Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Maintenance man rocks his office building after hours
  Maintenance man doesn't sound like a dream job for an aspiring rock star, but Twin Cities songwriter Jason Shannon was able to marry his day job with his music.6:50 a.m.
• Spring is here
  MPR's Cathy Wurzer talks with University of Minnesota climitologist Mark Seeley about the warmer temperatures headed our way.6:55 a.m.
• One more vote for Democrats in the House
  Congressman Jim Oberstar now says he'll support the supplemental emergency war spending bill that would set a withdrawal date for U.S. troops from Iraq.7:25 a.m.
• Kentucky's Tubby Smith is new Gophers coach
  Tubby Smith will be the new head coach of the University of Minnesota men's basketball team. For the last 10 years, Smith led the University of Kentucky Wildcats to 10 straight NCAA tournament appearances and a national championship.7:50 a.m.
• Where to live when mom and dad divorce
  A proposal moving through the state Legislature would require courts to change how they decide child custody cases, to make joint custody the rule rather than the exception.7:55 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• A Shelter Gave Refuge, and Changed a Life
  Robert Crum, 83, remembers how — in his role as a Methodist minister — he turned a deserted building in Des Moines, Iowa, into a shelter for people in need. He saw things he's never forgotten.
• Afghans Struggle to Rebuild National Museum
  Efforts to restore the National Museum in Kabul are not unlike the struggle to rebuild Afghanistan itself. Two and a half years after reopening, the three-story building at the edge of Kabul has more scaffolding than exhibits.
• House, Senate Maneuver on War-Funding Measures
  The House prepares to vote on a $124 billion war-funding measure that includes a timeline for troop withdrawal from Iraq. In the meantime, Democrats in the Senate have moved a rival war-spending bill past one major hurdle.
• Talking Politics: U.S. Attorneys, Iraq, Edwards
  Recent political developments provide fodder for discussion, from the continuing flap over the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys to the future of John Edwards' presidential campaign.
• Wahlberg: One Cool Character in 'Shooter'
  The heroic loner, battling incredible odds. That's the character Mark Wahlberg inherits in Shooter, a thriller about a former Marine set up as a patsy in a political killing. Wahlberg gives a Steve McQueen-style performance.
• Zimbabwe Doctor Describes Abuses Under Mugabe
  Dr. Douglas Gwatidzo has been a witness to the results of beatings and other physical abuse suffered by political opponents of Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe. Gwatidzo will participate Friday in a briefing for the U.S. Congress.
• 'Open Skies' Deal Could Trim Cost of Air Fare
  The U.S. and the European Union have signed the Open Skies pact. The agreement, which goes into effect in March 2008, eliminates red tape from trans-Atlantic travel. It will lead to more flights to more cities on both continents and could mean cheaper plane tickets.
• White House, Prosecutors Have Clashed in Past
  Past administrations have had their own problems with federal prosecutors, including some scandals. Over the past 30 years, rules have changed — and so have relationships between the White House and the Justice Department.
• Gonzales Seeks Damage Repair with Prosecutors
  Amid recent concerns over the past firings of eight U.S. attorneys, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is reaching out to the ranks of federal prosecutors. Gonzales says he wants to talk about balancing Justice Department priorities with those of the local prosecutors.
• Wins, Losses Cited in Fight to Control TB
  In 2005, 8.8 million people worldwide were infected with tuberculosis, a slight increase over the previous year. Many countries have improved treatment, but some parts of the world, especially sub-Saharan Africa, remain vulnerable. And a new strain of TB is troublesome.
• Senate Panel Studies Subprime Loan Woes
  The Senate Banking committee examines the problems in the ailing subprime lending market. They fear a wave of foreclosures caused by irresponsible subprime lending.
• OK and Other Expressions
  On this day in 1839, the expression OK appeared for the first time in a publication — the Boston Morning Post. One possible origin of the phrase is that it was an abbreviation for slang used by teenagers: "Oll Korrect." Other expressions kids made popular at the time: "GTT" stood for Going to Texas and "KY" for "know youse." OK is the only one that survived the centuries.
• Bush Team Explores Use of 'Soft Power'
  Until recently, the Bush team went into the world with hardline demands and diplomatic standoffs resulted. Recent breakthroughs with U.S. adversaries show the administration taking a softer approach to foreign policy.
• He's Shooting for a Room with a View
  Desperate times call for desperate measures. That's what one Tokyo man might have been thinking when he was left in the dark. A new apartment building blocked the sunlight from reaching his house. The building's management wouldn't help him, so he took matters into his own hands — using a rifle to shoot a dozen bullets at the building. No one was injured, but those bullet holes aren't letting in any extra sunlight, either.
• Rice Faces New Hurdles on Latest Mideast Trip
  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice heads back to the Middle East, hoping to prod Israel and the Palestinians toward peace talks. She will be navigating new difficulties posed by the Palestinian unity government.

Resources

• Future Tense®
• 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

Become a Sponsor