Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Opponents line up against proposed Canada oil pipeline
  A new oil pipeline proposed in northern Minnesota is getting resistance from an unusual direction. Opponents say the large pipeline would contribute significantly to global warming -- not so much from the oil itself, but for how the oil is extracted in Canada.7:20 a.m.
• Arctic expedition records signs of global warming
  Today is Earth Day. Minnesotan and polar explorer Will Steger will spend the day on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic. Steger is leading a 1400-mile dogsled expedition across the island; he hopes to record the impact of global warming on the northernmost part of the North American continent. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with Steger by satellite phone.7:25 a.m.
• Minneapolis architecture firm wins green award
  VJAA in Minneapolis has won an award from the American Institute of Architects for its design of a "green building." The firm won for a new university center at Tulane University in New Orleans. The building was selected as a top example of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect the environment. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with Jennifer Yoos, a principal architect at VJAA.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Tobias Wolff Examines Life's Pivotal Turns
  Tobias Wolff's new collection of short stories, Our Story Begins, centers on moments of quiet epiphany. "If you change the direction of your life by a little degree, years later you're going to end up in a very different direction than if you hadn't," Wolff says.
• Web Site Rips West's Reports on China-Tibet Conflict
  After assaults from protesters during the Olympic torch relay, anti-foreign sentiment has grown in China. The surge in nationalism has been well-documented by China's vibrant Internet community. Many Web sites run by young bloggers reflect anger over perceived anti-Chinese bias in Western media reports about Tibet.
• Barbie Sales Fall; Mattel Reports $45M Loss
  No. 1 toymaker Mattel lost more than $45 million in the recent quarter. Recalls are part of the problem, but also, global sales of Mattel's iconic Barbie doll aren't growing. In the U.S., Barbie sales even fell by 12 percent.
• Mortgage Losses Cripple Cleveland-Based Bank
  National City, a major regional bank with headquarters in Cleveland, has been struggling with subprime mortgage losses. On Monday, the bank announced a huge capital infusion and watched its already depressed stock fall even further. Dan Bobkoff reports from member station WCPN.
• 'WSJ' Managing Editor Reportedly Resigning
  The managing editor of the Wall Street Journal is said to be resigning, less than a year after starting the job. Marcus Brauchli has been at the influential business paper for more than 20 years.
• 'Wings of Defeat': Kamikaze Stories, Told in Person
  "Veteran kamikaze pilot" might sound like an impossibility. But some of Japan's World War II suicide bombers survived — and in conjunction with a new documentary, they're touring American schools.
• Disney Launches New Nature-Film Division
  The Walt Disney Co. announced the launch of a new film division — Disneynature — specifically created to produce nature documentaries in wide theatrical release. Nature films have enjoyed limited success among niche audiences, but Disney executives are betting on finding a wider market.
• Oil Has Two Potential Futures, Shell Strategist Says
  A forecast from Shell Oil outlines two very different possibilities for oil prices, which recently hit $117 per barrel. In weighing the future of the world's energy supply from now to 2050, Shell strategist Jeremy Bentham says demand will go up, while oil supplies will be harder to find.
• Mugabe's Opponents Report Brutality in Zimbabwe
  Zimbabwe's opposition party has pointed to a shipment of arms from China, destined for Zimbabwe, as further proof that President Robert Mugabe's government has put the country on the path to war. Meanwhile, opposition and human rights activists accuse the authorities of sanctioning state-sponsored brutality.
• Politics, Labor Issues Complicate Alitalia's Revival
  One of the first tasks facing newly elected Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is the future of Italy's cash-strapped state airline, Alitalia. Unions and right-wing politicians have obstructed a possible sale of the airline to Air France, but the deal may still be on the table.
• Wallace, N.C., Mourns Guardsman Killed in Iraq
  Emanuel Pickett was a well-liked man in the small town of Wallace, N.C. He was the local butcher and a police captain, and he served in the National Guard. He was on deployment in Iraq when he was killed by mortar fire in Baghdad.
• High Court Weighs Campaign Finance Amendment
  The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday hears a challenge to the campaign finance law provision called the Millionaire's Amendment. The amendment requires that candidates who spend more than $350,000 of their own money on a campaign must publicly disclose large purchases.
• Ga. Program Pays Low-Income Students to Study
  Some kids in Fulton County, Ga., are earning a paycheck just for doing their homework. A pilot project sponsored by a local foundation offers a group of low-income students $8 an hour to go to after-school study sessions twice a week. The kids say the program is helpful, but some educators are troubled by it.
• SUVs, Luxury Cars Star at Beijing Auto Show
  The Cadillac Escalade is the star of the General Motors display at the Beijing Auto Show in China, where SUVs and luxury cars are the fastest-growing parts of the car market. And, thanks to price controls, Chinese drivers can afford to fill them up.
• Teen Becomes World's Youngest Professor
  While many 18- and 19-year-olds await word from colleges, one of their peers has been accepted to a university — as a professor. Just days before her 19th birthday, Alia Sabur was hired to teach cell science at Konkuk University in South Korea.

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