NPR 2012-01-04

 The Republican presidential candidates are making one last push for votes in Iowa, where GOP voters will caucus 1 today night in the nation's first presidential contest. NPR’s David Schaper is traveling with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's campaign. He reports Gingrich is trying to bounce back after being hammered in Iowa by negative ads.

 
 
 
In a coffee shop overlooking the Mississippi River in downtown Muscatine, Gingrich told an appreciative 2 crowd that if they are drowning in negative attack ads, they haven't come for him. He is there only positive ads.
 
 
 
“You have an opportunity, Iowans have an opportunity tonight to send a signal to Washington and to the political system that the age of negative consultants 3 and 30-second attack ads is over. And I have to do it to decide not to vote for anybody who ran attack ads.”
 
 
 
And in his closing argument to voters, Gingrich says he’s the only GOP candidate with the experience of having actually changed Washington. The others, he says, would just be amateurs who would not know what they’re doing if they want. David Schaper, NPR News in Muscatine, Iowa.
 
 
 
The White House is dismissing Iran's latest verbal threats as an attempt to divert attention from its internal troubles. Spokesman Jay Carney: 
 
 
 
“I think one measure of that is a post—a story that was in the Washington Post this morning about the dramatic decline in the Iranian currency as a result of some of the latest sanctions.”
 
 
 
Washington responded hours after Iran's army chief warned US aircraft carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf 5. The tougher rhetoric 6 came as the Iranian military was ending a 10-day navy drill at the mouth of the gulf. Tensions have been escalating 7 between the US and Iran over new sanctions that have triggered a jump in oil crisis.
 
 
 
Police in New York say they’re questioning a person of interest in the firebombing of a prominent Islamic center in Queens Sunday night. NPR's Margot Adler reports that earlier authorities released a sketch 8 of a suspect taken from a surveillance camera. 
 
 
 
At a news conference in Queens this morning, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke 4 briefly 9, saying discrimination against anybody is discrimination against everyone. 
 
 
 
“Whether it was senseless violence or a hate crime will be determined 10 down the road. But in either case, we’re just not going to tolerate it in this city.” 
 
 
 
Adding to confusion besides the Islamic center there were several targets, including a home belonging to a hindu, a corner bodega run by a Muslim and another house. At least four firebombs were thrown; no one was injured. One of the Islamic center’s imams, Maan Al-Sahlani, met yesterday with a dozen clerics from the city Muslim’s community. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.
 
 
 
A British jury has found two white men guilty of murdering a black teenager in 1993. Gary Dobson and David Norris were convicted today of killing 11 Stephen Lawrence. London’s Metropolitan 12 Police Department was heavily criticized for its handling of the case. Investigators 13 later found the department to be “institutionally racist 14.”
 
 
 
This is NPR News.
 
 
 
Thousands of Nigerians are protesting across the country against the scrapping 15 of government fuel subsidies 16. NPR’s Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports anger and pressure are mounting against the government, which has more than doubled the price of gas since Sunday.
 
 
 
Crowds of demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans are lighting 17 bonfires in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos. They’re blocking major highways and preventing gas station[s] from selling fuel. The unrest is spreading with other from neighboring states descending 18 on Lagos to join the protest. The pump price for gas has gone up dramatically in Nigeria with wholesale 19 increases for other products and services expected to follow. Despite being Africa’s top crude oil exporter, Nigeria has to import refined petroleum 20 for sale cheaply until now. The government says the monetary 21 subsidies will be put in trust for poverty alleviation 22 and other priorities. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Accra.
 
 
 
The price of food is expected to remain volatile 23 through 2012. The new head of the UN food agency Brazil’s José Graziano da Silva says a recession anticipated in Europe this year could slow global efforts to end world hunger as countries back up their annual dues to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
 
 
 
Well, today world markets are buoyed 24 by news of increased manufacturing in the US and surveys signaling faster growth in China and India. European stocks ended the day on a five-month high, and in the US the Dow was up 210 points or 1.7% at 12,427. NASDAQ up 1.7% as well. S&P 500 up 1.6% 1,279.