NPR News 2013-07-02 加文本

NPR News 2013-07-02

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

The remains of 19 elite firefighters are recovered from the Arizona mountains where they were killed by a fast-moving blaze yesterday in Yarnell, northwest of Phoenix. Only one of the members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots managed to escape. Governor Jan Brewer compared this tragedy to others forever etched in the public's memory.

“Consider this: The Yarnell fire claimed the lives of more first responders than any single disaster since 9/11. Just as we honor the memory of the firefighters lost that day as they charged into the burning towers, we will remember the brave men of the Granite Mountain Hotshots.”

The lightning-sparked fire covered 13 square miles as of this morning. Hundreds of people in and around Yarnell have been evacuated.

Well, today a lot of student borrowers are in for a rude awakening. Interest rates on federally subsidized student loans are now double what they were Friday, climbing to 6.8% today. The House has passed legislation to bring rates back to where they were. But NPR's Craig Windham reports the Senate recess for the holidays without acting to head off the increase.

Demoncratic Senator Kay Hagan is one of the sponsors of a bill that would freeze rates at the previous 3.4% level for a year to allow lawmakers time to enact a more permanent solution. She says the new higher rate will be a burden for more than seven million students.

“This would effectively stick those students with an extra 1,000 dollars a year each at additional loan cost.”

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin agrees that student debt is a major problem.

“When you look at student loans, it's the second-largest debt this country has.”

Manchin is sponsoring a competing plan that would link student loan rates to financial benchmarks. The Senate will take up the matter when it returns on July 10th. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

European Union officials are raising concerns about reports of US spying on friendly embassies, including the EU's office here in Washington. NPR's Michele Kelemen has more on the latest diplomatic fallout from leaked documents on government surveillance.

The EU's ambassador here says he confronted the US government over reports about alleged spying and eavesdropping on EU premises. And he’s eagerly awaiting clarification. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell would only say the US has been having private conversations with European officials. And he played down the dispute.

“As a matter of policy we've made clear that the US gathers foreign intelligence of the type gathered by all nations.”

Asked about the fate of Edward Snowden, the former intelligence contractor accused of leaking classified documents, Ventrell says the US is still calling on Russia to expel him. Snowden is reportedly still in the Moscow airport transit area, seeking asylum. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.

Before the close, Dow was up 65 at 14,975. This is NPR News.

Transit workers in the San Francisco Bay Area are on strike. KQED's Aarti Shahani reports commuters left home a lot earlier than usual to get to their jobs on time.

Workers announced the strike after midnight, and by 5:00 AM Doris Johnson was on the third leg of a morning commute. That's usually simple. Her husband who walks for the King & Russ Brader was with her.

“He's trying to make sure that I’m safe. Because it's so early in the morning, he didn't want me out here alone. So we are walking all of the place, just trying to find a ride to get to work.”

Commuter[s] were turning to ferry boats and buses and hoping the bus workers don't go on strike too. Negotiations between Bay Area Rapid Transit and its unions fell apart, with each side fighting over salary increases, pensions and health care benefits. For NPR News, I'm Aarti Shahani in San Francisco.

The Vatican bank’s top two managers have resigned in the wake of an expanding money-laundering investigation. This comes three days after a senior cleric at the center of a finance scandal was arrested. One senior, Nunzio Scarano, has close ties to a bank that's accused of plotting to smuggle 20 million euros from Switzerland to Italy.

At Wimbledon, Britain's Andy Murray advances to quarterfinals after defeating Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6:4, 7:6, 6:1 today. And in another major upset at Wimbledon, defending champion Serena Williams is out. She lost in the fourth round to Sabine Lisicki of Germany 6:2, 1:6, 6:4.

US stocks trading higher. Before the close, Dow Jones Industrials up 64; it’s at 14,975; NASDAQ up nearly 1% at 3,434.

This is NPR News.