Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• One refugee at a time
  Twenty-one million people around the globe can't return to their homes because they fear violence or persecution. All Things Considered host Tom Crann talks with three Minnesotans who try to help.4:44 p.m.
• Study faults Minnesota minority graduation rate
  A new report ranks Minnesota as the 8th best state for high school graduation rates. But the analysis released Tuesday by Education Week magazine places Minnesota near the bottom when it comes to the graduation of black students.5:19 p.m.
• National Park Service retains emphasis on conservation
  The National Park Service has rejected a proposal to allow increased use of snowmobiles in national parks. The proposed changes in the management policies would have emphasized access and recreation in national parks, and weakened traditional emphasis on conservation.5:23 p.m.
• Two friends, two opinions
  The South Dakota abortion ban presents a powerful platform for social debate. Some people won't talk about it because they are afraid of what their friends may think. Two friends agreed to talk to each other even though they have different views.5:49 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• The Value of Relative Friends in a Virtual World
  Commentator John Moe takes on the word "friend," a big word with a shifting definition. His band, Chicken Starship, has a MySpace page. And among the people listed as their friends are Elvis Costello, The Dixie Chicks, and Lucinda Williams. John knows that They Might Be Giants won't drive him to the airport -- but their friendship has to count for something.
• Israeli Town Protests for Military Support
  Under rocket fire from Palestinian militants in the nearby Gaza Strip, residents of a southern Israeli town close roads and stage protests, demanding a tougher military response from their government. Hamas militants broke a 15-month-old truce and renewed rocket attacks on Israel after an explosion on a Gaza beach last week killed seven members of one family.
• 'Lotus Feet' Brings Indian Tradition to U.S. Pop
  Singer Durga Das performs music known as Kirtan, a form of very old call-and-response devotional music from India. But now, as Kirtan finds its way into American culture, it is evolving in unexpected ways. Part of the change is being led by a Jewish man from Philadelphia named David Newman -- or, on stage, Durga Das.
• Safavian Found Guilty of Lying, Obstruction
  A federal grand jury returns guilty verdicts on four of five counts against David Safavian, the former chief procurement officer for the federal government. Safavian was convicted of lying and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors said he tried to cover up his business relationship with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
• Rescuers Prepare for a Wild Whitewater Season
  It was a record year for snow in many parts of the West -- and as summer approaches, that snowpack is melting fast. That's good news for whitewater rafters, but it can be deadly for casual swimmers. In California's Sierra Nevada, home to some of the fastest uncontrolled rivers in the West, national park rangers are training for a big water year.
• Rather Goes from the Desk to the Door at CBS
  Dan Rather is leaving CBS News after more than 40 years at the organization. Rather's contract is up in November, but he could leave at any time.
• Reading the Poles: Earth's Ice in Jeopardy
  Ted Scambos has been keeping an anxious eye on Antarctica's massive ice sheets, watching for signs that they could be melting. His colleague Mark Serreze is watching ice at the other pole. They've come up with the same finding: The planet's ice is in jeopardy.
• Guard Returns to New Orleans, Spurred by Crime
  National Guard troops are patrolling the streets of New Orleans, returning to the city they helped stabilize nine months ago, after Hurricane Katrina struck. An upswing in violence, including a quintuple shooting that took place on Saturday, has led to new fears of unrest.
• States Inflate School Graduation Rates, Report Says
  There are serious gaps between the high school graduation rates that states report and the actual number of students who receive a diploma, according to a new report. The study, from the journal Education Week, estimates that in the school year that just ended, 1.2 million students failed to graduate.
• Japan Opts Out of Iraq, Calling Mission 'Success'
  Japan, declaring its humanitarian mission in Iraq a "success," announces it will pull its 600 noncombat troops out of Iraq. The troops have been in Iraq since early 2004. Robert Siegel talks with Michael O'Hanlon, senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution.
• Soldiers' Bodies Were Tortured, Boobytrapped
  The bodies of two U.S. soldiers, abducted by insurgents after a battle late last week, are on their way home to the United States, where they will undergo DNA testing to confirm their identities. The bodies of Pfc. Kristian Menchaca and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker showed signs of torture when there were found south of Baghdad.
• Democrats Split on Troops Levels in Iraq
  Senate Democrats John Kerry and Russ Feingold have offered an amendment to the defense authorization bill that specifies when U.S. troops should leave Iraq. However, other Democrats are trying to soften the language with a competing amendment.
• U.S. Hopes to Block Venezuela from Security Council
  The Bush administration is lobbying to prevent Venezuela from securing an open seat on the U.N. Security Council, largely because of concerns that its leading South American critic could confound plans to step up pressure on Iran. Under United Nations rules, Latin American governments are entitled to pick a country from the region to fill the rotating seat that comes open next year. Venezuela has been campaigning for the post.
• Senate Bid to Rein in NSA Spying May Fail
  The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote Thursday on a bill to regulate NSA domestic surveillance. But the legislation, which faces opposition from the White House, lawmakers and civil liberties groups, may not make it out of the Senate.
• Park Service, Residents Disagree on Development
  The National Park Service opposes a new development just outside New River Gorge National River, a West Virginia landmark. The Park Service fears the nearby houses will be an eyesore. But some residents support the economic development that new residents would bring to the area. Anna Sale of West Virginia Public Radio reports.

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