Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Lots of people say bicycling beats high gas prices
  Bike shops say business is good as commuters tune up their old bike, or buy a new one, and leave behind their cars for bicycle commuting.4:19 p.m.
• Trading four wheels for two
  With gas prices soaring, commuting by bicycle seems more appealing than ever. But two-wheeled transit can take some getting used to.4:23 p.m.
• Coens to shoot their next film in Minnesota
  After months of uncertainty, the Minnesota Film and Television Board is announcing that Oscar winning Twin Cities natives Joel and Ethan Coen will shoot their next movie in the Twin Cities.4:49 p.m.
• Young people hard hit by gas prices
  Rising gas prices aren't just a grown-up phenomenon. Kids are working longer hours and getting on the bus, among other things, to cope with the new normal of expensive fuel.4:54 p.m.
• High diesel costs take fun out of farming
  Prices for just about everything are rising. But like many other businesses, farmers are finding there is no easy way to deal with the increased cost of fuel.5:19 p.m.
• Sen. Clinton returns to campaign in South Dakota
  Sen. Hillary Clinton spent much of the day campaigning in South Dakota. She talked with invited guests at a surburban Sioux Falls grocery store and then headed to Brookings for another appearance.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Chengdu Youths Discuss Life in China
  Eight English-speaking young people in the city of Chengdu, China, talk about how they get around the restrictions on the Internet (The Great Firewall), their hopes for their country, and what they want people to know about China.
• A Slow, Glorious Trip Down the Mississippi
  Tony Horwitz revels in the meandering adventures and wry observations of Old Glory, Jonathan Raban's story of floating "like a piece of human driftwood" through the heart of America.
• NASA's Phoenix Set to Touch Down on Red Planet
  The Mars Phoenix probe is scheduled to touch down on Mars around 7:53 Eastern Time on Sunday. If all goes well, it will land near the red planet's north pole. There, it will sample the ice that lies just beneath the surface. On-board instruments will analyze the ice and will look for signs of life.
• Gas-Saving Tips: Fact or Fiction?
  Driving with air conditioning, cleaning your air filters, gassing up in the morning, using premium fuel all improve fuel efficiency — or do they? Rik Paul, automotive editor for Consumer Reports talks with Michele Norris about tests that dispel popular myths about fuel efficiency.
• ATC Hosts Bring Own Stories Home from China
  Melissa Block and Robert Siegel wrap up two weeks of reporting from Chengdu, China. Both hosts and three producers traveled to Chengdu to tell the story of the fast-growing region. Then a massive earthquake struck. Michele Norris talks with them about their impressions as they prepare to return to the United States.
• Letters: Schroeder on Clinton's Campaign
  Listeners respond to an interview with former congresswoman Pat Schroeder about Hillary Clinton's campaign for the White House.
• Aid Agencies Careful Not to Push Myanmar Too Hard
  After a two-hour meeting Friday with the leader of Myanmar's military junta, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announces that "all aid workers" are now being allowed into the country to help with the cyclone recovery effort. The development comes with quite a few questions, including where these aid workers will be allowed.
• Obama Lays Out Foreign Policy Plan on Cuba
  Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama laid out his vision for a new direction in U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. He also reiterated his call for a new approach to Cuba and took his proposals to the place where the issue is most controversial: Miami.
• Activists Prepare to 'Recreate '68' at DNC
  Activists are preparing for the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer. Groups from around the country have coalesced under the name "Recreate '68" — a reference to the year protestors clashed with police at the party's convention in Chicago.
• Junta Agrees to Let All Aid Workers into Myanmar
  Myanmar agrees to allow all foreign aid workers, civilian ships and small boats into the country to help survivors of the cyclone. Chris Webster of the emergency aid organization World Vision tells Michele Norris how this news will affect those most in need of help.
• Doctors Say McCain's Skin Cancer Unlikely to Return
  The presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, releases his health records Friday. McCain has dealt with melanoma in the past and has some orthopedic problems from his years as a prisoner of war. He hasn't released his health records since 1999.
• Calendar Fills Up with Sporting Events
  The Memorial Day weekend ushers in not only summer — but the busiest months on the sports calendar. It's baseball time; professional basketball and hockey crown their champions; the French Open tennis tournament gets going; and there's "the greatest spectacle in racing" — the Indy 500. Sports analyst Stefan Fatsis talks with Michele Norris.
• China's 'Super Girl' Navigates Her Own 'Idol' Fame
  Three years ago, Chris Lee won a singing contest called Super Girl — a sort of Chinese version of American Idol. Her instant stardom overwhelmed her, and she is still finding her way, and her voice, in China's pop music industry.
• Landslides After Quake Crush Towns, Roads
  The Chinese government set a target of three years to rebuild areas devastated by the earthquake. It will be quite a challenge: Whole villages, towns, even cities have been destroyed, including Yingxiu.
• Bush Eyes Unprecedented Conservation Program
  The White House is weighing what could become the biggest conservation program in U.S. history. The initiative would block vast stretches of U.S. territorial waters from fishing and oil exploration, while giving President Bush a historic "blue legacy."

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