The hourlong phone call came near the end of Obama’s weeklong foreign trip. Much of that trip was devoted to building an international rebuke to Russia’s takeover of Crimea. Obama told Putin the US supports a diplomatic resolution to crisis, adding that’s only possible if Russia pulls back its troops and makes no further provocative moves. For his part, Putin complained that extremists inside Ukraine are intimidating peaceful residents. Russia used similar claims about the situation in Crimea as a pretext to justify its takeover of the peninsula. The two leaders did agree on one thing: Secretary John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet in the near future to continue the diplomatic dialog. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

 

One of the survivors of last weekend’s massive mudslide in Washington state says the roar of the hillside giving way and sweeping over houses, people and everything else in its path were so loud; she thought a plane had crashed. Robin Youngblood, who survived the landslide near the town of Oso, Washington, says she saw a wall of mud racing towards or across a river valley. She says she wound up covered in freezing mud clinging to an unattached roof. Others not so fortunate. The official death toll there is still 17. Authorities say other victims’ remains have been found. Ninety other people are still missing and unaccounted for.

 

US Coast Guard has lifted traffic restrictions on key Texas commercial shipping waterways shut down by an oil spill. But NPR’s Debbit Elliot reports the cleanup is still underway.

 

The Coast Guard is warning mariners to keep away from any oil sheen as they navigate the Houston Ship Channel and surrounding waterways. Lieutenant Junior Grade Mike Hart says vessels should be on the lookout for protective boom and cleanup activity.

 

“We just asked the public, you know, be cognitive of a safety zone, be aware that there are still operations ongoing to skim off any remaining oil.”

 

An estimated 170,000 gallons of oil leaked from a wrecked barge. The slick spread into the Gulf of Mexico and has oiled several beaches. Dozens of birds were killed. Volunteers are now combing sensitive areas to help target the cleanup. Debbit Elliot, NPR News.

 

Unemployment rates fell in most days in February as two thirds of states reported job gains. According to the Labor Department, unemployment rates fell in 29 states, rose in ten and held relatively stable in 11 others. In terms of actual hiring, the government says hiring rose in 33 states. Employers added around 175,000 jobs nationwide in February.

 

On Wall Street, an up end for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 58 points to close at 16,323; the NASDAQ finished up four points; the S&P 500 rose eight points today. You’re listening to NPR News in Washington.

 

General Motors has suddenly and for an as-yet-unannounced reason put the brakes on in terms of sales its most popular model the Chevy Cruze. GM notifying dealers to stop selling the cars without explanation. Generally such stop-sales orders are a result of a safety issue, though so far it’s not clear what the issue is. It comes as GM has already embroiled in a major recall involving millions of vehicles to fix problems with an ignition switch that has been linked to a dozen deaths and more 30 crashes. GM, which had already recalled 1.6 million vehicles, expanded the recall today by another 824,000 cars in the US.

 

The Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee announced today he’s retiring at the end of the year to become a talk show host on a conservative radio network. As NPR’s David Welna explains, Michigan Congressman Mike Rogers’ decision to leave Capitol Hill was unexpected.

 

Intelligence Committee Chairman Rogers announced he would not seek reelection this year on a Michigan affiliate of the Cumulus radio network. Next year he’s to become one of the many conservative talk show hosts carried by that network. Rogers, who’s 50, has been a member of Congress for more than 13 years. Four years ago his close friend and the Speaker of the House John Boehner made Rogers chairman of the intelligence panel. A former FBI special agent, Rogers has been a staunch defender of the government’s surveillance programs and a frequent critic of President Obama. Earlier this week Rogers announced a plan to end the National Security Agency’s bulk storage of phone records. Americans, he said, did not have a comfort level with the recently reviewed program. David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol.

 

Crude oil futures prices moved higher today. The price of oil up 39 cents a barrel, ending the session at 101.67 a barrel in New York.

 

I’m Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.