Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Beating the odds
  Every year Children's Defense Fund Minnesota gives its "Beat The Odds" scholarship to high school seniors who have overcome exceptional challenges. Fadumo Hassan, Justin Haynes McKizzie, and Maipacher joined "In The Loop" host Jeff Horwich for a conversation about growing up through the most difficult of circumstances.6:50 a.m.
• Governor, DFL divided on Health Care Access fund
  Governor Tim Pawlenty and House and Senate leaders have not resolved their differences on a sweeping health care reform initiative.7:20 a.m.
• Lawmakers consider how to grade schools
  A new way to grade Minnesota schools is heading for a final test at the Capitol. But state officials disagree about whether it should pass or fail.7:25 a.m.
• In Sioux Falls, the signs of growth are everywhere
  The U.S. Census Bureau reports Sioux Falls, S.D., is among the 50 fastest growing areas in the United States.7:50 a.m.
• Spring snowstorms breed cabin fever
  If you are one of the many Minnesotans who would like the wintery weather to stop and spring to truly arrive, you are not alone. Commentator Peter Smith has a fierce case of cabin fever.7:55 a.m.
• Minnesotans choose between dozens of cultural offerings
  This weekend, like most weekends, people with some free time have their pick from dozens of cultural offerings in the Twin Cities and around the state. We're talking about everything from plays to concerts to museum exhibits. St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic and Morning Edition arts commentator Dominic Papatola discusses how people are making those decisions in an Internet world.8:25 a.m.
• FBI confirms death of Minnesota contractor Paul Johnson-Reuben
  The family of Buffalo, Minn., resident Paul Johnson-Reuben can finally mourn after learning last night that his body was found in Iraq.8:40 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• San Francisco Plastic Bag Ban Interests Other Cities
  San Francisco's year-old ban on plastic bags in grocery stores has cut use by 5 million plastic bags per month. Now, other cities are considering similar bans, and companies are developing alternatives to disposable bags.
• Why Kids Curse
  No one expects a 3-year-old who dresses like a princess to swear like a sailor, and yet some do. Experts say it's a part of the process of learning language.
• Making a Home in an Unfamiliar Homeland
  Roeun Om — also known as "Lucky" — was born in a refugee camp after his family fled the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. He was raised in the U.S., then was deported to Cambodia. He knew almost no one there, but he found work with a nongovernmental organization that helps drug users.
• 'Zero Down' Loans Fed Real Estate Boom, Bust
  Earlier this week, presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain made remarks on the mortgage crisis. McCain pointed out that "zero down" loans were big contributors to the subprime mortgage crisis. A boom in those kinds of loans got many Americans into homes — and now those loans are causing many Americans trouble.
• Study Shows Precise Pricing More Enticing to Buyers
  Researchers at Cornell University found that when the price of an item is in a round number, people perceive it as higher than an odd number. In other words, people think a $3,000 car is more expensive than one priced at $3,129.50. The finding has implications for people trying to sell their homes.
• Ft. Campbell Soldiers See Kids' Milestones from Afar
  Seniors at Fort Campbell High School near Nashville, Tenn., are preparing to graduate. But as the Iraq war enters its fifth year, some of those students have had a parent deployed overseas for a lot of their time in high school. Soldiers at Fort Campbell are on their third deployment — missing the milestones of watching their kids grow up.
• Letters: Antarctica, Airlines, Sancho Panza
  Renee Montagne and Steve Inskeep read from listeners' letters, including comments on tourism in Antarctica; leg room and safety videos in the friendly skies; and the misidentification of Don Quixote's sidekick.
• 'LA Times' Says Source for Tupac Story Is Phony
  The Los Angeles Times is investigating the veracity of documents that were the basis for an investigative story in the newspaper last week. The Times reported that the assault on rapper Tupac Shakur in 1994 was perpetrated by associates of rapper and entrepreneur Sean Combs, also known as P Diddy or Puff Daddy.
• Deadline to Switch Medicare Plans Nears
  The open season for Medicare participants closes at the end of the month. Millions of people have until March 31 to switch Medicare health plans. Joanne Silberner reports on who might want to switch, and how they can do it.
• Finance Firms Sue Banks over Clear Channel Deal
  Two giant finance firms are suing some of the biggest banks on Wall Street, including Citigroup and Morgan Stanley, for breach of contract. Private equity funds Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners, are trying to buy the nation's No. 1 radio station operator, Clear Channel, in a deal worth nearly $20 billion.

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