Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Worthington groups stay separate
  The goal is for immigrants to blend seamlessly into their new communities. That rarely happens. Like many cities, the different groups in Worthington tend to keep to themselves.4:50 p.m.
• In Legislature's waning days, property tax relief becomes hot issue
  The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmation of the cigarette fee is fueling debate among lawmakers over how to spend more than $400 million that's now available.5:19 p.m.
• Time working against natural resources bill at Capitol
  With time running out, House and Senate negotiators have been unable to bridge a fundamental difference between their bills. The House bill would dedicate a percentage of existing sales taxes, while the Senate wants a sales tax increase.5:23 p.m.
• Coleman proposes gasoline price relief
  A new proposal in the United States Senate would provide states with annual grants to help low and middle-income residents with the high cost of gasoline. The Fuel Emergency Relief Act, introduced today by Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, would be funded by oil companies, and eligibility would be determined by income level.5:44 p.m.
• Border towns want state, province to purchase International Bridge
  The toll bridge from International Falls to Fort Frances, Ontario is up for sale. Locals on both sides of the border worry that if the bridge is sold to private investors, it would mean a rise in crossing tolls.5:52 p.m.
• New drug may help smokers quit
  Addicition to tobacco is a problem that affects at least one in five americans, and it's also the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. But when it comes to drugs for treating it, there are surprisingly few available. A new option, Varenicline, which will be sold as Chantix, has just received FDA approval. It works in the brain to even out the flow of dopamine, which produces a pleasurable effect when smokers inhale nicotine.6:19 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Israel's Peretz Opens Commerce Lane to Gaza
  Israel's new Defense Minister orders the reopening of the main commercial crossing into the Gaza Strip, after months of closure that led to shortages of essential goods. Amir Peretz of the Labor Party is making several policy changes with regard to the Palestinians, including allowing more workers into Israel.
• Senate Intelligence Chair Readies for Hayden Hearings
  President Bush's choice head the CIA, Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, begins his confirmation hearings before the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and senators from both parties are expected to grill Hayden on issues of privacy and national security, particularly the role of the NSA in collecting the phone records of ordinary Americans.
• Who's Better Off: An Illegal Immigrant or a Migrant?
  Commentator John Pomfret says that people who are in the United States illegally are better off than China's internal migrants. Pomfret is a reporter for The Washington Post who has spent many years in China covering internal migrants.
• Senators Vote for 370-Mile Fence on Border
  Senate conservatives push through an immigration-bill amendment calling for 370 miles of fencing to be built along the U.S.-Mexico border -- a measure that saw only 16 senators voting "no." The Senate is in its second attempt to pass an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws.
• Rural Chinese Leave Home in Search of a Better Life
  Some 200 million farmers have left behind their families and fields to forge a living in China's booming cities. The phenomenon has been described as the biggest internal migration in the history of the world.
• Rebel on the Mic: India's Maoist Dissident
  A man calling himself Gaddar makes no secret about his ideology: He sings it from the rooftops. The Indian man can barely finish a sentence without bursting into song, often describing the oppression of the masses. Gaddar was once a foot soldier in the jungles of India with the People's Army, a Maoist insurgent militia. Maoists are active in nearly half of the country's states; hundreds have died in recent violence between the Maoist militias and Indian security services. Years ago, Gaddar turned from violence to music, becoming a revolutionary balladeer and writing hundreds of popular songs. The authorities are taking notice of the power of Gaddar's music.
• Stocks Droop 214 Points on Inflation Concerns
  The Dow Jones Industrial average finished down 214 points, reflecting a sell-off that began when the government released a report showing April's consumer prices increased much faster than expected. Investors are guessing an interest-rate hike could be coming.
• Rumsfeld: Troop Reduction in Iraq Unlikely in 2006
  It may not be possible to reduce U.S. troop levels in Iraq this year, according to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's testimony before a Senate committee. Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says it will be months before Iraqi army units are ready to operate on their own.
• St. Louis Escapes Its Rust-Belt Past
  In downtown St. Louis, the opening of the new Busch Stadium is the latest effort to beautify and improve an area that once was called an eyesore and a tragedy. More than 50 businesses have opened in the area, where residential lofts are booming and major projects are building excitement in St. Louis.
• The Resilient Students at an Iraqi School for the Deaf
  At Baghdad's school for deaf children, the challenges go far beyond the physical and mental obstacles common in schools around the world. Students are forced to deal with violence, power outages, and the fear that plagues much of the country.
• Democrat Calls for FCC Inquiry into NSA Phone Operations
  A Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission is calling for the agency to investigate whether phone companies broke the law by giving customer calling records to the government. Regulating the telephone industry is one of the FCC's mandates.
• Congress Should Closely Analyze Hayden, NSA
  NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says that the confirmation hearings for Gen. Michael Hayden are a chance for Congress to take a second look at the National Security Agency's surveillance programs.
• County on Mexican Border Stretches Resources
  Val Verde County, Texas, is on the front line in U.S. efforts to stem illegal immigration. Police in the border town confront everything from working migrants to heavily-armed drug runners. The county jail, stuffed with federally captured migrants, has little room for anyone else. Michele Norris talks with D'Wayne Jernigan, the county sheriff.
• Worried About Inflation? Try Zimbabwe's 1,000 Percent
  Melissa Block talks with Zimbabwean economist John Robertson about the massive inflation in real prices caused by the devaluation of government currency. Anecdotes in recent news reports put prices for goods such as bread and orange juice at as much as 500,000 Zimbabwe dollars -- or five U.S. dollars.
• Turkish Court Shootings Reflect Religious Divide
  An Islamist gunman opens fire in Turkey's main administrative court in Ankara, wounding five judges. The attack was apparently prompted by the court's decision to support a ban on Islamic headscarves in schools and government offices. The incident underscores the growing divide between Turkey's Islamists and the secular establishment.

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