Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Weather with Mark Seeley
  University of Minnesota climatologist Mark Seeley discusses Minnesota weather history and looks ahead to the weekend forecast.6:55 a.m.
• Hundreds of Minnesota National Guard members prepare for Iraq deployment
  Members of the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade will arrive in Iraq in about six months.7:20 a.m.
• Minnesota soldier dies in Iraq
  Gregory Rundell, 21, of North St. Paul, was killed early Wednesday while manning a guard tower in Iraq.7:25 a.m.
• Ten years after devastating tornadoes, communities thriving
  Ten years ago at least five tornadoes ripped through south central Minnesota. The cities of Comfrey and St. Peter were damaged so badly that residents worried their towns would disappear. Instead, they have managed a remarkable recovery.7:50 a.m.
• March 29 designated Vietnam Veterans Day in Minnesota
  Minnesota's Vietnam War veterans now have an annual day of recognition -- March 29. That's the day the last U.S. group troops left Vietnam in 1973. Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed a bill Thursday designating the day Vietnam Veterans Day. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with Republican Rep. Larry Howes, who authored the bill in the House.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• 'Earth Hour' Set for Saturday
  A bright idea to fight global warming will leave people in the dark: 8 p.m. Saturday is Earth Hour, when the World Wildlife Fund wants people to turn off their lights. From Chicago to Copenhagen, iconic high-rises will power down. But critics say one hour won't save a "watt" of energy.
• The Rush to Patent the Atomic Bomb
  The Manhattan Project to build an atomic bomb was one of the U.S. government's biggest secrets. At the same time, its scientists and engineers were furiously filing patent applications, which held the potential to reveal exquisite details about the bomb.
• Beyond Recycling: Getting to 'Zero Waste'
  Recycling newspaper and plastic can only go so far toward achieving a "zero waste" world, a recycling activist says. The next step, he says, is getting industry and government to work together to make going greener more profitable.
• Dutch Film Criticizing Islam, Quran Angers Muslims
  The government in the Netherlands is trying to defuse Muslim anger over a new film that accuses the Quran of inciting violence. The Netherlands' ambassador to the United States, Christiaan Mark Johan Kröner, talks about the film, Fitna, by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders.
• Germans Emigrate to Other Nations at Record Pace
  Germans are emigrating to other countries at a record pace despite the country's strengthening economy. One reason so many people are leaving Germany is that the European Union encourages workers to move between member states. For those Germans who stay put, they can watch reality shows about their countrymen emigrating.
• For Sale: Depression-Era Castle in W.Va. For $2.8M
  A castle in West Virginia, built by an Italian stonemason during the Great Depression, is for sale for $2.8 million. It comes with turrets and parapets, and a Romanesque chapel. It has 25,000 square feet of space — so you might want to ask about the heating bill.
• Report Rips Credit Card Companies' Campus Tactics
  A new report shows just how pervasive credit cards are. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group says students receive an average of five mailings and four phone calls each month, and 6 percent of students have had cards canceled for delinquency. The report also criticizes card companies' marketing tactics.
• Adm. Mullen: Fighting in Iraq Could Stall U.S. Pullout
  The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael Mullen, says the fighting between the Iraqi army and the country's most powerful Shiite militia could slow the pace of U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq, where the total number of troops is declining by about 4,000 a month under a reduction that's scheduled to last through July.
• Congress to Consider Help for Banks, Homeowners
  Congress returns to Washington, D.C., next week facing a big task: how to deal with an economic crisis that extends from Main Street to Wall Street. The Bush administration is resisting promising money to homeowners caught in the mortgage crisis. But Democrats in Congress, including both presidential candidates, disagree.
• What 'Open Skies' Agreement Means for Travelers
  A new United States and European Union aviation pact will go into effect this Sunday — opening more routes for airlines to fly between European and American cities. The pact could also mean more options for travelers, and possibly lower prices, too.
• Activists Target San Francisco's Olympic Torch Visit
  San Francisco is bracing for big protests from pro-Tibet activists as the Olympic torch arrives in the city next month. San Francisco officials have been reluctant to share details about the torch route in hopes of minimizing the protesters' ability to plan. Now the ACLU is intervening on behalf of the protesters.
• 'Persepolis' Strikes a Chord with Young Iranians
  Persepolis, an animated film about growing up in post-revolutionary Iran, was nominated for an Oscar this year. The movie's critical attitude toward the Iranian revolution and the Islamic republic led Iran's government to denounce it. Many who have watched the movie say they identify with the film's main character.
• Emotional Intensity Propels 'Stop-Loss'
  The story of a young soldier home from the war in Iraq is the subject of the movie Stop-Loss. Los Angeles Times and Morning Edition film critic Kenneth Turan says the movie has a propulsive emotional intensity.
• Family Life Changes as Troops Return from War
  Even when military personnel aren't injured physically or psychologically by experiences in war, long deployments take a toll on their families. The spouse left at home gets resentful, and the spouse who returns home from deployment often finds his or her role in the family has changed.
• Gen. Keane: Iraqi Military Not Ready to Stand Alone
  Iraq's battle against militia groups this week may help to answer a critical question: whether Iraq's central government is taking charge — or whether it doesn't have the power to do so. Retired Army Gen. Jack Keane, who was in the country as Iraqi forces prepared to attack militias, says he's not sure how well the operation was coordinated.

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