NPR 2011-05-02

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Nancy Lyons.

NATO is denying it was trying to kill the Gaddafi family after reports that some members died in an air strike. Teri Schultz reports in the politically charged incident.

NATO issued an unusual early morning statement on reports that 29-year-old Saif al-Arab Gaddafi and three of his children were killed when the alliance bombed what it says was a military installation in Tripoli. The Libyan government says President Muammar Gaddafi and his wife were at the same location but unharmed. While not confirming the deaths, Lieutenant 1 General Charles Bouchard reiterated 2 that NATO does not target individuals. He said the alliance regrets all loss of life, but noted 3 that it's innocent civilians 4 in particular who were being harmed by the conflict. Bouchard also maintained that any targets have been determined 5 to be military in nature and directly linked to the regime's attacks on the Libyan population. He urged civilians to stay away from such sites, which are likely to be hit. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz in Brussels.

Investigators 6 say they've located and recovered part of a flight data recorder from an Air France crash that killed 228 people back in 2009. Officials say a submarine found the missing unit nearly 13,000 feet below the ocean surface this morning. The plane went down in the mid-Atlantic while on a flight between Rio de Janeiro and Paris. Judging from photos, the recorder appears to be in good condition.

Authorities in Cairo, Illinois are waiting to see if a swollen 7 levee will hold as the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers continue to rise. Mandatory 8 evacuations have been ordered for the town of 2,800 in southern Illinois. Marty Nicholson is the region's emergency management coordinator 9.

"We're talking lots of homes in Alexander County that are flooded, and they're still in the Olive Branch area. They are still sandbagging out there at this time, and it's just the water, just keeps coming up and moving in."

The rivers are not expected to crest 10 until Tuesday.

Relief efforts continue in the hard-hit South, where residents are recovering from a series of deadly tornadoes 11 last week. Alabama Public Radio's Pat Duggins reports volunteers are pitching in alongside state and local disaster officials.

Teams of University of Alabama students are hiking through damaged neighborhoods, offering bottled water and food to anyone who needs it. Other groups with chainsaws are helping 12 to clear tree limbs from roads and driveways in Tuscaloosa. Local churches and organizations like the Boy Scouts 13 are setting up support stations, where the homeless can get sleeping bags, diapers, clothing and other essentials. Officials from FEMA are visiting emergency shelters to hand out forms to apply for federal help. Others can get tips by just looking up. Small airplanes are towing banners with phone numbers for disaster relief or how to file an insurance claim. For NPR News, I'm Pat Duggins in Tuscaloosa.

Sony executives are apologizing for the massive security breach 14 of its PlayStation video game online network. In their first public statement, the executives today bowed in a traditional apology and vowed 15 parts of the service will be back this week.

This is NPR News.

Pope John Paul II is now Blessed as he was beatified today by Pope Benedict at the Vatican. This puts him one step away from sainthood. The BBC's David Willey reports the elaborate ceremony drew tens of thousands to St. Peter's Square this morning.

Rome hasn't seen crowds this size since the funeral of Pope John Paul six years ago. Pope Benedict, who worked closely with John Paul at the Vatican before being elected to succeed him, praised the new Blessed for having helped turn what appeared to be the "irreversible" tide of communism. He also praised John Paul for having encouraged believers throughout the world not to be afraid to be called Christian 16. The huge turnout for the ceremony is a morale 17 booster for the Catholic Church after the priest pedophile scandals which have scarred the church in many countries.

The BBC's David Willey reporting from Rome.

NASA says technicians need to replace a switch box in the engine compartment 18 of the shuttle Endeavour so the launch is on hold. Friday, a faulty heater system forced to propose the postponement 19. Mike Moses is the launch integration 20 manager.

"So unfortunately, we're not gonna be able to make a launch attempt in the next few days. I'm here to disappoint everybody by saying I'm not gonna tell you what the new launch date is because I have no idea. We have a lot more to evaluate."

Moses says it will be at least a week before they can consider a launch.

Tomorrow could prove to be a critical day in the NFL football impasse 21. A St. Louis appeals court could determine whether the league deserves a permanent stay of an injunction blocking the lockout that was granted to the players by a Minnesota judge. The two sides are at odds 22 over how to split revenues.