NPR 2009-02-19

President Barack Obama unveiled his 75-billion-dollar plan aimed at dealing 1 with the nation's foreclosure crisis today. Traveling to Arizona, the president said while the plan will not save every home, it could help as many as nine million people remain in their homes and prevent even more from going to foreclosure. "We're not just helping 2 homeowners at risk of falling over the edge, we are preventing their neighbors from being pulled over that edge too, as defaults and foreclosures contribute to sinking home values, and failing local businesses, and lost jobs." President chose Arizona to unveil the plan because it is one of the states that has been hardest hit by the housing crisis. Among other things, the administration's plan would seek to provide incentives 3 for lenders to cut mortgage payments for homeowners on the brink 4 of foreclosure, and also provide more money for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddi Mac to back stop refinancing of problem loans.

Construction of new homes dropped to a record low last month. Builders saw slowdowns in all areas of the country. NPR's Dave Mattingly reports.

Construction of new homes and apartments dropped nearly 17% in January. The slowdown was most evident in the northeast where building activity plunged 5 nearly 43%. It was down 29% in the Midwest and nearly 13% in the South. Housing starts dropped more than 6% in the West to the slowest pace since 1966. The numbers from the Commerce Department reflect the country's deepening economic recession and rising foreclosures in states such as California, Arizona, Nevada and Florida. In addition, applications for building permits dropped nearly 5% last month also to a record low. Dave Mattingly, NPR News, Washington.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she wants to further develop a partnership 6 with Indonesia. She's visiting Jakarta on a weeklong swing through Asia. NPR's Michele Kelemen has more.

Indonesia is the world's most populous 7 Muslim state and Clinton says it was no accident that she came here on her first trip aboard as Secretary of State. "As I travel around the world over the next years, um, I will be saying to people: if you want to know whether Islam, democracy, modernity and women's rights can coexist, go to Indonesia." She was speaking at a dinner with members of Indonesian civil society and joked that the one question she keeps getting is when President Obama will pay a visit. He spent part of his childhood here. Clinton also said that US hopes to send Peace Corps 8 volunteers back to Indonesia soon and is upgrading relations with the regional organization based here, ASEAN. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Jakarta.

British officials say all 18 people aboard a civilian 9 helicopter that went down in the North Sea have been rescued. Britain's Maritime 10 and Coastguard Agency said the chopper ditched as it was heading to an offshore 11 oil platform, 120 miles east of the Scottish city of Aberdeen.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained three points. The NASDAQ lost two points.

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Attorney General Eric Holder 12 will be making a trip to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba next week. The visit is part of Obama administration effort to shut down the detention 13 facility within a year. Holder told reporters today he will travel on Monday to the military base where he hopes to get a firsthand look at the facility, as well as talk to Guantanamo officials about detention and interrogation techniques. Meanwhile US Appeals Court today reversed a ruling that would have transferred seven detainees at the site while there is no evidence the men plotted or fought against US. Military says the detainees have ties to a militant 14 group that has demanded separation from China.

Police chief in the embattled Mexican border city of Juarez across from El Paso, Texas has been assassinated 15. He is the third police chief to be gunned down there in 13 months. NPR's Jason Beaubien has that story.

Municipal police chief Sacramento Perez Serrano was riding in a military pickup 16 truck when gunmen in three other vehicles opened fire. Police said they found more than a hundred bullet casings from high caliber 17 weapons at the scene. Chief Perez Sarrano and three of his bodyguards 18 were killed, according to a municipal spokesman, before they even had a chance to defend themselves. Perez Sarrano was an army captain who'd been brought from southern Mexico to head Juarez Police after his two predecessors 19 were also ambushed 20 and killed. Juarez is the epicenter of drug war that claimed more than 5, 000 lives nationwide in 2008. The local newspaper El Diario reports that with this current assassination 21, 16 cops and soldiers have been killed in Juarez since the beginning of the year. Jason Beaubien, NPR News, Mexico City.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber is the latest auto 22 industry affiliated 23 company to announce job cuts. The Akron, Ohio based company says it will eliminate nearly 5, 000 jobs. Goodyear recently reported losses of 330 million dollars in the fourth quarter.