NPR 2009-09-01

A wildfire that continues to burn out of control northeast of Los Angeles has now destroyed at least 21 homes while continuing to threaten as many as 1,200 others and a historic observatory 1 at top Mount Wilson. The fire now encompasses 2 134 square mile area near Angeles National Forest after nearly doubling in size overnight. Bruce Quintelier is a spokesman of the US Forest Service. He says hot, dry conditions are fueling flames. "The amount of dry material and dead vegetation that’s mixed in with, some of this old brush that hasn't burnt in a while has made for the situation we are in very unique, probably unprecedented 3 fire behavior." Two firefighters were killed yesterday when they drove off a road over an embankment northeast of Sacramento when another fire’s shot around 60 structures, many in the town of Auburn. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in four California counties.

 Top commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan has finished his 60-day strategic review of the war. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson has more from Kabul.

 According to a NATO statement, the strategic assessment 4 by US General Stanley McChrystal finds the situation in Afghanistan to be serious but winnable. McChrystal says what's needed is revised strategy, commitment and resolve to reduce the capability 5 of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. There were no other details released, although it appears the general did not ask for more troops in this review, such "options such as an additional brigade of troops are expected in a separate report next week." The review was requested by US Secretary Robert Gates and NATO headquarters. McChrystal sent them the report today. Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, NPR News, Kabul.

 Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge 6 is now downplaying statements he made in a new book that politics might have been a factor in efforts to get him to raise the terror alert days before the 2004 presidential election. NPR's Pam Fessler has more.

In his new book, "The Test of Our Times", Ridge notes that President Bush's approval ratings went up every time the threat level was raised and he wondered whether politics motivated then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Attorney General John Ashcroft to push him to raise the alert level shortly before the election. Now Ridge says he wasn't pressured to raise the alert. He told ABC's “Good Morning America” that officials were expressing their opinions. "Process worked. We didn't go up and it was designed so that nobody could pressure anybody to do anything. A consensus 7 was reached. We didn't go up." Ridge said people are hyper-ventilating about that one passage in his book, although he and other officials warned repeatedly in the months leading up to the elections that terrorists were intent on disrupting the US democratic process. Pam Fessler, NPR News, Washington.

 On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 47 points to close at 9,496. The NASDAQ lost 19 points today.

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 Hurricane Jimena, now a powerful Category 4 storm and strengthening is continuing to make a beeline toward Mexico’s Bahar peninsula with the latest forecasts calling for the storm to possibly wreck 8 the area around Los Cabos by tomorrow evening. The storm is now packing sustained winds of around 150 miles an hour moving northwest at about 8 miles an hour. Jimena is less than 350 miles south of the resort area of Cabos San Lucas. At least 10,000 families have already been evacuated 9 from potential flood zones according to Mexican officials.

 It was one week ago today that the police foot chase ended in a shooting in a church day-care center in Rockford, Illinois. Today state police are taking over that investigation 10. From WNIJ in Rockford, Susan Stevens reports.

 An autopsy 11 commissioned by Mark Anthony Barmore's family shows he was shot four times, three times in the back. Police say Barmore tried to grab an officer's gun during the struggle. Witnesses say he had his hands up. Barmore was black. The two officers involved in the shooting are white. Over the weekend, Reverent 12 Jesse Jackson asked Rockford's mayor to turn the case over to the US Department of Justice. "This is yet an explosive situation, but could be used to be a source of healing testing the strengthening character of the community." Mayor Larry Morrissey says he welcomes help from the outside. "Our main concern is that we have a credible 14, accurate, and honest and open investigation." Rockford officials will meet with Jackson again this week. He returns for Barmore's funeral Thursday. For NPR News, I'm Susan Stevens.

 Concerns about the global economy sent crude oil futures 15 prices lower. Oil prices were down $2.78 a barrel to close at $69.96 a barrel.

 I'm Jack 13 Speer, NPR News in Washington.