From NPR News in Washington, I am Jack Speer.
Congressional leader says the Bush Administration’s plan to shore up （支持）mortgage backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be on the President desk as soon as next week. Lawmakers are reacting favorably to the proposal. NPR’s Brian Naylor has more.
The Administration wants Congress to increase the lines of credit for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and to allow the Government to buy the stock and institutions as well as making more capital available and to restore investors confidence. House Commercial Services Committee Chairman Barny Frank says the plan make sense. “ …. We believe we are trying to help them cope with any excessive fear in the market that is irrational.” The packet would be attached to a housing bill walking its way through Congress and Frank says it could be on the President’s desk by next week. Brian Naylor, NPR News in Capitol.
Hundreds of worried customers of the IndyMac Bank Co. were lined up this morning at the financial institution, hoping to pull out as much money as they could. Following the announcement Friday from Federal Regulators they were seizing the bank’s assets. IndyMac’s assets were seized Friday after regulators determined the bank was insolvent. ???? IndyMac is the second largest failure by financial firm in US history. Regulators say it will take substantial amount of time to resolve these affairs of the failed bank.
President Bush has lifted a nearly 20-year-old ban --- executive order ban rather on prohibitted off-shore oil drilling. The move however will not mean drilling will begin because the congressional ban remains in place. NPR’s Don Gonyea reports.
The executive order being lifted was signed by President Bush’s father during his time in Office. White House Press Secretary Deno Perino acknowledged today that this action by this president will have little effect unless Congress also acts. Ultimately it’s political move with the White House points Democrats in Congress as the only impediment to more off-shore oil exploration. The President maintains that record high gasoline prices require more drilling even though any impact on the price of the pump would not be fell for many years. The President himself has said there is no quick fix but he has also pushed unsuccessfully for drilling in places like Alaska Artic National Wildlife Refuge since he took office in 2001. Don Gonyea NPR News in Washington.
The Federal Aviation Administration said today it approved measures on to improve runway safety at the nation’s major airports including installation of lights that would signal pilots ???? runway safety enter. Robert Stoderu, the Acting FAA Administrator: “This is a system that is basic traffic lights to tell pilots whether the runway is clear”. The announcement comes after the criticism of FAA（美国联邦航空局） for recent runway issue. the FAA Friday ordered to change the way take-offs and landing the sequence after two airliners wanted to take off and another landing came more than half a mile one another at Kennedy Airport.
美国联邦航空局（FAA, Federal Aviation Administration）是美国运输部下属负责民用航空管理的机构。
On Wall Street the Dow-Jones Industrial Average fell 45 points today to close at 11055, the Nasdaq was down 26 points.
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The brewer of Budweiser says it has agree to a takeover by Belgian brewer, Inbev. The St. Louis based company announced they would accept a Sweden 52-billion-dollar offer from Inbev. The move will create the world’s largest brewer. Anheuser’s offer could be a bitter fight for control of the company. Anheuser-Busch Board agreed to the takeover last night. Inbev’s CEO Carlos Britol would be the CEO of the merge company. Inbev says it will use St. Louis as its North American Headquarters.
Another Airline is announcing major job cuts. Milwaukee-based Midwest Airline and Sydeary Skyway Airline is trimming 1200 jobs. Chark Quirnbark from Hunson Public Radio reports.
Midwest Airline recently announced of remove 12 MD-AD jets from service because it concerns about the fuel efficiency of those planes. The company says that decision has triggered the majority of job-cuts being announced. Midwest spokesman Michael Broffee says cutting 1200 jobs is difficult. “It’s a significant number of people, but this is any airline that I think is the real sense of family and so it is a tough day here.” Broffee says Midwest Airlines is in the middle of major in structuring that would allow to better compite during times of high oil prices. He says some jobs will end in a few weeks, others will be begun by mid September. And unspecified number of the cuts will be full loads, many people could be called back if Midwest adds more flights. From NPR News, I am Chark Quirnbark in Milwaukee.
A hurricane watch has initial to Bermuda today as tropical storm Birth that one point the Atlantic Season’s first hurricane that accelerated to take up a bit of steam as it moves by the island. Birth is packing sustain winds of around 70 miles an hour blame scattered power average across Bermuda but no immediate reports of injuries or damages there.
I am Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.
