NPR 2010-07-15

BP and the federal government are still not saying whether they plan to go ahead with the test that could shut down the well that's spewing oil into the Gulf 1 of Mexico. More details from NPR's Richard Harris.

BP had planned to start the test yesterday. It involves closing a set of valves on the top of the well. The test is designed to check the integrity of the undersea well, and if the well is in good shape, BP intended to leave the valves closed. But the test's been delayed for more than a day now as scientists weigh the benefits of conducting the test against the risk that they could actually damage the well by shutting the valves and allowing pressure to build up under the seafloor. The government and BP plan to say more about their deliberations later today. Richard Harris, NPR News.

The majority of advisors 2 to the Food and Drug Administration are recommending the controversial diabetes 3 drug Avandia stay on the market. Today's vote was 20-12, but the panel told the FDA that Avandia needs additional warnings. In a two-day debate, the advisors found some evidence the drug increases the risk of heart attacks. But there was not enough evidence that it increases the risk of strokes or death.

Dozens of men from the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq are no longer in US custody 4. They were handed over to Iraqi authorities. The men include Tariq Aziz, the public face of Saddam's regime for decades, as NPR's Kelly McEvers reports.

The US military says 26 former Saddam aides were handed over to Iraqi officials this week. The men were being held at Camp Cropper, the last detention 5 center under American control in Iraq. That prison will be transferred to the Iraqis tomorrow as part of a security agreement negotiated by the two countries in 2008. Tariq Aziz turned himself into American authorities in 2003. He since has been charged with ordering the execution of Iraqi businessmen who profited during the years that Iraq was under UN sanctions. Kelly McEvers, NPR News, Baghdad.

At least eight American soldiers have been killed in the last 24 hours in Taliban attacks in southern Afghanistan. At least a dozen Afghans have also been killed.

In the latest sign that the economic recovery in the US is slowing down, retail 6 sales fell in June. An update from NPR's Anthony Brooks 7.

According to the Commerce Department, spending on retail goods dropped by 0.5% last month. That followed a drop of just over 1% the month before. One of the big reasons for last month's decline: lower gas prices, which dropped by 2%, and slumping 8 auto 9 sales, which plunged 10 by 2.3%. If you exclude the auto number, overall spending actually rose by a fraction in June. Consumer spending makes up about 70% of the nation's economic activity, so analysts 11 say last month's decline is further evidence that the recovery is slowing. Among the industries posting modest gains in sales last month, department stores and big retailers 12 like Wal-Mart. Anthony Brooks, NPR News.

Dow's up four. This is NPR.

A candidate for governor in Colorado is facing allegations of plagiarism 13. From Denver, NPR's Jeff Brady tells us the local newspaper's calling on Republican Scott McInnis to drop out of the race.

McInnis is a former congressman 14 from Colorado. He copied texts written by a judge for a series of essays on water issues in the West. Also, parts of a newspaper column he wrote in 1994 and a later speech resemble a piece that appeared in the Washington Post a month and a half earlier. For the essays, McInnis issued a statement, blaming the mistake on research by a water expert he hired to help write them. McInnis said the information was passed on to him without attribution. He says he should have been more vigilant 15 in his review. McInnis hasn't responded to calls for him to drop out of the race for governor. Jeff Brady, NPR News, Denver.

The country's largest civil rights organization is unanimously backing a resolution, condemning 16 what it calls "racist 17 elements" of the Tea Party movement. The NAACP adopted the measure yesterday during its annual convention in Kansas City. Some Tea Party activists 18 press the NAACP to withdraw the proposal, calling allegations of racism 19 'unfounded'.

Chileans are bracing 20 for more aftershocks hours after coastal 21 villagers were jolted 22 by powerful tremors 23 that were reminiscent of February's deadly earthquake. However, no injuries or damage were reported from today's earthquakes.

Here's an update from Wall Street: Dow Jones Industrial Average up slightly four points at 10,367 during a day of small gains, NASDAQ up eight points at 2,250, and S&P 500 down slightly; it's at 1,095.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.