National News from NPR

A big fight is brewing in the Senate over the national defense policy bill. It's legislation that would authorize a pay raise and other benefits for U.S. troops.

But the bipartisan bill also contains a provision about detainees that's raising alarms at the White House, because the Obama administration says the measure would tie its hands in some terrorism cases.

The defense authorization bill has pitted President Obama's national security advisers against some prominent Democrats in the U.S. Senate.

President Obama's latest bid to get at least some of his economic ideas enacted will be to make the case that "we can't wait" for Congress to act, The New York Times reports this morning.

The Times says with his $447 billion jobs package stalled in Congress, today in Las Vegas the president will begin unveiling "a series of executive-branch actions to confront housing, education and other economic problems over the coming months."

Good morning.

Our early headlines today were:

-- Gadhafi's Death To Be Investigated, Transitional Leader Says

-- U.S. Ambassador Leaves Syria Due To 'Credible Threats'

"Libya's transitional leader has ordered an investigation into the death of Moammar Gadhafi after the U.S. and other international powers pressed for the probe," The Associated Press reports. It adds that "Mustafa Abdul-Jalil told a news conference in the eastern city of Benghazi that the Transitional National Council formed a committee to investigate the killing on Thursday, amid conflicting reports of how the dictator who ruled Libya for four decades died."

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A school in Flint, Mich., gathered tens of thousands of potato chip bags, juice boxes and other lunchtime trash, then sold it all to Terracycle, a company that turns the packaging into bags and placemats. The school made almost $500 dollars.

"The U.S. has pulled its ambassador out of Syria over security concerns, blaming President Bashar Assad's government for the threats.," The Associated Press writes. "State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Monday that Ambassador Robert Ford returned to Washington this weekend after 'credible threats against his personal safety.' "

Pitcher Derek Holland gave up just two hits over 8 1/3 innings as his Texas Rangers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 Sunday night and evened the best-of-seven World Series at two games each.

Some of the most popular and expensive brand-name drugs are about to go generic.

Take Lipitor, for example. In November, the heart drug comes off-patent — and by next June, there are likely to be multiple generic versions.