NPR 2011-02-25

The US says it's not ruling anything out in how it'll respond to the Libyan government's crackdown on demonstrators, hundreds of whom reportedly have been killed since the start of the uprising against leader Muammar Gaddafi. The White House says it is reviewing all options including imposing 1 a no-fly zone over Libya. Earlier, Gaddafi delivered a speech on state television accusing al-Qaeda of fomenting 2 the violence in his country and influencing Libyan youths.

High seas are complicating 3 US evacuation efforts from Libya. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports a US-chartered ferry is spending another day in a port in Tripoli.

Unable so far to charter flights into Libya, the US government opted 4 for a ferry, but it has been docked for more than a day, delayed now by high seas. State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley says there are 285 people on board and he says they are safe.

"We have our own security personnel on board the vessel 5. And the port is secure. There are Libyan security officials in the port area."

Forty of the passengers are embassy staffers and families of US diplomats 6. One hundred twenty-seven are private US citizens, Crowley says, and the other 118 are citizens of other countries. He says there are also some Americans at the airport in Tripoli where thousands of people are still clamoring to get out. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.

Oil prices are hovering 7 around 100 dollars a barrel with concern growing about the uprising's disruption to oil production in Libya. Holly 8 Pattendon, head of oil and gas analysis of Business Monitor International explains what may happen in the US if the costs of oil keeps going up.

"The general consensus 9 is that the psychological tipping point for US drivers is when retail 10 gasoline prices exceed four dollars a gallon. We saw that happen in 2008 and we saw a real drop in the US vehicle miles traveled."

Today gas price rose more than two cents to a new national average of 3.22 for a gallon regular.

Wisconsin's Senate Democrats 11 are still a no-show at the State Capitol despite the latest pressure from the Republican majority. This morning, state troopers were dispatched to the homes of Democratic lawmakers in hopes of convincing at least one of them to return to Madison. As Wisconsin Public Radio's Shawn Johnson reports, the troopers came up empty.

Republican State Senators met briefly 12 to issue a Call of the House at 7 o'clock central this morning. They called its troopers accompanied staff to search forsenators. Democratic Senate Minority leader Mark Miller 13 says his members remain in undisclosed locations. Miller says Republicans must not have believed that Democrats would be able to stay away this long.

"It obviously was a terrible way to deter 14 our solidarity 15."

While Democrats are away, it keeps Republican Senators from ringing up the bill that would strip public employee unions of most bargaining rights. The Wisconsin State Assembly is debating the bill today. For NPR News, I'm Shawn Johnson in Madison.

The Dow's down 45 at 12,064.

This is NPR News.

General Motors is reporting earnings 16 of more than 4.5 billion dollars for 2010. As Michigan Radio's Tracy Samilton reports, the company made a swift turnaround from its bankruptcy 17 to post its first annual profit in five years.

The bankruptcy freed GM of tens of billions of dollars of debt as well as union retiree health-care obligations. That allowed the company to make money even though auto 18 sales improved only modestly in 2010. There could be some bumps in the road for 2011. Dan Akerson is CEO of GM. He says the company has been working on a contingency 19 plan for a spike 20 in gas prices.

"They've come a little bit earlier maybe than the industry, or the economy, or the world economy expected it or wanted it. So we are gonna have to react."

GM also has to improve results in Europe. The automaker lost 1.8 billion dollars there last year. For NPR News, I'm Tracy Samilton in Ann Arbor 21.

New homes apparently 22 aren't selling as well as existing homes if last month's numbers are any indication. The Commerce Department reports new home sales dropped in January 12.6% to a seasonally 23 adjusted annual rate of 284,000. Manufacturing remains 24 one of the strongest performers during the country's economic recovery. Last month's orders for durable 25 goods rose 2.7%, driven by a boost in orders for commercial aircraft. But take out transportation, and the numbers were actually down by their largest amount in two years. The Commerce Department says orders outside transportation fell 3.6% in January. Still, last month's orders totaled 200.5 billion dollars, deemed a healthy level by economists 26.