Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Victoria Redel writes how a war ripples down the generations
  Victoria Redel's new novel "The Border of Truth" weaves together at least three stories to tell a very American tale.4:50 p.m.
• Grand Forks: Then and Now
  Church bells in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and East Grand Forks, Minnesota rang at 4:00 P.M. Thursday to commemorate the exact time the dikes along the Red River began to fail ten years ago.5:20 p.m.
• Are Willmar immigration arrests part of a new trend?
  Some people are saying the immigration arrests recently in Willmar were different. Immigrant advocates say the operation went on for several days and was more aggressive.5:50 p.m.
• Bandits and baby monkeys
  Sometimes taking a stand is not about politics or protest. Listener Jason Behuniak told us this colorful story about moving from powerless to empowered. It's an experience that left him more likely to step up next time.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• To Revamp U.S. Democracy, Look to France
  A Republican who just returned from France got a good look at the French election process. He thinks the United States could learn a few things from our French friends.
• World Bank Board Weighs Fate of Wolfowitz
  The pressure on Paul Wolfowitz to resign as World Bank president continues to grow. Last weekend, he received a rare public reprimand from the bank's leadership. On Wednesday, a deputy he appointed, New Zealand's Graeme Wheeler, asked him to resign. The bank's governing officials meet Thursday to debate what action to take.
• Gonzales Apologizes, But Senators Not Appeased
  Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says he played a minor role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, but he also offered an apology to the prosecutors and their families. Gonzales told the Senate Judiciary Committee he "never sought to mislead or deceive the Congress or the American people."
• Drop in Hormone Therapy Leads to Cancer Decline
  A decrease in hormone use by women has led to a decline in breast cancer cases, according to new research published in The New England Journal of Medicine this week. While there are alternatives to hormone replacement therapy, some can do little for women with severe symptoms.
• Sen. Whitehouse: Gonzales Not Convincing
  Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday did little to improve his standing or credibility with Congress, says Sen. Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the judiciary panel.
• Doctors Weigh Next Move on Legality of Abortion
  Now that the Supreme Court has decided that there is at least one abortion procedure that is banned, doctors are wondering and worrying what's next when the courts begin to meddle in their line of work. Just how far does the court's proscription extend — to other, more common abortion and medical procedures?
• Sen. Sessions: 'Sad Day' for Gonzales and Agency
  Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), a member of the Judiciary Committee that questioned Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Thursday, calls the event "a sad day" that should lead to Gonzales meeting with President Bush to consider stepping down from the helm of the Justice Department.
• School's Colors Blossom on Traumatized Campus
  This has been a trying week for the residents of Blacksburg, Va., and the campus of Virginia Tech. People around the country are asked to wear Virginia Tech's colors of orange and maroon Friday. Melissa Block has been in Blacksburg all week and sends an audio postcard.
• Race to Be France's New Leader Is Close
  As the French presidential election approaches the first round of voting on Sunday, the Conservative and Socialist candidates are dominating the race, with only a few points between them, according to most polls. Most of the other 12 candidates are far behind.
• Virginia Police Still Seeking Cho's Motive for Killing
  The Virginia State Police said that they are likely to close the two crime scenes at Virginia Tech, having collected all the evidence they can. They have done hundreds of interviews and gathered mounds of other evidence. But Seung-hui Cho's multimedia manifesto didn't provide the insights they had hoped for.
• U.S. Release of Exile Angers Cuba, Venezuela
  Cuban exile Luis Posada Carriles was released from federal custody Thursday in New Mexico; he is headed for his wife's house in Miami. The anti-Castro militant will be under house arrest pending trial for immigration fraud. His release is sure to stir anger in Cuba and Venezuela, which want Carriles in connection with the 1976 bombing of an airliner that killed 73 people.
• NATO, Russia Discuss U.S. European Missile System
  Russia and the members of NATO are meeting in Brussels on Thursday to discuss a number of issues, most particularly U.S. plans to install elements of its missile-defense system in Europe. The United States is currently talking with Poland and the Czech Republic about installing elements of the system.
• Some at Virginia Tech Remain in Dorms
  Why have some students at Virginia Tech decided to stay in the dorms during the tragic lull this week? And what is life like for them as they wait for classes to resume in Blacksburg, Va.?
• NBC Cites an Obligation to Air Cho Materials
  NBC has been criticized for releasing videos and writings sent to the network by the Virginia Tech gunman Seung-hui Cho. But NBC anchor Brian Williams tells NPR that the network had an obligation to share what it had learned with the public, and to balance its news instincts with the obligation not to interfere with investigations and not to needlessly hurt the relatives of those killed.
• Victims' Families Face Choice of Talking to Media
  Friends and family of the victims of Monday's Virginia Tech shooting have been bombarded by inquiries from reporters. Some hang up. Some have stopped answering the phone. Others want to talk and share their stories.

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