Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Some biofuels can add to global warming
  A new study by a Minnesota researcher says when biofuel crops are grown on land that's converted from natural prairie or forest, they'll not only fail to reduce global warming; they could actually make it worse.5:19 p.m.
• The view from the street (and skyway) of Macy's layoffs
  News that Macy's will lay off 950 employees in downtown Minnepolis has city officials assessing the impacts.5:23 p.m.
• Dr. Jon Hallberg: Rx abuse on the rise
  MPR's Tom Crann talks to regular medical analyst Dr. Jon Hallberg about the prescription medications that drug abusers are seeking more of.5:44 p.m.
• Minnesotans react to Romney withdrawal
  Some high-profile Minnesota Republicans are feeling low this afternoon with the news that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is dropping out the presidential race.5:51 p.m.
• Commentary: Community trumps chaos in crowded caucuses
  Long lines, impossible parking and poor organization frustrated many Minnesota caucus-goers on Super Tuesday. Commentator Rosemary Williams stood in the lines, and was surprised by the people she met.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Washington Democrats Brace for Record Turnout
  Washington state Democrats are holding a presidential preference caucus Saturday that's expected to draw more than twice as many participants as past contests. Interest has skyrocketed as coverage of Super Tuesday dominated the media, and both campaigns find themselves overwhelmed.
• Explaining Disparities in Democrats' Delegate Tallies
  Since Tuesday, different news organizations have been reporting various different tallies of delegates for each candidate, with some putting Barack Obama ahead and others Hillary Clinton. Democratic strategist Tad Devine explains why the disparities are so significant.
• Will Conservative Romney Fans Shift to McCain?
  Vin Weber, policy chairman for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, says some conservatives have spoken out strongly against John McCain, but that was easier to do when they had Romney as an alternative.
• Bush Expected to OK Stimulus Plan, Tax Rebates
  Congress has passed an economic stimulus bill that will send tax rebates of up to $600 to millions of Americans, and $1,200 to couples. The Senate passed the bill Thursday afternoon after dropping controversial additions, such as extended benefits for the unemployed. The measure now goes to President Bush.
• Letters: Election Issues, Georgia Drought, Sit-In
  Michele Norris and Robert Siegel read from listeners' e-mails, including responses to our coverage of Super Tuesday, our series on candidates' positions on four major issues, and the drought in Georgia. We also hear a reflection on our interview with a Greensboro student who protested a whites-only lunch counter in 1960.
• Planning Aids Tornado Response in Tenn. County
  In the South, Thursday was another day of digging out the remains of lives upended by tornadoes Tuesday night. The death toll in five states climbed to 57. Emergency workers poured in to help survivors. In Sumner County, Tenn., local officials say they knew just what to do.
• British Archbishop: Law Must Accommodate Muslims
  In a radio broadcast Thursday, the Archbishop of Canterbury said he believes some aspects of Islamic "sharia" law will be introduced into Britain, saying it's "unavoidable" that British law would have to accommodate Muslim practices. His statement was welcomed by some Muslim groups, but the government was quick to distance itself.
• Dozens Charged in Mob Sting Spanning Five Years
  Federal prosecutors have rounded up as many as 60 people, many of them alleged members of the Gambino crime family, and charged them in a 170-page indictment with murders, drug trafficking, conspiracy, illegal gambling and extortion. The five-year investigation yielded one of the largest organized crime stings in decades.
• Undersea Hazards Disrupt Mideast Internet Access
  Around the Middle East and India, millions of people have been dealing with Internet outages or slowdowns because of breaks in several underwater cables in the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. Repair efforts are under way on the undersea cables that enable the Internet to make its way around the world.
• Romney Leaves Race, Cements McCain's Lead
  Mitt Romney suspended his campaign for president Thursday, bowing to the mathematical logic that says John McCain will be the nominee of the Republican Party. Romney had poured tens of millions of dollars from his personal fortune into an effort that left him hundreds of delegates behind McCain.
• Study: Ethanol Worse for Climate Than Gasoline
  Biofuels like corn ethanol have been hailed as climate-friendly fuels. But new research says that the global effects of losing agricultural land for corn ethanol production will result in twice the carbon emissions of gasoline. The finding could force major changes in the biofuels industry.
• Army Blames 'Miscommunication' in Fort Drum Flap
  Army Surgeon General Eric Schoomaker says he was mistaken when he denied that the Army had told the Veterans Affairs Department not to help injured soldiers challenge their disability ratings. Schoomaker says the whole thing was a misunderstanding, and it is fine for the VA to help the soldiers.
• Conservatives a Test for McCain After Romney's Exit
  Mitt Romney is suspending his presidential campaign — further cementing John McCain's role as the likely Republican nominee. Romney said if he were to continue his campaign, it would delay the launching of a national effort against the Democrats. But McCain still has a task ahead of him: winning over dubious conservatives.
• Flow of Iraqis Returning Home from Syria Slows
  The U.N. refugee agency says the flow of Iraqi refugees returning from Syria has slowed, and most are returning because they exhausted their savings, not because they believe Iraq is safer. More than 2 million Iraqis have fled since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Those who return say they feel very uncertain about the future.
• History Passes Away with World War I Veteran
  Harry Richard Landis, a veteran of World War I, died in Florida on Monday at age 108. It is widely believed that Landis' death leaves only one surviving American veteran of the Great War: 107-year-old Frank Buckles of Charles Town, W.Va.

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