Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Education bill creates winners and losers
  The $13.8 billion education bill passed by the Legislature would boost spending on special education by about $330 million, the largest-ever increase for special ed funding. School districts with large numbers of special education students are the biggest winners.7:20 a.m.
• Resorters work as the smoke clears
  Resorters on the Gunflint Trail are recovering from the Ham Lake fire. They say they're ready for business.7:25 a.m.
• The mind of a cop
  The first class of this year's recruits has graduated from St. Paul's Police Academy. One aspect of a police officer's life they're preparing for is the emotional stress of facing physical danger and possibly using deadly force every day.7:50 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• The Day Bonnie and Clyde Came Calling
  Late one evening in 1933, when Trudy Henry was at home in Dodge City, Kan., with her mother and sister, a man and a woman drove up to their house. What followed could be seen as an innocent visit — if it weren't for the names of the couple in the car: Bonnie and Clyde.
• Bird Fouls Bush's Outdoor Event
  The Secret Service is constantly vigilant for any threat against the president. But during Thursday's Rose Garden news conference, they failed to stop a dive-bombing bird that closed in and fired off a dropping that hit Mr. Bush on his left sleeve.
• Fugitive Gator Nabbed in L.A.
  Reggie the alligator has been on the lam for two years, hiding out in a lake and eluding his pursuers. But the fugitive was finally caught Thursday in a chase worthy of Los Angeles. A phalanx of vehicles whisked him off to the zoo as news helicopters broadcast it live on TV.
• Fears Rise of Chinese Stock Implosion
  Alan Greenspan, the former Fed chief, says China's stock-market boom is due for a "dramatic contraction" that could rattle world markets. Small investors taking big risks are driving China's red-hot market, which has many observers worried.
• Baghdad Violence Gives Family Harsh Choice
  Gunfire is a daily event in the mixed Sunni-Shia neighborhood where NPR employee Saleem Amer and his family live. His wife and son are scared of the fighting, but his father says moving would do no good. All of Baghdad is dangerous.
• 'Star Wars' Merchandise Still Sells After 30 Years
  Star Wars hit the big screen a long time ago. The George Lucas film was a hit in theaters, but its real impact was on merchandizing.
• Congress Reluctantly Passes War-Funding Bill
  A bill providing funds for the war in Iraq passes Congress despite misgivings from many who approved it. Democrats who failed to establish a timetable for pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq say this is the best bill they could manage.
• Home Sales Reports Send Mixed Messages
  Sales of existing homes were down in April, a report says, a day after figures showed sales of new homes rising sharply. Most economists say the reports show a housing market still on shaky footing, but with deals emerging.
• Federal Minimum Wage Set to Rise
  The federal minimum wage will increase by more than $2 an hour over the next two years, reaching $7.25. The Economic Policy Institute says the hike will change wages for 4 percent of the country's workforce.
• Ancestry Site Opens Index of War Records
  The genealogy Web site Ancestry.com is making millions of U.S. military records available online. The free access allows people to search through indexed databases of draft cards, POW records and other information in search of family history.
• Why Is Iran Holding U.S. Scholars?
  Iran had detained a number of Iranian-American scholars, but there isn't much indication from the government why it has pursued this course. It's also unclear what conditions they face in captivity.
• Funds for 'Civil Society' in Iran Raise Concerns
  The U.S. State Department has a $75 million budget to promote better relations with Iran. But some observers say a portion of the money, spent to promote democracy, is causing problems for rights activists.
• A Year After His Death, Soldier's Family Reflects
  It has been one year since Army Capt. Doug DiCenzo of Plymouth, N.H., was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. On the anniversary of his death, DiCenzo's widow and family share thoughts on how his loss has changed their lives.
• Chinese Play Market By Their Own Rules
  Unlike Western stock market's China's exchange is dominated by small investors, not financial giants. And those who are playing the market rely as much on superstition as they do on a firm grasp of market mechanics.
• Search Persists for Two Missing Soldiers
  The U.S. military is still hunting for two of the three soldiers ambushed earlier this month in Iraq. The body of one of the men was found Wednesday in the Euphrates River.

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