Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minnesota organization continues relief effort in Haiti
  Tom Crann talked with a director from Haiti Outreach, a Minnetonka-based organization that has been doing community development in Haiti for 13 years and, like most organizations there, has been pitching in with earthquake relief.3:24 p.m.
• Central Corridor and the footprint of politics
  Building a light-rail system is often a messy and thankless undertaking. And as planners of the Central Corridor line have noted, most major transit projects produce numerous controversies. But some say this line was star-crossed from the beginning, and state and national politics made the situation worse.3:35 p.m.
• Mobile food vendors set to take to Minneapolis streets
  People who want to sell food from mobile carts in downtown Minneapolis will start applying for licenses this weekend, but it's going to be a struggle for some would-be mobile vendors to get up and running that quickly.4:24 p.m.
• Emmer wins endorsement after Seifert concedes
  State Rep. Tom Emmer has won endorsement of the Minnesota Republican Party, after his main challenger Marty Seifert dropped out. Emmer had widened his lead over Seifert in the second round of balloting by delegates.4:48 p.m.
• Minnesota opts out of federal health insurance program
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty says Minnesota will opt out of running one of the first programs to take effect under the new health care law.5:20 p.m.
• SE Minn. demonstrators call for immigration reform
  About two dozen demonstrators marched in front of the county courthouse in Faribault, as part of a renewed effort in the debate on immigration. The rallies comes on the heels of Arizona's controversial immigration law allowing police to stop people they suspect are in the country illegally.5:24 p.m.
• Central Corridor and the footprint of politics
  Building a light-rail system is often a messy and thankless undertaking. And as planners of the Central Corridor line have noted, most major transit projects produce numerous controversies. But some say this line was star-crossed from the beginning, and state and national politics made the situation worse.5:35 p.m.
• Velma Korbel, director of Minneapolis' Civil Rights Department
  The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved Velma Korbel as the next director of the city's Civil Rights Department. She currently serves as Commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.5:51 p.m.
• The gift of May Day baskets, to help rebuild a community
  Essayist Christina Capecchi says this year she is giving May Day baskets to her neighbors in Inver Grove Heights to help restore a spirit of community in the neighborhood.5:56 p.m.
• Minnesota organization continues relief effort in Haiti
  Tom Crann talked with a director from Haiti Outreach, a Minnetonka-based organization that has been doing community development in Haiti for 13 years and, like most organizations there, has been pitching in with earthquake relief.6:15 p.m.
• Mobile food vendors set to take to Minneapolis streets
  People who want to sell food from mobile carts in downtown Minneapolis will start applying for licenses this weekend, but it's going to be a struggle for some would-be mobile vendors to get up and running that quickly.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Oil Spill Complicates Energy Bill
  The prospects for an energy bill didn't look good at the beginning of the week when Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham pulled out of a tripartisan energy and climate change proposal he had worked on for months. And as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico creeps toward the shore, plans to expand offshore oil drilling — to attract industry support and bring along some Republicans — are increasingly uncertain.
• Week In Politics: Oil Spill, Crist, Immigration
  Melissa Block speaks with E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution and Amy Holmes, guest co-host of America's Morning News and former speechwriter for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, about the week in politics.
• Massey, Federal Officials Investigated In Mine Blast
  The FBI is investigating the circumstances surrounding the coal mine blast in West Virginia that killed 29 miners. Sources say the FBI is looking into potential criminal negligence on the part of Massey Energy, the owner of the Upper Big Branch coal mine. Sources also say the probe involves allegations of bribery involving the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. A Department of Justice spokeswoman denies the mine safety agency is part of the investigation, however.
• In Raul Castro's Cuba, A Limit On New Freedoms
  Cuba has done more to let its citizens vent their frustrations. But for those who go too far or organize against the government, the response is swift and sometimes ugly.
• Spate Of Attacks On Children Shocks China
  A man attacked kindergarten students with a hammer before setting himself on fire Friday, in China's third attack on kindergarteners in three days. Melissa Block talks with NPR's Louisa Lim about the reasons such attacks occur in the country.
• Is A Debt Crisis Around The Corner For U.S.?
  Both the U.S. and Greece have big budget deficits and too much debt, but Greece faces an immediate crisis. Could the U.S. face similar problems in the future?
• Foreclosure Woes Loom As Housing Stimulus Ends
  The end of an $8,000 federal tax credit for homebuyers will remove a critical means of life support. Housing experts say home prices could continue to fall another 5 percent nationwide. Meanwhile, a record number of homes are headed toward foreclosure.
• A Dentist Who Goes Straight To The Horse's Mouth
  Diane Febles spends her days filing down horses' teeth. Domestic horses need dentists like Febles once or twice a year to file down or tend to cracks and abscesses. She often finds herself elbow deep in there, looking to find out something only Mr. Ed, TV's talking horse, could tell her.
• Brits In U.S. Weigh In On Prime Minister Debates
  Britain's heated campaign for prime minister has generated some American-style television moments, like Gordon Brown not realizing his mike was on when he called a woman a "bigot." But it's hard for some Brits in the U.S. to tune in.
• Alabama Chef Up For 'Oscar' Of The Food World
  Alabama may not be known for fine cuisine, but native son Frank Stitt is in the running for a 2010 James Beard Award for outstanding chef. The prestigious awards will be announced Monday. Debbie Elliott

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