Here's your Daily Digest for Thursday, Feb. 16:

A Nigerian man who admitted to the attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight has been sentenced to life in prison, according to the Associated Press. The man intended to blow up Flight 253 on Christmas Day 2009, but the small bomb hidden in his underwear failed to detonate correctly. Other passengers detained the man until the plane, which was en route to Detroit from Amsterdam, was able to land..

Northshore Mining Co. will pay over $240,000 for violating air quality regulations at its Silver Bay plant. The Star Tribune reports the plant has been emitting unhealthy levels of a fine dust related to the production and storage of taconite pellets. In addition to paying the fine, and improving its dust control efforts, the company has offered to fund an upgrade of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's air-quality-monitoring network.

NBC singing competition The Voice has enjoyed a ratings surge in its second season thanks in part to its premier directly after the Super Bowl. According to USA Today, the show is pulling in big numbers for struggling NBC. It could soon overtake reality TV titan American Idol, which has inspired countless other TV competitions since its debut in 2002.

By Emily Mongan