Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Congressman Walz calls for earmark transparency
  There is a process underway in Washington right now that will determine where billions of your tax dollars will be spent; it is called earmarking. DFL Congressman Tim Walz supported legislation aimed at making earmarking more transparent. Now, in an effort to be yet more transparent, he has released a list of the project requests he submitted for consideration to the House Appropriations Committee and how much they cost. Morning Edition host Perry Finelli talked with Congressman Walz.7:20 a.m.
• Student loans stay with you in good economic times and bad
  Financial aid planners warn the current economic downturn is a lesson for those preparing to take out student loans.7:25 a.m.
• New play considers life after 70
  Some of the most seasoned theater professionals in the Twin Cities are working together to show what life is like after 70.7:50 a.m.
• Harness racing park to open near Twin Cities this week
  The Running Aces Harness Park is opening this Friday in Columbus, Minnesota just northeast of the Twin Cities. The new park will feature harness racing, which horses pull their drivers behind them in a small cart called a sulky. Morning Edition host Perry Finelli talked with Gregg Keidel, director of racing at Running Aces Harness Park.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• What's Taking a Bite Out of Atlantic City Casinos?
  Atlantic City is at a loss. Last year, for the first time, its casino revenues declined when East Coast competitors cut into the gambling action. But at least one casino is hedging its bets by offering spas and cocktails served by the "Borgata Babes."
• Iraq Policy Derailed by U.S. Infighting over Chalabi
  Plans for establishing a new Iraqi government were complicated by the role of Iraqi exile Ahmed Chalabi and his interaction with various U.S. agencies, says Douglas Feith, an architect of the war in Iraq.
• Magazine Led to Database's 'Abortion' Search Block
  An inquiry into why the world's largest database on reproductive health restricted searches on the term "abortion" found the block was triggered by articles from an abortion advocacy magazine available through the POPLINE site.
• Petraeus, Crocker Continue Testimony on Iraq
  The top military commander in Iraq has recommended a temporary freeze on U.S. troop reductions in Iraq after July. Gen. David Petraeus made the comments to senators Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Today, Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker return to brief members of the House.
• Petraeus Hearing a Campaign Stop for Candidates
  Among the senators who grilled Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker on Tuesday was the next president of the United States. Whether it will be Clinton, McCain or Obama hasn't been decided, but all three made the hearings on Capitol Hill a kind of campaign stop.
• El Salvador Struggles to Re-Absorb U.S. Deportees
  This week, NPR's Jennifer Ludden looked at what happens when a country — in particular, El Salvador — has to take back a large number of its own nationals deported by the United States. What are the effects of their migration and their return?
• GAO Finds 'Improper' Purchases; Deficit Report Due
  As the Treasury Department prepares to release numbers on the size of the nation's deficit, the official watchdog agency of the federal government says an audit found nearly $2 million worth of "improper" purchases on federal credit card statements.
• Nepal on Brink of Dissolving Monarchy
  The people of Nepal, who have endured a Maoist insurgency that killed thousands and an unpopular king, head to the polls Thursday in a milestone election. They are electing an assembly that will have the task of writing a new constitution — and possibly getting rid of the monarchy.
• Violence in Zimbabwe Snarls Election Resolution
  Voters in Zimbabwe still don't know the results of their presidential election, and the mood in the southern African nation is growing ominous. President Robert Mugabe has all but conceded that he didn't win a majority of votes. The main opposition party says he is unleashing a campaign of violence.
• American Airlines Cancels More Flights for Inspections
  American Airlines canceled 850 flights Wednesday and may cancel more Thursday. The airline scrubbed 500 flights Tuesday. The cancellations are affecting tens of thousands of passengers, and they're happening because the airline is re-inspecting some wiring near the fuel tanks on its MD-80 jets.

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