NPR 2010-05-15

President Obama's decrying 1 what he calls the "ridiculous spectacle" of executives of BP and other companies, pointing fingers this week over one of the worst oil spills in US history. Following a cabinet meeting at the White House today, the president said the companies and federal regulators should be held accountable for factors that led to a deadly rig explosion last month and the resulting spill. He has ordered immediate 2 inspections 3 of deepwater operations in the Gulf 4 of Mexico.

"We're also closing the loophole that has allowed some oil companies to bypass some critical environmental reviews, and today we're announcing a new examination of the environmental procedures for oil and gas exploration and development."

The administration's barring permits for drilling new wells until a 30-day safety and environmental review is complete.

"Three, two, one and zero and liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis."

That's likely the last time we'll hear that for Atlantis which is making its last voyage to the final frontier. Today in Florida, it blasted off on a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. This was one of the few remaining launches before NASA retires its shuttle program later this year.

In Iraq, the electoral commission says a recount of the ballots 5 cast in Baghdad shows no significant voter fraud in the March 7th elections. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

After nearly two weeks of recounting the ballots from Baghdad province, the commission says it found very few marred 6 or unclear ballots and no significant evidence of tampering 7 or fraud. A commission spokesman refused to say if the recount changed the narrow margin 8 of victory won by a secular 9 Sunni-backed slate 10. Since then, Iraq's two largest Shiite blocs 11 have announced an alliance that put them closest to the majority needed to form the new government. The results still need to be certified 12, clearing the way for coalition-building talks. Leaders from all parties say they would like some form of national unity 13 government that includes Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds and other groups. But as with all such bargaining, the devil will be in the details, and some analysts 14 believe the process could take weeks if not months. Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Baghdad.

At least 21 deaths have been reported from a coal mine explosion in southwestern China last night. The Xinhua news agency says ten other people escaped. No word yet on what caused that blast.

The FBI's investigation 15 of the attempted bombing in Times Square is now focusing on how the main suspect, Faisal Shahzad, received money. Three other Pakistani men arrested yesterday in connection with the case told investigators 16 about an informal network of money brokers 17. Authorities say the three may have helped Shahzad get money without knowing how it was going to be used.

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 160 points at 10,621. This as investors 18 continue to be rattled 19 by a growing debt crisis in Europe. NASDAQ lost 48 points, settling at 2,347.

This is NPR.

In Sacramento, California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is unveiling his revised budget plan for the coming fiscal(fiscally) year. With the deficit 20 estimated to be somewhere near $20 billion, budget watchers are braced 21 for something ugly. As Rachel Myrow reports from member station KQED in San Francisco.

California's economy is picking up, but unemployment remains 22 high - 12.6%, and nobody expects taxes to plug a 20-billion-dollar budget gap. Personal income tax revenue in April came in about 30% below projections 23. The governor and Republican lawmakers have vowed 24 not to raise taxes this year. That leaves budget cuts and after years of budget cuts the possible elimination 25 of safety net programs that serve the state's disabled, seniors, single mothers, foster youth and children from low-income families. Democrats 26 dominate the state legislature, but they need a 2/3 vote including Republicans to pass a budget. State leaders have lobbied Washington for an extra $6.9 billion. They've got nearly three billion so far. For NPR News, I'm Rachel Myrow in San Francisco.

The death toll 27 is rising from clashes in Bangkok where street battles between troops and anti-government protesters have been raging since overnight. At least seven people have been killed in the latest violence. Thai troops fired rounds on the rioting crowd. They were also seen using tear gas on red-shirt protesters who were hurling 28 petrol bombs. The demonstrators have been camped out in Bangkok's upscale business district for months, demanding new elections.

NBC is dropping Law & Order. That familiar sound we've come to know in the long-running police-courtroom drama will be no more. NBC confirms today that the show's ending its historic 20-season run May 24.