NPR News 2013-05-01 加文本

NPR News 2013-05-01

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

A protracted hunger strike by most of the terror suspects detained Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, could fuel a new round of debate over whether to shut down the U.S. prison. President Obama says he is going to re-engage Congress in a bid to close the site he characterizes as unsustainable and unnecessary more than a decade after the 9/11 terror attacks.

The idea that we would still maintain forever a group of individuals who have not been tried, that's contrary to who we are. It's contrary to our interests, and it needs to stop.

But Obama faces opposition from many Republicans who believe Guantanamo should remain open.

Obama's comments on Guantanamo come at a sensitive time for Americans reeling from the terrorist attacks in Boston. As he addressed the White House press corps today, the president said his administration was reviewing whether intelligence agencies might have missed crucial information about the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing. NPR's Brain Naylor says the president calls the review standard procedure.

Speaking at a White House news conference, the president said Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is overseeing the review, he'll be looking at what the FBI learned about one of the suspects, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, after Russia sought information about him. The president says based on what he knows.

The FBI performed its duties. Department of Homeland Security did what it was supposed to be doing. But this is hard stuff.

Some lawmakers have charged intelligence agencies failed to share information about Tsarnaev. Brain Naylor, NPR News, Washington.

Americans are feeling more confident about the economy and their incomes. NPR's Dan Bobkoff says the monthly survey came in better than expected.

Each month, the Conference Board asked Americans how they are feeling about the economy and their wallets. In April, Americans' confidence about their incomes and the short term state of the economy increased moderately, surprising many economists. Lynn Franco of the Conference Board says pessimism about the job market is easing. But it's too soon to know if confidence is improving in long term.

While we had somewhat of bounce back, I think the real case looking forward whether or not we are able to sustain these levels or whether we'll continue on this roller coaster ride that we've been on for several months.

The Conference Board's consumer confidence numbers are somewhat at odds with a different survey out this month. They showed consumer sentiment fell in April. Dan Bobkoff, NPR News, New York.

At last check on Wall Street, Dow Jones Industrial Average up 20 points at 14,839; NASDAQ Composite Index also gaining ground with more than 20 points at 3,329, up more than 0.5%; and the S&P 500 up three at 1,598.

This is NPR News.

The Netherlands was a sea of orange today, millions of people adorned that color to mark a historic moment in royalty. Queen Beatrix abdicated her throne and her eldest son Willem-Alexander became king.

At 46, King Willem-Alexander is the youngest monarch in Europe. He is also the first Dutch king in more than a century.

A new analysis of ground turkey meat conducted by scientists at Consumer Reports, finds that more than half of the samples tested harbored bacteria that are associated with fecal contamination. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports the group also documented the presence of antibiotic resistant bugs.

The researchers at Consumer Reports bought packages of raw ground turkey at grocery stores nationwide. In all, they tested 257 samples and what they documented was that the turkeys sold as organic or antibiotic free harbored significantly less antibiotic resistant bacteria, compared to turkeys that are conventionally raised with antibiotics. Urvashi Rangan directs  Consumer Reports Food Safety and Sustainability Group.

We think that these findings underscore that we need to stop overusing antibiotics in animal production.

The National Turkey Federation says it's supportive of the Food and Drug Administration's efforts to create strategy for judicious use of antibiotics that, they say, are needed to keep flocks of turkeys healthy. Allison Aubrey, NPR News, Washington.

This is NPR.