Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Beating the odds
  Every year Children's Defense Fund Minnesota gives its "Beat The Odds" scholarship to high school seniors who have overcome exceptional challenges. Fadumo Hassan, Justin Haynes McKizzie, and Maipacher joined "In The Loop" host Jeff Horwich for a conversation about growing up through the most difficult of circumstances.6:50 a.m.
• Governor, DFL divided on Health Care Access fund
  Governor Tim Pawlenty and House and Senate leaders have not resolved their differences on a sweeping health care reform initiative.7:20 a.m.
• Lawmakers consider how to grade schools
  A new way to grade Minnesota schools is heading for a final test at the Capitol. But state officials disagree about whether it should pass or fail.7:25 a.m.
• In Sioux Falls, the signs of growth are everywhere
  The U.S. Census Bureau reports Sioux Falls, S.D., is among the 50 fastest growing areas in the United States.7:50 a.m.
• Spring snowstorms breed cabin fever
  If you are one of the many Minnesotans who would like the wintery weather to stop and spring to truly arrive, you are not alone. Commentator Peter Smith has a fierce case of cabin fever.7:55 a.m.
• Minnesotans choose between dozens of cultural offerings
  This weekend, like most weekends, people with some free time have their pick from dozens of cultural offerings in the Twin Cities and around the state. We're talking about everything from plays to concerts to museum exhibits. St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic and Morning Edition arts commentator Dominic Papatola discusses how people are making those decisions in an Internet world.8:25 a.m.
• FBI confirms death of Minnesota contractor Paul Johnson-Reuben
  The family of Buffalo, Minn., resident Paul Johnson-Reuben can finally mourn after learning last night that his body was found in Iraq.8:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Finance Firms Sue Banks over Clear Channel Deal
  Two giant finance firms are suing some of the biggest banks on Wall Street, including Citigroup and Morgan Stanley, for breach of contract. Private equity funds Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners, are trying to buy the nation's No. 1 radio station operator, Clear Channel, in a deal worth nearly $20 billion.
• 'LA Times' Says Source for Tupac Story Is Phony
  The Los Angeles Times is investigating the veracity of documents that were the basis for an investigative story in the newspaper last week. The Times reported that the assault on rapper Tupac Shakur in 1994 was perpetrated by associates of rapper and entrepreneur Sean Combs, also known as P Diddy or Puff Daddy.
• Space Junk Lands in Shepherd's Yard in Russia
  When the U.S. military shot down a dying satellite, it said it did so to keep the satellite from landing in somebody's yard. Russia's space program has no such luck. Boris Urmatov, a shepherd, says a 10-foot-long chunk of rocket metal fell in his yard. Now he has filed a lawsuit demanding 1 million roubles.
• 'Angola 2' Leave Solitary Cells in La. After 36 Years
  Two former Black Panthers imprisoned in Louisiana are out of solitary confinement for the first time since the 1970s. State corrections officials say Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox were moved into a "maximum security dormitory" earlier this week. Louisiana prison officials once said the men, known as the Angola 2, would never be moved.
• Letters: Antarctica, Airlines, Sancho Panza
  Renee Montagne and Steve Inskeep read from listeners' letters, including comments on tourism in Antarctica; leg room and safety videos in the friendly skies; and the misidentification of Don Quixote's sidekick.
• Ft. Campbell Soldiers See Kids' Milestones from Afar
  Seniors at Fort Campbell High School near Nashville, Tenn., are preparing to graduate. But as the Iraq war enters its fifth year, some of those students have had a parent deployed overseas for a lot of their time in high school. Soldiers at Fort Campbell are on their third deployment — missing the milestones of watching their kids grow up.
• Deadline to Switch Medicare Plans Nears
  The open season for Medicare participants closes at the end of the month. Millions of people have until March 31 to switch Medicare health plans. Joanne Silberner reports on who might want to switch, and how they can do it.
• 'Zero Down' Loans Fed Real Estate Boom, Bust
  Earlier this week, presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain made remarks on the mortgage crisis. McCain pointed out that "zero down" loans were big contributors to the subprime mortgage crisis. A boom in those kinds of loans got many Americans into homes — and now those loans are causing many Americans trouble.
• Viagra Turns 10
  The "little blue pill" — Viagra — turns 10 on Thursday. On March 27, 1998, the Food and Drug Administration gave pharmaceutical company Pfizer the go-ahead to sell what would become one of the world's best-known pills. Last year, it brought the pharmaceutical giant more than $1.7 billion.
• More Delays In Store for Boeing's Dreamliner
  Delays continue to plague Boeing's much ballyhooed new 787 aircraft, the Dreamliner. The company already has announced project delays of about nine months. Next week, it is expected that Boeing will announce yet another delay.
• Study Shows Precise Pricing More Enticing to Buyers
  Researchers at Cornell University found that when the price of an item is in a round number, people perceive it as higher than an odd number. In other words, people think a $3,000 car is more expensive than one priced at $3,129.50. The finding has implications for people trying to sell their homes.
• Militant Fighting Spreads Across Southern Iraq
  Clashes between security forces and Shiite militia fighters are spreading throughout southern Iraq. In Basra, Iraq's prime minister is overseeing the offensive against the militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and reports indicate that the operation is not going well. In Baghdad, the situation is also "extremely tense."
• McCain Suggests Collaborative Approach with Allies
  Sen. John McCain on Wednesday outlined his foreign policy goals in a speech in Los Angeles. The presumptive GOP presidential nominee called for the United States to work more collegially with allies and to live up to its duties as a world leader. He also raised questions about Bush policies — while remaining firmly in support of the Iraq war.
• China's U.S. Envoy: Tibet Riots Meant to Sabotage
  The Chinese government says stability has returned to the Tibetan capital, Lhasa. China's ambassador to the United States, Zhou Wenzhong, says the violence in Tibet was meant to sabotage China ahead of the Beijing Olympics. He also says the Dalai Lama's vision for Tibet is closer to independence than autonomy.
• China Invites Group of Reporters Back into Tibet
  Violent anti-government riots earlier this month in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, left many dead. The exact number — and how they died — is disputed. Geoff Dyer of the Financial Times was among a group of reporters allowed back in and says the Chinese government invited them because it wants to tell its side of the riot story.

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