Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minn. House, Senate committees pass same-sex marriage bills
  Democrats passed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage through two committees Tuesday on party-line vote. The bills will now move to the full House and Senate.6:40 a.m.
• 'I'm still innocent,' says Shattuck-St. Mary's former teacher in jailhouse interview
  Former Shattuck-St. Mary's teacher Lynn Seibel, speaking publicly for the first time, said he is not guilty of sexually abusing students at the Faribault boarding school. In a jail interview with MPR News on Saturday, Seibel said he prays he will be acquitted and can return to his life as an actor in California.7:20 a.m.
• Wilder CEO sounds alarm on racial disparities
  Minnesota's stark unemployment gap between whites and racial minorities continues to vex civic leaders. In the Twin Cities, for example, blacks are more than three times as likely as whites to be unemployed. That disparity leads the U.S. among 25 large metro areas included in a national study published last year. Local nonprofit and business communities warn that the region's economy will suffer if the gap persists.7:25 a.m.
• Penumbra bounces back with 'Spunk'
  Penumbra Theatre is mounting its first show after almost closing its doors. The cast and crew of "Spunk" say they hope the production will be a thank you to the people who saved the company from oblivion, and a reminder of what was almost lost.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Six Words: Ask Who I Am, Not What
  Where are you from? Jessica Hong, a Korean-American, is constantly asked about her heritage, often before people learn anything else about her. Charley Sullivan found himself on the wrong side of the same question when he was 12 years old.
• 'We Shouldn't Have To Live Like This'
  If you're homeless, you can be on your feet for hours, forced to sleep in the frigid cold, or seriously ill with no place to go. But increasingly, the nation's homeless population is aging — more than half of single homeless adults are 47 or older. Linwood Hearne, 64, and his wife have been homeless for four years, sleeping near Interstate 83 in Baltimore.
• Catholics Await Word On New Pope
  Catholics around the world are still waiting to hear the sound of St. Peter's largest bell, which, along with white smoke from the Sistine Chapel, will signify a new pope has been chosen.
• The Americans Who Might Be Pope
  The words "American" and "pope" have rarely been said in the same breath. But in Rome this week, the names of three U.S. cardinals have been all the buzz. Timothy Dolan of New York, Sean O'Malley of Boston, and Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., are being taken seriously as potential candidates to become the next pontiff.
• In Algeria, Foreign Companies On Alert
  Since terrorists seized an oil and gas site in the Algerian desert in January, foreign companies operating in the country have been worried about keeping their personnel safe. And in Algeria, that problem is compounded by the war in neighboring Mali against Islamist extremists.
• Hackers Target Celebrities' Financial Information
  In the latest example of porous computer security, hackers have posted financial information about celebrities and political figures, including Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden, Beyonce and Ashton Kutcher.
• Chinese Solar Company Shuts U.S. Factory
  The Chinese solar manufacturer Suntech has announced it is closing down its factory in Goodyear, Ariz. — the only one it has in the United States. The company says recent U.S. tariffs have made it too difficult to maintain its presence here.
• Retiring Carl Levin Says He Wants To Leave The Senate Fighting
  The Michigan senator tells NPR he wants to focus on the fiscal battle, not campaigning, in his last two years. He wants to push for ending tax loopholes and advocate for programs like education, health care and infrastructure.
• Republicans Face Off Over Strategy For Picking Candidates
  The big donors behind Karl Rove's Crossroads superPAC have started a new project to vet and recruit Republican candidates they believe can win. But some anti-establishment groups have viewed the project as an inside-the-Beltway power grab.
• FAA OKs Boeing Fix For 787 Dreamliner Batteries
  The Federal Aviation Administration has approved Boeing's plans to redesign the lithium-ion batteries for its 787 Dreamliner. The fuel-efficient planes were grounded after a battery caught fire in January.

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