NPR News 2014-09-05 加文本

NPR News 2014-09-05

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

Degrade and destroy - the Obama administration says that's what it intends to do to the Islamic State, the Sunni extremist group carrying out a brutal campaign in Iraq and Syria. The same group is blamed in the beheading of two American journalists. Today Vice President Joe Biden had especially scathing remarks for the group as NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

Vice President Biden spoke in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, not far from the hometown of journalist James Foley, who was murdered by militants from the Islamic State two weeks ago. Now militants have released a video showing the grizzly killing of a second journalist, Steven Sotloff. Biden says the American people are resolved, not to retreat nor forget the killers who are responsible.

"We will follow them to the gates of hell until they are brought to justice because hell is where they will reside, hell is where they will reside."

Speaking earlier in Estonia President Obama vowed to build a coalition to degrade and destroy the militant group behind the beheadings. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a plan for peace in eastern Ukraine. NPR's Corey Flintoff says Russia still insists it's not a party to the fighting there.

Putin told reporters that his views on ending the violence are very close to those of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. The Putin plan calls for pro-Russian militants in the east to stop their recent advances. It will require the Ukrainian army to withdraw its artillery out of range of region's major cities. Putin said the two sides should agree to a prisoner exchange and create a humanitarian corridor to allow for the movement of refugees and aid. The Putin plan comes just one day before a NATO summit in Wales, where leaders are expected to discuss ways to counter Russia's military moves. Corey Flintoff, NPR News, Moscow.

North Carolina's longest serving death row inmate along with his younger half brother walked out of prison a free man after serving more than 30 years for the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl. Fifty-year-old Henry McCollum hugging his weeping parents outside the Central Prison in Raleigh today, a day after a judge ordered his release, citing new DNA evidence showing another man may be responsible. McCollum says he always thought he will be free.

"I knew one day I was going to be blessed to get out of prison. I just didn't know when that time was going to be."

Judge said DNA evidence found on a cigarette left near the body of the girl contradicted the prosecution's case.

Electric carmaker Tesla has reportedly settled on Nevada as the site for a new five-billion-dollar battery factory. According to people familiar with the discussions, the company is finalizing terms of the deal. Nevada governor's office is expected to have an announcement sometime tomorrow.

A mixed close on Wall Street, the Dow was up 10 points, end the session at 17,078; the NASDAQ fell 25 points; the S&P 500 was down a point today.

You're listening to NPR News in Washington.

Justice Department investigators say their plan will embark on a broader investigation into the practices of the police department, involving the killing of an unarmed black man last month. According to individuals briefed on the matter, an announcement of a widen probe could come as early as tomorrow. The investigation is reportedly separate from on-going civil rights investigation that was launched by justice after the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a police officer in the San Louis suburb of Ferguson. A county grand jury is also investigating the case.

The lynchpin in a baseball doping scandal plans to plead guilty in early October. Anthony Bosch, former owner of a south Florida anti-aging clinic, initially pleaded not guilty when he was arrested on charges of selling illegal steroids to baseball players. But Julia Duba from member station WLRN reports he now faces up to 10 years prison.

Anthony Bosch was arrested in August along with six others on charges of conspiring to sell illegal steroids to professional and high school baseball players. Bosch was suspected of selling and distributing steroids from his anti-aging clinic Biogenesis in Coral Gables. The six defendants in connection with the investigation include New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez, who is also known as A Rod. Bosch has signed a plea agreement admitting to criminal activity at Biogenesis. The agreement states he faces up to 10 years in prison. Bosch agreed to help with the investigation, which may lessen that sentence. For NPR News, I'm Julia Duba in Miami.

Google says it's teaming up with biotech drug maker AbbVie in a half-a-billion-dollar joint venture and is trying to develop new ways to treat top diseases including cancer and Alzheimer's. The company says each firm will invest 250 million dollars in that project.

I'm Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.