NPR NEWS 2008-02-07

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder

Millions of voters went to the polls in races across the country on Super Tuesday, but the race for the Democratic presidential nomination 1 remains 2 close. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both say their two-way contest will go on. NPR's David Greene has more.

Hillary Clinton won some of the biggest states last night. She took delegate-rich California as well as Massachusetts and her home state of New York. She thanked her supporters at a ballroom 3 in Midtown Manhattan. 'In record numbers, you voted not just to make history but to remake America.' Barrack Obama's supporters were gathered in a Chicago hotel. Their candidate remains behind in the delegate race but he won more states overall. Like Clinton, Obama spoke 5 to his supporters even before results from Mount West to come in. 'But there is one thing on this February night that we do not need the final results to know. Our time has come.' With more nominating contests in coming days, Obama told the supporters to go to work. David Greene, NPR News, New York.

On the Republican side, Super Tuesday has solidified 6 John McCain's position in the race for the White House. He has jumped too far out in front of Mitt 7 Romney and Mike Huckabee in the race for the GOP nomination. NPR's Scott Horsley has more.

John McCain won most of the winner-take-all contest yesterday including the big states of New York, New Jersey 8, Missouri and his home state of Arizona. McCain also got the most delegates from California and Illinois. He now has more than twice as many delegates to the party's nominating convention as his next closest rival. McCain told supporters in Phoenix 9 last night he is happy to wear the title of GOP front-runner. 'We still have ways to go but we are much closer to the victory we've worked so hard to achieve. I am confident we will get there.' Republican rivals Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee each won some of the Super Tuesday contests although they got fewer delegates than McCain did. Both men promise to keep campaigning. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Phoenix.

Authorities now say that at least thirty one people have been killed by a series of severe storms, including at least sixty tornadoes 11 that ripped through the Mid 4 South yesterday. Jeff Evans is a forecaster at the Severe Storms Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. 'Here it is really in Arkansas, western Tennessee, northern Mississippi and up in the western Kentucky were the hardest hit.' Evans says tornado 10 warnings and advice resource are already in effect for today from southern Louisiana to eastern Kentucky and there will be a threat of severe weather from the Deep South into the Mid-Atlantic states later today.

Italy's President has put the country on the path toward early elections. He has dissolved the Parliament following failed efforts to form an interim 12 government after Prime Minister Romano Prodi was forced to resign late last month. He is now the caretaker Prime Minister. Elections could be held early this spring as it's been just two years since this last parliamentary vote.

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The U.S. military has released an al-Qaeda training video found during a raid on a house northwest of Baghdad in December. The video shows more than a dozen young boys wearing black clothes and training on the AK47s and rocket propelled-grenades. NPR's Tom Bowman reports from the Pentagon.

Streams of training children are running from a house, one child holds a rifle nearly as big as he is. They are led by a hooded 13 man on maneuvers 14. In one training scene, they burst into a house holding guns to the heads of sleeping men. Rear Admiral Greg. Smith is a spokesman in Baghdad. He says two suspected al-Qaeda operatives were killed in the December raid. No children were found. There was a trove 15 of videos and DVDs, some including children. 'In ways the sort of doctrine 16 those kids, they want to become part of the Jihad movements as they grow up.' Military officials say children in Iraq could have been used for years to plant roadside bombs and serve as lookouts 17. Smith says there is no apparent increase in the number of children taking part in attacks. Tom Bowman, NPR New, the Pentagon.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is urging NATO allies to contribute more troops to the most dangerous areas of Afghanistan. She is calling for the quick appointment of an envoy 18, also to coordinate 19, what she terms, NATO's bumping mission in Afghanistan. A British diplomat 20 had accepted the job but backed it out because of objections from Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Rice is to meet with British leaders in London today in an effort to boost the support for the war. Meanwhile, a new United Nations report says Afghanistan is heading for another bumper 21 crop of opium 22 this year. The report says opium cultivation 23 is expected to grow in rebel controlled areas handing the Taliban insurgency 24 more money from illicit 25 drugs.

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