Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Traffic problems expected to increase in wake of collapse
  Commuters are heading into their second day re-routed onto an emergency detour around the I-35W bridge that collapsed over the Mississippi River Wednesday.4:40 p.m.
• Search hampered by river conditions; bridge conditions under scrutiny
  Divers searched the Mississippi River Thursday for bodies still trapped beneath the twisted debris of a collapsed bridge, as finger-pointing began over a report two years ago that found the bridge was "structurally deficient."5:04 p.m.
• Authorities identify four victims, other families wait for word
  The four known victims of the I-35W bridge collapse have now been identified. Anxious families are waiting at a hotel in Minneapolis for word on their missing loved ones.5:10 p.m.
• Bridges statewide are in bad shape
  Transportation officials across the state say they work hard to ensure Minnesota bridges are safe. But some county engineers say the state is falling behind in repairing and replacing old bridges, many that date back to the 1930s.5:24 p.m.
• Bridge collapse renews focus on transportation funding debate
  Members of Congress are promising millions of dollars in assistance to rebuild the I-35W bridge. Two key Minnesota lawmakers are angry that it has taken a tragedy to free up money for such an essential piece of the state's transportation infrastructure.5:32 p.m.
• Recovery effort cautious, deliberate
  Late Wednesday night emergency response officials switched their approach to the bridge collapse from rescuing survivors to recovering the dead. But Thursday's experience suggests the recovery will be extremely slow.5:38 p.m.
• Federal officials will lead bridge investigation
  The investigation into the cause of Wednesday's bridge collapse is being handled by the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB is an independent federal agency that investigates civil aviation, railroad, highway and marine crashes and accidents. Agency officials say they have two important tools that will help expedite the investigation.5:46 p.m.
• The economic cost of the bridge collapse
  When it comes to commerce, three modes of travel are affected by this bridge collapse -- truck, barge and train. The collapse of the I-35W bridge will slow down the shipment of many goods and services.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Questions Follow Fatal Bridge Failure
  As crews search for bodies in the wreckage of Minneapolis' broken Interstate 35 West bridge, authorities are inspecting other structures across the state. Telling the final story of Wednesday's disaster may take months.
• Bush Pledges Federal Help for Bridge Repair
  President Bush says the federal government will move swiftly to help rebuild the I-35 West bridge in Minneapolis — a project estimated at $100 million. Transportation officials say the bridge was classified as "structurally deficient" before Wednesday's deadly collapse.
• Ozomatli Back from Mideast Tour for State Dept.
  The L.A.-based band Ozomatli has wrapped up a tour sponsored by the State Department that took the group to Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia. A side note: Members of Ozomatli are vocal opponents of the war in Iraq.
• Senior London Cop Eyed in Shooting Coverup
  Did a senior police officer in London withhold information from his superiors and mislead the public over the death of an innocent man? The Brazilian man was shot dead two years ago by officers who said they feared he was a suicide bomber.
• Public Service Academy Draws New Attention
  In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Shawn Raymond and Chris Myers Asch put an idea into play: The U.S. Public Service Academy. Now Sen. Hillary Clinton has put them in the spotlight.
• Some in Calif. Town Have No Stomach for Vendors
  As America's Latino population surges across the country, so do the ranks of roving street vendors selling Mexican food. In some communities, they're edging out sit-down restaurants. That's creating conflict in Salinas, Calif.
• Bridge Collapse Will Be Probed Piece by Piece
  To unravel the mystery of Wednesday's Minneapolis bridge collapse, investigators will map out where pieces of the bridge are found, inspect those pieces for patterns of stress fractures and send some pieces to labs for tests.
• Minnesota Governor Surveys Disaster Scene
  As many as 30 people remain missing after a bridge collapse Wednesday night in Minneapolis. Gov. Tim Pawlenty says removal of the dozens of vehicles that fell into the Mississippi River could take several days.
• Rove Skips Senate Testimony; Aide Grilled Instead
  The Senate Judiciary Committee heard its first public testimony from a current White House aide in the investigation of U.S. attorney firings. But it wasn't Karl Rove, who declined to testify after the president asserted executive privilege. Instead, Rove's deputy appeared.
• Mattel Recalls Fisher-Price Toys Made in China
  Mattel's Fisher-Price brand is recalling nearly 1 million toys made by a Chinese vendor, saying they contain excessive amounts of lead in their paint. Two-thirds of the toys were stopped before they made it into stores.
• Summer: Time for a Snooze, Not the News
  Some people simply must slow down when the weather gets hot. But maybe the people on TV don't have summer. They can't seem to stop working. The rest of us can just pretend its Sunday all summer long.
• Lawmakers Edge Toward Surveillance Law Overhaul
  Lawmakers appear closer to a deal to rewrite the law governing electronic surveillance. But there are still significant differences between Democrats and Republicans over how to fix it. And some are warning against hurrying to pass legislation before the August break.
• Tommy Makem Was Irish Music's Godfather
  Irish musician Tommy Makem, who succumbed to lung cancer Wednesday, is credited with helping to popularize traditional Irish music in America and beyond. He is best known for songs such as "Four Green Fields" and "Red Is the Rose."
• Marine Found Guilty in Plot to Murder Iraqi
  Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III is convicted of murdering an Iraqi man during a frustrated search for an insurgent. The squad leader was also convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, making a false official statement and larceny. He was acquitted of kidnapping, assault and housebreaking.
• Revisiting the South Korean Stem-Cell Claim
  In 2004, South Korean scientists claimed to have derived embryonic stem cells from a cloned human embryo. The claim was discredited, but questions lingered. Now Harvard researchers say the South Koreans made a different sort of breakthrough.

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