Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Four children dead, cause of bus crash still unclear
  Two brothers were among the four students killed in a southwestern Minnesota school bus crash, authorities said Wednesday. A third student was the daughter of a teacher, and a fourth was the son of a former teacher.5:20 p.m.
• State says Highway 23 is safe, drivers not so sure
  MnDOT officials say the intersection where Tuesday's school bus crash occurred is not considered a dangerous one. But some people who drive that stretch of rural highway say it can be treacherous.5:24 p.m.
• Pilot seniority is sticking point in airline merger deal
  Merger talks between Northwest and Delta airlines and their pilots have apparently resolved issues related to pilot pay, stock and other issues. But the two pilot groups are still deadlocked over how to combine the separate pilot seniority lists into one. And that could kill a deal.5:50 p.m.
• What lies beneath? Engineers draw down Mississippi in Minneapolis
  Engineers have drained off the top 13 feet of the Mississippi River between the Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls dams in Minneapolis. Historians are savoring a view of the river that resembles what the first explorers probably found at the site.6:25 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Letters: Castro's Resignation, Beef Recall
  Melissa Block and Michele Norris read from listeners' e-mails, including responses to our coverage of Fidel Castro's resignation and to the massive beef recall.
• Federal Rules Beat State Laws in High Court Rulings
  In a major victory for the American business community Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled in several cases that broad language in some federal statutes invalidates state tort laws and health and safety laws, whether or not that was Congress' intended result.
• No Clues to Motive in Illinois Campus Shooting
  In a follow-up to last week's college campus shooting at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, we hear from those who knew Steven Kazmierczak, the man who shot and killed five students there. Police say it appears that the shooter took steps ahead of time to thwart an investigation.
• What of American Democracy Is Worth Exporting?
  How do immigrants to this country view the messy process of democracy? What would they like to bring home to their own countries? In the midst of the primary season, immigrants in New York City talk about their perceptions of the process and the problems.
• Navy Set to Shoot Down Failing Spy Satellite
  Now that space shuttle Atlantis has safely returned to Earth, the Pentagon plans to shoot down a failing spy satellite as early as Wednesday night. The Navy will launch a missile in an attempt to destroy the satellite before it crashes to Earth.
• Take Politicians' Promises With a Pound of Salt
  Commentator Russell Roberts says we all have a yearning for a candidate with principles and ideals. We like to think our candidate is the good one; it's the other guy's favorite who's the evil opportunist. But, he argues, once in office, politicians want to be popular. They respond to the political wind, rather than the rhetoric that got them elected.
• Texas Primary-Caucus Combo Explained
  Texans like to do things big. So why not have people vote twice on March 4? That's pretty much the way the Democratic contest in Texas is structured. There will be a daylong primary, and then, that same night, a caucus. Kenneth Molberg of the Texas State Democratic Executive Committee explains how it all works.
• Dems Court Each Other's Bases in Texas Primary
  The Democratic candidates have now turned their attention toward the Texas primary March 4, where both are trying to win the support of the state's Hispanic and black voters. In a race this tight, they must go after each other's bases.
• Bush Arrives in Ghana, Announces More Aid
  President Bush arrives in Ghana on the fourth leg of a five-nation Africa tour. He spent the day in Rwanda visiting U.S.-funded HIV/AIDS clinics, cutting the ribbon on a new U.S. embassy and paying tribute to victims of Rwanda's genocide. He also announced millions more dollars in aid to Ghana.
• Tajik Men Leave Families Behind to Migrate for Work
  Every year, 1 million Tajiks are living outside of the country, mostly working as laborers in Russia. The absence of one-seventh of the country's population has dramatically altered Tajikistan's demographics, leaving entire communities empty of adult men.
• Media Scramble as Democrats' Speeches Overlap
  Tuesday night, broadcast news programs found themselves having to choose between covering Sen. Hillary Clinton's post-primary speech and that of her Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama. The networks dealt in various ways with the conundrum, which shows how even time can be used as a political weapon in a tight contest.
• Australia's Aborigines Seek Reparations
  Last week, parliament voted to formally apologize to Australia's indigenous people for past suffering. Now, Aborigine representatives have launched compensation lawsuits for victims of discrimination policies between 1910 and the late '70s. So far, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ruled out any form of compensation.
• Earth's Shadow to Swallow Moon in Total Eclipse
  If you have clear skies in your neighborhood Wednesday night, you'll be in for a celestial treat. The Earth will pass between the sun and the moon, creating a full lunar eclipse. Kelly Beatty, executive editor of Sky & Telescope magazine, provides a preview of what to expect.
• Swimming Robot Takes Its First Icy Plunge
  An aquatic robot takes an experimental dip into the icy waters of Lake Mendota in Wisconsin. Scientists hope someday to use the technology to explore ice-bound lakes in Antarctica and even distant icy moons.
• Group Pleads: Bring Your Own Chopsticks to China
  Some environmentalists in China say that disposable wooden chopsticks are contributing to deforestation. China's government has recently slapped a tax on disposable chopsticks and urged restaurants not to use them.

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