Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Bear center aims to bust myths
  Ely has a new attraction. The North American Bear Center has opened on the small wilderness town's western end. The center is the culmination of years of work by famed bear researcher Lynn Rogers. Rogers says a mission of the center is to dispel some bear myths.4:55 p.m.
• Evacuation ordered in Gunflint Lodge area
  Firefighters are slogging through another day at the Ham Lake fire at the end of the Gunflint Trail in northeastern Minnesota. Officials evacuated the Gunflint Lodge neighborhood Thursday afternoon as smoke blanketed the area and the fire pushed forward.5:20 p.m.
• Tax-for-tax swap passes state Senate
  Hours after DFL leaders met with Gov. Tim Pawlenty about achieving an orderly finish to the legislative session, the state Senate approved a tax swap bill he is vowing to veto.5:50 p.m.
• Will controversy be Mapplethorpe's lasting image?
  Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe is best remembered for the controversy that surrounded some of his work. A new exhibition of his photographs at the Weinstein Gallery in Minneapolis explores his more traditional side.5:55 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Retired Trooper Claims Self-Defense in Shooting
  A retired Alabama state trooper turned himself in to authorities a day after he was indicted for a fatal shooting 42 years ago. James Fowler has maintained he fired in self-defense when a young black man died during a civil rights demonstration. That death sparked the march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights.
• Bush Meets With Republicans Worried by Iraq
  The Bush administration is facing growing congressional pressure on Iraq war funding, as some Republicans are joining Democrats in demanding benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet — and for a timetable for winding down the U.S. commitment.
• House Approves Bill Funding War in Installments
  The House has voted to approve a bill that funds the war in Iraq through July. It was a near party-line vote of 221-205. Meanwhile, the Senate continues talks with the White House behind the scenes, and various factions seek a consensus.
• A Real Estate Bull Has a Change of Heart
  Once a serious booster for real-estate investment, David Lereah, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors, is now sounding a note of pessism. In 2005, he wrote Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom, which suggested profits would "climb through the end of the decade." Robert Siegel talks with Lereah.
• House Panel Presses Gonzales on Attorney Firings
  Democrats questioned Attorney General Alberto Gonzales about the White House's involvement in the firings of U.S. attorneys. Gonzales was testifying before the House Judiciary Committee. Republican committee members tended to ask friendly questions of Gonzales.
• Stocks' Gains May Be Linked to Housing Losses
  One of the strongest stock market rallies on record has come at the same time as gasoline prices are soaring, the economy is slowing and real estate is in the doldrums. The winning streak has some people scratching their heads. One factor worth considering: Investors who were speculating in housing are now betting on stocks.
• In Afghanistan, a Clash Over Counting Casualties
  A battle with U.S. troops in Afghanistan's western Herat province that ended April 30 left scores dead. But exactly who was killed is the subject of a fierce debate that has eroded Afghan support for U.S. forces. U.S. military officials say 130 Taliban were killed. But Afghan government and human rights officials say it was nearly 50 civilians, many of them women and children who died in aerial bombings or drowned trying to flee an attack on an area that has no Taliban.
• Feeling Dismay, Not Shock, Over Wolfowitz
  Commentator Dan Goure got his first job in Washington, D.C., with the help of World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz. Goure says he respects Wolfowitz — but the Bank president should have been more careful to watch his back at such a liberal institution.
• Spellings Defends Record on Student Loans
  Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings defends her oversight of the student-loan industry in a hearing before the House Education and Labor Committee. Democrats say the administration has been asleep at the switch, while lenders pay universities large sums in exchange for a cut of the lucrative student-loan business.
• GOP Voters Look to Giuliani to Firm Abortion Stance
  Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani was an unabashed supporter of abortion rights during his eight years New York's mayor. But in the recent Republican presidential candidate debate, he said he was "personally" opposed to abortion and that it was "OK" if the landmark Roe v. Wade decision were overturned.
• Blair's Legacy: Steeped in Disappointment?
  The decision by British Prime Minister Tony Blair to step down in June is already sparking assessments of Blair's tenure at 10 Downing Street. Blair's legacy is an ambiguous one, the London Times'Peter Riddell tells Robert Siegel. Riddell, who has written two books about the British leader, says Blair's is a story of disappointment.
• Citing Domestic Successes, Blair to Step Down
  Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced that he will step down on June 27, putting a firm date on the long goodbye that will end a decade on Downing Street. In an emotional speech, Blair said that 10 years was long enough for him — and for the country.
• Groups Move to Protect Women and Their Pets
  Surveys of women in domestic violence shelters have found that some of those with pets delayed leaving home out of fear for their animals. In response, animal shelters and other groups have established safe haven programs that take in pets for anyone entering domestic violence shelters.
• Are You Yelled Up? Then Turn It Down!
  David Greenberger collects stories and thoughts from the elderly. He relays the thoughts of a gentleman named Jose Suarez. Here, he passes on Suarez' pet peeve: people in radio ads that have their voices turned way up. He calls them "Yelled Up" advertisers.
• OxyContin Addiction Case Yields Millions in Fines
  The company that makes the painkilling drug OxyContin, and three of its executives, have pleaded guilty to misleading regulators and the public about how addictive the drug is. Drug maker Purdue Pharma LP agreed to pay more than $600 million in fines. Three executives will pay $34.5 million.

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