Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Spring snowstorm moving through the state
  Winter's back, and parts of Minnesota are feeling its bite. The National Weather Service reported zero visibility and winds up to 55 miles per hour in northern Minnesota, with a blizzard warning in effect until Saturday morning.3:48 p.m.
• House Majority Leader alleges Pawlenty payback
  The DFL Majority Leader in the Minnesota House is accusing Gov. Tim Pawlenty of using his veto pen to take revenge against him and other partisan critics.5:20 p.m.
• Pawlenty's LRT veto -- good negotiating strategy?
  Some say Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of funding for the Central Corridor project may force Democrats to negotiate on the state budget, and that could help bring the legislative session to a smooth end.5:24 p.m.
• Wintery weather stops mail delivery in Duluth
  A storm once predicted to dump 20 inches of snow on Duluth appears to be coming up a little short in that department, but what the April blizzard has held back in snow, it's more than made up for with wind.5:52 p.m.
• St. Cloud residents make the best of winter storm
  16-year-old Jesse Kirschner, 21-year-old Chris Kirschner and 19-year-old Noel Lauer are sledding in a park on St. Cloud's east side.5:56 p.m.
• Tutu brings message of peace to Twin Cities youth
  Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archibishop Desmond Tutu is in the Twin Cities for a series of events centered around promoting peace among young people. He spoke to a capacity crowd in Minneapolis this morning, saying young people bring about important changes that improve society.6:20 p.m.
• 120 year tradition ends in South St. Paul
  The last working stockyard in South St. Paul will close Friday after one final cattle auction.6:24 p.m.
• Remembering 50 years at the St. Paul stockyards
  The South St. Paul stockyards provided a living to generations of Minnesotans since the train loads of cattle began arriving in the late 1800s.6:27 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Best-Kept Online Secret: Cheap Eyeglasses
  Commentator Daniel Pinkwater marvels at how he can get really well-made glasses online at a fraction of the cost of over-the-counter ones.
• Marijuana Activists Push for 'De-Prioritization'
  Marijuana legalization activists are pushing for new city ordinances to make enforcement of pot possession the lowest priority for police and prosecutors. Seattle passed such a measure in 2003. Has anything changed on the streets there over the past four years?
• Tiger's Shot at Slam Hits Rough at Masters
  Speculation that Tiger Woods could capture golf's Grand Slam by winning all four major tournaments this year appears premature. At the Masters Tournament, Woods is well off the pace on Friday. Wall Street Journal sportswriter Stefan Fatsis discusses the challenges Woods faces on the course.
• In Sadr City, Transcendent Bonds of Friendship
  Abu Haider is the leader of a Mahdi army cell in Sadr City. His best friend from childhood, Hassan, works for Iraq's national police. The story of their complex friendship shows the difficulty for U.S. and Iraqi forces to disentangle the "good guys" from the "bad guys" in the militant stronghold.
• Radio Rookies: 'Aging Out' of Foster Care
  Shirley Diaz grew up in foster care. Now almost 21, she's on the verge of aging out of the system. As part of "Radio Rookies," a project at WNYC that teaches teenagers to tell radio stories in their own words, Diaz takes listeners into her world as she looks ahead to an uncertain future and back to the violent tragedy that shaped her teenage years.
• Crocker Stresses Iraqi Progress, Iranian Influence
  Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, says that progress is being made in Iraq, but he warns of Iranian attempts to influence Iraq through militia groups. This week, Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus testified on Capitol Hill about the state of the Iraqi government.
• Letters: Airline Industry Woes; Civil Disobedience
  Listeners find fault with both the FAA and American Airlines for their roles in the latest crisis plaguing the ailing airline industry. Also, one listener praises ex-Navy lawyer Matthew Diaz's decision to leak the names of prisoners being held at Guantanamo in 2005.
• Congress Poised to Enact FDA Oversight of Tobacco
  With Philip Morris' blessing, Congress appears ready to empower the FDA to regulate tobacco. Bills passed by House and Senate committees would give the agency authority to mandate changes in the manufacture and sales of cigarettes, but stop short of allowing outright bans.
• Dreams of Free Tibet Will Go Unrealized
  Ted Koppel says the global efforts to draw attention to China's human rights record as the Olympic torch continues its rounds is working. But, he says, as far as bringing real change in Tibet is concerned, the protests surrounding the torch are doing little.
• Olympic Torch Touches Off Global Wave of Protests
  The Olympic torch heads to Argentina on Friday, after protesters disrupted its journey in Paris and San Francisco. The torch's 20-nation global route has been attracting activists angered over China's human rights record — in particular, its grip on Tibet and its arming of Sudan's government.
• How Has the Fair Housing Act Fared?
  On April 11, 1968, one week after the murder of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The latest installment of the occasional series, "Echoes of 1968," looks back at the evolution and the effectiveness of the landmark housing legislation over the past four decades.
• Another Bankruptcy Shakes Ailing Airline Industry
  Frontier Airlines is the fourth U.S. carrier to declare bankruptcy in the past two weeks. The discount airline says it will keep flying. But Frontier — like other airlines — is under tremendous financial pressure as the economy slows and fuel prices soar. Carriers are likely to pass along more of their costs to fliers as they struggle to remain in business.
• 'The Visitor,' Finding a Welcome in His Own Home
  Sleepwalking through his days, a widowed New York economics professor finds an unlikely friendship — and a way back toward happiness — with an immigrant who teaches him how to play the djembe drum.
• A Pricey Investment, Even for Jay-Z
  Last week, reports emerged of a deal between rap mogul Jay-Z and concert promoter Live Nation. It's said to be worth as much as $150 million over 10 years. But some observers wonder if Live Nation is getting its money's worth.
• Jackie Chan's Road to Martial Arts Mastery
  In Jackie Chan's upcoming film, The Forbidden Kingdom, he collaborates for the first time with Jet Li, another martial arts superstar. Chan talks about the new movie, his martial arts training and how he learned his father was a spy.

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