Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Adventurous rabbit is Kate DiCamillo's newest hero
  Perhaps it's appropriate that Valentine's Day marks the release of Minneapolis author Kate DiCamillo's newest novel, "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane." The book is, first and foremost, about love.4:46 p.m.
• Parents want civil rights investigation in Waubun
  A group of American Indian parents is calling for an investigation of the Waubun, Minnesota school district. About 70 percent of the students attending Waubun schools are American Indian. The parents allege the civil rights of Indian students are being violated by school employees. The school says the complaints come from a small group of disgruntled parents. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson reports.5:15 p.m.
• Warning to businesses -- prepare for flu pandemic
  Business leaders from Minnesota and around the nation are being urged to to get moving on their bird flu pandemic response plans. Some of the nations top health officials delivered that message at a summit in Minneapolis Tuesday.5:19 p.m.
• Pawlenty aims to extend emergency Medicare help for seniors
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the federal government have reached an agreement to ensure that low-income Minnesota seniors continue to get their medicine in the coming weeks.5:46 p.m.
• Commentary: Valentine's Day
  Right about this time of day on Valentine's Day is when more than a few of us panic about bringing home the appropriately romantic holiday gift -- flowers, chocolates, perhaps a sparkling trinket. But to give a gift truly befitting a "celebration of love," commentator Nanci Olesen suggests we aim a little higher.5:53 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• U.K. Seeks Lead in Stem-Cell Research
  As the debate about embryonic stem-cell research rages in the United States, the United Kingdom is trying to become a leader in this burgeoning field of research. It has launched a stem-cell bank and is building several labs to make pharmaceutical-grade stem cells.
• Palestinians Embrace Hamas as Legitimate Power
  Hamas' landslide victory last month brings the group to the forefront of power in the Palestinian territories. Israel refuses to negotiate with Hamas and calls the group a terrorist organization. But many Palestinians see Hamas as a legitimate force fighting Israeli occupation, as well as a source of charity.
• Video Game Makes Everybody a Graffiti Artist
  As graffiti culture goes mainstream, hip-hop impresario Marc Ecko launches a new game, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. Ecko talks with Robert Siegel about graffiti in modern culture and Robert Holt offers a review of the graffiti game.
• China's Communist Elders Fight Censorship
  A crackdown on the media in China during the past few months met with a rebuttal Tuesday from several former Communist party officials. In an open letter, they lambasted the propaganda department for censorship, including the closure of a progressive publication known as Freezing Point.
• Hearings to Review Human Rights in China
  Google, Yahoo, Cisco and Microsoft will be on the Capitol Hill hot seat for their role in helping the Chinese government monitor and censor the Internet. The House International Relations subcommittee on global human rights will hold hearings Wednesday about high-tech firms doing business in China.
• U.S. Takes Tough Trade Stance With China
  In a report released Tuesday, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman criticizes China and presses it to take steps to improve labor standards and fight copyright piracy. Chinese officials dismiss the report as a show to quiet agitated lawmakers in Congress.
• Cardiologist Sheds Light on Victim's Recovery
  Dr. Stuart F. Seides, associate director of cardiology at the Washington Hospital Center, discusses the potential cardiac care of Harry Whittington, the attorney who was accidentally shot Saturday by Vice President Dick Cheney. Whittington suffered a minor heart attack Tuesday.
• Cheney Shooting Victim Suffers Heart Attack
  Harry Whittington, the Texas lawyer shot by Vice President Dick Cheney in a hunting accident Saturday, suffers a mild heart attack Tuesday while undergoing evaluation of his condition. Doctors are optimistic about his recovery, but will keep him in the hospital another week.
• Snowboard Cross: The Newest Olympic Event
  The newest Olympic sport, Snowboard Cross, is a downhill snowboard race that includes bumps, jumps, and sometimes, full body contact. Michael Bell, a snowboarding coach and the Intermountain Region Representative for the U.S. Snowboarding Association, talks with Michele Norris about the sport.
• Kwan's Departure Leaves Sponsors in a Lurch
  U.S. figure skater Michelle Kwan's withdrawal from the Winter Olympics is creating a headache for commercial sponsors. Coke is pulling one commercial that features male cheerleaders rooting for a Kwan victory. But Visa says it will continue to run commercials featuring her.
• American Ligety Wins Gold in Downhill Skiing
  Ted Ligety steals the spotlight from teammate Bode Miller on Tuesday, capturing the men's combined event at the Winter Games. His gold medal is the first overall medal for the American alpine ski team. Ligety had two superb slalom runs in an event combining downhill and slalom.
• Novel Imagines One True Love For Casanova
  In memoirs of the legendary lover Giacomo Casanova, author Arthur Japin found pages describing a woman named Lucia. Casanova fell in love with her, but then she disappeared. In his new novel In Lucia's Eyes, Japin suggests that Casanova's many subsequent love affairs were an effort to evade the pain of the one who got away.
• U.S. Denies Plan to Isolate Hamas
  Steven Erlanger, New York Times Jerusalem bureau chief, talks with Robert Siegel about claims that the United States and Israel are trying to sabotage the political success of newly elected Hamas officials in the Palestinian government. The U.S. government says it has no such plan to destabilize Hamas.
• Lebanese Mark Assassination Anniversary
  Hundreds of thousands of flag-waving Lebanese pack central Beirut on Tuesday, exactly one year after a bomb attack killed former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. A U.N. investigation suggests that Syrian officials played a role in the assassination, something Syria denies.
• Hindu Parents Challenge California Textbooks
  In California, Hindu parents are taking aim at textbooks from the state's public schools. Two groups are demanding revisions, claiming that some history texts shortchange the Hindu culture. The case raises questions of how far the state should go to accommodate these groups and others with complaints.

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor