NPR News 2011-08-30 加文本

NPR News 2011-08-30

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

More than 30 deaths in 10 states are now blamed on Hurricane Irene. Property damage is estimated to be in the billions of dollars. About 9,000 flights had to be canceled. Millions of people up and down the Eastern Seaboard lost electricity. Many of them may not have power restored for at least a week. Floods are the immediate threat in many areas including Vermont. It’s seeing its worst flooding in a century. Major roads in the southern half of Vermont are virtually impassable, and Melody Bodette of Vermont Public Radio reports that spells trouble for people still waiting to get their electricity back.

Vermont’s utilities say they can’t restore power if roads are impassable. And in many places, roadways are simply gone. Utility crews around the country have been brought in to help get power back online. At the state’s largest utility, Central Vermont Public Service, spokesman Steve Costello says it’s going to be a long way for many people.

“Ultimately, depending on the recovery effort as far as state roads and town roads being rebuilt, it may be weeks before some customers get electricity back because we simply can’t get to them.”

Hundreds of roads are closed, and at least a dozen of bridges have washed out. The American Red Cross says it will keep four shelters open tonight for people who’ve been displaced. For NPR News, I’m Melody Bodette in Colchester, Vermont.

The storm damage across the Northeast turned out to be far less than people had feared, and Wall Street is certainly reacting. At last check, the Dow was up 229 points or more than 2% at 11,513; the NASDAQ was up nearly 3% at 2,552; and S&P 500 up about 2.5% at 1,206.

The Algerian government confirms it is hosting members of Muammar Gaddafi’s family. But the ousted Libyan leader’s whereabouts are still unknown. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is cutting short her vacation to go to Paris this week for an international conference on Libya. NPR’s Michele Kelemen reports diplomats are trying to help the Libyan opposition that's now in control of Tripoli.

The meeting in Paris will be the latest gathering of the so-called Contact Group on Libya. Diplomats will be hearing from the rebel government, the Transitional National Council, and State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland says the US and its partners will talk about ways they can help.

“The international community is transitioning itself from a body that was supporting an opposition coalition now into a ‘Friends of Libya’ group.”

One immediate goal is to get cash to the Transitional National Council to help it restore basic services and establish itself in cities throughout Libya. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.

Consumer spending is up by the largest amount in five months. Commerce Department reports an 0.8% jump in July.

This is NPR News.

There’s a new addition to the White House economic team. President Obama has chosen Princeton professor Alan Krueger to lead his Council of Economic Advisers.

An emperor penguin that washed up on a beach in New Zealand in June is being returned to his home in Antarctica. Stewart Cohen reports from Sydney the bird has been put on a research ship headed for the frigid Antarctic waters.

The young emperor penguin nicknamed “Happy Feet” became a global media sensation when he turned up on a beach in New Zealand nearly 2,000 miles from Antarctica, but the bird felt ill after eating sand, apparently mistaking it for snow. After several surgeries, the Wellington Zoo nursed the penguin back to health. Zoo veterinarian Lisa Argilla says “Happy Feet” is now ready to return to the wild.

“At the moment, he’s in really good shape, he’s in very, very good body condition, he’s busty, he’s strong, he’s stroppy. His demeanor is showing us that he’s really keen to leave.”

The penguin is being dropped off in sub-Antarctic waters with the hopes he’ll rejoin other emperor penguins and eventually make his way back to Antarctica. He’s been fitted with a transmitter so scientists and the public can track his progress. For NPR News, I’m Stewart Cohen in Sydney.

A volcano in Sicily is getting a lot more active, more ash and lava spewing out of the Mount Etna, marking a jumping activity eight days after the volcano started erupting. Several villages are located along the slopes of that volcano.

Here’s the latest from Wall Street. US stocks still rising, the Dow was up 233 points at last check, more than 2%, at 11,518; the NASDAQ is up nearly 3%; it’s at 2,553; S&P 500 up 2.5% at 1,206.

I’m Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.