NPR 2010-10-10

There is a reason to celebrate in Chile today. Near where 33 miners have been trapped underground for more than two months, rescue workers pushed the drill through the last inches of a more than 2,000-foot shaft 1 to create an escape route. Richard Reynolds reports from Copiapo, Chile.

The workers drilling the tunnel erupted with joy as they learned the giant drill had broken through, but it will still be several days before the miners can be winched to the surface. Engineers must inspect the tunnel to determine how much reinforcing it will need, but the final stage of the rescue operation should be complete in no more than ten days, according to engineers at the site. The miners have displayed stoic 2 courage throughout their harsh ordeal 3. They've spent 65 days underground so far, longer than anyone else. But on a video link dropped through a small hole drilled into the mine, the miners generally showed high spirits and laughed and smiled. Throughout Chile, people have been following the rescue closely. Prayer vigils have been held around the country. For NPR News, I'm Richard Reynolds in Copiapo, Chile.

The US has been pressuring some countries, especially China, to devalue their currencies. But NPR's Larry Abramson reports an International Monetary 4 Fund meeting adjourned 5 in Washington today without taking action on that issue.

The final communique from the meeting of the Fund's International Monetary and Financial Committee calls on the Fund to "deepen its work in the area of currency stability", but the statement does not call for any specific steps. US Treasury 6 Secretary Timothy Geithner addressed a gathering 7 on Saturday, saying too many countries have oriented their economies toward producing for export rather than for consumption at home. Geithner was clearly pointing at China, which the US accuses of keeping its currency too low, so that Chinese exports will remain cheap. The House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would allow targeted sanctions against countries judged to be subsidizing their exports through currency manipulation. Larry Abramson, NPR News, Washington.

President Obama said today that one reason Americans should vote Democratic in next month's elections is that Republicans would cut federal spending on education.

"Nothing would be more detrimental 8 to our prospects 9 for success than cutting back on education. It would consign 10 America to second place in our fiercely competitive global economy. But China and India aren't playing for second. South Korea and Germany, they aren't playing for second. They're playing for first and so should the United States of America."

In his weekly address, the president said education is important to the nation's future prosperity, because most new jobs being created will require some kind of higher education.

In the Republican address today, Senator John Barrasso said the president hasn't done enough to create jobs. He also said Democratic congressional leaders shouldn't have gone into recess 11 without extending the Bush-era tax cuts due to expire by the end of the year.

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California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the state's main budget bills into law last night, 100 days after a spending plan was supposed to be in place. It's designed to fill a 19.3-billion-dollar deficit 12. California's attorney general is calling on all lenders in his state to follow the lead of the biggest bank in the country and temporarily halt home foreclosures. Bob Hensley of Capital Public Radio reports.

Attorney General Jerry Brown wants lenders to stop evicting 13 delinquent 14 borrowers in California until the companies can prove that they're complying with a law aimed at preventing foreclosures. Brown's request follows a decision by Bank of America to halt all foreclosures nationwide while it reviews its documentation procedures. California has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation. Under California law for mortgages made between January 1st, 2003 through 2007, lenders must at least make a sincere effort to contact a borrower to determine eligibility 15 for a loan modification 16 before initiating 17 the foreclosure. That policy wasn't always followed. For NPR News, I'm Bob Hensley in Modesto, California.

In San Diego, a man opened fire at an elementary school playground yesterday. No one was killed, but two children were grazed by bullets.

In Berkeley, authorities say 13 people were arrested during a demonstration 18 at the University of California. They had been protesting tuition increases and changes in employee pensions. They were charged with trespassing 19 at a ceremony to open an 18-million-dollar building to house a center against global poverty. The demonstrators said it was hypocritical to open an antipoverty center while bankrupting local workers and university students.