Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• The eagle viewing is easy along the Minnesota River
  Late winter days offer Twin Cities residents an opportunity to get a close-up view of an environmental success story: The return of the American bald eagle.4:45 p.m.
• Douglas Ewart in concert
  When Minneapolis-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Douglas Ewart needs another instrument to augment his sound, he invents it himself. Ewart's philosophy of sustainability permeates his music and his life, and will be fully evident when he takes the stage Saturday night at the Walker Art Center in a rare concert appearance. MPR's Chris Roberts reports.4:49 p.m.
• Northwest, pilots reach tentative agreement
  The possibility of a pilots strike at Northwest Airlines is on hold, with news that pilots and the airline reached a tentative deal late Friday morning. Northwest has now tentatively achieved the labor cost savings it sought from all of its employee groups.5:18 p.m.
• Minnesota U.S. Senate candidates square off in Mounds View debate
  Taxes, health care and national security were among the key issues addressed by three candidates running for Minnesota's open U.S. Senate seat.5:23 p.m.
• Report released on regulation of pesticide use
  The Legislative Auditor's office released a report that largely validated the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's work on regulating and monitoring pesticides in the state. The legislative auditor did make some recommendations for improvements to the Ag department's regulation of pesticides. But some legislators say the report and its recommendations fall short. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports.5:45 p.m.
• Brauer on Midwest Hero ads
  A recent series of ads in support of the war in Iraq has prompted some controversy in the Twin Cities. In the ads, soldiers defend the war, and state that our enemy in Iraq is Al Qaeda, "the same terrorists who killed 3,000 Americans on nine-eleven." The controversy stems not just from the content, but because one Twin Cities TV station, channel 5 -- KSTP -- refused to air one of them. The ads are paid for by the conservative Progress for America Voter Group, which has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the Twin Cities TV market to bolster dwindling support for the Iraq War. Commentator David Brauer.5:49 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Former Congressman Gets 8 Years for Taking Bribes
  In San Diego, former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) is sentenced to 8 years, 4 months for taking nearly $2.5 million in bribes from defense contractors and others. He also is ordered to pay $1.8 million in restitution for charges of tax evasion.
• Children Are Silent Victims in Meth Epidemic
  Three women, all mothers, explain the effects of the crystal-methamphetamine epidemic on the children of addicts. Two of the women are addicted to the drug, and the third is a police detective whose job it is to arrest them.
• 14 Indicted in Election-Fraud Scandal in Virginia
  The mayor of Appalachia, Va., and 13 others have been indicted on more than 200 counts of election fraud and corruption. Melissa Block talks with Kathy Still of the Bristol Herald Courier in Bristol, Va., about claims that cigarettes, alcohol, and even pork rinds were offered in exchange for votes.
• National Archivist Demands End to Reclassification
  Allen Weinstein, the national archivist, wants the Bush administration to stop reclassifying government documents that have entered the public domain. It's not clear whether he could win a confrontation over the issue.
• Auto-Parts Maker Dana Corp. Files for Bankruptcy
  Dana Corp., one of the nation's largest auto-parts manufacturers, seeks protection from creditors in federal bankruptcy court. The company had declining revenue, a result of a market share loss at Ford and GM. Dana's shares plunged this week after the company failed to make bond payments worth $20.8 million.
• India Deal Could Sour U.S. Relations with Pakistan
  Under intense security, President Bush arrives in Pakistan, where he is greeted with violent protests. Bush will meet with President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday. The newly announced nuclear agreement with Pakistan's neighbor, India, could affect Musharraf's cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
• Relief for Blackberry Users -- Patent Dispute Settled
  Research in Motion, the maker of the Blackberry, agrees to pay $612 million to a small Virginia firm to end a long-running legal dispute over patent rights to the technology. The battle had threatened service to customers of the popular handheld wireless e-mail device.
• New Orleans Awaits FEMA Flood Maps
  New Orleans is waiting for important news from FEMA later this month: new flood maps. They'll tell homeowners how high off the ground they should build depending on local elevations. Being any lower than that might make flood insurance prohibitively expensive or unavailable.
• 'A Studio in the Woods' Offers Hope for New Orleans
  Joe and Lucianne Carmichael say nature's post-Katrina burst of renewal on their land in Orleans Parish offers important lessons to humans trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina.
• Economists Learn from Game Show 'Deal or No Deal'
  The highly-rated game show Deal or No Deal, with its scantily clad women and mystery suitcases, returns to NBC this week. An economist from the Netherlands, where the show originated, uses the game show to study how people assess financial risk.
• Letter Puts End to Persistent 'Mockingbird' Rumor
  New evidence may end the decades-old speculation that Truman Capote -- not Harper Lee -- wrote the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Dr. Wayne Flynt, retired professor of history from Auburn University discusses the basis for the persistent rumor and explains why it is indeed false.
• 'Joyeux Noel' Celebrates Brief Holiday Truce in WWI
  It seems the wrong time of year to release a movie called "Merry Christmas." But the French film, Joyeux Noel, about a celebrated World War I Christmas truce, is nominated for a Foreign Film Oscar at Sunday's Academy Awards. Bob Mondello reviews the film.
• New Orleans Leaders Look Ahead
  City leaders talk with Michele Norris and Robert Siegel about the future of New Orleans. Dr. Norman Francis is President of Xavier University; King Milling is president of Whitney National Bank and Whitney Holding Corporation; and Kim M. Boyle is a partner in the law firm of Phelps Dunbar LLP.
• Misery, Fear and Hope: Voices From New Orleans
  As the last of the Carnival beads are swept off the streets, it's hard for New Orleans residents to know what lies ahead for them. New Orleanians share their thoughts about the future of their city.
• Poet Contemplates City's Future in 'Molly's Song'
  Residents of New Orleans' French Quarter are drifting back from places where they took refuge from Hurricane Katrina. Some have been away for months. Commentator Andrei Codrescu sings Molly's Song, which he wrote at a bar called Molly's while watching his neighbors come home.

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