NPR News 2014-03-25 加文本

NPR News 2014-03-25

From NPR News in Washington, I’m Windsor Johnston.

Emergency crews are continuing search and rescue efforts in Washington state after a massive landslide yesterday. The death toll has risen to four with 17 people unaccounted for. NPR’s Martin Kaste is downriver from the slide near Oso, Washington.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee flew over the site this morning, and he says that the area of the landslide is just pure devastation. He said that where that hillside collapsed, not a single stick was left standing and everything was just swept in its path—forest and houses.

Authorities say rescue operations have been hampered by quicksand-like mud, making it too dangerous to send workers into the stricken area. Officials are warning nearby residents to be on alert for a possible flooding.

President Obama and world leaders could end up discussing the large military force Russia has on Ukraine’s eastern border. NATO’s top military commander says Russia has enough troops to move into a disputed territory in neighboring Moldova. From Brussels, Teri Schultz reports on NATO’s concern.

General Philip Breedlove, NATO’s supreme allied commander, says Russia has more than enough troops on the border with Ukraine to stage a takeover of the pro-Russian Transnistrian enclave in Moldova. Since 1992 Russian military personnel have been stationed in the disputed region as peacekeepers. Now Transnistria has asked to join Russia, just like Crimea did. Breedlove says the similarity to the Ukraine situation is not reassuring.

“What we do see is some of the same rhetoric that was used when they went into Crimea. So if that is the first indication of intent, then that’s very worrisome.”

Breedlove says NATO’s tried to make Russia a partner, but Moscow’s behaving more like an adversary. For NPR News, I’m Teri Schultz in Brussels.

Spain’s first prime minister after the Franco dictatorship has died. Lauren Frayer reports from Madrid on the death of a key figure in Spain’s transition to democracy in the late 1970s.

Adolfo Suarez was Spain’s first prime minister after the 1975 death of dictator Francisco Franco. Suarez led a new generation of Spanish politicians into democracy. “He was a loyal friend,” King Juan Carlos eulogized Suarez in a televised speech. Suarez is perhaps best remembered for standing up to a gang of military officers who fired shots in parliament during a failed coup in 1981. He died here in Madrid. He was 81 and suffered from Alzheimer's for a decade. Spain has declared three days of official mourning and will hold a state funeral on Tuesday. For NPR News, I’m Lauren Frayer in Madrid.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will undergo surgery Tuesday in New York to treat a benign enlarged prostate. The Treasury spokeswoman says its doctor expects Lew to be able to return to a full schedule the following week. This is NPR.

The premiere matchup in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament took place in St. Louis—an eight-time NCAA tournament champion against a team that went into the game with a record-breaking unbeaten streak. Greg Echlin reports.

After setting an NCAA record for starting a season with 35 straight wins, Wichita State is at the end of the road. The eighth-seeded Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Shockers, the No.1 seed, 78-76. Before the season started, the Wildcats were ranked No.1 in the AP poll and Wildcats coach John Calipari says it seemed the stakes were higher than a berth to the Sweet 16.

“This was an Elite 8 game. The winner of this should have gone to the final four. That’s what this was.”

The Wildcats will move on to Indianapolis where they’ll play in-state rival Louisville, the defending national champion. For NPR News, I’m Greg Echlin in St. Louis.

The federal government will pay for new boilers in more than 100 public housing buildings throughout New York City that were damaged in Superstorm Sandy. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was joined by Senator Chuck Schumer, announced a $100 million funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency at a news conference today.

“We will have more repairs sooner. More people will be served better. A lot of the taxpayers’ money will be saved because we’ll be making serious solutions, not just band-aids.”

Since Superstorm Sandy hit, the city has spent $3 million each month for temporary boilers.

I’m Windsor Johnston, NPR News in Washington.