Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• 10 years ago today: Landmark tobacco trial ends with a settlement
  Ten years ago today, the state of Minnesota and Blue Cross Blue Shield reached a landmark settlement with the major tobacco companies.5:19 p.m.
• Ag. Secretary: President will veto farm bill
  It now appears the only way there will be a new farm bill this year is if Congress overrides a presidential veto.5:45 p.m.
• Clinton vows to stay in race during S.D. stop
  Clinton, speaking in an airport hangar in Sioux Falls, said the Democratic Party will be stronger as the process continues.5:50 p.m.
• Chiwetel Ejiofor is a name to be reckoned with
  Ejiofor is a British actor, who's drawn broad praise for his stage and film work. Now he is trying something very different. He's starring in a martial arts movie called "Redbelt," written and directed by David Mamet.6:18 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Public Transit Ridership in Miami Grows
  For most people in Miami, public transportation means the bus. Expanding public transit is a hot political issue, with communities north and west of the city clamoring for the rail system to be extended. Ridership is up, but at the same time, the county is grappling with rising costs and a big budget shortfall.
• Country Music Star Eddy Arnold Dies at 89
  Country music star Eddy Arnold died Thursday near Nashville just shy of his 90th birthday. Measured in terms of hit recordings, he was the most successful country artist of all time, selling 85 million records in a career that spanned from the Great Depression to 2005, when he released his last album. Craig Havighurst of member station WPLN in Nashville reports.
• L.A. Drivers Ditch Cars for Subway
  Southern California commuters are being hit hard by some of the highest gasoline prices in the nation. And, like commuters elsewhere in the country, many of them are turning to mass transit for relief.
• 'Speed Racer': It's Hell, Wachowski Style, on Wheels
  How can something look so bright, and move so fast, and still be so dull? Oh, right: The creators of The Matrix are involved.
• U.S. Gets Mixed Signals on Helping Myanmar
  The U.S. ambassador to Thailand said an American plane filled with relief supplies was ready to take off for Myanmar on Thursday, but the government there revoked permission. U.S. disaster relief specialists are also having trouble getting in, despite their unique and badly needed skills.
• FCC Seeks to Calm Nerves over Digital TV
  The FCC announces on Thursday that it will use the city of Wilmington, N.C., as a testing ground for changes in the way millions of Americans get their TV signals. By February of next year, regular over-the-air TV signals are supposed to be phased out — and the FCC wants to make sure this process goes smoothly.
• Letters: Gender Identity
  Michele Norris and Melissa Block read listeners' responses to Wednesday's story about the families of two boys who are struggling with gender identity issues.
• Movie Critics Disappearing from Newsrooms
  Across the country, big-city TV and movie critics have been seen as signature players — the kind of visible brands that attract readers to newspapers. But they're disappearing in cities like Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Tampa and even New York. And the nature of criticism may be changing as a result.
• Presidential Candidates Come Out Strong on Iran
  Iran's nuclear program and its involvement in Iraq present formidable foreign policy challenges for any U.S. president. The public comments of the current presidential candidates have lacked complexity, but their actual positions are more nuanced.
• Staff Abandoning, Getting Kicked Off Bush Ship
  NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says that eight months before the end of the Bush administration, there has been a spate of forced and voluntary resignations.
• Parents Consider Treatment to Delay Son's Puberty
  After years of struggling with their son's gender identity issues, Robert and Danielle decided to seek treatment. One option they are looking into would buy Armand, now Violet, more time to decide whether he wants to physically become a female. But it comes with risks.
• Sadr City Residents Flee Continued Violence
  Thousands of families are fleeing the Sadr City neighborhood in Baghdad as Shiite militiamen battle U.S.-backed Iraqi government forces. The fighting includes almost continuous air and ground strikes, aimed at disrupting mortar strikes from Sadr City into the Green Zone.
• On Anniversary of Nation, Voices from Israel
  Thursday is the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel. Israelis, both Jews and Arabs, discuss their views of the past and their thoughts on the future.
• Farm Bill Offers Something for Everyone
  Congress has come up with a compromise farm bill that continues farm subsidies, despite record crop prices. It also increases spending on food stamps and other nutrition programs. President Bush has expressed displeasure, if not a veto threat, but sponsors think they could override a veto.
• Lack of Access Could Raise Death Toll in Myanmar
  Relief supplies from the United Nations are arriving in Myanmar, following last weekend's deadly cyclone. But U.S. military planes with aid for victims are still being denied. U.N. Under-Secretary General John Holmes talks with Melissa Block.

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