NPR 2011-04-29

President Obama says that while the federal government cannot control when or where a terrible storm will strike, he says it can control how to react to those storms. The president says the federal government will do everything it can do to help the people affected 1 by last night's massive storm system to recover and rebuild.

"In a matter of hours, these deadly tornadoes 2, some of the worst that we've seen in decades, took mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, friends and neighbors, even entire communities. Others are injured and some are still missing, and in many places the damage to homes and businesses is nothing short of catastrophic."

The death toll 3 across the region now stands at more than 260. In Alabama alone, officials report more than 160 people are dead there. Edgar Treiguts with Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta reports the storm killed more than 14 people in that state.

In the north Georgia town of Ringgold, seven people were killed after a twister moved down a number of restaurants and a motel in its path. Ken 4 Davis with the state's emergency management agency says the death toll may rise once rescue workers get into hard-hit areas.

"And there are a lot of areas of the state where structures, both residential 5 and commercial, are being searched."

Georgia's governor declared a state of emergency in 16 counties. For NPR News, I'm Edgar Treiguts in Atlanta.

President Obama is shuffling 6 members of his national security team. The president made the announcement at the White House about 40 minutes ago. CIA Director Leon Panetta is being nominated to take over at the Department of Defense 7. Replacing Panetta at CIA will be General David Petraeus.

The Chrysler Corporation says it plans to repay more than $7 billion in bailout funds received from the US and Canadian governments. That payment will come later in the quarter. The automaker says it will sell debt and take out bank loans to make the payments. More details of Chrysler's plans could become clear on Monday, when the company releases its first quarter's earnings 8 report.

And there's news today of higher jobless claims last week and slow economic growth. NPR's Paul Brown reports there are some continuing economic headwinds, but not everyone is pessimistic.

First-quarter economic growth is less than 2% at an annual rate. Bernard Baumoh of the Economic Outlook Group says one reason is: "Households are genuinely squeezed" by higher food and fuel costs, and in a soft job market, he says, workers can't ask for higher wages. IHS Chief Economist 9 Nariman Behravesh says employment has been improving, and he won't worry until he sees an upward trend of jobless claims based on more than one week's numbers.

"I think it's too early to say yes that they've got an upward trend."

He predicts stronger markets for US exports and faster economic growth ahead, but will it translate into jobs? Baumoh says businesses are buying more technology and machinery 10, so they won't have to hire too many more people. Paul Brown, NPR News, Washington.

You're listening to NPR News from Washington.

Exxon, the world's largest publicly traded company, says it earned nearly $11 billion in the first three months of the year. This as high gas prices are at the center of the public's attention. The company reported a net income of $10.65 billion or $2.14 per share. That's slightly higher than what analysts 11 had expected, predicting earnings of $2.04 per share, according to FactSet. This marks Exxon's best quarter since its record-setting earnings in the third quarter of 2008.

Former President Jimmy Carter says North Korea is facing a severe food shortage. His comments come after spending three days in North Korea and three more days in the South. Mr. Carter and a team of other former heads of the state called the Elders urged the international community to donate aid. But as Jason Strother tells us from Seoul, some nations are still reluctant to assist the North.

Ensuring that food aid was actually reaching North Koreans who need it has long been a concern of international donors 12. But former President Carter says Pyongyang has made changes to alleviate 13 those concerns.

"In the past, there's been a breakdown 14 in food deliveries from the United States because of the impediments created by North Korea in the United States monitoring the actual delivery of food to individuals in need. Those impediments have now been removed. There are no impediment. That's a change."

But South Korean officials say they want the North to apologize for two deadly attacks last year before any food aid resumes. For NPR News, I'm Jason Strother in Seoul.

NASA says as many as 700,000 people could be on hand tomorrow for the final scheduled launch of the space shuttle Endeavour. Commander Mark Kelly and his wife Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords will be at the launch.