NPR 2012-03-18

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Mitt Romney is hoping the endorsement² of Puerto Rico's governor and its top Republican legislative³ leaders will help him get at least 50% of the votes here tomorrow. If that happens, he would win all 20 of the delegates up for grabs. At a rally here last night, Romney tried to pump up support.

 

“I asked one thing on Sunday. Please go vote and get your friends to vote. Together we will make sure we keep America the strongest nation on the Earth, the hope of the world. I love this nation. I love the people of America.”

 

While Puerto Ricans are US citizens whose primary votes help determine who runs for president, in November they will not be able to actually vote for president. David Welna, NPR News, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

Rick Santorum campaigned in Missouri this morning for today's caucuses⁴. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney is now cutting short his visit to Puerto Rico, and he’s heading to Illinois, where Republicans vote in their primary next Tuesday.

 

Utah's governor has vetoed the controversial abstinence-only sex education bill passed in the recent session of the state's legislature. Dan Bammes from member station KUER reports the governor could be taking a substantial political risk.

 

Governor Gary Herbert announced the veto one day after Utah's Republican caucuses picked convention delegates. They could vote him out of office even before he gets to a primary. But his spokesperson, Allyson Isom, says the governor's office received more than 8,000 letters and e-mails, most of them demanding a veto.

 

“It's individually and uniquely crafted and often very heartfelt from parents, from educators, from those who care about Utah's kids and public policy.”

 

HB363 would have kept Utah's public schools from teaching any method but abstinence for avoiding pregnancy⁵ and sexually transmitted diseases. For NPR News, I'm Dan Bammers in Salt Lake City.

 

In Washington state, neighbors of Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales are describing him as a kindhearted father. Military officials have identified Bales as the suspect in the killings⁶ of 16 Afghan civilians⁷ last week. Bales is now being held in a military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

 

Two car bombs have hit intelligence and security buildings in the Syrian capital of Damascus. State television in Syria says at least 27 people have been killed and more than 100 others wounded. The violence is in the latest in a series of attacks against the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Government forces have been waging a bloody⁸ crackdown against the now year-old uprising in the country. 

 

Meanwhile, officials in Iraq are warning Iran not to ship weapons to Syria by crossing Iraq's borders or through its airspace. Iran denies the charges.

 

This is NPR’s News.

 

German authorities say John Demjanjuk is dead. Demjanjuk was convicted last year of being a Nazi⁹ death camp guard. Demjanjuk was deported¹⁰ in 2009 and stripped of his US citizenship¹¹. The retired¹² autoworker was 91 years old. 

 

It looks as though North Korea is ready to flex¹³ its muscles a bit under its new leader. North Korea's space committee says it will launch a satellite next month on the same type of rocket used for long-range missiles. Officials in the US and Japan are warning North Korea that such a launch will violate the ban on nuclear and missile testing. 

 

It’s Saint Patrick’s Day, and cities across the nation are celebrating with parades. NPR's Allison Keyes takes us to a few places where the sea of green is blending.

 

The thousands along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue for the 251st annual parade are soaking up the bagpipes¹⁴, the kilts and the joy of the day. Brenda Johnson came from Connecticut, telling New York 1 News.

 

“I have been here once before a long long time ago. I don't remember it being as crowded. But this is awesome¹⁵. I’m so glad to be here and a part of it.”

 

The streets of Hampton [and] Savannah as well for the Stout’s largest Saint Patrick’s Day parade. Green-clad perimeter¹⁶ dashing from the sidelines [inaudible] on soldiers as they march by. And in Chicago, for the 57th annual parade there, the river is dyed as traditional color green. Allison Keyes, NPR News. 

 

Also in Chicago, the prime minister from Ireland is visiting the city. He’s the guest in today's Saint Patrick's Day parade, and President Obama celebrated¹⁷ Saint Patrick's Day with a pint¹⁸ of Guinness at an Irish bar on Capitol Hill today. Mr. Obama took his motorcade to the Dubliner Restaurant & Pub, a well-known watering hole for lawmakers and staffers in DC. 

 

I'm Jim Howard, NPR News in Washington.

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