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.
• Legal fight to lift Minnesota's gay marriage ban faces tough odds
  Rather than changing Minnesota law, some state and national gay rights leaders fear the lawsuit will instead attract the kind of attention they'd rather avoid -- especially in an election year.4:50 p.m.
• Mpls. police unveil plans to halt spike in violence
  The latest anti-crime strategies have been used before. Police say many of the criminals involved in this year's violence are familiar, too. But police officials say what's new, is that some of the violence has spread into unfamiliar territory.5:20 p.m.
• No punitive damages in Wells Fargo case
  The decision comes one day after the Ramsey County District Court jury determined that Wells Fargo breached its fiduciary duty to four nonprofits and violated the Minnesota Consumer Fraud Act.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• BP Cuts Pipe, Plans To Lower Cap Over Leak
  NPR's Richard Harris updates Michele Norris on BP's effort to contain the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. On Thursday, crews cut the pipe off the top of the blowout preventer, and are now preparing to install a device to capture the oil and gas. Because BP wasn't able to make a smooth cut, the capture device will sit on top of an oddly shaped opening -- which means it's less likely to be as effective in capturing all the oil.
• Estimating The Cost Of The BP Oil Spill
  The cost of the BP oil spill is nearly impossible to estimate, given that there's little consensus about how much oil is spilling out, and when the leak might be contained. But NPR's Yuki Noguchi tries to hazard a guess based on the Gulf states' tourism and fishing revenues.
• A Perfect Game, Ruined By A Bad Call
  One magical moment on the diamond Wednesday night, ruined by a bad, bad call: Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers was on the verge of pitching a perfect game -- two outs in the ninth -- when umpire Jim Joyce called a batter "safe" on first base. The problem? He wasn't. The fans saw it. The announcers saw it. Everybody watching on television saw it, and saw it again on the instant replay. Joyce apologized afterward, and Galaraga graciously accepted. And Thursday, everybody was once again wondering why Major League Baseball doesn't rely on instant replays. For some insight, Robert Siegel talks to Don Denkinger, a retired umpire who himself made a famously bad call.
• U.S. Seeks To Define Rules On Cyberwar
  The head of the newly created U.S. Cyber Command says current "rules of engagement" covering when and how to engage the enemy need to be reconsidered in light of cyberspace. But Gen. Keith Alexander hasn't yet gotten much guidance from higher authorities.
• Undeterred, Brothers Follow Each Other To War
  A Niagara Falls, N.Y., family with six sons has sacrificed a lot on behalf of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: Half of the boys joined the Army and have gone to war. This Memorial Day, the Dikcis family spent the holiday without two of them: one is in Iraq -- and one died earlier this year. And one more is about to join.
• Turkey Honors Activists Killed During Israeli Raid
  Funerals were held in Istanbul on Thursday for the Turks, and one American citizen, killed in this week's Israeli commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. The surviving activists were given a heroes' welcome on return from Israel earlier in the day.
• Details Emerge On Slain Pro-Palestinian Activists
  More details are emerging about the 9 men killed during Israel's deadly raid of a flotilla on Monday. The men ranged in age from 19 to 61 years old. They included an American of Turkish descent; a European Taekwondo champion who became Turkey's National team coach; an electrical engineer; a fire-fighter; and a journalist. And they were well-educated. Robert Siegel talks to reporter Julia Rooke about who these men were. The victims: Cengiz Akyuz, 41; Ali Haydar Bengi, 39; Ibrahim Bilgen, 61; Furkan Dogan, 19; Cevdet Kiliclar, 38; Cengiz Songur, 47; Cetin Topcuoglu, 54; Fahri Yaldiz, 43; and Necdet Yildirim, 32.
• Oysters: From The Gulf To The Table
  With large swaths of the Gulf closed to fishing, seafood markets and restaurants are already feeling the pinch. To track the economic consequences of the leak from the water to the dinner table, Michele Norris talks to Louisiana oyster processor Patrick Fahey; Southern California distributor Angel de la Riva; and David Levi, buyer for his wife's New York restaurant, Mara's Homemade.
• This Rabbi-To-Be Knows How To Throw A Punch
  The World Boxing Association's super welterweight champ has an unusual resume -- he's a New Yorker by way of Israel, and he's spent the past four years studying to be a rabbi. Yuri Foreman takes a cerebral approach to the game, favoring tactics over knockouts. And that's limited his appeal to some boxing fans -- who'll be watching when he defends his title Saturday night against big puncher Miguel Cotto at Yankee Stadium.
• Arizona Gov. Says She, Obama Will Work Together
  Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer was at the White House on Thursday. The Republican signed the new state immigration law that allows local law enforcement to demand proof of legal status. President Obama opposes the law, saying it can lead to racial profiling. Immigration is proving to be a tough political problem for both parties.

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