NPR 2012-02-29

 A third student is confirmed dead from yesterday's shooting rampage at Chardon High School in Ohio. The Metro 1 Health System says Demetrius Hewlin was declared dead this morning. Fellow Classmates Daniel Parmertor and Russell King also died from injuries sustained in the shooting. Two other students, meanwhile, were wounded. The community plans to hold a vigil tonight. Sheriff Dan McClelland says residents are trying to heal.

 
“Chardon, Geauga County, northeast of Ohio is rallying like nothing we've never seen before.”
 
The Geauga County Juvenile 2 Court says the alleged 3 shooter, TJ Lane, will appear in court this afternoon.
 
As Michigan voters cast ballots 4 today for a Republican presidential candidate, President Obama was speaking to a group of unionized auto 5 workers in Washington. NPR's Scott Horsley reports Mr. Obama blasted his GOP rivals for campaigning against the government's rescue of the auto industry.
 
President Obama says now that GM and Chrysler are profitable and hiring again. Critics of the government's 2009 rescue might want to changer their tune 6. But he notes Mitt 7 Romney and Rick Santorum have continued to badmouth the rescue even if they campaigned in the heart of the American auto industry.
 
“Part of that same old, you are on your own philosophy that says we should just leave everybody to fend 8 for themselves, let the most powerful do whatever they please.”
 
The UAW has pledged aggressive support for Mr. Obama in his reelection campaign. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Syria's president could be described as a war criminal. As NPR's Michele Kelemen reports, the US has been trying to encourage those around President Bashar al-Assad to split away from him.
 
In a budget hearing that covered most of the world's hotspots, Senator Lindsey Graham asked a pointed 9 question about Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.
 
“Do you believe that Assad should be billed by the international community as a war criminal.”
 
“I think that based on definitions of war criminal and crimes against humanity, there would be an argument to be made that he would fit into that category.”
 
But Secretary Clinton was quick to point out that labeling Assad a war criminal could complicate 10 efforts to persuade him to leave office. She cites the example of Yemen, where there were new elections. Clinton credited the US ambassador there of engaging in persistent 11 diplomacy 12. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.
 
Meanwhile, at least one Western journalist who was wounded has escaped the Syrian military siege in Homs. He’s identified as British photographer Paul Conroy. But an opposition 13 group says 13 Syrians who helped smuggle 14 Conroy out of the country were killed during the operation.
 
Here’s the latest from Wall Street, the Dow was up nine points at 12,990; NASDAQ gaining 11; it’s at 2,977.
 
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Businesses cut spending on machinery 15 and equipment last month. That's according to the Commerce Department. NPR's Dave Mattingly reports orders for durable 16 goods dropped by the sharpest amount in three years.
 
Economist 17 Hugh Johnson describes January's drop of 4% in orders for durable goods as a little troubling because it's a leading indicator 18 for the US economy, encompassing 19 everything from appliances and new cars and trucks to aircraft.
 
“We know this number can be very volatile 20. You can get big swings to the upside and to the downside, and I think most economists 21 had been expecting a decline but nothing in the order of 4%.”
 
The drop in orders followed strong demand in December, when factory output jumped and companies rushed to take advantage of an expiring tax break.
 
“This is clearly a bump in the road on a very slow recovery.”
 
Dave Mattingly, NPR News, Washington.
 
While consumers are more confident about the economy's outlook, a private research group, Conference Board, released its consumer confidence index that shows a 70.8 reading in February. That's up from a revised 61.5 the month before.
 
Gas prices keep rising. The national average now $3.72 for a gallon of regular gas. However, prices are reported to much higher in Hawaii, California, New York, Alaska and Connecticut. The costs of gas began surging earlier than normal for this time of the year, as oil prices were surging. Crude has jumped about 10% so far in 2012.
 
Dow up eight points, it's at 12990, with the NASDAQ gaining 11 points; S&P 500 up two.
 
I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.