NPR 2010-10-22

Protests across France are continuing. The southeastern city of Lyon again is rioting. In Marseilles, the garbage is piling up because trash collectors are on strike and gas supplies are still running short. All the result of outrage 1 over France's plans to raise the pension age from 60 to 62. The BBC's Christian 2 Fraser says haggling 3 over legislation is giving time to unions to essentially 4 dig in.

The pension reform bill has been in the Senate for well over a week now, but they are still debating it. It's quite a torturous 5 process. They've been talking their way through thousands of amendments 6 that have been put forward by opposition 7 senators, perhaps a strategy that could be likened to filibuster 8 and they're trying to spell it out as long as they can. It was supposed to be a final vote in the Senate this evening, but it looks like it's gonna go on until Friday, perhaps even until Saturday morning.

The BBC's Christian Fraser reporting.

Today, President Obama spoke 9 with an audience of mostly women at a backyard meeting in Seattle. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports from the president's West Coast campaign swing.

The goal of this trip is to mobilize the Democratic base and that group includes women such as Jody Hall, who owns the local bakery, Cupcake Royale. She told the president about receiving a small business loan that let her expand.

"(And) that, plus adding the Salted Caramel the day you were inaugurated has really helped our business to thrive. So, I hear you're a big fan of Salted Caramel."

"Absolutely."

"And that's what I brought you so."

"Wonderful."

After the town hall, President Obama went to a huge rally at the University of Washington for Senator Patty Murray, who is fighting for re-election against Republican challenger Dino Rossi. Ari Shapiro NPR News Seattle.

Toyota is recalling more than 1.5 million cars mostly in the US and Japan. As NPR's Rob Gifford reports, it's the latest in a string of quality problems for the world's No.1 automaker.

Toyota said it will call back for repairs about 740,000 cars in the United States and nearly 600,000 in Japan. More than 100,000 will be recalled in Europe and elsewhere. A spokesman in Tokyo said the majority of the vehicles have a problem with the brake master cylinder 10, which could lead to weaker braking power. Over the past year, Toyota's recalled more than ten million cars and trucks worldwide for a variety of problems. Analysts 11 say the recall has been prompt this time after harsh criticism that the company did not act fast enough on the previous safety complaints. The models affected 12 by the latest recall in the United States include the Avalon, the Highlander 13 and the Lexus. Rob Gifford NPR News, Shanghai. 

On Wall Street, Dow Jones Industrial Average up 39 points at 11,147; NASDAQ is up two at 2,460; S&P 500 up two at 1,180.

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Brake fluid leaks are spurring recalls at Honda. It affects Acura RL sedans and Odyssey 14 minivans from model years 2005 to 2007. However, the company is not saying how many vehicles are covered by this recall.

A typhoon is bringing floods to Taiwan and other parts of Asia. The storm that forecasters name Megi wreaked 15 havoc 16 in the Philippines, forcing thousands to evacuate 17 their homes and causing tens of millions of dollars in damage. In China, officials say the typhoon might be the strongest to hit the South China Sea this year.

Random 18 House today announced that it will publish the memoirs 19 of the writer, Salman Rushdie. The publishing house says it is one of the most far-reaching multi-language and multinational 20 deals ever for one book. We have more on this from NPR's Lynn Neary.

Random House says the publication of Rushdie's memoirs simultaneously 21 in three languages and in more than a dozen countries is unprecedented 22. The story of Rushdie's life will include the years that he lived in hiding under the threat of death because of a fatwa issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini. His 1988 novel "the Satanic Verses" angered Muslims, who considered the work blasphemous 23 because of the way it portrayed 24 the Prophet Muhammad. Rushdie is still working on the book. It's scheduled for publication in 2012. Lynn Neary, NPR News, Washington.

A day after Britain unveiled a plan for the deepest spending cuts since World War II, the government is publishing details of a proposed permanent tax on British and foreign banks operating in the UK. Supporters say it will hold institutions more accountable and responsible for a potential risk they pose to the financial system.