The White House says president Obama has not made a decision about whether to expand US air strikes into Syria. Those inner administation officials have been quoted as saying the president has authorized to balance flights. NPR's Craig Windham reports Syria's foreign minister is warning a such unilateral action by the US will soon be considered as an active aggression. White House spokesman Josh Earnest says the president is being kept informed about all of his options. The department of defense has personnel who are responsible for ensuring the commander- in- chief has access to the kinds of plans and contingencies that he may need if necessary. Earnest would not say whether Obama would seek the approval of Congress before any expansion of air strikes. The president has remained committed to consulting regularly with members of Congress and congressional leaders. Obama has used the time limit in War Powers Resolution to authorize US military actions in Iraq against militants, but experts say it has loopholes which could allow him to extend the time frame. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

 

    Shares of Burger King rose sharply today after that company settles considering a merger with the Canadian chain Tim Hortons. NPR's James ** reports the deal could lower the taxes Burger King pays. Under the deal, Burger King would merge with Tim Hortons and the newly- created company would be headquartered in Cananda. Such a deal is called an inversion and is becoming increasingly popular with US corporations looking for ways to pare their taxes. Inversions allow US companies to bring their overseas earnings back home without paying the relatively high US corporate tax rate. The new company can also lend money to its US subsidiary, and because the interest it pays on the loan is deductible, it cuts taxes on its domestic earnings. Burger King said in a statement that the deal is in talks at this point and could still fall through. James **, NPR News, New York.

 

    Structural engineers continue to assess the damage in Napa California after this past weekend's magnitude 6.0 earthquake. The quake that hit Sunday is the biggest hit in that area in 25 years. Dozens of homes were damaged and more than 200 people were hurt. 

 

    On Wall Street the Dow was up 75 percents. This is NPR.

 

    In Detroit, the federal government is ending its direct oversight of that city's police department. WDET's ** reports Detroit's police has been operating under 2 federal consent decrees for more than a decade. Between 1995 and 2000, Detroit police killed almost 50 people, a half dozen of them unarmed and shot in the back. The Associated Press counted almost 20 people who died while simply being held in police custody. By 2003, the Justice Department had appointed a federal monitor over Detroit police and required massive changes in the use of deadly force and the conditions of holding cells. Now, after numerous changes in policies and training, a federal judge has ruled that Detroit police no longer require active monitoring. The government, instead, will advise the department. City officials say Detroit does not have a perfect police department, but does have one now that follows the US constitution. For NPR News, I'm ** in Detroit.

 

    The movement of Israelis from areas near the border with Gaza continues. A bit mounting frustrations over the continuing rock and attacks by Hamas. Tens of thousands of Israelis have already left their homes with officials estimating up was 70% of some residents of farming communities on the border have left. So far the fighting groups of Israel and Hamas have claimed the lives of more than 21 hundred Palestinians. The death toll on the Israeli side has been far lower.

 

    Cristobal is now a hurricane in the waters of the Atlantic heading away from the Bahamas, but not before causing some severe flooding on some Carribean islands. That the former 750 mile per hour winds had been heading north- northeast before the forecasters are saying they expected it will curve away from US east coast. Cristobal has been blamed for 2 deaths so far. I'm Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.