Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minn. lawmakers probe, pan Pawlenty's budget plan
  Legislators are peeling back the layers of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's budget plan this week, and many DFLers say they don't like what they're seeing.5:19 p.m.
• Audit: Q Comp effect on student performance inconclusive
  The Legislative auditor's report raises questions about whether the governor's plan to expand Q Comp is a good idea.5:24 p.m.
• Hedwig comes to town
  A local producer is launching a new interactive movie program in the Twin Cities, and as a result, Hedwig is coming to town. Later this week the creator, star and director of the cult film "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" will appear as the first guest of "The Talkies" at the Heights Theater in Columbia Heights.5:54 p.m.
• Postcards from Antarctica
  A team from the Twin Cities spent January mapping one of the planet's last frontiers: the dry valleys of Antarctica.6:26 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Joe Torre On Life With The Yankees
  The former New York Yankees manager tells NPR about his time running the team, his views on steroids, and his relationships with key players like Alex Rodriguez. Torre, who now manages the Los Angeles Dodgers, has a new book out called The Yankee Years.
• Ahmadinejad Faces Challenges From Left And Right
  Iranians go to the polls in June to choose their next leader, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election bid is anything but certain. Mohammad Khatami, a reformist and ex-president, appears ready to enter the race, while Ahmadinejad has lost the support of some conservatives.
• A Malian Chanteuse With Modern Grace
  The daughter of a diplomat, Rokia Traore has built her musical career around a stylish, natural assimilation of African and European cultures. Reviewer Banning Eyre says that the opening track from Traore's new album, Tchamantche, tells the whole story.
• Daschle Withdraws From Cabinet Nomination
  Tom Daschle, President Barack Obama's pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services, withdrew his nomination Tuesday amid a controversy over his taxes. Also Tuesday, Nancy Killefer withdrew her nomination for the post of chief performance officer after bungling payroll taxes.
• Watchdog Chief Weighs In On Confirmation Woes
  Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, talks about the confirmation problems that President Barack Obama's Cabinet picks are facing. She says Daschle's withdrawal has caused an "appearance problem" for the administration.
• Habitat For Humanity Founder Millard Fuller Dies
  Fuller, who died Tuesday at age 74, believed people of faith must put their faith into practice. After becoming a millionaire by age 29, he and his family moved to Zaire in 1973 to build homes, and in 1976, he returned to the U.S. and started the Christian house-building charity with his wife.
• In Rare Candor, China Reports Shoe Throwing
  Chinese media reported in some detail on the protester who threw his shoe at Prime Minister Wen Jiabao at Cambridge University. In the past, the media might have maintained silence on this unseemly and potentially embarrassing incident.
• Iraqi Shoe Thrower Still In Jail
  Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi has been in jail since he threw his shoe at President Bush last December. His trial, previously set to begin Dec. 31, was postponed so an appellate court can consider a motion to reduce his charges. Kim Gamel, Associated Press Iraq news editor, talks about the case.
• What Went Wrong On The Day Music Died?
  Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died exactly 50 years ago Tuesday in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. Bruce Landsberg, executive director of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, says the conditions were similar to what John F. Kennedy Jr. faced during his fatal crash.
• Daschle Withdrawal Could Affect Health Debate
  Former Sen. Tom Daschle was in the hot seat for days because of news he had recently paid more than $100,000 in back taxes. Not a single senator came out against his nomination as secretary of Health and Human Services when he withdrew his name.

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