Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Working hard for clarinet dreams
  High School musician Bruce Cho is playing duing this week's Young People's Concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra, an important step toward fulfilling his goal of becoming a professional musician.6:50 a.m.
• New state park caught up in politics, money troubles
  A proposed new state park on Lake Vermilion in northeastern Minnesota appears to be running up against politics and the state's rocky economic picture.7:20 a.m.
• Admission Possible
  A Twin Cities program is finding a way to get more low-income students into college.7:25 a.m.
• Iraqi museum recovering five years after looting
  It was five years ago next week that looters ransacked the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad. Shortly after the initial looting, then-Army-Reservist Cori Wegener was sent to Iraq to assess damage. Wegener is an associate curator at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and she's been working ever since to increase awareness about protecting cultural property. She spoke with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.7:50 a.m.
• Architecture big news in Minnesota this week
  With the death of Ralph Rapson and the Pritzker Prize being awarded to Jean Nouvel, architects and architecture have been in the news quite a bit this week. That has set Morning Edition arts commentator and St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola to thinking about the state of that particular art in Minnesota.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Bill Clinton's Legacy Looms over Pittsburgh Voters
  Although New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has been a senator for six years and has campaigned extensively in Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh voters still view her through the lens of her husband's presidency and the way she handled his affair.
• Would-Be Mortuary Burglar Plays Dead for Police
  People living next to a mortuary would notice when a door creaks open in the middle of the night. When police arrived at the funeral home outside Valencia, Spain, they found only bodies — but one looked out of place. A young man lying under glass — ready for "viewing" — was breathing.
• Clemens Ex-Trainer Sells Pitcher's Memorabilia
  Brian McNamee has more than the needles he claims to have used on Roger Clemens. McNamee is the former personal trainer who claims he injected the great pitcher with performance enhancing drugs. Now he's auctioning his Clemens memorabilia online.
• Chinese Dissident's Conviction Sparks Global Outcry
  A noted human rights activist in Beijing was sentenced Thursday to three-and-a-half years in prison on charges of subversion. Western media and human rights groups have focused on Hu Jia's case as evidence that China is trying to silence political dissent ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
• Sarkozy's Opposition Critical of Troop Increase
  French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday said his country will send hundreds of additional troops to Afghanistan's eastern region, which is more volatile. Sarkozy's decision is welcomed by NATO members, especially the United States, but unpopular at home.
• Apple Inc. Sues Big Apple over Green Logo
  Officials in New York City launched a new campaign to encourage residents to save energy and be more environmentally conscious — with a green, stylized version of an apple as their logo. Now the company that makes Macs, iPods and iPhones is suing the city for trademark infringement.
• BlackBerry Sales Beat Expectations
  Despite the slowing economy, sales of BlackBerry devices are booming. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion said it added more than 2 million new subscribers in the first three months of the year.
• Toshiba Plans Nuclear Reactors in U.S.
  The Japanese company Toshiba says it is finalizing deals with two U.S. energy companies to build four new nuclear power reactors worth about $14 billion. According to reports, two of the reactors could be in Georgia, the other two in South Carolina.
• Doctor-Patient 'Web Visits' Spur Privacy Concerns
  As more doctors go online to communicate with patients, two of the country's biggest health insurers have started reimbursing patients for the Internet visits. But critics say the online advising could lead to errors, and patient privacy could be compromised.
• Opposition Wins Control of Parliament in Zimbabwe
  In Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe's party has lost control of parliament. However, election officials still haven't announced the outcome of last weekend's presidential election, and there is a possibility of a second round of voting.
• Senate Debates Bill Aimed at Curbing Foreclosures
  The Senate begins debate Thursday on a bipartisan measure to deal with the housing slump. The Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 includes tax credits, grants and expanded federal programs aimed at addressing problems facing families and communities dealing with foreclosures.
• NATO Balks at Expansion, Boosts Afghanistan Effort
  President Bush has hit an obstacle in his push to get Ukraine and Georgia on track for NATO membership. However, the president did score a victory in his quest to get more NATO members to send their troops to Afghanistan.
• United Grounds Fleet, Including White House Plane
  United Airlines is the latest major U.S. carrier to ground planes due to questions about aircraft safety checks and maintenance. United grounded its fleet of 52 Boeing 777s and canceled 38 flights Wednesday. Among the planes that need to be inspected is the White House press charter plane.
• 'Parenting Inc.' Charts Rising Costs of Baby Gear
  Traditional baby products have skyrocketed in price, with some strollers and cribs retailing for thousands of dollars. Pamela Paul's new book, Parenting Inc, describes how companies convince parents to pay so much for baby goods that end up cluttering their homes.
• China Eastern Pilots Turn Back 14 Flights
  The United States is not the only country with trouble in the skies. Chinese flyers got a reminder Thursday that Chinese labor is demanding more rights. China Eastern Airlines pilots unhappy about labor issues disrupted 14 flights from a single city.

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