Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• House, Senate approve outdoors and arts program
  The Minnesota Legislature has approved the $213 million outdoors and cultural heritage bill in the waning hours of the legislative session.6:50 a.m.
• K-12 funding stays flat, but schools are still cutting
  Schools in Minnesota will get the same amount of state money next year as they got this year -- that's what the governor signed into law over the weekend. But even with flat funding, districts statewide have already made cuts to their own budgets.6:55 a.m.
• Minnesota Legislature: No deal
  The Legislature adjourned shortly after midnight without reaching a budget deal with Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is expected to cut state spending using unprecedented measures.7:20 a.m.
• Commentator says don't move up graduation
  It is just mid-May and many college students across the country, and Minnesota, have already received their 2009 diplomas. That's caught the attention of Morning Edition commentator Peter Smith.7:45 a.m.
• St. Paul Mayor concerned about more LGA cuts
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty is supposed to start meeting today with aides to begin looking at places in the state budget where $2.7 billion can be cut or places where payments can be delayed to balance the budget. One target is Local Government Aid.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Afghan Civilian Death Toll Disputed
  U.S. officials disagree with Afghan officials about how many civilians were killed recently in airstrikes in western Afghanistan. Afghan officials say as many as 140 civilians were killed. U.S. military officials say that's not possible.
• Travel Industry Hopes Bargains Attract Business
  It has been a dismal time for the nation's travel and tourism industry, with business travel taking an especially big hit. About 200,000 tourism and travel jobs evaporated in 2008. But many in the industry say they are beginning to see signs of a rebound, sparked by travel bargains.
• Millionaire Businessman To Raffle Off Mansion
  In Austria, a millionaire businessman is raffling off his mansion and all its furnishings. He hopes to raise more than $2 million for his 3,500-square-foot villa. According to a local paper, he wants to invest the money in a nonprofit he started to provide microfinancing for people in developing countries.
• Housing Affordability Boosts Buyers' Opportunities
  Home prices have fallen to the point where homes are more affordable than they've been in at least 18 years, according to a survey. But buyers are hesitating amid worries about job security and the possibility that prices will drop more.
• Nissan Reports Eco-Friendly Car Sales Higher
  Tax credits aimed at encouraging Japanese drivers to buy fuel efficient cars seem to be working nicely. Nissan reports sales for May rose 30 percent compared with the same month last year. Nissan's domestic rivals, Honda and Toyota, also have reported sharp increases in sales.
• Obama To Announce Auto Pollution Plan
  President Obama is expected to propose new fuel efficiency standards Tuesday as part of a broader goal of limiting pollution and greenhouse gases. It will be the first time an attempt to reduce greenhouse emissions is linked to federal fuel economy standards for cars and trucks.
• Escape From Reality: India's Barbershops
  For the past month, India has been holding a general election. With it seems to have come a lot of noise — at least from TV anchors. And it just happens that this time of year, the temperatures there are sweltering. So where do men in India go to escape the heat and noise?
• Believe-It-Or-Not True Crime Stories
  Police in Needham, Mass., stopped a man because he was trying to eat a bowl of cereal while driving. Police in Daytona Beach, Fla., responded to a call — two men were robbed while trying to buy marijuana, and called 911. And in Winston-Salem, N.C., police say a teenager tried to rob an Internet cafe. The robber used a banana for a gun, and when captured, he ate it.
• Mayor Urges Residents To Mow Grass In City Parks
  In these economically troubled times, everyone has to pitch in. At least that's the philosophy of Toledo, Ohio, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner. He is asking residents to help cut the grass in city parks. To set a good example, the mayor recently mowed a park lawn.
• Obama, Netanyahu Downplay Differences
  The president reiterated that his administration's Middle East goal is a two-state solution: Israel and a new Palestinian state living side by side in peace. Israel's prime minister didn't use that language but said he wants a solution that allows them to live in peace and prosperity, and "if that happens, the terminology will take care of itself."
• Public Mood In Pakistan Turns Against Taliban
  Pakistan's army is pressing deeper into Swat Valley to secure ground that Taliban extremists have held. The fighting in the northwest is unfolding just a few hours from the capital. The Taliban's infiltration so close to Islamabad appears to have persuaded many Pakistanis to support the military offensive.
• Pakistan's Refugee Situation Getting Worse
  In Pakistan, the number of refugees fleeing the fighting has swollen to a staggering amount. That presents a huge problem not only for Pakistan but also for the relief agencies that are trying to deal with the exodus. Killian Kleinschmidt, the deputy head of the United Nations High Commission on Refugees in Islamabad, talks with Steve Inskeep about the refugee situation.
• Sidney Poitier's Introduction To Motion Pictures
  Actor Sidney Poitier's memoir, Life Beyond Measure, is out in paperback. Much of the book focuses on his childhood, growing up on rural Cat Island in the Bahamas. The Academy Award-winning actor looks back with Renee Montagne at the first time he saw a movie.
• California Proposes Selling San Quentin Prison
  Cash-strapped California is looking at ways to raise money. One of them involves selling prime, state-owned real estate — places like the Los Angeles coliseum and the Cow Palace near San Francisco. But among the long list, one property stands out: San Quentin State Prison.
• Baucus At The Center Of Health Care Debate
  Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus has emerged as the somewhat surprising champion of a health care overhaul in Congress. But some critics worry that in his efforts to craft a bipartisan health care bill, Baucus may compromise too much.

Resources

• Future Tense®
• Marketplace Morning Report®
• Mark Seeley's WeatherTalk

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor