NPR News 2013-07-25 加文本

NPR News 2013-07-25

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

President Obama says the ongoing partisanship in gridlock in Washington are undermining the economic recovery. Speaking at a college in Illinois, Mr. Obama acknowledged that the recovery remains fragile. NPR's Craig Windham reports Republican leaders say Mr. Obama should be working with them rather than giving speeches.

The president says the main focus of his second term will be bolstering the economy and helping middle class Americans who have not yet benefited from the recovery.

If Washington will just shake off its complacencies and set aside the kind of slash-and-burn partisanship that we've just seen for way too long. We just make some common sense decisions. Our economy will be stronger a year from now.

But House Speaker John Boehner dismissed Mr. Obama's speech as a waste of time.

It's a hollow shell, it's an Easter egg no candy in it.

Boehner said Americans are not asking where are the speeches, they are asking where are the jobs. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

In Russia today, there was another flowery of excitement over the fate of former U.S. intelligence contract worker Edward Snowden. NPR's Corey Flintoff reports the 30-year-old fugitive remained stuck in a Moscow airport.

Some Russian media began reporting that Snowden would receive documents that would allow him to officially enter Russia. But within hours, Snowden's Russian advisor Anatoly Kucherena told reporters that it would take a little longer.

Kucherena said the paperwork is not yet ready and that Snowden will remain in the no-man's-land of the airport transit area for the time-being. Snowden has applied for temporary asylum in Russia. He's wanted by the United States for revealing secrets about U.S. surveillance programs. President Vladimir Putin's decision not to extradite Snowden has aggravated tensions between Russia and the United States. Corey Flintoff, NPR News, Moscow.

Nearly two weeks after a neighborhood watch volunteer was acquitted in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. The teen's father, Tracy Martin is appealing to lawmakers to intensify their efforts challenging racial profile and other challenges confronting black men and boys.

To have your son's life taken away from you when you molded him to become an outstanding citizen of this country. It's heart-wrenching, that's something that you can never get over.

Martin is speaking this hour before congressional forum convened by African-American lawmakers.

A federal judge is blocking Detroit city workers and retirees from pursuing existing lawsuits to file a new one's challenging Detroit's uNPRecedented bankruptcy plan. The group sued in Michigan State Courts to shill their pensions.  They argued that under state constitution their pension benefits are guaranteed in full. But Detroit's emergency manager says those guarantees no longer exist in federal bankruptcy court. Before the closing bell, Dow was off 26 points.

This is NPR News.

The head of Egypt's military's calling on fellow Egyptians to show their support for the army and police through rallies across the country. General Abdul Fatah al-Sisi said in a speech to graduating military cadets today that mass demonstrations this Friday would give him a mandate and order to do what's necessary as he put it to stop the violence in Egypt. The country has been deeply divided since the military ousted President Mohamed Morsi a few weeks ago and set up an interim government.

A senior United Nations teams in Syria investigated about a dozen reports that chemical weapons had been used in the civil war. So far, though the investigators were only allowed access to one site, the northern village of Khan al-Assal. Both troops and rebels accused the others of using chemical weapons in that region. In June, the U.S. said it had conclusive evidence that Assad's forces used the weapons and as a result might begin arming Syria's rebels.

You may call Britain's new-born prince George. NPR's Philip Reeves say the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced their baby's name earlier today.

Kings in Britain tend to be called George. Of the last 300 years, six of nine kings have had that name including the royal baby's great great grandfather George VI. Although his first name was actually Albert. The British public will likely be pleased with the royal couple's choice. George led the field in the flary of betting of names before their son was born. His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge as the boy's now officially known has two middle names. They are Alexander Louis, the latter a lot perhaps to Lord Louis Mountbatten. Prince Charles is great-uncle and mentor who was killed by Irish Republican militants in 1979. Philip Reeves, NPR News, London.

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