Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Politics and posturing determines last man standing on DM&E expansion project
  The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern railroad expansion pits some old South Dakota political friends and enemies against each other and some on interesting sides.4:50 p.m.
• Senate passes stadium bills for Twins, Gophers, and Vikings
  The state Senate went on a stadium spending spree Tuesday, agreeing to devote more than $1.1 billion in taxes to new homes for the Twins, Vikings and University of Minnesota football team.5:18 p.m.
• Accident exposes workers to radiation
  Dozens of workers at the Prairie Island nuclear plant were accidentally exposed to low levels of radiation last week. According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, workers inadvertently released a gas containing radioactive iodine into a room in the plant last Tuesday. The effected workers were wearing protective gear, and federal officials say the gas did not leak outside of the plant.5:23 p.m.
• Health care coverage option for business worries patients, caregivers
  The U.S. Senate votes on a bill this week that would allow health plans to offer stripped-down insurance coverage. The proposal has the support of many business groups. But the American Cancer Society and AARP Minnesota strongly oppose the measure.5:48 p.m.
• CUT! Neurologist to moviemakers: Your comas are all wrong
  Movie depictions of people in comas are so inaccurate one Mayo Clinic doctor says it's almost funny. Almost. His research indicates poor representations may affect how people deal with coma in their own lives.5:53 p.m.
• Weiming Lu honored for restoration work in St. Paul
  At the end of the 19th century, Lowertown was the bustling trade area in St. Paul. Growing out of the lower landing of the Mississippi River, and later the Union Depot, the area flourished until the rise of highways, saw the neighborhood in decline. Enter the Lowertown Redevelopment Corporation, headed up by architect Weiming Lu. Starting in 1981, with a McKnight grant of $10 million dollars, Lu presided over the restoration of buildings around Mear's Park and the Farmers Market in an effort to create what he terms "an Urban Village." Last month Lu was recognized with the "President's Award" from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.6:19 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Bonds, Poised to Match Ruth, Offers Mixed Legacy
  The saga of slugger Barry Bonds is being watched closely by sports fans -- including young baseball players who dream of someday playing in the big leagues. To many of them, Bonds represents a tangle of fame, glory and bad press. As Bonds approaches Babe Ruth's home run mark, NPR's Tom Goldman discusses steroids and stardom with top high school prospects.
• Iranian President's Letter to Bush: Lecturing Diplomacy
  The complete text of the letter Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wrote to President Bush was described by Iranian leaders as a diplomatic opening, proposing solutions for a fragile world situation. However, the 18-page letter more closely resembles a political and religious lecture.
• Pharmacist Sees Medicare Confusion Up Close
  The deadline to enroll in Medicare's new prescription drug plan is Monday, but millions of seniors have yet to decide whether they plan to join the government program. It's the largest expansion of the Medicare program in more than 40 years -- and for many, the most confusing. Michele Norris talks with Alan Julius, a pharmacist in Cherokee, Iowa.
• Video Games Make a Splash at E3 Show
  Faster processors, better graphics -- and a cooler design -- are on display at the 2006 E3 (Electronics Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles, where Sony, Nintendo and other video game makers try to impress attendees. Among the hits so far: a Playstation 3 demo and Nintendo's Wii.
• Priest Hopes Life with 'Da Vinci' Gets Easier
  The Da Vinci Code is expected to be a blockbuster hit this summer. Sony Pictures is hoping that the millions of people who bought Dan Brown's book will also buy movie tickets. Father James Martin is hoping that after fans see the movie, they won't come looking for him. He's tired of having everyone he meets ask him about the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei. Martin, a Jesuit priest, is the author of My Life with the Saints.
• Adult-Film Industry Preps for Feature Downloads
  The image of a potential moviegoer downloading full-length movies from the Internet and burning them to a DVD is one that gives many Hollywood studio chiefs fits. But for executives in the adult-movie industry, the process is the key to a new business model.
• Pre-Teens Win James Beard Web Award
  Michele Norris talks with Isabella and Olivia Gerasole, Chicago sisters who won a James Beard Foundation Award for their Web site, spatulatta.com. At ages 10 and 8, the sisters are the youngest people to win the prestigious award. Their site is geared toward teaching kids how to cook.
• What's In a Name? In Iraq, Life or Death
  As sectarian violence smolders in their country, Iraqis with names that are easily recognized as Sunni Arab are changing their names in the hope of avoiding violence. Some Shiites are also adopting neutral-sounding Arabic names as a means of escaping scrutiny.
• Preening for the Prom: A Trip to Suzi D's
  Across the country, prom season is a chance for girls -- and their moms -- to indulge in a little fashion and glamour. For students at Saranac Lake High School, the right look often starts at Suzi D's Salon in Saranac Lake, N.Y. North Country Public Radio's Brian Mann reports.
• Kids Love Hot Cheetos But Schools Hate Them
  Hot Cheetos are a big winner for the Frito-Lay company. The extremely spicy, crunchy and somewhat addictive snack is hugely popular with schoolkids. But school officials are threatening to ban the junk food because they worry that kids are gorging themselves.
• A Family Feast that Features Meat
  Susan Straight explains to her daughters why the food at family gatherings is always meat. It makes the family feel prosperous, because there were times when they could not afford ribs and chicken. Susan Straight's new novel is A Million Nightingales.
• Bush Hits Road to Urge Seniors Into New Drug Plan
  President Bush urges seniors who haven't signed up for the new Medicare prescription drug benefit to do so before Monday's deadline. The president spoke in Florida as part of a push to enroll seniors before the price of coverage goes up after May 15.
• MIT's Specialized Flea Market Wins Fans
  The place to go for computer nerds and transistorheads in New England is the once-a-month flea market in a parking garage at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Doug Shugarts visited "The Flea" and has this report.
• CIA Nominee Hayden Goes on Recon Mission
  Air Force General Michael Hayden visits the Capitol to speak with senators who will attend hearings on confirming the former NSA chief as director of the CIA. The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committees hopes to begin hearings this month.
• Intel Vacuum: CIA's Top Three Spots Vacant
  With the three top positions at the CIA now vacant, the future of the agency is an open question. Robert Siegel talks with two intelligence analysts: Reuel Marc Gerecht, a CIA Middle East specialist from 1985 to 1994; and Rand Beers, a counter-terrorism advisor to the National Security Council from 1988 to 1998, and again from 2002 to 2003.

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