Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Deal reached on reducing mercury emissions
  Minnesota lawmakers announced they have reached an agreement on a plan to drastically reduce mercury emissions at the state's largest coal-fired power plants.6:25 a.m.
• New Wellstone community center opens in St. Paul
  Immigrants and immigration reform are hot topics at the state Capitol and in Washington. Immigration is always the topic at Neighborhood House, a St. Paul community center providing services for the growing numbers of immigrants and refugees in the metro area.6:50 a.m.
• Wet weekend ahead
  Cathy Wurzer talked with University of Minnesota Climatologist Mark Seeley about the rainy weekend ahead.6:55 a.m.
• Senate committee throws curveballs at stadium plans
  The prospect for ballparks and stadiums got a bit murkier as the main action has moved from the Minnesota House to the Senate. A key Senate committee Thursday began addressing funding requests for the Twins, the Vikings and the University of Minnesota, taking a substantially different approach to the stadium situation than the House.7:20 a.m.
• Singleton brings message of optimism to Pioneer Press staff
  St. Paul Pioneer Press staff met their new boss Thursday. Dean Singleton, head of the Denver based MediaNews Group, is buying the paper from the McClatchy Co. Singleton has a reputation as a tough businessman who doesn't like to spend a lot, but he did his best to dispel some of those worries.7:25 a.m.
• "Camp Out" at the International Film Festival
  A locally-produced documentary explores the first Bible camp for gay, Christian youths.7:50 a.m.
• Teen musicians face off in groups of four
  String quartet competitions for high school students are rare. Organizers of the first St. Paul String Quartet Competition are introducing the idea to the Twin Cities and hope the competition will become an annual event.7:55 a.m.
• Minneapolis Schools researcher disappointed in tutoring program
  A Minneapolis Public Schools researcher is disappointed by the results of an after-school tutoring service. Researcher David Heistad says students didn't show significant gains in reading after undergoing tutoring offered through Catapult Learning. Minneapolis Schools hired the company, which used to be known as Sylvan Learning, in an effort to comply with No Child Left Behind. Cathy Wurzer talked with Sarah Snapp who coordinates programs under No Child Left Behind for Minneapolis Public Schools.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Healing Music in New Orleans Festival's Gospel Tent
  On Friday morning, New Orleans kicks off its first jazz festival since Hurricane Katrina. This year, the Jazz & Heritage Festival has adopted the motto "Witness the Healing Power of Music." Nowhere will this be more evident than in the festival's Gospel Tent.
• U.S.'s Cultural Ignorance Fuels Iraq Insurgency
  The U.S. military's lack of cultural understanding of Iraq helped create the conditions for the insurgency there, according to a military adviser who has written a new book on the insurgency.
• American Apparel, an Immigrant Success Story
  The debate over immigration has been dominated by politicians, pundits, and activists with differing viewpoints -- we hear from the owner of an L.A.-based garment factory owner who employs 3,800 workers, most of them immigrants.
• Gas Prices Drive Some to Reconsider Habits
  As gas prices soar to $3 per gallon, many Americans are beginning to examine their driving habits and make minor adjustments. Many drivers say they may be forced to make more drastic changes to how they work and play if prices go higher.
• Oil Industry Enjoys Era of High Profits
  High oil prices are leading to record earnings at companies like Exxon Mobil, which reported a first-quarter profit of $8.4 billion. Energy analyst John Olson talks with Steve Inskeep about where oil companies are spending their profits.
• Lobbying Reform Bill Won't Ban Gifts
  A measure is before Congress that House Republicans hope will scrub their image after the scandals of lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Congressman Randy Duke Cunningham. But the bill will still let lobbyists give lawmakers gifts, and even jobs after their term is up.
• Events of 'United 93' Terrifying on Screen
  United 93, a movie about passengers who fought for control of a hijacked plane on Sept. 11, is hard to get out of your mind, no matter how hard you try, according to Los Angeles Times and Morning Edition film critic Kenneth Turan.
• Washington Haggles over Drug Plan Changes
  The push is on around the country to get seniors to enroll in the new Medicare drug plan, with just two weeks to go before the May 15 deadline. Congress and the Bush administration are fighting over what kind of changes, if any, need to be made to the program.
• American Finds First Job in Vietnam
  As part of our occasional series on "Americans abroad," we profile a young Vietnamese-American woman who chose to start her career in television news with state-run TV in Hanoi.
• New York Reconsiders No-Fault Divorce
  New York has not embraced no-fault divorce, a legal revolution that swept the country in the 1970s. Now that may be changing. New Yorkers, unlike most Americans, must show grounds for divorce. That may be about to change.

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