NPR 2009-10-26

President Obama is condemning 1 today's suicide bombings in Baghdad as outrageous 2 attacks, but he said they were no match for the courage and resilience of the Iraqi people. The two blasts killed at least 132 people and injured hundreds of others. NPR's Quil Lawrence has more.

Near simultaneous explosions ripped the walls off the office buildings of Iraq's Justice Ministry 3 and Baghdad's municipal council, leaving dozens of cars mangled 4 and burned in the crowded street below just as Iraq's work day began. Wounded men and women staggered away as rescue workers and security forces rushed in. The blast also breached 5 a water main, flooding the intersection 6 near the second attack. Iraqi authorities have blamed al-Qaeda as they did with similar bombings in August that hit the Finance and Foreign Ministry buildings. Iraq is entering an election season during which violence is expected to rise from the relatively 7 low levels of the past two years. Today some grieving survivors 8 blamed the sitting government for failing to provide security. Others cursed Islamist extremists for trying to derail Iraq's fledgling democracy. Quil Lawrence, NPR News, Baghdad.

Some key Senate Democrats 10 say they are now confident that a public insurance option for uninsured Americans will be included in a compromised bill that's been worked out and will be headed soon to the full Senate. But other lawmakers caution that any public option may have to be modified to attract the 60 votes needed to overcome a possible filibuster 11. More from NPR's David Welna.

Wisconsin Democrat 9 Russ Feingold told CBS's Face the Nation that there's now a good chance the bill sent to the Senate floor will include a public option.

"I mean we’ve got some chance of prevailing 12 in the Senate on it, and if we don't, I think there's a chance that it will come through the House, so I'm becoming increasingly optimistic."

On the same program, Arizona Republican John McCain said Democrats do seem to have the votes now to pass healthcare legislation.

"Democrats are very aware that they don't want a repeat of the Clinton failure in 1994. So I think it's likely they will get something through."

But Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill warned on ABC's This Week that the public option that's included in the bill may not end up in the final version.

"I think what we're going to end up with is having votes on a number of choices."

David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol.

The debate over legislation to overhaul 13 the nation's healthcare system may be highly partisan 14, but GOP leaders insist that it is not the case with regard to the government's response to the swine flu outbreak. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

"The administration tells us that we've given them all the authority and all the money they need, so if they need anything additionally from Congress, and I know we will be happy to provide it on a totally bipartisan basis."

McConnell was on ABC's This Week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 46 states now have widespread swine flu activity. President Obama has declared the outbreak a national emergency to speed up the response to any surge in cases.

This is NPR News from Washington.

Gasoline prices have jumped sharply over the past two weeks, up nearly 18 cents a gallon to a national average of $2.66 a gallon for self service regular. That's the biggest jump in prices at the pump since late July. Industry analyst 15 Trilby Lundberg says rising crude oil costs are the main reason for the increase.

Federal investigators 16 are looking through a smoldering 17 fuel depot 18 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, looking for any indication of whether an explosion there was intentionally 19 triggered. The blast, shortly after midnight Friday, set fire to half of the fuel tanks at the facility and spewed toxic 20 smoke over a wide area, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people.

A wildfire in the mountains near Santa Cruz, California, has forced evacuation of nearly 100 homes. From member station KUSP, J.D. Hillard has the story.

Hundreds of firefighters have been mustered 21 on the scene of the Loma fire which started early Sunday morning. California's CAL Fire Agency has not estimated when it will gain control. The terrain 22 includes deep canyons 23 and dense 24 trees and brush with sparse 25 homes. A blaze a few miles away burned dozens of homes in May of last year. California is in the midst of a drought. Heavy rains fell in the region almost two weeks ago, but conditions do not seem to have been improved. More crews from neighboring areas have been requested. Helicopters and airplanes were dropping water and retardant after being initially 26 grounded Sunday morning by high winds. For NPR News, I'm J.D. Hillard in Santa Cruz.

Transit 27 system workers in Philadelphia have voted to authorize 28 a strike three days before the Phillies are slated 29 to play their first World Series game. The head of the union, representing the transit workers, says he hopes the deal can be reached before that. Contract negotiations 30 are set to resume tomorrow.