President Obama met with reporters for just over an hour and while he was pressed on his declining poll numbers and what went wrong in this years, he prefered to    the positive. He said more than half a million people have signed up for healthy insurance through the healthcare.gov website in the first three months to Dec.

 

I was told millions of Americans despite the problems with the website are poised to be covered by quality of affordable health insurance come new year's day

 

The president also pointed to numbers just released by the government showing the economy grow at a faster than previously reported rate in the third quater. He said 2014 could be a break through year for the coutry. Brain Miller, NPR News, Washington.

 

Federal judge has strucked on a ban on same sex marriage in Utah ruling unconstitutional. U.S. district court judge Dan a 53-page ruling calling the state law past by voters in 2004 are violation of the rights of gay and lesbian couple right to do process equal protection under the 14th manante.    said the state also failed to show allowing same sex marriages would affect opposite sex marriages,   from the state argue Utah law promotes the state interest in responsible provocation.

 

Commerce department says the U.S. economy grow at a healthy rate of 4.1% during the third quater. NPR's Jins reports consumers spending turned out to be a lot higher that first thought.

 

The government recently estimated that the economy expanded by 3.6% in July, Aug and Sep, but now the commerce department says growth was aactually higher than that reaching levels not seen since 2011. And surprising amount of the growth came from higher concumer spending espically on health care, housing and autos.   have previously attributed much of the economic expansion in the quater to a build up inventories and economists prodicted that growth would slow toward the end of this year. They are still saying that, but the increasing consumer spending suggests that the upturning growth may have more solide fundations than first believed. Jins Rolly, NPR News, NY.

 

Nation wide hiring appears to be picking up at least not according the latest labour department figues showing unemployment rates other fell are unchanged  in all 50 states in Nov. Palyers actually adding jobs in 43 states and cutting jobs in just seven. California, Texas and Indiana reported the largest job gains in palyers adding average 204,000 jobs from Aug to Nov. The national unemployment rate last month felt to 7% that's five year low.

 

Up end for the Wall Street, the Don Jones industry average gained 42 points today closed at 16,221, that's a record. The NASDAQ was up 46 points, the Standard and Poor 500 gains 8 points today. You are listening to NPR News in Washington.

 

A federal majustrading cansus says Ave Young extexnation charged with ploting a bomb at the airpoirt their should not be released since he posed a public danger. The judge also ruling in a hearing for Terry Lone that the 58 year old possess a flight risk. Lone faces charges of attempted use of weapons of massive destruction and attemptedc use of explosive devices, he was also charged of material support to Al qaida. Lone was arrested earlier this month after an undercover sting operation.

 

Former NBA star Dannis Rodaman is putting together a basket ball team in North Korea, he is on his third trip to the reclosive country this year. From Souel Jason reports Rodaman hoping to bring more American athletes with begin next year.

 

Rodaman told reporters in Pyangyong that he is planning to put on an exhibition game there on Jan 8th, it would mark the birthday of the North's leader Kin Jun on, a man Rodaman calls a friend. He says he is still trying to convince other retired NBA stars to come to North Korea. The basket ball Hall of Famer is holding train out for a local team to take on the athletes. Last week Pyangyong announced the execution of Zhong Sun Ti, the young ruler's uncle, theere is concern here in South Korea that the purge could lead to instability or military provocations. Rodaman says he is not in North Korea to discuss politics, he is just trying to improve relations with the U.S.. For NPR News, I am Jason Strozer in Souel.

 

A pair of Chinese scientists are facing allegations they stole seeds developed by U.S. bio science company letter giving them to member of visiting delegation from China. F  Green   in   diamonts today was indited on one kind of conspiracy to steal trade secracy in theft secracy     reportedly confeceded from members of the delegation before they flew home. 

 

I am Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.