Mark Memmott

Teen Pregnancies Continue To Decline, New Report Shows

Mark Memmott — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:47:00 +0000

New government figures add to evidence of a decline in teen pregnancies across the nation and point to a notably large drop in births among Hispanic teens, NPR's Jennifer Ludden tells our Newscast Desk.

She reports that the overall birth rate among teens is now half what it was at its peak, two decades ago, and that a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows:

-- An especially steep drop since the recent recession.

Reports: Obama To Limit Drones, Urge Action On Guantanamo

Mark Memmott — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:58:00 +0000

Ahead of his much-anticipated speech Thursday afternoon at the National Defense University, there's word that President Obama:

Drones

-- Will announce he's going to "sharply curtail the instances when unmanned aircraft can be used to attack in places that are not overt war zones, countries like Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia," The New York Times says.

Jobless Claims Drop, But Stay In Recent Range

Mark Memmott — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:02:00 +0000

There were 340,000 first-time claims for unemployment insurance last week, down 23,000 from the week before, the Employment and Training Administration reports.

The decline follows something of a spike. But in reality, the drop just means that claims continue to run at the pace they've been setting since late 2011.

Triple Murder May Link Tsarnaev And Man Killed In Florida

Mark Memmott — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:49:00 +0000

Ibragim Todashev, the 27-year-old man shot and killed after he allegedly attacked an FBI agent Wednesday in Orlando, may have been involved with Boston bombings suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev in a 2011 triple murder.

As NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reported on All Things Considered, "it's still under investigation, but law enforcement authorities told us tha

'We Will Never Give In To Terror,' Britain's Cameron Vows

Mark Memmott — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:45:00 +0000

(Most recent update: 1:30 p.m.

Funerals Begin In Tornado-Ravaged Moore, Okla.

Mark Memmott — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:41:00 +0000

Funerals began Thursday for the 24 people known to have been killed by the tornado that devastated Moore, Okla., on Monday.

Nine-year-old Antonia Candelaria, one of the 7 children killed at Plaza Towers Elementary School, was being remembered at a local church.

Male Sergeant May Have Filmed Female Cadets At West Point

Mark Memmott — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:24:00 +0000

A male sergeant at West Point has been accused of secretly videotaping at least a dozen female cadets, sometimes when they were showering, The New York Times reports.

Gen. John F. Campbell, the army's vice chief of staff, tells the Times that "once notified of the violation, a full investigation was launched, followed by swift action to correct the problem."

The accused, Sgt.

Bernanke Hints That The Economy Still Needs Help

Mark Memmott — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:37:00 +0000

In the nearly impenetrable language that comes with his job, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress on Wednesday that even though the economy is doing better, the central bank needs to keep giving it a boost.

The key passage from his prepared testimony:

"Recognizing the drawbacks of persistently low rates, the FOMC actively seeks economic conditions consistent with sustainably higher interest rates.

'I Have Not Done Anything Wrong,' Says Key IRS Official

Mark Memmott — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:50:00 +0000

"I have not done anything wrong. I have not broken any laws.

Man Killed By FBI In Florida Was Linked To Boston Suspect

Mark Memmott — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000

In Orlando, Fla., early Wednesday "an FBI agent was involved in a deadly shooting connected to the Boston Marathon bombing case," NBC News is reporting. A man who was being questioned by the agent is dead.

Eric Garcetti Wins L.A. Mayor's Race

Mark Memmott — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:33:00 +0000

The next mayor of Los Angeles will be City Councilman Eric Garcetti.

In a race in which the two top contenders were both Democrats, the 42-year-old Garcetti has opened a 7- to 8-percentage-point lead over City Controller Wendy Greuel as Tuesday's votes are being counted.

Early Wednesday, according to the singled out some conservative groups for inappropriate scrutiny while he was head of the agency, former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told Congress on Tuesday that "I was dismayed and I was saddened" to learn about what had happened under his watch.

Shulman, an appointee of President George W.