Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Cheryl Strayed's novel "Torch" deals with loss and grief
  Author Cheryl Strayed says "no matter how far I wander, I often travel back to Minnesota when I sit down to write." Strayed spent most of her childhood in Minnesota and now lives in Portland, Ore. Her latest novel "Torch" is set in the fictional small town of Midden, Minn. The book centers on Teresa Rae Wood, who is famous for hosting a local radio program called "Modern Pioneers." At the age of 38, Teresa is diagnosed with cancer and dies within months. The novel follows her family as they deal with loss and grief.4:50 p.m.
• Budget forecast shows state surplus
  More than half of the surplus is set aside for Minnesota schools. And if a pending court ruling goes against the state, the surplus could evaporate and become a shortfall.5:19 p.m.
• Most Minnesota seniors aren't using new drug benefit
  More than 700,000 seniors and disabled Minnesotans are eligible for the program, but only 45 percent have signed up so far.5:23 p.m.
• Jury begins deliberations in Sackett murder case
  A Ramsey County jury is deliberating the fate of the man accused of killing a St. Paul police officer nearly 36 years ago. Attorneys gave their closing arguments today in the case against Ronald Reed. Prosecutors described Reed as man who hated police and has no conscience. The defense said the case against Reed has no credibility.5:44 p.m.
• U of M med school still recovering 10 years after ALG scandal
  Ten years ago this month, renowned University of Minnesota transplant surgeon Dr. John Najarian walked free of a barrage of federal charges which had cast a cloud over the U of M medical school. Now, the medical school continues to make slow and steady progress towards restoring its reputation.5:47 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Pastor Takes Faith on the Road for Scattered Flock
  Pastor Fred Luter of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church tended to a congregation of 7,000 until Hurricane Katrina ravaged his church and scattered his flock. Luter is eager to get back to worshipping "on the avenue," but for now, he travels to Houston and Baton Rouge, La., to give his sermons.
• Anna Nicole Smith Has Her Day in Supreme Court
  The Supreme Court justices seem sympathetic to actress Anna Nicole Smith as they hear arguments in her case to claim part of her late billionaire husband's estate. The question is whether federal courts have a role in probate issues, which traditionally are in the control of the states.
• Demolition Looms for Ninth Ward of New Orleans
  Not far from the festivities in New Orleans, the Ninth Ward sits nearly silent. One of the hardest-hit neighborhoods, it was severely flooded after Hurricane Katrina. But just as homeowners are trickling back to reclaim their neighborhood, bulldozers are on the way to begin demolition.
• 'Big Chiefs' Continue Mardi Gras Indian Tradition
  In neighborhoods throughout New Orleans, black men don Indian costumes they worked on all year -- suits they carefully stitch and bead by hand. Like much of the city, the "Big Chiefs" have mixed feelings about celebrating Mardi Gras just months after Hurricane Katrina took its devastating toll.
• Priest Lets Friend Choose His Sacrifice for Lent
  Father James Martin does not decide what he'll give up for lent; he lets his college roommate pick for him. It started as a bar bet when the two were in college, but is now an important part of Martin's spiritual practice. Martin is a Jesuit priest and author of My Life with the Saints.
• KFC Trains TiVo Users to Tune In to Commercials
  In response to technology that allows TV viewers to skip the ads, KFC has hidden a message in its commercials. It can be discerned when played back slowly on a VCR or DVR. And that effort earns a viewer a coupon for a chicken sandwich.
• Government Pays Egyptian Man in Civil-Rights Claim
  The U.S. government is paying $300,000 to an Egyptian man who was detained for more than a year after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but was never linked to terrorism. Ehab Elmaghraby sued, claiming that he was abused at a detention center and that his civil rights were violated.
• New Palestinian Leadership Tests U.S. Diplomacy
  Now that the militant Hamas movement is set to take over the Palestinian government, the debate intensifies about whether to give financial aid. International donors are trying to head off a financial crisis in the Palestinian authority but the Bush administration wants a united front against Hamas.
• Saddam Trial Resumes; Iraqis Distracted by Unrest
  Saddam Hussein is back in court, but Iraqis are increasingly disinterested in the proceedings. Most are focused on escalating sectarian violence and growing fears that the country is on the brink of civil war.
• Montana Uses Shock Tactic in War on Drugs
  A graphic series of anti-meth advertisements has hit the airways in Montana. The ads are designed to grab the attention of kids and inform them about the dangers of methamphetamine. Thomas M. Siebel, chairman of the Montana Meth Project, talks with Melissa Block about the campaign.
• Dungeons & Dragons Makes Online Debut
  Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach is released Tuesday, reportedly incorporating many of the things that made Dungeons & Dragons attractive in the decades before computer games.
• Parade of St. Anne Doesn't Disappoint
  Robert Siegel and commentator Andrei Codrescu offer their own play-by-play of the Court of St. Anne Mardi Gras parade, which is the only parade to take place in the French Quarter.
• Sounds and Songs from Mardi Gras
  Sounds of the celebration of Mardi Gras from New Orleans.
• Festivities Mask Sadness in New Orleans
  Tuesday marks 150th anniversary of Mardi Gras parading in New Orleans -- and the six-month anniversary, almost to the day, of Hurricane Katrina. Robert Siegel and Michelle Norris report on the unusual mingling of boisterous festivities and lingering sadness in the city.
• New Orleans Emergency Rooms Up and Running
  New Orleans emergency rooms have easily kept up with demand during Mardi Gras after health-care officials rushed to get emergency services up and running. Two national-disaster mobile medical units have been deployed to the city and a mobile trauma "level one" unit came from North Carolina.

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