Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Legislature to consider funding more free school lunches
  Hunger relief groups want the state Legislature to expand free lunch at school so that students currently eligible for reduced-price lunch can eat free. This would cost the state around $4 million. Lawmakers and advocates pushing the proposal say it would ensure that low-income kids get the nutrition they need and aren't turned away at the lunch counter when they can't pay. But critics of the proposal say parents who could pay a little, should.3:49 p.m.
• Into the Song: 'I & Thou' a 3-minute musical exploration of existence
  Philosophers have written tomes about the meaning of existence. Somehow, the Eau Claire-based indie folk band The Daredevil Christopher Wright has boiled it down to a three-minute song: "I & Thou."3:53 p.m.
• Minn. House eyes limits to gun access, ownership
  A half dozen police chiefs and sheriffs argued Tuesday in a packed Capitol hearing room that Minnesota isn't doing enough to protect against gun violence, kicking off three days of hearings on a host of new proposed limits on firearm ownership.5:20 p.m.
• Campaign finance board urges Legislature to approve tougher economic disclosure rules
  Legislators are being asked to pass a bill that would require public officials to disclose more about where they earn their money. The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board voted Monday to encourage the Legislature to pass tougher economic disclosure laws. A proposal backed by the board would require officials to make public their consulting interests and details about income earned by their spouses.5:25 p.m.
• Legislature to consider funding more free school lunches
  Hunger relief groups want the state Legislature to expand free lunch at school so that students currently eligible for reduced-price lunch can eat free. This would cost the state around $4 million. Lawmakers and advocates pushing the proposal say it would ensure that low-income kids get the nutrition they need and aren't turned away at the lunch counter when they can't pay. But critics of the proposal say parents who could pay a little, should.5:50 p.m.
• Into the Song: 'I & Thou' a 3-minute musical exploration of existence
  Philosophers have written tomes about the meaning of existence. Somehow, the Eau Claire-based indie folk band The Daredevil Christopher Wright has boiled it down to a three-minute song: "I & Thou."5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Leaked Memo Says U.S. Has Right To Kill Americans Acting As Al-Qaida Operatives
  A white paper from the Justice Department says the U.S. has the right to kill Americans who are al-Qaida operatives, even if they are not actively working on a terrorist plot. The memo leaked a few days before the confirmation hearing of John Brennan to head the CIA.
• Democratic Senator Questions Administration's Drone Program
  Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is one of eleven senators who are demanding more details about the administration's drone program. He has indicated he may hold up the confirmation the president's nominee to run the CIA over the issue. Robert Siegel speaks with Wyden about his concerns.
• S&P Lawsuit Puts Ratings Firms Back In The Spotlight
  The Justice Department says it could seek more than $5 billion in damages from the nation's biggest credit ratings company. Critics of the agencies say the firms have for decades built their business on revenue from the Wall Street firms they are rating, instead of being a resource for investors.
• Why Traditional Publishing Is Really In A 'Golden Age'
  There's a lot of talk going around about the end of big publishing as we know it, but soon-to-be Hachette Book Group CEO Michael Pietsch says he and his kind still have a lot to offer — especially in the age of self-publishing.
• Business Leaders Band Together On Some Aspects Of Immigration Reform
  Business leaders turned out in force on Tuesday afternoon to talk with President Obama about their interests in any new immigration law.
• How The Labor Movement Did A 180 On Immigration
  The AFL-CIO is among the groups leading the charge for an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws. But it wasn't long ago that unions viewed illegal workers in the U.S. as a threat and fought against proposals that would allow them to become citizens.
• Islamic Scholars Stay One Step Ahead Of Vandals In Mali
  When Islamists militants took control of the ancient city of Timbuktu in the North African nation of Mali, they destroyed several earthen tombs of saints, claiming such shrines were forbidden. To preserve other artifacts and documents, at least one citizen hid historic items away.
• Olympian Skier Lindsey Vonn Ends Season With Knee Injury
  World Cup ski racer Lindsey Vonn was airlifted to a hospital in Austria on Tuesday after crashing during the world championships. It appears she injured her knee and may need surgery.
• Reg Presley, The Voice Of 'Wild Thing,' Dies
  The lead singer of The Troggs, who had a string of hits in the 1960s, was 71.
• Easy-Listening 'Muzak' Reborn As 'Mood Media'
  The company once known as "Muzak," famous for its music often played in elevators and waiting rooms, is now changing its brand name to "Mood." Audie Cornish and Robert Siegel have more.

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