Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Local photographer portrays breast cancer survivors
  Several years ago, Jila Nikpay began taking pictures of breast cancer survivors, photographing women who were strong in the face of illness, women she saw as heroines of their own stories. She's compiled those photos in a new book called, "Heroines: Transformation in the Face of Breast Cancer."6:50 a.m.
• Governor, Minneapolis play blame game over crime
  Two recent high-profile killings in Minneapolis have prompted a round of finger-pointing between state and local officials, over whether the city is spending is money wisely on public safety.7:20 a.m.
• Report shows school choice program helps students
  A new report shows disadvantaged Minneapolis students who are bused to suburban schools are testing significantly higher than comparable students who stay in city schools. The latest evaluation of the five-year-old desegregation program called "The Choice Is Yours" found participating students in third through seventh grade scored 23 points higher in reading and 25 points higher in math.7:25 a.m.
• Stadium talk is in favor again at Capitol
  The week week is turning into something of a stadium extravaganza at the Capitol. State lawmakers have held hearings on stadiums proposed for the Gophers, the Minnesota Twins and the Vikings this week. And all the bills are still alive.7:50 a.m.
• Gopher women's basketball team loses yet another player
  The Minnesota women's basketball team is running out of players. Sophomore forward Natasha Williams has become the latest departure. She put in her request yesterday for a release from her scholarship. St. Paul Pioneer Press reporter Ray Richardson has been following the story.7:55 a.m.
• Possible constitutional amendment could help arts funding
  There's an unlikely alliance at the state Capitol this year. Arts supporters have banded with outdoorsmen and women in support of a proposed constitutional amendment making its way through the legislature. The bill started as a proposal to dedicate a small fraction of the state sales tax to environmental programs, but now some of the money would also go to the arts. Minnesota Public Radio Arts Commentator Dominic Papatola explained.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• When Physicians Get Cancer
  Dealing with a potentially fatal cancer is difficult for anyone. Doctors with cancer face a special challenge. They're used to giving medical care, not getting it. Two doctors, Elizabeth McKinley and William Tierney, share what they learned as patients.
• San Diego Fence Provides Lessons in Border Control
  As Congress looks to revamp immigration policy, some lawmakers are pushing to extend fencing along the U.S. border with Mexico. They already have a model they can look to: a 14-mile-fence built in the 1990s to separate Tijuana, Mexico, from San Diego, Calif.
• Study: 'Video News Releases' Common in Local TV
  A new study by a watchdog group finds the use of corporate "video news releases" in stories by local TV stations is widespread. And it routinely occurs without any disclosure to viewers.
• Priest Tends to Mexico City's Dump Dwellers
  Nearly 50 percent of the people who live in Mexico live in poverty. In Mexico City, a garbage dump is a source of livelihood for some residents. Amid violence and sexual assaults, the residents have one saving grace: a 70-year-old priest who finds his own spiritual refuge within his parishioners' desperate and dangerous lives.
• Robin McKelle Channels Music of a Different Era
  Robin McKelle is a jazz singer who brings new life to some old standards. Inspired by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, this jazz singer sounds mature beyond her 30 years.
• Longer Course Greets Masters Golf Field
  The Masters Golf Tournament is under way in Augusta, Ga. Steve Inskeep talks with commentator John Feinstein about what to expect from defending champion Tiger Woods, and changes to this year's course.
• Merck Ordered to Pay $4.5 Million in N.J. Vioxx Case
  A New Jersey jury awards more than $4 million to one plaintiff suing Merck, maker of the painkiller Vioxx, which has been linked to heart problems in some patients. Now the jury will hear evidence on whether Merck should face punitive damages. In a separate Vioxx case, the same jury rules against the plaintiff.
• Apple Does Windows with New Intel Machines
  Apple has announced a major change in its approach to rival Microsoft. The company will now help users of its Macintosh computers run the Microsoft Windows operating system on their computers. Previously, only hackers had been able to get Windows to run on Apple's new Intel-based machines. Steve Inskeep talks with New York Times columnist David Pogue.
• Immigration Debate Divides Catholic Parishoners
  In Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony calls on parishioners to fast as a show of support for illegal immigrants. But some of Mahony's fellow Catholics wonder why the church is stepping into the red-hot political debate. It's only part of the great religious divide over illegal immigration.
• Officers Untouched by Abu Ghraib Prosecutions
  Two years after the Abu Ghraib prison photos came out of Iraq, no high-level officers have been charged in relation to the prisoner abuse. The highest ranking person charged so far is a staff sergeant. The structure of the military and its justice system make it difficult to prosecute officers in cases like Abu Ghraib.
• Salmon Ban Threatens California Fishermen
  Northern California fishing communities are predicting economic devastation if federal regulators extend a ban on salmon fishing all along the Pacific Coast. Andrea Kissack of member station KQED reports.
• Letters: Katrina, M1 Interview
  Steve Inskeep reads from listeners' letters. This week, letter writers responded to stories about recovering from Hurricane Katrina, and a controversial rap performer.
• Taylor War Crimes Trial Worries West Africa
  There are worries that Charles Taylor's trial in Sierra Leone could upset an uneasy peace in the region. The former Liberian president is charged with 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone. In a change of tactics, U.S. diplomats are working to get the trial moved to the Netherlands.
• South Koreans Disgusted by Political Scandals
  South Korea is often rocked by scandal. The latest brought down the prime minister. Two former presidents have been convicted on corruption. Scientist Hwang Woo-suk was a national hero until his stem cell research was found to be fraudulent. Louisa Lim reports on how South Korean citizens feel about the scandals.
• Drinking Plants Straighten Up
  Here's a gardening tip that could land your flowers in a 12-step program. A researcher at Cornell University says he's been pouring alcohol on flowers. William Miller says he treated the flowers with diluted whiskey, vodka, gin, or tequila. And he discovered that the plants grow and behave differently. Once they start the drinking life, the flowers don't tip over as easily -- exactly the opposite of the effect you get when you apply the same treatment to human beings.

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