Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Maya Angelou talks about her life
  One of the most influential voices in contemporary literature is appearing this weekend with the Minnesota Orchestra.4:50 p.m.
• DFLers criticize Pawlenty's travel; Pawlenty criticizes the story
  DFL legislative leaders say they're troubled that Gov. Pawlenty hasn't been meeting with lawmakers to discuss legislative issues. Their remarks follow an MPR News report saying the governor has been out of Minnesota an average of one out of three days since Jan. 1, 2008.5:20 p.m.
• Popular Minnesota reading program may fall victim to Washington politics
  A highly regarded federal reading program is scheduled to continue only through next year5:24 p.m.
• Sellers hope spring fever spreads to real estate market
  This year's housing market slump has created the unusual situation of buyers sitting on their hands and sellers gloomy about what they can get.5:50 p.m.
• 'Chicago 10' takes a new look at a timeless story
  A new movie uses archive film and animation to plunge audiences into the chaos surrounding the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. "Chicago 10" director Brett Morgan says there are lessons in the story for organizers at the Republican National Convention this year in St Paul.5:54 p.m.
• A taste of 'Blues in the Night'
  Several well-known Twin Cities performers take center stage for a new production of the Tony-nominated show "Blues in the Night," which opened this week at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Violent Protests in Tibet Catch China Off-Guard
  Hundreds of people joined a week of street protests against Chinese rule led by Buddhist monks in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. The rare protests started Monday to mark the 49th anniversary of an uprising against the Communist regime.
• At 72, Veteran Musician Scores in a New Scene
  Best known for his sly, sexy party anthems, 72-year-old Andre Williams toiled in the music industry trenches for decades, battling homelessness and addiction along the way. In the 1990s, he was rediscovered by young white rockers.
• McCain's Success Tied to Americans' Views on Iraq
  Like all of the presidential hopefuls, Arizona Sen. John McCain's positions on the Iraq war have evolved as the war has extended. McCain still defends his Senate vote in October 2002 that helped authorize the war, but he has been a critical cheerleader of U.S. efforts.
• U.S. Scholar: Protests a 'Disaster' for China, Tibet
  Violent protests erupted Friday in Lhasa, Tibet. Hundreds of demonstrators defied Chinese police and took to the streets, reportedly setting fire to several Chinese-owned businesses. Robbie Barnett, adjunct professor of contemporary Tibetan studies at Columbia University, says the protests are a disaster for both China and Tibet.
• Letters: Primaries, a Prostitute and Airplanes
  Melissa Block reads listener responses to yesterday's show, including comments about our coverage of the Florida and Michigan primaries, the prostitute linked to Eliot Spitzer, and an astrophysicist who has come up with a method for efficiently boarding an airplane.
• Detroit's Embattled Mayor Refuses to Step Down
  Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is resisting calls for his resignation amid allegations that he lied under oath and conspired in a case involving an inappropriate personal relationship. Kilpatrick gave a racially charged speech this week, accusing the local media of having a "lynch mob" mentality.
• Calif. College's Class in Mideast to Exclude Women
  A small California college has worked out a deal with Saudi Arabia to set up an engineering program at a new Saudi university. But the deal by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo does not allow women in the Saudi classroom, and that angers the faculty and students at Cal Poly, a school known for courting female engineers.
• Week in Politics: Resignations, Primary Debate
  It's been a busy week in politics. Events include the scandalous downfall of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, Geraldine Ferraro's resignation from the Clinton campaign, and an ongoing heated debate over whether to count Florida and Michigan's presidential primaries.
• Bush's Gridiron Song Makes YouTube
  Last Saturday, President Bush surprised guests at the annual Gridiron Dinner by singing part of his remarks. The event for journalists was off the record, but now the president's performance has made it onto YouTube, and the White House says that's OK. We take a listen.
• Bailout Casts Doubt on Bear Stearns' Future
  The big Wall Street investment firm Bear Stearns needed emergency funds Friday to fend off a liquidity crisis that threatened the firm's viability. Bear's CEO, Alan Schwartz, had reassured investors that his firm was in fine shape, but the development shows how quickly things can change in the current environment.

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