NPR 2010-09-06

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President Obama will be talking about jobs and the economy during several speeches this week including at a Labor¹ Day rally tomorrow in Milwaukee. Chuck Quirmbach of Wisconsin Public Radio has more on what the president will cover.

The president will speak to union members following their annual Labor Day parade. The White House says Mr. Obama is expected to talk about incentives² to get small businesses to hire more people. US Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will join the president in Milwaukee. She says she realizes that many people want a faster economic recovery.

"Sure it's slow, but we're going through a global economic crisis as well, readjustment, a rethinking of where we're going to go in the future. And we have that path somewhat laid out for us."

Solis says the Obama administration is trying to boost education and training, so more people can find work. Wisconsin Republicans say the president is trying to put a positive face on a stagnant³ economy. For NPR News, I'm Chuck Quirmbach in Milwaukee.

A stop to Cleveland is also on Mr. Obama's schedule this week. There, he's expected to outline a 100-billion-dollar proposal to increase and permanently⁴ extend a tax credit for businesses' research expenses. The community college venue⁵ for that announcement was apparently⁶ chosen by the White House in part to draw a contrast with the recent economic address by House Republican Leader and Ohio Representative John Boehner.

The outlawed⁷ Basque separatist organization ETA has declared a unilateral ceasefire in its violent campaign for independence from Spain. In a video statement released today, the group says it wants to achieve its goals through peaceful and democratic means, but the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports from Madrid it's unclear whether the ceasefire is permanent.

The Spanish government's line has been firm for some time: no talks with ETA unless it renounces⁸ violence for good and disarms⁹. This ceasefire statement falls short of that. It looks like a call for new peace talks, but this government tried that in 2006 and failed. The controversial negotiations¹⁰ collapsed¹¹ after nine tense months, when an ETA bomb killed two people at Madrid Airport, so the government will be wary¹² of talking to ETA again, especially it's the time when it's sinking in the opinion polls. Many Spaniards would also question the point of talking now, when it's widely accepted that ETA is weaker than ever in its history.

The BBC's Sarah Rainsford reporting from Madrid.

The death toll¹³ in Guatemala is rising after mudslides triggered by torrential rains. At least 36 people have died and officials say more than 100 people are missing. Fire Department spokesman says about 100 people gathered to dig victims out of a bus covered by a landslide¹⁴ and then a group attempting a rescue was buried by another slide.

People in Nova Scotia are cleaning up today after Tropical Storm Earl hit the Canadian province yesterday.

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A Taliban spokesman is saying today his group will try to disrupt elections in Afghanistan this month. He's warning Afghans to boycott¹⁵ the vote. The Taliban position is consistent with those taken in the past—insurgents seek to topple the government in Kabul and want to drive foreign troops from the country. Similar threats drove down voter turnout in last year's marred¹⁶ presidential election. Several parliamentary candidates and campaign workers have been attacked across Afghanistan in recent months.

Police and sports authorities are investigating charges of cheating by members of the Pakistan National Cricket Team during matches against England in London. Last week, allegations were made against three players. And as Larry Miller¹⁷ reports, there are now more serious accusations¹⁸.

Cricket's governing body is reportedly investigating a Pakistan player for match fixing. This would be the fourth Pakistani star caught up in the growing cheating allegations. Three others allegedly accepted bribes¹⁹ for making prearranged errors on the field. The International Cricket Council says they're facing 23 separate charges. Last week, the tabloid²⁰ News of the World secretly filmed a gambling²¹ middleman apparently receiving more than $200,000 in cash in exchange for guaranteeing on-field miscues, which happened at the appointed times. The newspaper has new video of a former Pakistani star saying he knows players who fixed²² almost every match for big bribes. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

If you drink on the job and activate²³ an emergency chute, there's a good chance you may be out of that job. So is the case for flight attendant Steven Slater. JetBlue is saying this weekend Slater is no longer an employee.