Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Ethanol plant proposal divides Eyota
  A Minnesota company wants to build an ethanol plant in Eyota, a tiny suburb of Rochester.6:50 a.m.
• U of M light rail tunnel could be back on the table
  U.S. Rep. James Oberstar said recently passed federal legislation could resurrect debate over an underground light-rail tunnel through the University of Minnesota.7:20 a.m.
• Property tax cap stalling legislators
  Gov. Pawlenty and legislative leaders are scheduled to resume budget negotiations later this morning at the Capitol.7:25 a.m.
• Congress set to vote on new farm bill
  Congress is expected to pass a new five-year farm bill this week. After that, the bill will head to President Bush, who has indicated he will veto the $300 billion package. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with Minnesota DFL Congressman Collin Peterson, who chairs the House Agriculture Committee.7:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Cease-Fire Falters, Mistrust Grows in Sadr City
  In Baghdad, a shaky cease-fire between the Iraqi government and militia loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has failed. But on the ground in their stronghold of Sadr City, Mahdi Army members say they're still at war. Sadrists say they'll fight to the death, but some residents say they'd be happy to see the government wipe out the militia.
• Cyclone Highlights Myanmar's Isolation from World
  Diplomats around the world continue talks with Myanmar's military government about bringing relief aid to the country's cyclone victims. The Southeast Asian country, once called Burma, has been under military rule in one form or another since 1962.
• Inflation Calculation Leaves Out Food, Energy Prices
  The government releases new inflation statistics Wednesday, and consumer prices are expected to rise. While the Federal Reserve does keep an eye on inflation, it usually doesn't take food and energy prices into account. David Wessel, economics editor at the Wall Street Journal, talks about the Fed data.
• Lawmakers Press Bush to Tap Petroleum Reserve
  When gas prices go up, Congress tries to do what it can to make them go back down. The Senate votes Tuesday on two measures. Proposals from Democrats and Republicans would stop the federal government's practice of adding 70,000 barrels of oil a day to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
• Quake's Injured Trek for Miles Seeking Help
  On the road to Ganxi, in an area hit hard by Monday's earthquake, NPR's Melissa Block talks with a woman who estimates that 5,000 people died in her town, and meets a boy hobbling with a fractured foot.
• U.S. Railroad Industry Thriving as Economy Slumps
  The railroad freight industry is booming. Executives say higher fuel prices and a weak dollar are helping freight lines. Wick Moorman, CEO of Norfolk Southern, talks about how the industry can thrive despite an economic slump.
• Myanmar Aid: 'Trying to Make the Best of Things'
  The death toll continues to climb in Myanmar. The military government is still refusing to allow foreigners experienced in managing humanitarian crises to reach survivors of the cyclone. Frank Smithuis of Doctors Without Borders in Yangon says aid workers and survivors are "trying to make the best of things."
• Israel at 60: Prospects for Peace
  Israel is commemorating the 60th anniversary of its independence. Michael Oren, a senior fellow at the Jerusalem-based research group Shalem Center, talks about what the anniversary means to Israelis and Palestinians, and how much hope there is for peace talks between the two sides.
• Bush Begins Five-Day Mideast Tour
  President Bush heads to Israel on Tuesday to join in celebrations marking its 60th anniversary. His visit to the Jewish state is the first stop on a five-day trip that will take him to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. President Bush will also work on getting the Middle East peace negotiations back on track.
• HP Offers $14 Billion for Electronic Data Systems
  The world's largest maker of personal computers and printers, Hewlett-Packard, says it is buying technology outsourcing giant Electronic Data Systems for nearly $14 billion.
• 'Times' Reporter in China: Grim Scene Near Epicenter
  In China, rescue workers have been digging through flattened homes and schools in a desperate search for victims of China's worst earthquake in three decades. Mark Magnier, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, says "with each passing hour, it's getting more and more difficult."
• McCain Backs Limits on Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain this week is touting his plans for fighting global warming in the Pacific Northwest. He hopes to win over environmentally minded voters with his plan to reduce greenhouse gases by 60 percent by the year 2050.
• From Sweeper to Capitol Hill Staffer, 'Step By Step'
  For six decades, Bertie Bowman has worked on Capitol Hill. He began as a 13-year-old sweeping the steps, and now he is the hearing scheduler for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In between, he forged friendships with some of the most prominent members of the Senate. Step by Step is his new memoir.
• 'Unspeakable Pain' at Collapsed School in China
  Melissa Block, one of two NPR correspondents who were in China at the time the earthquake struck, visited a school Monday where hundreds of children are feared dead. She recounts the scene where dozens of families, "heads bowed in unspeakable pain," sat with young, lifeless victims.
• Analysis: Politics of Natural Disaster in China
  Co-host Steve Inskeep talks to NPR's Frank Langfitt about Monday's earthquake in China. Langfitt has covered China and spent more than five years in the country as a correspondent for the Baltimore Sun.

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