NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-05-20

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　　From NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman.

 

　　The senior White House advisor¹ says President Obama did not learn about improper² IRS scrutiny³ of Tea Party groups until the investigation⁴ was nearly over. Speaking on FOX News Sunday, Obama Advisor Dan Pfeiffer says the White House was not in loop on the IRS inspector⁵ general's investigation.

 

　　The first time, as we've said, that anyone heard about this at the White House was when the counsel's office at the Treasury⁶ Department called the counsel office of the White House a few weeks ago to let us know that there was an investigation that was coming to conclusion. We didn't know the details of it. We didn't see the report. So we didn't know facts at that point, just that such an investigation was coming to a conclusion.

 

　　But Republicans are buying that. Speaking on ABC's This Week, Ohio Senator Rob Portman says a special council could be necessary to find out what really happened.

 

　　I just find it very hard to believe that lower level employees here in Cincinnati, Ohio, took these on themselves.  And that went on for a couple of years without anybody knowing about it.

 

　　The White House says the IRS is in the middle of a month-long review of the matter. Although, Republicans say that review won't go far enough.

 

　　One of the nation's most closely watched gubernatorial races formally got underway in Virginia this weekend. NPR's Allison Keyes reports the question is whether a conservative Republican can win a southern state that twice backed President Obama.

 

　　State Attorney General Ken⁷ Cuccinelli, a Tea party favorite, accepted the Republican party's nomination⁸ in a speech focused on creating jobs and growing the economy. Cuccinelli known for his support of tax cuts and restrictions⁹ on abortion¹⁰, thought to defuse Democratic attacks on him as a right wing extremist. He says it is not extreme to fight for the people of Virginia. Recent polls show a close race between Cuccinelli and his opponent, former Democratic National Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe. Ken did see this race as a test for both parties and also as a possible preview of the 2014 mid-term elections. Allison Keyes, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　Commuters in the New York metro¹¹ area could face trouble tomorrow. Rail lines between New York and some parts of Connecticut are closed after two trains collided Friday. Dozens of people were injured. Federal investigators¹² are on the scene, trying to discover the cause. From member station WNPR, Nina Satiga reports.

 

　　Investigators have begun combing through the scene of a train crash that injured 70 people. While they have ruled out foul¹³ play. They say it would be weeks or even months before a cause is determined¹⁴. Earl Weener of the National Transportation Safety Board says his team found a real fracture that is of significant interest. But it's unclear if it's related to the accident.

 

　　It could have been caused by the accident itself or it could have been broken at the time of the accident. It could have been broken prior to the accident.

 

　　It will likely be days before full service is restored to the railroad line between New Haven¹⁵, Connecticut and New York city. Amtrak service from New York to Boston has also been suspended indefinitely. For NPR News, I'm Nina Satiga.

 

　　North Korea fired another missile into the water today. This is the fourth time in two days that North Korea has launched such a missile.

 

　　You are listening to NPR News.

 

　　Pope Francis is urging church leaders to go out into their communities and help the poor rather than focus on internal politics. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports the Pope's been hitting hard this week at devastating¹⁶ effects caused by the economic crisis.

 

　　Pope Francis warned Sunday of the threat that the Catholic Church becomes self-refrenetial and closed in on herself. He spoke¹⁷ of the courage to take to the streets of the world and reach out to the poor. On Thursday, the Pope blasted what he called the cult¹⁸ of money in the heartless dictatorship of the economy that ends up sterilizing¹⁹ not helping²⁰ the world's poor. On Saturday the Pope zeroed in on the financial system saying ironically "if investments and banks plunge²¹, this is a tragedy, but if families are hurting, this is nothing. " Later, he met German Chancellor²² Angela Merkel blamed by many for EU imposed austerity policies, asked about the pope's giving criticism of the global financial system, Merkel said they spoke of the need to regulate markets. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Rome.

 

　　Somebody won the huge Powerball lottery²³ last night in Florida. It's worth more than $590 million. Cynthia O'Connell is the Florida Lottery Secretary. She says it's the latest win by a Florida lottery player.

 

　　This would be the sixth Florida Powerball winner. And right now it's the sole winner of the largest ever Powerball jackpot.

 

　　It's unknown who holds the ticket. Whether it's an individual or a group but they are lucky. The chance of winning about 1/175,000,000.

 

　　President Obama delivered the commencement address at Morehouse College today in Atlanta. He is the first sitting president to give a commencement speech at the college in Georgia since 1938.

 

　　I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News, in Washington.

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