NPR 2011-02-22

Opposition 1 groups declare they are in control of several more cities in Libya, among them Benghazi, the country's second largest city. Cheers ring out during a demonstration 2 in which men were seen climbing onto a tank outside a burned-out government building. They're demanding Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi resign, and he's coming under even more pressure to step down. More diplomats 4 overseas are calling for Gaddafi's resignation. And at home, the justice minister has resigned in protest.

Iranian opposition leaders are condemning 5 the German foreign minister for visiting Tehran during violent crackdowns on demonstrators. As NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from Bahrain, the visit did win the release of two German journalists held in Iran.

Opposition websites and officials blasted the rare official visit by Germany's top diplomat 3 Guido Westerwelle to Tehran. Westerwelle was accused of trying to appease 6 the mullahs. Berlin defended the visit as an essential humanitarian 7 mission to secure the release of two German journalists, who were arrested while trying to interview the family member of a woman sentenced to be stoned to death for adultery. Germany said Westerwelle had succeeded in bringing the two journalists home to Berlin on his plane. There was no new information on two American hikers, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, who have been held for more than a year and a half. Opposition websites reported violent crackdowns by security forces against anti-government demonstrators in Tehran and other cities yesterday. Peter Kenyon, NPR News.

The fight over union rights shows no sign of slowing down in Wisconsin. Public workers have marched on Wisconsin's State Capitol, demanding Republican Governor Scott Walker abandon all attempts to take away their collective bargaining rights, but Walker isn't wavering. He says the measure's necessary to address a projected 3.6-billion-dollar budget deficit 8. 

A budget battle is also raging in Indiana. WFYI's Marian Holland reports from Indianapolis that police estimate thousands of mostly union workers turned up at the Indiana Statehouse today, where lawmakers are taking up so-called "Right-to-Work" legislation.

There are several labor 9 bills before the Indiana legislature including one to prohibit union membership and fees from being a condition of employment. Backers argue it would attract more business to the state. But opponents, such as Eddlem Malley, a firefighter and union president from Hammond, Indiana, who spoke 10 at the committee hearing, says the proposed new laws won't help bring good jobs to the state.

"This is the first step into union-busting tactics. This is something that we have to nip in the bud, vote against this and show the rest of America that we support our brothers and sisters of blue collar and of our labor."

The committee approved the bill, and it now goes to the full Republican-controlled House for consideration. For NPR News, I'm Marian Holland in Indianapolis.

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A wintry mix of snow and freezing rain this Presidents' Day is snarling 11 ground and air travel in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern US. Flight delays are reported out of the New York area. The same system forced hundreds of flight cancellations in and out of the Upper Midwest, which was pounded yesterday. The storm generated freezing rain and snow in several states including Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The tiny Baltic country of Estonia is in mourning a day after a fire engulfed 12 an orphanage 13. Jessica Gallaher reports at least ten people were killed.

A national day of mourning has been declared in Estonia. Flags are at half-staff as the nation remembers the victims in a fire on Sunday. Officials say the blaze tore through a home for disabled orphans 14, where most of the residents were bedridden or wheelchair-bound. The fire broke out in the northwestern seaside town of Haapsalu, some 60 miles west of the capital of Tallinn. The government says it was the nation's deadliest care-home fire in a decade. Officials say the victims included eight children between the ages of 7 and 16 and two disabled adults. Officials say the victims died of smoke inhalation. The cause of the blaze has yet to be determined 15. Fire officials say the building passed the safety inspection 16 last month. For NPR News, I'm Jessica Gallaher in Moscow.

This hour, NASA puts its countdown clocks back to work for what engineers are hoping will be a successful blastoff for space shuttle Discovery this Thursday. They say the weather outlook is good. Discovery was scheduled to launch for the last time back in November, but it's been grounded since then after engineers discovered a hydrogen gas leak and cracks in the external fuel tank.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.