Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Xcel turns to the wind
  Renewable energy sources like wind and hydro-power make up only 10 percent of Xcel's current power generation.4:50 p.m.
• Merger pressures likely to continue despite US Airways dropping bid for Delta
  US Airways is calling off its bid for Delta Air Lines. But industry analysts expect the pressure to merge that's facing Eagan-based Northwest Airlines and other carriers will continue.5:20 p.m.
• South Dakota Senate takes action against Sen. Sutton
  Members of the South Dakota Senate voted to condemn Sen. Dan Sutton (D-Flandreau) for allegations that he behaved inappropriately with a teenage legislative page.5:25 p.m.
• Health Department: Flu complications kill 8-year-old
  The child had no underlying medical conditions and hadn't been vaccinated against the flu, said Kris Ehresmann, head of immunizations at the Minnesota Health Department. Hospital testing identified the flu strain as influenza type A, she said.5:50 p.m.
• Public safety concerns now on both sides of electronic billboard debate
  The Department of Public Safety and Clear Channel Outdoor announced Wednesday that the missing-children alerts would be carried on six digital billboards immediately. The announcement comes as some communities try to ban the billboards.5:55 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Second by Law: New Hampshire's Primary
  In New Hampshire, it's more than a tradition to hold the nation's first presidential primary; it's the law. Since 1975, New Hampshire's secretary of state has been required to set a date for the primary that comes before any other contests. Iowa is the sole exception.
• California Considers Moving Primary to February
  California is thinking about moving its June presidential primary to Feb. 5, so that voters in the Golden State will have more say in picking the nominees. The national impact could be enormous. But critics say it could result in a candidate that hasn't really been tested.
• U.S., Iran Find a Proxy Battleground in Iraq
  The conflict in Iraq is beginning to look like a proxy war between the United States and Iran.
• Iran's Pollution Worries Come by Air and Water
  The Islamic Republic of Iran is facing a growing domestic problem: pollution. The air quality in Tehran was recently called a "collective suicide" by an Iranian environmental official. But air pollution is just one of Iran's environmental woes. In its northern region, the Caspian Sea — the world's largest lake — is so contaminated that delicate ecological areas are at risk. Nazanin Rafsanjani reported on the Caspian Sea region as the NPR-Bucksbaum Fellow, part of the International Reporting Project.
• Reporter Says Libby, Rove Told Him of Plame's Work
  At the Lewis Libby trial in Washington, D.C., a second journalist testifies under subpoena about conversations with his secret sources. One of those sources was Libby. Another was Bush aide Karl Rove. The reporter, Time magazine's Matt Cooper, said he talked with both Libby and Rove about the identity of undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame.
• PBS Launches Documentary on U.S. Supreme Court
  The PBS documentary series The Supreme Court presents a detailed view of how the nation's top court has helped to shape American history. Law professor Jeffrey Rosen has written a book to complement the series, which begins tonight.
• British Police Arrest Men for Plotting Terrorist Act
  Police in the British city of Birmingham have arrested nine people accused of planning a terrorist act. Media reports say they planned to kidnap and possibly kill a British Muslim soldier and post video of their actions on the Internet. The arrests were concentrated in an area of Birmingham that has a large Muslim population.
• New Leaders in Congress Show Some Old Tricks
  Before they took over the House of Representatives, Democrats promised to run a very different show than Republicans. But as the House takes up the continuing resolution — which will fund most of the federal government through the fiscal year — the new party in power is freezing out the old.
• The Post-Grindin' Clipse Bring New Raps
  The Clipse are two brothers named Thornton from Virginia who in 2002 had a hit single called "Grindin'" that they never managed to follow up. Our music critic Robert Christgau tells us about their travails.
• Attorney General Promises to Detail Spying Program
  Attorney General Alberto Gonzales tells Congress that he will hand over some legal documents describing the Bush administration's domestic surveillance program. The pledge ends a two-week standoff between Congress and the White House.

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