NPR News 2013-05-23 加文本

NPR News 2013-05-23

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

The senior IRS official who weeks ago revealed her unit inappropriately targeted conservative groups is now pleading the fifth. NPR's Peter Overby reports Lois Lerner invoked her right not to testify before a house committee today, prompting angry responses from members of Congress.

Lois Lerner appeared under  subpoena, she read a statement.

I have not done anything wrong. I have not broken any laws. I have not violated any IRS rules, regulations and I have not provided false information to this or any other congressional committee.

She then refused to answer questions. When Committee Chairman  Darrell Issa gave her permission to leave. South Carolina Republican Trey Gowdy  objected. 

She waived her right to Fifth Amendment privilege by issuing an opening statement. She ought to stand here and answer our questions.

Issa said he'll see if Lerner can be compelled to answer some questions, if not all of them. Peter Overby, NPR News, Washington.

President Obama will travel to Moore, Oklahoma, Sunday and tour the site of this week's destructive tornado. The death toll stands at 24 according to the State Medical Examiners Office. Twenty-three of the victims have been positively identified. NPR's David Schaper reports from Moore that search and recovery efforts continue. Authorities say there are still six adults who have not been accounted for since Monday's monstrous twister hit.

While some crews still dig through the rubble and hopes a finding those still missing. Most here and more are shifting their efforts to cleaning up debris and recovering what if anything might be salvageable. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano toured the area alienated by the twister, telling residents the federal government will do everything in its power to help in the recovery.

On behalf of President Obama and on behalf of FEMA, we will be here to stay until this recovery is complete. So you have our commitment on that.

A preliminary estimate from Oklahoma's Insurance Department puts the cost of the tornado at more than $2 billion with as many as 13,000 homes and businesses damaged or destroyed. David Schaper, NPR News, Moore, Oklahoma.

A brutal attack near military barracks in southeast London today, is prompting the British government to convene an emergency meeting. Witnesses in the neighborhood of Woolwich report saying a man hacked to death in a street. Local media reports say the victim was a British soldier. That has not been independently verified. The British Prime Minister David Cameron's cutting short his trip to France today, saying the attack appeared to be politically motivated.

We obviously are urgently seeking, the police are urgently seeking the full facts about this case. But there are strong indications that it is a terrorist incident.

Police have sealed off streets around Woolwich. There are reports that two suspects have been shot and wounded by police.

Before the closing bell, Dow was down more than 80 points.

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The FBI has shot and killed a man they were interviewing in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports the incident is under investigation.

It all happened shortly after midnight. An FBI agent and a handful of law enforcement officials went to the Orlando Florida apartment  of Ibragim Todashev to interview him when a scuffle broke out. Law enforcement officials say Todashev was a friend of one of the Boston Marathon bombers, the elder of the two brothers suspected of launching the attack, Tamerlan Tsarnaev. And Todashev became, in their words, violent during questioning and that led to the fatal shooting. The FBI agent is in a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. It's unclear why officials want to talk to Todashev and what role of any he played in the bombings last month. Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News.

The spill over a violence from the Syrian civil war has caused more casualties in neighboring Lebanon. Authorities in the coastal city of Tripoli say Lebanese groups for and against Syria's Assad regime fought overnight using mortar shells and rocket propelled grenades. In Syria, the opposition says the latest battle in Lebanon was triggered by an assault on the Syrian border town of Qusayr. They say Lebanese Hezbollah militants were helping Syrian troops.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke signaling the Fed. will maintain its stimulus efforts testifying before the joint economic committee. Bernanke told lawmakers that the job market is still weak. The Fed. chief says while unemployment has fallen to a four year low of 7.5%. It's still far above levels consistent with healthy economies.

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