Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Biodiesel backers seek same boost as ethanol
  Minnesota already leads the nation in the manufacture and use of ethanol. Now the Legislature is considering a big boost for biodiesel.7:20 a.m.
• Pawlenty budget includes cuts to courts
  Judges and other court staffers are concerned about Gov. Pawlenty's proposal to trim state spending to cover a projected $1 billion budget shortfall. Pawlenty's plan would reduce state funding of district courts by about $7 million a year, or around 2.8 percent.7:50 a.m.
• Tales of a fourth grade opera
  Fourth graders at Linwood A+ Elementary in St. Paul created an opera to celebrate Minnesota's 150th birthday.7:55 a.m.
• Injecting culture into Spring Break
  The spring break season kicks off next week for many Minnesotans, which means parents will be facing the prospect of idle days with their children. Morning Edition arts commentator and St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola has some ideas for injecting a little culture into the spring.8:20 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Clinton Says Michigan and Florida Should Count
  In an NPR interview, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton discusses the fate of the Michigan and Florida delegates, the role of race in the campaign, foreign-policy credentials and superdelegates.
• Iran Elections Exclude Many Reform Candidates
  As Iran prepares to elect a new parliament on Friday, hundreds of reform candidates have been disqualified by a non-elected council. Iran's leaders say this is democracy. Critics in Iran say it's hardly democratic.
• Doctor Blogs Raise Concerns About Patient Privacy
  Medical blogs have drawn back the curtain on the inner workings of the health care profession. But some worry that physician blogs threaten patient privacy.
• Ferraro Leaves Clinton Campaign
  Geraldine Ferraro has given up her position on the finance committee of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in the wake of a controversial remark about Sen. Barack Obama.
• Croat Generals on Trial at The Hague
  Three former generals in the Croatian army are on trial in The Hague. They are accused of driving thousands of Serbs from their homes in the 1990s, during the war in the former Yugoslavia.
• Nepal's King Finds Road to Republic Costly
  Nepal's 240-year-old Hindu monarchy will be abolished if a new assembly agrees to continue a path toward making the nation a republic. Now the king and his family face a mounting pile of personal debt.
• Role of U.S. Military Commands Shifting
  Adm. William Fallon resigned this week as commander of U.S. forces in Africa and the Middle East. His post is one of several powerful U.S. commands that increasingly touch on an array of diplomatic functions beyond military concerns.
• Boomers Reluctant over Long-Term Care Insurance
  Insurance choices are expanding for assisted living and in-home care for the aging. But boomers aren't biting. Would a policy bought today even be applicable 20 years from now?
• EPA Sets New Limits on Smog
  Environmental regulators say the air in hundreds of counties is too dirty to breathe. The Environmental Protection Agency is ordering local officials to pay for a cleanup that will cost billions of dollars. But the EPA's goal for reducing allowable smog levels is less ambitious than the recommendations of its own scientists.
• Southwest Grounds Jets After FAA Fine
  Southwest Airlines has grounded some of its jets after the Federal Aviation Administration levied a massive penalty on the airline for failing to complete some required inspections.

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