NPR 2008-05-28

Two more powerful earthquakes or aftershocks from earthquakes hit Sichuan province, China this afternoon, and the confirmed death toll 1 from the May 12th quake has now grown to more than 67, 000. NPR's Andrea Hsu reports from Chengdu.

 Those aftershocks were both above 5. 0 in magnitude according to the US Geological Survey. Chinese media reported that the tremors 2 caused several hundred thousand additional homes to collapse 3 in the already devastated 4 Qingchuan County. Meanwhile, further south, another 80, 000 people were being evacuated 5 from areas downstream of the new Tangjiashan Lake. That lake was formed when landslides 6 set off by the earthquake blocked a river. Water levels are rising every day. Chinese troops at the lake have plans to detonate explosives in order to drain some of the water. Heavy machinery 7 was also being used to open a channel for diverting water, although the channel is not expected to be completed until next week. Andrea Hsu, NPR News, Chengdu, China.

 Republican presidential hopeful John McCain was campaigning in Colorado today, where he said both Republicans and Democrats 8 have been lacking in their efforts to control the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The apparent Republican presidential nominee 9 said he is in favor of an approach that does not rely heavily on either direct talks or military force. McCain made his remarks today at the University of Denver in an address interrupted several times by anti-war demonstrators. McCain said neither party can, in his words, take much satisfaction in efforts to control the spread of nuclear weapons.

The federal grand jury investigating the deadly September 16th shooting in Baghdad by Blackwater contractors 10 met with a group of Iraqis this week to hear their side of the story. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports.

 Sources close to the investigation 11 said three Iraqis were brought to Washington to testify before a grand jury trying to determine whether to indict 12 a handful of Blackwater security guards for firing into a crowded Baghdad intersection 13 last fall. Seventeen Iraqis died in the attack, and Blackwater said their guards were only defending themselves. Critics say the security contractors fired without provocation 14. Sources close to the investigation say that the Iraqis brought before the grand jury were witnesses to what happened that day and are giving their version of events. The sources told NPR that among the group is an Iraqi traffic cop, who was there when the shooting started. He's maintained that the Blackwater guard were not fired upon that day, and even shot at him when he waved to them to stop firing into the crowd. Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News.

 More indications the weak economy and high gas prices are hurting the major automakers. Giant General Motors announced today it plans production cuts at its Flint, Michigan pickup 15 truck plant that's been closed due to a strike by a parts supplier. GM says in July it will eliminate the third shift at the plant that built Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pick-up trucks.

 On Wall Street, the Dow rose 68 points today. The S&P gained 9 points.

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 A violent attack in Afghanistan's Kandahar province by Taliban insurgents 16 has claimed two dozen lives, including around a dozen police officers. According to provincial 17 police chief, the attacks came in several waves with five officers killed at a police checkpoint; four more officers were subsequently killed in a roadside bombing while another roadside bomb, south of Kabul, claimed the lives of four more police officers. Several militants 18 were also reported to have been killed in the fighting, according to officials with US-led coalition 19 there.

 The Justice Department announced today it has settled an anti-trust case with National Association of Realtors. The trade group will have to share its database of home listings with online brokers 20, and the Justice Department said the results could mean lower fees for consumers. Yuki Noguchi reports.

 The Multiple Listing Service, or MLS, is a powerful tool in home sales. It's where most realtors locate and list all the houses for sale in their local areas. But the Realtors Association's rules deny their Internet rivals full access to that database. These rules prompted a 2005 suit from the Justice Department. If approved by the court, the settlement will put online realtors on equal footing with traditional ones. Justice Department officials also said more competition could lower the commissions consumers pay, because Internet realtors' fees are often lower than the competition. The National Association of Realtors also declared victory: it didn't have to pay any fines or admit wrongdoing. The Justice Department's case had been scheduled to go to trial in July. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News, Washington.

 Crude oil futures 21 ended the session sharply lower today. The near-month contract for benchmark grade crude oil was down $3. 34 a barrel to end the session at $128. 85 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.