Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Twins, Hennepin County break logjam over stadium funding
  Hennepin County Commissioner Mike Opat says the Minnesota Twins have agreed to pay more for stadium infrastructure. That will free up enough money for the county to buy the ballpark site, and the deal could be closed by the end of April.7:20 a.m.
• Budget negotiations begin
  State lawmakers return to the Capitol after a long Passover/Easter break. The DFL-controlled House is set to start taking up budget bills this week, bills that are already the target of veto threats by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.7:25 a.m.
• Concern rises over fibers in Silver Bay air
  The town of Silver Bay, on the North Shore of Lake Superior, has more mineral fragments in its air than the city of St. Paul. Scientists are concerned about their possible health effects. The MPCA and the Minnesota Department of Health are scrambling to figure out what to do about it.7:50 a.m.
• Ex-Vikings star Jim Marshall pardoned on cocaine conviction
  The state Board of Pardons has cleared former Minnesota Viking star Jim Marshall of a drug conviction. Marshall was convicted of second degree cocaine possession in 1991.7:55 a.m.
• Discovering a young poet
  When Galway Kinnell, one of the great American poets of our age, first heard Josephine Dickinson, he was immediately drawn in by her work. MPR's Kerri Miller explains why.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Case Falters Against Cops in Katrina Shootings
  In December, seven New Orleans police officers were indicted for the unprovoked shooting of two civilians in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina. Because of prosecutorial missteps, the case might not reach a jury.
• Bright Eyes: The Mellowing of a Protest Singer
  Conor Oberst, lead singer of Bright Eyes, captured public attention as a protest singer with artistic ambitions. At 27, he seems to have mellowed. "Make a Plan to Love Me" is a gentle throwback to the '60s.
• Ohio Governor Questions Guard's Return to Iraq
  Ohio is one of four states preparing to send National Guard troops to Iraq, joining Arkansas, Indiana and Oklahoma. Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland notes that the Guard is being called up for a second time in two years. He says Ohioans will serve patriotically, but he's concerned about the development.
• Arkansas Guard Members Prepare for Iraq Tour
  Iraq is on the minds of many National Guard members in Arkansas. Some face a possible second deployment to Iraq in less than two years. Others are leaving soon on their first deployment.
• Ted Stevens, Alaska's Senate Fixture
  Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska has held his office for nearly 40 years, making him the chamber's senior Republican. He joins many observers in ruing the recent shift toward partisanship and people "who do politics all the time."
• Fighting Shia-on-Shia Violence in Diwaniyah
  U.S.-led forces are trying to quell violence in Diwaniyah, an Iraqi town 90 miles southeast of Baghdad. The forces of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr are vying with those of another Shiite leader for control.
• Rich Roster of Prospects Eye Bid for Cubs
  A key to real-estate investor Sam Zell's deal to buy Tribune Co. is the sale of the Chicago Cubs, which the media giant owns. Some famous names are rumored as potential buyers for a storied baseball franchise.
• New Orleans Says Goodbye to Beloved Grocer
  Anthony Leo Zuppardo opened New Orleans' first self-service grocery in 1937. But Zuppardo's Economical Super Market never reopened after Hurricane Katrina. Zuppardo died last week at 93.
• Scholar Ajami Reflects on Trip to Iraq
  Fouad Ajami, director of the Middle East Studies Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, recently visited Baghdad. He shares his observations of the current political atmosphere in Iraq.
• Imus Suspended for Racially Charged Comments
  CBS Radio and MSNBC have suspended talk-show host Don Imus for two weeks, addressing outrage over remarks the shock jock made about black members of the women's basketball team at Rutgers University.
• Padilla Case Trudges Toward Trial
  Jury selection begins next week at the trial of terrorism suspect Jose Padilla, nearly five years after his arrest. The case has seen so much maneuvering that the judge has asked attorneys to stop filing motions and get going.
• Diplomat Frazer Details Surprise Trip to Somalia
  Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer talks about her unannounced weekend trip to Somalia. It was the first visit by a top U.S. official since the Black Hawk Down episode in 1993.
• U.S. Seeks to Force China's Hand on Arts Trade
  The United States has filed two major trade cases against China. It argues that American entertainment companies are hurt because China fails to stop piracy and has too many market restrictions on music and movies.
• Argentina Revives Human Rights Trials
  Argentine courts are once again confronting the horrors of a brutal Cold War regime that executed thousands of dissenters. But prosecutors face many obstacles in pursuing crimes that are three decades old.
• Bush Renews Call for Changes on Immigration
  President Bush visits a new border-control station in Yuma, Ariz. He says placing troops on the border has helped restore order, but called on Congress to overhaul the country's immigration policy.

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