NPR 2012-06-18

 The first exit polls in closely watched elections in Greece show the conservative and the radical 1 leftist parties are very close. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from Athens.

 
Six major polling companies issued their first exit polls showing the conservative New Democracy at between 27.5% and 30.5%, and the leftist Syriza at between 27% and 30%. It will be a long night before it's clear who the winner is. Contrary to expectations, the exit polls suggest the ultra-right Golden Dawn party, some of whose members professed 2 neo-Nazi sympathies, is holding on to a surprised showing in last month's inconclusive election, where it entered parliament with 7%. The election is being closely followed in European capitals and global markets worry that the Syriza victory could trigger Greece's exit from the eurozone with unforeseen consequences for the global economy. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Athens.
 
Initial results from France show the Socialist 3 Party of President Francois Hollande won a majority in parliamentary elections today. The win would help Hollande pass tax hikes and spending increases. He views it’s necessary to boost the economy.
 
Rodney King has died. Captain Randy DeAnda with the police in Rialto, California told CNN King was found at the bottom of his swimming pool early this morning.
 
“Paramedics arrived on scene and immediately transported him to the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead at about 6:11 this morning.”
 
DeAnda said a preliminary investigation 4 shows no signs of foul 5 play. A videotape of King being beaten by police officers in the Los Angeles after a traffic stop ignited riots in 1992, when the officers were acquitted 6 of criminal charges. Rodney King was 47.
 
A rally is getting underway at this hour in New York City. Protesters object to a police tactic 7 known as “stop and frisk.” NPR's Joel Rose reports.
 
Protesters plan to march down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to protest what they see is an unjust and ineffective policing tool. Last year, the NYPD stopped, questioned and frisked more than 685,000 people without a warrant. The vast majority were young, black and Latino men and were released without any charge. Police commissioner 8 Rick Kelley and Mayor Michael Bloomberg have defended the practice, saying it helps save lives, but even they have recently pledged to rein 9 in the number of stops. A poll out last week shows that a slight majority of New York voters disapprove 10 of the practice with support largely split along racial lines. Joel Rose, NPR News, New York. 
 
Fire officials in Colorado say it may take as long as four weeks to fully 11 contain a wildfire near Fort Collins. The blaze has burned 85 square miles and destroyed at least 181 homes, the most in state history. It's now about 55% contained. 
 
This is NPR News from Washington.
 
It rained in New Mexico yesterday, which helped firefighters fighting a blaze in the Lincoln National Forest. But the rain could cause flash floods as well. Officials say the fire is now about 60% contained. Lightening started at nearly two weeks ago. It's burned 59 square miles since then and destroyed 242 homes and commercial structures. 
 
Analysts 12 expect the stock market will keep swinging sharply in the coming weeks, as the investors 13 watched the Greek election and a summit of leaders of 20 leading economies this weekend. Danielle Karson reports.
 
The outcome of Greece's elections is expected to be front and center at the G20 summit on Monday. But expectations are low. A lot of talk but little action to get Europe's fiscal 14 house in order. Joe Saluzzi at Themis Trading predicts the stock market will stay volatile 15, responding to what he calls the headlines Le Soir from Europe. 
 
“Today obviously we’re talking about Greek elections. Maybe tomorrow we'll be talking about Spanish banks, and after that Italian department sources. Who knows, right? It’s always something. So it's almost like a crapshoot at this point.
 
If Greek shocks the euro currencies, some analysts say it could send shock waves through financial markets. But Saluzzi says Greece accounts for less than 0.5% of the global economy, and that far bigger troubles are looming 16 in Spain and Italy. For NPR News, I'm Danielle Karson.
 
The National Park Service says it's ending its efforts to find the bodies of four Japanese climbers killed in avalanche 17 at Alaska's Mount McKinley last week. A spokeswoman says a rescue team reached the likely location of the climbers yesterday and dug through avalanche debris 18. But the risk of falling ice was too great to continue. One Japanese climber had survived the avalanche and had hiked down the mountain for help.
 
I'm Nora Raum, NPR News in Washington.