NPR 2009-5-20

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack 1 Speer.

President Obama announced new emission 2 standards for cars and light trucks today which he says puts the country on a path towards a cleaner environment. The plan would require US passenger vehicles and light trucks to achieve 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, something the administration said would save around 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the program.

"For the first time in history, we have set in motion a national policy aimed at both increasing gas mileage 3 and decreasing greenhouse gas pollution for all new trucks and cars sold in the United States of America."

To improve fuel efficiency and reduce tailpipe emissions 4 would come at a cost an estimated 1,300 dollars added to the cost of the vehicle seven years from now, however, the president said drivers would make that investment up within three years and ultimately save money over the life of their cars.

Federal Appeals Court in Washington says a White House office that handles email does not have to make its record public. A government transparency group sued to find millions of potentially missing documents from the Bush administration. NPR's Ari Shapiro has more.

The group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics 5 in Washington, or "CREW" filed this lawsuit 6 two years ago. They used the Freedom of Information Act to seek documents about emails the White House may have erased 7. The White House office of administration has responded hundreds of requests under the Freedom of Information Act in the last decade. But in this lawsuit, the office changed course. They said they are not covered by the act so they don't have to comply with CREW's request. Now three judges on the D.C. Circuit Appeals Court have agreed with the White House. The judges said the White House office of administration primarily answers to the president, so the office does not have to share its work with the public. That ruling upholds a lower court decision. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, Washington.

Latest numbers on the nation's housing market were weaker than expected. The number of new homes getting built fell again; housing starts were down nearly 13%. NPR's Chris Arnold reports.

The overall numbers were pretty ugly, but some economists 9 are seeing some signs for hope here. It turns out the real drop in construction was seen in apartments and condos. But for regular-row single family homes, the market seems to be leveling off. "I think that we’ve hit bottom." That's Pat Newport, the housing economist 8 with the forecasting firm Global Insight. "The market for single family homes appears to be rebounding 11 and if the economy starts growing again in the second half of this year, I think that, that this rebound 10 will stick." That is in terms of the pace of sales and the number of units getting built. There may be the start of a slow rebound. In terms of prices though, there are still just so many homes on the market, and so many foreclosure sales, that's dragging down prices. And economists expected that to keep happening at least through the rest of the year. Chris Arnold, NPR News.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 29 points to close at 8,474. The NASDAQ gained 2 points. This is NPR.

Senate Democrats 12 are indicating they want the Obama administration to come up with the plan for housing Guantanamo Bay detainees before they / agree to release any funds to close the camp. Senator Dick Durbin said today the plans to close the facility are not dead. But he says the president needs to make a decision about the detainees' future in order for funding to be released. Secretary of State Robert Gates has said that 50 to 100 detainees may be transferred to US prison facilities. Pentagon has said it still expects Guantanamo to be closed by 2010 as President Obama has ordered.

The nation's top tobacco growing state has its first statewide public smoking ban. From North Carolina Public Radio, Laura Leslie reports.

The measure bans smoking in all North Carolina bars and restaurants that are open to the public. It also gives local governments authority to enact 13 even stricter bans. Governor Bev Perdue signed it into law today.

"This is really, in no exaggeration of the word, an absolutely historic day for this great state that was built initially 14 on the backbone 15 of tobacco."

Perdue signed the smoking ban in the old State Capitol, often called" the house tobacco built", Last year North Carolina farmers produced nearly half the country's crop. Cigarette makers 16 have fought the ban for years, arguing it would hurt the state's economy. But opinion poll shows strong public support for it. For NPR News, I'm Laura Leslie in Raleigh.

When the Super Bowl winning Pittsburgh Steelers visit President Obama at the White House this week, they will be going without the NFL defensive 17 player of the year linebacker James Harrison. Harrison said just as he did not go when the Steelers won in 2005, he won't go this time. Harrison in an interview said he doesn't believe the invitation is that special, saying Arizona would have gone had they won.

I'm Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.