NPR 2010-09-04

President Obama is calling for improving the economic climate for the nation's small businesses today. Danielle Karson reports Mr. Obama plans to roll out a package of measures next week he says will boost economic growth.

President Obama stood with his economic team in the Rose Garden at the White House. He wants to double what small business owners can borrow by making lending easier. The president slammed the GOP for delaying passage of the small business bill.

"Put simply, this piece of legislation is good for workers; it's good for small business people; it's good for our economy. And yet, Republicans in the Senate have blocked this bill. A needless delay that has led small business owners across this country to put off hiring, put off expending 1 and put off plans that will make our economy stronger."

But analysts 2 doubt whether even more modest measures could pass before the November elections. For NPR News, I'm Danielle Karson in Washington.

President Obama spoke 3 after the government reported that the private sector 4 had added 67,000 jobs in August, still not enough to affect the unemployment rate or send it down. In fact, the unemployment rate went up to 9.6 percent last month.

New Zealand's South Island is reeling from a significant earthquake. Local authorities say a 7.4-magnitude temblor struck early this morning west of Christchurch, prompting panic calls for emergency and even call-in shows. One woman named Kirstie was heard on Pat Brittenden's radio talk show Newstalk NZ Christchurch about what she experienced about 30 miles from the epicenter.

"We had to be stretched, sitting right on top of it. That was horrendous 5. Everything in our pantry is on the floor, and it looked various behalves were in total darkness. And we couldn't get that far and still far and do everything we can to get out, just managed to get you on the foam 6 teemed 7 air."

There have been no immediate 8 reports of injuries.

A bombing at a religious rally in the Pakistani city of Quetta today killed 44 people and wounded more than 100. The attack is the second major assault this week in Pakistan, which has already tried to contend with devastating 9 floods. From Islamabad, NPR's Julie McCarthy has details.

The sectarian violence in this Ramadan season continues to extract a deadly toll 10 in Pakistan as Sunni extremists target Shiah Muslims. Friday's attack took place at a rally marking Al-Quds Day, an event that falls on the last Friday of Ramadan, and it’s meant to oppose Israel's control of Jerusalem and express solidarity 11 with Palestinian Muslims. Television pictures showed chaotic 12 scenes in Quetta, with smoke billowing into the air, people fleeing and others lying prone 13 to take cover from gunfire. The attack follows an assault on a Shiah procession in Lahore Wednesday. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Islamabad.

After a better-than-expected jobs report, US stocks have been soaring. At last check, the Dow was up nearly 130 points at 10,448; NASDAQ up 34 at 2,234.

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Winds picking up along the Atlantic City beach in New Jersey 14 courtesy of Hurricane Earl, but that once fearsome Category 4 storm is down to a Category 1 with top winds of 80 mph as it makes its way toward New England. It brought heavy wind and surf to North Carolina's coast early this morning. Residents of the Outer Banks are now cleaning up after Earl and they say they’re relieved the storm wasn't worse. Jessica Jones reports from North Carolina Public Radio.

Evacuation orders for North Carolina's northern barrier islands have been lifted and tourists are beginning to stream back into the towns of Manteo and Kill Devil Hills, but Hatteras Island is still closed. Road crews are working to clear the main thoroughfare, Highway 12. Jerry Jennings is an engineer with the State Department of Transportation.

"We consider ourselves very fortunate that it could've been a lot worse, particularly considering the direction and intensity 15 that storm early yesterday, so while we did have some damage, we did have some work to do, we’re pleased that it wasn't any worse than it is."

Jennings says there's no structural 16 damage to the roads, but they do need to be cleared of sand and debris 17. The decision to reopen the highway will be made after high tide later today. For NPR News, I'm Jessica Jones in Manteo.

Critical evidence has been pulled up from the BP spill site in the Gulf 18 of Mexico. It'll be used in multiple investigations 19 into the oil rig blowout that led to a deadly explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon in April. Meanwhile, the federal government's investigating yesterday's rig fire in the Gulf. The Coast Guard says it has spotted 20 a light sheen near the Mariner 21 Energy platform, but it does not think oil is leaking.