NPR News 2011-03-19 加文本

NPR News 2011-03-19

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Pam Coulter.

The US will not go it alone in Libya, but President Obama says it will join the international community in enforcing a UN resolution aimed at stopping the Libyan regime's attacks on demonstrators.

"It authorizes the use of force with an explicit commitment to pursue all necessary measures to stop the killing, to include the enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya. It also strengthens our sanctions and the enforcement of an arms embargo against the Gaddafi regime."

Mr. Obama said the terms are not open to negotiation, and the resolution will be enforced with military action.

Four New York Times journalists who disappeared while covering the conflict in Libya have been found. The Times said on its website the four were captured by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and will be released today.

The first radiation levels from the facility of the heavily damaged Japanese power plant show there may not be significant health risks. NPR's Richard Knox says while this is reassuring, things could change.

Monitoring of radioactivity from 12 to 37 miles away from the disabled power plant largely reveals very low levels, not much higher perhaps than normal background radiation from rock outcroppings, cosmic rays and other natural sources. There is one spot about 20 miles northwest of the plant, where radiation levels are somewhat elevated. But radiation scientist Evan Douple, who studies the health of atom bomb survivors, says it's not enough to pose an immediate or long-term health risk.

"These levels so far, I don't think that a study would be able to measure and be able to determine that there would be health effects."

Experts say health risks could go up if plant emissions increase. Nearly 200,000 residents have been evacuated within a 12-mile radius of the plant. Richard Knox, NPR News.

The political and legal juggling over Wisconsin's new collective bargaining law continues. Wisconsin Public Radio's Shawn Johnson reports a state judge has temporarily blocked implementation of the law.

The order by Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi means that at least temporarily, Wisconsin's recently signed collective bargaining law can't be published. And as long as it's on hold, unions retain their collective bargaining rights. A complaint before the judge alleged lawmakers broke the open meetings law when they called the special committee to vote on this bill and then passed it less than two hours later. Judge Sumi said it was likely the complaint had merit, and that if the court didn't act, there would be irreparable harm.

"This was something that would and did catch the public unaware."

Attorneys representing the state may appeal the case. For NPR News, I'm Shawn Johnson in Madison.

The captain who starred in some raunchy videos shown to sailors abroad the aircraft carrier Enterprise has gotten a censure letter from the Navy secretary.

Near the close on Wall Street, the Dow was up 86 points, NASDAQ was ahead eight and the S&P was up five.

This is NPR.

The US and Chile have quietly signed a nuclear energy accord even as Japan continues to grapple with its earthquake-triggered nuclear disaster. The signing was supposed to be a high-profile moment in President Obama's meeting with the Chilean president in Chile on Monday, but it was signed by the US ambassador and Chile's foreign minister.

US diplomatic polls shut down in Pakistan today amid protests over the release of the CIA contractor who is accused of murdering two Pakistanis. In Islamabad, NPR's Julie McCarthy says the government declared a high alert during protests that also denounced US drone missile attacks.

One of the biggest demonstrations was in Islamabad. Former cricketer turned politician Imran Khan condemned the government for the release of Raymond Davis. The deaths of three Pakistanis in the Davis affair have inflamed anti-American passions that coincide with public outrage over civilian casualties caused by US drone attacks. Pakistan summoned the US ambassador in protest over a drone strike yesterday. It killed dozens of people, reportedly many civilians. Imran Khan told demonstrators: "We should decide that whenever any Pakistani is killed in a drone strike, the entire nation will take to the street." Similar demonstrations were held in Lahore and Karachi. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Islamabad.

The owner of a central North Carolina convenience store is charged with felony larceny after allegedly trying to cash a customer's winning 90,000-dollar lottery ticket. Police say the man told Kecia Parker her ticket was not a winner. Parker has played the same five numbers since the state's education lottery opened.

Pam Coulter, NPR News in Washington.