NPR News 2009-06-30 加文本
NPR News 2009-06-30
From NPR News in Washington, I'm Barbara Klein.
Bernard Madoff whose multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme cost many investors their life savings was sentenced to 150 years in prison today in a New York courtroom. NPR's John Ydstie reports.
U.S. District Judge Denny Chin handed down the 150-year sentence following testimony from Madoff's victims. One of them, Carla Hirshhorn, said "Life has been a living hell. It feels like the nightmare we can't wake from." Another, Tom Fitzmaurice, said he cheated his victims out of their money so he and his wife Ruth could live a life of luxury beyond belief. Prosecutors had called for the 150-year sentence for the 71-year-old Madoff. Madoff's lawyers said he should spend no more than 12 years behind bars. Before Judge Chin pronounced the verdict, Madoff apologized to his family and the victims. Madoff said he had dug himself deeper into a hole as the scheme progressed and he said he would "live with this pain, this torment for the rest of my life." John Ydstie, NPR News.
The Supreme Court today ruled in favor of white firefighters in New Haven, Connecticut who claimed they were denied promotions because of their race. The firefighters say they were discriminated against when the city dropped the results of its promotions exam, fearing it would be sued because no African-Americans scored high enough to be promoted. The court said New Haven didn't show sufficient evidence that the city would have been vulnerable to liability.
Ousted Honduran leader Manuel Zelaya is due to address the UN General Assembly tomorrow. Zelaya was overthrown yesterday in a military coup. Soldiers transferred him to Costa Rica. The Organization of American States today passed a resolution condemning the take over. And as NPR's Don Gonyea reports from the White House, President Obama says the coup is not legal and Zelaya should be returned to power.
The President said Zelaya was democratically elected and that in the view of the White House, of Honduras' Latin American neighbors and of the Organization of American States, Zelaya is still president.
"I think it would be a terrible precedent if we start moving backwards into the era in which we are seeing military coups as a means of political transition rather than democratic elections."
Mr. Obama said the US stands on the side of democracy even though leaders of those democracies are not always favorable to the US. He said enormous democratic progress has been made in Latin America over the past two decades. He said "we don't want to go back to a dark past." Don Gonyea, NPR News, the White House.
On Wall Street today, the Dow was up 90 points at 8,529. The NASDAQ closed up five at 1,844 and the S&P was up eight.
This is NPR News.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has accused Afghan guards working for the US coalition forces of killing a police chief of the southern province of Kandahar and four officers during a gun battle today. Karzai is demanding coalition forces hand over the suspected private security guards. The governor of Kandahar says Afghan authorities have arrested 41 guards connected to the incident.
One of the few survivors of Khmer Rouge torture center testified in Cambodia today at the tribunal of a man who managed the so-called S-21 prison. Doualy Xaykaothao has details from Phnom Penh.
Recounting the torturous days of the interrogation center from more than 30 years ago, artist Vann Nath told the UN-backed tribunal that he was beaten, electrocuted and left on the brink of starvation by Duch, the Khmer Rouge cadre who oversaw the notorious prison. Vann Nath survived, he said, because Duch like his portraits of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot. It is estimated that at least 14,000 Cambodians were killed at the S-21 or Tuol Sleng prison. Duch, a born-against Christian is standing trial on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and homicide. Duch has admitted his part in the deaths, but said he was only following orders to save his own life. For NPR News, I'm Doualy Xaykaothao in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Michael Jackson's father Joe Jackson says the family is waiting to make funeral arrangements until they have results from a second autopsy that the family had requested. The Los Angeles County coroner conducted an autopsy Friday a day after the pop star died and is awaiting toxicology tests.
I'm Barbara Klein, NPR News in Washington.
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