Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minnesotan heads Obama's effort to improve global health
  Lois Quam, the Minnesotan at the head of President Obama's Global Health Initiative, is back in the Twin Cities to be honored by her alma mater.3:49 p.m.
• Play ponders disasters both real and metaphorical
  Sometimes real life and art collide in remarkable ways. Such is the case with "Come Hell and High Water," a new show by the Moving Company which opens this weekend at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis. The play, about flooding in the Mississippi Delta, comes as many communities along the river are battling rising waters today.4:45 p.m.
• University Ave. businesses struggle to survive Central Corridor construction woes
  Construction on the Central Corridor light-rail line has turned the west end of University Avenue in St. Paul into a loud and messy hardhat zone, and yet the hundreds of shops, restaurants and other businesses along the avenue remain open. Now, business owners are trying to get that message out every way they can.4:50 p.m.
• With session winding down, progress toward budget deal is very slow
  The Minnesota Legislature has only 10 days left in its session, and it still must reach agreement with Gov. Dayton on how to close the state's projected $5 billion deficit. Capitol reporter Tom Scheck gives us an update.5:15 p.m.
• Twins say no need to change severe weather plan
  The Minnesota Twins chose not to announce a tornado warning that occurred during a game at Target Field in downtown Minneapolis Tuesday evening. Team officials say fans were not in danger and feared an announcement would cause panic. The Twins have reviewed the policy regarding severe weather, and say they will not make changes.5:21 p.m.
• Some question Vikings stadium's priority status
  As Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Mark Dayton struggle to reach an agreement on how to erase a projected $5 billion budget gap, some lawmakers are wondering why a new Vikings stadium has become a top priority.5:50 p.m.
• The Dinner Party Download featuring Billy Collins
  On this week's Dinner Party Download, a transcendental joke, why being unpopular is good, the history of recycling and why many poems are morbid.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• An Internet Rock Star Tells All
  Jonathan Coulton's songs almost never get played on the radio. He doesn't have a contract with a music label. Yet he's a one man counterargument to the idea that musicians can't make money making music. In 2010, his music brought in $500,000.
• Jason Moran Takes Fats Waller Back To The Club
  Moran's new project with Me'Shell Ndegeocello transforms Waller's rollicking stride piano style into contemporary dance music.
• Social Security And Medicare Trust Funds' Lives Shortened By Bad Economy
  The government says that a bad economy has shortened the lives of the trust funds that support the nation's two biggest benefit programs.
• Week In Politics: Budget; 2012 Election
  Robert Siegel speaks with political commentators, E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution, and Republican strategist Ron Christie.
• Border Patrol Officers Die In Crash
  The Border Patrol says two officers died Thursday after their car was hit by a train. They were in pursuit of smugglers when the accident happened.
• Libyan Opposition Leader: The Revolution Is Led By 'New Breed Of Generations'
  Mahmoud Gebril ElWarfally said the uprising in Libya, like the rest of the Arab Spring, is about democracy and the desire for a dignified life.
• Colleges Receive Gifts, But Are Strings Attached?
  A recent gift to Florida State University is once again raising questions about what kinds of strings donors can attach to their gifts. Big donors say they are just trying to ensure that universities expand their research, but many faculty members feel that schools strapped for money are agreeing to unacceptable conditions.
• Some New Grads Still Struggle To Land Jobs
  On college campuses, the outlook for new grads is better than it's been for the past couple of years — with starting salaries averaging about $50,000. Still, for many students — especially those without technical skills or a business background — landing a good job remains tough.
• A 16-Year Hunt For New York's 'Mad Bomber'
  Michael Greenburg's new book, The Mad Bomber of New York, tells the story of the hunt for a man who planted 33 homemade bombs in public places around New York City and managed to elude capture for more than 16 years.
• In Syria, Thousands Protest Regime
  In Syria, thousands of protesters across the country took to the streets for the ninth Friday in a row. This, despite what now appears to be the most deadly crackdown against a pro-democracy uprising anywhere in the Arab world. But fewer people were hurt than on Fridays past. At least six were killed and several more injured.

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