Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• First rail cars arrive for Northstar commuter line
  The first two coach cars for the Northstar Commuter Rail line have arrived in central Minnesota, putting the project one step closer to its launch in November.4:49 p.m.
• Bachmann's responses to Northstar questions
  Rep. Michelle Bachmann's responses to written questions regarding the Northstar commuter rail line.4:52 p.m.
• Guy Maddin revisits 'The Saddest Music in the World'
  Twin Cities movie fans can look forward to a distinctly odd experience tomorrow night as maverick Canadian director Guy Maddin visits for a screening of his film "The Saddest Music in the World."4:53 p.m.
• Critics take aim at Pawlenty's plan
  Hospital officials and DFL legislators say Gov. Pawlenty's budget plan is painful and unwise.5:20 p.m.
• Minnesota cities deal with state aid cuts
  Cities across Minnesota are bracing for budget challenges. Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposed plan to unilaterally balance the state budget includes cuts in local government aid to cities.5:24 p.m.
• Future of Army cannon, jobs uncertain in Fridley
  Things are looking bleak for a new Army weapon being designed in Fridley. The BAE Systems mobile cannon program employs several hundred engineers and others, whose jobs are now at risk.5:50 p.m.
• Denny Hecker prepares to sue GMAC amid investigation
  Embattled auto dealer Denny Hecker is planning to file suit against car finance company GMAC, the company that used to loan money to Hecker's customers.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Obama Extends Benefits To Gay Federal Workers
  President Obama signed a measure Wednesday, giving gay and lesbian employees of the federal government a few of the benefits that married couples get. But the move may do little to appease the growing anger that the president has not made good on his campaign promises to the gay community.
• FDA Commissioner Focused On Challenges
  The Food and Drug Administration's new chief says one of her priorities is to move the agency into the 21st century. Dr. Margaret Hamburg acknowledges that morale is low at the FDA, but she says there is excitement at the critical challenges the agency faces.
• 'Vanity Fair' Writers Break Down Madoff Saga
  Confessed swindler Bernard Madoff ran a Ponzi scheme measured in the tens of billion of dollars. Mark Seal and David Margolick have both written in-depth articles about the disgraced financier for Vanity Fair. They discuss what they found.
• 2 Accused In Ariz. Killings Had Anti-Immigrant Ties
  Two of the three people accused of killing a father and daughter are leaders of an anti-illegal-immigration group. Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik says the motive behind the killings was robbery — and he believes the money was to fund the suspects' anti-immigration activity.
• Issues Are Similar, But Iran And Tiananmen Differ
  The streets of Tehran look much like the streets of Tiananmen Square in 1989. Some of the issues are the same, but this is 2009, and the stakes are both different and higher. Now, the whole world is watching, listening and hearing the events unfold.
• Senate Considers Health Care Legislation
  Overhauling the nation's health care system has been a topic of debate for years — on the campaign trail, on Capitol Hill and around kitchen tables. A Senate committee took the first formal step Wednesday toward crafting legislation to do so.
• In Iran, Election Protests Continue
  In Iran Wednesday, thousands of people marched in protest of last weekend's election results. The ongoing support for reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi is the most dramatic political uprising in Iran since 1979. The Iranian government is trying to block media coverage of the protests. Newsweek's Middle East correspondent Babak Dehghanpisheh offers his insight.
• OMG! Txting Teen Has Awsm Sklls
  Kate Moore, 15, from Des Moines, Iowa, has the mightiest thumbs in the nation, at least when it comes to text messaging. She has beaten thousands of contestants from across the U.S. to win the National Texting Championship in New York City, which comes with a prize of $50,000. She talks about her mad text skills and what she had to do to win.
• Dodgers Win Without Manny Ramirez
  The Los Angeles Dodgers have been able to keep their winning ways going despite the loss of slugger Manny Ramirez to a steroids suspension. With Ramirez out, veteran outfielder Juan Pierre stepped in and stepped up, helping Los Angeles maintain the best record in baseball.
• In Iran, A Struggle Over Cyberspace
  In Iran, tyranny has run afoul of technology in the form of the Internet, turning a protest into a movement. It is not the first time in history that the impulse for freedom has scaled borders by electronic means, but Iran is now the latest arena in the struggle for control in cyberspace.
• Obama Pitches Plan To Overhaul Financial System
  President Obama unveiled Wednesday a plan to overhaul regulation of the nation's financial institutions. Blaming a culture of irresponsibility on Wall Street, Main Street and in Washington for the current economic crisis, Obama also said the government had to do more to protect consumers.
• Attorney General Faces Scrutiny On Capitol Hill
  Attorney General Eric Holder heard complaints Wednesday from both Democratic and Republican senators when he testified at a Judiciary Committee hearing. Democrats said Holder has not done enough to reverse Bush-era policies, and Republicans said he has gone too far.
• The History Of The Vacation Examined
  Author Cindy Aron talks about the idea of vacations and where the notion came from. She also discusses the idea of how people's religious needs were part of taking vacations historically. She also discusses the idea of how people's religious needs were part of taking vacations.
• NASA To Launch Two Moon Missions
  NASA will launch Thursday two missions to the moon. One spacecraft will orbit the moon and create an unprecedented high-resolution map of the lunar surface. The other mission will send a spent rocket part on a collision course with a permanently shadowed lunar crater.
• The Challenges To Turning Off The Internet In Iran
  Iranian opposition groups have been using the Internet and social media tools like Twitter to protest the country's recent presidential election. The government has cracked down, but e-dissent is difficult to quell. Which raises the questions: Can Iran simply shut down Internet access and, if so, why doesn't it?

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