Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Short-range travel destinations have high hopes for summer
  People in Minnesota's tourism industry are guardedly optimistic the summer travel season will pay off. Many of the state's hotels, resorts and destinations are counting on short-range travel from the Twin Cities to keep the cash registers ringing - despite what could have been a staggering blow from the economy.4:49 p.m.
• Spring is here, and so are the mosquitoes
  As we enjoy our Memorial Day weekend, we're reminded to stock up on sunscreen and insect repellant to avoid the hazards of summer. To find out how the war against the Twin Cities mosquito population is going, we've talked to Jim Stark, the executive director of the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District.4:54 p.m.
• Pawlenty, Klobuchar honor veterans at Fort Snelling
  About 4,500 people flocked to a Memorial Day ceremony at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis today, including Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Sen. Amy Klobuchar. The cemetery is the resting place of about 150,000 members of the U.S. armed services.5:19 p.m.
• Sheriff: Daniel Hauser returns to Minnesota
  A 13-year-old cancer patient and his mother, who fled Minnesota last week to avoid court-ordered chemotherapy for him, returned voluntarily Monday, and the boy was being evaluated by a doctor, a sheriff and the family's attorney said.5:23 p.m.
• Heather McElhatton takes a swipe at chick lit
  Twin Cities author Heather McElhatton will tell you she knows a thing or two about dating. Her second novel is all about the dangers of dating -- and of having your dreams come true.6:54 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Summer Movies: The Sweet, The Light And The Loud
  The summer-movie slate looks like a typically airheaded one, from Land of the Lost to the naughty new spoof Bruno. But fear not: We found a few dramas — even some foreign weepies — to help tide you over.
• World Leaders Denounce N. Korea Nuclear Test
  World leaders are condemning North Korea's reported underground nuclear bomb test today. The latest on reactions by the White House and the U.N. Security Council.
• Targeted TV: Ads Will Soon Know You, Your Wants
  No kids? No more diaper ads for you. A new generation of narrowly targeted TV commercials is coming — courtesy of your cable company, your DVR and a brand of data-mining voodoo that concerns some.
• Donated Gowns Help Some Shine At Prom
  High school prom can be exciting, but devastating if you don't have the financial wherewithal to dress and accessorize like a princess. A project in San Diego provides donated gowns and accessories to homeless and underprivileged teens. Ana Tintocalis of member station KPBS reports.
• Fifth-Grade Cool Quashes Sweet Obliviousness
  Commentator Bill Harley says — it happens every spring. Only the day before, fifth graders meet him with openness, expressiveness, and humor. They laugh openly. They will even sing out loud. Then it happens. On the next day, they fold their arms. They yawn. They cast sidelong glances at their peers to gauge their reactions. They roll their eyes and smirk. He suspects it is contagious. He wishes those fifth graders could keep their enthusiasm and sweet obliviousness. But they cannot. Not if they're going to grow up. And that's what they're going to do.
• Flemish Children Honor Fallen U.S. Soldiers In Song
  The smallest of the official American war cemeteries, just 368 graves, is Flanders Field in Belgium, made famous by the poem written in 1915. The tiny city closest to the cemetery is Waregem, and every year since 1919 (except for four years during the WWII occupation) Flemish schoolchildren have learned and performed the Star-Spangled Banner in English on Memorial Day weekend. The mayor of the town was himself one of the "singing children of Waregem" as they are called and is said to be very proud of the tradition.
• Corruption Corrodes Iraqi Society
  Corruption in Iraq is endemic. At every level of society, from the lowest to the highest, bribes and baksheesh are how things get done. While the big numbers at the top get the headlines, like this week's scheduled vote of no-confidence in the Iraqi Trade Minister who is accused of stealing millions, the everyday corruption that ordinary Iraqis must go through is constant. From ID papers and license plates and the traffic police, to doctors in the hospital, just to get basic service, if you want to visit a relative in jail, Iraqis have to pay extra money for just about everything.
• Some Unemployed In Ireland Reinvent Themselves
  Ireland has a very generous system of unemployment benefits, and many Irish people have been grateful for that in recent months, as unemployment has skyrocketed from 1% to 11%. The payments are putting a strain on the Irish government, which is in massive financial trouble itself. As the debate rages about how much benefit is too much, many Irish people are taking the opportunity offered by the downturn, and their newly redundant status, to reinvent themselves, and discover new careers.
• Obama Lays Wreath At Arlington National Cemetery
  Robert Siegel describes President Obama's appearance at Arlington National Cemetery.
• Palestinian Rep. To U.S. Confident In New Leaders
  Maen Areikat, the chief of PLO Mission in Washington DC, talks about the future of peace negotiations, now that there is new leadership in America and Israel. As of last winter, he supervised the Negotiations Support Unit and the Negotiations Secretariat, which was created to follow up on committee meetings between Israelis and Palestinians.
• Letters: Cheney and Science and Spirituality
  Listeners respond to stories on the former Vice President Dick Cheney and last week's series on Science and Spirituality.
• Internet Search Trends and New York Times
  Derek Gottfrid, Senior Software Architect for NYTimes.com describes the tool for seeing the words and phrases most frequently searched by NYTimes.com readers.
• Pakistan Fights For Control Of Swat Valley
  Pakistan is battling the Taliban for control in the Swat Valley and the impact the fight is having on the people who live there. Many refugees are fleeing the fighting.
• Letters: Online Passwords
  Listeners respond to a story about online passwords.
• 'Blind' Auctions Help Self-Storage Firms Recoup Losses
  Americans love self-storage units — rented metal bins, far from home, where you can stuff everything from excess Christmas decorations to the last, best fitness fad equipment. But in this economy, a growing number of storage unit renters are defaulting on payments, leading to a rash of "blind" auctions in which strangers bid on the contents of the units, sight unseen. Oanh Ha of member station KQED reports.

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