NPR 2009-6-6

From NPR News in Washington, I am Jack 1 Speer.

President Obama today toured the Buchenwald concentration camp and crematorium. The President joined by German Chancellor 2 Angela Merkel said the camp where an estimated 56, 000 people died has not lost its horror with the passage of time. And he said world leaders have a duty to confront those who deny such camps existed.

"To this day, there are those who insist that the Holocaust 3 never happened - a denial of fact and truth that is baseless and ignorant and hateful. This place is the ultimate rebuke 4 to such thoughts, a reminder 5 of our duty to confront those who would tell lies about our history."

President also called on world leaders to remain ever-vigilant to halt the spread of such evil. Mr. Obama then left for France where he'll meet tomorrow with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and help commemorate 6 the 65th anniversary of the Allies' D-Day invasion.

Former US State Department official and his wife have been arrested and charged with spying for the Cuban government for nearly 30 years. Justice Department officials confirmed 72-year-old Walter Kendall Myers and his 71-year-old wife Gwendolyn have been charged with conspiracy 7 to act as illegal agents of the Cuban government. Indictment 8 handed down by the Attorney General's office in Washington alleges 9 the pair met with Cuban President Fidel Castro in Cuba in 1995.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she hopes the trial of two journalists in North Korea is a step toward their release. NPR's Michele Kelemen has more.
TV reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee went on trial this week in North Korea. But the State Department says no observers have been allowed to attend. Secretary of State Clinton repeated calls that the two women be released.

“We're incredibly concerned on both a diplomatic and, on my behalf, a personal basis. I have met with their families and I share the grave anxiety that they feel about the safety and security of these two young women."

Clinton said she's been using all possible channels to communicate with the North Koreans about the case. The two women were arrested in March along North Korea's border with China. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.

Government says the unemployment rate last month hit its highest level in more than a quarter century, rising to 9. 4% and employers cut 345, 000 jobs last month. Stuart Hoffman is an economist 10 with PNC Financial Services Group. He says even though job losses appear to have moderated a bit, the unemployment rate has been its highest level since 1983.

“We were coming out of a very, very nasty recession in 1981 and 1982, so the economy was actually improving in 1983, and the unemployment rate was coming down, having reached 10.8% at the end of 1982. So it's been a long time. This time unfortunately it's going higher because we're still in the midst of a recession.” Economist Stuart Hoffman.

On Wall Street, the Dow closed up 12 points.

This is NPR.

It's been a bad week for Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown. A number of cabinet ministers resigned, one saying Brown should do so as well. And with votes still being counted in local council elections, Brown's Labor 11 Party has picked up less than 10% of the seats contested. Larry Miller 12 reports from London.

Prime Minister Brown put on a brave face, telling reporters he's got a new cabinet and he's not fazed by the calamities 13 befalling his administration.

"I've got resolution. I know that when things are tough, you've gotta be tough.” Brown insists he won't be pushed out of his job that his focus will be on doing his job. “I think what people are saying to us is get us through this recession, clean up the politics of this country, and prepare our public services and our economy for the best future possible." After Brown's comments, leader of the Conservative Opposition 14 David Cameron said Brown is treating the British like fools. "People who watched the events of the last 48 hours will be wondering what has happened to the authority of our government, what's happened to the authority of the Prime Minister." Brown may have stitched together a new cabinet, but he still has a rocky road ahead. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Consumers continued to rein 15 in their borrowing in April as US households look to curb 16 spending in the midst of a now 18-month-long recession. Federal Reserve says its closely watched measure of consumer borrowing fell by a total of 15.7 billion dollars. That's the second biggest drop ever in dollar terms. The decline was more than double the amount expected, and shows consumers reined 17 in both revolving 18 and non-revolving debt.

Crude oil futures 19 prices ended the day lower. The near month contract for benchmark grade crude oil was down 37 cents a barrel today to close at 68.44 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

I'm Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.