NPR 2011-06-08

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

Yemen's president is reported to be gravely wounded. Various news agencies, citing US officials, say Ali Abdullah Saleh has suffered burns on about 40% of his body and shrapnel wounds from an attack on his palace last week. While Saleh undergoes treatment in Saudi Arabia, that country and the US are working to form an immediate 1 transition of power in Saleh's absence. They fear growing violence in Yemen could bolster 2 al-Qaeda's influence.

The Libyan capital rocked by bombing today, with plumes 3 of smoke seen rising over Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's compound. NATO warplanes conducted dozens of air strikes on Tripoli today. Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim says there were casualties.

"We know for sure that many people have died today, and we know many have been injured."

On state television, Gaddafi said he would never surrender.

Libya was among the key issues raised during President Obama's meeting with visiting German Chancellor 4 Angela Merkel today. The economy was also prominent. The president says he's not afraid the US will experience a double-dip recession. But as NPR's Ari Shapiro tells us, the president is concerned jobs are not being created fast enough.

The president urged Americans to take the long view in the face of disappointing job growth numbers. He said overall economic trends are moving in the right direction, albeit 5 slowly. But he said people are understandably skittish 6.

"Economic data that in better times would pass without comment, now suddenly people wonder, well, are we gonna go back to this terrible crisis?"

The president said he expects to ask lawmakers about extending some of the short-term economic boosters that Congress passed in December. A new poll by the Washington Post and ABC News shows that more Americans than ever are disappointed with President Obama's handling the economy. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, the White House.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, meanwhile, says temporary factors such as higher gas prices and the crisis in Japan are the main causes of a softening 7 US economy.

A new report from Japan's government-commissioned nuclear emergency task force says they weren't ready for the Fukushima nuclear disaster. John Matthews has more from Tokyo, where the government says the radiation from the plant was twice that of previous estimates.

The new findings bring the total amount of radiation released by the plant to about 15% of that from Chernobyl. On top of life safety standards, the report admits to poor oversight 8 by Japan's Nuclear [and] Industrial Safety Agency. Many have criticized the agency for being too close to its parent ministry 9, Japan's nuclear-promoting Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Along with the promise of a more independent regulation agency, the Japanese government says it's already implementing 10 new nuclear safety standards. Japan will present its report at a meeting with the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency later this month. For NPR News, I'm John Matthews in Tokyo.

Before the close, the Dow was down 19 points.

This is NPR.

The Wallow Fire along Arizona's border with New Mexico is now more than 365 square miles, and it is still burning out of control. The fire that's been raging for more than a week has destroyed several buildings. But so far, no serious injuries. Several communities have been evacuated 11. Smoke from that fire is creating hazy 12 conditions far away as Iowa.

NBC and its new owner Comcast are sticking with the Olympics. As NPR's Howard Berkes reports, NBC will continue to provide exclusive Olympic coverage 13 in the United States for another decade.

If you like up-close and personal, you've got it through 2020. NBC-Comcast will pay more than four billion dollars for four Olympics. International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said the Olympics are in NBC's DNA 14. Comcast sealed the deal despite the 200-million-dollar loss for NBC at last year's Vancouver Olympics. Rivals Fox and ABC, ESPN included in their bids live coverage of every Olympic event. But ESPN said in a statement that besting NBC's bid would not have made good business sense. NBC-Comcast wouldn't commit to live broadcast and cable coverage of everything, but said all Olympic competition will be available on one platform or another. Howard Berkes, NPR News.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke says higher gas prices are among the contributors to a softening US economy. But he predicts that growth will pick up in the second half of the year.

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was down 19 points at 12,071, and NASDAQ had fallen slightly; it's at 2,702.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.