Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• New flu plan seeks prevention over containment
  Two schools in Minnesota will stay closed today because of concerns over the H1N1 swine flu. But four others that were closed yesterday are re-opening, and the state now says future probable cases of the disease won't automatically warrant closures.6:50 a.m.
• Waiting for a special bloom
  It took its own sweet time, but it looks like spring has finally sprung. Everything is in bloom -- or about to start blooming -- everywhere. Commentator Peter Smith is waiting for one special arrival -- one that could show up just about any time now.6:55 a.m.
• Osterholm analyzes H1N1 reaction so far
  Minnesota lawmakers are expected to take a close look at the state's response to the H1N1 flu today. The state's policy on several fronts has evolved. Only one case of the disease has been confirmed in Minnesota. Several schools have been closed, but most are reopening today.7:20 a.m.
• For most, stimulus means a few extra dollars a month
  You may have noticed that you got paid a little more last month than you're used to, and it's not because you got a raise.7:25 a.m.
• China's Sichuan earthquake one year later
  May 12, 2009 marks the one-year anniversary of the earthquake that devastated the Sichuan province of China. National Public Radio's All Things Considered program was in China and reported on the immediate aftermath.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Pentagon Looks Beyond Force To Counter Piracy
  A review of U.S. efforts to combat piracy on the high seas is nearing completion. Military options such as boosting surveillance and naval patrols are under consideration. But experts agree that the ultimate answer will require addressing political issues such as poverty and lawlessness.
• Lucha VaVoom: A Singular Cinco De Mayo Sensation
  The Los Angeles-based spectacle fuses Mexican-style lucha libre wrestling with good old-fashioned American burlesque. The result? A playful sexo y violencia offering that's caught on big.
• Rock 'N' Roll At The Top Of The World
  Tibet's capital Lhasa now boasts half a dozen groups that combine the sounds of traditional instruments with a rock beat. The members of Punkanana, Vajara and other young musicians are trying to change Tibet's traditional musical tastes.
• Health Workers Man HHS Flu Command Center
  U.S. officials say it is too early to say whether the swine flu threat is receding. When the outbreak was first detected, the U.S. government was prepared. Morning Edition goes behind the scenes to the strategy center at the Department of Health and Human Services that is coordinating the medical response.
• Lesson Learned From 'The Great Influenza'
  The first great flu pandemic was in 1918, and it killed 40 million people. John Barry, the author of The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History, talks about the lessons learned from the world's response to that crisis.
• Converting Old Fishing Gear To Energy
  Old fishing gear often winds up in the water, which can be harmful to marine life. So some nonprofit groups created a program called Fishing For Energy. Its goal is to recycle old fishing gear into clean, renewable electricity.
• Critics Skeptical Of Made-For-TV Torture Claims
  The "ticking time bomb" scenario that prompts officials to torture terrorists for information might exist in movies and on television, but experts say they are skeptical that similar scenarios happen in real life.
• Iraqi Kurds Try To Reform Two-Party System
  Iraqi Kurds call their mountainous home "the other Iraq" because it has suffered very little violence since the American invasion. Kurdish leaders also claim to be more democratic than the rest of the country. But lately, some Kurds are demanding changes to their decades-old two-party system.
• Paper's Owner Strikes Deal With 6 Out Of 7 Unions
  The Boston Globe and its largest union say they plan to talk some more but negotiations have reached an impasse, largely over lifetime job guarantees. The 137-year-old newspaper says the guarantees have to end for it to survive. The Globe's owner, the New York Times Co., struck agreements with six of seven unions in an effort to cut $20 million in annual costs.
• Construction Spending Increases In March
  For five months, the amount of money spent on construction in the U.S. declined. But the Commerce Department said Monday that construction spending increased slightly in March.

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