NPR 2011-05-07

US stocks still in positive territory with the jobs market posting robust 1 gains. The Labor 2 Department says the economy picked up a more-than-expected 244,000 positions in April. NPR's John Ydstie reports all of the net job growth came in the private sector 3.

US businesses added 268,000 new jobs to their payrolls 4 last month. The headline number for the month was dragged lower because governments continued to shed jobs. Austan Goolsbee, chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisors 5, says the strong increases at private firms is especially good news.

"This was the best private sector job growth in more than five years. And the last three months, we've added more than a quarter million jobs, on average, every month."

Goolsbee says that shows the economy is moving from rescue to recovery mode. One negative in April — a slight rise in the unemployment rate back up to 9%. Over the previous five months, it had dropped at the fastest rate in 27 years. John Ydstie, NPR News, Washington.

President Obama is at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he is due to address troops shortly. He's been meeting today privately 6 with some members of the Navy SEALs team that carried out the military assault against bin 7 Laden 8 early Monday in Pakistan. As many in the West hail the raid as an enormous success, quite different emotions in parts of Pakistan today. In Abbottabad, where Osama bin Laden was killed several days ago, protesters denounced the US and the Pakistani government.

Fresh violence reported out of Syria today, where witnesses accused troops of opening fire on anti-government activists 9, killing 10 at least 21 people. Covering developments from Beirut, NPR's Kelly McEvers gives us an update on the uprising in Syria that's now in its seventh week.

The shootings came as thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in towns and cities around Syria, calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Syrian authorities also detained a leading opposition 11 figure and former lawmaker, who's been a major critic of the regime. The protesters turned out despite the fact that nearly 600 people have been killed; thousands have been detained; and at least three cities have been surrounded and cut off from the rest of the country. Protesters, including women and children, carried olive branches and marched toward the besieged 12 southern city of Darra, which has been the hardest hit by the crackdown. Residents there report that tanks and snipers kept them from protesting. Kelly McEvers, NPR News, Beirut.

Before the close on Wall Street, Dow Jones Industrial Average up 55 points at 12,639 in trading of four billion shares; NASDAQ gaining 13 points or nearly 0.5%; it's at 2,828; S&P 500 up five at 1,340.

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Al-Qaeda rebukes 13 the Pakistani government for bin Laden's death, saying it needs to be cleansed 14. In a message posted today on militant 15 websites, the terror network confirms bin Laden's death and threatens reprisal 16 attacks.

Florida's legislature has overhauled 17 the state's voting rules. NPR's Greg Allen in Miami reports the measure now before the governor will affect early voting and new voters.

Democrats 18 charge it's an effort by Florida's Republican-controlled legislature to disenfranchise Democratic-leaning voters. Republicans deny that. The new rules are in part a response to the 2008 presidential election. Barack Obama carried the state held by a large turnout of Democratic voters signed up in registration 19 drives. Florida's League of Women Voters says under the new rules, it may no longer be able to conduct those drives. The bill requires all people signing up voters to register with the state and imposes fines for voter forms not turned in within 48 hours. In addition, the bill cuts in half to one week, the number of days allocated 20 for early voting. Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson says if the state's Republican Governor Rick Scott signs it, he'll ask the Justice Department to investigate whether the measures violate federal law. Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

Authorities in Memphis are pleading with residents in the most flood-prone areas to get out. They've been going door-to-door today, handing out fliers, warning people their property could be inundated 21 with high waters as the Mississippi River continues to rise. Tennessee officials predict flooded areas won't dry out for several more weeks.

Recapping our top story, President Obama is due to address troops at Fort Campbell, Kentucky shortly. He's been meeting privately with members of the Navy SEALs team that conducted that military assault against bin Laden early Monday in Pakistan.