NPR News 2013-09-28 加文本

NPR News 2013-09-28

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Speer.

The US and its European allies say they are pleased by a new tone from Iran in regards to the country's disputed nuclear program, the apparent breakthrough coming during a meeting between Iran, the five permanent members of UN Security Council and Germany. NPR's Michele Kelemen says Secretary of State John Kerry also met privately with the Iranian foreign minister.

Javad Zarif came out and said that it was substantive and business-like and said that he did, at the end of this, have a one-on-one, bilateral, small conversation with Secretary Kerry. We were told also that the two men sat next to each other during the session. Secretary Kerry came out, saying there’s obviously been a welcome changing tone, but he said one meeting and a change of tone doesn't answer all of the questions that the US and its partners have about Iran's nuclear program.

NPR's Michele Kelemen based on today's progress the respective sides have agreed to meet again next month.

In a few days people without health insurance will be able to start shopping for a coverage online, President Obama pitching into something that’s as easy as perusing a website for an airline ticket or a TV set. He delivered a vigorous defense of the new insurance exchanges before college students who are part of the group saying it's critical to making the program work. NPR's Scott Horsley has that story.

President Obama made his pitch for the new insurance exchanges at a community college just outside Washington. He said young people should be able to find health insurance policies that are more affordable than many forecasters had expected.

“Now you can do it for the cost of your cable bill, probably less than your cellphone bill.”

The government is eager to enroll a lot of healthy, young people in the insurance pools to offset the cost of carrying for older, sicker customers. Obama vowed the health care law will be implemented as planned despite Republican efforts to delay or block it.

Meanwhile, it appears those Republican efforts to block the president's health care initiative are picking up steam. The Senate proposal would continue to fund the government, which stripped out a provision in the House-passed legislation defunding the president's health care initiative. Democratic Senator Patty Murray is among those accusing the Republicans of game-playing.

“Anything like that, any proposal like that should be decided in a larger budget agreement. We’re not gonna one-off little pet projects here and there on a small bill to just keep the government running for a few short weeks.”

House Republicans, however, say they will not accept the measure that strips away a plan to defund Obamacare. The current impasse is likely to spill over into the weekend with the new fiscal year set to begin on October 1st.

Some upbeat news on the jobs front today, the Labor Department reporting new claims for jobless benefits fell to their lowest level in six years last week. The claims for unemployment benefits were down by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 305,000.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 55 points to close at 15,328; the NASDAQ was up 26 points; the S&P 500 rose five points. You’re listening to NPR.

Attorney General Eric Holder met today with J.P.Morgan's chief executive and other officials with the bank, though the Justice Department isn't confirming what was discussed. The Associated Press quoting a government official familiar with the discussion says it’s part of an ongoing negotiation over an 11-billion-dollar settlement to resolve claims against the bank related to its handling of mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the recent recession. Those securities lost value after the housing bubble burst.

A Russian space capsule successfully docked today with the International Space Station, delivering three new crew members. NPR's Corey Flintoff reports part of their mission will involve taking the Olympic torch in the space.

“We have a mechanical contact.”

“Contact and capture confirmed at 9:45 p.m..”

The Soyuz capsule linked to the orbiting space station bringing two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut Michael Hopkins to begin a new six-month mission. Part of that mission will include a spacewalk with the Olympic torch. The torch is now making its way around the world in a traditional way on foot, but it's scheduled to be delivered to the space station in November. Officials say the torch will not be lighted because of safety concerns. Corey Flintoff, NPR News, Moscow.

It's harvest time in California, but it appears quite a few farmers are having a difficult time finding all of the help they need. Some cases, there’re reports of workers walking off the fields lured by offers of easier work and higher pay elsewhere. That shortage's leaving farmers to scramble and try to bring in high-value crops like grapes, apples, peppers and pears. That's we say the shortage appears to be the result of a number of factors, something from the lingering effects of the recession to a decline in fertility rate in Mexico.

I'm Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.