Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Gov. Pawlenty announces re-election bid
  It was a busy day for gubernatorial politics Wednesday. Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty formally announced his re-election campaign. Democrats launched a campaign against Pawlenty and other Republicans. And DFL gubernatorial candidate Becky Lourey announced her running mate.5:19 p.m.
• Poor and overweight: A connection?
  While it may seem counterintuitive, more poor people are overweight. The problem is that healthier food is much more expensive than it used to be.5:23 p.m.
• Minneapolis considers limiting alley access
  A Minneapolis City Council member wants to limit use of the city's alleyways in order to fight crime. A proposed ordinance would prohibit anyone but residents and their guests to from walking in alleys throughout the city.5:46 p.m.
• The Minnesota Orchestra in session with Beethoven
  The second CD in the Minnesota Orchestra's Beethoven symphony cycle is out. Like the first installment, the latest recording is receiving favorable reviews.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Senegal's Cheikh Lo Brings 'Lamp Fall'
  Cheikh Lo is from Senagal, but his music is steeped in rhythms from all over the world. In fact, many of the rhythms for his new CD came from work he did in Brazil with producer Nick Gold, known for his work with the Buena Vista Social Club.
• Suffering Persists After Zimbabwe Razing Campaign
  As Zimbabwe's economy collapses under 1,000 percent inflation, many of the people uprooted by a slum-clearance campaign last year remain homeless and unemployed. Human-rights activists in the Southern African nation say the country is on the verge of social upheaval.
• Dissident Stories: Ma Jian's 'Stick Out Your Tongue'
  Chinese dissident author Ma Jian's story collection Stick Out Your Tongue bends time and reality. The collection, of stories inspired by a trip to Tibet in the mid-1980s, was published in China in 1997; since then, Ma Jian's work has been banned there.
• Federal Religious Discrimination Lawyer Criticized
  In 2003, The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division created a position called the Special Counsel for Religious Discrimination. Eric Treene, who has held the job since it was created, identifies religious discrimination cases and brings lawsuits. But some critics say Treene is too involved in the public sphere.
• In Policy Shift, U.S. May Meet with Iranians
  The Bush administration is shifting gears on its policy with Iran. The United States now says it will hold face-to-face talks with Iranian and European officials if Iran suspends nuclear activities suspected of being part of a weapons program. President Bush says he wants to take a leadership role in resolving the issue.
• If Deported, Accused Smuggler May Face Death in China
  Lai Changxing is an accused smuggler who faces extradition from Canada back to his native China for trial. Lai, who fled China in 1999, is accused of overseeing a massive o smuggling operation. But Canadian courts could refuse to return Lai to China; Canada has no death penalty, while China does.
• Happy Birthday, Mr. President, from Art Fans
  President Bush turns 60 years old on July 6. Whether or not you get invited to his party, you can send him a greeting. A New York City performance artist is traveling the country, collecting people's thoughts so they can share them with the president.
• Answering Yuri, Questioning Oneself
  Psychiatrist and commentator Elissa Ely encounters a resistant patient who leads her to question the efficacy of her profession
• A 75-Foot Challenge: Making a Tornado
  If you thought stopping a tornado was next to impossible, imagine trying to create one. Ned Kahn tried to make a 75-foot twister for an exposition in Hanover, Germany. The problems he encountered reveal how the subtlest changes in the atmosphere can determine whether a tornado forms.
• Barbaro Stabilizes, but His Future Is Uncertain
  Dr. Dean Richardson, the horse surgeon that operated on Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro after his devastating injury in the Preakness Stakes on May 20, has been optimistic about Barbaro's progress in the past week but says he is still wary of his future as a stud. Breeding Barbaro in the future would require that he mount mares using his injured hind leg. Melissa Block talks with Richardson.
• American Soldiers Explain Decision to Re-Up
  Soldiers who re-enlist, returning for tours of duty in Iraq, often cite patriotism, duty, and the need to protect their homeland from terrorism when asked why they've re-upped. They also describe being part of a "committed brotherhood to defend the constitution and the people who cannot defend themselves." Producer Eric Whitney of member station KRCC offers a sound montage from a visit to a re-enlistment ceremony at Ft. Carson, Colo., in early May.
• Iraqi Leader Maliki Tours Struggling Area
  Iraq's new Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visits the southern river port city of Basra in a bid to contain an escalating power struggle among rival Shiite factions.
• Haditha Case May Test Military Justice
  The military system faces a complicated test as it investigates accusations that U.S. Marines covered up a mass killing of Iraqi civilians in Haditha. Melissa Block talks with retired Col. Gary Solis, who spent 18 years as a judge advocate and a judge in the Marine Corps.
• MLB's Own Performance-Enhancement Problem
  Barry Bonds may be number two on baseball's all-time home run list, but for Major League Baseball, he's Public Enemy Number One. Commentator Rick Gentile says that MLB has benefited more from the steroid era than any individual player.
• In Congress, Paulson Faces Skeptics on Tax Policy
  Henry Paulson, President Bush's nominee to be Treasury Secretary, has a challenge in getting the president's competitiveness initiative through Congress. Plans to renew research and development tax credits, as well as credits for math and science education, have run into roadblocks from Republican conservatives.

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