Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• FBI raids Minn. money transfer businesses
  Federal agents searched three money-transfer businesses in Minneapolis on Wednesday, carrying away boxes of documents and copying computer hard drives for details of transactions between the U.S. and several African nations.7:20 a.m.
• Flood forecasting is a complicated business
  National Weather Service forecasters predict the Red River will crest somewhere between 38 and 40 feet again next week in the Fargo-Moorhead area. That's not as perilous as first expected, but floods on the Minnesota-North Dakota border have created some nasty surprises in the past.7:25 a.m.
• Central Corridor still faces potential obstacles
  The proposed Central Corridor light rail line is another step toward being built, after the Met Council and MPR have agreed on ways to reduce the noise impact on the MPR building in St. Paul. But there are other obstacles, and Met Council Chairman Peter Bell talked to MPR's Cathy Wurzer about them.7:40 a.m.
• Foreclosures complicate high-stakes 2010 census
  Minnesota may be facing loss of a congressional seat as a result of the 2010 U.S. Census. Foreclosures are complicating efforts to get an accurate count.7:45 a.m.
• Art Hounds: Week of April 9
  Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside our own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on this weekend.8:25 a.m.
• Hockey excitement revving up business in Bemidji
  It's a big day for Bemidji hockey fans. For the first time the Bemidji State University Men's Hockey Team is in the NCAA championship Frozen Four. They face off against Ohio's Miami University in Washington D.C.8:40 a.m.
• Artist transforms I-35 bridge fragments into jewelry
  Artists are often compelled to commemorate tragic events through their work - a song, a sculpture, in paintings or writing. But what about jewelry?8:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Fat Could Help You Lose Weight, Someday
  Researchers have always known that babies have a good type of fat that helps them stay warm. For adults, researchers say the trick will be to find a way to increase brown fat, revving up these internal calorie-burning furnaces.
• Italy Surveys Quake Damage To Historic Structures
  The deadly earthquake that rattled central Italy on Monday also took a toll on the region's architectural treasures. Churches and other historic buildings have been destroyed or badly damaged, and the repair costs will put further strain on Italy's overstretched budget.
• Chrysler Vice Chairman Hopeful For Restructuring
  President Obama has given Chrysler executives an April 30 deadline for restructuring the company. Vice Chairman Jim Press says the goal is "to get on with the business of building great cars."
• Former Journalist Heads Obama's Auto Task Force
  Steve Rattner was a star reporter who left journalism and became a billionaire on Wall Street. He has little automotive experience, which makes him an interesting choice to head the White House's auto industry task force.
• Sectarian Tensions Rise In Persian Gulf Region
  In eastern Saudi Arabia, a Shiite cleric recently said the oil-rich province should secede from the kingdom if discrimination against Shiites continues. And just next door in the island nation of Bahrain, Shiites are protesting almost nightly against their Sunni rulers.
• Shakespeare's Rose Quote Attracts Comments
  NPR's Robert Krulwich argued Shakespeare was wrong when he wrote, "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Some pointed out that was a line spoken by Juliet. One listener writes, "We have no way of knowing Shakespeare's opinion on the subject. All we can fairly say is that Juliet was wrong." Other topics are also addressed in the letters segment.
• Immelman Defends Masters; Crowd Eyes Tiger
  Tiger Woods is back to play his first major golf tournament since his knee surgery. He'll hit the golf course in Augusta, Ga., Thursday, along with defending Masters champion Trevor Immelman.
• Former Pakistani Official Weighs In On U.S. Policy
  Talat Masood, who served as a former lieutenant general in Pakistan's army, says aspects of the Obama administration's policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan are welcome. Still, he says, serious differences remain.
• Indonesians Vote In Parliamentary Elections
  Indonesians are voting in parliamentary elections that could determine whether the country's president will have enough support to win a second five-year term.
• Mars Chocolate Bars To Use Sustainable Cocoa
  Mars has announced a plan to buy chocolate that is grown more sustainably. That means making sure the cocoa that goes into its Snickers bars and other candy is grown in a way that doesn't deplete supplies, and allows cocoa farmers to earn a decent wage. Mars says the goal is for all its cocoa to be certified as coming from sustainable sources by the year 2020.

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