Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minnesota companies launch new push to retain professionals of color
  Some companies have had success recruiting professionals of color to the Twin Cities, but they've sometimes had difficulty retaining them.7:20 a.m.
• New documentary follows U of M lion researcher
  A new documentary from American RadioWorks looks at the conflict between the animals of Tanzania and the people who live near them.7:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Kennedy's Illness Casts Pall over Congress
  Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's Capitol Hill colleagues react to news of his malignant brain tumor with sadness, prayers and disbelief. Some are contemplating what Congress might look like without one of the Senate's most prolific legislators.
• Does 'American Idol' Need a Shakeup?
  As the seventh season of American Idol reaches its finale tonight, the show remains a big hit. But Entertainment Weekly columnist Mark Harris thinks Idol needs a facelift — with less product placement and more spontaneity.
• McCain Courts Cuban Vote in Florida Visit
  Sen. John McCain pays a visit to a reliable Republican voting bloc, addressing Cuban-American voters in Miami. The presumptive GOP presidential nominee hopes anti-Castro sentiment will help him carry Florida in November's general election.
• Israel and Syria Confirm Ongoing Peace Talks
  Israel and Syria confirm that they've been holding indirect peace talks with the help of the Turkish government. The Middle Eastern neighbors have fought three wars and recently clashed in Lebanon.
• Cancer Claims Carter Aide Hamilton Jordan
  Hamilton Jordan helped Jimmy Carter win the presidency, then served as his White House chief of staff. Later, he dabbled in third-party politics, working on Ross Perot's presidential campaign. And for the last 20 years of his life, he battled cancer. He lost that fight Tuesday at 63.
• Lebanon Moves Toward Unity Government
  Rival Lebanese leaders have reached a deal to end 18 months of political conflict, agreeing on a new president. Hezbollah and its allies will gain more representation in the Lebanese government.
• Clinton Set to Play Out Primary String
  Three Democratic primaries are left, which means Sen. Hillary Clinton is running out of chances to overtake Sen. Barack Obama. How might the end game play out? Political strategists Mark Mellman and Tucker Eskew offer their insights.
• Manson Ranch Focus of Search for Bodies
  A Death Valley ranch used by Charles Manson and his murderous clan nearly 40 years ago may be a burial site for murder victims. Inyo County investigators suspect Manson, serving a life sentence for the "Helter Skelter" killings of 1969, may have hid more bodies at the ranch.
• Sales of Gas-Cap Locks on the Rise, Too
  With gas prices rising, gas theft is reportedly increasing. Also on the rise: sales of locking gas caps. The New York Post reports that the NYPD has ordered 400 of the gadgets because it's cheaper than replacing stolen gas.
• Clinton Seeks Way Around Delegate Shortfall
  Sen. Hillary Clinton's impressive victory in Kentucky's Democratic primary does not change the math of the delegate race, which Sen. Barack Obama continues to lead. Clinton insists her big wins in Midwestern states make her a stronger candidate for the general election.
• Flying Lawn Chair Found Again
  When an Oregon man tried to fly across the state in a lawn chair, he made some miscalculations. Kent Couch did get the chair aloft by attaching it to helium balloons. Then wind blew him off course. And when he landed and stood up, Couch's chair flew off without him, along with a video camera that recorded his. Now, nearly a year later, the chair and camera have turned up in a farmer's field.
• Furman Faculty Balk at Bush Appearance
  President Bush is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at Furman University on May 31. But faculty members at the South Carolina school are leading opposition to the visit, citing objections to his administration's policies on Iraq.
• Obama Points to Pledged Delegates
  Sen. Barack Obama is now assured of an absolute majority of pledged delegates in the Democratic presidential race — with expectations that flexible superdelegates will follow. Now he's moving toward a declaration of victory over Sen. Hillary Clinton.
• Signs of Discord at the Schwarzeneggers' House?
  California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger tells The Sacramento Bee that there are no big election-year fights at his house. But there is some eye-rolling. The governor's wife, Maria Shriver, put up a sign supporting Sen. Barack Obama in front of their Los Angeles home. "Get me a McCain sign," the governor told his guys. Now, he says, "we have both."
• Chinese Journalists Grasp New Freedoms
  The deadly earthquake in Sichuan province has offered many Chinese journalists unprecedented freedom to report the story. But an increasingly open reporting environment does not appear to extend to political coverage.

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