NPR News 2012-10-09 加文本

NPR News 2012-10-09

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone.

The Pew Research Center is reporting a major shift in voter attitudes following last week's presidential debate. Pew finds that Republican Mitt Romney has drawn even with President Obama in the presidential race among registered voters despite having trailed about 9 points in September. Among likely voters, Romney holds a marginal lead of 49% to Mr. Obama's 45%. Today President Obama rallied California's Hispanic voters in a farming community north of Los Angeles.

The president spoke at the dedication of the Cesar E. Chavez national Monument in Keene California. The park honors the Latino who led the farm worker labor movement.

Cesar would be the first to say that this is not a monument to one man. The movement he helped to lead was sustained by a generation of organizers who stood up and spoke out, and urged others to do the same.

The president currently holds a strong lead among Latino voters.

The White House congratulated another Chavez, the reelected president of Venezuela. Hugo Chavez defeated his challenger 54% to 45%.

In a foreign policy address at Virginia Military Institute, GOP presidential challenger Mitt Romney declared the world had become more volatile under the presidency of Barack Obama. He cited the most recent deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

It is our responsibility, and the responsibility of the president to use America's greatest power to shape history, not to lead from behind, leaving our destiny at the mercy of events.

Romney says the U.S. should be more assertive in Syria.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to face loud protest when she arrives in Athens tomorrow for her first visit since Greek debt crisis erupted three years ago. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports.

The German media are focusing on the security measures in Athens and the government's assertion that the visit will not lead to additional decisions on further aid to heavily indebted Greece. The visit, according to the government will serve to praise the Greek government for its efforts to cut spending and reduce its mountain of debt. But there is intense media speculation what might be the visit's real purpose. One theory has it that the chancellor's convinced the Greece will ultimately have to leave the Eurozone but wants to show solidarity, so as not to be accused of not supported Athens. The other theory holds that Merkel is aware that Greek exit could have unforeseen consequences on the entire Eurozone, and she is trying to do everything to keep Athens inside the club. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Berlin.

Wall Street approaching the close, the Dow down 18.

This is NPR.

Detroit's police chief has stepped down. The decision comes after allegations of a sex scandal.  WDET's Jerome Vaughn has more.

Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee's retirement is effective immediately. Mayor Dave Bing suspended Godbee last week after an internal affairs officer claimed she was having an affair with the Chief. During a news conference, Bing told reporters about his last conversation with Godbee.

He was very contrite. I think embarrassed. Yes, he did apologize. He felt he had let me down. He felt he had let the department down. He felt he had let the citizens of Detroit down.

Godbee's predecessor was forced to resign in 2010 after complaints surfaced about a relationship with his subordinate. An interim chief has been named and Mayor Bing says the process to find a new police chief will begin shortly.

For NPR News, I'm Jerome Vaughn in Detroit.

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California wants the Federal Trade Commission to investigate why gasoline prices in her state have gone through the roof. Consumers have been told that a supply interruption has caused the spike. The AAA puts today's average price for a gallon of regular unleaded at 467 in California compared to a nationwide average of 382. China could confront a pronounced slowdown according to a warning from the World Bank. Word of the weaker economic forecast in the world second largest economy sent markets and oil prices lower today. Benchmark Crude fell 55 cents to close at $89.33 in New York.

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.