Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minnesota Weather
  Cathy Wurzer spoke with Mark Seeley, Climatologist from the University of Minnesota about severe weather preparedness and temperature changes.6:45 a.m.
• New citizen verification is a hurdle for elderly, disabled
  New proof of citizenship rules are set to start July 1 for Medicaid recipients. Many people worry the strict requirements will push many eligible people off the program.7:20 a.m.
• Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. appeals 1980 conviction
  An attorney for Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. asked a Minnesota Court of Appeals panel to order a new trial for a Minnesota conviction from 26 years ago. Rodriguez goes to trial next month in North Dakota on charges he kidnapped and killed Dru Sjodin.7:50 a.m.
• More dads stay home to raise kids
  Sunday is Father's Day, and an increasing number of fathers are defying traditional gender roles and redefining what it means to be a dad. Tom Vytlacil is one of those fathers. He is a stay-at-home dad and an organizer of a group called Minnesota Dads at Home.8:20 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• A Dad Reflects on His Best Work: Four Daughters
  For George Caywood, 67, the challenge of raising four daughters was made harder by his struggle with depression. His oldest daughter recently interviewed him at a StoryCorps booth in Los Angeles.
• Center Revives Shanghai's Jewish History
  Shanghai was once home to thousands of Jews, serving as a refuge during World War II. Now a new Jewish center has opened, the first in China in 50 years, amid efforts to preserve the city's Jewish history.
• Letters: Failure to Launch; Spanish Speakers
  Steve Inskeep and Linda Wertheimer read from listeners' letters. This week, many people wrote in about coverage of 20-somethings who still live at home and about Spanish speakers who live in the United States.
• Metropolises Seek More Disaster-Planning Money
  A House Government Reform Committee meeting focuses on distribution of grants for urban disaster-response planning. New York and other large urban centers complain that they got less money this year than last.
• South Africa's Fugards: Writing About Wrongs
  South African playwright Athol Fugard's work has long been esteemed around the world. Now his daughter, Lisa Fugard, has published a first novel: Skinner's Drift. Father and daughter talk about apartheid-era South Africa and what inspires their respective creative works.
• Dow Higher After Bernanke's Energy Remarks
  The Dow Jones industrial average climbed back above the 11,000-mark Thursday after a recent sell-off. The upward move came after a speech in which Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke addressed the subject of energy prices. Jim Zarroli reports.
• Just (Healthy) Desserts
  Schools in Forsyth County, Ga., are cracking down on homemade cookies as they try to get students to eat healthier food. Plates of baked goods from home are no longer welcome. It's partly that health inspectors don't generally inspect moms -- and partly that schools are trying to cut down on sweet stuff. Healthy snacks ARE encouraged... like an apple for the teacher or 30 more for the rest of the class.
• Banks Hit Overdrafts with Higher Penalties
  Banks are devising new ways to make money off from customers who don't keep a tight eye on their finances. As many consumers turn to debit cards instead of cash for purchases, banks are increasing penalties for some overdrafts.
• Heroin-Spiking Trend Focus of Chicago 'Summit'
  Authorities from several large U.S. cities meet in Chicago with federal law enforcement officials to discuss a new threat on the drug front: heroin laced with the painkiller fentanyl. At least 100 recent deaths are blamed on the lethal combination.
• House, Senate Focus Squarely on Iraq
  Iraq stirs heated debate on Capitol Hill. In the Senate, a bid to force a vote calling for a withdrawal of troops is rebuffed. House Republicans and Democrats square off over a non-binding resolution to tie the Iraq conflict to the war on terrorism.
• Harvard Report Takes Dim View of Housing Market
  Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies releases its "State of the Nation's Housing" report, and the news is not good for buyers OR sellers. The center's director, Nicholas Retsinas, tells Linda Wertheimer what researchers found.
• Ruling on Police Searches Divides Justices
  After a bitter debate, the Supreme Court issues a 5-4 ruling that protects evidence gathered by more aggressive police-search techniques. Justices split over a case where police -- armed with a warrant -- paused only briefly before entering a home.
• Gates Plans Gradual Exit from Microsoft
  Microsoft founder Bill Gates announces plans to scale down his presence at the helm of the software giant. He expects to relinquish all managerial duties by July 2008 and devote more time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Benton Harbor Gropes for Ways to Restore Hope
  Three years ago, the death of a black motorcyclist after a police chase in Benton Harbor, Mich., led to civil unrest. Now, as Erin Toner of member station WKAR reports, community leaders say they're trying to attack Benton Harbor's many problems: poverty, joblessness and a sense of despair.
• Hooters Picks Up Tab for Champagne Charged to FEMA
  It may be a drop in the ocean, but the government will get back some of the money allegedly wasted after Hurricane Katrina. Congressional auditors say recipients of federally issued credit cards spent $1.4 billion dollars on dubious pursuits, including Caribbean vacations, pro football tickets... and $200 for a bottle of champagne at Hooters. The restaurant chain has offered to reimburse FEMA for the bubbly.

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