Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• PoliGraph: Thissen correct -- cuts will cost jobs
  Rep. Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, is right that cutting government spending would cost jobs, but his numbers are hard to pin down.4:49 p.m.
• DNR may be granted greater inspection authority to combat zebra mussels
  Legislation authorizes mandatory inspections at or near water access points. If inspectors find an invasive species, they can require the boat or other equipment to go through a decontamination process.4:54 p.m.
• In Moorhead, home buyouts give flood-weary families relief
  More than 100 property owners have accepted buyouts from the city of Moorhead since 2009. The city says it reduces the need for sandbags and makes flood response easier.5:20 p.m.
• Minn. cities grapple with mixed-martial arts fighting
  Mixed-martial arts, a mix of boxing, kicking, wrestling and martial arts, is more popular than boxing in Minnesota. But the sport that some call "human cockfighting" also has its share of critics.5:24 p.m.
• The Dinner Party Download featuring Greta Gerwig
  On this week's Dinner Party Download, artist and Texas music legend Terry Allen, why some people sleep better than you and actress Greta Gerwig.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Gadhafi Regime Spokesman Claims World Has Things All Wrong
  On point after point, he says the nations that have joined to stop Gadhafi from attacking civilians just don't know what's really going on in Libya. The regime, he claims, really wants change. On All Things Considered, his words are tested.
• A History Of Hollywood's 'Lovable Drunk': Arthur Doesn't Booze Here Anymore
  Movie critic Bob Mondello takes a moment as Arthur is remade to consider the first Arthur, who was one of Hollywood's few rich, lovable drunks. Poor but lovable, that was something else entirely.
• 150 Years Later, America's Civil War Still Divides
  On April 12, 1861, the first shots of the war were fired in Charleston, S.C. And 150 years later, the city is still figuring out how to talk about the war and commemorate the anniversary. How do you honor the Confederate cause without also honoring the institution of slavery?
• Post-Revolution Tunisia Faces Economic Woes
  While the transitional government in Tunisia tackles challenges like how to agree on a constitution, it faces another problem: the state of the economy. Tourism is down drastically, as is money that used to flow from Libya.
• The Lawyer Who Raised The Shutdown Stakes
  These days, when many people argue for a literal interpretation of the Constitution, the idea that government can't operate until Congress agrees on a spending bill seems obvious. But it wasn't obvious at all until 1980, when Benjamin Civiletti, Jimmy Carter's attorney general, said so.
• Budget Clock Ticks Down To Government Shutdown
  Senate leader Harry Reid held out hope they would come to an agreement by midnight, then denounced Republicans for throwing Planned Parenthood programs under the bus. House Speaker John Boehner, also positioning himself to blame the other party, wondered aloud when Democrats would get serious about spending cuts. Apparently, the Republicans would take smaller overall cuts if they could defund Planned Parenthood. Democrats say Planned Parenthood is their line in the sand. The House already passed a stopgap bill that is unacceptable to the other side. The Senate was planning to do the same. Melissa Block talks to NPR's Andrea Seabrook about the state of play.
• Week In Politics: Budget Talks
  Michele Norris speaks with our regular political commentators, EJ Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution, and David Brooks of The New York Times.
• Paul Ryan: Father, Fitness Buff, Zeppelin Fan
  Rep. Paul Ryan is leading the news this week. Michele Norris looks at some interesting tidbits you may or may not know about him.
• Clinton Has Tough Words For China On Human Rights
  The secretary of state unveiled the 35th annual human-rights report Friday — amid a crackdown on dissent in China. Clinton said the struggle for human rights begins by telling the truth — and in China that means highlighting the plight of political prisoners, who are growing in number.
• Actor-Director Mourned By Both Israelis, Palestinians
  Juliano Mer Khamis, who was gunned down this week, was born to an Israeli Jewish mother and Palestinian Christian father. His life's work used art to teach Israelis and Palestinians about each other, and encourage Palestinian resistance, through his Freedom Theatre in Jenin.

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