Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• High school lesbian urges bullies to let them 'participate like everybody else'
  Champlin Park High School senior Desiree Shelton has seening bullying first-hand after she and her girlfriend sued her high school for the right to participate in a winter dance event.3:49 p.m.
• Art Hounds
  Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside their own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on in local arts.4:44 p.m.
• Advocates upset over budget cuts to services for disabled
  Disability advocates are urging Gov. Dayton to veto a Health and Human Services Finance bill that makes deep cuts in programs that help disabled people live more independently in the community. They say the provisions would ultimately cost the state far more money than it would save with the reductions.4:50 p.m.
• Moms of US hikers held in Iran start hunger strike
  The mothers of two U.S. hikers held in Iran for nearly two years said they are starting a hunger strike Thursday in solidarity with their sons, whom they believe are fasting while awaiting trial on espionage charges.4:54 p.m.
• Dayton, GOP still optimistic about budget fix as deadline nears
  With just four days left in the legislative session and no budget agreement in sight, DFL Gov. Mark Dayton met privately Thursday with Republican lawmakers to try to jump-start negotiations.5:20 p.m.
• U students' final project: balance the state budget
  A group of students at the University of Minnesota has done what lawmakers so far haven't been able to accomplish. They've balanced the state budget -- with both a mix of tax increases and spending cuts.5:24 p.m.
• High school lesbian urges bullies to let them 'participate like everybody else'
  Champlin Park High School senior Desiree Shelton has seening bullying first-hand after she and her girlfriend sued her high school for the right to participate in a winter dance event.5:35 p.m.
• A closer look at the Red Bulls as they prepare to deploy
  The deploying Red Bull soldiers represent 530 communities throughout Minnesota and 15 other states. About 39 percent of deploying soldiers leave behind at least one dependent child or spouse.5:50 p.m.
• Senior citizen transit facing cuts as needs increase
  Although demand for senior citizen transit systems will grow in coming years, expected budget cuts have put them in a "state of crisis," according to some in the industry.5:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Obama Lays Out Vision For Middle East
  President Obama declared Thursday that the United States will promote democratic reform across the Middle East, challenging not only adversaries like Syria but also allies like Bahrain. In a speech at the State Department, Obama offered his first comprehensive response to the political uprisings that have gripped the region over the last six months. He also called for Israel and the Palestinians to resume negotiations over the shape of a two-state solution.
• What Is Obama's Middle East Peace Doctrine?
  For more on President Obama's speech on the Middle East, Michele Norris talks with Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
• Giant Quake Reveals Japan's Other Unstable Faults
  Geologists didn't think the site of the March 11 quake, along the so-called Japan Trench in the Pacific Ocean, was a hot spot. But since then they've learned that during the quake, parts of the trench slipped an astonishing 180 feet or more. That could mean more big aftershocks are on the way.
• Report Blasts Massey For 'Deviance' In Safety Culture
  The first independent investigative report about last year's disaster at the Upper Big Branch mine was released Thursday. It details the corporate and government failures that led to an explosion that killed 29 mine workers in West Virginia.
• On The Horizon: Busy Season For Hurricanes
  The Atlantic hurricane season begins in less than two weeks. Forecasters warn it's likely to be another busy one. At a news conference Thursday, government officials said climate factors remain conducive to hurricanes.
• CDC Has Tips For 'Zombie Apocalypse' And Other Disasters
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has seized on the idea of a zombie apocalypse as a way to get Americans to prepare for more likely natural disasters, ranging from floods to earthquakes.
• Mississippi Losing The War With Obesity
  Roughly 1 in 3 adult Americans is now obese. And ground zero for the nation's obesity battle is Mississippi — where 7 of 10 adults in the state are either overweight or obese. The problem is most pronounced in Holmes County — the poorest and heaviest in the state.
• Longtime NBC Executive Resigns
  The NBC Sports Group chairman has resigned. The longtime NBC executive has been closely associated with NBC's broadcasts of the Olympics — as well as the creation of Saturday Night Live. Dick Ebersol leaves as NBC's operations are reconfigured by Comcast. Michele Norris speaks with NPR's David Folkenflik for more.
• Mary Hart: An Icon Of Modern Celebrity Steps Down After Nearly 30 Years
  Mary Hart is stepping down as the host of Entertainment Tonight after almost three decades. She says that her show was the first to recognize that ordinary people were interested in the nuts and bolts of the entertainment industry.
• Former IMF Chief Strauss-Kahn Appears In Court
  Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was formally indicted Thursday, prosecutors announced. He's charged with sexually assaulting a maid in a New York hotel. Michele Norris talks to NPR's Joel Rose for the latest.

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