NPR 2011-10-06

 In a landmark 1 development within stem cell research, scientists say they’ve used a cloning technique to make embryonic 2 stem cells that match a patient’s DNA 3. The journal Nature highlights a study that shows the potential for using the technology to replace the damaged cells of a person living with a disease and to keep the transplanted cells from being rejected by the immune system. However, the technique could touch off new controversy 4 over cloning. 

 
Israeli scientist Daniel Shechtman is this year’s winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. NPR’s Andrew Prince reports that Shechtman’s discovery changed the way scientists look at solid matter. 
 
Before Daniel Shechtman’s discovery in 1982, scientists thought that crystals were made of atoms arranged in order and repeating patterns. But results from one of his experiments revealed a pattern that didn’t fit with the science of the day. Shechtman’s finding of quasicrystals, where the atoms are arranged in a non-repeating pattern, was extremely controversial but eventually led to a complete revision of scientists’ understanding of solid matter. Today, quasicrystals are used in razor blades and surgical 5 tools, as well as heat insulation 6 engines and energy-saving LEDs. Andrew Prince, NPR News, Washington. 
 
The federal government will keep running for now. NPR’s Mara Liasson says the president has signed a six-week funding extension.
 
Around midnight last night after President Obama got home from his trip to Texas, he signed into law yet another stopgap funding measure. These kinds of continuing resolutions are needed because Congress has not passed the appropriations 7 bills necessary to fund federal agencies for the current fiscal 8 year. This latest bill was part of a last-minute agreement reached by Democrats 9 and Republicans. But 50 House Republicans voted ‘no’ on the bill because they wanted bigger cuts in government spending. Now, lawmakers have until November 18th to write individual spending bills for each government agency, according to overall spending limits that were agreed to in negotiations 10 between Republicans, Democrats and the White House earlier this year. Mara Liasson, NPR News, the White House.
 
Unions and various other organizations are joining the ranks of the Occupy Wall Street protest. Today, demonstrators are planning to march through Lower Manhattan, and police and organizers say thousands are expected. The protest began two and a half weeks ago with a few dozen demonstrators who tried to pitch tents in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Since then, hundreds have set up camp in a park nearby and have become increasingly organized, lining 11 up the medical aid and legal help and printing their own newspaper.
 
Ireland’s finance minister says Europe will prevent Greece from defaulting on its debt, signaling a financial rescue may be in the offing. Michael Noonan told parliament today that he believes more than 100 billion euros will be needed to recapitalize European banks. 
 
At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was up 44 points at 10,853.
 
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Two people are dead, six more wounded after a gunman opened fire in a San Francisco Bay Area quarry 12. As NPR’s Richard Gonzales reports, the gunman is described as a disgruntled employee who’s still at large. 
 
SWAT teams are searching door-to-door in a Sunnyvale neighborhood for a suspect identified as 45-year-old Shareef Allman. He’s reported to be carrying a handgun and a riffle. The suspect opened fired during a shift-change meeting at a cement plant before escaping. Allman is also a prime suspect in the shooting of a woman during an attempted car hijacking 13 more than two hours after the fatal shootings. The woman is listed in fair condition. Richard Gonzales, NPR News, San Francisco.
 
Police in Mexico say they have captured one of the founders 14 of La Familia drug cartel. NPR’s Jason Beaubien reports that the cartel had been one of the most powerful in Mexico but has been crippled by recent arrests of its leaders.
 
Martin Rosales Magana was one of the last leaders of La Familia still at large. Mexican federal police say they captured Rosales as he was preparing 200 gunmen to launch an attack on the Knights 15 Templar criminal organization. Federal Police Commissioner 16 Facundo Rosas at a press conference this morning said the arrest of Rosales could mark the end of La Familia. He said the boo cartel is falling apart to make totally disintegrate 17 soon. La Familia was a quasi-religious group that claimed to be protecting the state of Michoacan from other drug gangs and corrupt 18 officials. Jason Beaubien, NPR News, Mexico City.
 
US stocks making gains today with the Dow up 45 at 10,845, and NASDAQ gaining 38 points, or 1.5%, at 2,443.