NPR 2010-10-30

President Obama is expected to speak shortly about suspicious packages out of Yemen that have prompted international security alerts. The packages were found at an airport north of London and a cargo 1 side in Dubai. Sweeps were conducted at airports in Philadelphia and Newark, New Jersey 2 earlier today. So far, nothing dangerous has turned up. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston says now the FBI's considering at least two main lines of thought behind today's security alerts.

"Was it supposed to be a dry run for another bombing that's one of the series? Another possibility is that this is never supposed to be a bombing at all, but in fact was supposed to be a distraction 3 or at least beget 4 everyone spooled 5 up. And it's a low cost way of spinning people up and thinking that there is a terrorist threat."

NPR's Dina Temple-Raston. In a short time ago, a United Arab Emirates flight carrying cargo from Yemen landed in New York. It's escorted by fighter jets. It was greeted by law enforcement officials. But the FBI says there was no known threat on that flight.

Authorities in Washington D.C. are tightening 6 security for Sunday's Marine 7 Corps 8 marathon because a shooter is targeting military buildings around the region. No one has been hurt, however, NPR's Joel Schneider reports authorities fear the threat could escalate 9.

The later shooting, the second at a museum devoted 10 to the Marines, happened sometime last night. And authorities are working under the assumption that it is related to three others. Those shootings are previous one at the same museum, another at a Marine Corps recruiting station in a different Virginia suburb, and one of the Pentagon itself have already been linked. The FBI's John Perrin says the gunman might have a grievance 11 against the Marine Corps.

"We like to know what this grievance is and what we can do to try help resolve it. We are willing to listen to him and hear his side of story.

The FBI is urging the gunman to surrender. Joel Schneider, NPR News, Washington."

The U.S. economy is growing and expected at an annual rate of 2% July to September. Financial analyst 12 Roy Blumberg says while the job market remains 13 weak, at least the hemorrhaging has stopped.

One thing has changed during the last couple of quarters that didn't before I think is that those who are employed have a less fear that they are gonna lose their job.

But today's data out of the Commerce Department is drawing lukewarm reaction from economists 14 in general who say didn't have much of impact on the high unemployment in the U.S.

French Unions are ending their strikes at oil refineries 15 and major ports as well as refineries have reopened. Unions voted to call off the demonstrations 16 after they were unable to get parliament to vote against the pension reform bill that raises the retirement 17 age in France from 60 to 62.

At last check on Wall Street, Dow Jones Industrial Average up four points at 11,180, NASDQ up slightly at 2,507. This is NPR.

The parents of a kidnapped British aid worker killed in a US rescue attempt in Afghanistan earlier this month have called her death a tragic 18 mistake. As Larry Miller 19 reports from London they concede there is no way know whether it was better to try a rescue or negotiate with what they describe as extremely dangerous and militant 20 criminals.

John and Lorna Norgrove say once their daughter Linda was kidnapped they realized anything could happened. They say they have no animosity towards the US for her death thought have been caused by a grenade thrown by American forces during the rescue attempt.

"First of all, we don't know what we have would have been if no rescue attempt to have been ... it. They would appear to us that the rescue attempt was so close to being a total success and that the undoing 21 is or appears to have been a human error."

"Yes. We very much feel we don't want to get into the blame game."

Norgrove's parents say the US deserves credit for admitting to the mistake when it could have easily covered it up. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

NATO's reporting the deaths of 20 Afghan insurgents 22 in southern Afghanistan today. The military alliance said one of its helicopters had come under fire. Forces on the ground have recovered 20 bombs, fire arms in several vehicles during fighting in Kandahar province.

A Virginia man charged with planning to attack the subway system in the Washington D.C. area has appeared in court. Farooque Ahmed's lawyer says his client will not challenge his detention 23. Farooque Ahmed was arrested Wednesday after allegedly attempting to join up with al-Qaida terrorists.