NPR 2009-05-09

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

The nation's unemployment rate rose to 8.9% in April, that's the highest level in almost 26 years, but the job losses slowed last month, President Obama said the number was somewhat encouraging but still sobering. NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

After the jobless numbers were announced, President Obama outlined some steps he said would help unemployed 2 Americans go back to school and get retrained. He urged schools to make financial aid like Pell Grants more easily available to the unemployed. And Mr. Obama called on states to allow unemployed workers to continue to collect jobless benefits while attending classes. "That's what our unemployment system should be, not just a safety net, but a stepping stone to a new future."  But it will be up to the states and the colleges themselves to make the changes the president seeks. Brian Naylor, NPR News, the White House.

In the words of one Santa Barbara, California fire official "all hell broke loose" earlier today, as wind-whipped wildfire moved to the edge of the city limits, destroying dozens of foothill homes along the way. Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Andy Dimizio said today that fire crews have been working to prevent the fast moving fire from spreading into the city but are facing hot-dry weather and gusty 3 winds that are making the job difficult. Officials said the wildfire now stretches five miles and has jumped across a main highway-US 154. Authorities have ordered the evacuation of around 30,000 people ahead of the flames which so far have damaged or demolished 4 some 75 homes.

Thunderstorms, some packing 100 mile an hour winds and funnel 5 clouds have been moving to the Midwest today, causing deaths and extensive damage. Jack Hayes is the meteorologist from National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma. He says the storms are moving east in a part of a large weather system. "We are in a pattern that is pretty potent 6 because it is a battle zone with this very moist tropical air coming up from the gulf 7 of Mexico and very unusually strong jet stream going across middle part of the country, and so we expect a series of these thunderstorm complexes that develop and move across central part of the country to the east coast for the next several days." Storms are blamed for at least four deaths.

In Montana, jury has acquitted 8 W.R. Grace & Company and three of its former executives. They were accused of covering up evidence the company's mine released asbestos into the air. NPR's Jeff Brady reports.

The jury deliberated just one full day before returning its verdict Friday morning for a case that lasted almost three months. Federal prosecutors 9 claimed W.R. Grace and its executives knowingly endangered the lives of mineworkers and Libby residents. At least 200 people in the small town have died as a result of being exposed to asbestos, the dangerous substance in the vermiculite that was mined on the edge of town from the 1960s until Grace closed the mine in 1990. The company has since filed bankruptcy 10 amid a sea of asbestos claims that are not related to the situation in Libby. Jeff Brady, NPR News.

On Wall Street, the Dow was up 165 points.

This is NPR.

A group of dissenting 11 Chrysler bondholders that had been challenging a government restructuring plan for the bankrupt automaker, now said they will drop at least part of their fight. The disbanding of the group essentially 12 clears the last legal hurdle 13 standing 14 in the way of a proposed merger 15 deal involving Chrysler and Italian automaker Fiat 16. While attorney representing the bondholders said the group does not intend to agree to a proposal that would exchange their outstanding debts for 29 cents on the dollar. They also realize they lack the critical mass to challenge the government on the merger.

US and Afghan officials investigating a military operation earlier this week in which dozens of civilians 17 were allegedly killed have finished their preliminary assessment 18. An official tells NPR the investigators 19 found between 30 and 50 people were killed in the operation. NPR's Tom Bowman has more.

The military operation occured earlier this week in two villages in western Afghanistan. US military officials say Afghan police responded to attacks by Taliban forces and came under withering 20 fire. US marines were called in to help, then ordered air strikes. The F-18 war plane dropped several bombs. International Red Cross visited the scene and reported dozens killed by the bombs including women and children. Among the dead, an Afghan Red Cross volunteer and 13 members of his family. US and Afghan investigators were told Taliban forces used civilians as cover. Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has started a separate investigation 21. Tom Bowman, NPR News, the Pentagon.

Inventories 22 at the wholesale 23 level tumbled in March made some signs  businesses are working to knock down their stockpiles of unsold goods. Commerce Department reported today wholesale inventories fell 1.6% in March, that was a bigger drop than expected. At the same time sales at the wholesale level fell by even larger amount.

I'm Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.