NPR News 2010-02-05 加文本

NPR News 2010-02-05

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

Ten US missionaries in Haiti have been charged with child kidnapping and criminal association. A deputy prosecutor in Haiti announced today that the group is accused of trying to take children illegally out of Haiti where an earthquake struck last month. Missionaries maintain they were only trying to save the children and strongly deny the kidnapping allegations. The missionaries were arrested last week.

Another blow to Toyota’s safety record. Today, the US is investigating brake problems with the 2010 Prius, the world’s top-selling Hybrid. As NPR’s Anthony Kuhn reports, Toyota was aware the problem long before the Prius announcement today.

Spokesperson Ririko Takeuchi said in Tokyo that Toyota had discovered design flaws in the Prius’s anti-lock brakes, including some cars exported abroad. She said that the flaw had been corrected for Prius models sold since late January, but that the company had yet to inform consumers about the problem. Complaints in the US and Japan about brakes in the 3rd Generation Prius have now topped 180. Meanwhile, Toyota estimated its ongoing recall of cars with faulty gas pedals will cost the company two billion dollars in repairs and lost sales. Despite the problems, Toyota said today that it returned to profitability in the final quarter of 2009. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Beijing.

The Illinois Supreme Court has struck down the state’s medical malpractice law. Mike Moen from member station WNIJ in DeKalb has reaction to the ruling.

The court says limiting damage amounts in medical malpractice cases violates the state’s constitution. Trial lawyers are praising the ruling, however, health care providers are worried. Sharony Manualson is with the Kishwaukee Health System. She says this could send Illinois’s medical community back in the crisis mode when it comes to malpractice insurance. “We had this crisis several years ago, and we did see an exodus of physicians in other states, primarily OB/GYNs, and we were down to two in this community.” Some say the ruling could work its way into the national health care debate. Republicans in Congress have pushed for tort reform and caps on damages. For NPR News, I’m Mike Moen in DeKalb, Illinois.

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich faces new corruptions charges. The new indictment returned today resembles the old version in which Blagojevich was accused of scheming to trade or sell the Senate seat vacated by President Obama. The scandal led to Blagojevich’s impeachment. The former governor maintains he is innocent.

US stocks continue to drop sharply. At last check, the Dow was down more than 200 points at 10, 063; NASDAQ Composite Index down 53 points at 2, 138; S&P 500 down 27 at 1, 070.

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Two of Bank of America’s top executives Ken Lewis and Joe Price are charged with fraud. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo filed the charges today, alleging that Lewis and Price misled shareholders about the bank’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch. Attorneys for both men denied the charges. In a related matter, the Securities and Exchange Commission says Bank of America has agreed to pay a 150-million-dollar civil fine to settle two lawsuits alleging poor disclosures of Merrill's losses and bonus payouts.

Today, the Democrats in the Senate lose their filibuster-proof majority when Republican Senator Scott Brown from Massachusetts is sworn into office. Monica Brady-Myerov of member station WBUR has more.

Scott Brown asked the Senate to move up his swearing-in by a week because he says he wants to participate in upcoming votes. He was scheduled to be seated a week from today. The Senate will be voting soon on an Obama administration nominee to the National Labor Relations Board. The Republicans want to block the vote with a filibuster because they say the nominee, who is a lawyer for the AFL-CIO, will be pro-union. The Senate is also expected to start debate next week on a job’s bill. Senator Sherrod Brown says he would not support a second stimulus package because he says the only thing the first one stimulated was big government. For NPR News, I’m Monica Brady-Myerov in Washington.

President Obama is urging lawmakers to bring back political civility to Washington D.C. At an annual National Prayer Breakfast today, the president said Americans are feeling more alienated by the divisiveness. He urged those in attendance to help unite lawmakers behind common goals.

I’m Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, Washington.