NPR News 2010-07-14 加文本

NPR News 2010-07-14

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

A bill making sweeping changes to the country's financial regulations could move to a final vote in the Senate this week. Democrats have cobbled together 60 votes with the help of a handful of Republicans to overcome a filibuster.

Tributes are pouring in for New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who died this morning in Tampa. Fans such as Edward Presley say whatever people thought of Steinbrenner, he always commanded respect when it came to his team.

"I like his character. He was strong, controlled and kept everybody in line. I love that. I love that. That's responsibility."

Steinbrenner reportedly suffered a massive heart attack at his home in Tampa this morning and was rushed to the hospital. He was 80 years old.

BP is making progress in its latest attempt to stop the vast oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. From member station WWNO, Eileen Fleming reports hopes are pinned on a new containment cap now in place.

Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen says the new cap will take pressure readings. If they're too low, it means there could be other breaks in the well and plugging it from the top could trigger more leaks. If they're high enough, valves on the cap will gradually be shut off. Allen says he's very confident the cap will stay in place. If it's not able to stop oil from flowing out, it will at least be able to funnel it to surface ships.

"Either through a potential shut-in of the well or being able to produce most if not all of the flow we believe is generated, either way, we will have a way to contain the oil."

Pressure readings starting today could take 48 hours to complete. Energy Secretary Steven Chu is in Houston, overseeing the operation. For NPR News, I'm Eileen Fleming in New Orleans.

An Iranian nuclear scientist who vanished more than a year ago has turned up at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C. Iranian officials accuse the CIA of kidnapping the scientist. But as NPR's Jackie Northam tells us, US officials maintain Shahram Amiri has been free to move around the country.

This is just the latest twist in the case of Shahram Amiri, a 32-year-old Iranian nuclear scientist, who went missing while on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia last June. Many analysts dispute Iran's claims that Amiri was kidnapped by the CIA and say that instead he defected to the US, where he was debriefed by American officials and then allowed to lead his life in Tucson, Arizona. Amiri was going to university for a PhD. State department spokesman PJ Crowley says Amiri has been allowed to move around the country at his own free will, and he's allowed to go back to Teheran. Crowley also disputes any suggestion that the nuclear scientist was mistreated while in the US. Amiri is expected to return to Iran in the near future, where his wife and seven-year-old son remain. Jackie Northam, NPR News, Washington.

Big gains on Wall Street: Dow Jones Industrial Average up nearly 150 points at 10,363.

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A survey of doctors published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that many are hesitant to report colleagues who are incompetent or having problems that might interfere with their work. Details from NPR's Alix Spiegel.

Almost 2,000 doctors responded to the survey, which was designed by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. What was clear was that though in theory a great majority of doctors are committed to reporting fellow doctors who might be incompetent, they don't always follow through when faced with the reality of incompetence particularly if they work in a small practice. Only 44% of physicians in a solo or two-person practice, who knew of an incompetent colleague, reported that person. The percentage was better in hospitals, 77% reported incompetent colleagues. The authors write that the finding is troubling and calls them to question the ability of medicine to self-regulate. Alix Spiegel, NPR News, Washington.

A federal appeals court is rejecting a Federal Communications Commission policy that can get a broadcaster fined for allowing even one curse word from getting on the air. The Second US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan finds the policy is unconstitutionally vague. Under the FCC policy, words referring to sex or excrement is always indecent. The policy took effect after NBC's 2003 broadcast of the Golden Globes Awards during which U2 singer Bono used the F-word.

The youngest detainee at Guantanamo Bay says he plans to boycott his upcoming trial in August. In a hearing of the US war crimes court, Canadian Omar Khadr says he rejected a plea deal that would have got him out of prison for admitting to killing a US soldier.

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