NPR 2011-01-22

Less than a week before President Obama delivers his State of the Union address, he is showcasing a new business boosting plan featuring one of Wall Street's biggest stars today, General Electric. Karen DeWitt of New York State Public Radio reports that hours after GE posted a more than 50% quarterly profit surge, Mr. Obama announced during a tour of an Upstate New York GE plant that CEO Jeffrey Immelt will spearhead a new presidential panel on jobs and competitiveness.

Mr. Obama says he chose Immelt to chair his newly formed Council on Jobs and Competitiveness because the GE CEO is not part of the usual Washington crowd, and he says the company has already set an example for innovative 1 energy technology. The president says the creation of the council signals a change in direction from crisis management to economic recovery, which he admits isn't happening fast enough to make up for the damage done in the depths of the recession.

"The past two years were about pulling our economy back from the brink 2. The next two years, our job now, is putting our economy into overdrive."

The president set a goal of doubling America's exports abroad over the next two years and selling more goods to China, saying he wants two-way trade, not just one-way trade. For NPR News, I'm Karen DeWitt in Schenectady, New York.

Shares of GE surged to a 52-week high and the Dow was up 54 points at 11,877.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is now in Houston, where she will undergo a lengthy 3 rehabilitation 4 for brain injury inflicted 5 by a gunman in Tucson nearly two weeks ago. The institute treating Giffords is said to be one of the best in the world for brain and spinal 6 cord injuries.

Negotiators for six world powers and Iran don't appear any closer to resolving a dispute over the Islamic republic's atomic program. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports on the latest gathering 7 in Istanbul to address one of the most worrisome issues facing the US and its allies.

International delegations 9, led by EU foreign policy head Catherine Ashton, met with Saeed Jalili, an Iranian delegation 8, at an imposing 10 former castle-turned hotel on the banks of the Bosphorus. By the time the talks broke for lunch and Friday prayers, there was no sign Iran had budged 11 from its refusal to consider suspending its uranium enrichment program. International leaders fear Teheran is covertly 12 attempting to master nuclear weapons technology. Western officials say Iran's growing stockpile of enriched uranium has made a fuel-swap proposal like the one offered in 2009 more difficult. For its part, Iran wants an easing of the international sanctions that have squeezed its economy. Analysts 13 say in the absence of progress here, even more sanctions may be sought. Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Istanbul.

From Washington, this is NPR.

Three days of mourning are underway in Tunisia for the 78 people killed during a month of unrest over the political state of the country. The demonstrations 14 led to the downfall of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and the creation of a unity 15 government that includes members of Ben Ali's party. However, the government makeup 16 ignited more protests this week.

A top aide to British Prime Minister David Cameron quit his job today amid a scandal over phone-tapping by a tabloid 17 newspaper. NPR's Philip Reeves says Andy Coulson's departure is a political blow to Cameron.

Andy Coulson played a key role for Cameron as his trusted and powerful communications chief, but his past kept catching 18 up with him. He used to be editor of the mass-selling News of the World. A couple of years back, a reporter and (a) private investigator 19 from the paper were jailed for illegally tapping the telephones of members of the British royal family's entourage. The paper's executives insist the two men were the only ones involved, but evidence continued to flow in, contradicting this, fortifying 20 suspicions that Coulson himself encouraged reporters to eavesdrop 21 on politicians and celebrities 22. Coulson's consistently denied this, but the story wouldn't go away. A statement from Cameron about Coulson's resignation made no reference to the scandal, but Cameron said Coulson felt he'd become the focus of attention, and this was impeding 23 his ability to do his job. Philip Reeves, NPR News, London.

Britain plans to extradite a suspected terrorist to the US to stand trial for his alleged 24 role in a plot to bomb the New York City subway system. Today, a court approved a request to allow US authorities to take custody 25 of Abid Naseer.