NPR 2009-05-21

A parked car detonated on a crowded street in Bagdad today, killing 1 at least 35 people and wounding more than 70 others. NPR’s JJ Sutherland reports from the Iraqi capital.

It was just after sunset when families were out in the street, having dinner at an outdoor restaurant, taking their children to the ice cream store next door. The bomb ripped through the crowd, bodies-men, women and children-tossed about. The neighborhood is in northwestern Bagdad, and it's poor Shiite. On the whole, violence is dramatically down in Iraq, though a spate 2 of bombings last month killed hundreds of civilians 4. For the past week, it has been extraordinarily 5 quiet. US troops are scheduled to leave Iraqi cities by the end of June. Just yesterday, Security Ministers testified before Parliament that the Iraqi security forces are more than ready to keep the peace. JJ Sutherland, NPR news, Bagdad.

A court in Washington has partially 6 rejected the Obama administration’s standard for holding terrorism detainees. The judge says support for terrorism is different from being a terrorist. NPR’s Ari Shapiro has more.

President Obama inherited court cases from hundreds of men at Guantanamo challenging their detention 7. Before the challenges could proceed, a judge asked the administration to explain the standard for whom the military can detain. President Obama dropped the use of the term "enemy combatants", but he said these men are not civilian 3 criminals. He argued the military has the authority to hold anyone who is a member of a terrorist group, who participates in terrorism or who supports terrorism. He said Congress gave the president that authority in a law passed right after 9. 11. Now Judge John Baits says that law is not as sweeping 8 as the Obama administration claims. Judge Baits wrote that the military can detain members or participants in terrorist groups, but he said the authority does not extend to those who merely support terrorism. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, Washington.

Treasury 9 Secretary Timothy Geithner told lawmakers on Capitol Hill today there were signs the US financial system is in his words starting to heal . Geithner also told members of the Senate Committee that major banks have raised 56 billion dollars in the capital markets since the government s recent stress tests, something the Treasury Secretary says appears to be making it easier for consumers and businesses. The cost of credit is starting to ease, interest rates on mortgages have dropped to historic lows and refinancing has surged, as I said, putting additional money into the pockets of millions of Americans; businesses are finding it easier to raise money in the capital markets On another topic Geithner says he sees continued federal involvement with insurance giant AIG. Government has already injected 70 billion dollars into the company.

New Hampshire lawmakers have unexpectedly rejected the measure that would’ve made the state the 6th in the nation to legalize gay marriage. The Democrat-controlled State House in a 188 to 186 vote narrowly defeated the measure authorizing 10 same-sex couples to marry. The legislation was approved in the New Hampshire Senate.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 53 points, the NASDAQ lost six points. This is NPR.

Officials with the World Health Organization are expressing concerns that all of the attentions being paid to swine flu is lessening 11 attention to other much more common and potentially far more deadly diseases. After the group’s annual World Health Assembly in Geneva, officials say that cancer and diabetes 12 pose a much greater health risk to millions of people. Other officials, including the chief medical officer of Uganda said malaria 13 and drug resistant 14 TB are also killing people every day. So far the swine flu virus, while has been blamed for some deaths and thousands of illnesses, appears to pose a little more of a threat than a normal seasonal 15 flu.

In California, lawmakers meet today to discuss major spending cuts. That’s after voters rejected some gap measures to patch up the state's budget deficit 16. Nova Safo reports, Los Angeles.

California voters rejected all five budget measures in a special election. The measures would have generated 6 billion dollars to help with the state s massive deficit, which has now projected to equal almost a quarter of the state s income in the next fiscal 17 year. With less tax revenue coming in, California could start running out of money by the end of July. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers now must agree on 20-billion dollars in spending cuts and new high interests loans. Governor Schwarzenegger outlined some of the proposed cuts, less education spending that could result in a shortened school year and laying off 5, 000 state workers. Thousands of state inmates 18 convicted of nonviolent crimes may also be released early. For NPR News, I’m Nova Safo in Los Angeles.

Crude oil prices hit a six-month high today; futures 19 prices rose $1.94 a barrel to settle at $62.04 a barrel in New York.

I’m Jack 20 Speer, NPR News in Washington.