NPR 2010-09-14

President Obama's pressing the Senate to pass a bill that, he says, would cut taxes for small businesses and create much-needed jobs. Proposed tax cuts in general have led to a political showdown between the White House and congressional Republicans. As NPR's Scott Horsley tells us, the president's under even more pressure to convince voters that his economic policies are working, so he's holding more face-to-face meetings.

With the midterm elections less than two months away, all eyes are on the economy. And so, the president is really trying to show his concern about the economy, stress the success in bringing the economy back from the brink 1 as he would say, but also recognize that it's not where he wants to be with unemployment near ten percent. Today's sort of backyard town-hall meeting was a chance to talk with people to share his concern about where the economy is and where he wants to see it going.

NPR's Scott Horsley reporting on President Obama's appearance in Northern Virginia today.

The Swiss government is asking the government of Iran to rescind 2 its demand for half-a-million dollars bail 3 in exchange for the release of one of the three American hikers being held in Iran. NPR's Mike Shuster has details.

The Swiss embassy in Tehran, which represents US interests there, has asked Iran's government to drop the demand for bail in the case of Sarah Shourd. Shourd has been held in Iran for more than a year since she and two of her companions were seized at the Iraq-Iran border while they were hiking during a vacation. Iran's government claims they are spies. But last week, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced she would be released as a goodwill 4 gesture at the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month. A day later, Iran's judiciary announced Shourd would not be released and then demanded she pay $500,000 for her release. Shourd's family has said they cannot pay the required bail. They say she is ailing 5 and needs medical attention. A spokesman for the State Department said the US government is maintaining close contact with the Swiss embassy in Tehran. Mike Shuster, NPR News.

Protesters are chanting in demonstrations 6 in Srinagar, India that have led to at least 14 deaths today. Unrest against the Indian government was also fueled by mistaken rumors 7 that copies of the Muslim holy book were burned in the US.

More survivors 8 are being pulled from the wreckage 9 of today's plane crash in eastern Venezuela. The Associated Press is reporting at least 33 people have been found alive, but local authorities say at least 13 people were killed. Several others, said to be aboard the Conviasa aircraft, are still unaccounted for.

Here's the latest from Wall Street: Dow Jones Industrial Average up 82 points at last check at 10,544 in trading of about four billion shares; NASDAQ Composite Index up 43 at 2,286; S&P 500 up 12 at 1,122.

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Cuba plans to cut at least half a million state jobs by the middle of next year in the communist government's most dramatic attempt yet at revamping employment on the island. President Raul Castro says in an effort to buffer 10 the impact, Cuba would reduce restrictions 11 on the private sector 12.

The Roman Catholic Church in Belgium has acknowledged its clergies 13 sexually abused children for decades and promised measures to ensure it cannot happen again. As NPR's Philip Reeves reports, the scale of the abuse has stunned 14 the small European nation and deepens the crisis gripping the Vatican.

There were hundreds of cases. They took place in virtually every diocese. Some of the victims were toddlers. Those are the findings of an independent panel that with the church's support investigated child abuse committed by Catholic priests and lay workers in Belgium for decades. They've delivered a huge blow to public trust already battered 15 by the resignation in April of the bishop 16 of Bruges, who admitted sexually abusing his nephew. Today, the church in Belgium tried to begin rebuilding that trust. It pledged to punish abusers, to cooperate more closely with the police and to set up a reconciliation 17 center to help victims. Already though, victims are saying these measures are not enough. Philip Reeves, NPR News, London.

Crime across the US appears to be going down. The FBI says that for the third straight year, police in 2009 received fewer reports of murders, aggravated 18 assault, rape 19 and other violent crimes. The number of non-violent property crimes such as auto 20 thefts also dropped for the seventh year in a row. FBI compiles its annual report from data provided by nearly 18,000 governmental units and universities.