NPR 2009-04-10

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack 1 Speer.

One of President Obama's top advisors 3 says he thinks the economic downturn will end in the next few months, but Larry Summers says the US economy still faces substantial downdrafts. NPR's Scott Horsley has more.

White House economic advisor 2 Larry Summers says the economy won't recover overnight from losing more than 600, 000 jobs a month. But Summers told the Economic Club of Washington there are anecdotal signs of improvement, including an easing of the credit crunch 4 and a drawdown of inventories 5 which should eventually lead to increased production. "The sense of a ball falling off a table, which is what the economy has felt like since the middle of last fall, I think we could be reasonably confident that that's gonna end. " Summers warned that unemployment rates will likely keep climbing even after the economy levels off, though he would not offer a forecast of just how high the jobless rate might go. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

With the death toll 6 rising to more than 280, Italy's continuing efforts to recover from the worst earthquake that hit that country in three decades. Strong aftershocks continued overnight, rattling 7 residents, including estimated 18, 000 that were living in tent camps. In the city of L'Aquila, one of the hardest hit areas, quake victims are also staying in seaside hotels and in heated train cars provided by the Italian railway. Italian President Giorgio Napolitano toured the earthquake-devastated area today, stopping off at the collapsed 8 dormitory where seven students died. Rescuers today pulled three more bodies from the rubble 9.

CIA Director Leon Panetta has disclosed his agency has terminated contracts with private firms that provided security at the CIA's secret overseas prisons. NPR's Tom Gjelten reports.

In his memo 10, Panetta said the CIA no longer operates secret prisons; some former sites, however, have not yet been decommissioned. Panetta said he has proposed a plan for doing that. In the meantime, CIA officers would take charge of security at the sites-until now some security responsibilities have been contracted out. Terminating those security contracts, Panetta said, would save the government up to 4 million dollars a year. The agency still has the authority to hold suspected terrorists on a temporary basis, Panetta said. There could still be renditions when detainees are transferred to the custody 11 of other governments. The CIA also retains the authority to interrogate 12 detainees but only in accord with Army Field Manual guidelines. And Panetta said the agency will not contract that work out as it has done in the past. Tom Gjelten, NPR News, Washington.

The number of workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell a bit last week, giving some reason to hope perhaps, layoffs 13, if not ending, are at least leveling off. Labor 14 Department figures show initial claims for first time unemployment benefits fell to a seasonally 15 adjusted 654, 000 last week, down 20, 000 from the previous week.

On Wall Street today, the Dow rose 246 points; the NASDAQ was up 61 points.

This is NPR.

According to the prime minister of Moldova, authorities in the former Soviet 16 republic are prepared to use all means necessary, including weapons, to restore order in the event that opposition 17 protests turned violent. In a televised address to the nation, Zinai Greceanii said that it's believed the opposition will stage new rallies Friday and over the weekend against the Communist Party's election victory last week. He warned such rallies could lead to casualties. The prime minister said police will useall means, including weapons, to keep order.

In Pakistan, riots erupted in the southwest province of Baluchistan, following the murder of three nationalist politicians. The unrest represents a further assault on the country's deteriorating 18 security. From Islamabad, NPR's Julie McCarthy has more.

Public anger boiled over in the city of Quetta, capital of Baluchistan, after the mutilated bodies of three dissident politicians were found dumped in a remote location. Rioters took to the streets, setting fire to vehicles that belonged to the United Nations. Police fired tear gas at protesting students. There has been a long simmering insurgency 19 in Baluchistan for a greater share of natural resources and autonomy. Demonstrators say the three slain 20 Baluchi nationalist leaders were detained by Pakistani security forces last Friday and had been missing since. Amnesty International has urged the Pakistani government to investigate the killings 21. Meanwhile, fears of deteriorating security in Islamabad prompted the United States to close its consulate 22 there on Friday. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Islamabad.

So many people showed up today at a New Hampshire job fair. Organizers said they were forced to turn some of them away. Organizers of the event at Southern New Hampshire University said more than 10, 000 people showed up. They'd been expecting half that number.

I'm Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.