Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Performer goes 'Ape' in unique stage show
  This week, British performer Gary Stevens brings his show "Ape" to three different Minneapolis theaters. The performance is based on a repetition game where three performers play with words, to create a rapid fire series of scenarios.6:50 a.m.
• New scam threatens struggling homeowners
  Authorities say scam artists are showing up, promising to save the homes of desperate homeowners. Instead, they can leave their victims in even worse shape.7:25 a.m.
• Future looks difficult for arts organizations
  The economic slowdown is hitting arts groups hard. This week, the Walker Art Center was the latest cultural organization to announce cutbacks.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Duarte's Tavern: A Family Tradition For 115 Years
  For decades, the Duarte family of Pescadero, Calif., has served pie and fish stew for a crowd of fervently loyal customers. The family business got its start in 1894, when a Portuguese immigrant named Frank Duarte bought the tavern and the land around it for $12 in gold.
• Fannie Mae Specialists Work To Save Troubled Loans
  Fannie Mae's Dallas-based office processes hundreds of thousands of troubled home loans. Specialists there decide who gets a loan workout and who doesn't. As delinquencies grow, so does their workload.
• How Do You Amputate A Phantom Limb?
  Many amputees say they can still feel the presence of a missing limb, and often what they feel is intense pain. But how does a doctor treat pain in an arm or a leg that no longer exists? Oddly enough, one researcher used a cardboard box and a $2 mirror.
• Obama To Visit Calif. Takes AIG Outrage With Him
  President Obama on Wednesday travels to California, where he plans to promote his economic agenda. But he's not likely to escape the question dogging his Administration back in Washington: How it allowed the large insurance company AIG to pay big bonuses, while at the same time it was receiving taxpayer bailout money.
• Reviewing AIG's Obligations On Bonus Payments
  AIG claims it was legally obligated to make bonus payments to employees and would otherwise face lawsuits. Still, the Obama administration says it will pursue every legal option to block the payments. A law professor sorts through arguments on both sides.
• Abuse At Texas Institutions Is Beyond 'Fight Club'
  Six workers at the Corpus Christi State School in Texas have been charged with taking part in staging what amounted to human cockfights --using residents with mental retardation. More than 450 cases of abuse have been reported at state institutions in Texas over the previous year.
• D.C. Schools Chief Turns To Rookie Teacher Corps
  D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is attracting young teachers to the troubled school system who aren't vested in the old contractual arrangements with the teachers' union. Many of these new teachers are receptive to the changes that Rhee is proposing.
• SXSW: Austin's Citywide Block Party
  The 23rd annual South by Southwest music festival gets under way in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday. One of this year's most widely anticipated shows comes from a well-known band: The Decemberists. The band will perform its new album, The Hazards of Love, in its entirety.
• Mexico Hits Back With Higher Tarriffs On U.S. Goods
  It looks like the Obama administration is heading for a trade fight. After the U.S. scrapped a program to allow Mexican trucks onto American roads, Mexico decided to strike back. It's slapping higher tariffs on a long list of U.S. goods — including fruits, vegetables, Christmas trees and sunglasses.
• Caterpillar To Lay Off More Workers In 3 States
  Caterpillar plans to lay off an additional 2,400 employees at five plants in Illinois, Indiana and Georgia. The world's largest maker of mining and construction equipment has seen its sales wither as the sluggish world economy and credit crisis weaken demand for its products. In January, the company announced it was laying off more than 20,000 workers.

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