Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Northwest, pilots reach deal aimed at reducing cancellations
  Northwest was forced to cancel hundreds of flights at the ends of June and July because it couldn't find enough pilots. The airline had said more pilots than usual weren't showing up for work; pilots said they were overworked under a new, tougher schedule implemented under bankruptcy.5:20 p.m.
• Feds looking at sewer contractor's safety procedures
  OSHA is looking at whether Lametti and Sons' safety procedures were adequate to prevent the deaths of two sewer workers who drowned last week.5:50 p.m.
• Grand carving on a small scale
  In a small town on the St. Croix lives one of only a few hundred artists in the world who carry on a centuries-old Japanese tradition called netsuke. It involves carving detailed figures on a miniature scale.6:20 p.m.
• Four confirmed dead in I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis
  The morning after an interstate bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River, authorities lowered the number of confirmed fatalities to four, but said they expect the number to change throughout the day.6:27 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Woman Witnesses Bridge Collapse into River
  Courtney Jensen was parking her car Wednesday under the 10th Ave. bridge in Minneapolis when the Interstate 35 bridge, which runs parallel, collapsed. She says that some witnesses thought it might have been planned at first, then realized it wasn't.
• Divers Search Mississippi River for Survivors
  Divers are searching the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, and a huge rescue effort is under way after the entire span of the Interstate 35 West bridge over the Mississippi River buckled and collapsed into the river. Tom Scheck of Minnesota Public Radio talks to Melissa Block from the scene of the collapse; Melissa also talks with Wayne Armstrong, who witnessed the collapse.
• Bridge Buckles, Dumping Cars into Mississippi
  Divers are searching the river in Minneapolis and a huge rescue effort is under way after a massive bridge collapse during the height of rush hour on Interstate 35 West. There were unconfirmed reports of fatalities late Wednesday evening.
• Coin Collector Buys Parking-Meter Treasure
  New York City's Department of Transportation this week sold off 500 pounds of foreign coins it collected from city parking meters. The buyer, Jim Corliss, outbid four others for the lot. He has made a hobby of buying foreign coins.
• Employee Has Endless Supply of Good Ideas
  Morris Penrod, a bus maintenance technician for the Miami-Dade Transit Agency, won $600 Tuesday for his latest money-saving idea for the county — a tool to put sleeves on rubber hoses to cut wear and tear.
• Congress Likely to Leave Iraq Votes for September
  House appropriator John Murtha has proposed an amendment to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq in 60 days. But House leaders likely will put off that divisive debate until September to maximize support for passing other high-profile bills before the August break.
• Sen. Obama Weighs In on Terrorism Policy
  Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama laid out his vision for fighting terrorism Wednesday, saying he was prepared to send troops into Pakistan if the threat warranted. The tough talk comes on the heels of a spat with Sen. Hillary Clinton.
• Intelligence Chief Makes Rounds for FISA Updates
  National Intelligence Chief Mike McConnell is all over Capitol Hill this week. It's part of the Bush administration's full-court press to get Congress to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act before lawmakers leave town.
• Old Course Holds Its First Women's Golf Tournament
  For the first time in the history of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, will host a professional women's golf tournament. Hall of fame golfer Beth Daniel will play the course in the British Open beginning Thursday. She talks with Melissa Block.
• Rice Works to Bolster Fatah's Rule in Gaza
  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders is her first visit to the area since the Islamist group Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June. Rice is trying to bolster the West Bank "emergency" government set up by Hamas rival Fatah.
• Justice Department Appoints Arms-Export Overseer
  The Justice Department appointed the first-ever national export control coordinator to oversee a new focus on people who export weapons technologies to foreign countries. Steve Pelak coordinates litigation and trains prosecutors to handle the complex cases.
• Textbook Watchdog Norma Gabler Dies
  Norma Gabler, who, along with her husband Mel, exerted huge influence over the U.S. textbook industry as a watchdog for material they considered anti-family, has died.
• What's Ahead for 'The Wall Street Journal'?
  With the agreement on Rupert Murdoch's purchase of Dow Jones & Co. come questions about where Murdoch will take the company — and its prize newspaper, The Wall Street Journal. His News Corp. is the world's third-largest media conglomerate.
• Relief Groups Operate with Caution in Iraq
  A dozen Western organizations and hundreds of national organizations continue to operate — despite problems with communication, logistics and security — in what is arguably the most dangerous environment for relief organizations in the world.
• Gates Foundation's Education Chief Controls Billions
  Portland, Ore., schools superintendent Vicki Phillips starts her job as education director at the Bill and Melinda Gates' Foundation on Wednesday. With more than $3 billion in grant money to give away, Phillips has one of the most powerful K-12 jobs in the country.

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