Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Stephen Burt
  In his latest collection of poems, Parallel Play, Stephen Burt finds inspiraton in classic photos of the New York skyline, rock bands, lines outside night clubs, and the WNBA. His subject matter may be recognizable, but the poems in this collection have a deceptive depth.4:44 p.m.
• Maria Schneider brings big band jazz home to Windom
  Grammy Award-winning jazz composer/bandleader and Minnesota native Maria Schneider is returning to the state with her orchestra for weekend performances at her alma mater, the University of Minnesota, and hometown, Windom. She's now based in New York but her music has roots in Southwestern Minnesota soil.4:52 p.m.
• Pawlenty says state can do better at treating mental illness
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty is proposing millions of dollars in new state spending to improve how the state cares for people suffering from mental illness.5:19 p.m.
• A tour of Yucca Mountain
  Leaders of the Prairie Island Indian Community have complained for years that Minnesota's only dry-cask nuclear waste storage site is quite literally on their doorstep. This week, members of the tribal council had a chance to tour the Nevada storage facility that is their best hope for being rid of the waste that sits just 600 yards from their community. Yesterday, three council members along with representatives from Xcel Energy and the Legislative Electrical Energy Task Force visited Yucca Mountain. The federal government plans to eventually store nearly all of the nation's nuclear waste there. But Congress has been stingy with funding for the facility and some lawmakers want to scrap the project altogether. The on-going controversy over the site has put its 2010 completion date in doubt and could delay removal of the Prairie Island waste beyond 2020. Prairie Island tribal council member Ron Johnson says he was struck by Yucca Mountain's remote location.5:23 p.m.
• Sioux Falls 25 years after Citibank's arrival
  State and local governments spend considerable time, effort and money trying to create more jobs, sometimes with little to show in the end. But 25 years ago this week South Dakota helped launch a job boom with a simple change in state law.5:44 p.m.
• A new bilingual newspaper serves rural Minnesota
  A St. Cloud couple hopes their new magazine is a hit among rural Minnesota's Hispanic population.5:53 p.m.
• Sorting out the Olympics
  Coverage of the Olympic games is, perhaps more than anything else, testament to the theory that the media is the message. From time-shifting broadcasts to excessive attention given to personality conflicts, to all the latest whizbang graphics and video techniques, the winter Olympic coverage just wrapping up from Turin really shapes how we think about the event. To help us sort all of that out, we welcome our new media analyst David Brauer.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Rotavirus Added to Bulky List of Childhood Vaccines
  Health officials recommend adding vaccines for flu and rotavirus to the regimen of childhood immunizations. Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhea in infants and young children. Parents are objecting to the number of advised shots.
• 'Porgy and Bess' as Gershwin Intended
  The Nashville Symphony, conducted by John Mauceri, will perform Porgy and Bess Friday night the way George Gershwin crafted it for its original premiere. It's the first time audiences will hear what the 1935 premiere sounded like -- the version Gershwin worked on before his death in 1937.
• Chicago Fiddler's Music Is a Hit in Ireland
  Irish-American fiddler Liz Carroll joins guitarist John Doyle on her latest CD, In Play. Her music made it from the American Midwest into the canon of Irish traditional tunes. Carroll talks to Melissa Block about the satisfaction of hearing her songs played at Irish fiddle sessions.
• United States Wins Gold in Women's Giant Slalom
  Julia Mancuso delivers a gold medal for the United States in the super giant slalom on the last day of skiing competition at the Winter Olympics in Turin. American speed skater Chad Hedrick takes the silver in the 10,000 meter race, and the United States wins its first medal in curling.
• Curfew Brings Quiet But Iraqis Say Crisis Isn't Over
  An unprecedented daytime curfew imposed by the Iraqi government deters attacks after a recent surge in sectarian violence. Iraqis, however, say that the crisis caused by Wednesday's bombing of a Shiite shrine is far from over, and rumblings of civil war can be heard around Baghdad.
• 'Unknown White Male' Shows the Making of Memory
  The documentary Unknown White Male follows the life of a man who awoke one day at Coney Island with no memory. The film tracks his attempts to get reacquainted with his life and the everyday events he can't remember ever having experienced.
• Bird Flu Forces London's Beloved Ravens Indoors
  As the bird flu spreads across Europe, The Tower of London has moved its ravens indoors to protect them. The six birds are usually found on the lawns outside the castle, but are now in cages in one of its towers. Yeoman Raven Master Derrick Coyle talks with Melissa Block about the decision.
• Journalists Press Kidnappers to Free American Reporter
  Reporters Without Borders, an international journalist organization, launches a new campaign to free American reporter Jill Carroll. Carroll was kidnapped in Iraq seven weeks ago and her kidnappers have threatened to kill her if the United States doesn't release female Iraqi prisoners by Sunday.
• Bush: Iraq at a 'Moment of Choosing' After Bombing
  President Bush says the bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra this week was an affront to all people of faith, but that Iraqis would rise above the clashes it has spawned. "This is a moment of choosing for the Iraqi people," he said, speaking to a meeting of the American Legion in Washington.
• NBC Evaluates Investment in Olympic Broadcast Rights
  NBC is paying $5.7 billion for the TV rights in the United States to the Olympics from 2000 to 2012. As ratings for Olympic broadcasts continue to decline in the United States, what has this sizable investment bought for NBC?
• Retirement Communities Wild About Pickleball
  You may not have heard of pickleball, but if you move to certain retirement communities in the Southwest, you'll discover that it's the hottest game in town. The racket game was invented by a congressman and named for his dog.
• Dubai Company Postpones Ports Deal
  The Dubai company purchasing the rights to operate several U.S. ports has agreed to postpone some aspects of the takeover in order to give the Bush administration more time to convince Congress of the deal's merits. Some lawmakers say this is a step in the right direction; others are not mollified.
• Blackberry Users Await Decision in Patent Case
  A judge in Richmond, Va., hears arguments in a patent-infringement suit that could affect millions of Blackberry users. RIM, the maker of the Blackberry, asks the court not to impose an injunction shutting off service. The plaintiff is software developer NTP. It says RIM stole its copyright.
• Other Countries Share Olympic Drama
  Every country has its Olympic story. Figure skater Shizuka Arakawa saved the games for Japan. Norway is disappointed with its medal count. Croatian skier Janica Kostellic won two medals, but the flu kept her out of the giant slalom. Melissa Block talks with foreign journalists about their top stories.
• Actresses Hard to Find in Afghanistan
  In Afghanistan, it is taboo for women to appear on screen. Conservative government officials have called for the culture minister's resignation because of "un-Islamic" broadcasts on Afghan TV. To get around the lack of actresses, some actors adopt unorthodox solutions, such as performing in drag.

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