NPR 2011-02-09

The numbers calling for President Hosni Mubarak to resign in Egypt keep growing in central Cairo. More than a quarter million people now estimated to be overflowing 1 from Tahrir Square. Thousands more are rallying outside Cairo. NPR's Corey Flintoff made the track to the Suez Canal zone where there were reports of a large labor 2 strike. He says before he and his team actually got to Suez, the group was detained for hours.

After about three hours after they interrogated 3 everyone within our party, they let us go, but they told us that we must leave Suez and we must not return unless we have press credentials 4 that are issued by the Egyptian government. So far it's been rather difficult to get those credentials. We've applied 5 for them, but we don't have them yet.

NPR's Corey Flintoff reporting.

Egypt's state news agency says that the government has released 34 political prisoners as President Mubarak's allies attempt to quell 6 the two-week-old uprising. However, human rights groups estimate thousands more remain in jail for political activities.

In the US, four more hedge fund officials are charged in connection with a massive insider-trading scheme. NPR's Jim Zarroli says authorities are accusing two of the men trying to destroy evidence of their crimes that were stored on a computer disk.

Among those charged were Samir Barai and Donald Longueuil who worked as portfolio 7 managers at hedge funds. They were charged with conspiracy 8 to commit securities and wire fraud. Two other men, Jason Pflaum and Noah Freeman, were charged with securities fraud. They have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with investigators 9. US officials have been looking into the use of so-called "expert-network" firms. These firms would hire existing employees at major companies to act as consultants 10, advising investors 11 about industry trends. But US officials say they were often doing little more than passing on inside information to hedge funds. Jim Zarroli, NPR News.

And a federal probe into reports of Toyota vehicles experiencing sudden acceleration 12 turned up no electronic flaws that might explain that issue or any other safety problems. The Department of Transportation announced today that the only cause that they have been able to find so far were mechanical defects that were cited in previous recalls of the company. Toyota's recalled more than 12 million vehicles worldwide since late 2009 to address sticking gas pedals and other issues.

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average up more than 50 points for nearly 0.5% at 12,213 in trading of more than two billion shares; NASDAQ Composite Index up six at 2,790; S&P 500 up three at 1,322.

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Keith Olbermann has a new home and a new job as the signature host and chief news officer at Current TV, a cable channel founded in 2005 by former Vice 13 President Al Gore 14. NPR's David Folkenflik reports the lowly rated channel is pinning a lot of its hopes on their new big name.

Keith Olbermann told reporters he'll be putting on a newer, stronger and amplified 15 version of his old show on MSNBC. Countdown blended firebrand commentaries and comedic touches. It led MSNBC to a left-of-center prime-time sensibility and the first profits in its history. Current promised both viewer-generated videos and original reporting and programming. It's won some critical praise but few viewers with an estimated audience in the low tens of thousands. Countdown often drew more than one million. But Current is already available in 60 million American homes. Executives say Olbermann's distinctive 16 presents and his editorial guidance on other news shows will lead more viewers to them. He'll first appear on the air in late spring. David Folkenflik, NPR News, New York.

Job openings are down for a second straight month. The Labor Department reports today that employers posted 140,000 fewer positions in December than the month before, yielding just over three million jobs posted at the end of 2010.

There are reports of a fire at a petroleum 17 plant east of Houston. The Associated Press cites a Mont Belvieu police dispatcher, saying there were no immediate 18 reports of injuries or evacuations.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing guidelines intended to protect birds from energy generating windmills. However, bird advocates say the standards should be mandatory 19.