Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Rep. Lesch unapologetic about his trip to Iraq
  State Rep. John Lesch, DFL-St. Paul, surprised friends and colleagues when decided to travel to Iraq in January on his own. His decision was heavily criticized. But Lesch, who returned a few weeks ago, says he has no regrets, and makes no apology for the trip. He spoke with MPR's Tom Crann Wednesday.4:50 p.m.
• NWA reaches deal with flight attendants
  Negotiators for Northwest Airlines and its flight attendants union have reached a deal on a new *cost saving* contract. The union is keeping specific details of the agreement under wraps until its nearly 10,000 members have a chance to vote on it. The judge overseeing the airline's bankruptcy had given Northwest and its unions until tonight to continue negotiating on new contracts. The flight attendants' deal leaves only the pilots still negotiating with the airline, as it tries to cut its labor costs by $1.4 billion in bankruptcy. Minnesota Public Radio's business reporter Jeff Horwich has been following developments at Northwest.4:53 p.m.
• Harmony at Capitol may be short-lived
  The 2006 legislative session got underway Wednesday, with plenty of talk about bipartisan cooperation. State leaders are pledging a short, productive session. But they disagree on what the agenda should be, and that is already threatening their pledge of harmony.5:19 p.m.
• GOP peers into voters' data with CD
  Internet privacy experts say they're concerned that the party isn't telling the viewer that it's collecting the data and worry where the information will end up.5:23 p.m.
• Ronald Reed guilty of murdering Officer Sackett
  Ronald Reed has been sentenced to life in prison, after being found guilty of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder in the 1970 shooting death of a St. Paul police officer.5:49 p.m.
• Curling gets more popular
  Curling is getting more popular at regional rinks because of a post-Olympic glow. The success of the U.S. men's curling team's is the cause.5:53 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Saddam Admits to Ordering Trial of Villagers
  Saddam Hussein admits in court that he ordered the trial of 148 Shiite villagers who were later executed after a failed assassination attempt against him in 1982. He says he also ordered the razing of farmland in the village where the attempt on his life occurred, but insists his actions were not criminal.
• Convention Center Not Forgotten in Cleanup
  Six months ago, many New Orleans residents took refuge at the Morial Convention Center. They waited for four days for buses to evacuate them from the flooded, lawless city. Reporter John Burnett was there in the first days after Katrina and he talks with Robert Siegel about the building's progress.
• Bush Makes Surprise Stop in Afghanistan
  At the start of his South Asia tour, President Bush makes an unscheduled stop in Afghanistan, where he meets with President Hamid Karzai and delivers a pep talk to U.S. soldiers at an airbase outside the capital, Kabul. The president is now in India.
• Nuclear Deal at Center of Bush's Trip to India
  President Bush will try to establish a nuclear cooperation deal during his visit to India. Under the deal, India would be able to purchase technology from the United States as long as it allows inspections at its nuclear facilities. M.J. Akbar, editor of Asian Age, talks with Melissa Block.
• Iran Refuses Key Condition in Russia Nuclear Talks
  Iranian negotiators visit Moscow for more talks about Iran's nuclear program. Last week the two sides announced they had reached a "basic" agreement on a Russian plan to end Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West. But Iran again refuses to meet a key condition that the Russians say is necessary.
• Nature, Economy Put the Squeeze on Orange Growers
  Citrus is a $9 billion business for Florida. But after two hurricanes, flourishing new agricultural diseases and rising land prices, Florida citrus growers are wondering whether it's time to get out of the business. Russell Lewis of member station WGCU in Ft. Myers reports.
• St. Bernard Parish Rebuilds in New Orleans' Shadow
  Jim Kildahl, a resident of Chalmette, La., is a conspicuous presence in his empty neighborhood in St. Bernard Parish. Six months after Hurricane Katrina, only 10 percent of the St. Bernard population has returned. Kidahl wants to rebuild but he says the area is ignored in reconstruction efforts.
• Montero Delivers High-Quality Spin on the Classics
  Gabriela Montero is an up-and-coming performer on the world scene, with a newly released CD of piano miniatures and improvisations. Melissa Block and Performance Today host Fred Child critique and mostly praise the high quality of the album.
• New Orleans Enters New Phase on Ash Wednesday
  The city of New Orleans is much more subdued one day after Mardi Gras revelry. Robert Siegel and Michele Norris assess the mood of in this hurricane-damaged town on Ash Wednesday.
• In New Orleans, Not Much Left to Sacrifice for Lent
  For Christians, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning Lent, a season of atonement and sacrifice. The people of New Orleans have already been forced to give up plenty as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Six months after the catastrophe, residents talk about what they are giving up for Lent.
• Archbishop Focuses on Faith During Recovery
  Alfred C. Hughes, Archbishop of New Orleans at St. Louis Cathedral, talks with Michelle Norris about the church's role in the recovery of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina.
• Supreme Court Hears Texas Redistricting Case
  The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on congressional redistricting. At issue is the 2003 Texas redistricting plan orchestrated by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. That plan resulted in Republicans picking up six seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
• Other Foreign Companies Avoid Port Scrutiny
  Many port terminals in the United States are operated by foreign companies. One terminal in New York is operated by Orient Overseas Investment Limited, based in Hong Kong. OOIL is closely linked to the Communist party and its army in mainland China.
• Hamas Could Lead Palestinians to Financial Ruin
  The militant group Hamas is set to take over the Palestinian Authority soon. Daniel Schorr, a news analyst with NPR, says that, under the leadership of Hamas, the Palestinian Authority may be headed toward financial insolvency.
• Campus Takes on Muhammad Cartoon Controversy
  College Republicans at the University of California at Irvine display the controversial Muhammad cartoons at a campus forum on Islamic extremism. The event provokes strong protests from Muslim students who denounce the cartoons as racist.

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