Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Performer goes 'Ape' in unique stage show
  This week, British performer Gary Stevens brings his show "Ape" to three different Minneapolis theaters. The performance is based on a repetition game where three performers play with words, to create a rapid fire series of scenarios.6:50 a.m.
• New scam threatens struggling homeowners
  Authorities say scam artists are showing up, promising to save the homes of desperate homeowners. Instead, they can leave their victims in even worse shape.7:25 a.m.
• Future looks difficult for arts organizations
  The economic slowdown is hitting arts groups hard. This week, the Walker Art Center was the latest cultural organization to announce cutbacks.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• SXSW: Austin's Citywide Block Party
  The 23rd annual South by Southwest music festival gets under way in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday. One of this year's most widely anticipated shows comes from a well-known band: The Decemberists. The band will perform its new album, The Hazards of Love, in its entirety.
• Reporters Told To Vacate Space In Arizona Capitol
  Arizona State Senate President Bob Burns found a perfect way to rain on "Sunshine Week." That's an effort by journalists to promote transparent government and to warn about the dangers of secrecy. In the spirit of openness, Burns, who's a Republican, used a Sunshine Week news conference to explain that reporters would no longer have a place to work in the state Capitol.
• Brazil Wipes Ecuador Off The Map
  The education ministry in Brazil put out a geography textbook for sixth-grade students. On the map of South America, Paraguay is switched with Uruguay. A second nation of Paraguay appears on the coastline. Ecuador is missing entirely. Half a million textbooks were distributed and will now have to be corrected.
• Florida University Tests Valet Parking Service
  Some universities are concerned that students are late for class because they cannot find parking. The Miami Herald reports Florida International University is testing valet parking at its West Miami-Dade campus. The university has 38,000 students and 14,000 parking spaces.
• Mexico Hits Back With Higher Tarriffs On U.S. Goods
  It looks like the Obama administration is heading for a trade fight. After the U.S. scrapped a program to allow Mexican trucks onto American roads, Mexico decided to strike back. It's slapping higher tariffs on a long list of U.S. goods — including fruits, vegetables, Christmas trees and sunglasses.
• Parked Rail Cars Blight Small Indiana Town
  New Castle, Ind., is divided by a freight train that's two miles long. It hasn't moved in months. The company that owns the empty rail cars used to transport new automobiles. When auto sales plummeted the rail cars stopped because there wasn't anything to transport.
• House To Vote On National Service Measure
  President Obama has said he wants to spark a new movement of volunteerism. Legislation encouraging a renewed spirit of national service goes before the House Wednesday. The bill would triple the size of AmeriCorps and create four other service programs. Critics say there are ways to promote volunteerism without spending money.
• Obama To Visit Calif. Takes AIG Outrage With Him
  President Obama on Wednesday travels to California, where he plans to promote his economic agenda. But he's not likely to escape the question dogging his Administration back in Washington: How it allowed the large insurance company AIG to pay big bonuses, while at the same time it was receiving taxpayer bailout money.
• Caterpillar To Lay Off More Workers In 3 States
  Caterpillar plans to lay off an additional 2,400 employees at five plants in Illinois, Indiana and Georgia. The world's largest maker of mining and construction equipment has seen its sales wither as the sluggish world economy and credit crisis weaken demand for its products. In January, the company announced it was laying off more than 20,000 workers.
• Lawmakers Talk Tough On AIG Bonuses
  The federal government has lent $170 billion to troubled insurance giant AIG to prevent its collapse. There's been criticism of that bailout, but it pales when compared to widespread outrage over the $165 million that AIG paid recently in employee bonuses. Republicans have gone on the offensive against the Obama administration, while Democrats are scrambling to recoup the bonus payments.
• AIG Bonuses May Tarnish Other Bailouts
  How will the AIG bonuses affect the government's approach to repairing other crippled financial institutions? For some perspective, Renee Montagne talks with David Wessel of The Wall Street Journal.
• Russia To Upgrade Military Forces
  Russia says it plans to spend billions of dollars upgrading its nuclear weapons and the rest of its military forces. President Dmitry Medvedev says the program is a response to what he described as NATO pressure on Russia's borders.
• Morehead St. Opens NCAA Tourney With Win
  Morehead State has earned its first NCAA men's basketball victory in a quarter-century. The team beat Alabama State last night 58-43. Morehead earned the right to take on top seed Louisville in the first round Friday.
• D.C. Schools Chief Turns To Rookie Teacher Corps
  D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is attracting young teachers to the troubled school system who aren't vested in the old contractual arrangements with the teachers' union. Many of these new teachers are receptive to the changes that Rhee is proposing.
• How Do You Amputate A Phantom Limb?
  Many amputees say they can still feel the presence of a missing limb, and often what they feel is intense pain. But how does a doctor treat pain in an arm or a leg that no longer exists? Oddly enough, one researcher used a cardboard box and a $2 mirror.

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