NPR 2010-05-18

The Supreme 1 Court says young people under the age of 18 may not be sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole unless they're guilty of homicide. Five of the nine justices agreed such sentences violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Justice Anthony Kennedy writing for the majority says states must give juveniles 2 who receive long sentences, in his words, a realistic opportunity to obtain release before the end of that term.

BP executives say the mile-long tube down to a ruptured 3 pipe could eventually capture about half of the oil gushing 4 into the Gulf 5 of Mexico. But right now, it's drawing off only about 1,000 barrels a day. BP's Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles says the company is preparing to try a new approach.

"Later this week, hopefully before the end of the week, we'll make our next attempt to actually stop the flow, and that's going to be this option we're referring to as top kill."

Suttles on NBC's "Today Show" referring to a method in which workers will try to pump thick drilling mud into the wellhead at higher pressure than the oil that's coming out. The plan is to inject as much as 40 barrels of the mud a minute into the well to try to plug it up.

An NPR News investigation 6 is finding there were persistent 7 problems with the airflow system at the coal mine in West Virginia before a deadly explosion there last month. NPR's Howard Berkes reports that system is designed to prevent explosions.

Ten miners and managers who had worked at Upper Big Branch spoke 8 with NPR, and all but one said ventilation was a problem for months, and mine managers struggled to fix it. Improper 9 airflow allows explosive methane 10 gas and coal dust to accumulate, and they're believed to be factors in the blast that killed 29 mine workers. One mine foreman told NPR more senior managers wouldn't fix the ventilation problems and threatened him with dismissal as he demanded more air. One miner told NPR that managers didn't have a clue about ventilating the mine. An official at mine owner Massey Energy blames the airflow problems on changes mandated 11 by federal mine safety officials. The FBI is looking into ventilation and possible tampering 12 with methane monitors as part of its criminal investigation, according to miners questioned by federal agents. Howard Berkes, NPR News.

Iran says it has a deal to ship some of its nuclear fuel to Turkey. The agreement, brokered 13 by Turkey and Brazil, is similar to one worked out with the West last fall but which fell apart when Iran backed out. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the administration is skeptical 14.

"The words and the deeds of the leadership in Iran have rarely coincided. While shipping 15 out the low-enriched uranium would represent some progress, we still have concerns about the overall thrust of the nuclear program."

Gibbs speaking to reporters at the White House this afternoon.

Stocks have moved into positive territory after being down most of the day. Analysts 16 say a rebound 17 in telecommunications and consumer stocks is leading the way. The Dow currently up 13 points.

This is NPR.

The State Department says one American was a passenger on a plane that has crashed in northern Afghanistan with 44 people aboard. There's been no word yet on casualties because poor weather is hampering 18 efforts by rescuers to find the plane.

The largest manufacturer of defective 19 Chinese drywall says it's reached a settlement with a major home builder. NPR's Greg Allen reports the deal may provide a road map for resolving a problem that affects thousands of homeowners in 37 states.

A half billion tons of drywall was imported from China between 2004 and 2007. Tests show much of it emits sulphides that corrode 20 wires, plumbing 21 and air conditioning coils. Last month, a federal judge in New Orleans ordered Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin to pay a Louisiana couple 164,000 dollars to remove and replace the drywall in their home, setting the repair bill at $81 per square foot. Knauf said today it's reached an agreement with Atlanta-based Beazer over the costs of repairing Florida homes it built with the toxic 22 drywall. Knauf also is in settlement talks with other builders. In court testimony 23, Beazer says the cost of removing and replacing drywall and damaged wiring totals around $100,000 per house. A consulting firm has estimated the total costs nationwide are between 15 and 25 billion dollars. Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

A new report prepared for a Senate committee concludes that the huge shortfall in social security funding could be eliminated with modest changes to payroll 24 taxes and benefits. But the chairman of the panel acknowledges even those small tweaks, as he called them, could be politically risky 25 for lawmakers, changes such as small increases in social security payroll taxes. The report says the social security system faces a 5.3-trillion-dollar shortfall over the next 75 years