NPR 2011-11-01

 The UN's cultural agency is supporting the Palestinians' bid for full membership despite strong Israeli and US objections. As a result, Washington's cutting off funding to UNESCO. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

 
"We were to have made a $60 million payment to UNESCO in November and we will not be making that payment."
 
The US like Israel maintains Palestinian statehood can only be achieved through direct negotiations 1, not UN resolutions. But the Palestinian authority says it was forced to turn to the international body because all other efforts to forge peace with Israelis have failed.
 
NATO's mission in Libya comes to an end this day. The alliance's top official met with Transitional Council leaders in Tripoli today and hailed the beginning of what he calls a new chapter in Libya. NPR's Peter Kenyon has this update from Tripoli.
 
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen congratulated the Libyan fighters who toppled the Gaddafi regime and hailed the 8,000 men and women who took part in the seven-month NATO mission that saw more than 9,000 air strike sorties destroy nearly 6,000 targets.
 
"At midnight tonight, a successful chapter in NATO history is coming to an end, but you have already started writing a new chapter in the history of Libya."
 
Many of the questions from Libyans focused on what NATO would do if Gaddafi loyalists mount their own uprising perhaps with allies from sub-Saharan Africa. Rasmussen was firm that NATO's mission in Libya is ending but he said individual countries could respond to requests for assistance. Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Tripoli.
 
President Obama is directing the FDA to step up its efforts to reduce drug shortages. He signed an executive order at the White House earlier today.
 
Tomorrow Wisconsin becomes the 49th state to allow people to carry concealed 2 weapons. And we have details from Marti Mikkelson of member station WUWM in Milwaukee.
 
Governor Scott Walker signed a bill in July removing the state's ban on concealed weapons. Under it, people who obtain a permit and go through training will be allowed to carry concealed weapons in most public buildings unless a sign is posted saying they are not permitted. Gun supporters say the law is long overdue 3 but opponents argue concealed carry won't curb 4 crime and will put more guns on the street. With the legalization in Wisconsin, Illinois is now the only state that doesn't allow concealed carry. For NPR News, I'm Marti Mikkelson in Milwaukee.
 
At last check on Wall Street the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 161 points or more than 1% at 12,070; NASDAQ Composite Index also down more than 1% at 2,708; and the S&P 500 down nearly 1.5% at 1,266.
 
This is NPR.
 
GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain says he's aware of sexual harassment 5 allegations against him when he headed up the National Restaurant Association in the 90s. He says he was falsely accused. Today Cain spent much of the day answering questions about a political report that said at least two women who worked for the businessman accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior. Cain says he has no idea also whether the trade association settled with his accusers.
 
Thousands of schoolchildren in the northeastern US have a snow day off from school this Halloween after a freak nor'easter hit the region over the weekend. From member station WSHU in Connecticut, Craig LeMoult reports utilities in that state and across the Northeast are racing 6 to restore people's electricity.
 
Connecticut was surprised by more than 17 inches of snow in some places and about 30 inches fell further north. Because there are still leaves on most trees, the snow had something to cling to and downed trees knocked out power to more than 886,000 customers across the state. Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy says the state is working to clear roads and utilities are scrambling 7 to restore transmission lines.
 
"This has been an unbelievable storm causing unbelievable damage. Clearly at the very high end of our expectations for what the storm could have done, it did."
 
Some communities have canceled or postponed 8 Halloween activities out of concern that sidewalks aren't safe because of downed power lines and branches. For NPR News, I'm Craig LeMoult in Connecticut.
 
All the major US stock indexes down more than 1%, Dow losing 168, it's at 12,063.
 
I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.