We have an update now on a story NPR's been investigating for almost two years. This morning, federal prosecutors filed criminal charges in a 2010 coal mine explosion in West Virginia. Twenty-nine mine workers died in the blast at the Upper Big Branch mine. The charges reach into the management ranks of Massey Energy, the company that operated the mine. NPR's Howard Berkes joins us now for details.
Good morning, Howard.
HOWARD BERKES, BYLINE: Good morning, Renee.
MONTAGNE: Who exactly is charged, and what are they charged with?
This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
And I'm Steve Inskeep. Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times in London spent a career documenting the peril that others faced, which meant the American reporter shared their danger. Her paper says she was killed today by artillery fire that struck the Syrian city of Homs. French officials affirm a French photojournalist has also been killed.
Colvin was a longtime war correspondent who appeared several times on this program, notably from Libya. Last night from Syria, she told CNN that Syria was worse than other conflicts she'd covered.
Activists in the Syrian city of Homs say rockets struck the house where the two journalists were staying. Syrian troops have been shelling the city. French officials identify one journalist as photographer Remi Ochlik. The Sunday Times of London confirms the other was American reporter Marie Colvin.
Buses took Boston area college students to a ski trip in Quebec, Canada. The buses were stopped on the way back, and Vermont state troopers cited 26 students for alcohol. In their defense, the drinking age in Quebec is 18, compared with 21 in the U.S. It was harder though to explain the drugs on board.
When California officials responded to a call in a wealthy Bay area suburb Tuesday, they found that an 85 lbs. German Shepherd named Cody had scared a mountain lion 30 feet up a tree. The dog is smaller than what big cats have been known to eat.
As part of Black History Month, President and Mrs. Obama hosted a musical celebration of the blues Tuesday night. Guests included legends like B.B. King and Mick Jagger.
NPR's Mike Pesca re-acquaints us with the long-gone TV show "The Superstars." It aired on ABC and was a kind of made-for-TV decathlon; it featured all kinds of athletes competing against each other. Olympians and their sports often fared very well.
The trial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is due to end today. Mubarak is accused of ordering the killing of protesters during last year's Arab Spring uprising. The prosecution has demanded the death penalty, but a verdict is not expected for some weeks yet. Steve Inskeep talks to NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson about the trial.
The latest turmoil in Wisconsin involves the redistricting of political boundaries. Shawn Johnson of Wisconsin Public Radio describes the intense partisan bickering over the drawing of the state's new voting maps.
