Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Vikram Chandra writes an epic tale
  Some critics describe Vikram Chandra's new novel "Sacred Games" as a thriller. But the Indian-born writer says he's a little nervous about applying that title to a book 900 pages long.4:50 p.m.
• Times writers dramatize Darfur revelations
  How do you write a play about genocide that both delivers an important political message and a compelling evening of theater? A New York Times staffer has come to the Twin Cities hoping to do just that.4:58 p.m.
• Statewide smoking ban proposed at Capitol
  Previous attempts to pass a statewide smoking ban failed, but supporters believe this could be their year for success. Opponents are mounting their own bipartisan effort to quash the legislation.5:20 p.m.
• Mesabi Nugget plant comes back to life
  An Iron Range industrial project declared dead last November has sprung back to life. Some work is expected this weekend on Mesabi Nugget's iron nugget plant near Hoyt Lakes.5:24 p.m.
• Aunt Bessie just might be a composer
  Over the past decade, the St. Paul-based new music ensemble Zeitgeist has given amateur composers a rare opportunity to get their music played through an annual contest. This year's winners include a physician, a former history teacher and a high school violinist.5:53 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Iraqi Body Supports Maliki's Security Plan
  In a speech to the Iraqi parliament, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki makes an emotional appeal for support for his Baghdad security plan, vowing that it will target all armed militants regardless of sect or political affiliation. After angry exchanges, parliament voted to support the prime minister's plan.
• Cheney's Defiance on Iraq Contrasts with Bush
  We take a look at the striking contrast between President Bush's conciliatory remarks about the U.S. mission in Iraq during the State of the Union address and remarks made by Vice President Cheney in an interview broadcast Wednesday on CNN.
• The Evolving Idea of a Hate Crime in America
  Melissa Block talks with Brian Levin, a hate crime expert, who explains how prosecutors have typically filed hate crime charges, and how the laws can be applied to both minorities as well as whites.
• Long Beach Awaits Hate-Crime Verdict
  Melissa Block talks with Tracy Manzer, crime reporter for the Long Beach Press Telegram, about the trial of 10 young people charged with assaulting three girls on Halloween night in 2006. Eight of the defendants, who are black, are also being charged with hate crimes against the victims, who are white.
• Bush Resolute in Face of Low Ratings, Top Aide Says
  President Bush won't allow decisions based on poll numbers to risk U.S. national security, says White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten. He talks to Melissa Block about how Congress and the public have received the Bush administration's new strategy on Iraq.
• Mexican Cinema Enjoys a Growing Buzz
  Films from Mexico have been finding viewers in the United States and around the world. This year, directors of three films with Oscar buzz are Mexican: Children of Men, Pan's Labrynth and Babel.
• Beyond Coaches, NFL Shows Progress on Race
  Many people are rightly thrilled that two black coaches, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, will be leading teams into the Super Bowl this year. But something else happened in football this week that hasn't gotten as much attention. And when you take the long view with African-Americans and sports, it's a big step forward, too.
• The Dispute over Security Screeners and Unions
  The new Democratic congressional majority is trying to give federal airport screeners the right to collective bargaining. Some screeners say they are subject to favoritism and other abuses, and need a union to stand up for them. The Transportation Safety Administration says it needs to be flexible in staffing.
• Bush Touts Health Care; So Do Obama, Clinton
  President Bush travels to Missouri to tout the health plan he unveiled in his State of the Union address. Back in Washington, Democrats who want his job in 2008 are pushing plans of their own: Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY).
• Former Deputy Charged in Civil-Rights Murders
  A federal grand jury charges a Mississippi man in the 1964 killings of two black men in one of the few remaining unsolved cases from the civil rights era. James Ford Seale pleaded not guilty today in Jackson, Miss. Seale, a former sheriff's deputy, is believed to have been a Klansman.
• Cheney Official Testifies at CIA Leak Trial
  Vice President Cheney's spokeswoman, Cathie Martin, testified at the trial of Lewis "Scooter" Libby. She said she told him the CIA identity of Valerie Plame Wilson earlier than Libby says a reporter gave him that information. Wilson is the wife of Joseph Wilson, who found that Iraq had not tried to buy uranium from Niger, despite the president's statement that it had.
• The World's Buildings Keep Getting Taller
  On the Chicago River, developer Donald Trump is putting up 92 stories of hotel rooms and condominiums; in lower Manhattan, plans for the Freedom Tower call for it being more than 400 feet taller than the Twin Towers it will replace; and in Dubai, the Burj Dubai is set to be the new world's tallest building.
• Georgia Reports an Attempt to Smuggle Uranium
  Georgia says its security services have foiled an attempt by a Russian smuggler to sell weapons-grade uranium. Georgia's Interior Ministry says the man was arrested as he tried to sell a few ounces of highly enriched uranium for $1 million to a Georgian agent. The man said he had access to much more uranium.
• Violence Rises, and L.A. Mayor Puts Gangs on Notice
  In Los Angeles, gang violence this year has increased by 14 percent and some cases of apparently racially-motivated gang slayings have risen to national attention. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has dubbed gang-related violence Public Enemy Number One, is asking federal authorities for assistance.
• Sears Tower Gets a Much-Needed New Tenant
  The tallest U.S. building has gained its biggest new tenant since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as a Chicago law firm signs a new 11-year lease. The Sears Tower has been losing tenants, and its vacancy rate has shot above 20 percent in the wake of the attacks, because many saw it as the most likely landmark terrorists would hit in Chicago.

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