NPR 2012-03-03

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Syrian shelling as heard through amateur recording¹ continues in parts of Homs. This as the Red Cross tries to gain access to the city's hardest-hit district Baba Amr. The organization says troops are blocking a convoy² of relief. Activists³ accused Syrian troops of trying to conceal⁴ evidence of execution-style killings⁵ today. Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross says it now has the bodies of journalists Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik who were killed in Homs last week. Their remains⁶ reportedly are being transported to Damascus.

 

President Obama is reminding Iran all options including military action are on the table if it should develop a nuclear weapon. NPR's Scott Hosrley reports the president is also reminding Israel to hold its fire.

 

President Obama told a reporter for the Atlantic Magazine that the US would use military force if necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, adding “as the president of the United States, I don't bluff⁷.” The interview is meant to reassure⁸ Israel that the US has its back and prevent that country from launching its own strike on Iran. Mr. Obama warns an Israeli attack on Iran could be a distraction⁹, allowing Iran to portrait itself as a victim at a time when the Iranian government is increasingly isolated¹⁰. Mr. Obama will try to make this case in person to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. He’s also said to address the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC over the weekend. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

 

Spain was forced to admit today that it is not on track to cut government spending as much as it had pledged to the European Union. As Lauren Frayer tells us from Madrid, Spain keeps breaking its promises to Brussels and is risking EU sanctions.

 

Spain promised the EU it would cut its deficit¹¹ to 4.4% of GDP. Now it says that goal was unrealistic and it’ll try for 5.8%. EU rules say the figure should be below 3%. Conservatives now in charge here blame the error on overspending by socialists¹² ousted¹³ from power late last year. But Spain is getting little sympathy in Brussels. European leaders are signing a new fiscal¹⁴ pact¹⁵, and they don't want to undermine that by giving Spain an exception right away. This is a key test of how Europe deals with repeat offenders¹⁶, members that keep failing to rein¹⁷ in spending. For NPR News, I'm Lauren Frayer in Madrid.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 36 points at 12,948. That's in trading of about two billion shares. NASDAQ also off 12 points at last glance at 2,976. S&P 500 down five at 1,368.

 

This is NPR News.

 

The storm system blamed on at least 13 tornado-related deaths in the Midwest and South this week is still a major threat from Georgia to southern Ohio. Just a few hours ago, northern Alabama was struck. Several homes were leveled. A maximum security prison near Huntsville also sustained damage. But authorities say no inmates¹⁸ escaped. In Kentucky, Emergency Management Director John Heltzel is warning residents to be prepared.

 

“Everybody in their house at this time should have flashlights with battery. Everybody should have a number of days of water. Mostly, we say three days. They ought to have three days of food. They ought to have three days of medicine.”

 

In Harrisburg, Illinois, where six people died this week, the National Weather Service says it's appearing less likely that tornadoes¹⁹ will hit today.

 

Political scientist James Q. Wilson has died in Boston. NPR's Paul Brown reports Wilson was co-author of an article that helped spark the community policing movement nationwide. Wilson had taught at Harvard, UCLA and Boston College.

 

Wilson was a liberal-turned prominent conservative thinker whose writings include books on morals and public administration. But a 1982 Atlantic Monthly piece on policing he co-wrote may be the work for which he’s most remembered. It was titled “Broken Windows” and contains this now famous phrase. “One unrepaired broken window is a signal that no one cares, and so breaking more windows costs nothing.” The article caught the attention of police chiefs and politicians and the drive to cough to put police on foot patrol rather than in cars getting to know people enforcing small rules to maintain public order. James Q. Wilson was 80 years old and had been under treatment for leukemia. Paul Brown, NPR News.

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.

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