Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Living with ALS, Part XI: Bruce Kramer contemplates faith
  Today is Bruce Kramer's birthday. And for some like him, with a terminal illness, birthdays can take on special meanings: Tangible evidence that they are still here, yet also milestones on a dwindling journey. For Kramer, that journey is spiritual.6:45 a.m.
• Climatologist wraps up meteorological winter
  MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with University of Minnesota Climatologist Mark Seeley about the weather this past December, January, and February, otherwise known as meteorological winter.6:55 a.m.
• Minnesota lawmakers try to make sense of sequester
  Automatic federal budget cuts known as the sequester begin to take hold today. Minnesota's members of Congress are mostly back here in their home state and not in Washington trying to undo the $85 billion in cuts that members of both parties describe as harmful.7:20 a.m.
• Confusion may slow settlement payments to Minnesota tribal members
  Today marks the deadline for American Indians who wish to take part in a multibillion dollar settlement with the federal government. The deadline marks a halfway point in paying out $3.4 billion to tribes over the federal government's poor management of money and land owned by tribes.7:25 a.m.
• Budget forecast: economy clearly mending, but only modest job growth
  The new state budget forecast indicates Minnesota's job market will grow modestly and employment could finally return to pre-recession levels this year. The review out yesterday says federal spending cuts taking effect today threaten relatively few jobs in Minnesota. But political uncertainty continues to be a damper on growth.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Administration Asks Supreme Court To End Calif. Gay-Marriage Ban
  The case before the court tests the constitutionality of a California referendum, narrowly passed by voters in 2008, that reinstituted a ban on gay marriage. The U.S. is calling on the court to declare the California law unconstitutional, a violation of the principle of equal protection.
• Why Republicans Are Out Of Step With Young Voters
  Young voters overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama in each of the past two presidential elections. Making sure they don't vote Democratic again is a top priority for national Republicans. Some young conservatives offer their ideas about what the GOP needs to do to win over their generation.
• There's Still A Chance To Avoid Sequester Cuts
  President Obama meets with bipartisan congressional leaders at the White House Friday. Deep budget cuts could start taking effect Friday unless there's a last minute agreement.
• Stay-At-Home Workers Defend Choice After Yahoo Ban
  Yahoo's telecommuting ban may be just what that company needs in a time of crisis. But some stay-at-home workers resent the implication that they are slacking off when the boss can't see them. Should society resurrect all the barriers between work and home?
• Movie Review: 'Jack The Giant Slayer'
  The story of Jack and his beanstalk has been filmed innumerable times by people as diverse as Gene Kelly, Chuck Jones and the Three Stooges. While he's been through the Hollywood shuffle before, there's never been a Jack tale that's delivered so little pleasure for so many dollars.
• The Pope Emeritus' New Shoes And The Mexican Man Who Makes Them
  Along with giving up the chair of St. Peter, Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI gave up his stylish red shoes. Now, he's wearing shoes made by a man in Leon, Mexico.
• Sacrificing Sleep Makes For Run-Down Teens — And Parents
  Getting enough sleep is as crucial as eating well and exercising. But with family life spinning faster and faster, solid shut-eye is sometimes hard to come by. That can hurt kids' health — and increase their weight.
• Why Processed Food Is Cheaper Than Healthier Options
  Earlier in the week in our "On the Run" series, we heard a mom explain how mac and cheese was more affordable than fresh fruit. Morning Edition reached out to Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, a nutritionist and economist, to explain why that would be true.
• Two For One: Groupon Replaces CEO Mason With Board Members
  Groupon co-founder Andrew Mason has been fired as the daily-deal company's CEO, one day after Groupon posted financial results that showed it lost $67.4 million during 2012. Board chairmen Eric Lefkofsky and Ted Leonsis will jointly fill the CEO post on an interim basis.
• Energy Start-Up Banks On Compressed Air Over Batteries To Store Energy
  A draw back to renewable energy is that it is not reliable. You can't create energy when the wind doesn't blow or when the sun isn't shining. So renewables need a way to bank energy. A new company in New Hampshire is creating a storage system for just that problem using compressed air.

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