Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Female friends conflicted over Clinton candidacy
  This could be a make-or-break day for Hillary Clinton. After a long losing streak, she is hoping to make a comeback in the Texas and Ohio primaries. Minnesota Public Radio recently asked a group of women to reflect on Clinton's campaign to be America's first female president.7:20 a.m.
• Why does this man live in Minnesota?
  One family in Minnesota can trace its roots to a man who came to the state from Philadelphia in the 19th century, because he was told that the climate could cure tuberculosis.8:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Uphold New Loan Code
  It's widely believed that inflated home appraisals played a major role in the mortgage meltdown. Now, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two heavyweights in the mortgage finance business, have agreed that they will purchase only those loans that meet new standards for independent appraisals.
• Southern States May Take Water Dispute to Court
  Alabama, Georgia and Florida have been battling for more than a decade over how to share water. Georgia says it needs more water to satisfy the needs of Atlanta and its suburbs. But Alabama and Florida say Georgia has done a poor job of planning for growth and that the state's water demands shortchange other states. Now the dispute may end up in court.
• Pentagon Flags China's Rapid Military Build-Up
  China's defense budget is now the world's second largest, according to the Pentagon. The Chinese government claims it will spend $59 billion on defense this year, but Pentagon officials believe the number is closer to $100 billion to $180 billion.China's rapidly growing military budget, along with the secrecy surrounding it, is creating great concern for stability in Asia.
• Nonprofits Find Upside in Real Estate Slump
  One silver lining in the real estate crisis is that nonprofits are finding great land deals. Developers who had been sitting on tracts of land slated for development are dumping the parcels at fire-sale prices. Habitat for Humanity, which builds housing for needy families, is aggressively buying properties it couldn't afford a few years ago.
• FDR's Antidote to Great Depression, Totalitarianism
  Franklin Delano Roosevelt began his presidency 75 years ago today. It was in the depths of the Great Depression. During his first 100 days in office, Congress passed much of Roosevelt's initiatives and programs known as the New Deal. Donald Ritchie, author of Electing FDR: The New Deal Campaign of 1932, speaks with NPR's Renee Montagne.
• Cattle Farmers Pay Price for Ethanol Boom
  Record-high grain prices have been an economic boon for some Midwest farmers, but they're causing headaches in the cattle and beef-packing industries. The higher cost of feed grain — which is driven by the growing demand for ethanol — is squeezing many small feedlots.
• Crisis in Gaza Dominates Rice Trip to Mideast
  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets with Egyptian officials in Cairo to discuss securing the country's border with Gaza and improving the flow of aid to the Palestinian area, which is under the control of Hamas. Rice is also calling on the Palestinians to quickly resume peace talks with Israel.
• A Robust New Vision of Bach
  Much is known about the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, but little is known about what he looked like. The 18th-century German composer sat for only one portrait. But a new computer model based on the portrait, a cast of his skull and written descriptions shows Bach with a strong jaw and an underbite.
• Court Ruling Turns Up Roses
  A man whose wife accused him of being so cheap he wouldn't even pay for her cup of coffee has been ordered by an Iranian court to buy her 124,000 roses. The roses were promised in her dowry, which is binding under Iranian law.
• Superheroes Head for College
  Many schools receive wads of cash, but the University of Minnesota has received a more animated gift: comics. Lawyer John Borger has collected 30,000 comic books since college, and at his wife's insistence, he's agreed to donate his collection, worth six figures, to the school's library.
• Vatican, Muslims Plan for Talks with Pope
  Muslim representatives and Vatican officials meet Tuesday for talks that will hopefully lead to an unprecedented Catholic-Islamic meeting later this year focusing on terrorism. The meetings are an attempt to improve relations after a 2006 speech by Pope Benedict XVI in which he quoted an ancient emperor's criticism of Islam.
• Water Lines Remain Shattered in New Orleans
  Pipe leaks in New Orleans are so bad that the city is losing millions of gallons of fresh water a day. The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board is struggling to rebuild a system that was a mess even before Hurricane Katrina.
• Ecuador Breaks Off Diplomatic Ties with Colombia
  A three-nation crisis in Latin America threatens the region's stability after Venezuela and Ecuador cut diplomatic ties with Colombia and ordered troops to their borders with Colombia. The dispute erupted over the weekend after Colombian troops crossed Ecuador's border to kill a rebel inside Ecuador. John Otis of the Houston Chronicle talks with NPR's Renee Montagne.
• Oil Prices Hit All-Time High
  Oil has hit a true record, with crude oil futures briefly hitting $103.95 a barrel Monday. That's higher than the inflation-adjusted record set in April 1980. Prices eventually settled Monday at $102.45 a barrel. A weakening dollar is partly responsible, as investors pour their money into hard assets like oil.
• Despite Fed Assurances, Stagflation Fears Grow
  The combination of a slowdown in manufacturing and a rise in prices is causing some economy watchers to worry that stagflation might be on the horizon. Stagflation is when inflation and a recession attack, leaving the economy severely weakened. David Wessel of The Wall Street Journal talks with NPR's Renee Montagne about whether the economy is facing stagflation.

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