Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Maltese Ambassador visits Minnesota, Iowa
  The Republic of Malta is one of the newest members of the expanding European Union.4:49 p.m.
• A parade of empty homes
  One St. Paul neighborhood is fighting the wave of foreclosures by promoting vacant houses to homebuyers.5:20 p.m.
• Earthquake hits Midwest; no injuries reported
  People across a large swath of the nation's midsection felt a earthquake this morning.5:24 p.m.
• The joy of pipa
  Gao Hong is the master of the ancient Chinese lute known as the pipa. Since arriving in Minnesota, she's taken the instrument into surprising new territories by collaborating with musicians from a diverse range of cultures and traditions. She's making her Carnegie Hall debut this month.5:46 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Will Seattle Bid Adieu to the SuperSonics?
  Last-ditch efforts are under way to try to keep the Seattle SuperSonics NBA franchise from bolting to Oklahoma City. A court battle looms.
• Single-Sex Ed Takes Hold in South Carolina
  Single-sex education has long been the norm at many private schools, but interest in the concept is growing in public school systems nationwide. South Carolina, which has 97 schools with single-gender classrooms, is at the front of the trend.
• The Changing Faces of American Catholics
  Young, white Catholics are increasingly walking away from the Catholic church in the United States, while immigrants — mainly Latinos — are taking their place. Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, discusses the trend.
• Mugabe Makes First Speech Since Election
  Zimbabwe's leader, Robert Mugabe, delivers his first major speech since the country's disputed presidential vote three weeks ago. He marked Zimbabwe's Independence Day by accusing thieves of trying to unseat him.
• College Aid Director Discusses Student Loan Woes
  Students and families face stiff challenges as more banks withdraw from the private student-loan business. Bill Spiers, director of Financial Aid at Tallahassee Community College in Florida, outlines ways that schools are trying to adjust.
• Tibet Protests Stir Chinese Nationalism
  Internet death threats and attacks on property greeted at least one person's efforts to mediate between protesters on opposite sides of the China-Tibet issue. The official Xinhua News Agency is urging Chinese to harness their nationalistic fervor for constructive ends.
• Letters: Covering the Pope
  Listeners weigh in on coverage of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States, his conversation with victims of clergy sex abuse and his bright red shoes.
• States React to Court's Lethal Injection Ruling
  The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Kentucky's form of lethal injection is constitutional. Now states can move forward with executions for the first time since September. But in practice, the outlook for executions varies from state to state.
• The Apatow Factor: Funny and Prolific to a Fault?
  Over the last few years, Judd Apatow had a hand in a host of Hollywood projects — Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Drillbit Taylor, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, to name a few. Is he spreading himself too thin?
• Weather Underground Resurfaces in Campaign
  The Weather Underground, a radical group prominent in the turbulent 1960s and '70s, has suddenly reappeared on the political scene. Attempts to tie both Democratic candidates to the group are creating buzz on the White House trail.
• Oklahoma City Welcomes Shot at NBA Team
  As basketball fans in Seattle try to find a way to keep the SuperSonics in their city, the Sooner State is gearing up to welcome the team to Oklahoma City.
• Robot Games Draw Big Crowd to Georgia Dome
  The debut of the Robotics Competition Championship at Atlanta's Georgia Dome has drawn teams from around the nation — including 46 from Michigan alone. Michigan teams have won five of the last six national championships in robotics.
• Pro Basketball, Hockey in Playoff Mode
  The NBA playoffs begin this weekend, while the NHL's are already in full swing. Can the Boston Celtics complete an amazing turnaround with a trip to the NBA finals? The Detroit Red Wings had the best overall NHL record, but they're struggling in the playoffs.
• Helen Hunt, Throwing Herself into Her Latest Role
  She's been acting for nearly 40 years; now she's taking a stab at directing, producing and writing. And she's doing all that — as well as acting — in one film: Then She Found Me. She tells NPR why.
• Film Ad Campaign Tough on 'Sarah Marshalls'
  The ad campaign for the new film Forgetting Sarah Marshall includes big-city billboards with slogans that attack the title character. The ads are turning heads, especially among the many REAL Sarah Marshalls. Three Sarahs talk about life in an unexpected spotlight.

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