NPR News 2011-05-19 加文本

NPR News 2011-05-19

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Barbara Klein.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he believes somebody in Pakistan security establishment, maybe someone who's retired or a low-level employee, was aware that Osama bin Laden was hiding in the country for years, but as NPR's Tom Bowman reports, Gates says there's no evidence that Pakistan's leadership knew of bin Laden's presence.

Secretary Gates told reporters it's his supposition that somebody in Pakistan knew bin Laden was living in a compound not far from a military facility, but Gates says he has no evidence yet that any Pakistanis were involved. Both Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, say the US is still combing through documents found at bin Laden's compound, and those documents may offer details about any Pakistani complicity. There were growing calls in Congress to cut US aid to Pakistan, but both Gates and Mullen urged caution and said they were pressing Pakistani leaders to do more to curtail extremism. Tom Bowman, NPR News, the Pentagon.

The US is imposing sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the violent crackdown on anti-government protesters. The US is freezing his assets, and Assad and other top Syrian officials will be prevented from doing business with Americans.

The Army Corps of Engineers is opening more floodgates at Louisiana's Morganza Spillway, sending water from the Mississippi River away from Baton Rouge. Several Louisiana communities are bracing for the Mississippi River to crest later this week, and as NPR's Greg Allen reports, high water is already covering some roads and forcing wildlife to flee.

Police have been out on Louisiana Highway 190, slowing traffic to allow herds of deer to cross safely. Few people live directly in the Morganza Floodway, but nearby communities are preparing for flooding when the rivers and bayous fill, and water begins to back up throughout the basin. Crawfishman Mike Bienvenu, who lives near Belle Rose, says the way the water and the weather is now, he's not too worried about the backwater.

"The only thing bad with the backwater is that like if you get a storm, like Hurricane Rita or something like that, where you get a lot of rain and pushs that water. Everybody is gonna be in trouble."

Throughout the region, crews are working to build temporary barriers and add height to existing levees. In St. Martin Parish, work is almost complete on a temporary barrier in Bayou Chene, made up of sunken barrages. Greg Allen, NPR News, Baton Rouge.

If you have a used car you're thinking of selling, don't think too long. The National Automobile Dealers Association's Johnathan Banks says this is a historically good time to sell.

"If you own a two-to-five-year-old small car, meaning like a Civic or Corolla, the trading value that you'll get today is about 30% higher than what you would have got last year."

Banks says used car sales have been up double digits every month this year, and prices for them are also up.

Just before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was up 75 points; the NASDAQ was up 31; the S&P up 11.

This is NPR News.

Europe's Airbus says the World Trade Organization has ruled in its favor, overturning a ruling that the aircraft maker received illegal subsidies from European governments. The US brought the case, arguing the subsidies are illegal, and put Boeing at a competitive disadvantage.

A new study concludes there's only one way to boost the college graduation rate in this country: pay attention to low-income students. NPR's Larry Abramson reports.

According to the study by the Pell Institute, American education is working well for middle and higher income students. If only those students are counted, 59% of Americans are getting degrees, but once you figure in lower-income students, that rate drops to 42% and contributes to the current US ranking of 12th among industrialized countries. The study says the reasons behind these dropout rates need to be studied more closely. The Pell Institute study says the findings are a reason to defend Pell Grants against proposed cuts in Congress and to fund other programs focused on impoverished students. Larry Abramson, NPR News.

This year's Man Booker International Prize goes to American writer Philip Roth. The award is given to a writer for achievement in fiction on the world stage. Roth first came to the world's attention in 1969.

This is NPR.