Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Art Hounds
  Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside their own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on in local arts.4:44 p.m.
• Father of Minn. native held in Iran happy to see son on TV
  The father of a Minnesota native being held in Iran said he's waiting anxiously to hear more news from the Middle East.4:50 p.m.
• Minn. senator regrets fishing change that irked DNR
  State Sen. Satveer Chaudhary, DFL-Fridley, says he made a "major league screwup" when he pushed for legislation to restrict fishing on the northern Minnesota lake where he owns a cabin.4:55 p.m.
• Minn. Guard members prepare for another deployment
  Soldiers and families around Minnesota know there's a deployment in their future. Within the next few months, 2,700 Minnesota National Guard soldiers from around the state will get their training orders for deployment.5:20 p.m.
• Minn. adds 10,000 jobs, unemployment rate down slightly
  Minnesota employers added about 10,000 jobs in April. And the state's unemployment rate fell slightly. But the folks who watch those job numbers caution it'll likely be some time before Minnesota's job market gets back to pre-recession levels.5:25 p.m.
• Northern Minn. school struggles with turnaround plan
  The 34 Minnesota school districts identified as the state's worst performing will spend the summer developing a turnaround plan to improve students' test scores. One of them is Waubun High School, which has a predominantly American Indian enrollment.5:50 p.m.
• Walker Art Center cuts budget; eliminates 9 positions
  The Walker Art Center is cutting its operating budget by 8 percent in the coming fiscal year, and eliminating nine positions.6:25 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Scientists Reach Milestone On Way To Artificial Life
  For the first time, scientists have synthesized DNA in the lab, put it into a cell, which is now growing and multiplying. This means that we're one step closer to creating life. But some bioethicists are asking: Are we playing God? And, more practically, they worry: What happens if artificial organisms leave the lab?
• The Ethics Of Creating Synthetic Life
  The idea of synthetic life worries many people, for both moral and ethical reasons. David Rejeski, director of the Science and Technology Innovation Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center, studies public perceptions on scientific advances. He talks to Michele Norris about the news that scientists have created living cells from synthetic DNA.
• Cyclist Landis Admits Doping, Accuses Armstrong
  NPR's Tom Goldman talks to Robert Siegel about American cyclist Floyd Landis, who has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. Landis says Lance Armstrong has, too, though Armstrong has denied the allegation.
• Mexican President To U.S. Congress: Fix Border Policy
  Mexican President Felipe Calderon addressed a joint session of Congress on Thursday, and urged U.S. lawmakers to overhaul the immigration system and consider reinstating a ban on assault rifles.
• Arizona Democrat Weighs In On Border Security
  Robert Siegel talks to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat who represents the Tucson area, about immigration and security on the U.S.-Mexico border.
• Kandahar Corruption Poses Challenge For U.S.
  As the U.S. prepares for its military operation in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, the hardest task may be working with Kandahar city government officials -- many of whom, analysts say, are corrupt, including Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of President Hamid Karzai.
• Tensions Rise Between North, South Korea
  North Korea on Thursday disputed the conclusion of an international team of investigators that its torpedo sunk a South Korean naval vessel in March, killing 46 sailors. Robert Siegel talks to Victor Cha, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about the findings and North Korea's reaction.
• Child's Immigration Question Raises Dilemma
  A second-grader brought the immigration debate to center stage Wednesday when she told the first lady her mom doesn't have immigration papers. What legal ramifications could follow from the innocuous comment blurted out by the young girl? To find out, Robert Siegel talks to Crystal Williams, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
• Shirin Neshat: A Simple Title For A Complex Book
  A new book of photography simply called Shirin Neshat, after the artist, is anything but simple. It chronicles the artist's exploration of complex themes such as exile and the role of gender within Islam.
• Speak Up And Celebrate 'Eliza Doolittle Day'
  Unless you're a musical fan, you probably don't know that May 20 is "Eliza Doolittle Day," named after the Cockney flower girl learning to speak proper English in My Fair Lady. Given the fanfare over our broken vernacular these days, commentator Marc Acito believes it's time we start celebrating the little-known holiday.

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