Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Small businesses wary of health care reform law
  Small businesses will be among the first in line to take advantage of provisions under federal health care reform. President Obama hailed the tax credits designed to make health plans more affordable. But some business owners say the tax credit doesn't reduce the cost of health insurance enough.3:50 p.m.
• Recipients say Pawlenty's welfare cuts would be disastrous
  About 7,000 low-income families with a disabled parent or child could lose most of their welfare benefits later this year, changes that are part of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposal to fix the state's $1 billion deficit, and parents living in poverty say the cuts would be disastrous.3:54 p.m.
• From music to politics, Gilberto Gil mixes it up
  Grammy Award-winner Gilberto Gil has been at the center of Brazilian music since the late 1960s. He blends traditional Brazilian sounds with rock and politics. Gil performs in Minneapolis this weekend.4:44 p.m.
• Small businesses wary of health care reform law
  Small businesses will be among the first in line to take advantage of provisions under federal health care reform. President Obama hailed the tax credits designed to make health plans more affordable. But some business owners say the tax credit doesn't reduce the cost of health insurance enough.5:20 p.m.
• Recipients say Pawlenty's welfare cuts would be disastrous
  About 7,000 low-income families with a disabled parent or child could lose most of their welfare benefits later this year, changes that are part of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposal to fix the state's $1 billion deficit, and parents living in poverty say the cuts would be disastrous.5:24 p.m.
• Hecker handcuffed, taken into custody
  In a Minneapolis courtroom, fallen auto mogul Denny Hecker was handcuffed and taken into custody this morning.5:50 p.m.
• From music to politics, Gilberto Gil mixes it up
  Grammy Award-winner Gilberto Gil has been at the center of Brazilian music since the late 1960s. He blends traditional Brazilian sounds with rock and politics. Gil performs in Minneapolis this weekend.6:24 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Foreign Aid A Blessing, Curse For Struggling Haiti
  Even before the January earthquake, international aid agencies played a huge role in Haiti. As donors gather in New York to consider billions of dollars in new aid, some say past efforts to help are one of the reasons the country remains so entrenched in poverty. The U.N. is pushing for a new approach.
• Why Haitian Bus Owners Spend So Much On Murals
  There's an economic puzzle buried in the artistry: The elaborate paint jobs can cost twice as much as an average Haitian makes in a year. But bus owners say spending the money may be a smart business decision.
• Abortion Doctor's License Suspended After Clinic Raid
  Dr. Kermit Gosnell's license was suspended after his West Philadelphia clinic was raided by federal agents in February. Investigators found unsanitary conditions and an unlicensed worker treating patients without supervision. Then, several women came forward with stories of botched and incompetent care.
• Fed Pulls The Plug On Mortgage Purchases
  The Federal Reserve will stop buying mortgage-backed securities this week, ending a massive program that’s been helping the housing market recover. The Fed has bought more than $1.2 trillion of mortgage-backed securities in all.
• Obama's Half-Brother Lives A World Apart
  President Obama's father married four times before he died. His seven surviving children are scattered from China to the White House. The youngest has written a book about his life in Kenya — and it's a life altogether different from that of his half-brother, the U.S. president.
• Photographer Captures Stark Portraits Of Hunger
  In a new exhibit, Michael Nye reveals black-and-white portraits of people who have suffered from hunger. He spent days with each subject — including a homeless mother of two — and distilled their stories into a single image and a five-minute sound clip.
• Obama Selects Health Care Scholar To Head Medicare
  President Obama picked health quality guru Donald Berwick to head the agency that runs Medicare and Medicaid. In normal times, it's one of the biggest non-Cabinet appointments any administration makes, but with passage of the new health care law, this is no ordinary time.
• Gene Ruling Could Have Wide Implications
  A judge has struck down a company's patents on two genes linked to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The ruling has far-reaching implications for the patenting of human genes. If upheld, it could affect the biotechnology industry and genetics-based medical research.
• Tomato Gardeners, Plant On! Late Blight Is Gone
  The fungus that killed tomato plants on the Northeast last year probably died during the winter, says Mike McGrath, the host of the weekly public radio show You Bet Your Garden. He says that late blight typically blows up from the South, where spores grow year round.
• Letters: Weapons, Morality
  A listener disagreed with the characterization of an AR-15, another took issue with a scientist's contention that if morality has a mechanical explanation, it will be hard to argue that people have souls. Michele Norris reads from listeners' letters.

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