Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Senate panel vote on Vikings stadium delayed indefinitely
  The chairman of the Senate Local Governments Committee said the bill needed more work and postponed a vote on it indefinitely. It wasn't clear if the bill would have had enough votes to win approval if the committee had voted.5:16 p.m.
• Fargo-Moorhead residents welcome no-flood spring
  Several months of unusually dry conditions mean that for the first time in three years, thousands of residents of the Red River Valley aren't scrambling to prepare for major flooding.5:21 p.m.
• Willmar showing the way to a more diverse Minnesota
  Willmar is still grappling with the uncertainty that comes with immigration. More than 20 years after migrant farmers from Mexico and the southern United States began to make Willmar home, a flood of new arrivals from Somalia has introduced new frictions. It has also compelled people to move beyond their comfort zones and talk to their neighbors.5:35 p.m.
• Minnesota's most influential plants? Arboretum wants input
  The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wants to know what people in the state believe to be are the "10 Plants That Changed Minnesota."5:51 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Romney Might Like The View From Peoria
  With Illinois holding its GOP presidential primary next Tuesday, NPR's Don Gonyea speaks to voters in and around the iconic American test market of Peoria, asking: Will Illinois embrace Mitt Romney's politics, or follow the South's lead and favor Rick Santorum?
• Gingrich Soldiers On After Second-Place Finishes
  Robert Siegel talks with Newt Gingrich adviser Rick Tyler about what's next for the former House speaker and the superPAC "Winning Our Future."
• Western Kentucky Surprises At NCAA Tournament
  They're called the Hilltoppers. They're from Western Kentucky University. And they're the only men's basketball team with a losing record in the NCAA tournament. But they're still playing and enjoying their new notoriety. Are they this year's "Cinderella?"
• Blagojevich Still Defiant As 14-Year Sentence Awaits
  Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich spoke to reporters Wednesday evening, a day before heading to prison to start a 14-year stay. Convicted on corruption charges last year, Blagojevich did not offer an apology. Rather, he vowed to continue to fight the case by appealing.
• Optimism Rising Along With The Number Of New Jobs
  The spike in consumer sentiment came as companies began stepping up their hiring in January and February. "People pay close attention to the jobless rate," says Carroll Doherty of the Pew Research Center.
• Panetta Met With Security Breach In Afghanistan
  Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is in Afghanistan on Wednesday. As he arrived, a vehicle exploded at the base where the secretary was scheduled to speak. Panetta is unhurt, and it's not clear whether it was an attack on the secretary or not. His long-planned trip comes in the middle of a crisis in relations between the U.S. and Afghanistan. The U.S. is investigating the killings of 16 Afghan civilians, apparently committed by a U.S. soldier.
• Obama, Cameron Underscore Ties At News Conference
  British Prime Minister David Cameron is in Washington for talks at the White House.
• King Returns: Ex-Gov. Fights For Snowe's Senate Seat
  Republicans and Democrats are battling for Sen. Olympia Snowe's soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat, but one potential candidate could ruin all their plans. Angus King — Maine's beloved former independent governor — is trying to get on the ballot, and one poll already has him in the lead.
• Thousands Of Workers Strike In South Africa
  In South Africa, there's a growing rivalry between the powerful Congress of South African Trade Unions, or COSATU, and the ruling African National Congress. COSATU has long been a supporter, but it's tired of the Congress failing to deliver on promises for nearly 20 years.
• 800-Year-Old Frescoes Leave Texas For Cyprus
  A set of 13th-century Byzantine frescoes — plundered after Turkey invaded the island nation and on display in Houston for the last 15 years — is being repatriated. NPR's Wade Goodwyn reports on the closing chapter in what turns out to be a remarkable odyssey.

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