Disasters

Minnesotans struggle to reach family in Myanmar
The Twin Cities is home to about 1,000 people from the former Burma. The relatives of many of those who live in the hard-hit storm region are still waiting to hear the fate of their loved ones.
Death toll in China earthquake up to nearly 9,000
One of the worst earthquakes in decades struck central China on Monday, killing nearly 9,000 people, trapping about 900 students under the rubble of their school and causing a toxic chemical leak, state media reported.
Minn. connections to Myanmar cyclone
Members of Minnesota's ethnic Karen community are worried about the deadly cyclone that has ravaged their native Myanmar, killing more than an estimated 22,464 people.
New 35W bridge may open in Sept., three months early
Work on the new Interstate 35W bridge is progressing so well that construction managers said Saturday they expect to open it by mid-September instead of late December as originally scheduled.
DWIs highest in Midwest; Minnesota is third
The upper Midwest has the worst drunken driving rates in the country, according to a government report, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The worst five are Wisconsin, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota.
NTSB bridge probe attracts congressional attention
The NTSB's handling of the 35W bridge collapse investigation will be a large part of a congressional hearing today. Morning Edition's Cathy Wurzer speaks with MPR reporter Sea Stachura in Washington about the hearing.