Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Fired MnDOT emergency manager wants her job back
  Sonia Morphew Pitt, the emergency manager fired by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, is appealing her termination and seeking reinstatement, according to her attorney.5:20 p.m.
• Snow slows Twin Cities evening rush hour; snarls Duluth too
  A snowstorm that peaked in time for the evening commute slowed traffic to an agonizing crawl across the Twin Cities on Tuesday. Meanwhile, West Duluth reported snowfall totals of 13 inches.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Questions Arise About White House's Iran Timeline
  The new National Intelligence Estimate is raising questions about what the White House knew — and when. The estimate judged that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003. President Bush has recently portrayed Iran as a nuclear threat and pressed for international sanctions.
• Gunman at Omaha Mall Kills Shoppers, Then Himself
  A 20-year-old man opened fire Wednesday afternoon at the Westroads Mall in Omaha, Neb., killing shoppers before turning the gun on himself.
• GPS Shortcuts Steer Trucks to English Towns
  The ever-rising popularity of global positioning systems has brought a ton of trucks barreling through small English villages. Truck drivers' GPS show the towns' roads as shortcuts. But streets in Wedmore, England, are not wide enough for both the cars and the lorries.
• Missing Canoeist Turns Up, Gets Locked Up
  John Darwin disappeared while canoeing off the British coast in 2002. Last week, he walked into a police precinct and identified himself, saying he could not remember any details of the past five years. He was arrested after reports that his wife recently claimed his life insurance.
• Obama's Campus Campaigning Draws Rebuke
  In Iowa, college kids who hail from other states — including neighboring Illinois — are permitted to vote in the caucuses. Illinois senator and Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama is making their votes a campaign priority, but some question whether the students should be allowed to participate in the caucuses.
• A Dark Side to New Pakistan Army Chief
  Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf hand-picked Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, the former head of Pakistan's military intelligence agency, as his successor to the army chief of staff post. Under Kayani's watch as head of the intelligence service, thousands of suspected terrorists were picked up and simply disappeared.
• Car Bomb Explodes Miles from Secretary Gates
  In Iraq on Wednesday, a deadly car bomb exploded a few miles away from the U.S. secretary of defense. Robert Gates is trying to hammer out details of a "declaration of principles" governing Iraq's relationship with the U.S. military in its country.
• 'Ninja Got Answers' for Hollywood Writers on Strike
  In case you didn't already know, Wednesday is International Ninja Day. To celebrate, the Ninja (of the "Ask a Ninja" Web site) offers advice for the striking Hollywood writers.
• Iraq Correspondent Pessimistic as Tour Ends
  Correspondent Jamie Tarabay has been reporting from Iraq since 2003. She's finishing up her final tour there. Tarabay talks with Melissa Block about her impressions of Iraq today. She says she's pessimistic about Iraq's future but has seen "pockets of hope."
• Baghdad Residents Weigh In on U.S. Security Efforts
  On Tuesday, we spoke with the top American general in Iraq, David Petraeus, about the security situation there. Wednesday, we hear from Iraqis. Reporters in Iraq set out to get assessments from a number of Baghdadis.
• Romney Hopes to Sway Evangelicals with Speech
  Concerned that questions about his Mormon faith are hurting his presidential campaign, Mitt Romney will give a speech on "Faith in America" on Thursday. The situation recalls that faced by John F. Kennedy in 1960, when he gave a historic speech two months before he was elected the first Catholic president.
• Michael Knight Explores Families in 'Holiday Season'
  Alabama native Michael Knight has published a timely book. His pair of novellas, collected under the title The Holiday Season, tell the story of families weathering Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve.
• Court Divided After Day One of Guantanamo Case
  The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday to decide whether prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have the right to challenge their detention in court, using the constitutionally guaranteed procedure called a writ of habeas corpus.
• Small-Town 'Winesburg' Reminds Writer of Home
  Writer Tom Perrotta recommends Sherwood Anderson's classic Winesburg, Ohio — a collection of snapshots of lonely souls and thwarted dreamers who populate a seemingly quaint Midwestern town.
• What's Behind Intelligence Agencies' Iran Reversal?
  What new information could lead 16 intelligence agencies to change their conclusions on Iran? New York Times reporter Mark Mazzetti talks with Melissa Block about how the NIE came together — and what the new estimate says about changes in the intelligence community.

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