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

The unemployment rate has edged down to 8.1%. But that’s not exactly welcome news to economist. It’s just more people gave up looking for work last month, so they were not counted in the tally. And employers added lower than expected 115,000 positions.

In Virginia today, the President accused Republicans of blocking initiatives that would lead to robust job growth. Campaigning in Pittsburg, the GOP’s presumptive nominee Mitt Romney said the White House was way off in its handling of the economy.

"This is a sad time in America when people who want to work can’t find jobs.”

Romney was scheduled to meet today with former Republican rival Rick Santorum who spent his campaign denouncing Romney as out of touch with conservatives. Now both men are reportedly trying to get to know each other better. Santorum has not said if he would endorse Romney.

A diplomatic crisis between the US and China may be coming to an end. NPR’s Michele Kelemen reports China’s Foreign Ministry says a dissident who spent nearly a week holdup at the US embassy can apply to study abroad.

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton sounded cautiously optimistic about the fate of Chen Guangcheng.

"We are encouraged by the progress we’ve seen today. But there is more work to do, so we will stay engaged as this moves forward.”

US officials say the Chinese government has indicated that it will accept Chen’s passport application. In the meantime, they say they expect to have regular access to him at the hospital where he was reunited with his family and receiving medical treatment. Chen, who is blind, had broken 3 bones in his foot during his dramatic escape from house arrest last week. Michele Kelemen, NPR news, Beijing.

The sound of Egyptian protesters ducked beneath corrugated iron to escape the jacketed hose and police water cannons in Cairo. Police fired tear gas as well, thousands gather to demand an anti-military rule ahead of this month's presidential election.

A co-founder of the pioneer Hip-hop group, the Beastie Boys, Adam Yauch, has died at the age of 47. NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports the rapper had been in treatment for cancer for the past three years.

Adam Yauch was known as MCA, one third of the Beastie Boys, along with Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond. The trio began as a hard core band combining punk and rap, and then became one of the most influential hip-hop groups. In 1986, they exploded onto the scene with their debut album License to Ill. “You gotta fight for your right to party.” Yauch directed a number of Beastie Boys videos under the pseudonym(笔名) “Nathaniel Hörnblowér”. Yauch has run a film production company and raised money for the Tibetan independence movement. He hadn't performed since 2009 and was absent last month when the Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That’s NPR's Mandalit del Barco.

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The nearly bankrupt US Postal Service is pressing the US House to pass a bill that would allow it to close low revenue post offices and scrap(废弃) Saturday delivery. In the meeting today, the Board of Governors voiced concerns about legislation passed in the senate last week, saying that version would make it more difficult for the service to close more than 3,700 post offices and hundreds more processing centers nationwide in a bid to save money. The Post Master General has said that he planned to start closing facilities in the next couple of weeks.

A new report says the New York City’s 911 system is full of delays and errors that could leave callers without help for crucial moments. NPR’s Margot Adler reports there is controversy because only an edited version of the report has been released.

The 911 system has been undergoing an overhaul for years. City officials say response time has been improved, confusion has been reduced. But a new report says operators waste time repeating questions in using confusing questioning procedures. It says the system sent some first responders to wrong addresses. New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has been fighting legal effort to force the city to release earlier versions of the report. The latest document is 133 pages. The New York Post described the first version as 216 pages and it’s not clear what has been changed. A judge rules the city must release the earlier draft the city has appealed. Margot Adler, NPR news, New York.

Before the close on Wall Street, Dow Jones Industrial Average down 169 points, 1.2% at 13,038; Nasdaq down 2.25%; S&P500 down 1.5.

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