NPR 2010-12-23

The Senate has passed two major pieces of legislation this afternoon that had been caught in the grips of political stalemate. By a vote of 71-26, the Senate has ratified 1 a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia. And Andrew Seabrook of NPR tells us that within the last hour, senators approved a bill that provides health care benefits for 9/11 first responders sickened after working amidst the toxic 2 debris 3 of the World Trade Center ruins.

After months of delay on this bill, the Senate came in and lightening fast, voice voted it on the Senate floor. That means that they didn't even take a roll call vote. They asked for unanimous consent and it was given. The bill passed in a matter of seconds. The bill authorizes 4 more than four billion dollars to help pay for the health care of survivors 5 of the 2001 9/11 attacks and to the responders who cleaned up in the months after that. Many of whom are having serious health problems, especially lung problems and throat problems after having breathed the dust.

NPR's Andrew Seabrook on Capitol Hill.

With the holiday travel season cranking up, the government is offering assurances that it's doing all it can to prevent terror attacks. NPR's Giles Snyder reports.

It's nearly been a year since the failed Christmas Day attack on a Detroit-bound airliner 6 and White House homeland security adviser 7 John Brennan says we're in a better position today than we were then.

"There is a fair amount of volume that's going through the different transportation sectors 8, whether it be aviation or rail and other areas. So what we want to do is to make sure that we're able to provide the security to the traveling public."

Brennan was speaking at a White House press briefing. He says there's been no credible 9 threat, but that authorities are on the lookout 10 for both large and small terror plots. Brennan also defended Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Clapper appeared not to know of terror arrests in Britain this week, when the two appeared together on ABC News Tuesday night. Giles Snyder, NPR News, Washington.

Some slightly positive economic news today from the Commerce Department. Gross domestic product in the third quarter grew slightly faster than earlier estimates indicated. During the summer months, the economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.6 rather than 2.5 percent. Gus Faucher of Moody's Analytic 11 says while the growth rate is moderate, business inventories 12 are up, so companies are poised 13 to start hiring again.

"I would expect that we will see businesses start to hire rapidly pretty soon with the cash they've saved up, and they're gonna find more and more difficult to get more from their existing workers, and they're going to need to hire in order to keep up with stronger demand."

The better-than-expected showing of the GDP is fueling some gains on Wall Street at this hour. The Dow is up 23 points; the NASDAQ is up three; the S&P up two.

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Sales of previously 14 owned homes rose slightly in November. The National Association of Realtors says sales were 5.6 percent higher than they were in October. The organization's chief economist 15 says home buyers are responding to more affordable 16 prices, and he predicts the housing market is steadily 17 recovering

Heavy storms continue to pour over Southern California. And as NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates reports, officials are taking preventive measures as even stronger storms head to the region.

Storm waters have loosened land in several Southern California canyons 19, causing rock and boulder 20 slides and closing several roadways. As a precaution, firefighters in Irvine are evacuating 21 people whose homes may be in the path of sliding boulders 22 and debris. Those evacuations are mandatory 23. Residents are being removed on a street by street basis to a local shelter. Silverado Canyon 18 is one of those in Orange County at the edge of the Cleveland National Forest. It sustained heavy burn damage during a 2007 wildfire and has been at risk of mudslides during intense rainfalls ever since. Emergency personnel are bracing 24 for more evacuations when another heavy rainfall hits later on Wednesday. Karen Grigsby Bates, NPR News.

The World Bank has frozen loans to Ivory Coast amid a political standoff. Ivory Coast's controversial president, Laurent Gbagbo, is refusing to step aside, even though his rival in last month's election has been certified 25 the winner. The US has imposed travel sanctions on Gbagbo and regional leaders are calling on him to yield power. Meanwhile, the French government is urging its citizens to leave its former West African colony amid concerns of an outbreak of another civil war.