Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Workers, students walk out on `Day Without Immigrants'
  While the day was meant to show immigrants' economic clout, the message may be more political than financial.4:06 p.m.
• Immigrants rally in Powderhorn Park
  The main Twin Cities event for A Day Without Immigrants is a rally at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis. The rally features music and dance as well as some speeches. It started around 3:00 this afternoon and is scheduled to continue until 8:00 tonight. Minnesota Public Radio's Annie Baxter joins us from the rally4:19 p.m.
• Violence in Darfur escalates despite peace talks
  The U.S. hopes to prop up struggeling peace talks in Nigeria aimed at ending the ethnic and political conflict in Darfur, Sudan. Hundreds of thousands have died and millions are homeless. Meanwhile, the Minneapolis-based American Refugee Committee tries to provide relief on the ground.4:48 p.m.
• Twins brutally outscored in Detroit
  The Twins are returning from what might be the most brutal road trip in team history, including a three-game mauling by the Detroit Tigers, in which they were outscored 33-1. It was the second time during the road trip they were swept.5:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Lou Dobbs and the American Immigration Crisis
  CNN business news anchor Lou Dobbs has been using his evening program to campaign for a crackdown on illegal immigration. Dobbs regularly features a graphic that reads, "Broken Borders" on his show.
• Huge Rallies Draw Immigrants' Supporters in L.A.
  In Los Angeles, hundreds of thousands of Latino immigrants skipped work to making their voices heard in the streets, supporting immigrants' rights. Two huge rallies were part of a national boycott.
• Psyching Out NFL Prospects on an IQ Test
  The NFL draft took place this past weekend. The Tennessee Titan's first-round pick, quarterback Vince Young, is rumored to have scored very poorly on the "Wonderlic Test," a type of intelligence-measuring test given to draft candidates. But the test has critics of its own.
• U.S. Hamas Policy Not Proactive, Experts Say
  The U.S. approach to the Hamas government in the Palestinian territories -- depriving it of foreign aid -- is too simplistic, policy experts say. The United States and its European allies tie aid to demands that Hamas recognize Israel and renounce violence. But experts say that policy may not be sustainable.
• In Los Angeles, Fellow Immigrants Close Shop
  In Los Angeles, Koreatown merchants are closing their businesses and factories so thousands of workers can take part in the national immigrant boycott and march. Korean merchants employ between 30,000 and 50,000 mostly Latino workers.
• Protesters Hail 'Day Without Immigrants'
  From Philadelphia's Liberty Bell to the streets of downtown Los Angeles, pro-immigrant rallies are taking place in most major cities across America. In New York and elsewhere, marchers formed human chains. In Chicago, authorities estimated some 500,000 people marched.
• Learning a Language, Inventing a Future
  - Commentator Andrew Lam says that when he came to the United States from Vietnam, he began to learn English at the same time that his voice began to change. Still, he says, he liked speaking English -- it made him feel he could be a new person in a new language.
• Report Faults Energy and Health Efforts in Iraq
  Two significant programs in Iraq have not met expectations, says a U.S. expert. One is a security program to protect the energy infrastructure. The other is to construct primary health care centers throughout Iraq. May 1 marks the third anniversary of President Bush's declaration of the end of major combat in Iraq.
• Lay Ends Testimony; Character Witnesses Next
  In Houston, federal prosecutors and former Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay continue to spar on the final day of Lay's testimony. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Houston accused Lay of ignoring concerns about the company's accounting. He also pressed Lay for details on $70 million he made selling his own Enron stock.
• Palestinians Lose a Shelter in Iraq
  There are around 30,000 Palestinian refugees in Iraq. They were given housing and financial support under the Saddam Hussein regime. But now many have fallen on hard times -- and some are trying to flee the country.
• Nashville's Hispanics Weigh Boycott, March
  With a national day of boycotts and demonstrations slated for May 1, Hispanics in Nashville debate the pros and cons of taking part in the immigrant rights movement.
• In Mexico, an Urge to Support Immigrants in U.S.
  Activists in Mexico have called for a boycott of all U.S. businesses on Monday in support of the "Day Without Immigrants" protests planned by activists in the United States. Immigrants across the United States are being urged to skip work, avoid spending money, and march in the streets to prove their importance to the U.S. economy.
• On the Streets with Protesting Immigrants
  How many undocumented immigrants are currently working in the United States? Where are they coming from and how much do they make? We profile illegal immigrants in the United States.
• Latino Activists Hope to Sculpt Political Movement
  The political implications of the May 1 protest being framed as a "day without immigrants" remain to be seen, as Hispanic activists flex their organizational muscle and debate how to achieve their goals. Robert Siegel talks with Rodolfo O de la Garza, professor of political science at Columbia University and vice president of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute.
• Getting Tough with Iran, Softening Up on Oil
  Efforts to take coercive action against Iran are not likely to succeed, says Daniel Schorr, NPR senior news analyst. The United States does not have the support it needs from Russia and China to impose economic sanctions -- and Iran's oil minister is warning that punishing Iran would send oil prices higher.

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