Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Who knows you on the Internet? Everyone!
  In some ways, you are what Google says you are. Anyone can throw your name into a search engine -- potential employers, potential dates, anybody -- and think they know you, even if you've never met.6:40 a.m.
• St. Thomas reverses ban on Tutu
  The University of St. Thomas has reversed a decision to bar Archbishop Desmond Tutu from speaking at the school.7:20 a.m.
• Whistleblower highlights concerns about atrazine
  Science got tangled up in politics at the state Capitol Wednesday. It was a hearing on atrazine, a herbicide used on corn fields. One of the people who testified was a former state researcher who has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the state.7:24 a.m.
• Warm concrete and warm fingers are the secret to wintertime bridge construction
  Construct a new I-35W bridge in winter? No sweat, says the project's manager.7:50 a.m.
• Kirby Puckett's modern tragedy on stage
  Twenty-years ago this month, Kirby Puckett led the Minnesota Twins to their first World Series victory. A new play at the History Theatre in St. Paul explores the Hall-of-Famer's tragic life as an adored sports icon struggling with off-the-field troubles.7:53 a.m.
• Lake Mille Lacs sees unexpected drop in walleye numbers
  The unexpected declines could lead to stricter walleye rules for the ice-fishing season and possibly next spring.8:20 a.m.
• Arts Commentator Dominic Papatola talks about Twin Cities cultural peace
  It hasn't always been a pleasant experience when the leaders of the Ordway, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera and the Schubert Club have gotten together in the same room. But Thursday morning, the leaders gathered in front of a hundred witnesses and the media to sign a new agreement that they hope will end almost a quarter century of hard dealings and mistrust. Morning Edition arts commentator and St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola was there, and joins us this morning to talk about cultural peace in our time.8:24 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Japanese Tribute Band Parrots The Beatles
  The Parrots are the Japanese version of The Beatles, and almost everything about them references the band, including their clothes, the venue they play, and their accents.
• Video-Game Actors Seek a Bigger Share of Profits
  Blockbuster video games are earning hundreds of millions of dollars these days. The union actors who provide voices for the characters want a bigger share of that money, and some are asking for residuals, just as their colleagues in television get when their shows are re-run.
• Turks Protest Genocide Resolution at U.S. Embassy
  Turks marched to the U.S. Embassy in Ankara to protest a resolution by the U.S. House of Representatives calling World War I killings of 1.5 million Armenians "genocide."
• Genocide Resolution Riles Turkey, White House
  A House committee votes to condemn the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in Turkey in World War I as an act of genocide. But the government of Turkey opposes the resolution — as does the Bush administration, which warns that relations with a key ally could be damaged.
• Police Enforce Ramadan Fasting Rules in West Bank
  In Ramallah, the West Bank's biggest and most cosmopolitan city, police wearing big red arm bands that read "Morality Police" are enforcing the Ramadan fast, a time of giving up food and water from dawn to dusk.
• Fidelity Adds Second Board of Trustees
  Fidelity Investments, one of the nation's biggest mutual fund companies, is getting a second board of trustees. Fidelity expects the additional board to help oversee its large and growing family of mutual funds.
• Arkansas Law Mistakenly Allows Child Matrimony
  Almost anybody can get married in Arkansas, including children. The legislature tried to pass a law that you can't get married before age 18 unless you're pregnant. But they accidentally inserted the word "not."
• Good Dog, Bad Cat
  Roland Cote was asleep in his home in Greenville, Maine, when a fire broke out. His dog, Thumper, grabbed him by the arm and shook him awake. He had just enough time to call 911 before fleeing his house. Investigators say the blaze was started when a cat tipped over a kerosene lantern.
• Expert: Iran Isolates Opposition Factions
  The opposition movement in Iran includes students, women, exiles, and others. Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations describes the Iranian government's "quarantine" strategy for curtailing opposition in the country rather than a sledgehammer strategy.
• Odds Makers Bet on Nobel Prize for Literature
  Many share their choice of who deserve the Nobel Prize for Literature. But at Ladbrokes.com, bets are taken. The British betting site requires scrolling through football, horse racing, cricket, darts, golf, and politics before you arrive at the page for the literature prize.
• Writers Guild to Award Video Game Writers
  The Writers Guild of America wants to present its first Video Game Writing Award next year. The Guild says the games' complicated plots require a writer's skill. The group also hopes that by bringing some respectability to the industry, it may be able to lure in new blood.
• Boeing's Dreamliner Hits Delays
  Boeing announces a six-month delay on its Dreamliner, the first U.S. commercial jetliner built in more than a decade. It was the fastest-selling commercial aircraft in history, topping 700 orders. Many airlines are relying on the Dreamliner to expand their fleets.
• Greater Oversight Given to Spy Program
  House Democrats move ahead with legislation giving more oversight of the U.S. spying program. Under the new bill, the government could still eavesdrop on conversations without a warrant, but would need approval from the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
• Judge Blocks 'No Match' Immigration Measure
  A federal judge has put a hold on one of the Bush administration's key immigration measures. The policy aims to curb illegal immigration by identifying workers with fake Social Security numbers.
• Cleveland School Shooter Had Mental Problems
  A 14-year-old boy shot and wounded two teachers and two students before killing himself in Cleveland. The boy's classmates say he had threatened them before. According to juvenile court records, he had a history of mental health problems and was provocative and confrontational.

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