Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Swine flu fears won't stop Cinco de Mayo celebrations
  Organizers of some large-scale events around the Twin Cities this weekend are moving forward with plans despite concerns about the H1N1 flu outbreak.6:45 a.m.
• Lowrider car show a celebration of culture, creativity
  St. Paul's west side is spruced up and ready to host the region's largest Cinco de Mayo festival today and Saturday. Along with the jalapeno-eating contest and the headlining musical act from Mexico, there'll be a hundred or so entries in the lowrider car show.6:50 a.m.
• Weather with Mark Seeley
  University of Minnesota climatologist Mark Seeley discusses Minnesota weather history and looks ahead to the weekend forecast.6:55 a.m.
• State hospitals see more worried patients
  State officials say we should expect to see more Minnesotans diagnosed with the H1N1 flu virus. Hospitals and clinics around the country are seeing a surge in people who are worried about the flu, but not sick with it.7:20 a.m.
• Biodiesel use and debate set to rise
  The amount of biodiesel sold in Minnesota will jump starting today, refueling debate over whether the alternative fuel might clog engines in cold weather.7:45 a.m.
• Mauer returns to the Twins
  Minnesota Twins All-Star catcher Joe Mauer returns to his familiar spot behind home plate at the Metrodome. The start of Mauer's season was delayed after he experienced back pain during spring training.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Jean Shin, Turning Trash Into Artistic Treasure
  Pill bottles, losing lottery tickets, broken umbrellas, long-forgotten trophies: Most of us consider these objects detritus waiting for garbage collection. Jean Shin collects them, transforms them and asks us to see them as something else. On Friday, her art goes on display in Washington.
• Small Bank Hit With Big Bill In Bailout
  Centra Bank of West Virginia was the first bank to ask the Treasury Department for an exit from the Troubled Asset Relief Program. CEO Douglas Leech thought it would be simple to pay back the loan. Instead, the bank lost $750,000.
• Could Energy Innovation Create A 'Green Bubble'?
  The Obama administration has been heavily promoting the development of more renewable sources of energy, such as wind and solar. In the wake of the housing bubble, some are speculating about whether a renewable energy bubble might be on the horizon.
• Mexican Pig Farming Town Under The Microscope
  Health officials in Mexico are closely monitoring the swine flu outbreak in a small town about 250 miles northeast of the capital, Mexico City. Officials confirmed one of Mexico's first flu cases in La Gloria. That has put the town's 3,000 residents in the spotlight.
• Scientists Ask Fundamental Questions About Flu
  As scientists investigate the new swine flu virus, they're asking some fundamental biological questions. Some of the unanswered questions are: How far will it spread and how much disease will it cause?
• Justice Souter To Retire From High Court
  Supreme Court justice David Souter is planning on retiring at the end of the court's term. The first President Bush appointed Souter 18 years ago. Though he was appointed by a Republican, he ended up on the more liberal side of an increasingly conservative court.
• Hugh Jackman Returns As Wolverine
  One of the surest signs of spring is the appearance of comic book movies in theaters everywhere. Hugh Jackman is back as the edgy Logan, aka Wolverine, in a fast, loud origin-myth of a movie designed to cash in on the fanboy fervor that greeted the three X-Men films.
• May 2: Free Comic Book Day
  On the first Saturday in May, comic book stores across the country are going to celebrate Free Comic Book Day by giving away two million free comics.
• Calif. Waits For Stimulus To Rev Up State's Economy
  The recession is cutting across most every economic sector in California. Officials are waiting for the state to benefit from its share of the $787 billion economic stimulus package. The federal dollars will not solve all of California's problems, and may create some new ones.
• India's Election: Mumbai Votes 5 Months After Attack
  Millions of Indians have voted in the third round of a general election. Voters in the country's financial hub Mumbai voted just months after an attack by Islamist gunmen that killed 166 people.

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