Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Virtual high school a reality in South Dakota
  South Dakota and the city of Sioux Falls are pursuing online high school programs. Both programs aim to offer more expanded choices for quality programs.5:24 p.m.
• Global warming and Arctic cultures
  Arctic explorer Will Steger and his team of educators and native Inuit hunters have spent five weeks on Canada's far-north Baffin Island.5:50 p.m.
• Sister recalls soldier as proud to serve his country
  The sister of the latest soldier with Minnesota ties to be killed in Iraq says her brother was a proud American and was proud of his military service. The Department of Defense says Army Spc. Sean McDonald, 21, was killed in an explosion Sunday in Baghdad.5:56 p.m.
• Doc Severinsen's farewell to Minnesota
  This weekend Doc Severinsen performs his last concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra, after a 14-year relationship as the orchestra's principal pops conductor. MPR's Tom Crann sat down with Severinson for an exit interview.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Iran Suspends Release of U.K. Sailor Turney
  The U.N. Security Council has expressed "grave concern" at Iran's capture of 15 British sailors and marines last week. London wants them returned, but Iran has given mixed signals on releasing the lone female sailor. Iran says it has "suspended" the release of Faye Turney.
• Group: Detainees U.S. Sent to Russia Were Abused
  A group of former Guantanamo detainees who were sent home to Russia were tortured and abused there, according to Human Rights Watch. The group says the United States sent the men to Russia against their will in 2004, and that Moscow's promise that they would be treated humanely proved worthless.
• Senate Approves Bill on Iraq Deadline, Spending
  The Senate has passed a massive spending bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The measure also calls on U.S. troops to be out of Iraq by next spring. The House approved a similar bill last week. But President Bush has reiterated his promise to veto any bill with a timetable for withdrawal.
• Specter: Gonzales 'Likely Knew' of Confirmation Plan
  After questioning Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' former chief of staff, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) says he believes Gonzales "likely knew about" a plan to use the USA Patriot Act to circumvent Senate confirmation of U.S. attorneys. Specter questioned Sampson about the plan at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
• Former Gonzales Deputy Contradicts Boss's Story
  Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was more involved than he had previously acknowledged in the decision to dismiss eight U.S. attorneys in 2006, according to his former chief of staff. Kyle Sampson faced hours of questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• Coming Around to See the Point of The Knife
  A Swedish duo who employ synthesizers and a dark, even macabre point of view may not be to every listeners' taste. But The Knife, whose CD Silent Shout was a favorite among music bloggers and Web sites like Pitchfork, may be an exception. Among the darkness, there is a lighter side.
• In 2007, Time to 'Live Free or Die' at the Movies
  This year, the New Hampshire motto, "Live Free or Die," makes its appearance in the title of two movies. One is an offbeat comedy about a would-be criminal who struggles to escape the dreariness of his northern New Hampshire town. The other is the fourth Die Hard film.
• Behind Bush and Gates' Claims on War Funding
  Defense Secretary Gates and President Bush claim that they will not be able to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan without a clean supplemental from Congress by mid-April. Robert Siegel talks with Christopher Hellman, a military policy analyst at Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
• Alarm Over Missing Bees Prompts House Hearing
  The disappearance of bee colonies across North America, which endangers the pollination of fruits and vegetables, prompts a hearing by the House agriculture panel. Alarmed beekeepers, farmers and scientists voiced their concerns at the hearing.
• Long-Lost Classic 'Killer of Sheep' Hits Theaters
  Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep, one of the most acclaimed American films of the last 50 years, has seldom been screened. It was made by Burnett in 1973 and is reportedly a hauntingly beautiful portrait of Watts. Now it is coming out nationally.
• When a Legendary Coach Becomes a Friend
  Andy Hill rode the bench on great UCLA teams coached by the legendary John Wooden a generation ago. Hill never felt Wooden appreciated him or really even knew who he was. But as fate would have it, Hill has developed a deep and powerful friendship with the 96-year-old coach.
• 'Chat the Planet' Brings Views from Iraq to the Web
  Until recently, it wasn't possible for most ordinary Americans to enter into dialogue with people living in the midst of a war. The Internet has changed all that — a company called Chat the Planet is using Web sites like Salon and YouTube to enable young people from all over the world to communicate via live and produced video.
• Letters: Texas High School and Bait Cars
  Robert Siegel reads from listeners' e-mails. We hear from a public defender concerned about local police using a "bait car" program to catch auto thieves. There is also criticism of NPR's coverage of circus elephants walking into Manhattan, and appreciation of a project aimed at sending prom dresses to a Texas high school affected by military deployments.
• Child Artists' Tools Include Mixed Media, Maggots
  Letting kids dip maggots into paint may sound merely disgusting — but there's an entomologist from U.C.-Davis who calls it art. Rebecca O'Flaherty is using the maggot art to teach respect for a larva most people associate with road-kill. Under her guidance, students dip maggots in water-based paint.
• Teenager's Home Abortion May Spur Charges
  A Massachusetts teen who ended a pregnancy with a do-it-yourself abortion may be charged with murder/homicide. The Dominican immigrant took a drug commonly used to treat ulcers to end her pregnancy — a practice commonly used in other countries. Authorities say the charges will hinge on how far along her pregnancy was.

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