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Candidates make their closing arguments in Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) — In the final hours before the Iowa caucuses, candidates are trying to gain the support of the undecided and make sure their supporters show up.

Three Democrats and two Republicans are virtually tied at the top, according to the latest CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, and last-minute decisions from undecided voters could push a candidate to the head of the pack.

This week’s poll shows that 17 percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers said they are still trying to decide which candidate to support, and more than a quarter of Republican caucus-goers said they are still trying to decide.

The White House hopefuls are taking different crunch-time approaches as they try to woo Iowans one day before they head out to vote.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who has been on a 36-hour tour through Iowa, attended a rally around midnight and made stops throughout the morning Wednesday.

Edwards has been trying to convince voters that his passion for change comes from the heart, saying he is the one who is going to help the little guy more than the others. Watch how Democratic candidates are spending the final hours

The campaign for Hillary Clinton has been focusing on portraying her as the candidate with experience. The New York senator’s camp has passed out door hangers telling people the stakes are high and they have to vote.

While Clinton’s campaign is telling voters she has the track record to make good on her promises, the campaign for Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois is telling voters to hope for something different.

In telling Iowa voters that their first-in-the-nation caucus give them extraordinary privilege, Obama emphasized to Iowa voters that he would be a candidate who would bring about a new style of politics. See photos of the candidates campaigning on Wednesday

Campaigns were working to finalize massive get-out-the-vote efforts to get their supporters to the caucuses Thursday.

The Clinton campaign was distributing hundreds of shovels to help clear the sidewalks of supporters which may be key to getting the first-time caucus-goers out. The Obama camp is organizing baby-sitting services for its supporters.

While all of the Democratic candidates were in Iowa on New Year’s Day, the Republicans were spread across the country, possibly reflecting the fact that the Iowa contest has come down to a race between Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney.

After a lot of talk of negative campaigning, the front-runners are emphasizing their biographies and what they would do as president.

Romney’s camp, however, is focusing on the voters who have committed to him and not those who are still undecided. Watch how GOP candidates are courting the undecided

The former Massachusetts governor has an extensive computer database and his campaign is calling supporters to make sure they get to the caucus.

Romney told CNN Wednesday he is confident of his chances in Iowa, but would be happy with either a first- or second-place showing in the Hawkeye State. Watch what Romney says about his Iowa work

Huckabee, who doesn’t have the funds and organization of his chief rival, is relying on the passion among evangelicals and the coalitions who support him to push him ahead Thursday.

The race between Romney and Huckabee has become heated in recent weeks, with Romney airing commercials attacking the former Arkansas governor for his record on immigration and tax policy.

Romney leads with the backing of 31 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers and Huckabee has 28 percent. Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson has 13 percent, followed by Arizona Sen. John McCain with 10 percent, according to the CNN/Opinion Research poll released Tuesday.

In the Democratic race, the poll shows Clinton and Obama essentially tied for the lead in Iowa. The poll shows 33 percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers backing Clinton and 31 percent supporting Obama. Edwards is in third place in the poll at 22 percent.

The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points in the Democratic race and 5 percentage points on the GOP side, meaning the race is virtually tied on both sides.
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Oil hits record $100 a barrel

NEW YORK (AP) — Crude oil prices briefly soared to $100 a barrel Wednesday for the first time, reaching that milestone amid an unshakeable view that global demand for oil and petroleum products will outstrip supplies.

Surging economies in China and India fed by oil and gasoline have sent prices soaring over the past year, while tensions in oil producing nations like Nigeria and Iran have increasingly made investors nervous and invited speculators to drive prices even higher.

Violence in Nigeria helped give crude the final push to $100. Bands of armed men invaded Port Harcourt, the center of Nigeria’s oil industry Tuesday, attacking two police stations and raiding the lobby of a major hotel. Word that several Mexican oil export ports were closed due to rough weather added to the gains, as did a report that OPEC may not be able to meet its share of global oil demand by 2024.

Light, sweet crude for February delivery rose $4.02 to $100 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, according to Brenda Guzman, a Nymex spokeswoman, before slipping back to settle at a record close of $99.62, up $3.64.

Oil prices are within the range of inflation-adjusted highs set in early 1980. Depending on how the adjustment is calculated, $38 a barrel then would be worth $96 to $103 or more today. Watch how China’s demand is affecting oil prices

The White House on Wednesday said it would not release oil from the nation’s strategic reserves to drive prices lower.

This president would not use the (Strategic Petroleum Reserve) to manipulate (prices) unless there was a true emergency, said White House press secretary Dana Perino.

As of early November, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve contained 694 million barrels of oil. The government is working to fill it to its 727 million barrel capacity.

Among the solutions to high prices are expanding domestic oil and gas production and increasing the nation’s refining capacity, Energy Department spokeswoman Megan Barnett said.

Crude prices, which have flirted with $100 for months, have risen in recent days on supply concerns exacerbated by Turkish attacks on Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq and falling domestic inventories. However, post-holiday trading volumes were about 50 percent of normal Wednesday, meaning the price move was likely exaggerated by speculative buying.

I would imagine the speculators are the biggest drivers today, said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp., in Chicago.

It’s hard to say whether prices would have risen as quickly on a normal trading day, Flynn said. While oil has soared on mounting supply concerns in recent months, speculators have often been cited as a reason for the swiftness of oil’s climb.

Moreover, many of the concerns about supply disruptions have yet to materialize, but that hasn’t stopped buyers from driving prices higher.

Although the (Nigerian) violence has not impacted oil flow out of the country, it has reignited supply concerns as militant attacks have reduced Nigeria’s crude output by roughly 20 percent since 2006, said John Gerdes, an analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey in a research note. Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer.

Separately, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said its member nations may not be able to meet demand as early as 2024. However, OPEC also said that deadline could slide for decades if members increase production more quickly. Word that several Mexican oil export ports were closed due to rough weather added to the gains.

On top of those concerns, investors are anticipating that crude inventories fell by 1.7 million barrels last week, which would be the seventh straight weekly drop.

(A decline) is not anything unusual for this time of year, but when it happens for seven weeks in a row, it starts to add up, said Amanda Kurzendoerfer, an analyst at Summit Energy Services Inc. in Louisville, Kentucky.

At the pump, meanwhile, gas prices rose 0.6 cent Wednesday to a national average of $3.049 a gallon, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Gas prices, which typically lag the futures market, have edged higher in recent days, following oil’s approach to $100.

Gas prices peaked at $3.227 a gallon in May, as refiners faced unprecedented maintenance issues and struggled to produce enough gasoline to meet demand. A similar scenario is expected this spring, when gas prices could peak above $3.40 a gallon, according to the Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration.

The EIA’s inventory report, delayed until Thursday this week due to the New Year’s holiday, is also expected to show gains in gasoline supplies and refinery activity, and a decline in supplies of distillates, which include heating oil and diesel.

In other Nymex trading Wednesday, February heating oil futures rose 9.1 cents to settle at a record $2.7404 a gallon after setting a trading record of $2.7465. Meanwhile, February gasoline futures climbed 7.81 cents to settle at a record $2.5689 a gallon after setting their own trading record of $2.5784.

February natural gas futures advanced 36.7 cents to settle at $7.85 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, February Brent crude rose $3.37 to settle at $97.84 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.
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CNN Student News: Ten Questions

(CNN Student News) — January 3, 2008

1. How do the Iowa presidential caucuses work? *

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2. What are the differences between Iowa’s Democratic and Republican caucuses? If you were an Iowa voter, which of these systems would you prefer and why?

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3. Do you think that caucuses effectively express the will of the voters? Why or why not?

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4. What milestone did the cost of oil reach yesterday?

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5. According to the segment, why do some groups think that the rising cost of oil could be a positive thing?

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6. In your view, what, if anything, might governments do to encourage people to use less fuel?

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7. Do you think that the rising cost of oil will impact your life? If so, how? If not, why not?

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8. What smoking-related law went into effect in France yesterday?

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9. Do you think that this new law will impact the country’s bar and restaurant owners? If so, how? If not, why not?

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10. What are your thoughts and feelings regarding smoking in public places?

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* E-mail to a friend

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Candidates fight for a strong finish in Iowa

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Prison escapee shot and killed, police say

LAUREL, Maryland (CNN) — A prisoner who overpowered five security guards at a suburban hospital, took their weapons, shot a driver and then stole several cars has been shot and killed by police, authorities said Wednesday.

Kelvin Poke — who is from the Prince George’s County area and has associates in Washington — was found by Prince George’s County police shortly before 3:30 p.m. in a Ford Explorer accompanied by a woman, said Greg Shipley, a spokesman for the Maryland State Police.

There was a confrontation between the suspect and the Prince George’s County police, Shipley told reporters.

The confrontation occurred in Lincoln Memorial Cemetery outside Washington, he said, adding that the woman may be the owner of the vehicle.

Officials strapped the the 6-foot-3, 255-pound, shirtless, shoeless inmate to a gurney and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The 45-year-old prisoner was taken out of Jessup Correctional Institution shortly after noon on Tuesday when he complained of chest pains, Shipley said.

Two guards took the convict, who was serving life plus 40 years for kidnapping, carjacking and robbery, to Maryland’s Laurel Regional Hospital — about 8 miles from the maximum-security facility, said Shipley.

About 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday, on the hospital’s fourth floor, Poke overpowered a correctional officer and took his .38-caliber revolver, Shipley said.

Poke, who was not wearing handcuffs, then fired one of the weapons in an apparently successful attempt to free himself from his leg shackles, Shipley added.

Two other correctional officers — who had been escorting another prisoner to the hospital — entered the room, where Poke disarmed the one carrying a weapon, said Shipley.

When an unarmed hospital security guard who had heard the shootings entered the room, Poke forced him to accompany him to the ground floor, leaving one of his guns en route, Shipley said.

Once the two men reached the parking lot, Poke turned his attention to a 51-year-old man who was waiting in his Toyota Camry to pick up a relative who was working at the hospital, Shipley said.

Poke fired at least one shot, striking the driver in the head, pulled him from the car and drove off, Shipley said. Watch Shipley detail the escape

The man is doing well, Shipley added.

The hospital — which is located just east of Interstate 95, about midway between Washington and Baltimore — was briefly placed on lockdown.

The Camry was recovered shortly before 1 p.m. in Washington. A small fire was burning inside the vehicle, Shipley said.

About that same time, another carjacking occurred in the same area, he added. In that incident, a 2005 white Ford Explorer Sport Trac with Washington license plate DC3690 was carjacked, he said.

Another prisoner escaped from the Laurel hospital in November after taking a state trooper’s gun and was captured a few hours later. Asked why security procedures had not been tightened sufficiently after the first incident, Shipley said, We’ll certainly be looking into that.
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