Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• 'Sandwich generation' caught between kids and their parents
  "Sandwich generation" women provide care for their kids and their own parents, even as they hold down jobs. They rarely seek help with their multiple roles.4:48 p.m.
• Citibank suspends student loans to two year colleges
  Banking giant Citibank says it will no longer offer student loans at two-year colleges, because they are no longer profitable.5:20 p.m.
• Nonprofits feel the pinch of tough economy
  Many small nonprofit organizations are feeling the pinch of a sluggish economy and budget cuts that are forcing some to scale back their staff to save money.5:24 p.m.
• Lake home market cools
  A slumping housing market is spilling over into lake property. The red hot Minnesota lakeshore market is slowing.5:46 p.m.
• Minneapolis shelter takes message to the streets
  Supporters of a downtown Minneapolis homeless shelter, took a simmering conflict over their city license to the streets.5:50 p.m.
• New tool helps doctors predict patient's bone density
  Doctors have many diagnostic tools they can use to determine a patient's current condition. But a new one is helping physicians predict a patient's future risk of one important medical malady.5:53 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Why Does the Pope Wear Red Shoes?
  Pope Benedict XVI's ruby red shoes are drawing plenty of attention as he visits Washington, D.C. Lawrence Cunningham, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, offers insights on why the pontiff favors the color.
• Taking the Temperature of a 'Weather Channel' Fan
  News that The Weather Channel is up for sale prompts a profile of one of the many fans of the privately owned cable TV operation.
• Democrats Back on the Stump After Debate
  The Democratic presidential candidates went in different directions after Wednesday's debate in Pennsylvania. Sen. Hillary Clinton was in Philadelphia Thursday, while Sen. Barack Obama went south to Raleigh ahead of May's North Carolina primary.
• Sex-Abuse Victims Meet Quietly with Pontiff
  Pope Benedict XIV meets behind closed doors with at least two victims of the clergy sex-abuse scandal. The meeting took place after the public Mass on Thursday in Washington, D.C.
• Mitt Romney's Top Ten List
  Departed presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, was a hit at the annual dinner of the Radio and Television Correspondents in Washington, D.C. He offered a "Top Ten" list of his reasons for leaving the White House race.
• 'Butterfly Effect' Theorist Lorenz Dies
  Meteorologist Edward Lorenz has died. He laid the foundations for the field of scientific study called chaos theory. He famously suggested that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil could ultimately produce a tornado in Texas.
• Clinton-Obama Debate: More Heat Than Light
  Did anything of note transpire in Wednesday's debate between the Democratic presidential candidates? Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama met in Pennsylvania, ahead of an important April 22 primary contest.
• Indiana Primary: Late, But Not Least
  Democratic presidential candidates are spending big money and time in Indiana for the primary season for the first time since 1968. Voter registration has skyrocketed ahead of the May 6 contest.
• 'CDO Squared Senior Tranche' Prompts Bank Woes
  For the third time in just a few months, Merrill Lynch has taken a huge, multi-billion-dollar "writedown" on its investments in mortgage-backed securities. Banks are suffering big losses because of one particular financial instrument: the CDO-squared senior tranche. What is it?
• Polygamist Raid Leads to Huge Custody Battle
  State officials are seeking custody of more than 400 children taken from a polygamist ranch in West Texas two weeks ago. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is trying to block the move.
• Citing Inflation, Vietnam Trims Rice Exports
  Vietnam has become the world's second-largest exporter of rice (after Thailand). But the effects of inflation have persuaded the Vietnamese government to cut back on rice exports.
• Letters: Baby Bottles; Virginia Tech
  Listeners weigh in on recent stories, including safety concerns raised about plastic baby bottles and coverage of the first anniversary of the shootings at Virginia Tech University.
• Furor over Olympic Torch Hits India
  Heavy security surrounds the Olympic Torch procession in New Delhi as demonstrators opposed to China's stance on Tibet stage a parallel march.
• Pope Praises America at D.C. Mass
  Pope Benedict XVI praises America as a land of opportunity during his first public Mass in the U.S. Tens of thousands of worshippers filled the new baseball stadium in Washington, D.C., for an open-air service.
• More Issues, Less Horse Race, Say Female Voters
  Women remain a key voting group in the upcoming Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday. NPR watched the Democratic debate with a group of women in Lawrenceville, Pa., who said they wanted more discussion of the issues.

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