Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Bush focuses on health care 'transparency' in Minnesota visit
  President Bush visited Minnesota Tuesday to promote a new health care "transparency" initiative, at an event in Minnetonka. The White House billed the event as a health care summit. The president used the forum to promote liability reform, new electronic medical record-keeping, and the pooling of small business health insurance.5:19 p.m.
• Hennepin County commissioner to hear from public on stadium tax
  Opponents and supporters of the Twins stadium tax will get to speak out to members of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners tonight. The board is scheduled to vote to approve that tax increase next week. Earlier this year, the Minnesota State Legislature gave Hennepin County permission to raise money for construction of the Twins ballpark with a sales tax increase.5:48 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Genocide Trial Hears from Anfal Victim
  Saddam Hussein and others accused in the Anfal trial begin their defense against charges that they were responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Kurds. They say the Anfal mission targeted Kurdish militias and Iranian forces who were working hand in hand in Kurdistan during the Iran/Iraq war. The first prosecution witness took the stand, where he described how his village was bombed with poison gas.
• Is There an Age Limit on Road Trips?
  Commentator Desiree Cooper's father is 75 years old. She thinks that's too old for him to be driving from Virginia to Detroit when he visits her. But he insists on driving his own car anyway.
• Chertoff Envisions Database of Air Travelers
  The United States wants to expand the screening of international airline passengers, the Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has told The New York Times. The proposed plan could go far beyond terrorist watch lists, to vast databases that include past itineraries of travelers. Robert Siegel talks with New York Times reporter Eric Lipton.
• Judge OKs Quattrone Deal to Drop Charges
  A New York judge approves a deal that is likely to result in the dismissal of all the charges against former investment banker Frank Quattrone, who had faced a third trial. Under the deal, if Quattrone goes a year without violating state or federal laws, the government will drop all the charges against him and he will not be forced to admit any wrongdoing.
• Lebanon's Army Returns to Hezbollah's Turf
  Lebanon's army is taking up positions in towns and villages they haven't seen in decades -- and that Hezbollah has controlled for years. To help maintain the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, the army has entered an area once ruled by implicit agreement.
• States Sue Federal Gov't Over Forest Protections
  Logging has begun on the largest area of roadless forest in the state of Oregon, and the state's government is fuming. When the Bush administration reversed the ban on building new roads, it agreed to let the states decide which areas should remain protected.
• Iranian Official Invites 'Serious' Nuclear Talks
  Iran's chief negotiator says Tehran is ready for what he calls "serious" talks about its nuclear program. It's unclear whether the government is willing to suspend uranium enrichment, a key demand from Western governments. Iran could face U.N. sanctions if it doesn't suspend its nuclear program by the end of this month.
• Chicago's Foie Gras Ban Rankles Restaurants
  Starting today, a city-wide ban forbids Chicago restaurants from selling foie gras. In protest, Connie's Pizza in Chicago is selling pizza topped with foie gras. Robert Siegel talks with Ivan Matsunaga, executive vice president of Connie's, who says that Connie's has sold "a few dozen" foie gras pizzas.
• Obama Faces Welcomes, Expectations in Africa
  While Sen. Barak Obama (D-IL) is seen as a rising star in U.S. politics, the same could be said in Africa. Currently on a two-week visit to the continent, Obama's appearances are meeting with excitement and anticipation. That's especially true of his visit to the Kenyan town where Obama's father was born. Melissa Block talks with Los Angeles Times Nairobi Bureau Chief Edmund Sanders, who detailed the residents' expectations.
• Israeli Reservists Fault Leadership on Lebanon
  A growing number of Israeli reserve soldiers, frustrated at the way the war with Hezbollah was managed, are calling for senior political and military officials to resign. Some soldiers have launched a petition drive; others are protesting outside Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office. Many soldiers say they lacked vital equipment and were misled by dithering leaders.
• Overhauling Welfare: Lessons from Georgia
  Even before President Clinton signed the welfare law on Aug. 22, 1996, it was determined that the states would take the lead in moving welfare recipients into the workforce. Georgia is considered a model for reducing its caseload. But critics say that's come at a high cost for some poor families.
• Death by Body Mass: New Increments in Debate
  A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that being even a bit overweight can potentially kill you -- or at least increase your chances of premature death. The finding comes from an analysis of 527,000 AARP members.
• Rewriting the Social Contract in New Orleans
  Commentator Michael Depp says that most things in New Orleans -- from a traffic intersection to the lack of a citywide rebuilding plan -- are a re-negotiation of the social contract.
• Uncle Sam Keeps Grip on Man's Seized $124K
  Last week, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in the case of U.S. v. $124,700 that Nebraska police were correct to seize money from a California man who'd been stopped for a speeding ticket. A drug-sniffing dog detected the smell of narcotics on the money.
• Writing, Hearing: An Old Typewriter
  Listener Jim Apfelbaum of Austin, Texas, takes us back in time as he praises the sounds of his typewriter as part of our series "SoundClips."

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