NPR 2009-01-22

Senate lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved the nomination 2 of Hillary Clinton to be the nation's next Secretary of State. The Senate on a vote of 94:2 today, approving Clinton's confirmation 3 despite some Republican questions by a possible conflict of interest created by her husband, former President Bill Clinton's fund-raising for his foundation. Majority Leader Harry 4 Reid urged senators to sign off on the approval of Mrs. Clinton's  appointment made by his former colleague, now president, Barack Obama. "Senator Clinton is uniquely capable and profoundly prepared to lead our State Department at a time of unprecedented 5 global challenges, and a time when quick confirmation of Senator Obama's national security team, I'm sorry, President Obama's national security team is critical." Both Republicans and Democrats 6 have called for a quick confirmation, setting pressing foreign policy issues, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and continued tensions in the Mid-East. Hillary Clinton will replace former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as  nation's top diplomat 7.

Final sales numbers are in for 2008 and for the first time Toyota has topped General Motors to become the world's best-selling automaker. But as NPR's Frank Langfitt reports, it's something of a dubious 9 honor given that it comes amid the worst industry downturn in decades.

Toyota beat GM, not because it posted big gains, but because its sales didn't fall as far as its Detroit rival. Last year, GM's global sales fell 11%, Toyota's were down just 4%. Toyota ended the year selling nearly 9 million vehicles worldwide, has about 600, 000 more than GM. Winning by not doing as badly is an odd way to top a competitor, but it's a sign of the times. The credit crunching 10 recession had devastated 11 auto 8 sales, and Toyota, widely admired in business circles and beloved by customers has some big challenges ahead. After aggressively expanding in the last decade, it now faces sliding demand and its first operating loss in 70 years. Frank Langfitt, NPR News, Washington.

The salmonella outbreak linked to a peanut manufacturing plant in Georgia continues to widen as an unopened tub of peanut butter in Connecticut's to link to the plant. Joanne Silberner has more.

The count is now 486 infections with the identical bacterium 12 in 43 states with six deaths. More and more evidence's pointed 13 to contamination at a single plant in Georgia owned by Peanut Corporation of America. The plant made the contaminated peanut butter found in Connecticut. PCA has recalled its products, which were sold to institutions, schools, hospitals and food manufacturers but not retail 14 stores. Manufacturers have recalled more than 125 products that contain peanut butter or paste from PCA, crackers 15, cakes, ice-cream and even dog biscuits. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that most of 57 people with salmonellosis had eaten peanut butter crackers. Joanne Silberner, NPR News.

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Two of the nation's big airlines are reporting fourth quarter losses. American Airlines parent company AMR says it lost 340 million dollars in the fourth quarter. That was as a result of fewer people flying and higher fuel prices. AMR says when taking the number of one-time charges into account, it lost $1.22 a share. If without the charges and write-offs, the world's largest airline says it lost 214 million dollars in the fourth quarter. United Airlines parent UAL reported even bigger quarterly losses of 1.3 billion dollars.

Swedish cell phone maker 1 Ericsson says it's cutting thousands of jobs amid weaker demand for its products. Larry Miller 16 has more from London.

Ericsson says sales grew last year by 11%, but that profits dropped 48% and 5,000 jobs will go. The Swedish cell phone maker and provider of infrastructure 17 equipment to the telecommunications market said it has suffered due to high restructuring costs and a dramatic drop in cell phone sales. Ericsson says it's financially sound and it's making the efficiencies because of the uncertainty 18 in the market. The job losses represent nearly 6% of its global workforce 19. While Ericsson said its infrastructure business is strong, last week, one of its biggest competitors, the Canadian Nortel Networks, filed for bankruptcy 20 protection. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Harvard University says a record 29, 000 people have applied 21 for 1, 700 openings in next fall's freshman 22 class. Harvard Admission Dean William Fitzsimmons says part of the reason for the rise may be a specially 23 generous financial aid program. Families with annual incomes below 60, 000 dollars a year pay no tuition.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 279 points.