Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Embedded in Iraq
  National Public Radio reporter John McChesney spent the last four days embedded with the Charlie Company of Minnesota National Guard troops from the 2nd battalion -- 136th Infantry. He joined us via sattelite phone from Logistical Supply Area, Anaconda, 50 miles north of Baghdad to share his impressions of the Minnesota soldiers there.4:16 p.m.
• Pawlenty to head trade mission to India
  Minnesota business leaders to India later this year. Pawlenty announced Tuesday his plans for a seven-day, three-city trade mission in October.4:49 p.m.
• Skin infection halts high school wrestling
  High school wresting was suspended across Minnesota on Tuesday because of an outbreak of a skin infection. The Minnesota State High School League says 24 individual cases of herpes gladiatorum have been confirmed.5:23 p.m.
• It's pines vs. planes on Park Point
  The Sky Harbor Airport on Duluth's Park Point is under pressure to cut nearby trees to meet safety standards. But these are old-growth trees, and a lot of people don't want them cut.5:49 p.m.
• Are trade missions worth it?
  In 2005, Gov. Pawlenty brought a 200-member delegation to China and this October the governor is planning to take a smaller group to India. To find out what makes trade missions like these important to Minnesotans, we called Charlie Cole. He is the director of international sales for American Polywater Corporation in Stillwater. He was a delegate on the governor's China mission in 2005.5:53 p.m.
• No merger for NWA this year, official says
  Northwest Airlines CEO Doug Steenland says the airline has no plans for a merger this year, and intends to keep its headquarters in Minnesota.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Judiciary Panel Ponders Congress Ending War
  Sen. Russ Feingold, an anti-war Democrat from Wisconsin, chairs a hearing of the Judiciary Committee, exploring what powers Congress has to end a war — specifically, the one raging in Iraq.
• After Freeze, California Offers a Hand to Workers
  Thousands of California's field hands and packing-house workers face unemployment in the wake of a devastating freeze. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger opened 19 emergency aid stations to provide unemployment assistance and food support, promising that everyone will get help from the state.
• The Best Song in Nebraska Is Up for Debate
  A showdown looms in the Nebraska state legislature over which anthem best represents the state's virtues. A bill has been introduced to change the official state song from "Beautiful Nebraska," an anthem adopted in 1967, to "I Love Nebraska," a country song written by a news reporter from Hastings.
• Teen Mayor Takes Charge of Oregon Town
  At just 18 years old, Kyle Corbin was recently inaugurated as mayor of Union, Ore. Voters hope that Corbin's fresh young face will end years of political bickering among senior-citizen-age city council members.
• Saving the World in Ethiopia: One Child at a Time
  Independent producer Jake Warga visits a friend who is doing health-relief work in Ethiopia. The woman makes sacrifices and finds herself in odd situations. To Warga, she is a real –- flawed — hero.
• Yuma's Lettuce Fields Remain Free of E. Coli
  America gets much of its winter lettuce from the fields of Yuma, Ariz. But unlike the country's other big lettuce region — California's Salinas Valley — Yuma's crops haven't been hit with E. coli contamination. Produce companies are learning new lessons about avoiding future outbreaks.
• Congress Examines Priorities of Climate Change
  Sen. Barbara Boxer, chairwoman of the Senate Environment Committee, has offered all senators a chance to give their views on global warming in a hearing. Many are expected take her up on the unusual offer, including presidential hopefuls John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
• Reporter Contradicts Libby's Testimony About Agent
  Former New York Times reporter Judith Miller testifies that Lewis "Scooter" Libby first discussed an undercover CIA agent with her weeks before his stated recollection. Libby is the former vice presidential aide accused of lying to FBI agents and a grand jury about the CIA leak.
• Ohio Considers a Draft System for Poll Workers
  Ohio's new Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner says that her first priority is to reform the state's election system. Facing a shortage of poll workers, Brunner is proposing to draft poll workers, making the service an obligation similar to jury duty.
• Many Youths Long to Leave Kurdistan Behind
  Authorities have managed to protect semi-autonomous Kurdistan from the violence tearing the rest of Iraq apart, but internal problems are growing. Many young Kurds want to leave the region.
• New American Noir: Sakey's 'Blade'
  The title of Marcus Sakey's first novel, The Blade Itself, comes from a line from Homer. But the novel itself comes straight out of the new American noir tradition.
• Guard Unit Is Resigned to Prolonged Duty in Iraq
  A Minnesota National Guard unit that has just learned it will spend an additional four months in Iraq includes a soldier who got to ask President Bush about his plan for a "surge" in troops Monday. He says he's not satisfied with the answer. Charlie Company is responsible for part of the security at a vast supply base called Anaconda 50 miles north of Baghdad.
• A Stone Tower That Vibrates with Sound
  Listener Jim Milstein of Pagosa Springs, Colo., built a stone tower. When he strums the steel guard rails inside, the parts of the cylindrical structure vibrate, making the whole thing a musical instrument.
• At Confirmation Hearing, Fallon Suggests New Goals
  Adm. William Fallon, the naval officer nominated to head U.S. Central Command, tells a Senate panel that the military should lower its expectations for sudden success in Iraq. "Maybe we ought to redefine the goals here," Fallon said.
• Update: Sunni Interviewee Is Murdered in Iraq
  Last week from Baghdad, Anne Garrels introduced us to Sabah Mohammed, a Sunni who lived in a Baghdad neighborhood that came under frequent attack by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's forces. On Monday, Mohammed was shot to death by Shiite militiamen. One of NPR's Iraqi reporters witnessed the killing.

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