President Obama says not raising the debt ceiling would produce a self-inflicted wound on the U.S. economy. Speaking at White House press conference today, the President says such a move could also increase the deficit. Your NPR’s John Ydstie.

 

　　“The President says failure to raise the debt ceiling would mean social security checks would not go out, the military would not be paid, financial markets would go haywire, and interest rates would spike. As Obama says, he is willing to negotiate a balanced deficit reduction package with Republicans, but ‘what I will not do is to have that negotiation with a gun ahead of American people’. The President says raising the debt ceiling is not about authorizing more spending. It simply means the Congress will pay the bills as it’s already racked up. John Ydstie, NPR News, Washington.”

 

　　President Obama also addressed gun control on this one-month anniversary of the Connecticut school shootings. He says he’s reviewing a range of proposals today including limits on high capacity emanation magazines and an assault weapons ban.

 

　　The associated press reports that California high school teenager accused of shooting a classmate last Thursday has been charged as an adult. Today the current country district attorney’s office announced the suspect faces several counts including attempted murder. People in the San Joaquin Valley town would say they knew the suspect described him as smart and also a target of teasing for his small stature.

 

　　A spokesman says former President George HW Bush has been released from a hospital where he spent nearly two months. The 88-year-old was admitted to Methodist Hospital in Houston for a bronchitis related illness.

 

　　Massachusetts Institute of Technology says it’s investigating a school’s involve minted suicide of 26-year-old internet activist Aaron Swartz. He committed suicide on Friday. NPR’s Tovia Smith reports he was facing trial next month on Federal charges for hacking into MIT’s computer system to make epidemic articles available online for free.

 

　　“MIT’s President L. Rafael Reif says it’s ‘pains’ him to think the school played any role in advance that ended the tragedy. Swartz was arrested after breaking into an MIT computer closet and downloading articles from a page of description service to make them available for free. While some thought it’s an activist civil disobedience, prosecutors came down hard. Swartz was facing 55 years in prison and up to a million dollars in fines.  Swartz had been suffering from depression. His family causes death of product of a criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutory overreach. MIT has asked computer science professor and founder of the free software foundation to head the internal review saying ‘now it’s time for everyone to reflect on their actions’. Tovia Smith, NPR News, Boston.”

 

　　From Washington, this is NPR News.

 

　　Germany is now offering support to French troops fighting Islamist insurgency in Mali, but it does not plan to send combat forces to the West African nation. France is also promised support from Canada, Britain and the U.S. as it tries to keep Islamist fighters from advancing on Mali’s capital. Despite several days of French airstrikes, insurgents were still able to capture the central town of Diabaly. According to the Chinese embassy in Sudan, militants in the Darfur  region have kidnapped three Chinese workers. NPR’s Frank Langfitt reports Chinese labors have increasingly become targets for abduction, as China scouvers the globe for resources and business opportunities.

 

　　“Militants kidnapped three Chinese drivers who were transporting building materials for constructing a road. 5 Sudanese workers were taken as well. According to Sudan’s state news agency SUNA, the people’s deli becoming this party newspaper edited at Chinese engineer had also gone missing. No group has taken responsibility for the abductions which often b* ransom demands. Rebels in Darfur continue to b* the government in Cartoon, which China has heavily armed. China is a key builder of infrastructure and heavily invested in oil industry in Sudan. Last January, rebels attacked a road construction camped in Sudan’s south * found state, kidnapping 29 Chinese workers who were released 10 days later. Frank Langfitt, NPR News, Shanghai.”

 

　　Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has just wrapped up a visit to Afghanistan. He says he believes 10,000 American troop should remain in Afghanistan after 2014 when most combat forces were scheduled to withdraw.

 

　　At last check on Wall Street, Dow is up 18 points at 13,507. This is NPR.