NPR 2012-07-25

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Attorney General Eric Holder⁷ is said to announce a series of sweeping⁸ reforms of the New Orleans' Police Department. The steps which are spelled out in a federal consent decree are ended cleaning up a police force that has a history of decades of corruption⁹ and mismanagement. NPR's Craig Windham reports the New Orleans' police have been under increasing scrutiny¹⁰ since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina brought the department's deficiencies to light. 

 

The decree will be supervised by a federal judge and will be enforced for at least 4 years. The reforms will reportedly include mandated¹¹ training for all police officers on searches, arrest and the use of force. There will also be changes in an array of department policies including the rules under which officers work off duty will provide security for private interests. The Justice Department last year issued a scathing¹² report on the New Orleans' police, saying they've often used deadly force without justification¹³, engaged in racial profiling and made numerous unconstitutional arrests. Craig Windham, NPR News.

 

Preliminary findings are around the government's investigation¹⁵ of the April 2010 Gulf¹⁶ of Mexico BP oil spill. The report says BP and Transocean lack clear guidelines for an important test to assure the deep water well was properly sealed. 

 

A police chief in western Afghanistan says 18 police officers who defected to the Taliban are in custody¹⁷. NPR's Sean Carberry reports there's an ongoing¹⁸ operation to capture the 2 remaining defectors. 

 

The police chief of Farah Province says the commander named Mirwais had initiated¹⁹ contact with the Taliban and planted defection. Mirwais had served in Farah for more than 2 years before he led his officers to defect yesterday. They took vehicles and an assortment²⁰ of weapons from their check point. Police are still searching for Mirwais and his nephew. The spokesman for provincial²¹ governor says Marwais poisoned 7 officers who would not go along with the defection. The officers are alive in custody. Once largely secure Farah province is seeing a recent growth in Taliban activity. Last month insurgents²² launched an unsuccessful rocket attack on the governor's house. Sean Carberry, NPR News, Kabul.

 

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 177 points.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Roman Catholic Monsignor William Lynn has been sentenced to 3 to 6 years in prison after his conviction for covering up sexual abuse claims against priests in the archdiocese of Philadelphia.

 

The president of Ghana has died. The statement from the presidential law office confirms his passing. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton says John Atta Mills, aged¹⁴ 68, had recently returned to Ghana after a medical attention in the US.

 

President John Evans Atta Mills came to power 4 years ago and was seeking reelection later this year as the candidate of the governing NDC Party. The congenial and respected former university professor was first picked for a political office by former Dhanan President Jerry John Rawlings who made Mills his vice²³ president. A statement said Mills who was 68, died a few hours after being taken ill but gave no further details. He oversaw²⁴ the start 2 years ago of crude oil production in Ghana which is also a top coco exporter. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Dakar. 

 

The air force has determined²⁵ that insufficient²⁶ oxygen supply caused some F22 fighter pilots to get dizzy and disoriented when flying the most advanced US war plane. After a 5 month cessation of F22 flights the Pentagon resumed flights but at limited altitude. The F22 was built by Lockheed Martin.

 

Former England David Beckham is telling the Associated Press that he will have a role in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. The 37 year old Los Angeles midfielder had hoped to play for Britain's team at the games but he was not included in the squad²⁷. 

 

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

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