Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Yearning for spring? It's always summer at Marjorie McNeely Conservatory
  "Think about it. We're in Minnesota. It's snowing," Margaret Yeakel-Twum said the other day from the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, next to the Como Zoo in St. Paul. "And you walk in here and it's 75 degrees. It's green."3:50 p.m.
• Appetites: Restaurants with a side of retail
  There's a new restaurant trend in the Twin Cities that does not involve foie gras-topped hamburgers, heirloom beet foams, or anything served on a plate.3:54 p.m.
• Gun purchase background checks struggling to find sufficient support at State Capitol
  We look at the progress of gun control legislation at the state capitol, and the debate over whether any legislation should include universal background checks for gun buyers.4:49 p.m.
• 12-year-old arrested in New Prague Middle School hoax
  A 12-year-old boy was arrested Wednesday after police say he falsely reported a shooting at New Prague Middle School.5:20 p.m.
• Senate DFL budget focus: education and property taxes
  Another piece of the state budget puzzle fell into place Wednesday as Democrats in the Minnesota Senate released their framework for erasing a projected $627 million deficit while also increasing overall spending by $1.4 billion.5:24 p.m.
• Dayton signs health exchange law, creating 'MNSURE'
  Gov. Mark Dayton Wednesday signed into law historic and controversial legislation enacting the centerpiece of President Obama's health care overhaul. Starting in October, more than a million Minnesotans, including 300,000 who are uninsured, will be able to take advantage of a new marketplace for health insurance.5:50 p.m.
• Yearning for spring? It's always summer at Marjorie McNeely Conservatory
  "Think about it. We're in Minnesota. It's snowing," Margaret Yeakel-Twum said the other day from the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, next to the Como Zoo in St. Paul. "And you walk in here and it's 75 degrees. It's green."5:54 p.m.
• Appetites: Restaurants with a side of retail
  There's a new restaurant trend in the Twin Cities that does not involve foie gras-topped hamburgers, heirloom beet foams, or anything served on a plate.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Administration Still Fighting For Assault Weapons Ban, Biden Says
  The vice president's comments in an interview with NPR come despite signs that such a ban doesn't have enough support, even from members of his own party, to make it through the Democratic-controlled Senate.
• How A Patient's Suicide Changed A Doctor's Approach To Guns
  Dr. Frank Dumont never thought of himself as being on the front lines of suicide prevention. But after the death of a patient he was particularly close to, he sees his role changing. He's seeking to reduce suicides by asking his patients about guns in their homes.
• Obama Stresses 'Unbreakable Alliance' On Visit To Israel
  President Obama arrived in Israel on Wednesday. He is there to visit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and discuss some of the major challenges facing the region, including Iran's suspect nuclear program, the conflict in Israel's neighbor Syria and the moribund Middle East peace process. Scott Horsley talks to Melissa Block.
• Calls To Free Spy Jonathan Pollard Grow Louder
  Activists in Israel and the U.S. are pushing President Obama to give clemency to Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard. Pollard betrayed the U.S. in the 1980s, selling intelligence secrets to Israel, and he was sentenced to life in prison. Robert Siegel talks to R. James Woolsey, head of the CIA during the Clinton Administration, about why used to oppose releasing Pollard, and why he supports clemency now.
• Forensic Advances Raise New Questions About Old Convictions
  William Richards was convicted of murder in 1997 after a forensic dentist identified a mark on the victim as a bite. Years later, the witness recanted after seeing a new forensic analysis. As forensic technology improves, more old convictions are likely to draw new challenges around the country.
• France Wants U.N. To Take Over Peacekeeping Mission In Mali
  France has been fighting Islamic insurgents in the African nation of Mali for over two months. Paris has recently called for a U.N. peacekeeping mission to take over for the French. The U.N. Security council will meet next week to discuss the situation in the former French colony. Robert Siegel talks to Anthony Banbury, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Field Support, about his recent trip to Mali.
• Jane Goodall Apologizes For Lifted Passages In Her Upcoming Book
  World-famous primatologist Jane Goodall has admitted to plagiarizing several passages in her upcoming book, Seeds of Hope. It's not yet clear if Goodall or her co-author Gail Hudson is responsible for the lifted passages.
• Assault Weapons Ban Not Expected To Make It Out Of Congress
  Just three months after 20 children and six adults were gunned down in a Connecticut elementary school, an attempt to ban assault rifles like the one used that morning appear dead on Capitol Hill. The Democratically-controlled Senate will bring a gun bill to the floor, but it does not include a ban on assault weapons or high-capacity ammunition magazines.
• NYC Mayor's Campaign Against Teen Pregnancy Widely Criticized
  New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg is mired in another health controversy; this time it's a campaign against teen pregnancy. It has provoked negative reactions from every quarter — the right, the left, mayoral candidates and even health advocates.
• Yes, Your New Car Has A 'Black Box.' Where's The Off Switch?
  Most newer cars have recorders that collect data at the moment of a crash and preserve key information. The data is meant to improve safety, but it's also useful in court. The federal government now wants to make the recorders mandatory on all new cars, but privacy advocates say people should have the option of turning their cars' recorders off.

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