Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Appetites: Pass the creamy, fresh, seasonal butter
  On the table this week: butter, and plenty of it. The Splendid Table's Lynne Rosetto Kasper is here to convince us that, when it comes to butter, different really can be better.3:50 p.m.
• Q & A: Miami's superintendent on education issues in Fla. and Minn.
  Miami-Dade School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho spoke earlier Wednesday at the United Way's Education Forum on the State of Education in Minnesota, and he joins MPR's Tom Crann on All Things Considered.4:49 p.m.
• Dayton's budget: Key lawmakers take wait-and-see approach
  Gov. Mark Dayton's sweeping tax and spending proposal faced a second day of scrutiny Wednesday at the State Capitol. Republicans criticized his education budget for not including money to cover $1.2 billion in delayed payments to schools. And the DFL tax chairs in the House and Senate took a wait-and-see approach to his proposed overhaul of the state tax code.5:20 p.m.
• Murder charges in Minn. overdose cases on the rise
  Drug dealers have a new reason to consider the consequences of their trade. Last year, Minnesota prosecutors charged more dealers for murder in overdose cases than at any time in the last decade.5:24 p.m.
• Metro counties ponder Dayton's proposed transit tax
  Transit supporters and opponents are reacting to a call by Gov. Dayton for a new quarter cent sales tax for the seven-county metro area. The money raised would go toward funding more transit projects in the region, including light rail and bus lines.5:50 p.m.
• Sheriffs, courts push Legislature to act on mental health, gun issues
  A group of sheriffs and court officials is calling for changes to the state's mental health and criminal justice systems that they say will help reduce gun violence.5:54 p.m.
• Appetites: Pass the creamy, fresh, seasonal butter
  On the table this week: butter, and plenty of it. The Splendid Table's Lynne Rosetto Kasper is here to convince us that, when it comes to butter, different really can be better.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• House Pushes Off Debt Ceiling Deadline For Three Months
  The House of Representatives approved a three month suspension of the debt-ceiling law to put off the immediate threat of a default.
• Durbin: 'We're Buying What We Can Get' With Debt Ceiling Extension
  Robert Siegel talks to Illinois Senator and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin about Wednesday's House vote to extend the debt ceiling.
• David Cameron: EU Membership Should Be Up To British People
  British Prime Minister David Cameron delivered a long-awaited speech on Britain's relationship to the European Union on Wednesday. Cameron is under pressure from the growing U.K. Independence Party to pull Britain out of the EU and he has said he is seeking "fresh consent" from the British public to continue in the EU on "renegotiated" terms. He promised to hold a referendum on whether Britain should withdraw if his party retains power after elections in 2015. If the U.K. pulls out, it would weaken the EU significantly. But it could also diminish Britain's clout and that of its closest ally, the United States
• In Lower Manhattan, Sandy Still Keeping Businesses Dark
  Almost three months after Superstorm Sandy, parts of lower Manhattan are limping along to recovery. More than 20 large buildings are without power, and many businesses remain closed and boarded up. Even businesses that are open are struggling without the old foot traffic.
• Burning Cheese Closes Norwegian Road For Days
  A specialty Norwegian cheese, brunost, proved so flammable that it burned for several days, badly damaging a Norwegian road tunnel.
• U.S. Military Seeks Its Role In Troubled North Africa
  The U.S. Africa Command, designed to strengthen defense relationships in Africa, is still trying to define its mission. African states have been wary, while the State Department and aid groups also express concerns. But growing conflicts in the region may soon put AFRICOM to the test.
• Nomadic 'Blue Men' Of Sahara Receive New Attention With Mali Fighting
  Since the Libyan rebellion that ousted Moammar Qaddafi and the fighting in Mali, there has been occasional mention of the Tuareg. The nomadic people of the Sahara are sometimes called the "blue people" for the indigo color of their clothing. Robert Siegel talks to Bruce Whitehouse, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology at Lehigh University, about the Tuareg.
• Teenager Who Beat Serena Williams Thrust Into Spotlight After Win
  Melissa Block speaks with Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim about rising tennis star Sloane Stephens, the 19-year-old who beat superstar Serena Williams at the Australian Open.
• Rand Paul Calls Out Hillary Clinton Over Indian Comedy Tour
  Sen. Rand Paul asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday if she knew that the State Department sent three comedians on a tour of India. We talk to one of the comedians about what it's like to be a political football.
• 'Friends' Will Be There For You At Beijing's Central Perk
  A Chinese man in Beijing has set up a cafe identical to the New York hangout on the hit TV show. For owner Du Xin, Friends is "like a religion" — and he's not the only one. He's opened a second Central Perk in Shanghai, capitalizing on the Chinese fondness for the six friends and their laid-back, freewheeling lives.

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