Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• "We Are All Welcome Here."
  It's not often that a fan letter prompts a best-selling author to write a book. But that's the case with Elizabeth Berg's latest novel, "We Are All Welcome Here." A loyal reader from North Carolina wrote Berg asking if she would write a story based on her mother's life. Berg says she has gotten similar requests before and always turned them down. But Berg says her imagination was sparked by the story of a mother giving birth in an iron lung and raising a daughter while paralyzed from Polio.4:19 p.m.
• The"working crunched" struggle despite a growing economy
  Many middle class families find themselves squeezed and feeling financially insecure. Minnesota Public Radio set out to profile some working Minnesotans whose financial circumstances are crimping their confidence in the future.4:44 p.m.
• Trout Unlimited plays role in restoration of Driftless Area
  Gov. Pawlenty and three other Midwestern governors have signed an agreement to help restore land and water quality in the Driftless Area, which covers 24,000 square miles in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. The conservation group Trout Unlimited played a major role in bringing about the agreement. MPR's Tom Crann talks with the group's Dave Hackbarth.4:53 p.m.
• Number of uninsured kids grows in Minnesota
  The number of Minnesota children without health insurance has grown by at least 8,000 in the past few years.5:19 p.m.
• Senate unexpectedly defeats tax bill
  A Senate Democratic plan to bring some relief to property taxpayers has gone down to defeat -- because not enough Democrats would support it.5:23 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• It's 4/20; Where Are All My Co-Workers?
  Commentator Marion Winik only recently became aware of the connection between tomorrow's date and pot smoking. She isn't sure how this escaped her for so long.
• On Stand, Skilling Accused of Hiding Millions in Losses
  Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling disputes allegations that he approved moving part of an Enron division into a more profitable one to hide $200 million in losses. Wednesday marked Skilling's seventh day of testimony in his fraud and conspiracy trial, and his third day of cross-examination.
• Environmentalists: Nature in Crossfire of Border War
  Millions of people enter the United States by avoiding inhabited areas, crossing fragile desert and mountain ecosystems. Often, they burn wood, leave trash and create trails. And pursuing them, the Border Patrol chews up the landscape with motorcycles, ATVs and SUVs.
• The Environmental Record of Bush's Pick for Interior
  Elizabeth Wynne Johnson examines the environmental record of Dirk Kempthorne. The governor of Idaho is President Bush's nominee to be secretary of the Interior.
• Short of Teachers, New York Tries a Housing Lure
  New York plans to offer $14,600 in housing subsidies to lure math, science and special-education teachers to the city. It's the latest tool that several public school districts -- in this case the nation's largest -- hope will attract good teachers to expensive housing markets.
• McClellan Out as White House Shake-Up Continues
  The man who has spoken for President Bush for nearly three years is leaving the pressroom podium, as Scott McClellan announces his resignation as White House press secretary. In another shift, President Bush's key strategic advisor, Karl Rove, will shed one of his administration jobs.
• Militant Bombing Plot Foiled, Egyptians Say
  Egyptian authorities say they've broken up an Islamic militant plot to bomb gas pipelines and attack tourist sites. The news comes as Egypt is cracking down on opposition politicians. Recently, President Hosni Mubarak suggested that emergency laws giving him police powers may not be lifted this year.
• President Hu: China Hopes to Balance Trade Surplus
  On the second day of his visit to the United States, Chinese President Hu Jintao says China is taking steps to reduce its huge trade surplus with the United States, a gap that stood at $200 billion in 2005. Hu spoke to workers at a Boeing plant in Everett, Wash.
• Redacting a Journalist's Papers: A New Level
  NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says the FBI's request to remove classified documents from the personal files of the late investigative journalist, Jack Anderson, is the latest action of an administration that is becoming increasingly secretive.
• Scandals Ignite Debate on Vietnam's Free Press
  As Vietnam prepared to hold a Party Congress this week, the country was gripped with news of a corruption scandal. Some in the Vietnamese media have called for the resignation of leaders and their cronies. This has led some to wonder whether the state is loosening its grip on the normally well-behaved, obedient Vietnamese press. But others say it's all party posturing.
• Reconciling Communist Modernity in China
  China loves to project a sparkling image of "modernity," says commentator Bates Gill. But he says there are still many reminders around that China is still a country headed by the Communist Party.
• Insanity Defense Tested in Supreme Court
  The Supreme Court hears arguments in an Arizona case about the use of the insanity defense in the case of a delusional man convicted of killing a police officer. The state says the accused can discern right from wrong. His family wants him found guilty by reason of insanity. As proof, they cite his contention that 50,000 aliens live in the city of Flagstaff.
• Agency: Xenophobia Removes Safety Net for Refugees
  International safeguards for refugees are under threat from tighter asylum restrictions, growing intolerance and terrorism fears, says the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. The agency says the number of refugees worldwide is at a 25-year low. But asylum seekers are increasingly portrayed not as refugees fleeing persecution and entitled to sanctuary, but rather as illegal migrants, potential terrorists and criminals. The report identified a tendency to criminalize migrants, including asylum seekers, by associating them with smugglers.
• The Tough Job of Being the Face of the White House
  In resigning as White House press secretary, Scott McClellan is leaving a job that at least one predecessor says is harder now than it ever has been. Mike McCurry, who served as President Clinton's press secretary, has some advice for the next spokesperson for the White House. McCurry is currently a principle of Public Strategies Washington.
• Out of Hiding, Into the World: Thembi's AIDS Diary
  Thembi Ngubane lives in one of South Africa's largest townships. She has a boyfriend and a close relationship with her mother and father. She is also living with AIDS. For a year, she recorded a diary that brings listeners into her home, among her family, to witness her daily struggles and triumphs.

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