NPR 2012-02-04

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January job gain was the biggest since last April and helped push the unemployment rate down to 8.3%. President Obama welcomed the numbers which were better than many forecasters had expected.

 

"The recovery is speeding up, and we've got to do everything in our power to keep it going."

 

Mr. Obama urged Congress to pass a full-year extension of the payroll² tax cut as well as long-term unemployment insurance. Scott Horsley, NPR News, the White House.

 

Economist³ Hugh Johnson says the Labor⁴ Department figures are a pretty good sign.

 

"The turning point came really in the economy in 09, but it shows that we're getting some acceleration⁵ in the economy. A little bit of acceleration at least is measured by employment."

 

But Republicans led by Speaker of the House John Boehner say they are underwhelmed.

 

"While there are flickers⁶ of hope in our recovery, and certainly they are welcome, but the American people were promised by the president the unemployment would not exceed 8%, and here we are, 36 straight months of unemployment over 8%."

 

The Susan G. Komen Foundation appears to have reversed a decision to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood. As NPR's Rob Stein reports, the decision comes after the group came under intense criticism.

 

The Komen Foundation posted a statement on the group's website, apologizing for the controversial decision. According to the statement, Komen will continue to fund all existing grants, including those to Planned Parenthood. The group denied again that the original decision was politically motivated or aimed specifically at Planned Parenthood. It said the decision was aimed at making sure Komen was not funding any organizations that were under investigation⁷. But Komen said it would amend⁸ its policies only to disqualify groups that were under criminal investigation. Planned Parenthood has been under investigation in Congress. Komen acknowledged their decision had cast doubt on the group's commitment to saving women's lives. Rob Stein, NPR News.

 

In Cairo, authorities say over 1,000 people have been injured, three have died in a second day of street violence over a deadly soccer riot. Protesters blamed police for failing to prevent a melee⁹ that left 74 people dead Wednesday. After a soccer match, demonstrators in several other cities turned their anger on Egypt's ruling military.

 

On Wall Street, the Dow was up 143 points, and the NASDAQ up 44.

 

This is NPR.

 

Hollywood's famous Kodak Theatre, scene of the Academy Awards for ten years, is due for a renaming. As NPR's Amy Walters reports from Los Angeles, it's all about Eastman Kodak's bankruptcy¹⁰ filing.

 

Less than a month before Oscar night, many Hollywood stars are planning how they'll be dressing¹¹ up, while the famous theater hosting the event might be dressing down. Eastman Kodak is currently in the middle of bankruptcy, and the company has filed a motion to end their sponsorship of the theater. That would include naming rights. In a statement, the company indicated it was proud of its role in the entertainment industry. The decision reflects its commitment to customers, creditors¹² and stakeholders. The Academy Awards have been held at the theater since 2001. It's not clear if the Kodak sign will remain up for this year's awards. Amy Walters, NPR News.

 

In the Rockies, some interstates are closed as blizzard¹³ and winter storm warnings now cover four states. At the National Weather Service, forecaster Michael Eckert says the storm is heading eastward¹⁴.

 

"Winter storm warnings send from central Colorado, southeast Wyoming out into southern Nebraska, northwest Kansas, and then camps holding inside of that, we have blizzard warnings over much of eastern Colorado into extreme southwest Nebraska."

 

In Europe, snow fell in Rome today, part of Europe's unusually heavy dose of winter. Slippery cobblestones were considered a hazard for tourists, and officials decided¹⁵ to close the Colosseum, the Roman Forum¹⁶ and the Palatine Hill.

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