NPR 2012-01-08

 Republican presidential candidate Mitt 1 Romney is on the campaign trail in New Hampshire, urging supporters to go the polls in Tuesday's primary. At the same time, New Hampshire Public Radio's Josh Rogers reports Romney’s also looking towards South Carolina.

 
 
 
Mitt Romney was joined at a rally this morning in Derry by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. Romney told the crowd not be complacent 2 in the wake of polls that show him with a commanding lead in New Hampshire.
 
 
 
“Don't get too confident with those poll numbers. I watch polls come and go. Things change very quickly. It's very fluid.”
 
 
 
Nikki Haley, meanwhile, said a landslide 3 victory here would help Romney carry her state.
 
 
 
“Mitt Romney is going to win South Carolina, by the way. But let's make it a little bit easier for him and get out, go tell ten people to get out and vote. This is history in the making.”
 
 
 
Protesters in the Occupy movement briefly 4 interrupted the rally. Romney noted 5 that he love the freedom of this country but preferred when people express their views with respect and civility.
 
 
 
For NPR's News, I'm Josh Rogers in Concord 6, New Hampshire.
 
 
 
A top member of Europe’s Central Bank says European governments are starting to get their massive deficits 7 under control. But as Teri Schultz reports from Brussels, he’s less sure the efforts will actually end the crisis.
 
 
 
ECB governing council member Luc Coene says finally European Union governments are starting to have control over their massive debt and deficits that have created the enormous economic crisis in the eurozone. In a radio interview, Coene, who’s also the governor of Belgium's national bank, says it's nonetheless not possible to know yet whether the new efforts taking to improve the budget discipline will be enough to end the crisis. Coene has been outspokenly 8 opposed to the ECB buying huge amounts of bonds from struggling euro area governments. The bank has already spent millions on, for example, Italian and Spanish bonds. But Coene warns no one should expect the ECB to save the eurozone. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz in Brussels.
 
 
 
Iran's foreign ministry 9 is welcoming the US Navy's rescue of 13 Iranian fishermen from pirates, calling it a humanitarian 10 gesture. But the hard-line Iranian news agency Fars calls the operation a Hollywood dramatization of a routine incident. US officials say an American Navy destroyer rescued the Iranians this week more than 40 days after their boat was commandeered by suspected Somali pirates.
 
 
 
Kenyan army spokesman Cyrus Oguna says Kenya is close to crashing al-Shabab militants 11 in Somalia. He says devisions within the group means its demise 12 is near.
 
 
 
“Al-Shabab is crumbling 13. There’s division within the al-Shabab leadership, and we expect that in a couple of days, a couple of weeks, more defections from the al-Shabab is likely to be the order of the day.”
 
 
 
The Kenyan military says it launched air strikes on the al-Qaeda-linked insurgents 14 today, killing 15 60.
 
 
 
Sectarian violence in Iraq continues for a third consecutive 16 day. Police say a roadside bomb has killed two Shiite pilgrims who were walking from Baghdad to their holy city of Karbala.
 
 
 
This is NPR.
 
 
 
Tomorrow marks one year since a gunman opened fire in a Tucson parking lot outside a grocery store where a political gathering 17 was underway. Six people were killed; 13 were seriously injured, including Arizona Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords. One of her former interns 18, Daniel Hernandez, was there and says since then he’s been trying to stay positive.
 
 
 
“I do think about what happened on January 8th quite often, and it’s something that I take as a moment to reflect on what we can do better and how we can make sure we prevent things like what happened on January 8th.”
 
 
 
Tucson is hosting several activities all weekend.
 
 
 
It may be political rallies in New Hampshire this weekend, but in New Orleans, it is time for pep rallies. The Louisiana State University Tigers and The Alabama  Crimson Tide are in town for the final football game of the Bowl Championship Series. Pat Duggins of Alabama Public Radio tells us recent history will be a factor going into Monday's game.
 
 
 
Alabama lost [to] LSU in last November in the thrill of the game that went into overtime 19. The Tigers are ranked NO.1 and band the No.2 for Monday's rematch. If that wasn’t enough history, this year is the 20th anniversary of Alabama's championship season when the team beat Miami in New Orleans for the title. Former team captain Prince Wimbley will be at Monday's game, and he says winning comes down to one thing.
 
 
 
“…which offense 20 can move the ball almost two stellar defenses. Coach Saban’s gonna be different in this. I think he will make some really good adjustments, and I think that offense is going to surprise LSU’s defense 21.”
 
 
 
Nick Saban is head couch for Alabama. All sides converge 22 on the Louisiana Super Dell Monday night. Kick-off is 8:30 Eastern Time. For NPR News. I'm Pat Duggins in Tuscaloosa.