Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Chipotle exec responds to Minn. immigration audit
  When the Chipotle Mexican Grill dismissed hundreds of workers in Minnesota because they failed to produce proper documents allowing them to legally work in the United States, it sparked a backlash from some former employees and labor activists.3:20 p.m.
• Lessons from a war-zone coffee shop
  Deborah Rodriguez dealt with patrons of all kinds when she ran a hair salon in Afghanistan. She wrote a memoir of that time called "Kabul Beauty School." Now she's turned to fiction with her first novel "A Cup For Friendship," which is also set in that country.4:49 p.m.
• Minn. Republicans hope to undo clean energy policies
  Minnesota's pioneering clean energy policies could be headed for major changes. The House and Senate will consider legislation that could repeal much of the Next Generation Energy Act of 2007.4:53 p.m.
• Chipotle exec responds to Minn. immigration audit
  When the Chipotle Mexican Grill dismissed hundreds of workers in Minnesota because they failed to produce proper documents allowing them to legally work in the United States, it sparked a backlash from some former employees and labor activists.5:20 p.m.
• Minn.'s med tech companies hope for better 2011
  Last year was turbulent and often disappointing for the medical technology industry, one of Minnesota's most important. The big med tech companies based in the state begin to report their latest earnings this week, as well as their outlook for 2011.5:50 p.m.
• Ask Dr. Hallberg: Children, ear infections and antibiotics
  For years, we've heard warnings about antibiotics being over-prescribed, but new findings in the New England Journal of Medicine recommend just that when dealing with middle ear infections in young children.5:54 p.m.
• The Cube Critics talk about movies
  MPR's Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis and film buff Euan Kerr sit in cubicles across from each other in the MPR newsroom. When they banter back and forth, it's usually about movies. So we decided to turn their conversations into a new feature we call Cube Critics. This time, Euan and Stephanie talk about the Oscar nominations which came out Tuesday.6:25 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Marine Corps To Secretary Gates: 'We're Relevant'
  Defense Secretary Robert Gates canceled the Marine Corps amphibious troop carrier and stopped the Corps from going ahead with its stealthy warplane. He's also suggested reducing the Corps by some 15,000 to 20,000 in the coming years. But Marines say they're not only busier than ever — they're irreplaceable.
• Wisconsin Voters And The State Of The Union
  President Obama is expected to lay out broad themes in tonight's State of the Union address, with the economy the primary focus. On Wednesday, the president will travel to Wisconsin, a state where Republicans swept all of the major races this past November. NPR's Don Gonyea talks to voters in Wisconsin about their feelings toward Obama, and what they hope to hear in Tuesday's State of the Union address.
• Small-Business Owners And The State Of The Union
  Host Michele Norris talks with two small-business owners about what they hope to hear from the president in his State of the Union address. Tyeis Baker-Baumann is president of Rebsco, Inc., a manufacturing and construction business with about 20 employees based in Greenville, Ohio. Lowell Miles is CEO of Miles Fiberglass and Composites, based in Portland.
• Date On Lincoln Document 'Started To Look A Little Hinky,' Archivist Says
  The more he looked at a presidential pardon supposedly written on the last day of Abraham Lincoln's life, the more a National Archives researcher suspected it had been tampered with. Now, a historian has admitted doing just that.
• Should Gen. David Petraeus Have Five Stars?
  It is in some ways the most elite group in the U.S. military — the five stars. There have only been nine men to serve at that rank — all of them during World War II. But a handful of veterans are convinced that the top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, should be awarded a fifth star. Several military historians say that's not likely to happen.
• Ex-Guantanamo Detainee Gets Life Sentence
  Ahmed Ghailani, the first Guantanamo detainee to be tried in a U.S. federal court, has been sentenced to life in prison. He was convicted last fall on a single count of conspiracy stemming from the 1998 bombings of two American embassies in East Africa. Host Melissa Block speaks to NPR's Dina Temple-Raston, who was at the sentencing hearing.
• Rural Tunisians Hope Revolt Brings Jobs, Opportunity
  Protests in the capital by students and many from the country's middle classes played a key role in toppling the president, but it all began in the hinterlands. Many there hope the uprising brings about long-asked-for economic development.
• Can Drivers Handle More Gadgets? Experts Say 'No'
  Safety watchdogs are worried about new "infotainment" systems that force consumers to take their eyes off the road. They think drivers can't handle any more distraction. So far, the federal government is taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to legislating distracted driving.
• A Look At The 2011 Sundance Film Festival
  The film industry is gathering in the mountains of Utah for the Sundance Festival, a barometer for rising stars, standout films and directors worth watching. Steve Zeitchik is in Park City, Utah, racing from theater to theater as a film writer for the Los Angeles Times. He tells host Michele Norris about what he's seen — and what he can't wait to see.
• Oscar Nominations: What's In, What's Out
  The Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday morning. NPR's Bob Mondello talks to Melissa Block about the Oscar nomination surprises — what made the lists, and what was left off.

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