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

• Violence, Political Rifts Erupt in Iraq
  Thunderous blasts from at least three car bombs reverberated across Baghdad on Wednesday, and the country's main Sunni political alliance carried through on a threat to withdraw from the government.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Committee Traces Army's Handling of Tillman Death
  The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hears testimony from ex-Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld in the inquiry into Army Ranger Pat Tillman's death by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Lawmakers want to know how far up the chain of command a cover-up went.
• 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.
• 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.
• New Gym Caters to Clients with Disabilities
  At Fit Together, people who say they don't fit in at a traditional gym can work out in comfort. The new gym in western Massachusetts caters to mentally disabled clients, who get the extra help they need in following directions and managing the equipment.
• 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.

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