NPR 2009-12-05

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

The US economy shed 11, 000 jobs in November. That is according to the Labor 2 Department. That's the smallest loss in two years. Economists 4 say it‘s a sign the nation's job market may finally be turning around. More from NPR's Frank Langfitt.

The November jobs numbers were strong nearly across the board. Not only were job losses small, but the unemployment rate fell from 10. 2% to 10%. In addition, businesses hired more than 50, 000 temp workers. That's significant because employers usually bring in temps before committing to hiring full-time 5. John Silvia is chief economist 3 with Wells Fargo's Securities.

"Employers are probably trying to step carefully into the water. I think they see that we are not going into depression. We had a recession. Sales are not as difficult or as bad as they had feared. “

Silvia cautioned though that the unemployment rate could rise again as people who quit looking for jobs come back into the labor market. Frank Langfitt, NPR News, Washington.

President Obama was also out talking about the November jobs numbers today. While he called the report another hopeful sign, the President also noted 6 we have a lot more work to do before we can celebrate. Mr. Obama made his remarks at a community college outside Allentown, Pennsylvania.

"Too many members of our American family have felt the gut 7 punch of a pink slip. Eight million Americans have lost their jobs. Every one of us knows somebody who has been swept up by this storm. “

Senior administration officials say when President Obama makes his speech next week, he will be outlining a broad series of ideas aimed at generating new jobs.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton thanked NATO allies for pledging 7, 000 more soldiers to support the new US strategy in Afghanistan. Teri Schultz reports from Brussels.

Calling the conflict in Afghanistan a crucial test for the military alliance, Clinton said she was heartened by the response from her NATO counterparts and partner countries. The total number of new troop contributions is some 2, 000 higher than NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen had predicted yesterday, and some observers had thought his figure of 5, 000 was overly optimistic.

"What we've seen today is very encouraging, that at least 25 countries have announced that they will send more forces to the mission in 2010.”

Clinton emphasized that more trainers are also needed to help get the Afghans ready to take over their own security. But responding to concerns about President Obama's plan to start withdrawing in 2011, Clinton assured allies and Afghans alike the US will stay as long as needed. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz at NATO headquarters.

A blast has reportedly ripped through a nightclub in the Russian city of Perm near the Ural Mountains, killing 8 15 people and injuring 16 others. That's according to Russian news agency reports. They're citing law enforcement officials.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 22 points. The NASDAQ was up 21 points. The S&P 500 rose six points.

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US is said to be considering widening its use of unmanned drones to launch attacks against Al-Qaeda and Taliban targets inside Pakistan. That s according to military officials who say another element of the plan will be to bolster 9 training of Pakistan’s forces to fight insurgents 10. Officials say the stepped up actions against militant 11 networks would mean possibly extending the strikes by armed drones further south beyond current target areas inside Waziristan. It also would involve moving Pakistan’s paramilitary troops into that area.

Richard Todd who was Ian Fleming's first choice to play James Bond on Screen has died. The British actor who stared in "Dam Busters" and "The Longest Day" had been suffering from cancer. NPR's Bob Mandela reports.

In World War Two, Richard Todd was a paratrooper, the officer who first made contact with Major John Howard at Pegasus Bridge. In the 1962 film "The Longest Day", he played Major John Howard and got to play the scene in which he met himself. It was another film commitment that same year that kept him from playing James Bond in "Dr. No", but by then he'd been nominated for an Oscar in "The Hasty Heart" and he claimed for a number of roles from the lead in Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright to Sir Walter Raleigh in "The Virgin 12 Queen" opposite Bette Davis. In a career spanning seven decades, he also played dozens of character roles on everything from "Murder, She Wrote" to "Doctor Who". Richard Todd died yesterday at the age of 90. Bob Mandela, NPR News.

One upshot of the current administration's friendly relations with Cuba is musicians from that country are seizing the opportunity to try to perform in the US. After taking office in January, President Obama promised to recast US-Cuban ties.

I'm Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.