Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Congress pushes ballast water regulations
  Ships calling on the Great Lakes may soon have to treat their ballast water, to prevent the spread of non-native plants and animals. New regulations cleared the U.S House Transportation Committee Thursday.5:20 p.m.
• Fiddler explores music to die for
  Hardanger fiddle music is not exactly a chart topper in this country. Even so, a Minneapolis musician is devoting her life to helping audiences appreciate the centuries-old Norwegian musical tradition. Karen Torkelson Solgard is also giving the music an unmistakable American accent.5:24 p.m.
• Minnesota Supreme Court rules sex offenders don't have to confess to crime
  Threatening sex offenders with more time behind bars if they don't admit their crimes in prison treatment programs violates their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Thursday.5:50 p.m.
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  5:53 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Court Gives Manufacturers Leeway on Pricing
  In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court overturned a decades-old antitrust standard to give manufacturers additional rights when it comes to setting prices. The decision gives manufacturers more leeway to set minimum prices for their products.
• Biologist Recounts Path to Bald Eagles' Recovery
  The Interior Department will take the American bald eagle off the Endangered Species List next month. Biologist Peter Nye has been tracking the bald eagle for more than 30 years. He talks with Melissa Block about how America's bird will fare off the list.
• Immigration Bill Dies in the Senate
  The wide-ranging immigration bill died Thursday in the Senate, 14 votes short on a procedural vote that would have moved the bill toward final passage. It was a blow to President Bush, who backed the bipartisan measure.
• Letters: Texas Discipline, 'Sicko' Treatment
  Melissa Block and Robert Siegel read from this week's listener e-mail. There was a strong response to our stories on school discipline in Texas and criticism of our treatment of Michael Moore's new film Sicko. There's also a correction to our sound clip featuring a musical instrument called the "hang."
• Plan Will Be Modified, School Board Member Says
  Carol Ann Haddad, member and former head of the school board in Jefferson County, Ky., talks about Thursday's Supreme Court ruling against the district's use of race in making school assignments.
• Supreme Court Rejects School Desegregation Plan
  The Supreme Court has ruled 5-4 that districts in Seattle and Louisville, Ky., went too far in their school-desegregation plans by using a student's race to determine which school he or she is assigned to.
• Will Mars Rover Survive the Crater of Doom?
  NASA's Mars rover "Opportunity" is scheduled to begin descending a rocky slope into the Red Planet's massive Victoria Crater. This latest trek carries real risk for the long-lived robotic explorer, but it's expected to provide valuable science.
• Bottled Water: A Symbol of U.S. Commerce, Culture
  The bottled-water business in the United States is booming. People increasingly are willing to pay for something they can just as easily have for free. Yet many people around the world lack safe, dependable drinking water.
• Adjudicating the White House Subpoena Dispute
  The White House invoked executive privilege in response to subpoenas for documents associated with the firing of federal prosecutors for political reasons. A Columbia University law professor lays out scenarios for resolving the confrontation.
• White House Suffers Blows on Key Issues
  The Senate killed President Bush's main domestic policy issue — overhauling immigration laws — as Republican support collapsed. News from Iraq was grim. And the White House invoked executive privilege in response to subpoenas from Congress.
• High Court Blocks Mentally Ill Inmate's Execution
  The Supreme Court blocked the execution of a Texas man convicted of killing his mother- and father-in-law because the man has a long-documented mental illness – and thinks the reason he's slated to be executed is to stop him from preaching the word of God.
• Petraeus: Alliances, Time Are Crucial Tools of War
  The top U.S. commander in Iraq says success in Iraq may take more time than Washington is willing to give. On a recent inspection in Baghdad, Gen. David Petraeus also says any real long-term solution for the country must be a political one.
• Walk-In Trauma Centers Give Vets a Welcome Home
  The first storefront mental health clinics helped Vietnam vets transition home almost 30 years ago. Now, these Vietnam vets are bringing their sons, back from Iraq and Afghanistan, into the centers, which offer a welcoming alternative to VA hospitals.
• Global Competitors Clamor for Kazakhstan's Oil
  Thanks in large part to the soaring price of oil, Kazakhstan has become one of the world's fastest-growing economies. Companies and governments are competing for access to its vast deposits of oil and natural gas.
• Cats First Tamed in the Middle East
  Whenever humans met dogs or horses in the wild, they usually tamed them and put them to work. But not cats; it appears most pet cats can trace their heritage back to the wildcats of the Middle East.

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