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RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

And let's turn now from economic to political reforms. The Syrian government insists it's ready to embrace a move towards democracy - reforms that meet the demands of protestors in the street. After months of demonstrations and cracking down hard on those protesters, a senior Syrian official says the government has gotten the message. This comes just after members of the opposition were able to meet for the first time in an officially-sanctioned gathering.

NPR's Deborah Amos reports from Damascus.

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ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

MELISSA BLOCK, host:

And I'm Melissa Block.

In Afghanistan's capital Kabul tonight, a group of suicide bombers armed with heavy weapons attacked the Inter-Continental Hotel which is popular with foreigners and Afghan VIPs. Loud explosions and gunfire could be heard across the city as the battle raged for hours.

(Soundbite of gunfire)

NATO helicopters were called in to respond to the siege.

A Lexington animal and food safety firm hopes to increase its workforce by more than a third over the next several years.

Governor Beshear says it’s difficult to reach any general observations or conclusions about a murder carried out by a former state lawmaker.  Steve Nunn plead guilty Tuesday to the shooting death of his former fiancée Amanda Ross in September of 2009.

Two nuclear power plants in Nebraska, 100 miles apart, are completely surrounded by water. The head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission visited each Monday for a firsthand inspection. While officials at both plants assure area residents they are safe, critics point to a history of problems and wonder if the facilities are prepared for Missouri floodwaters that have not yet peaked.

The debate over raising the nation’s debt ceiling continues to dominate discussions on Capitol Hill. And, as WEKU’s Matt Laslo reports from Washington DC, the Kentucky congressional delegation isn’t too keen on raising the nation’s borrowing limit unless serious spending cuts are included.

Nearly two years after the official end of the recession, Americans still remain unconvinced.

Consumer confidence has hit an eight-month low, according to a Conference Board report released Tuesday. The group studies how Americans feel about business conditions and the job market.

It turns out consumers aren't feeling so hot about the prospects for the future, which economists say could be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This can be seen in any parking lot of a big-box store.

WEKU is very excited to offer a new station to the greater Lexington and Lawrenceburg area! Classic 102.1 WKYL is WEKU's music station and will offer mainly classical music as its programming. We feel it is the perfect complement to the news and information you hear everyday at 88.9. Tune in to 102.1  to hear the new station or go online today to sample the programming.

Several environmental groups are threatening to sue two eastern Kentucky coal companies for thousands of water violations. They say the state won’t take action. This comes as the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet is lobbying to have even more control over the state’s waterways. The notice of intent to sue was sent from Appalachian Voices, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and several other organizations to International Coal Group–recently acquired byArch Coal–and Frasure Creek Mining. They say the coal companies self-reported thousands of violations at eastern Kentucky mines.

Calling the report a “whitewash”, the campaign manager for independent gubernatorial candidate Gatewood Galbraith believes the audit of the Kentucky Retirement Systems leaves more questions unanswered. On Tuesday, State Auditor Crit Luallen found no evidence of wrongdoing in the retirement agency, but did raise concerns about the use of placement agents, who act as middlemen to secure investments from entities like the KRS. The report found New York placement agent Glen Sergeon had “an unusually close working relationship” with former KRS chief investment officer Adam Tosh, who resigned last summer.