NPR 2012-06-25

 There is a state of emergency in Louisiana, with Governor Bobby Jindal advising a strengthening tropical storm could flood low-lying coastal 1 areas. Meanwhile, forecasters say Tropical Storm Debby will continue to move slowly through the Gulf 2 of Mexico. Already Florida is seeing squalls and a possible tornado 3, and tropical storm warnings are also posted for Alabama. But as NPR's Russell Lewis reports, Texas may be where the storm ultimately comes ashore 4.

 
Debby is a bit disorganized, but it's gaining strength in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It's also sending uncharacteristically large waves crashing ashore. Officials in Panama City, Florida and Orange Beach and Gulf Shores Alabama closed their beaches because of the high surf and dangerous rip currents. Under the current track, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are expected just to get heavy rain. But forecasters believe Debby will strengthen into a hurricane over the next few days and march west to Texas, as always predicting a storm's path and intensity 5 isn't in exact science. And emergency officials across the Gulf Coast urged people to monitor Debby's progress. Russell Lewis, NPR News.
 
Hot-dry, windy conditions have fed wildfires in the west, with Colorado struggling with one of its most severe seasons in recent memory. As firefighters continue to battle a massive blaze, west of Fort Collins, another one has emerged near Colorado Springs. Joanne Hughs lives in Manitou Springs. She’s among 13,000 residents of the area evacuated 6 by the Waldo Canyon 7 fire. She spent the night watching the fire's red gloss 8 spread across the ridge 9 tops.
 
“You know, as long as those things really like this is really beautiful, but this is really bad.”
 
The fire now covers more than three square miles.
 
Egypt's first free elections in history have resulted in the election of that nation's first Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood 10. He won just under 52% of the vote to 48% for former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq. As NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson tells us, Egypt's military is not ready to surrender broad powers.
 
They have issued a kind of what they call a “supplementary constitutional decree,” which will give them all sorts of power, including a sharing in the legislative 11 authority, since Parliament was dissolved by a high court here in recent times. And that's one thing that they’re gonna do. They are also going to retain control over themselves and over important issues, like declaring war, you know, key policies. So there's little doubt that this fighting that's been going on between the Brotherhood and the military-led government for power will continue. 
 
NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reporting from Cairo.
 
This is NPR News in Washington.
 
Britain's Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron says he plans to push through radical 12 welfare reforms. Larry Miller 13 reports that some of the moves specifically target young people.
 
Cameron says the British benefits system sends out strange signals to society that it keeps some people in the welfare trapped and discourages them from working, while giving no help to others who he says do the right thing. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Cameron outlined plans to scrap 14 housing benefit for 380,000 low or low-income under-25s who receive state aid of around 650 dollars a month. Cameron says this will force them to get a job or live with their parents, saving the government around three billion dollars a year. On top of that, unemployment benefits of nearly 500 dollars a month may also end for those who aren't looking hard enough for a job. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.
 
The Sacramento Bee is reporting that the California's biggest state workers union has tentatively agreed to a way to address the challenge of government overspending. The Service Employees International Union local has reportedly told Governor Jerry Brown that cover[ed] workers will take 12 unpaid 15 days of leave over 12 months, starting July 1st. The furlough plan calls for a 5% monthly reduction of wages, but gives employees some flexibility 16 to schedule the time off.
 
The US Post Office is struggling to stay alive. But in one New Hampshire town, the consequences are extreme. The Sugar Hill post office hours have now been reduced to 1.5 hour a day. 
 
I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.