Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• PUC to decide on huge powerline project
  After three years of studies, public hearings, and legal judgments, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will decide this week whether a CapX 2020, a huge powerline project, can be built across the state.6:55 a.m.
• State park along Lake Vermilion looks unlikely
  Minnesota has apparently lost out on a chance to create a new state park on Lake Vermilion. U.S. Steel is now moving ahead with plans to develop the proposed park land into a housing project. Those plan are a blow to Gov. Pawlenty, who argued that creating a state park on the land is a once in a lifetime opportunity.7:20 a.m.
• Coleman faces uphill battle in appeal case
  Republican Norm Coleman's attorneys say they'll file an appeal with the state Supreme Court early next week. This comes in response to the ruling on Monday by the three-judge panel that heard Coleman's senate election contest. But what are Coleman's prospects?7:25 a.m.
• Fire danger spreading to more of Minnesota
  Lack of precipitation through central Minnesota is causing high fire danger.7:45 a.m.
• A preview of Guthrie's Kushner extravaganza
  This weekend, the Guthrie Theater kicks off a nine-week celebration of the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner. Theater critic Dominic Papatola talks about the celebration.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• In A Texas Town, A Film Premiere Hits Home
  The new film American Violet is based on the true story of a misguided drug raid in Hearne, Texas, and the legal battles that followed. Hearne residents attended an advance screening — and NPR's Wade Goodwyn was there to catch their reactions.
• Is 'Better Safe Than Sorry' Reason Enough For Law?
  Sen. Dianne Feinstein invoked the "precautionary principle" when she introduced a bill a few weeks ago to ban a plastic additive called bisphenol A from food and drink containers. She said if we can't prove a chemical is safe, we shouldn't use it. But experts say that's an extreme interpretation --and impossible to follow.
• Point Guard Takes Over As Big Man On Court
  It's long been an article of faith that the most treasured commodity on any basketball team is a big man. But now, that mantle of positional pre-eminence has passed from inside to outside. The one player who can most improve a team, who can make it coalesce and thrive, is the point guard, says commentator Frank Deford.
• Obama Delivers Economic Progress Report
  On this tax deadline day, President Obama plans to highlight some of the tax cuts included in the economic stimulus plan. Yesterday, the president delivered a lengthy speech about how the U.S. got into the recession, where the economy is now and his plans to encourage a more prosperous future.
• Analyst: Banking Industry Not All Doom, Gloom
  Analyst Richard Bove says that despite all the doom saying about the banking industry, it's actually in good shape. He tells Steve Inskeep that mortgages and home equity loans are being repaid. Bove also says that due to depressed markets, people are parking their money in banks which is giving them a healthy revenue stream.
• Mother Worried: Son On Ship Attacked By Pirates
  Katy Urbik of Wheaton, Ill., is concerned about her son, Tom, who is aboard a ship that was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The crew is safe and is being escorted to Mombasa, Kenya, by the USS Bainbridge. That's the ship that helped rescue Capt. Richard Philips from pirates Sunday.
• Next FAA Chief Will Face Turbulent Climate
  If confirmed to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, Randy Babbitt would have two tall orders on his agenda: resolve labor issues among a disgruntled work force of air controllers, and goose a long-delayed update to the nation's navigation system.
• Bottled Water Sales Flatten During Recession
  After years of double-digit increases, bottled water sales have stopped rising. Industry analysts say the economy is driving the change, but they also say environmentalists may be having an effect. Decades ago, when people were thirsty, they looked for a water fountain or turned on the tap.
• Report Calls Out Flaws In Public Defender System
  The Sixth Amendment of the Constitution says that in criminal prosecutions, the accused is entitled to legal counsel. But a report released Tuesday finds that too often, states are failing to provide an adequate defense.
• EBay To Buy South Korea's Largest Online Auction
  EBay is the world's largest online auction site, and it may get even bigger. The Wall Street Journal reports that eBay has reached a tentative deal to buy a controlling stake in South Korea's largest online auctioneer.

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