NPR 2010-04-18

Europe is in the throes of unprecedented 1 flight disruptions for a third day because of a growing ash cloud from a volcanic 2 eruption 3 in Iceland this week. At least 17 countries have shut down their airspace. Frank Browning reports travelers are scrambling 4 to find another ways of getting to their destinations.

At least 15 million people have had their travel plans disrupted since the airports began closing Thursday and it could be several days before the repercussions 5 of the shutdowns are sorted out. Travelers as far away as Bangkok have found themselves stranded 6 and unable to return home. Some airports in Norway have reopened. Full service at Europe’s two major hubs, London Heathrow and Paris’s Charles de Gaulle, may not be fully 7 restored even until the first of the week. Despite the ten-day-old rail strike in France, French rail has managed to add international train service toward Britain, Belgium and Holland. Airlines have not committed to reimbursing 8 travelers for unused tickets. For NPR News, I’m Frank Browning.

NPR’s Joe Palca is in Iceland where he and a team of scientists got a close-up look today at the ash plume 9 wreaking 10 havoc 11 across the continent.

This is astounding 12. I have to say it made me think of Lord of the Rings. When they go into the temple, I mean, the valley of doom 13 or whatever at Mordor was like this end of the earth kind of scene. This completely black cloud settled down over the road. And the two scientists, two women that I have been traveling with, were across the road from me and it’s not a wide road and I couldn’t see them at all.

NPR’s Joe Palca.

The flight disruptions in Europe are affecting world leaders’ plans to fly to Poland this weekend for a state funeral. The latest cancellation 14 comes from President Obama. Details from NPR’s Allison Keyes.

In a statement, President Obama says he’s spoken with Poland’s acting 15 President Komorowski and told him he regrets not being able to make it to Poland due to the volcanic ash that is disrupting air travel over Europe. Mr. Obama added that he and his wife, Michelle, continue to have the Polish people in their thoughts and prayers and will support them in anyway they can as they recover from this terrible tragedy. President Obama went on to call the late President Kaczynski a patriot 16 and close friend and ally of the United States. Some other world leaders, including the Canadian prime minister, the king of Spain and German Chancellor 17 Angela Merkel have also been forced to cancel their travel plans because of the ash. Allison Keyes, NPR News, the White House.

But Poland still plans to hold its state funeral for President Lech Kaczynski who was among 96 people killed in a plane crash a week ago. Today, Poles marked that tragic 18 moment.

A memorial service held today for the 96 victims in that crash. Their names were read aloud and for one-minute sirens wailed 19 to mark the moment Poland’s president and many other members of Poland’s political elite 20 were killed.

This is NPR News.

Toyota says its own engineers have confirmed a potentially dangerous problem with one of its Lexus SUVs. NPR’s Martin Kaste has details.

On Tuesday, Consumer Reports magazine ... this GX 460 showed a handling problem that might cause the vehicle to roll over on tight, fast turns. Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons says the company immediately took the problem seriously.

“We contacted them to get the details of their driving evaluation 21. And Tuesday night in the United States, what would have been Wednesday morning in Japan, we began attempting to replicate 22 that driving procedure. We have since been able to duplicate that condition and we are evaluating potential remedies at this point in time.”

Lyons says the problem affects 5,400 SUVs in the U.S. Some already sold, others still on dealer 23 lots. Toyota has suspended sales of the model, while it tries to come up with a fix. Martin Kaste, NPR News.

President Obama says financial firms need to be held more accountable for the bad decisions they made. He uses his Internet radio address this week to make the case for new rules. The president has long argued for a sweeping 24 change to the financial regulatory system that, he says, should prevent risky 25 practices and avoid another financial meltdown.

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor slams Congress’s Democratic leaders for passing a string of measures that, he says, will cost taxpayers 26 dearly over the next decade. In a Republican Party address, Cantor says Congress has enacted 27 25 tax increases that, he says, will cost small businesses and individuals nearly $700 billion over ten years.