Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• What is brown fat?
  Fat. We all have it to some degree and we have more types of it than you might have thought. Dr. Jon Hallberg has been reading three international studies on brown fat and he discussed with ATC about what is so vexing about this issue.4:44 p.m.
• Phone calls from missing Somalis send mixed messages
  When the first group of young Somali men disappeared from Minneapolis back in 2007, they weren't on the FBI's radar yet. In phone calls back to their Minnesota friends, they appeared homesick and disillusioned.5:20 p.m.
• Timeline: The missing Somali men
  A visual timeline of the ongoing story of missing Somali men from Minnesota. The young men are suspected of being recruited and sent to fight in Somalia for terrorist organization Al-Shabaab.5:28 p.m.
• Minneapolis police chief defends actions in fatal shooting
  Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan says the lawyers representing the family of Fong Lee are trying their case against the police department in the media. So Dolan is using the media to refute some key allegations.5:50 p.m.
• PUC hears arguments on 600 miles of high voltage power lines
  Opponents of the CapX2020 project produced evidence today they say proves the high voltage lines are not needed.5:54 p.m.
• Prized possessions for sale in stressed economy
  Business has picked up at pawn shops as credit tightens up. So, more and more people are trying to turn goods they have at home into cash. But, sometimes those family heirlooms or prized possessions have value beyond monetary.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Bank Lending Still Lags, Report Says
  The overall volume of lending at the nation's largest banks declined slightly in February, according to a Treasury Department report. How are banks doing in terms of meeting political demands to free up credit?
• Critics Skeptical Of Obama's 'Openness' Vow
  President Obama came to office promising government transparency, but some activists say his administration has not done enough to keep that promise on the national security front. A major test of its openness comes Thursday.
• British Singer Finds Instant Internet Stardom
  Susan Boyle, a middle-aged volunteer church worker, was an instant hit on the TV show Britain's Got Talent. By Thursday, a clip of her performance had been watched more than 12 million times on YouTube.
• Letters: Internet Cost; Triangle; Fidrych
  Listeners respond to stories on Time-Warner's new plan to introduce tiered pricing for its Internet service, Christine Balfa's new CD of triangle music and Don Gonyea's remembrance of baseball player Mark "the Bird" Fidrych.
• New Wave Of Foreclosures Looms
  The housing market is about to be hit with a larger wave of foreclosures. Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, Fannie Mae and others have lifted temporary bans on foreclosures on people who can't make their mortgage payments.
• Tax Day Tea Parties
  In a CNBC meltdown about the stimulus bill, Rick Santelli proposed a modern-day tea party to protest unjust taxes. Santelli and his network have since disavowed the idea, but Fox News has taken up the cause. Hundreds of protests are going on Wednesday.
• Study Tallies Children Of Illegal Immigrants
  The Pew Hispanic Center reports that more children are being born to illegal immigrants in the U.S. than had been known. And the children are far more likely to live in poverty than those with American-born parents.
• Key Immigration Post Filled
  The Obama administration is naming a former federal prosecutor from San Diego to fill the newly created position of "border czar." Alan Bersin will help the White House keep its promise to crack down on border violence and Mexican drug cartels.
• Afghan Marriage Law Prompts Protests
  Supporters and opponents of a new marriage act stage rival demonstrations in Afghanistan. Foreign and domestic critics say the measure is unfair to women. President Karzai has ordered a judicial review.
• Judith Krug Dies; Fought For Intellectual Freedom
  Judith Krug, director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom for more than 40 years, died following a long battle with stomach cancer. She was 69. Robert Doyle, executive director of the Illinois Library Association, shares his memories of Krug.
• Britain's Favorite Song: 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale'
  Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" has just been named Britain's most-played song in public places over the past 75 years. The song's evocative organ melody lives on in music history despite a legal battle over royalties.
• Lawmaker Says Cuba Policy Will Set Back U.S. Goals
  Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) calls President Obama's decision to lift travel and remittance restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba a "serious mistake." He tells NPR that international pressure must be maintained in an effort to push Cuba toward democracy.
• Environmentalists Adopt New Weapon: Seed Balls
  Activists in Brooklyn, N.Y., are throwing seed balls into abandoned lots and dirt piles. The balls — made of mulch, seed mixture and red terra-cotta clay — break down in the rain, and the seeds germinate. One activist calls it a way to take control of a small piece of the planet.
• Bringing Up Baby, As Music Lovers Might
  Music may or may not make babies smarter. But for new parents who are passionate about music, picking the first song their children will hear upon entering the world remains of great importance. A DJ, a critic and a musician talk about what they played for their newborns.
• Publishers Gamble On Blockbuster Book Deals
  Multimillion-dollar book advances have been around for a long time, but can the publishing industry really afford to offer high-risk advances? And do Tina Fey and Kathy Griffin merit seven-figure deals?

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