical of President Trump.
There's word that the acting head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Chuck Rosenberg,
is stepping down.
The Washington Post reports that he will leave on October 1.
Rosenberg was a holdover from the Obama administration.
He'd been at odds with President Trump over treatment of criminal suspects and on other
issues.
In Iraq, the president of the Kurdish region claimed victory for supporters of independence
in Monday's referendum.
Kurds had celebrated through the night after early returns showed overwhelming approval
of breaking away from Iraq.
Both Iraq and Turkey opposed the vote.
And, today, Turkish's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to block Kurdish oil shipments.
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President (through translator): When we start imposing our sanctions,
they will be left in the lurch.
It will be over when we close the oil taps.
All revenues will vanish, and they will not be able to find food when our trucks stop
going to Northern Iraq.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Erdogan's government fears that this vote will embolden Turkish Kurds
in their desire for autonomy.
A Palestinian man shot and killed an Israeli policeman and two private guards near a West
Bank settlement today.
Police said the gunman opened fire with a handgun at close range, before he was killed.
In addition to the dead, a fourth guard was wounded.
In Saudi Arabia, state-run TV has announced the end of a longstanding government ban on
women driving cars.
The conservative Muslim kingdom was the only country in the world with such a policy.
The new rule will not take effect until next June.
Back in this country, health officials report a new record for three sexually transmitted
diseases.
The Centers for Disease Control said that there were more than two million new cases
of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis last year.
All three are treatable with antibiotics, but the number of cases has been rising for
several years.
And a quiet day on Wall Street today.
The Dow Jones industrial average lost 11 points to close at 22284.
The Nasdaq rose nine, and the S&P 500 added a fraction.