Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Ready for a pandemic?
  For the past several months, government officials have been traveling the country telling Americans to do what they can to prepare for a possible pandemic. Are Minnesotans heeding the message?6:40 a.m.
• Pioneer Press faces unknown owner
  The McClatchy Co., owner of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, announced Monday it will purchase the nation's second-largest newspaper company, Knight Ridder. Knight Ridder owns 32 daily papers around the country, including the St. Paul Pioneer Press -- which it plans to sell off.6:45 a.m.
• Duluth News Tribune for sale
  Who'll be buying the paper that's selling the news in Duluth? The futures of the Duluth News Tribune and the Superior Daily Telegram both hang in the balance following the sale of their owner the Knight Ridder chain.7:20 a.m.
• A history of the Pioneer Press
  The McClatchy Company, which owns the Minneapolis Star Tribune, says it is turning around and selling the Pioneer Press, the state's oldest daily newspaper. John Finnegan, retired executive editor and assistant publisher of the paper, spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer about the Pioneer Press' history.7:25 a.m.
• Human trafficking has come to Minnesota
  Public safety officials say human trafficking has come to Minnesota. They don't have enough information on exactly how many victims of this modern form of slavery are here, but they believe it's probably more than 100.7:40 a.m.
• Grand Forks Herald to be sold
  The Herald was one of the papers in the Knight Ridder chain sold to McClatchy . MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Mike Jacobs, editor and publisher of the paper about its past and future.7:53 a.m.
• DVD kills a video star
  In a couple of weeks one of the biggest movie archives in the Twin Cities will disappear. It's not a museum or even a public library. It's a video store. Discount Video in Uptown Minneapolis specializes in rare and classic movies.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Tone Shifting in Abortion-Rights Movement
  Public opinion polls consistently show that a majority of Americans supports at least a limited right to legal abortion. Yet abortion opponents are consistently winning battles at the state and federal level. Abortion-rights supporters are having an internal dispute over how -- or whether -- to reframe their message.
• McClatchy Known for High-Quality Newspapers
  Readers of Knight Ridder newspapers bought by the McClatchy Company who want to know what's in store for their papers should look at how the company has operated in the past. Wherever it's gone, McClatchy has built a reputation for running high-quality papers.
• A Daughter's 'Fragile Innocence'
  At 18 months old, Hillary Reston was struck by a high fever that stunted her healthy development forever. In a new book, Fragile Innocence, her father, James Reston Jr. describes how her family rallied around Hillary, seeking medical answers and a way to improve her quality of life.
• Comet Findings Raise Fiery Mystery
  Comets are known as the icy bodies of the solar system. But new analysis of dust brought back by a space probe shows comets are also made up of minerals forged by fire.
• A Backlash in Phoenix over Immigration from Mexico
  Phoenix has become the biggest gathering point and distribution hub for people migrating to the United States from Mexico. The influx has produced a culture clash because, until recently, Phoenix wasn't really deeply rooted in the Southwest: It was never a Mexican-American melting pot like Albuquerque or San Antonio.
• National Pi Day Celebrates Math
  Tuesday is National Pi Day -- March 14th (3.14). It's the day for celebrating the mathematical concept. Pi Day promotes the celebration of mathematics education, and the multi-cultural interest in Pi.
• Witness Coaching Halts Moussaoui Sentencing Trial
  The judge in the Zacarias Moussaoui sentencing trial has halted testimony after being informed that a government lawyer shared trial testimony with upcoming witnesses, in violation of court rules. Brinkema calls the action a breach of the defendant's constitutional rights, and is considering what sanction against the government is appropriate.
• Mad Cow Disease Found in Alabama
  The Department of Agriculture confirms that a cow in Alabama was infected with mad cow disease. It's the third case of mad cow disease detected in this country. Agriculture officials say the animal's carcass was buried and was not used for animal or human food.
• Murder Trial of White-Supremacist Gang Begins in California
  Members of the prison gang known as the Aryan Brotherhood go on trial Tuesday in a southern California courtroom. Federal prosecutors have linked the white-supremacist gang to a string of murders and attempted murders in California prisons.
• Israel Attacks Jericho Prison in Bid to Capture Militants
  Israeli forces blast their way into a Palestinian prison in the West Bank town of Jericho. The action was taken in an attempt to capture Palestinian several militants, including a man convicted in Israeli courts of killing an Israeli Cabinet minister. The targets of the siege refused to come out despite Israel's threats to kill them.
• Truth About Corruption, Crimes Needed in Afghanistan
  Last fall's parliamentary elections in Afghanistan put several notorious warlords into legitimate positions of power. They gained their positions through local intimidation and election fraud. Human rights officials say this makes it all the more urgent that Afghanistan move ahead with some kind of truth and reconciliation process in the country.
• Enron CFO Finishes Testimony
  Former Enron Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow finished his testimony on the witness stand Monday in Houston at the trial of Enron's top executives. Renee Montagne talks to Houston Chronicle legal reporter Mary Flood about the latest developments.
• Rwandan Rape Survivors Find Solace in Shared History
  Rwandan women who survived genocide, but suffered rape and abuse, are finding some solace in a neighborhood association of survivors. It's a relief for some of these women to share their stories, after long keeping silent.
• Nigeria Considers Allowing President a Third Term
  Lawmakers in Nigeria are debating a change in the constitution that would allow President Olusegun Obasanjo to run for a third term. Renee Montagne talks with Clement Nwankwo, a Nigerian human rights lawyer, about the debate.
• Beer Makes Surprise Appearance in the Plumbing
  Imagine going to your kitchen sink to rinse a bit of silverware, and out of the faucet comes beer. Haldis Gundersen of Norway told reporters she thought it was a "miracle." But it was a drag for the bar two floors below -- which was getting water from its beer taps. For Gundersen, turning water-to-beer was not much of a blessing; she said the beer was flat.

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