Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Art Hounds
  Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside their own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on in local arts.4:44 p.m.
• Groups launch contest to address obesity in Minn.
  A coalition of community groups launched a new Web site Thursday that urges Minnesotans to contribute their ideas for addressing obesity.4:50 p.m.
• Veterans fight back over funding criticism
  Military veterans came out in full force at a Capitol hearing Thursday to defend Gov. Pawlenty's use of the Support Our Troops license plate fund to pay the salary of one of his office staffers.4:54 p.m.
• Group supports Red River flood diversion on ND side
  A group studying permanent flood protection for the Fargo-Moorhead area is recommending a Red River diversion project on the North Dakota side.5:19 p.m.
• State's labor market stuck in neutral
  Minnesota's job market showed more signs of stabilizing last month. The state lost several thousand jobs in February, but the jobless rate didn't change.5:24 p.m.
• Spalding Gray's stories live on through his wife
  When writer and performer Spalding Gray committed suicide in 2004, fans mourned both him and the loss of his monologues. Many believed only he could perform them. Now a new show, "Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell," proves that is not true.5:50 p.m.
• Veterans fight back over funding criticism
  Military veterans came out in full force at a Capitol hearing Thursday to defend Gov. Pawlenty's use of the Support Our Troops license plate fund to pay the salary of one of his office staffers.6:20 p.m.
• Groups launch contest to address obesity in Minn.
  A coalition of community groups launched a new Web site Thursday that urges Minnesotans to contribute their ideas for addressing obesity.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Voters Press Indiana Democrat For Health Bill Decision
  Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) voted for health care reform once. But now he is undecided. His biggest concern is language in the bill about abortion. Some in his conservative district have mixed opinions regarding Ellsworth's best course of action.
• Cleric Calls On American Muslims To Reject U.S.
  U.S.-born radical imam Anwar al-Awlaki released an audio message in which he calls on American Muslims to question their loyalty to the U.S. government "that is leading the war on Islam." Officials say it is the first time Awlaki has combined his propaganda efforts with a call to action.
• Rains, Flooding Threaten Haiti's Most Vulnerable
  In Haiti, heavy rains are expected to begin soon, and aid groups and the government are in a race against time to move hundreds of thousands of tent-camp residents who could be at particular risk. Yet the process of relocating the quake victims has been extremely slow.
• Is Your Office Pool Legal?
  Each year, millions of college basketball fans watch March Madness play out. Not only do they watch, they participate by making a friendly wager in the office pool. But there may be legal ramifications.
• Is The Bible More Violent Than The Quran?
  Scholar Philip Jenkins argues that scriptures in the Quran are less brutal than those in the Bible. In his forthcoming book, Dark Passages, Jenkins points out that violence in the Quran is mostly defensive, but in the Bible, it is often a method of genocide.
• The Late Alex Chilton, An Uncompromising Rocker
  The influential musician and producer, of The Box Tops and Big Star fame, died this week after a sudden heart attack at age 59. Neda Ulaby looks back on Chilton's varied career.
• Michael Feinstein, Dame Edna Share 'All About Me'
  When the Australian diva Dame Edna Everage finds herself double-booked in the same Broadway theater with American Songbook specialist Michael Feinstein, the two resolve to combine their acts into one very special variety show. The result is All About Me, and it opens March 18.
• With Health Bill Unveiled, House Digs For Votes
  Democrats unveiled what they hope will be the final version of their health care overhaul bill after days of closed-door meetings, setting the stage for a showdown vote in the House on Sunday. With his top domestic priority hanging in the balance, President Obama again postponed an overseas trip that has already been pushed back once.
• As Red River Rises, Residents Prepare
  The Red River, which separates Minnesota and North Dakota, is forecast to crest at 38 feet this weekend — only slightly lower than last year, when the river rose to record levels. Greg Haney, a photographer from Fargo, N.D., discusses the flood preparations Fargo and neighboring Moorhead, Minn., have made this week.
• Hug For Haitian Goalie Shows U.S. Team's Spirit
  Soccer blowouts are usually a cause for celebration, but when the U.S. under-17 women's soccer team recently beat their Haitian counterparts 9-0, the victory was bittersweet. The players were aware that most of the Haitian team had been made homeless by the devastating earthquake.

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