Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Former party chief now bucks the party process
  Former DFL State Party Chair Mike Erlandson has filed papers to run for Congress in the 5th Congressional District. Erlandson is bucking his party's endorsement of another candidate, and is getting help from his former boss -- the man who's retiring from that office.5:19 p.m.
• Northwest flight attendants vote to switch unions
  Flight attendants at Northwest Airlines are switching unions at a critical moment in negotiations with the company. If flight attendants do not agree on a new cost-cutting contract within 10 days, Northwest can impose pay and benefit cuts on them. The Association of Flight Attendants won its election at Northwest by promising a strong and savvy approach to negotiations.5:23 p.m.
• Animal cruelty may be sign of deeper human problems
  Several incidents in Minnesota involving the torture and killing of pets have generated outrage among newspaper letter-writers, Internet bloggers and animal welfare organizations.5:48 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Israeli Army Clashes with Palestinian Militants
  The Israel Army steps up its offensive against Palestinian militants in Northern Gaza, pressing for the release of an abducted soldier. At least 16 Palestinians have been killed, including militant fighters and some civilians. One Israeli soldier has been killed, with two others injured.
• 'Creative Solutions' Possible, Israeli Official Says
  Israel's current mission in Gaza has two goals, says Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev: to win the release of an Israeli soldier held hostage in Southern Gaza, and to stop rocket attacks from northern Gaza. A prisoner exchange is not an option, the spokesman said -- but "creative solutions" are still possible. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Regev.
• Calderon Claims Slim Victory in Divisive Election
  With nearly all the votes counted in Mexico's presidential vote, conservative candidate Felipe Calderon has a thin, but insurmountable lead. Calderon has declared victory. His rival, leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, is contesting the results and has called a protest rally for Saturday.
• California Schools Could Lose Aid over 'No Child' Law
  This week, the U.S. Department of Education threatened to withhold millions of dollars in federal school aid from California because the state has failed to help students transfer out of low-performing schools, as required by the No Child Left Behind law.
• State Can Bar Same-Sex Unions, N.Y. Court Rules
  New York's highest court rules against same-sex unions, saying the state can bar gay couples from being legally married.
• Lieberman, Rival Set for Primary Debate
  With Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) trailing challenger Ned Lamont in most polls, the pair face off in a debate ahead of next month's Democratic primary. Lieberman has said that he will run as an independent if he loses his party's primary. Michele Norris talks with Ken Dautrich, professor of public policy at the University of Connecticut.
• Letters: Big Houses, the Interstate, and a Diva
  Michele Norris and Robert Siegel read from listeners' letters this week, about our story on big houses, our conversations about the interstate highway system, and our remembrance of mezzo soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.
• Study: Dry Seasons -- Not Brush -- Spur Wildfires
  A new study finds that heat waves are the most significant driving force in western wildfires. Since 1980, when fire activity increased sharply, the weather has mattered far more than the amount of built-up brush and other factors that are often blamed for destructive fires. Researchers say hot and early spring seasons make the forests tinder-dry by summer -- and more likely to burn out of control. As a result, they say, global warming could intensify fires in the American West.
• Overheated on the Highway
  Commentator Heather King tells about a road trip in Arizona when her car overheated on her way to Tucson. She is the author of Parched: A Memoir.
• Bush Prods North Korea's Neighbors to Unite
  President Bush has been working the phones urging North Korea's neighbors to send a common message: Pyongyang will not be rewarded for ignoring the world. The way forward, the president says, is to return to six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

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