NPR 2010-06-05

Investors 1 bailing 2 out stocks again today. The Dow Industrial Average fell very sharply, at last check down 340 points at 9,916 . NASDAQ losing 84 points at 2,219. NPR’s Chris Arnold has been following the markets and he joins us now. Hi Chris.

Hi Lakshimi.

So what spooked investors today?

Well, there are actually a bunch of things that spooked investors but probably the main thing was the jobs report, and this is the monthly jobs report we get. It gives us a snapshot of how many companies are hiring and firing how many people. And what happened was analysts 3 basically got ahead of themselves. They were predicting a very strong report, and the stockmarket had risen on those hopes. And they got it wrong, a much more anemic report came out, so not as many new jobs, not as many people spending money could mean slower economic growth, and that pushed down the stock market today.

But there are other forces that play here today you know?

Yes, there were. There has been ongoing 4 worries about Europeand European banks, and there were some, some new concerns there about losses for European banks, and there was new talk of the country of Hungary whether it’s gonna default on its debt. And then there is the ongoing oil spill in theGulf and this is an environmental disaster, but it’s also a growing economic problem. And there’s lots of businesses affected 6, fishing boats, you know, tothe hotels that are empty, and all that's helping 7 to drag the stock market down too.

Thank you Chris. That’s NPR’s Chris Arnold watching the markets for us.

Tar 8 balls are washing upon the shores of North West Florida,the fourth state affected by the historic oil spill in the Gulf 5 of Mexico. In Pensacola,it’s rattling 9 local residents such as Joe Fairly .

It’s a safety hazard obviously for the public as well as the environment, as far as the wildlife, and the fish, and the things in the ocean.

Fairly among a growing number of people outraged 10 over BP's and the government’s handling of the oil spill, President Obama is touring Louisiana where he is expected to meet with local residents. He’s also gettingan update on BP’s latest attempts at containing that spill.

An Afghan peace conference aimed at forging a truce 11 betweenthe government and the Taliban is now over. NPR’s Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports the participants asked for concessions 12 from the Taliban and the NATO coalition 13 in Afghanistan.

They did ask the militants 14 as well to sever 15 their relationships with Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. That was one of the demands that was made of the Taliban. But for the most part, it seemed that they were turning to the Wests of saying, you know, the United States in particular, they were very thankful, although the Afghan people are very thankful for what they've done, that it's time that this conflict is moved from a war into some sort of talk phase.

That’s NPR’s Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reporting from Kabul.

The chief American commander in Iraq Ray Odierno says he is confident he can safely scale back US troop levels to 50,000 by theend of August. There are currently 90,000 troops in Iraq.

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Five, four, three, two, one, lift off.

A multimillionaire's privately 16 built test rocket blast off from Florida’s Cape 17 Canaveral today according to the SpaceX website. Falcon 18 9 achieved Earth orbit nine minutes into its flight as planned. It's a major milestone 19 for the company which plans to use its rockets and Dragon capsules to launch people and payloads into orbit.

The United Nations Secretary General has called on the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo to investigate the death of a leading human rights campaigner and has offered assistance. From the capital, Kinshasa, NPR’s Ophebia Quist Arctun reports that rights activists 20 have warned against a cover-up and are demanding an independent inquiry 21.

Floribert Chebeya Bahizire was found dead in his car early Wednesday after being summoned to a meeting with Congo’s Inspector 22 General of Police. Fellow human rights campaigners have suggested official Congolese responsibility. Police reports point to a death related to a sexual liaison 23.The police said Chebeya was found partially 24 dressed with two used condoms,female hair and the packaging of a sex stimulant 25 beside him. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the government to conduct a thorough and transparent 26 investigation 27. He offered the help of the UN Peace-keeping Mission in Congo if requested. Chebeya headed the "Umbrella Rights Network" as well as the group "Voice of the Voiceless", and had faced intimidation 28 and arrest in the past. Ophebia Quist Arctun, NPR News, Kinshasa.

Dutch murder suspect Joran van der Sloot is in Peruviancustody in connection with the death of a 21-year–old girl who is also linked to the disappearance 29 of an American teenager five years ago.

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