Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Maya Angelou talks about her life
  One of the most influential voices in contemporary literature is appearing this weekend with the Minnesota Orchestra.4:50 p.m.
• DFLers criticize Pawlenty's travel; Pawlenty criticizes the story
  DFL legislative leaders say they're troubled that Gov. Pawlenty hasn't been meeting with lawmakers to discuss legislative issues. Their remarks follow an MPR News report saying the governor has been out of Minnesota an average of one out of three days since Jan. 1, 2008.5:20 p.m.
• Popular Minnesota reading program may fall victim to Washington politics
  A highly regarded federal reading program is scheduled to continue only through next year5:24 p.m.
• Sellers hope spring fever spreads to real estate market
  This year's housing market slump has created the unusual situation of buyers sitting on their hands and sellers gloomy about what they can get.5:50 p.m.
• 'Chicago 10' takes a new look at a timeless story
  A new movie uses archive film and animation to plunge audiences into the chaos surrounding the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. "Chicago 10" director Brett Morgan says there are lessons in the story for organizers at the Republican National Convention this year in St Paul.5:54 p.m.
• A taste of 'Blues in the Night'
  Several well-known Twin Cities performers take center stage for a new production of the Tony-nominated show "Blues in the Night," which opened this week at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• At 72, Veteran Musician Scores in a New Scene
  Best known for his sly, sexy party anthems, 72-year-old Andre Williams toiled in the music industry trenches for decades, battling homelessness and addiction along the way. In the 1990s, he was rediscovered by young white rockers.
• Bear Stearns Bailout Caps Lousy Week for Economy
  The near-collapse of Bear Stearns sent the stock market reeling Friday. The dollar fell to record lows against foreign currency this week, and gold and oil hit record highs. Topping it off, economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal said the U.S. economy is in a recession. Was there any good news?
• 'Spaceship House' Among Options Flooding Market
  Today's housing market is a buyer's market, which means there's plenty to choose from, including a mountain house in Tennessee that looks like it dropped in from another galaxy. Melissa Block describes the many amenities of Chattanooga's Spaceship House, which goes up for auction Saturday.
• D.C. Gun Ban Critic: Court Must Clarify Constitution
  Ted Cruz, Texas solicitor general and the drafter of a friend-of-the-court brief signed by 31 state attorneys general asking the Supreme Court to strike down the Washington, D.C., ban on handguns, says the court should clear up years of arguments and state strongly that the right applies to individual citizens.
• High Court to Hear Challenge to D.C. Gun Ban
  On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that pits the individual right to own and use guns against the most restrictive gun laws in the country. Michael Troncoso, San Francisco assistant district attorney, says states and cities have to be able to impose reasonable restrictions on gun ownership.
• House Adds Concession for Telecoms in Spying Bill
  The House passed a revamped Democratic bill to expand government spying powers Friday. Unlike the Senate bill, this one does not include retroactive immunity for telephone companies being sued for their role in the government's program, but the House attempted to solve the impasse with a different approach.
• Proposed Pledge to Queen Riles Britons
  British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is considering having teenagers pledge their allegiance to the queen, as part of an effort to encourage a sense of citizenship in culturally fragmented Britain. The proposal has had a mixed response. The proposal has had a mixed response.
• Bailout Casts Doubt on Bear Stearns' Future
  The big Wall Street investment firm Bear Stearns needed emergency funds Friday to fend off a liquidity crisis that threatened the firm's viability. Bear's CEO, Alan Schwartz, had reassured investors that his firm was in fine shape, but the development shows how quickly things can change in the current environment.
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rise in China
  China's carbon dioxide emissions are on track to double during this decade, according to a new study. The study finds that China has not only surpassed the United States as the world's largest emitter, but its emissions are growing more than 10 times faster than emissions in the U.S.
• Week in Politics: Resignations, Primary Debate
  It's been a busy week in politics. Events include the scandalous downfall of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, Geraldine Ferraro's resignation from the Clinton campaign, and an ongoing heated debate over whether to count Florida and Michigan's presidential primaries.
• Calif. College's Class in Mideast to Exclude Women
  A small California college has worked out a deal with Saudi Arabia to set up an engineering program at a new Saudi university. But the deal by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo does not allow women in the Saudi classroom, and that angers the faculty and students at Cal Poly, a school known for courting female engineers.
• Detroit's Embattled Mayor Refuses to Step Down
  Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is resisting calls for his resignation amid allegations that he lied under oath and conspired in a case involving an inappropriate personal relationship. Kilpatrick gave a racially charged speech this week, accusing the local media of having a "lynch mob" mentality.
• Letters: Primaries, a Prostitute and Airplanes
  Melissa Block reads listener responses to yesterday's show, including comments about our coverage of the Florida and Michigan primaries, the prostitute linked to Eliot Spitzer, and an astrophysicist who has come up with a method for efficiently boarding an airplane.
• U.S. Scholar: Protests a 'Disaster' for China, Tibet
  Violent protests erupted Friday in Lhasa, Tibet. Hundreds of demonstrators defied Chinese police and took to the streets, reportedly setting fire to several Chinese-owned businesses. Robbie Barnett, adjunct professor of contemporary Tibetan studies at Columbia University, says the protests are a disaster for both China and Tibet.
• Renters Face Rapid Eviction As Foreclosures Soar
  As foreclosures continue to rise across the country, the number of renters being affected by the housing crisis is also going up. Banks try to recoup their losses by selling homes, and renters are facing rapid evictions. In California, scores of renters are being kicked out of their homes, even when they haven't missed a single rent payment.

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