Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Embedded in Iraq
  National Public Radio reporter John McChesney spent the last four days embedded with the Charlie Company of Minnesota National Guard troops from the 2nd battalion -- 136th Infantry. He joined us via sattelite phone from Logistical Supply Area, Anaconda, 50 miles north of Baghdad to share his impressions of the Minnesota soldiers there.4:16 p.m.
• Pawlenty to head trade mission to India
  Minnesota business leaders to India later this year. Pawlenty announced Tuesday his plans for a seven-day, three-city trade mission in October.4:49 p.m.
• Skin infection halts high school wrestling
  High school wresting was suspended across Minnesota on Tuesday because of an outbreak of a skin infection. The Minnesota State High School League says 24 individual cases of herpes gladiatorum have been confirmed.5:23 p.m.
• It's pines vs. planes on Park Point
  The Sky Harbor Airport on Duluth's Park Point is under pressure to cut nearby trees to meet safety standards. But these are old-growth trees, and a lot of people don't want them cut.5:49 p.m.
• Are trade missions worth it?
  In 2005, Gov. Pawlenty brought a 200-member delegation to China and this October the governor is planning to take a smaller group to India. To find out what makes trade missions like these important to Minnesotans, we called Charlie Cole. He is the director of international sales for American Polywater Corporation in Stillwater. He was a delegate on the governor's China mission in 2005.5:53 p.m.
• No merger for NWA this year, official says
  Northwest Airlines CEO Doug Steenland says the airline has no plans for a merger this year, and intends to keep its headquarters in Minnesota.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Judiciary Panel Ponders Congress Ending War
  Sen. Russ Feingold, an anti-war Democrat from Wisconsin, chairs a hearing of the Judiciary Committee, exploring what powers Congress has to end a war — specifically, the one raging in Iraq.
• At Confirmation Hearing, Fallon Suggests New Goals
  Adm. William Fallon, the naval officer nominated to head U.S. Central Command, tells a Senate panel that the military should lower its expectations for sudden success in Iraq. "Maybe we ought to redefine the goals here," Fallon said.
• Ohio Considers a Draft System for Poll Workers
  Ohio's new Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner says that her first priority is to reform the state's election system. Facing a shortage of poll workers, Brunner is proposing to draft poll workers, making the service an obligation similar to jury duty.
• Saving the World in Ethiopia: One Child at a Time
  Independent producer Jake Warga visits a friend who is doing health-relief work in Ethiopia. The woman makes sacrifices and finds herself in odd situations. To Warga, she is a real –- flawed — hero.
• New American Noir: Sakey's 'Blade'
  The title of Marcus Sakey's first novel, The Blade Itself, comes from a line from Homer. But the novel itself comes straight out of the new American noir tradition.
• Many Youths Long to Leave Kurdistan Behind
  Authorities have managed to protect semi-autonomous Kurdistan from the violence tearing the rest of Iraq apart, but internal problems are growing. Many young Kurds want to leave the region.
• Talabani's Role in Iraq: Mr. Big?
  Robert Siegel talks with New Yorker writer Jon Lee Anderson about his profile of the Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani. Titled "Mr. Big," the piece examines Talabani's impressive management of his numerous and often conflicting allegiances — including those with the United States and Iran.
• Teen Mayor Takes Charge of Oregon Town
  At just 18 years old, Kyle Corbin was recently inaugurated as mayor of Union, Ore. Voters hope that Corbin's fresh young face will end years of political bickering among senior-citizen-age city council members.
• A Stone Tower That Vibrates with Sound
  Listener Jim Milstein of Pagosa Springs, Colo., built a stone tower. When he strums the steel guard rails inside, the parts of the cylindrical structure vibrate, making the whole thing a musical instrument.
• Reporter Contradicts Libby's Testimony About Agent
  Former New York Times reporter Judith Miller testifies that Lewis "Scooter" Libby first discussed an undercover CIA agent with her weeks before his stated recollection. Libby is the former vice presidential aide accused of lying to FBI agents and a grand jury about the CIA leak.

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