Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Housing bust exposes the cost of unplanned growth
  When the housing bubble burst, the population growth in the ring of counties surrounding the Twin Cities metro area -- once one of the fastest growing in the country -- virtually stopped. This sudden shift has presented challenges for the people who live in those areas.3:50 p.m.
• Talks to save GAMC ongoing; religious pressure building
  Gov. Pawlenty and Democrats are negotiating to try to find a way to extend funding for General Assistance Medical Care. But there's no deal yet, and several religious groups are ramping up pressure on the governor and the Legislature to fix the problem.5:20 p.m.
• In Minneapolis, public to weigh in on Dolan nomination
  Members of the Minneapolis City Council will listen to public testimony over the nomination of police Chief Tim Dolan to serve another term on Wednesday afternoon.5:24 p.m.
• Fixing potholes in St. Paul
  Minnesota Public Radio News reporter Tim Nelson joins a road service crew as they fix potholes in St. Paul, Minnesota.5:48 p.m.
• Housing bust exposes the cost of unplanned growth
  When the housing bubble burst, the population growth in the ring of counties surrounding the Twin Cities metro area -- once one of the fastest growing in the country -- virtually stopped. This sudden shift has presented challenges for the people who live in those areas.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Unintended Acceleration Not Limited To Toyotas
  Unintended acceleration problems that put Toyota in headlines have cut across the auto industry, according to complaints consumers have filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. An NPR News investigation finds that companies such as Volkswagen, Volvo and Honda have had high rates of complaints in some model years.
• Delayed U.S. Nuclear Review Likely To Call For Cuts
  The Obama administration has missed its own deadline for mapping out its policy on nuclear weapons. But however the Nuclear Posture Review emerges, it will likely call for a deep reduction in the U.S. arsenal.
• What Haiti Needs More Than Charity: Trade
  With the spotlight on post-earthquake Haiti, the nation's clothing manufacturers hope to win a better trade deal with the U.S. But even now, they face an uphill battle.
• Matzo Run Marks The Beginning Of Passover
  The Manischewitz factory in New Jersey prepares 60 percent of its matzo product line in the weeks before Passover. Schmura, or "guarded," matzo is produced under the watchful eyes of a team of rabbis.
• Nina Simone: The 'Princess Noire'
  Author Nadine Cohodas has written a new biography of singer Nina Simone. It's called Princess Noire: The Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone, and it tells the story of the singer's evolution from classical pianist to civil rights icon. Read about Simone's musical beginnings in an excerpt from the book here.
• Obama Makes Another Health Care Push
  President Barack Obama on Wednesday laid out a final road map for Congress to pass an overhaul of the nation's health care system. He offered to include a few more Republican ideas into the plan, but the GOP said the new items were just tokens that didn't change the bill. Democrats say the Obama plan is centrist, but still partisan.
• Sen. Alexander Blasts Obama Health Proposal
  Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) has compared President Obama's health care overhaul plan to "putting a couple of rear view mirrors in a car going in the wrong direction." He says despite three GOP ideas, the plan still has billions in taxes, Medicare cuts and premium increases.
• For Gay Catholics, D.C. Marriage Win Bittersweet
  Gay couples lined up to apply for marriage certificates Wednesday as Washington, D.C.'s gay-marriage law took affect. The law caused the diocese to change its policies so it wouldn't have to give gay spouses benefits or handle adoptions for them. The change may allow the diocese to keep city contracts, but it could also push the faithful away.
• Rangel Temporarily Gives Up Leadership Role
  Veteran New York Democrat Charlie Rangel temporarily stepped down as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. This after the ethics panel admonished him for breaking House rules on corporate-sponsored trips — and after Democrats began to desert him.
• Across Nations, Black Politicians Under Scrutiny
  With Charlie Rangel relinquishing his chairmanship, New York Gov. David Paterson pulling out of the governor's race and Harold Ford saying he won't run for a New York Senate seat, it has been a bumpy week for high-profile black politicians. Clarence Page, columnist at the Chicago Tribune, says it's a case of African-Americans gaining both power and scrutiny.

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