Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• GOP steps up efforts for constitutional amendment on marriage
  Two days before the legislative session begins, the GOP is sending hundreds of thousands of videos on the issue to voters. The goal is to force the state Senate to vote on the proposal.5:18 p.m.
• Concerns bridge two countries
  The pending sale of an international entryway is causing some concerns across national boundaries. We're not talking about the sale of U.S. ports to a Dubai company, but the bridge that spans the Rainy River between International Falls and Fort Frances, Ontario. The bridge was built by a paper manufacturer in 1908, and has been privately operated as a toll bridge. But now co-owners Boise Cascade and Abitibi Consolidated have put the bridge on the market. Some people on both sides of the river are hoping the bridge is taken over by the public sector, but their reasons have more to do with economics than security concerns. Security is already provided by the U.S. and Canadian governments. Tom Crann talked with International Falls Mayor Shawn Mason, who says the bridge is a critical economic and social link between the nations.5:23 p.m.
• Program helps immigrants become teachers
  St. Paul's public schools are taking part in a program to help immigrants become licensed to teach English as a second language.5:45 p.m.
• Former MPCA scientist urges more research on spread of chemicals formerly made by 3M
  A former Minnesota Pollution Control Agency scientist has told the Senate Environment Committee state agencies should do a lot more research on the spread of perfluorinated chemicals, formerly made and used by 3M in Cottage Grove.5:53 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• New Orleans a City of Paradoxes During Mardi Gras
  Six months after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is a city of revelry --- and a city of despair. A city where some neighborhoods are up and running, and others are a wasteland. A city where some have found a new calling, and some can no longer cope. Robert Siegel and Michele Norris report from New Orleans.
• California State Prisons Chief Steps Down
  In California, the head of the state's prison system resigns amid turmoil. Rockerick Q. Hickman was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. He says he wasn't getting the support he needed to reform the crowded system. Some prison facilities have been on lockdown because of racially motivated riots.
• Former 'L.A. Times' Publisher Otis Chandler Dies
  Otis Chandler, former publisher of the Los Angeles Times, has died at 78 in Ojai, Calif. The patriarch of the Southern California Chandler clan inherited the publisher's job at the Los Angeles Times and transformed the paper from a punchline to a journalistic powerhouse.
• Residents Explain What Makes Honeysuckle Home
  For the past six months, All Things Considered has followed the fortunes of a street in East New Orleans that was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding. This weekend, a dozen residents gathered at one of the few businesses open in the area for a town meeting.
• Honeysuckle Lane Strives to Restore Neighborhood
  Residents of Honeysuckle Lane in New Orleans gather for a town meeting. They talk about their experiences during the past six months and their hopes for the future as they strive to restore their community.
• Curfew Lifted But Tensions Linger in Baghdad
  The curfew in Baghdad has been lifted but the mood in the city remains tense, and negotiations to form a national unity government are still on hold. The curfew was enforced for three days when sectarian violence erupted in the wake of the bombing last week at a revered Shiite mosque in Samarra.
• Five Killed, One Held in Connection with Saudi Attack
  Saudi security forces raid a safe house in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, and kill five suspects in connection with last week's failed suicide bomb attack. A sixth suspect is in custody. Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for last week's attack at the world's largest oil-processing facility.
• Army Will Pay Most of Halliburton Subsidiary's Costs
  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reimbursing a Halliburton subsidiary for almost all disputed charges from a no-bid contract to repair equipment and supply fuel in Iraq. Pentagon auditors had questioned $250 million in charges from Kellogg Brown & Root, but the Army now says it will penalize the company $10 million.
• Levees in Question as Hurricane Season Approaches
  With hurricane season three months away, worries surface about whether the levees and floodwalls of New Orleans will be ready to hold back another storm. Col. Louis Setliff with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers talks to Robert Siegel about the responsibility of keeping the city safe from another flood.
• Poet Contemplates Future of New Orleans
  Commentator Andrei Codrescu gives a guided tour of his adopted hometown, New Orleans. He talks about what has changed since Katrina and ponders the future of his adopted hometown.

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