NPR 2008-05-20

Republican presidential candidate John McCain is accusing Barack Obama of understating the threat posed by Iran. NPR's Scott Horsley has more.

 John McCain took time out from an economic speech in Chicago to criticize remarks made by Barack Obama over the weekend. Obama noted 1 that Iran's military budget is a fraction of the United States and said the US should not be afraid to negotiate with Iranian leaders. McCain fired back, saying Iran has provided weapons used against US troops in Iraq and could pose a dire 2 threat if it were to acquire nuclear weapons. The criticism was the latest attempt by McCain to paint his likely Democratic adversary 3 as inexperienced when it comes to foreign policy. Scott Horsley, NPR News.

 Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton again took aim at her opponent Barack Obama for, as she put it, “acting like he has the Democratic nomination 4 sewn up”. Clinton made the remarks while campaigning in the town of Maysville, Kentucky today. Clinton said while there are those who may be tempted 5 to say the race for the nomination is over, neither candidate has it locked up. "We have a very close contest---the votes, the delegates. And this is nowhere near over. None of us is ganna have the number of delegates we're gonna need to get to the nomination. " Still, Clinton trails Obama in the delegate count as the two prepare for primaries tomorrow in Oregon and Kentucky. Clinton hopes with a convincing win in Kentucky, she can sway some uncommitted super delegates to back her campaign.

 Municipal bond industry heaved a big sigh of relief today when the US Supreme 6 Court ruled that states can continue to give special tax breaks to their own municipal bonds. These are bonds that fund schools, roads, sewers 7 and utilities, among other things. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

 Like most states, Kentucky gives tax exemptions 9 to its residents for interest on its municipal bonds while, at the same time, not extending that tax exemption 8 to bonds from other states. A Kentucky couple wanted the same tax exemption for bonds from other states and argued that the Constitution forbids this sort of instate preference. But today, the US Supreme Court, by a 7-2 vote, said no. Writing for the majority, Justice David Souter noted that some 532 billion in municipal bonds were issued in 2006 when this case was brought, and he said that the justices are simply unwilling 10 to throw a monkey wrench 11 into the markets by invalidating a practice that's been in effect for nearly a century in almost every state in the Union. Nina Totenberg, NPR News, Washington.

 Twelve construction workers in San Diego were hurt today, two of them critically, in an apparent explosion at a downtown hotel that is under construction there. Fire officials say the incident occurred shortly after 2pm Pacific Time at a Hilton Hotel being built near the San Diego Convention Center. It's not yet clear what caused the explosion. People throughout the area reported hearing a loud blast.

 On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 41 points today. This is NPR News.

 Leaders of Myanmar's ruling military junta 12 say more than two weeks after a devastating 13 cyclone 14 that has left more than 130, 000 people dead or missing, they're willing to allow Southeast Asian countries to take the lead in an international aid effort for storm victims. However, the country's leaders say they will not give western relief organizations total access to the country. The announcement comes as the UN is working out details of a large scale foreign aid effort for the country, along with a donor 15 conference that is planned for later this month in the capital of Yangon. Myanmar said today it will accept nearly 300 medical personnel from neighboring countries.

 In South Florida, inmates 16 are being evacuated 17 from a state prison and a federal detention 18 facility because of a 36, 000-acre wildfire burning in the nearby Everglades. From Miami, NPR's Greg Allen reports.

 Officials with Florida's Department of Corrections say they were notified that the Mustang Corner fire burning in the Everglades had not been controlled and that it could pose a threat to a nearby state prison which houses more than 1, 700 inmates. The prisoners were loaded on buses and moved to other correctional facilities. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are taking similar action, moving detainees held at the Krome Detention Center to other facilities in Florida. Firefighters have been using helicopters and air tankers 19 to battle the fire since last week. There's a smoke advisory 20 in effect for much of South Florida with public health officials warning people to stay indoors when smoke is especially heavy. So far, no structures have been affected 21, but fire crews are working to protect two roads that run near the park. Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

 Crude oil futures 22 rose 76 cents a barrel to close at $127. 05 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.