Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• A tour of Pelican Rapids
  Drive through Pelican Rapids and it may well look like many other small Minnesota towns. But take a walk through the streets and you'll find some remarkable things about the past present and future of this place.4:36 p.m.
• Farmer tends to a new customer base
  Pelican Rapids is still basically a farming community. But a decade-and-a-half of immigration has changed the town a lot. That's not just clear on Main Street, If you drive a few miles out of town, life is even different on the farm.4:50 p.m.
• The language challenge
  As many as a dozen languages are spoken in Pelican Rapids. That can make basic communication a challenge.5:15 p.m.
• Pelican Rapids confronts housing shortage
  Pelican Rapids is attracting retirees and summer residents with lakeside cabins, as well as new immigrants looking for work. As a result, good housing is in short supply.5:35 p.m.
• Pelican Rapids schools at center of integration efforts
  Consider this statistic: Nearly one-half of Pelican Rapids second-graders come from homes where English is not spoken. That number, along with other measures of diversity in Pelican Rapids schools, forced the district to participate in a state integration program for schools.5:40 p.m.
• Birdwatching with an expert
  Visitors are drawn to the natural beauty of the Pelican Rapids area, with its lakes and forests, and nearby Maplewood State Park. This time of year, the park also attracts flocks of bird-watchers.6:17 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• High Court Tightens Rule on Workplace Speech
  A new Supreme Court ruling could make it much more difficult for public employees to bring retaliation claims against their bosses for critical reports they make through the chain of command. By a 5-to-4 vote, the court ruled that public employees have no First Amendment right to make internal reports that their bosses don't like.
• Dual Confessions Cloud Georgia Child-Killing Case
  Two years after 8-year-old Amy Yates was brutally murdered near her home in Carrollton, Ga., the prosecutor in the case has a real dilemma: There are two credible confessions to the crime. One came from a juvenile who was arrested and put in jail for the crime two years ago. The juvenile was released after someone else confessed to the crime, citing details that were not available to the public. The problem: The two confessions could cancel each other out in court.
• Utilities Seek Permits for New Nuclear Reactors
  Utility companies have announced plans to seek permits for more than a dozen nuclear power reactors around the U.S. It's been more than 20 years since the last commercial energy reactor was constructed in the U.S. But growing demand for electricity -- and federal subsidies -- have led to renewed interest in nuclear power.
• House Holds Special Meeting on FBI Office Raid
  Despite Congress being on a weeklong Memorial Day recess, House lawmakers have returned to Washington for a hearing on the FBI raid of Rep. William Jefferson's office. The search for documents provoked a standoff involving the White House, the Justice Department and House leaders over the reach of executive-branch powers.
• U.S. Paid Condolence Money for Haditha Deaths
  The U.S. Marines paid at least $38,000 to the families of Iraqi civilians killed in a November clash in Haditha. The payments were made in December, according to a report confirmed by NPR. Investigators have been told that a sergeant coaxed the Marines to fabricate a cover story of the incident.
• Paulson's Strengths Lie in Markets, Finance
  The choice of Henry Paulson, a 30-year veteran of Wall Street, to be President Bush's new Treasury secretary is a move to breathe new life into the White House's economic policies. Paulson, the chairman of the investment bank Goldman Sachs, is replacing John Snow, who had formerly been a railroad executive.
• At Goldman Sachs, Paulson Led a Top Bank Higher
  The venerable New York investment firm Goldman Sachs has a long track record for producing political bigwigs. Treasury Secretary-nominee Henry M. Paulson Jr. has served as both chairman and CEO since 1999. The company boasts a return on equity of upwards of 40 percent.
• Paulson-Snow Swap Signals New Emphasis
  President Bush nominates Goldman Sachs Chairman Henry Paulson to be the new Treasury Secretary. He is to replace John Snow, whose resignation from the Cabinet will become official in June. Snow's departure had been widely expected.
• Crikey! Here Come the Chavs
  Robert Siegel talks with Verity Jennings, a recent graduate of Leeds Metropolitan University in Britain. Jennings' thesis analyzed the popularity of the term "chavs" in hundreds of newspaper stories. While the origins of the word are murky, Jennings says "chavs" has come to refer to British young people characterized by gold jewelry and sportswear, often in a negative light. But she says references to "chavs" may also create a new sense of belonging.
• A Short-Lived Fan of Andy Milonakis
  Commentator Charles Monroe-Kane became attached to an MTV show featuring what he thought was a real 12-year-old crazy kid. He loved it until he found out the guy was 30 -- and the show was scripted.
• Museum Honoring Dillinger Faces Roadblock
  John Dillinger was America's first Public Enemy No. 1. His crime spree terrorized and fascinated the country during the Depression. But a museum devoted to his life and "career" can't show its collection, because one of his heirs claims it violates the late bank robber's "rights of publicity." A judge has agreed. The museum is appealing the ruling.
• Iraqi Prime Minister Vows to Investigate Haditha
  Iraq's prime minister says he's losing patience with what he called American "excuses" for killing Iraqi civilians. Nouri al-Maliki told the Reuters news agency that he plans to launch an Iraqi investigation into the deaths of 24 civilians in the western Iraqi town of Haditha last fall.
• Teens at Home in Chicago, Arguing About Music
  For 18-year-old Yvonne Gutierrez, Chicago's Southwest Side, is home. There, Gutierrez and her friends hang out and argue about what's better: hip-hop or rock. Yvonne Gutierrez is a member of Curie Youth Radio and will graduate from Curie High School in June.
• Librarians Denounce Gag Order in Patriot Act Case
  Four Connecticut librarians spoke bitterly Tuesday about a months' long gag order they were subjected to after the FBI requested patrons' records under the Patriot Act. The librarians decried their inability to participate in congressional debate on how to rewrite the act.
• Iranian Leaders Linking U.S., Israel More Often
  In Iran, many officials are blaming Israel, or the Zionist lobby, for U.S. policies toward their country -- especially the crisis over Iran's nuclear activities. But until recently, it was rare that officials linked Israel and the United States in the same sentence. Observers say the change is due to the influence of President Ahmadinejad. But many Iranians say the government's recent obsession with Israel is meant to hide its own failings.

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