From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

 

　　Mandatory government spending cuts are taking effect by the end of the day with the White House and Congressional Republicans no closer to ending the budget impasse. The republican leadership has said there is no way it'll back higher tax on Americans, adding that it has already made enough concessions. House speaker John Boehner says congress will keep working.

 

　　'The House is going to move a continuing resolution next week, and to find the government past March 27. And I'm hopeful that we won't have to deal with the threat of government shutdown, while re-dealing with the sequester at the same time.'

 

　　President Obama says he is willing to tackle unpopular cuts in his party including entitlement programs, but he says the GOP keeps blocking a deal.

 

　　'They've allow these cuts to happen because they refused to budge on closing a single wasteful loophole to help reduce the deficit.'

 

　　Expressing some frustration with the stalemate, the president told reporters he can't do a 'jedi mind meld' with republican leaders, apparently mixing his star track and star wars metaphors.

 

　　Sale way moving on consumer spending in the United States, rose modestly last month despite higher taxes. But NPR's Dave Mattingly reports analysts are cautious about the increase.

 

　　The Commerce Department says consumer spending rose two tenths of a percentage in January. People spent more for gasoline, while their take home pay drop, due to higher payroll taxes.  Scott Brown is the chief economist at Raymond James & Associates.

 

　　We don't expect the payroll tax increase or the sequester, anything really to push the economy into a recession, but will dampen the pace of growth.

 

　　Highlighting that points, spending fell on long lasting durable goods, such as cars and appliances. Dave Mattingly NPR News, Washington.

 

　　Secretary of state John Kerry is urging Turkey to improve ties with Israel. He's been raising concerns with Turkish officials about he put it the Turkish Prime Minister's objectionable comments this week. NPR's Michele Kelemen has details.

 

　　'At a UN forum, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan describes zionism as a crime against humanity. Israel's Prime Minister called that a dark and mendacious statement, and secretary Kerry raised his concerns about this directly with Turkish officials.'

 

　　'Turkey and Israel are both vital alliances of the United States and we want to see them work together in order to be able to go beyond the rhetoric.'

 

　　Turkey's Foreign Minister offered no apology and said that it is Israel that has been hostile to Turkey, relations have been frosty ever since a deadly 2010 Israeli raid on a Turkish vessel, that was trying to break the blockade of Gaza. Michele Kelemen NPR News, Ankara.

 

　　Dow is up 33 points at 14,086. This is NPR.

 

　　Eight South African police officers are now charged with the murder of a Mozambique taxi driver. He was tied to the back of a police truck and dragged through a busy street outside of Johannesburg Tuesday, allegedly after resisting an arrest for a traffic violation. The incident was captured on video and has been playing repeatedly on South African TV. The country's police chief said today the man's rights were "violated" in the most extreme form. People across South Africa said they agreed however they say it is further proof of how abusive South Africa's police force has been.

 

　　THe Philippine government says at least ten Filipinos and two Malaysian officers died in clashes today in Malaysia's eastern most province. From Manila, Simone Orendain reports a group of Filipinos who claim sub-province camped out in the town there and reassert their claim.

 

　　'Close to 200 followers of the Sultan of Sulu hold themselves up for more than two weeks. Centuries ago, the Sultan of Sulu included several islands in the southwestern Philippine's and Sabah in eastern Malaysia. The Sultanate has been receiving a small rental fee from the Malaysian government for Sabah. Followers of Sultan  Jamalul Kiram, some of them armed, demanded talks with Malaysian government over the payment that receives. The Philippines negotiated with Malaysia to hold off on any action as the Philippines pleaded Kiram's group to leave. But they said only a deal or death would remove them. For NPR News, I'm Simone Orendain in Manila.'

 

　　Dow is up 28 points at 1,4082. NASDAQ up six and the S&P 500 gaining two. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.