Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Two more Minnesota children die of flu
  The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting two more deaths of children from influenza.5:18 p.m.
• Judge sentences Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. to death
  A federal judge in Fargo fought back tears as he imposed the death sentence Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., who was convicted last fall for abducting and killing college student Dru Sjodin.5:20 p.m.
• Deadline for delisting bald eagles extended
  A move to take the bald eagle off the Endangered Species List has been delayed for four months by a federal judge in Minnesota. The original deadline was set for next week, after a Minnesota landowner sued to force the government to make a decision after years of delay.5:43 p.m.
• South Dakota bald eagles make a comeback
  The bald eagle will soon lose its endangered species status. The birds have made a remarkable comeback especially in the upper Midwest. South Dakota now has more than 50 nesting pairs and there are more than 9,000 nests across the country.5:47 p.m.
• A focus on frost
  Here's a little reminder of just how beautiful winter can be. Meteorologist Paul Huttner shared some striking images of winter frost this morning.5:52 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• The Bat that Roared, and Other Tales
  A bar conversation in Dublin about Ireland's status as the home of "the world's loudest bat" intrigued Abinadi Meza. If humans could hear the bat, it would be like a jumbo jet taking off next to our ears, the claim went. It was enough to send Meza out with electronic gear to try to find the bat, and capture its sound.
• Missouri Cave Is an Ice Age Time Capsule
  The bear who left a three-foot-long mark in an Ice Age clay bank was the largest bear species to walk the Earth, about six feet tall at the shoulder and weighing more than 2,000 pounds. It's mark looks fresh today in a Missouri cave that some scientists consider an Ice Age time capsule sealed for thousands of years.
• Tech Prices Dropping; Should Divide Fears Drop, Too?
  Prices for cell phones and computers are falling faster than they did for analog products — and that means concerns about a so-called "digital divide" between the rich and poor may be overblown. That's the argument made by Wall Street Journal personal technology columnist Walt Mossberg.
• As Aid Runs Out, Afghan Farmers Return to Poppy
  Foreign aid is meant to ease Afghanistan's economic dependency on poppy harvests. As President Hamid Karzai pushes provincial governors to crack down on the drug trade, Afghan farmers complain that no one is helping them. Many who gave up their poppy crops last year say they are planting them again.
• Learning on the Job: Defusing IEDs in Iraq
  In Iraq, improvised explosive devices pose a constant threat to security forces. The makeshift bombs are stashed on the sides of roads or hidden in trash. The U.S. military has sought to train Iraqi security forces to handle them on their own. But things don't always go as planned.
• Fight for Baghdad Starts with Fight for Police Force
  Iraqi police are a key component of the U.S. and Iraqi troop strategy to secure Baghdad. But it's an uphill struggle for American trainers to create a sense of responsibility and professionalism — and to fight infiltration by militias. The 89th Military Police brigade tries to promote improved policing.
• Jim Harrison's Legends of Lyrical Fiction
  An almost mythic American author from the upper Midwest, Jim Harrison writes about big themes that could be called Hemingwayesque: land, death and life. Harrison has won a cult following for his lyrical fiction, in addition to writing poetry, essays and a memoir. His new novel is Returning to Earth.
• On the Trail of the Death Cap Mushroom
  The death cap is the most common cause of deadly mushroom poisoning in the United States, and the fungus is spreading like crazy in California. Biologist Anne Pringle is investigating a death cap hotspot, and in the process, trying to secure her career at Harvard.
• Weighing Social Equality vs. Income Inequality
  The growth of income inequality in America has been trumpeted as a central threat to the country's societal structure. But some economists aren't troubled by the phenomenon. As long as there is economic opportunity and social mobility, they say, it doesn't matter if the rich are pulling way ahead of everyone else.
• Speculating on President Bush's Lame-Duck Status
  The White House has been in a lot of headlines this week, from the "Scooter" Libby trial to the Senate debate over President Bush's Iraq policy. But Mr. Bush himself wasn't producing headlines. That has led to speculation that the president is adjusting to his status as a lame duck.
• N. Korea Welcomes Talks on Nuclear Program
  In China, diplomats from six countries discuss initial steps toward dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Talks have been stalled since December. Upon arriving for the talks, North Korea's nuclear negotiator, Kim Kye Gwan said, "We are prepared to discuss first-stage measures."
• Yodeling: Don't Call It a Comeback
  Yodeling is enjoying a bit of a renaissance. It is back on the radio, and even available as a cell phone ring tone. A couple of yodelers are doing their best to fan the flames of popularity.
• White House Defends Pelosi on Plane Issue
  The White House is defending House Speaker Nancy Pelosi against Republican criticism that her desire to travel in a long-distance Air Force plane is an extravagance. Republicans have taken issue with the size of the plane in which Pelosi would need to fly to reach her hometown of San Francisco without refueling.
• Letters: Hate Crimes, Baghdad and a Big Pump
  Michele Norris and Robert Siegel read from listeners' e-mails. Among this week's topics: our story on the Long Beach hate-crime trial; Anne Garrels' reporting from Baghdad; and our Soundclip from New Orleans.
• Libby's Attorneys Pick at Russert's Account of Leak
  NBC's Tim Russert is being cross-examined by defense attorneys in the perjury trial of former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Russert and Libby have told very different stories about a 2003 phone call that is at the heart of the case.

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