Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minnesotans struggle to reach family in Myanmar
  The Twin Cities is home to about 1,000 people from the former Burma. The relatives of many of those who live in the hard-hit storm region are still waiting to hear the fate of their loved ones.6:50 a.m.
• Legislature presses ahead to the end of the session
  The Minnesota House and Senate passed a school finance bill Tuesday night over the objections of Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who had wanted an end-of-session budget agreement in place before the vote. DFL legislative leaders decided to press ahead after closed-door negotiations with the Republican governor broke down.7:20 a.m.
• Concealed carrying of firearms may come to national parks
  Visitors to Voyageurs National Park and other national parks would be allowed to carry concealed handguns, under a proposal from the U.S. Interior Department.7:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• U.S. Admiral: Myanmar Allows Flights With Supplies
  Co-host Steve Inskeep talks to Adm. Timothy Keating, head of U.S. Pacific Command, about his attempts to get Myanmar's military government to allow more relief flights into the country. The survivors of Myanmar's devastating cyclone are growing increasingly desperate as foreign aid remained at a trickle, and overstretched aid workers struggled to reach hard-hit areas.
• U.N. Obtains Visas for Myanmar, Reporter Says
  As nearly 2 million survivors of a cyclone that struck Myanmar remained at risk Wednesday, an unidentified NPR reporter there told co-host Steve Inskeep that there is a bit of good news: The United Nations was able to get a few visas for personnel who have been waiting in Bangkok.
• Study: Number of Wireless-Only U.S. Homes Grows
  More Americans are cancelling their landlines and using only wireless phones, according to a new study from the National Center for Health Statistics. In the last half of 2007, the number of homes without landlines — 16 percent — had more than doubled from the same period in 2004.
• Most Fattening Profession: Finance
  A new survey from the online jobs site CareerBuilder.com shows that 45 percent of workers have gained weight at their current jobs. About one-quarter of the workers surveyed reported gaining more than 10 pounds; 12 percent gained more than 20. The most fattening profession seems to be finance.
• Polar Bear Endangerment Decision Looms
  Bush administration officials are under a court order to decide by tomorrow whether to add the polar bear to the list of endangered species. The decision will cap a three-year campaign by environmentalists to show that climate change has the potential to imperil wildlife. Critics say any listing is a bad idea.
• China Quake Update: From the Rubble, a Survivor
  People are a long way from returning to normal life in Southwestern China. One town near the epicenter will never be the same: China's official news agency says it lost close to 80 percent of its population. Many thousands remain buried across a wide area. Some are being pulled out alive.
• How Will Clinton Resolve Campaign Debt?
  Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was some $10 million in debt at the end of March. Then she lent her campaign $11 million. The campaign won't say what her total debt is. How might Clinton go about paying off some of the bills?
• Phones Faltering, Quake Survivors Rely on Texting
  The first word about the massive earthquake in China did not come from the news media. In China, some 600 million people have cell phones, and when the quake hit, many reached for them — but not to talk. Instead, they used the nation's most popular form of communication — text messaging.
• China Expert: Rapid Growth a Factor in Quake's Toll
  The death toll in China's Sichuan province continues to rise after this week's devastating earthquake. Orville Schell, director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society, says China's rapid economic development has meant substandard construction in the region, which may have contributed to the quake's damage.
• McCain Wins Nebraska's GOP Primary
  As expected, Sen. John McCain won Tuesday's GOP presidential primary in Nebraska — although some Republicans registered their dissatisfaction with the presumptive GOP nominee by backing Congressman Ron Paul. As his Democratic rivals battle it out, McCain has been conserving energy, making about one campaign appearance per day.
• China Dispenses Aid; Myanmar Victims Await Help
  China's government is airlifting aid to areas devastated by Monday's earthquake. Meanwhile, in Myanmar, victims of a cyclone that hit more than a week ago have yet to receive help — and on Wednesday, there are reports that another cyclone is developing in the region.
• Rep. Van Hollen: Loser Key to Reviving Democrats
  Sen. Hillary Clinton has won the West Virginia primary. She added 20 delegates to her column, but Barack Obama still leads in the delegate count. U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, a superdelgate and chairman of the Democratic Congressional Committee, says the losing candidate's support of the winner will be critical for the party.
• Robot Conducts the Detroit Symphony
  Detroit's Orchestra Hall was like a scene out of the Jetsons on Tuesday night. A robot designed by Honda conducted the Detroit Symphony. ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, led musicians during a performance of The Impossible Dream.
• France's Bill Allowing Genetically Modified Crops Fails
  In France, a controversial bill that would have cleared the way for planting genetically modified crops was voted down in parliament Tuesday. The vote is being viewed as a surprising setback for President Nicolas Sarkozy.
• Israel at 60: Palestinians' 'Absence of Tranquility'
  In 1948, after decades of efforts to form a sovereign nation as a homeland for Jews, the U.N. founded the State of Israel in what was then the country of Palestine. It was a defining moment for the Jewish people, though Palestinians remember it as a catastrophe.

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