Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Report warns of agriculture 'bubble'
  A Twin Cities think tank is warning that record prices for farm land and crops could be setting up an "economic bubble" that poses risks for farmers in Minnesota.4:25 p.m.
• Not a sad young literary man
  Keith Gessen is a brave man. He created and edits a caustic literary magazine called "N+1" which has a reputation for its smart and often snarky criticism. Now he's published his own novel and is facing the critics.4:49 p.m.
• Duluth-Superior bridge to partially close for repairs
  MnDOT has shut down two lanes on one of the major bridges between Duluth and Superior Wisconsin.5:20 p.m.
• Medtronic job cuts signal shift in focus
  Fridley-based Medtronic says it will eliminate about 1,100 jobs companywide and about 350 in the Twin Cities. But within a year, the company expects to more than offset the job cuts by adding jobs in areas that have prospects for high growth.5:24 p.m.
• From 35th Street to Wall Street: Anatomy of a foreclosure
  Tomorrow, a Minneapolis woman is scheduled to lose her home. Faith Burns has been told to be out of her house. The bank says she's fallen behind on her monthly mortgage payments and is foreclosing on her. We traced the path of Faith Burns' mortgage to Wall Street.5:48 p.m.
• High court to decide on criminal records expungement
  The Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments today on whether courts can seal conviction records held by other branches of government.5:51 p.m.
• Ethanol producers come under fire in Congress
  The growing backlash against ethanol arrived today at the U.S. House. Ethanol consumes about one-fifth of the U.S. corn harvest. And some groups blame ethanol for pushing up food prices.5:56 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Condo Associations Feel Pinch of Housing Downturn
  In Florida, California and anywhere there are condominiums, rising numbers of owners are delinquent on their dues. Making the problem worse is that even after banks foreclose, they often don't pay association fees — leaving many condo associations in desperate circumstances.
• Fighting Forces Residents to Flee Sadr City Slum
  Civilians are fleeing Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, home to more than 2 million people, amid continued fighting between American-backed Iraqi forces and Shiite militiamen. U.S. aircraft launched four more rockets overnight into the slum.
• FBI Raids Office of Special Counsel
  FBI agents on Tuesday raided the Office of the Special Counsel, the agency that investigates whistleblower and discrimination complaints by federal employees. The FBI is examining allegations of political misconduct by agency employees.
• Special Primary Night Coverage
  Barack Obama has won the Democratic primary in North Carolina, NPR projects based on early returns and exit polls. It's the first large-state primary that Obama has won in nearly three months.
• Listening In On A Bat Cave
  Four of New York's six species of hibernating bats are suffering from "white-nose syndrome," which is decimating bat populations throughout the Northeast. Biologists from New York's Ulster County go underground as they try to work out what is killing the bats.
• Trying to Be Ahead of the Joneses
  Apple's sales of Macintosh computers increased 51 percent for the first quarter of this year. Apparently a lot of people got iPhones or iPods in the past year. Peter Sagal laments how everything he does is a demographic trend — and how he can't seem to stay ahead of his 40-something demo.
• Study: Doctors Over-Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder
  A new study suggests that many people are being diagnosed as bipolar even though they do not meet the criteria for the disorder. Researchers at Rhode Island Hospital found that about half of 700 patients who'd been diagnosed as bipolar should not have been.
• Zagat Guide a Sign of Beijing's Gastronomic Rise
  A generation ago, there were no private restaurants in the Chinese capital and service was considered a form of exploitation. Today eating out is a national pastime, and celebrity foreign chefs are rushing to open high-end restaurants ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
• U.N. Rep Details Myanmar Devastation
  The worst-hit areas of Myanmar include Yangon and the Irrawaddy delta region. Marc Rapoport of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Burma talks to Michele Norris about the devastation and the challenge of getting outside aid groups access into Burma.
• Ohio's Attorney General Under Pressure to Resign
  Ohio's attorney general, Democrat Marc Dann, risks impeachment over a sexual harassment scandal in his office and an admitted affair. The state's governor, Ted Strickland, and other top state Democrats want Dann to step aside. Jo Ingles reports from Ohio Public Radio.
• Gambling Industry Suffering in Economic Downturn
  Gambling revenues have declined in Clark County, Nev., by 4 percent, the first drop in revenue since Sept. 11, 2001. Robert Goodman, former director of the U.S. Gambling Research Institute, talks with Michelle Noris about how the U.S economic slowdown is affecting many industries in Las Vegas, including gaming.
• City Center Could Change Character of Vegas Strip
  Las Vegas is changing again, trying to turn from a theme-park into a sophisticated metropolitan center. At $8 billion, City Center on the Strip is the most expensive private development in history. The development will include world-class casinos, hotels, condos, apartments, retail and restaurants.
• Letters: Mildred Loving; Miami Marine Stadium
  Michele Norris and Melissa Block read listeners' responses to Monday's program, including comments on the death of Mildred Loving, one of the plaintiffs in the landmark Supreme Court Case that overturned bans on interracial marriage. We also hear reaction to a report on the move to restore Miami Marine Stadium.
• Aid Groups Struggle to Help Myanmar
  Aid groups and donor countries are mobilizing to get assistance to the survivors of a devastating cyclone in Myanmar. The United Nations says hundreds of thousand people are in need of help. Getting visas and travel permission from the government of Myanmar is still a problem. The U.S. is among those trying to get in.
• English Mill Town Welcomes Lesbian Families
  Hebden Bridge was just another dying mill town in the English county of Yorkshire until a new community developed in the area. By 2001, the proportion of lesbian to heterosexual residents in the valley had outstripped London, Manchester or Brighton. The lesbians have found a welcoming environment where they can raise families without stigma.

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor