NPR 2010-01-09

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From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

The man accused of trying to blow up an airliner¹ en route to Detroit on Christmas Day pleaded not guilty in federal court this afternoon. Sarah Hewlett of Michigan Radio reports.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was led into the courtroom, wearing a white T-shirt, khaki pants and shackles² on his ankles. Abdulmutallab spoke³ softly. He said he'd reviewed the charges with his attorney and understood them and the penalties they carry if he is convicted. His attorney asked that a not-guilty plea be entered on his behalf. He also consented to detention⁴. Abdulmutallab faces up to life in prison if he is convicted of the most serious crime, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. He is accused of trying to detonate chemical explosive hidden in his underwear as Northwest Airlines Flight 253 began its descent into Detroit on Christmas Day. For NPR News, I’m Sarah Hewlett in Detroit.

The unemployment rate hasn't budged⁵. The Labor⁶ Department reports that last month the rate remained at 10% as employers cut 85, 000 more jobs. Allen Levenson, chief economist⁷ at T. Rowe Price in Baltimore says the country should prepare for more disappointing news in the coming months. "The good news this year has been the rate of contraction⁸ was smaller. The news in 2010 will be rising employment and bigger increases as the year goes on. " This hour, President Obama is expected to announce a plan for more than 2 billion dollars in tax credits aimed at creating about 17, 000 green jobs.

Arctic air continues to blanket much of the US, snow returned to the Northeast and ice settled into parts of Deep South that are unaccustomed to frigid⁹ weather. The bitter cold and dangerous road conditions are blamed for multiple deaths. Schools in at least ten states were closed and flights disrupted. The US isn’t alone in its weather misery¹⁰. Arctic weather is also bearing down on cities across Europe as Larry Miller¹¹ reports from London.

As London’s Gatwick Airport plows¹² shifted 18, 000 tons of snow, while in the Scottish Highlands, the thermometer dropped to minus 8 degrees Fahrenheit¹³. The weather was the talk of the British Cabinet while across the Channel in France, the beaches from Normandy on the Atlantic to Marseilles on the Mediterranean¹⁴ worldwide with snow. In southern France, there were three-foot drift. Schools closed in the UK, Ireland, Spain and Germany. Across the continent, rail and plane schedules have been hit hard. Sweden registered minus 37 degrees. As temperatures crashed Norway, buses stopped running when the engine oil froze. However, the harsh weather has been good news for the Ress Kutschen sled factory in Germany where eight employees are knocking out 100 wooden sleighs a day. All were sold in advance. For NPR News, I’m Larry Miller in London.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 30 points to 10, 576. The NASDAQ is up 11 at 2, 311.

From Washington, this is NPR News.

A Swiss court says the country’s financial regulator broke the law when it ordered Swiss banking¹⁵ giant UBS to hand over data of 255 of its clients to US authorities last year. Washington requested the files of the clients who were suspected of tax evasion¹⁶. Lisa Schlein has details from Geneva.

In this ruling, the Swiss Federal Administrative¹⁷ Court says the financial regulator overreached its power when it ordered confidential¹⁸ details of the UBS clients to be handed over to Washington investigators¹⁹. The regulator says its decision was aimed at protecting the bank and the Swiss economy from serious damage. Lawyers representing UBS clients welcome the court's ruling. They call it an important step. Court documents show the Swiss financial regulator could lodge²⁰ an appeal within 30 days. For NPR News, I’m Lisa Schlein in Geneva.

In the predominantly Roman Catholic nation of Portugal, same-sex marriage is one step closer to becoming law. The socialist²¹ government’s bill won the endorsement²² of all left of senate parties today. Right wing parties remain strongly opposed and have pledged to put the issue up to a national vote. The bill will be sent to the president of Portugal to ratify²³ or veto which the parliament can still overturn.

A Pentagon spokesman says Defense²⁴ Secretary Robert Gates, the most prominent Republican in the Obama administration, plans to stay on the job for at least another year. But Geoff Morrell says Gates and the president have agreed to revisit this issue later this year.

I’m Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.