Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• New Wild owner says 'it ain't broke;' won't make big changes
  The man who brought professional hockey back to Minnesota is passing the torch. Bob Naegele said Thursday he's selling his majority stake in the Wild to Craig Leipold. Both men are going to great lengths to assure Wild fans that nothing's really changing.5:20 p.m.
• Northwest merger rumors are flying
  The head of Delta Airlines reportedly plans to seek permission from its board Friday to begin merger talks with both Northwest Airlines and United Airlines. A Wall Street Journal article cites unnamed sources close to the matter, saying Atlanta-based Delta would then choose between the two carriers.5:24 p.m.
• Feds cut $270 million from NE Minnesota research project
  The people planning a $270 million physics experiment in northeast Minnesota got an unhappy surprise just before Christmas. The NOvA project was cut from a federal spending bill that passed Congress a couple of weeks ago.5:50 p.m.
• Man turns to Craigslist in search for missing wallaby
  When David Carlson's pet wallaby went missing, he did what any loving pet owner would do...he turned to Craigslist.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Climber Edmund Hillary, Everest Pioneer, Dies at 88
  The first man to summit Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary, has died. He was 88. In 1953, Hillary and his team reached the mountain's south peak. He and sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the only two to make the summit. Hillary's friend and fellow climber David Breashears says Hillary dedicated much of his life to supporting the Sherpas.
• Soldier Had Prepared Blog Post About His Death
  Major Andrew Olmsted blogged about his death, long before it happened. The 37-year-old blogger from Colorado created a "final post" and told a friend to post it if anything happened. Last Thursday, Olmsted was killed by a sniper. Shortly after, the entry went up.
• In Battle of Elephants and Ants, Trees Win Big
  On the African savannah, elephants fight an endless war with ants that live on small thorn trees that the pachyderms like to eat. When researchers separated the ants and the elephants, the trees were the biggest losers.
• Bush in West Bank, Proposes Steps to Peace Deal
  After talks Thursday with Palestinian leaders in the West Bank, President Bush again said he believes a Middle East peace accord could be signed by the time he leaves office, and he had some ideas about what the agreement should stipulate.
• U.S. Wary of Warming Syrian-Turkish Ties
  Syria is rapidly improving relations with Turkey, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. This development could have substantial repercussions in the region — and particularly for Washington, which views Damascus as a dangerous regime.
• Mich., S.C., Pose Different Challenges for Romney
  After second-place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has struggled to get into the pack of Republican presidential front-runners. His family ties could help him in Michigan, but appealing to the GOP's Southern base in South Carolina poses a real challenge.
• John Kerry Rallies with Obama in South Carolina
  Barack Obama won the endorsement Thursday of the Democrat's previous presidential nominee, John Kerry. They spoke together in South Carolina, where the Democratic primary is less than two weeks away. Kerry's endorsement was a slight to Hillary Clinton and to John Edwards, Kerry's running mate in 2004.
• U.S. Planes Strike Al-Qaida Hideouts Near Baghdad
  U.S. and Iraqi forces are in the midst of "Operation Phantom Phoenix," a wide-scale offensive aimed at eliminating pockets of al-Qaida north and south of Baghdad. The operation involves thousands of troops. U.S. warplanes are also involved. Earlier Thursday, they carried out a major bombing raid on one suspected al-Qaida hideout.
• Some Say U.S. May Shift to Peacekeeping in Iraq
  Some administration advisers say if security conditions continue to improve, the United States may be able to shift its mission in Iraq away from war-fighting by the end of this year. Others say Iraq's political leaders are far from making the needed compromises to temper sectarian tension.
• Economists Examine Stimulus Options
  The Bush administration and Congress are weighing how to respond to a slowing economy. At a Washington think tank on Thursday, some of the country's best-known economists gathered to discuss possible solutions.

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