NPR 2009-12-08(在线收听

The Environmental Protection Agency has formally declared that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions pose a public health danger. The move opens the way for regulations on such emissions from vehicles, power plants and other sources. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.

Today’s action is a step towards enduring pragmatic solutions to the enormous challenge of climate change. It also means that we arrived at the climate talks in Copenhagen with a clear demonstration of our commitment to facing this global challenge. " Jackson speaking in Washington as delegates to the UN climate conference were getting down to work in Copenhagen as NPR s Richard Harris reports.

There’s more political will behind these talks than any other climate meeting. Meeting organizers now say that more than 110 heads of state are expected at the meeting, including President Obama. He pushed back his visit to arrive at the end of the conference where his impact could be greatest. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen opened the meeting with words of hope.

"A deal is within the reach. To work together, we can accomplish what must be accomplished.

But many large issues remain to be resolved in the next two weeks. And at the end delegates hope for a political agreement, not an actual climate treaty. That would still need to be negotiated next year. Richard Harris, NPR News.

A Chicago man has been charged with helping to plot last year’s deadly terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. Those attacks killed 166 people, including six Americans. NPR’s Ari Shapiro reports.

David Headley has been in prison since October for allegedly plotting attacks against a Danish newspaper. The paper published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that led the violent protests in 2005. Now Headley has been charged in the Mumbai attacks as well. He allegedly attended a terrorist training camp in Pakistan run by the group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Prosecutors said the group sent him to India several times where Headley took videos and still photographs of the hotels and other sites that were attacked. He also allegedly took boat trips around Mumbai Harbor to scout a good landing site for the attackers. The Justice Department said Headley is cooperating with the investigation. Prosecutors also unsealed charges against a retired major in the Pakistani military. Abdur Rehman is accused of working with Headley to plan terrorist attacks against the Danish newspaper. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, Washington.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the US economy is on the mend and he expects moderate growth in the new year. But Bernake says the recovery is still fragile for now.

"Significant headwinds remain including tight credit conditions and a weak job market. " Bernanke was speaking to the Economic Club of Washington today.

Just before the closing bell on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up a point at 10, 387. The NASDAQ Composite Index up five points. The S&P 500 Index though is down two points.

This is NPR News from Washington.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen met with troops at Fort Campbell, Kentucky today and told them he expects a tough fight for US forces in Afghanistan in the new year, even as tens of thousands of additional troops are deployed there. "Given the additional troops as it was this last summer, I am sure that we will sustain an increase level of casualties.”

Mullen called the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan "the epicenter for global terrorism".

Two corporate giants faced off today in a Delaware courtroom. They were arguing over the stake in Craigslist that eBay purchased back in 2004. Rachel Miro, member station KQED in San Francisco has more.

EBay, the San Fran-based e-commerce company claims Craigslist founder Craig Newmark and Chief Executive Jim Buckmaster conspire to issue more stock thus diluting eBay’s minority stake and robbing it of the opportunity to elect a Craigslist’s board member. Craigslist countersuit, alleging eBay took confidential information from Craigslist and used it to launch a competing classified website called “kijiji.com”. Both eBay and Craigslist denied each other s allegations. For NPR News, I m Rachel Miro in San Francisco.

There were more violent protests in Athens today, marking the one year anniversary of the killing of a teenage boy by Greek police officers. Police in riot gear lobbed tear gas to disperse hundreds of young demonstrators, some of whom have been hurling rocks and fire bombs. Police barred the protestors from reoccupying buildings at Athens University in the city as they had done over the weekend.

I m Craig Windham, NPR News in Washington.

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