Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• High-tech jobs in Minnesota could go unfilled
  Minnesota's high-tech industry is worried about a shortage of students going into math and science careers.5:20 p.m.
• Family remembers Woodbury medic killed in Afghanistan
  Army Spec. Conor G. Masterson, 21, died Saturday of wounds he suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in eastern Afghanistan. "Conor was a wonderful, caring person who made a lot of people happy," his mother said.5:24 p.m.
• Twins ballpark clears another hurdle in Hennepin County
  Construction on the new Twins ballpark could begin in early May, after the Hennepin County board voted to take the land where the stadium will be built through eminent domain.5:51 p.m.
• Rider Bennett law firm closing its doors
  One of Minnesota's top 10 law firms, Rider Bennett in Minneapolis, has announced it will go out of business May 31.5:56 p.m.
• Can poetry heal?
  We all know ill-chosen words can hurt. But can well-chosen words heal? Or at least give us insight into the healing process?6:19 p.m.
• Martin Dosh brings high-demand talent
  Minneapolis multi-instrumentalist Martin Dosh is taking some time for himself. He's an in-demand musician most notably as a member of Andrew Bird's band and Fog.6:28 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Legacy of Subprime Lending Hits Midwest Hard
  Minneapolis is one of the many places seeing increases in home foreclosures. From 2005 to 2006, foreclosure rates nearly doubled there. Michele Norris talks with Jim Davnie, a state representative for south Minneapolis, about the effects of subprime lending on neighborhoods he represents.
• Washed-Up Whale Sparks a Rush for Teeth
  Over the weekend, a beached sperm whale turned up on the beach in Isla Vista, near the University of California, Santa Barbara. Since then, there have been several reports of people using all manner of tools to extricate its teeth.
• Saying the Right Thing, in 100 Words or Less
  Anyone can put themselves in a situation where they do or say the wrong thing. But, says commentator Daniel Pinkwater, it's rare to find someone who has presented themselves exactly the right way. In his local newspaper, Pinkwater found what he calls "the most concise piece of writing" he has ever seen.
• U.S. Troops Fight Insurgents in Baghdad Streets
  U.S. and Iraqi forces battled insurgents in the heart of Baghdad today, and a female suicide bomber killed at least 16 people in a crowd of police recruits in a town northeast of the capital.
• Turkey, Kurds Move Toward All-Out Fighting
  Western governments are struggling to restrain Turkey from a possible cross-border incursion into northern Iraq, where tensions have escalated with Kurds. Turkish soldiers are engaged in a bloody spring offensive on their own territory against Turkish Kurdish separatists, known as the PKK.
• The Comforting Click of Chalk on a Blackboard
  Listener Stephanie Thibault of Santa Rosa, Calif., offers a SoundClip about the vanishing sound of chalk on a blackboard.
• College Loan Scandal May Touch Many Schools
  In a developing student-loan scandal, Johns Hopkins University has placed a financial aid official on leave after it was disclosed that she received fees from Student Loan Express, a company that has been accused of giving incentives to a number of financial aid officers around the country.
• My Taxes, My Personal Almanac
  Tax accountant Jack Willow teaches his clients that taxes aren't just about money. For one woman in particular, taxes are about life in general: her divorce, her cancer and her alcoholism. Taxes are intimate and revealing — and human. And that's not all bad.
• What Went Wrong with the Chrysler Merger
  Daimler-Benz bought Chrysler nine years ago for $36 billion. Now, an investment group is offering less than $5 billion to take the company off Daimler's hands. What went wrong? Auto analysts say the cultures of the luxury German brand and the mass-market U.S. carmaker never meshed.
• The Scientific Side of the Stem-Cell Debate
  This week, the Senate will take up legislation passed by the House that would expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. There'll also be discussion of a bill to spend more money on finding ways to make embryonic stem cells without destroying an embryo.
• Rescuers See Benefit in Search-Plane Loudspeakers
  New speaker technology has revolutionized airborne public-address systems, which were muffled by engine noise in the past. The new speakers could allow volunteer search-and-rescue planes to use loudspeakers to inform the public of emergencies.
• Foreclosures May Weaken Home Prices, Spending
  On a national level, rising subprime mortgage foreclosures are sure to have a ripple effect. What those effects will be is a matter for debate — but at least one analyst thinks we've only seen the tip of the iceberg. Among the predictions: a fall in home values, and in consumer spending.
• 'Mistress's Daughter' Tells of Unfulfilled Promises
  Adopted as a newborn, A.M. Homes discovered the truth of her origins when she was 31: She was the child of a young, single woman and her older, married lover. She writes about meeting her birth parents in The Mistress's Daughter.
• Senate Takes Up Stem-Cell Bill; Bush Vows to Veto
  The Democratic-led Senate takes up legislation that would expand federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, defying a White House veto threat. The bipartisan bill is nearly identical to one that the president vetoed last year.
• Rutgers Team, Coach Respond to Imus
  Since insulting the Rutgers University women's basketball team, talk-show host Don Imus has apologized and been suspended from work. After days of protest and calls for his resignation, the Scarlet Knights and their coach weigh in on the uproar.

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