Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Political analyst: Pawlenty stronger candidate than Bachmann
  An analyst with the Cook Political Report said Tuesday that former Gov. Tim Pawlenty appears to be a stronger candidate than U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann.7:20 a.m.
• Theft a prime source of illegally-obtained guns on Minneapolis streets
  In part one of MPR News' investigation of gun violence in Minneapolis, we look at where the guns come from. Most of the firearms used in Minneapolis gun crimes are obtained illegally. The people who use those guns steal them from homes or gun stores, or they buy them illegally.7:40 a.m.
• Dems question GOP numbers on human services cuts
  The bill would change how counties deliver service to the disabled and the elderly, cut rates to doctors who provide unnecessary treatments and attempt to change how the state delivers Medicaid.8:25 a.m.
• News Cut blogger Bob Collins's take on the news
  News the rest of us might miss has a way of getting Bob Collins thinking. Bob writes the popular News Cut blog at MPR.org. Cathy Wurzer spoke to him about what caught his eye in headlines this morning.8:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Libyan Government Wants To Be Able To Defend Itself
  Since Saturday, coalition forces have been launching airstrikes against Libyan air defenses, tanks, armored personnel carriers and other military hardware. The United Nations has refused an emergency request by Libya for a meeting to talk about the conflict. In the capital Tripoli, a government spokesman says the world is not allowing Libya to defend itself.
• Divisions Appear Within Coalition Monitoring Libya
  The U.S. and its partners began air strikes against Libya over the weekend, and diplomatic divisions already are emerging. A number of nations are taking issue with their roles in the attacks.
• Japan's Leaked Radiation May Soon Become Harmless
  Early indications suggest most of the radiation released comes from iodine-131 — and that decays quickly, with a half-life of just eight days. That means that over the course of two or three months, virtually all of the radiation should be gone.
• Getting To Chicago's Boys Before Gangs Do
  Seven years ago, a social worker in Chicago created Becoming a Man, a program that tries to curb violent behavior by offering young boys mentoring through counselors and peer group workshops. A critical element of the program involves students discussing their feelings.
• Who Writes The Check? Group Wants Voters To Know
  A media watchdog group is asking the Federal Communications Commission to amend its rules, forcing greater transparency in who sponsors political ads. Over the years, the FCC has come to define sponsorship as editorial control. The Media Access Project says the defining element should be the hard dollars.
• U.S. Drone Missile Attacks Arouse Anger In Pakistan
  A March 17 attack that reportedly killed at least 40 people has sparked protests. Though the drone attacks target militants, civilians say they are the ones suffering. Businesses have been abandoned, hospitals have seen an increase in depression and militants allegedly have targeted Pakistanis as spies.
• Life Gets A Little Easier For Residents Of Sendai
  Sendai is the largest city in the area in northern Japan that was hit by the earthquake and tsunami. There are food shortages, gasoline is scarce and many buildings, including the main train station, are closed due to damage. Residents are trying to restart and rebuild their lives.
• Apple Sues Amazon Over App Store
  Amazon is opening an online app store for Android devices, according to The New York Times. Many companies have set up sites or app stores where consumers can download software for their mobile devices. Apple is suing Amazon for using app store — that's the name Apple uses for its mobile download site.
• Foreclosures Drag Down Home Sale Prices
  The U.S. housing market is stuck in a bad spot. Home sales tumbled again in February, and median home prices fell to their lowest level since 2002. A glut of forecloses in the market is pushing down prices.
• Japan Disaster Breaks Auto Supply Chain
  The seven major Japanese automakers have either stopped or scaled back production in Japan because of the earthquake and tsunami. Most of the seven major Japanese car companies say they'll return to production this week.

Resources

• Marketplace Tech Report®
• Marketplace Morning Report®
• Mark Seeley's WeatherTalk

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories