美国国家电台 NPR 2012-10-07

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In Pakistan, demonstrators are staging a major protest against US drone attacks. NPR's Philip Reeves says it's led by rising Pakistani politician Imran Khan.

 

The convoy² set off from Pakistan's capital Islamabad and is stopping along the way to greet crowds of supporters. Its destination is South Waziristan, an area repeatedly hit by CIA drones. Missile attacks that peace campaigners say have killed many hundreds of civilians³ in recent years. Traveling with the convoy of more than 100 vehicles is a group of about 30 American peace activists⁴ from Code Pink. It's far from certain the Pakistani authorities will allow the convoy to enter the tribal⁵ belt, an area closed to foreigners. Khan says he's trying to highlight the terrible damage inflicted⁶ by what he considers the US's counterproductive use of drones. His critics say he's campaigning for support ahead of next year's elections. Philip Reeves, NPR News, Islamabad.

 

In Boise, Idaho, police are looking for Hammerfest, a neo-Nazi musical festival. Frankie Barnhill of Boise State Public Radio has more.

 

Experts say Hammerfest is a neo-Nazi recruiting tool. Police wants to know where the events being held. They say they received several calls from concerned residents and need to be able to respond if necessary. Mark Potok is with the Southern Poverty Law Center, which considers Hammerskins to be a hate group. He says such groups have grown in number since Barack Obama became president.

 

"Obama, of course, our first black president, in the minds of many of these groups, represents a kind of demographic change that is occurring in the United States. And that change, of course, is the loss of a white majority."

 

Wade⁷ Michael Page, the gunman who killed six people before killing⁸ himself at a Wisconsin Sikh temple in August, was a member of the group. For NPR News, I'm Frankie Barnhill in Boise, Idaho.

 

California motorists are contending with pump prices of as much as five dollars a gallon due to a power outage Monday at a Southern California refinery⁹. In Chicago, senior petroleum¹⁰ analyst¹¹ Patrick DeHaan at gasbuddy.com says relief is on the way.

 

"They all expect that will start to see a decline either Sunday or perhaps Monday, even as late as Tuesday."

 

Supplies are expected to return to normal by then.

 

Honda says if you have a CRV from 2002 to 2006 park it outside, an electrical switch in the driver's side door could melt and trigger a fire. About a quarter of a million vehicles are affected¹². Honda says if rain or other liquids enter through an open window, the master power switch could overheat.

 

This is NPR.

 

Ram¹³ 1500 and Dodge¹⁴ Dakota trucks from the 2009-2010 model year are the subject of a Chrysler recall. Chrysler says a lack of adhesive¹⁵ may cause the rear axle pinion¹⁶ nut to loosen. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says if that happens, the axle can lock up, and the vehicle could lose control and crash. There have been 15 reports of rear axle failure. Three minor¹⁷ injuries have been linked to this problem.

 

The government announced yesterday that the jobless rate fell to 7.8%. But US military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan still have a higher rate of unemployment than non-veterans. NPR's Quil Lawrence reports the government says 9.7% of recent veterans are jobless.

 

The good news is that unemployment has gone down for veterans, a full percentage point since last month. That tracks with the positive jobs news across the board, but also consistent is the gap between non-veterans and former military returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Those veterans lag a full two point behind the national unemployment rate. Veterans' advocates have slammed both political parties for failing to address the jobs issue. Last month, Republicans blocked a veterans' jobs bill, calling it an 'election year stunt¹⁸.' Neither candidate mentioned veterans in Wednesday's presidential debate. Quil Lawrence, NPR News.

 

No deaths but several injuries earlier today when a Canadian tour bus overturned on a northern New Jersey¹⁹ highway exit ramp²⁰ and slid down an embankment. The bus was carrying 60 people. No word yet on the cause of that bus accident.

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