NPR 2009-02-01

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Across Iraq today voters cast ballots¹ in provincial³ elections that were seen as a test of whether their country can build on its security gains and work to forge new political coalitions⁵. NPR's JJ Sutherland reports the voting was peaceful.

Iraqi election officials say there was almost no violence and just a few scattered⁶ allegations of fraud or intimidation⁷. All told more than 14,000 candidates were running for 440 seats on the provincial councils which have significant power here -- selecting the governor and overseeing a large amount of money from the federal government. For the first time, Sunnis participated in large numbers. They boycotted⁹ the vote in 2005. As a result of the boycott⁸, some provinces where they are the majority have been run by ethnic¹⁰ or religious minorities. Among Shiites the battle was in the south of the country between two parties, who, while are partners in the coalition⁴ government at the federal level for the moment, fiercely battled for control of the provinces as a precursor¹¹ to national elections later this year. JJ Sutherland, NPR News, Najaf, Iraq.

President Obama issued a statement congratulating the people of Iraq on the elections today.

Mr. Obama is pressing Congress to complete work quickly on an economic recovery plan, but Republican lawmakers say they still have concerns about the administration's proposal. NPR's Allison Keyes has more.

The plan passed the House last week without a single Republican vote and the president is hoping for different results in the Senate. "I will continue working with both parties so that the strongest possible bill gets to my desk. With the stakes so high we simply cannot afford the same old gridlock and partisan¹² posturing¹³ in Washington."

But in a Republican address, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says the stimulus¹⁴ plan, quoting here, "falls far short of the president's vision for a bill that creates jobs and puts us on a path to long-term economic health". McConnell pledged to work with Mr. Obama, but warned against treating government spending like a "trillion-dollar Christmas list". Allison Keyes, NPR News, Washington.

Utility crews are working around the clock to restore electricity to more than half a million homes and businesses mainly in Kentucky after this week's severe ice storm that downed power lines from the Midwest to the East Coast. Some of the weary crews are stopping for meals at Lambert's Diner in Utica, Kentucky where employee Carol Rice says the wait for many without power will be measured in weeks, not days. "They have been severing¹⁵ here. They are working on the road rather early this morning, cutting tree limbs off. It is said there're three weeks before I get my power back."

Emergency room doctors are reporting an increase in cases of carbon monoxide poisoning from people improperly¹⁶ using generators¹⁷ or resorting to charcoal¹⁸ grills¹⁹ for warmth. Barbara Mackovic is a spokeswoman for Jewish Hospital in Louisville." Seventeen individuals have come from outside of the Louisville area. Jewish Hospital is the one location in Kentucky that has the hyperbaric chamber²⁰ that is used for this type of condition." The ice storm is being blamed for at least 42 deaths in the Midwest.

This is NPR News from Washington.

World leaders meeting at the Economic Forum²¹ in Davos, Switzerland are warning nations against taking any protectionist steps which could make the global economic crisis more severe. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the gathering²² that countries facing rising unemployment, recession and financial instability must lean against efforts to impose trade barriers. He called free trade and global cooperation the only path forward.

Two defensive²³ standouts have been elected to the Pro² Football Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility²⁴ along with four other people. From member station WUSF, Steve Newborn has the story.

The selections were made by a group of veteran sports writers who were convening²⁵ in Tampa for the Super Bowl. The biggest name that makes it to the Hall of Fame is Bruce Smith, who holds several League records for a quarterback sack and led the Buffalo²⁶ Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances. Also getting the nod for the Hall is Rod Woodson, who appeared with three different teams in the Super Bowl. But for the third year in a row, former NFL Commissioner²⁷ Paul Tagliabue didn't make the cut. He retired²⁸ in 2006 after 17 years on the job. Others selected for the Hall of Fame include former Dallas Cowboys star Bob Hayes, Buffalo Bills' owner Ralph Wilson, Derrick Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs and former Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel. For NPR News, I'm Steve Newborn in Tampa.

Among the hundreds of Super Bowl parties set for tomorrow will be one of the White House. President Obama has invited a group of lawmakers, some Republicans, many Democrats²⁹ to join him to watch the game. NBC says it has sold all of the advertising³⁰ slots for tomorrow's broadcast that pushes the total advertising revenue to the, for the Super Bowl to a record $206 million.