Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Lecture hall turns to stage for Med students
  For the seventh year in a row, the University of Minnesota Medical School has staged an unusual lecture during Black History Month. Instead of professors and physicians, eight professional actors come into the lecture hall to re-enact one of the most infamous medical experiments ever -- the Tuskegee syphilis study.4:45 p.m.
• Pawlenty, Republican leaders circle the wagons after gas tax defeat
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty is talking tough one day after the Legislature voted to override his veto of a $6.6 billion transportation bill. Pawlenty says the override vote has started a taxpayer revolt that will end on Election Day.5:20 p.m.
• Fatal bus crash spurs immigration debate
  The bus crash that killed four students last week near Cottonwood has sharpened the debate over illegal immigration in some Minnesota communities.5:41 p.m.
• Higher gas tax not playing well in Anoka
  An unscientific survey in a district represented by a Republican who voted for the veto override finds drivers upset about the prospect of paying higher gas taxes.5:52 p.m.
• Border residents debate gas tax impact
  Now that the gas tax is going up, how will Minnesota compare with bordering states, and will the state lose business in border communities?5:54 p.m.
• Mike Doughty takes a bite out of the MinneApple with "Golden Delicious"
  Former Soul Coughing frontman and Brooklyn singer/songwriter Mike Doughty gets a lot of love from Twin Cities musicheads. Doughty has recorded two records in Minneapolis, including his new CD "Golden Delicious" with the help of Grammy winning songwriter Dan Wilson.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Letters: Covering Ohio, and Cry-Free Onions
  Melissa Block and Robert Siegel read listener comments on yesterday's program, including responses to our coverage of the presidential race in Ohio and to our story on genetically altered onions that don't cause people to cry.
• Loving the Surreal: Two Reality TV Pioneers
  Chris Abrego and Mark Cronin oversee a vast reality television empire. Their production company, 51 Minds, is sometimes responsible for 75 percent of the programming on the VH1 cable network. Nate DiMeo profiles the two producers who represent the state of the art of reality television.
• Rhode Island and Vermont: Secondary Primaries?
  You've probably heard that Ohio and Texas hold their presidential nominating contests a week from today. Much less attention has been paid to two other states that will also be voting on March 4: Vermont and Rhode Island. Melissa Block talks with Candace Page of the Burlington Free Press and Scott Mackay of The Providence Journal.
• Feds May Pass Budget Woes On to States
  A bipartisan group of governors is asking Congress to stop the Bush administration from making them pay a larger portion of Medicaid's costs. The governors say new rules could shift as much as $15 billion over the next five years from the federal government to the states.
• Orchestra Director Sees 'Tiny Step' in North Korea
  The New York Philharmonic's music director, Lorin Maazel, says he believes the concert his orchestra performed Tuesday in Pyongyang, North Korea, could help bring the peoples of the United States and North Korea a "tiny step closer." In an unusual move, North Korea's state-run television and radio broadcast the concert live. It began with the playing of both countries' national anthems. The stage included both the North Korean and American flags.
• Will Candidates Still Love Latinos in December?
  In light of the Texas primary on March 4, which carries a mother lode of delegates, commentator Alexandro Jose Gradilla sees a political paradox: Do the two main parties "love" Latino voters in that disposable way, or do they really want an enduring relationship?
• A Cascading Blackout in Florida's Grid
  The massive power outage that struck Florida today started when a nuclear power station shut down. Melissa Block talks to NPR's David Kestenbaum, who looks at the mechanics behind the nuclear power stations and the power grid in Florida.
• Update: Music Auction on eBay
  Melissa Block has an update to an update of a story we told you about last week. Paul Mawhinney, owner of 3 million records and CDs, sold his unique and massive collection through an eBay auction for more than $3 million — or so we thought.
• Senate Vote Focuses on Iraq War Funding
  The Senate took a test vote Tuesday afternoon on whether to bring up a bill to end funding for the war in Iraq within four months. It was expected to fail, but most Republicans decided to vote for it and proceed to a debate on the bill. The idea was to try to force Democrats into an uncomfortable corner.
• 'Doomsday' Seed Vault Opens
  The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Longyearbyen, Norway, is designed to safeguard more than 2 billion seeds in case of natural or manmade disaster. Norway owns the facility, and the Global Crop Diversity Trust is funding the seed collection.
• Embattled Pentagon Legal Chief to Step Down
  The top lawyer at the Pentagon is leaving his job. William J. Haynes was also nominated by President Bush to be a federal appeals judge, but his appointment was never confirmed by the Senate. Opponents, including a group of retired military officers, said his policies led to the abuse of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
• Long Island Shooting Case Highlights Racial Divide
  In this week's New Yorker, staff writer Calvin Trillin writes about the trial of John White, a black man from Long Island convicted of manslaughter for killing a white teenager who came to his home and threatened his son in the summer of 2006.
• Aunty Keawe: One Tradition Ends, Another May Begin
  Hawaiian songstress "Aunty" Genoa Leilani Keawe, an icon of traditional music in the islands, died Monday at her home on Oahu. Keawe had been a mainstay at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort. This week, her granddaughter will replace her on stage and try to keep her traditional Hawaiian music alive.
• FCC Promotes Diversity; Its Methods May Be Dated
  Federal Communications Commission members are encouraging more diverse content on the airwaves, minority ownership of commercial broadcast outlets and requirements for locally oriented programming. But with the Internet and niche communications, are the first and the last of those three ideas outmoded concepts?
• Massive Power Outage Cripples South Florida
  A widespread power outage hit South Florida this afternoon, affecting up to three million people at one point. The outages struck the wider Miami area, extending from Boca Raton south to Key West. Disabled traffic lights created problems throughout Miami, and several hospitals switched over to emergency power.

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