NPR 2011-12-03

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This employment report is roughly in line with the previous three months. With the exception of construction and government, jobs were added across a relatively³ broad swath of the US economy. Mark Vitner is a senior economist⁴ with Wells Fargo. 

 

“I think the most concerning thing I’ve seen here that a lot of jobs we added in November were relatively low-paying jobs. They were retailer⁵ trade, temporary health, and the leisure and hospitality sector⁶, so the average hourly earnings actually dropped 0.1%. 

 

Meanwhile, the participation⁷ rate fell. About 315,000 people gave up looking for work all together. They are no longer counted as unemployed⁸. Sonari Glinton, NPR News.

 

President Obama is pushing ahead with a centerpiece of his jobs agenda. He wants Congress to pass a payroll⁹ tax cut extension before the holiday break. House Republicans will not negotiate with the Democrats¹⁰ they say before they unveil a payroll tax cut plan next week. That includes spending cuts to pay for it.

 

Presidential cadidante Hermen Cain, whose campain has been dogged by allegations of sexual harrassment and an extramarital affair, says that tomorrow he will make an announcement about the future of his campaign.

 

“Tomorrow we’re gonna to be opening our headquaters in Northwest Georgia where we will also clarify there's that word again, clarify exactly what the next steps are.”

 

Speaking in South Carolina, Cain was expected to leave later for Georgia, where he reportedly was going to speak face to face with his wife about the latest allegations against him, all of which he continues to deny.

 

Secretary of State Hillary Clintion has wrapped up her historic trip to Myanmar with a visit to the home of opposition¹¹ leader Aung San Suu Kyi. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports the two women promised to work together to promote democratic reforms.

 

After strolling through Aung San Suu Kyi's garden at her lakeside home, the two women told reporters about their hopes for more reforms in the country. Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest, called on the goverment to release all political prisioners. 

 

“First of all, we need all of those who are still in prison to be released, and we need to ensure that no more are arrested in future for their beliefs.”

 

Suu Kyi commended Obama administration officials for what she called the “careful and calibrated” way in which they are engaging the country and for consulting closely with her. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Yangon.

 

European stocks are posting their largest percentage weekly gain since late 2008. Investors¹² are more optimistic about the European Union's attempts to control the region's debt crisis. Also seen gains in US stocks, at last check Dow was up 12 points at 2,032.

 

This is NPR.

 

More than 20 people are arrested outside the US embassy in London. NPR's Philip Reeves says they were protesting the use of American drones carrying out attacks in Pakistan.

 

Scotland Yard says most of the people were arrested on suspicion of being members of a group that's banned by the British government. They’re being held in custody¹³. The protesters made no secret of their plans to go to the US embassy, advertising¹⁴ the demonstration¹⁵ widely inside the space ahead of time. They produced a publicity¹⁶ video, saying the demonstration was to expose what they called “the recent spate¹⁷ of anti-Muslim drone strikes” launched by the US government. Deadly missile strikes by unmanned American drones along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan have caused widespread anger among Musilims for years, but emotions poured over last week, when a drone attack killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. Philip Reeves, NPR News, London. 

 

Several casualties in eastern Afghanistan are of the result of a suicide attack on a military base. Authorities say the bomber¹⁸ was unable to infiltrate¹⁹ the site, which is used by Afghan and NATO forces, so the attacker drove a vehicle packed with explosives to nearby government buildings, a clinic and a youth center and detonated the explosives. A civilian²⁰ died; three Afghan security personnel were wounded.

 

GE Aviation says it is dropping all efforts to devolop an alternative engine for the F-35 Joint²¹ Strike Fighter, saying it doesn't make business sense. The F-136 engine has been under development for about 15 years.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was up 13 points at 12,032 with the NASDAQ gaining eight points; it’s at 2,635; and the S&P 500 up slightly at 1,248. 

 

I'm Lakshimi Singh, NPR News, Washington.

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