NPR News 2013-03-19 加文本

NPR News 2013-03-19

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

The Obama Administration is closely monitoring the situation in Cyprus, which is considering taxing all of its bank depositors to help pay for a bailout of that country's financial system. But NPR's Craig Windham reports some analysts believe the problems in Cyprus could be a plus for U.S. markets.

Economist Edward Yardeni says Cyprus' vows are the latest reminder that the European debt crisis has not been solved, but he says the idea of taxing bank deposits is not likely to spread.

In effect that the reaction already is just so awful, demonstrates that this might not have been such a good idea.

Yardeni says Cyprus has been seen as something of the safe haven for investors, similar to the Cayman Islands, but now those days may be over. He says that leads the United States into good position.

For global investors, the U.S. is looking better and better.

Yardeni says U.S. stocks could benefit from the new concerns about Europe's financial situation. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

But at last check, the Dow was down 62 points at 14,452.

The chants of revolution from the Syrian refugees in Jordan's Zaatari Camp among the voices represented at a historic event in Turkey. Members of Syria's main opposition group are gathered in Istanbul to discuss the creation of a rival government against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. One of the men running for Interim Prime Minister Salem Al Meslet says it's time.

It's very important there are liberated areas in Syria, big area, more than 70% of Syria liberated and needs to be controlled and to be managed.  

Fresh clashes abound though. Today sectarian violence broke out in several Lebanese cities where groups supporting opposing sides of the conflict in neighboring Syria, have been fighting.

Hillary Clinton is announcing her support for same-sex marriage, similar to remarks made by other potential Democratic presidential candidates for 2016. An online video was released the same day that the GOP announced efforts to widen its appeal to minority voters. The Republican National Committee says it's now endorsing comprehensive immigration overhaul. 

The class action lawsuit over the New York Police Department use of stop-and-frisk tactics has begun. NPR's Joel Rose reports the outcome could have a major impact on the nation's largest police force.

Lawyers challenging the NYPD stop-and-frisk policy, say it's unnecessary and unconstitutional. They say warrant-less stops can be a frightening and degrading experience for the tens of thousands of black and Latino men who have been stopped and frisked over the past decade. They want a federal judge to make sure the NYPD is not wrongly targeting young men because of their race. Defenders, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, say the department stop-and-frisk tactics have gotten guns off the streets, hoping to make New York safer than it's been in 50 years. The trial is expected to last at least a month. Joel Rose, NPR News, New York.

Before the close, Dow was down more than 60 points.

This is NPR.

President Obama has chosen Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez for Secretary of Labor. If confirmed by the Senate, Perez would help spearhead several work initiatives for the administration that include an increase in the minimum wage.

One of the victims of yesterday's plane crash in South Bend, Indiana, was Steve Davis. Oklahoma starting quarterback won back-to-back national championships in the 1970s. Authorities have identified the second victim as Wesley Caves, both from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Two other people on-board the small aircraft survived when their jet crashed into three homes.

The World Health Organization says that drug-resistant tuberculosis is a growing public health threat. NPR's Jason Beaubien reports that the WHO is warning that forms of drug resistant TB could spread widely around the globe.

The Head of WHO Dr. Margaret Chan says the world desperately needs to scale up its response to multi drug-resistant tuberculosis. Forms of TB that can't be treated with conventional drugs have emerged all over the globe. Treatment of drug-resistant TB is costly and can involve devastating side effects. And it takes up to two years to complete. And some of the new strands of the disease appeared to be completely untreatable. The worst concentrations of drug-resistant TB have been in eastern Europe, India and among people with HIV in Africa. The WHO in a statement says a severe global funding shortfall for TB diagnosis, treatment and research could allow the potentially fatal disease to spread even further. Jason Beaubien, NPR News, Washington.

Before the closing bell, Dow was down 62 points at 14,452.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.