NPR 2009-4-20

President Obama is scheduled to arrive back at the White House within a half hour from a Latin American trip that concluded with the summit of leaders of more than 30 other western hemisphere nations in Trinidad. Mr. Obama says the leaders did not agree on every issue but they did find ways to work together. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

Much of the talk during this weekend summit was focused on how countries can work together on the economy, security and the environment. But perhaps more important than release of specific agreement is the new tone that came out of the summit. President Obama says even though he doesn't see eye to eye with leaders like Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, he found ways to talk with each other. "We show that while we have our differences, we can and must work together in areas where we have mutual 1 interest, and where we disagree we can disagree respectfully." Mr. Obama says there is a little strategic danger for the US in opening up a dialogue with the Venezuelan leader, but he also says he will pay attention to Chavez's actions and not just his words. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Mr. Obama says he is gravely concerned about the safety and well-being 2 of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, who has been sentenced to eight years in prison by a court in Iran on espionage 3 charges. He said the US is pressing for her release. Iran's President said today Saberi's attorney will be allowed to present a full defense 4 during her appeal.

At least five other nations have joined the United States in boycotting 6 a United Nations conference on racism 7, that's set to begin tomorrow in Geneva. And others are considering similar moves. More from NPR's Ina Jaffe.

The other countries that will not be present at the week-long conference include Australia, Canada, Israel, Italy and the Netherlands. That list could grow to include Germany and other European nations. There are two issues behind the boycott 5. One is fears that the conference could become a platform for criticizing Israel. During the last UN conference on racism in 2001, there was an attempt to equate 8 Zionism with the racism. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is speaking on the first day of the conference. He has previously 9 called for destruction of Israel and denied the Holocaust 10. The other concern behind the boycott is a call by some Muslim nations for a ban on criticism of Islam, Sharia law and Prophet Muhammad. US State Department Spokesman Robert Wood said this would run counter to the US commitment to unfettered free speech. Ina Jaffe, NPR News.

Administration officials say some major banks may need more financial rescue money. Regulators are now putting the nation’s 19 largest banks through a so-called "stress test" to check how they will do if economic conditions worsen significantly. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel says while some banks will need some assistance, the administration does not anticipate having to ask Congress for more money. "I do believe we have the resources to handle what the results will be." The stress test results are expected to be released in early May. Emanuel was interviewed on ABC's "This Week".

This is NPR News from Washington.

A new published report says at least a dozen victims and families of those killed in Rhode Island in 2003 in a nightclub fire have filed for bankruptcy 11 protection while awaiting their share of a 176-million-dollar settlement. Providence 12 Journal reports its review of bankruptcy court records shows some victims have lost their homes and vehicles or were laid off after they recovered from their injuries and returned to work. 100 people died in the fire in February 2003 at the Station nightclub. It started when the pyrotechnics group used by the band Great White ignited soundproofing foam 13 in the building.

Researchers have found that urine test for a particular chemical may be useful in predicting which smokers 14 will develop lung cancer. NPR's Joanne Silberner has the story.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Shanghai and Singapore suspected that a breakdown 15 product of tobacco called NNAL might play a role in lung cancer. They look for NNAL in the urine of 500 smokers, half of whom developed lung cancer. Smokers with high levels of NNAL were twice as likely to get lung cancer. Smokers with high levels of both NNAL and a nicotine-related compound were eight times as likely. A low level of NNAL and a lower risk of lung cancer is no licence to light up. Tobacco smoke causes other cancers, heart disease and emphysema. Urine test for the compound may someday be useful in identifying people who should be screened more frequently for lung cancer. The researchers reported their results at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting. Joanne Silberner, NPR News.

A spokesman for the group Doctors Without Borders confirms that two workers of the group are missing in Somalia. Witnesses say the two may have been abducted 16 by a masked gunman.