NPR 2010-04-09

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Rescuers plan to resume their search for West Virginian miners in a couple of hours. The families are hoping that this time the team will actually make it far enough to check special chambers¹ where four miners may have taken refuge since Monday’s explosion at Montcoal’s Upper Big Branch mine that killed 25 workers. Eric Peterson of West Virginia Public Broadcasting tells us rescuers tried earlier today but were forced to evacuate².

Rescuers entered the mine earlier this morning but had to turn back as levels of poisonous gases increased. The crews still haven’t been able to reach either of the two rescue chambers they think the miners might be in, but families are still holding out hope. Massey Energy Chief Operating Officer Chris Adkins says the crews still plan to make it to the rescue chambers before recovering the bodies of at least 14 miners.

“Do we stop and try to identify more people? No. This is still a rescue mission to us. We still have rescue chambers that we have to go to, and you know, we still believe.”

Drilling crews are still boring holes into the mine for ventilation, but the process could take some time. For NPR News, I’m Eric Peterson in Montcoal, West Virginia.

Today marks a milestone³ for the US and Russia. They’ve signed a pact⁴ to reduce nuclear arsenals⁵ by about 1/3 each. President Obama says the agreement’s critical to keeping nuclear arms out of the hands of terrorists.

“Nuclear weapons are not simply an issue for the United States and Russia -- they threaten the common security of all nations. A nuclear weapon in the hands of a terrorist is a danger to people everywhere.”

The treaty still has to be ratified⁶ by US and Russian legislators.

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits jumped to 460,000 last week. Analysts⁷ consider the increase a blip on the unemployment screen, not a trend. Danielle Karson explains.

Labor⁸ Department officials say Easter clouded last week’s numbers. It’s hard to adjust for seasonal⁹ factors since the holiday occurs during different times each year. Economists¹⁰ keep a close eye on new claims because they’re a measure of businesses’ willingness to hire new workers and that’s slowly turning around. Employers hired 162,000 workers in March. There’s an upside in the report: the number of people filing benefits for more than a week fell to the lowest level since December of 2008. For NPR News, I’m Danielle Karson.

A welcome sound of retailers¹¹ who’ve just seen their fourth month of sales gains. The International Council of Shopping Centers studied some 31 retailers around the country and found a 9% jump in March at stores opened at least a year. Analysts attribute the gain to people shopping for Easter and earlier Easter that is and warmer weather. March marked a fourth straight month of gains again and the strongest one-month showing since March of 1999.

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was up 30 points at 10,927.

From Washington, this is NPR News.

The Environmental Protection Agency is restricting the use of a toxic¹² pesticide¹³ after the deaths of two children in Utah. The new rules prohibit the use of phosphide fumigants near homes. From Salt Lake City, NPR’s Howard Berkes has details.

The EPA’s order involves aluminum¹⁴ and magnesium¹⁵ phosphide fumigants used to kill insects and rodents¹⁶ that burrow¹⁷ underground. An agency spokesman told the Salt Lake Tribune that the new restrictions¹⁸ were prompted in part by the deaths of a four-year-old and her baby sister after exterminators used a pesticide called Fumitoxin on voles outside their house. The entire family was sickened and a medical examiner found high levels of inhaled¹⁹ phosphorus. Prosecutors²⁰ are considering criminal charges. The new rules ban use of phosphide fumigants near homes and establish bigger buffer²¹ zones for their use outdoors. Similar restrictions were recommended by EPA scientists more than a decade ago, but tobacco and agricultural interests successfully resisted their adoption²². Howard Berkes, NPR News, Salt Lake City.

The Masters Tournament got underway today with a lot of interest surrounding Tiger Woods. This was his first time playing since the car accident last year that led to revelations about his extramarital affairs and tainted²³ his billion-dollar image. However, officials at the Augusta National say no one player will overshadow the tournament. Arnold Palmer joined fellow golf icon²⁴ Jack²⁵ Nicklaus for the ceremonial first shots.

News at United Airlines and US Airways²⁶ are back in merger²⁷ talks and shares of both companies rise in pre-market trading today and that continued. US Airways moved up a dollar 21 in nearly 18 cents; United parent UAL gained just over 17%.