Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Wetterling Foundation ponders its future in a political world
  Jacob Wetterling Foundation officials say they've been considering the name change for several years, but one board member says Patty Wetterling's political campaign is also playing a role in the possible change.5:19 p.m.
• Cellphone suit appealed to Supreme Court
  Attorney General Mike Hatch wants to take a legal battle over Minnesota cell phone contracts to the U.S. Supreme Court. Hatch today filed an appeal asking the high court to reinstate a Minnesota law that forces more transparency from cell phone companies that want to change their rates in the middle of a customer's contract. Late last year a federal appeals court struck down the 2004 law at the request of cell phone companies. Host Stephen John talked with Hatch.5:23 p.m.
• A one-newspaper Twin Cities?
  McClatchy Company, which owns the Minneapolis Star Tribune, is reportedly the top bidder for the parent company of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.5:49 p.m.
• Memorial to Kirby
  Many Minnesota sports fans are still dealing with the shock from earlier in the week, when it was learned that Twins great Kirby Puckett had died of a stroke at the age of 45. Now, his old team is looking to pack the Metrodome one more time, in his honor. A public memorial service is scheduled for Sunday evening for the long-time center. Among Puckett's friends and former colleagues scheduled to speak are Kent Hrbek, Torii Hunter, Tom Kelly, Harmon Killebrew. To tell us more about planning for the Kirby Puckett Memorial, Host Stephen John talked with Twins spokesperson Peter Martin.5:53 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Questions Remain in Aftermath of Dubai Ports Deal
  The deal for a Dubai company to operate some U.S. ports appears to be undone. Youssef M. Ibrahim, managing director of Dubai-based risk consultancy Strategic Energy Investment Group, and Daren Fonda of Time magazine talk with Melissa Block about the aftermath of the deal.
• Other Nations Wary of Tough Talk on Iran
  The rhetoric has been escalating in Washington as the U.N. Security Council considers how to push Iran to abandon a suspected nuclear weapons program. The United States wants to isolate Iran and its leaders, but other nations are far more cautious, given the Bush administration's record in Iraq.
• Congress Adds New Requirements to Welfare Law
  Almost unnoticed, Congress has renewed the landmark 1996 welfare law, adding new work requirements for states and families that receive assistance. Each state will have to show that 50 percent of people who get welfare payments are working or training for jobs, a target only a few states have met.
• Irrational Exuberance: Editing Greenspan's Memoirs
  Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan has signed a deal with Penguin Press to publish his memoirs. NPR's Jeremy Hobson offers a satirical look into the future of what a conversation between Greenspan and his editor might be like as they tweak the final draft of the book.
• Panel's Report Assigns No Blame in Levee Failures
  A government panel issues preliminary findings about why New Orleans' levees failed after Hurricane Katrina. The 800-page report concludes that the disaster wasn't due to faulty work by the Corps or anyone else. That's at odds with conclusions reached by two other independent teams.
• Gaza Cargo Closure a Hardship for Palestinians
  Israel's closure of the main cargo crossing point into Gaza Strip is causing severe strains for Palestinians. Food is running short in Palestinian markets, prices are soaring and farmers say they've had to dump hundreds of tons of produce because the Israeli-controlled export route is closed.
• Italy's Berlusconi Tries to Resurrect His Popularity
  Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi faces a general election next month. The Italian economy is foundering, and Berlusconi's support for the war in Iraq has been deeply unpopular in Italy. His TV campaign has been curtailed by election rules, but even so, Berlusconi's face is everywhere.
• Monterrey, Mexico: Latin Alternative Central
  Last year no fewer than eight bands from Monterrey, Mexico, were invited to play at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. Some have called Monterrey the Seattle of Latin Alternative music, in reference to Seattle's role in the early 1990s as the incubator of grunge rock.
• Interior Secretary's Departure Surprises Observers
  Interior Secretary Gale Norton announces she is resigning her post and will leave at the end of March. Norton says she wants to pursue opportunities in the private sector, but the suddenness of her departure surprises many observers.
• CIA Ordered to Hand Over Briefings to Libby Team
  A federal judge orders the CIA to turn over highly classified intelligence briefings involving Vice President Dick Cheney to the defense team of Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Libby is charged with perjury and obstruction of justice in the investigation of the outing of a CIA operative.

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