NPR 2012-01-13

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The government says 399,000 people applied² for unemployment compensation last week. Economists³ say the numbers probably rose in part because of the end of the holiday shopping season when a lot of temporary workers are let go. Though the government tries to adjust the numbers for seasonal⁴ variations, it doesn't always get it right. At the same time, the government said retail⁵ sales rose just 0.1% in December, less than expected. But for the year as a whole, retail sales were up by 8%. That's the biggest increase since 1999, and it means that consumers are still buying despite the weak economy. Jim Zarroli, NPR News, New York.

 

The Afghan president is decrying⁶ as completely inhuman⁷ a video that purportedly⁸ shows US Marines' mistreatment of Taliban corpses¹⁰. Hamid Karzai reacting to a YouTube video that shows what appeared to be four marines urinating on the bodies of Taliban fighters. Well, Defense¹¹ Secretary Leon Panetta is branding the video utterly¹² deplorable and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agrees.

 

"I know Secretary Panetta has ordered a complete investigation¹³ of this incident. Anyone, anyone found to have participated, or known about it, having engaged in such conduct, must be held fully¹⁴ accountable."

 

The Marine⁹ Corp says it is trying to verify the video's source and authenticity¹⁵. The case has been referred to the Navy's worldwide law enforcement organization.

 

The streets of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince are relatively¹⁶ quiet this day as the Caribbean nation marks the second anniversary of its devastating¹⁷ earthquake. NPR's Jason Beaubien reports today has been declared a national holiday.

 

Memorial services are being held across Haiti today to remember the lives lost in the 7.0 earthquake of 2010. Many churches are holding special services and President Michel Martelly plans to attend the large ceremony this afternoon at a mass grave on the outskirts¹⁸ of the capital. The quake destroyed much of Port-au-Prince, killed between 200,000 and 300,000 people and left roughly 2,000,000 people homeless. Two years later, hundreds of thousands of Haitians remain in squalid tent camps. But yesterday, President Martelly vowed¹⁹ that 2012 will be the year when Haiti really starts rebuilding as a country. Jason Beaubien, NPR News, Port-au-Prince.

 

At last check on Wall Street, Dow Jones Industrial Average down two points at 12,447, NASDAQ up eight points at 2,719.

 

You are listening to NPR News.

 

Bill Janklow, who served as South Dakota's governor for 16 years, has died. He was 72 years old. His son says Janklow died today, months after announcing that he had brain cancer. Janklow was described as a flamboyant²⁰ politician who left a lasting²¹ mark on South Dakota politics. In addition to serving four terms as governor, he also was the state's congressman²², and he resigned from that post after causing a fatal traffic accident.

 

Tomorrow, a federal judge will decide if a Virginia electoral law is unconstitutional. NPR's Teresa Tomassoni tells us how this decision could affect the Republican presidential primary ballot²³ in Virginia.

 

A Virginia district judge has already temporarily blocked all printing and ordering of absentee ballots²⁴ in the state. Earlier this week, he said a provision of elections law may be unconstitutional. If he finds this, more GOP hopefuls could get on the Virginia primary ballot. If not, Virginia residents will have only two Republican candidates on the ballot, Mitt²⁵ Romney and Ron Paul. Rick Perry is suing the State Board of Elections. He didn't get enough qualified²⁶ signatures to get on the Virginia ballot and says the state's strict ballot access requirements violate his freedoms of speech and association. Candidates Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman have joined the lawsuit²⁷. Teresa Tomassoni, NPR News.

 

Heavy campaigning's underway in South Carolina where the Republican primary will be held a week from Saturday. The candidates who did not do well in the New Hampshire contest this week are hoping for stronger support from South Carolina's more conservative and religious voters.

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, Washington.

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