NPR 2012-02-07

 Amid mounting financial pressure, Greece is signaling a major policy turn. The coalition 1 government says it will slash 2 civil service job roles there by 15,000 positions this year. European leaders advised Greece that major new debt agreements would be impossible without austerity measures. Concerns about the debt crisis have led international stocks lower today.

 
The US Ambassador to Syria has left the country along with other US embassy personnel, and as NPR's Michele Kelemen reports, the State Department is warning Americans to stay away as the violence intensifies 3.
 
The State Department says Robert Ford 4 will remain ambassador to Syria and its people and will maintain contacts with the Syrian opposition 5 to support a political transition in the country. The US had been calling on the Syrian government to provide more protection for the embassy, but decided 6 it was too dangerous for US personnel to remain in Damascus. The State Department is now warning all Americans to avoid travel to Syria and urged those who are there to leave. The Polish embassy in Damascus will be representing US interest while the US embassy operations are suspended. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.
 
The British government is recalling its ambassador to Syria for consultations 7. The UN estimates there have been more than 5,000 fatalities 8 since March.
 
The son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is among several pro-democracy workers detained in Egypt and now facing trial. At the White House, Press Secretary Jay Carney says the US has been in touch with Egyptian officials.
 
"We've made clear that we take this very seriously that it could have consequences, these actions could have consequences, for our relationship, including our assistance, programs."
 
GOP presidential candidates are campaigning in Colorado and Minnesota on the eve of caucuses 9 tomorrow. Between the two states, there are 70 delegates up for grabs. Missouri holds a GOP primary but no delegates at stake there. NPR's Craig Windham has more.
 
Colorado is considered a swing state and President Obama is determined 10 to repeat his 2008 victory there. Mitt 11 Romney easily won the previous GOP primary in Colorado and still has a strong organization in place. But his rivals are not conceding the state. Some polls put Rick Santorum in second place and the Romney campaign is running robocalls, criticizing the former Pennsylvania senator. Santorum and Ron Raul are appealing for conservative support in Minnesota. And Santorum has also been stumping 12 in Missouri. Newt Gingrich is not on the ballot 13 there. Santorum is hoping a strong showing could help him make the case that he is the best conservative alternative to Romney. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.
 
On Wall Street at this hour, the Dow was down 48 at 12,813 in trading of one billion shares.
 
This is NPR News.
 
Georgia's highest court has struck down a state law restricting assisted suicide. The state justice has found the law to be a violation 14 of the right to free speech. The state has no express law against assisted suicide, but the state legislature approved a bill several years ago banning people from publicly advertising 15 such assistance, a law the court declared unconstitutional.
 
Breastfeeding activists 16 in New York joined international protests against Facebook's policy of removing some photographs of breastfeeding mothers. NPR's Margot Adler explains.
 
On the Internet, you can find hundreds of photos of women breastfeeding their children that they say Facebook took off their page. A year ago, Facebook deleted the profile of a Chilian psychologist for the photo of her breastfeeding her child. The profile was reinstated. Today, 40 women also protested in Dublin. There have been tons of articles about this issue in the United Kingdom and Canada. As for New York, protester Sarah Mosadic held her four-month-old. She had posted a photo in December.
 
"I would like to know that their policy was very clear that this is okay and you don't have to worry about your account being deleted or anything like that."
 
Facebook has said it accepts breastfeeding photos, but some pictures with a wholly exposed breast with nipples have been flagged as inappropriate. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.
 
Cartoon character Homer Simpson and his imaginary family are now on the list of unwanted Western influences in Iran. Iran's Shargh newspaper reports Simpson dolls have been banned by the agency that oversees 17 Iranian toys, joining Barbie dolls as another threat to Western intoxication 18.
 
I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.