Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Life after Ford
  Some public officials seem torn between planning a future without the plant, and hoping Ford might reconsider.5:19 p.m.
• Will gay marriage ban harm Minnesota's "creative class?"
  If Minnesota bans gay marriage, would the state be less creative? A group of advertisers and public relations professionals believe it might.5:23 p.m.
• Dalai Lama visits Minnesota
  Excitement is building among Minnesota's Tibetan population for a visit from the Dalai Lama on Sunday. The Dalai Lama is the political leader for the Tibetan government in exile, now based in India.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Bush Defends Rumsfeld's Performance in Iraq
  President Bush issues a strong statement in support for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who has come under increasing criticism for his performance. The president says Rumsfeld is "exactly what is needed at this critical period."
• 'Hard Candy' Indeed: A Dark Thriller
  Hard Candy is a thriller that wraps issues of pedophilia, torture, and vengeance into a slick -- but sick -- little package.
• Calling Out a Top Defense Official
  While six retired military generals have come out in the past weeks calling for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to step down, no active generals have followed suit. Time magazine reporter and commentator Douglas Waller offers some historical perspective on speaking out against a senior official.
• Delta, Pilots Find Common Ground on Contract
  Delta Air Lines and its pilots' union have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract, according to a federal mediator. No details of the deal have been announced, but the company was seeking significant cuts in pay and benefits to reduce its cost. Delta pilots will vote on the tentative deal.
• Cordoned Off, an Iraqi Town Relaxes
  Tarmiyah, a town once remarkable for its heavy insurgent activity, has become a haven for Sunnis fleeing sectarian violence in Baghdad. More than a thousand families have moved there since the Samarrah bombing. The military controls all entrances and exits to the farming town, on the banks of the Tigris.
• Officer's Death Blamed on '9-11 Lung' Ailment
  As the lingering effects of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, are tallied, a growing number of first responders have died after being exposed to dust at the World Trade Center site. A recent autopsy report on a retired police detective directly linked his death to the attack.
• Report Slams Homeland Response to Katrina
  A focus on terrorism left the Department of Homeland Security unable to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, according to the agency's Inspector General. His sharply critical report makes 38 recommendations for improving disaster response missions.
• Helping to Rebuild New Orleans, Illegally
  Among the small army of workers rebuilding New Orleans, one group in particular stays out of sight: The Brazilians. They tend to sleep in the houses they're gutting, and they're more culturally isolated than the Hispanics. The Brazilian workers describe how multiple layers of subcontractors and "labor agents" stand between them and their American employers, who enjoy deniability about the illegal work force.
• On Immigration, Americans Show Range of Views
  How are U.S. citizens reacting to the sudden rise in immigrants' numbers and aspirations? Some are enraged about broken borders and the rule of law. But many simply accept the phenomenon -- and quite a few are positive about it.
• Blair's Party Touched by Controversy Over Peerages
  Newspaper reports in Britain say police have warned a number of rich businessmen who loaned money to Tony Blair's Labour Party that they will be questioned about the transfer of British peerages. The Labour Party says the 12 businessmen had loaned it over $24 million. Thursday, detectives arrested Blair's former education adviser, who resigned in January after telling an undercover newspaper reporter that donors to Blair's schools program could receive knighthoods. A 1925 British law forbids selling public honors.
• Spain Judges Effects of Blanket Amnesty for Immigrants
  The status of illegal immigrants may be stirring fierce debate in the United States, but in Spain hundreds of thousands of immigrants are getting used to life on the "right" side of the law, after last year's blanket amnesty. While critics say the amnesty has produced a "magnet effect" -- stressing that Spain now struggles to deal with a surge of African boat people -- the government points out that the new legal workers have contributed hundreds of millions of euros to the state treasury and pension system. Jerome Socolovsky reports.
• Tibetans Reject China's Panchen Lama
  Michele speaks with Donald Lopez about the two Panchen Lamas. In 1995, the Chinese rejected the Panchen Lama chosen by the exiled Dalai Lama and had him taken away, along with his family. He has not been seen since. On April 13, the Chinese-chosen Panchen Lama made his first international appearance, advocating for national unity. Tibetan Buddhists, however, reject the Panchen. Donald Lopez is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies at the University of Michigan.
• Iraq's Christians Mark Good Friday
  Members of Iraq's Christian minority visited churches in Baghdad and across the country to mark Good Friday. Under Saddam Hussein, Christians enjoyed a degree of protection. Now many are fleeing Iraq because of the continuing violence.
• A Patient Receiving Care, and Returning It
  Commentator and psychiatrist Elissa Ely tells of treating a patient who attempted to reciprocate.
• Sunday Sermons, No Longer Unplugged
  Many Christian clergy are turning to non-traditional methods to give their Sunday sermons a more contemporary feel. NPR's Michele Norris talks with Nick Fatato, senior pastor of the Boston Worship Center, who searches the Internet for interesting downloads, including songs, interviews, and video to use in his services.

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