Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Homeland Security takes on English literacy
  President Bush says all new immigrants to the U.S. must learn English. Bush was in the Midwest today promoting an immigration reform package that's drawn criticism from many members of his own party. In Omaha, Neb., he talked with immigrant school children in Spanish but later emphasized the importance of assimilating to U.S. Culture, and specifically, of learning English. He also announced creation of a new Homeland Security task force to encourage assimilation efforts such as English education.5:19 p.m.
• Radar base could become vacation homes
  A developer wants to convert the former Finland Air Force Base on Lake Superior's North Shore into vacation homes. But the project has been beset by problems, including pollution left by the Air Force.5:22 p.m.
• Story time at the Walker
  F. Scott Fitzgerald fans now have not one, but two, opportunities to enjoy staged versions of "The Great Gatsby" in coming months. The Guthrie Theater will open its new complex with an adaptation of the novel in late June. Then in September, the Walker Art Center will stage "Gatz," a six-hour show which is essentially a reading of the entire book.5:48 p.m.
• "West Bank Story": Minneapolis' global village then and now
  For more than a century, the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis has been the place where immigrant energy, radical politics and campus culture collide. That rich, occasionally volatile, history is the inspiration for Bedlam Theater's latest production, which also happens to be a musical. It's called "West Bank Story."6:20 p.m.
• The graduation party
  June is the season for graduation parties. Commentator Nanci Olesen remembers the day of her own graduation.6:25 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Broadway Gains Fans Even as It Struggles
  It has been a record-breaking year on Broadway, in terms of both attendance and box-office revenue. NPR's Bob Mondello explains why theater is booming in the Big Apple, if not elsewhere in the country.
• Papers Show CIA Knew of Eichmann's Escape
  Newly released CIA documents show that the spy agency knew the whereabouts of Adolph Eichmann, as early as 1958. Eichmann, who managed the Nazi extermination of the Jews, had fled to Argentina. In 1960, Israeli agents abducted him and took him to Israel, where he was tried and executed. Robert Siegel talks with historian Timothy Naftali, who has examined the documents.
• California Adds Paper Trail to Electronic Voting
  California's primary election Tuesday was the first serious test for a new kind of electronic voting machine. The devices produce a paper-trail record of every vote cast by touch-screen. The major shift in technology was prompted by concerns that the electronic voting machines the state had been using were vulnerable to fraud.
• Poland, Romania Protest Mention in Prison Report
  A report by the Council of Europe says 14 European countries colluded in the secret transfers of terrorism suspects by the CIA. The report also alleges that at least two airports, in Poland and Romania, were used to transfer and drop off detainees.
• Somalia on the Brink: Islamists or Militants?
  The fate of Somalia stands at a crossroads, as Islamists who have taken control of the capital offer a new chance to move beyond the violence brought by competing warlords. But security analysts fear the country may become a safe harbor for al-Qaeda, duplicating the role of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in the 1990s.
• Parties Seek Lessons from Bilbray's House Win
  Republican Brian Bilbray won a special election Tuesday for the San Diego seat in the U.S. House of Representatives vacated by Randy "Duke" Cunningham. The former incumbent went to jail for bribery earlier this year, so Democrats had hoped the district might be vulnerable. But Bilbray won with barely half the vote.
• Orchestrating Mixed-Media Art with Mentos
  Two months ago, we reported on the Web video phenomenon of Mentos and Diet Coke. When the mint candies are combined with the soda it creates a geyser of Diet Coke. A new video on the Internet takes that concept and turns it into a highly choreographed routine complete with music. Melissa Block talks with Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz, the two men who created the video.
• Auto Efficiency: An Executive's View
  Robert Siegel talks with Thomas Lasorda, President and CEO of the Chrysler Group. Lasorda, along with his colleagues at Ford and General Motors, will soon meet with President Bush in Washington. Lasorda talks about the state of business at Chrysler and how he envisions the company's future with oil prices remaining at record levels.
• Auto Efficiency: The Mileage vs. Safety Debate
  Since Americans first debated government regulation of the fuel efficiency of passenger cars, it has always come down to safety vs. efficiency: lighter cars get better mileage, the conventional wisdom goes -- but they're not as safe as heavier cars. Does that argument still hold water?
• Auto Efficiency: Fighting Higher Standards
  As Congress resumes its debate over whether to increase federal standards for fuel efficiency in passenger cars, some heavy hitters are weighing in against new regulations.
• Dad's Advice: Defeating Minor Crises
  Commentator Laura Lorson always paid close attention to her father's advice while growing up. He was always very concerned that she and her sisters would get hurt while doing something mundane. She used to think he was paranoid, but now she thinks that he gave her a great gift - the art of being prepared for the most minor of emergencies.
• Iran and Progress in U.S.-Russia Relations
  Observing the recent interaction of the United States and Russia, NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr concludes that relations may have improved somewhat. He says that's especially important with regard to negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.
• The Bolshoi Rocked by New Directions
  Since the mid-1990s, Russia's most renowned ballet troupe, the Bolshoi, has run into serious trouble. Infighting among the artistic and administrative management and a string of directors has damaged morale and standards. Now, another new director is trying to shake things up with a new repertoire. But he has drawn the enmity of some principal dancers, who say he is destroying the Bolshoi's storied traditions.
• Iraq Frees Hundreds of Sunni Prisoners to Ease Tensions
  Iraq's Shiite-led government releases nearly 600 mostly Sunni Arab prisoners in a good-will gesture aimed at easing sectarian tensions.
• Inherit the Windfall: The Estate Tax Debate
  The Senate is expected to vote this week on whether to repeal the federal estate tax -- known in Republican circles as the "Death Tax." But the opinions of Americans on the issue of inherited wealth and taxes are complicated. Robert Siegel talks with Nelson Aldrich Jr., author of Old Money: the Mythology of American Wealth.

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