NPR 2009-03-26

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack 1 Speer.

As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is beginning a two-day visit to Mexico where officials are welcoming a new Obama administration plan to combat drug trafficking across the border, she's been talking with leaders there. NPR's Jason Beaubien reports from Mexico City.

Mexico's Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa says the new program by the US to combat the Mexican drug cartels marks a new era of cooperation between the two countries. Obama administration officials have pledged to send more officers and technology to the border to impede 2 the flow of drugs into the US and to search for weapons and money heading back into Mexico. The plan has been widely praised here by government officials who say the US appears to be acknowledging its role in the drug war that's dominating Mexico. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets later today with President Felipe Calderon. In addition to the drug war, there are host of other issues on their agenda including immigration, trade and the environment. Clinton will spend the night in the capital before heading Thursday to the northern city of Monterrey. Jason Beaubien, NPR News, Mexico City.

Treasury 3 Secretary Timothy Geithner traveled to New York today where he reiterated 4 the fact the administration wants Congress to move quickly to give the government power to seize non-bank financial institutions. Treasury Secretary also said he expects the dollar to remain the world's main currency. "I think the dollar remains 5 the world's dominant 6 reserve currency. I think that’s likely to continue for a long period of time. And as a country, we will do what's necessary to make sure we are sustaining confidence in our financial markets and in, and in the productive capacity of this economy and our long-term fundamentals." At one point Geithner sank the dollar down after he said he would be open to a proposal from China to increase the use of IMF’s Special Drawing Rights. Some thought that is a move away from dollar dominance so he clarified his comments.

FBI Director Robert Mueller told a Senate Committee today the bureau's resources are under strain as it tries to combat terrorism as also scramble 7 to keep up with thousands of investigations 8 related to the financial crisis. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston has more.

The director said that mortgage fraud cases had more than doubled than in the past three years and the bureau was now running more than 500 corporate 9 fraud investigations. His concern is that is just the beginning. He worries about the next shoe to drop, assurgent fraud cases related to the government's multi-trillion-dollar bailout program. "The unprecedented 10 level of financial resources committed by the federal government to combat the economic downturn lead to an inevitable 11 increase in economic crime and public corruption 12 cases." During the savings 13 and loan crisis, the FBI had more than a thousand agents working those cases. That's about twice the number they have on hand today to deal with the current financial crisis. Dina Temple-Raston NPR News.

Computer maker 14 IBM is expected to cut as many as 5,000 jobs. That’s according to reports by the Wall Street Journal which also say the company is shifting at least some of the work being done by its global services unit to India.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 89 points. The NASDAQ was up 12 points.

This is NPR.

After eight days linked to the International Space Station, the shuttle Discovery and a seven-member crew is headed back to earth. Following the successful installation last week of the final set of solar wings for the station, the shuttle's on track for a Saturday landing. The wings attached by the space-walking astronauts are expected to generate extra electrical power for the station and also increase the amount of research that can be done in various onboard labs. Russian’s Soyuz rocket launches tomorrow with two new station crew members as well as a billionaire space tourist along for the ride.

Historian John Hope Franklin died today at the age of 94. He was considered the preeminent 15 authority in African American history. North Carolina Public Radio's Leoneda Inge reports.

John Hope Franklin is probably best known for his book "From Slavery to Freedom". It was first published in 1947 and is now in its 8th edition. In 2005, the statuesque Franklin educated and entertained friends at his 90th birthday celebration at Duke University where there's a synonym 16 for him.

“When I was eight years old, um, people asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up. And I always replied that I wanted to be the first Negro president of the United States.” Franklin would later endorse 17 President Barack Obama during his run. Franklin was a graduate of Fisk University and received his PhD from Harvard. In 1995, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. For NPR News, I'm Leoneda Inge in Durham, North Carolina.

Vermont's governor is threatening to veto a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in the state. Governor Jim Douglas said today if such a bill makes it through the legislature, he won't sign it. A bill has already cleared the state Senate that will replace the state's civil union's law with one that allows gay and lesbian couples to marry.