NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2014-03-17

 Pro-Russian leaders in Crimea are making final preparations for tomorrow's referendum on whether to break away from Ukraine, and transfer authority to Moscow. Russia today vetoed a UN resolution declaring the public vote illegal. NPR's Gregory Warner reports that two things are clear in Crimea today: there's heavy pro-Russia support, and very obvious efforts to stifle 1 the voice of any pro-Ukrainians.

I was in Yatla, a seaside tourist town on the Black Sea, and people were lining 2 up to take photos with a NATO нельзя. NATO no to NATO sign that was hung under the Lenin statue. So a popular support for Russia is very high. At the same time, there's not been much safe public space for a defending opinion. Activists 3 have reportedly been beaten, been arrested, disappear some time. And all Ukrainian channels had been cut off the air, and replaced with state run channels from Moscow. 
NPR's Gregory Warner reporting from Crimea.     
 
 
Malaysia's Prime Minister says the search for a Malaysia Airlines flight 370 has entered a new phase. Aviation security consultant 4 Philip Baum says there were hints from early reports that someone on board the plane may have been involved.
Well there is no * surprise that it was definitely one of the auctions 5 that had been clearly muted by the Malaysian government a few days ago. The foul 6 play might be a cause, and it now looks as if we are dealing 7 with somebody who hijacked 8 or commandeered the aircraft. 
239 passengers and crew were on board when the plane departed for an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.  
 
 
Our report from the union which represents 2,500 workers at Los Angeles international airport, says most employees aren't trained to respond to emergency situations. Danielle Karson reports.
The report from the service employees international union says LA ex-service workers including baggage handlers and wheelchair attendants were basically on their own during the Nov.1 shooting. There was no communication from airport officials about what to do during the chaos 9. Union researcher Heather says workers need to be included in emergency preparedness training. 
They should be connected to the central communications under an emergency event that they getting a tax they know what's going on.
LA ex-schedule to come out with its after action report on Tuesday. For NPR News I'm Danielle Karson in Los Angeles. 
 
 
New York city fire officials say workers had searched the rear basement of the site of the deadly gas explosion. However, they haven't yet reached the area where the piping and meters will help explain what caused the blast earlier this week.    
 
 
This is NPR News in Washington. 
 
 
The US men's sledge 10 hockey team won the gold today in the Para Olympics. NPR's Sam Sanders reports they beat Russia 1-0.
This is the second Para Olympics in a row where the US sledge hockey team got to a medal podium. The US team became the first in Para Olympic history to get back-to-back gold medals. Russia took sledge hockey silver and Canada won the bronze. Josh Sweeney won the game only gold for the US. He is a U.S. Marine 11 sergent who served in Afghanistan. One month into his deployment 12, he stepped on an improvised 13 explosive device, and had to have his both legs amputated. One of his physical therapists urged him to make sledge hockey part of the recovery. Russia still leads in the overall Para Olympic medal count in Sochi. As on Saturday, they were up to 70. Sam Sanders NPR News. 
 
 
Comedian 14 David Brenner has died. The Tonight Show favorite passed away at his home in New York city today at the age of 78. During one of his guest appearances on the Tonight Show, the Philadelphia native poked 15 fun at his hometown. 
Brenner was a regular on other TV talk and game shows, and stared in 4 HBO comedy specials. He also briefly 16 hosted his own syndicated talk show in 1987.   
The judge overseeing the Colorado theater shooting case says juries will deliberate up to three separate times on whether defendant 17 James Holmes should be executed if he is convicted of  murder. Holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity 18 to charges of killing 19 12 people and injuring 70 in 2012.