Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Crisis line services seeing more calls for help
  As economic times get tougher, more and more people are calling crisis lines for help.4:50 p.m.
• Ritchie proposes election reforms
  The state official who oversaw the recount in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race says it's time to allow early voting in Minnesota.5:20 p.m.
• Customers lock in gas prices at fuel bank
  A St. Cloud-based company is cashing in on consumer demand for a predictable gas price. First Fuel Banks allow customers to lock in the price of gas. Sometimes, that locked price is higher than the price at other gas stations.5:24 p.m.
• Medical marijuana supporters try again
  Supporters of a bill to legalize medical marijuana in Minnesota say they think bipartisan momentum is building for their cause this year. A state Senate committee approved the retooled measure today, but law enforcement and the governor remain opposed.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Darwin Finds Some Followers In The Pulpits
  Churches and synagogues worldwide will be holding events this weekend to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. Organizers of Evolution Weekend say it's a chance for people of faith to challenge the assumption that evolution and religion are incompatible.
• Peanut Company President Pleads The Fifth
  The head of the Peanut Corporation of America invoked his right not to incriminate himself before a House panel Wednesday. The company's Blakely, Ga., plant is the source of the salmonella contamination. Lawmakers wanted to know why the company shipped products that had tested positive for salmonella.
• Happy Customer Saves Mont. Video Store
  Customer Lance Smith was so happy with the service at the Crystal Video in Missoula, Mont., that he gave owner Tim Huffman a loan that saved the business. Smith said he didn't do it just to be a local hero, but expects a return on his investment while helping the community.
• Amid Slump, Energy Firms Eye Future Warily
  The global recession has made the outlook for the oil and gas industry grim. Demand and prices are low, and some oil-rich countries are postponing drilling projects. The political landscape in Washington, which was friendly to the oil industry under the previous administration, has changed.
• Ban On Media Coverage Of Military Coffins Revisited
  A longtime Pentagon policy bars the media from covering the arrival of coffins carrying the military's dead. But that may change under the Obama administration. The military has argued that the ban protects the families' privacy, but critics counter that it shields Americans from the true cost of war.
• Immigration Transfers Add To System's Problems
  The immigration agency has a chronic shortage of detention beds, and must juggle detainees among available spaces. This means that within weeks of an arrest, an immigrant may find himself transferred halfway across the country, far from family and lawyer.
• At Westminster, Old Dog Crowned Top Dog
  At the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Tuesday, a 10-year-old Sussex spaniel named Stump was crowned top dog. He was up against 2,500 dogs and 170 breeds and became the oldest winner for Best in Show.
• Investment Expert: Geithner Speech Lacked Clarity
  Markets fell dramatically Tuesday after Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner held a speech on efforts to shore up the nation's banking system. Geithner's speech was short on details when investors hoped for specifics. David Kotok, chief investment officer of Cumberland Advisors, says the financial community was looking for clarity.
• Geithner Faces Scrutiny On The Hill
  Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was on Capitol Hill Wednesday where he faced tough questions. His much-awaited announcement Tuesday of how the Obama administration would move forward to help banks flopped, in part because it was short on policy details.
• Stimulus Deal Restores Some Aid To States
  Senate negotiators on the economic stimulus bill say a small but contentious provision to aid states has been partially restored. Some funds to help states deal with falling revenues were reinstated following a last-minute lobbying effort by governors.
• Expert: Few Clues On How Banks Used TARP Funds
  Bank CEOs were grilled Wednesday on how they spent the funds from the Troubled Assets Relief Program. Elizabeth Warren, chair of the TARP's Congressional Oversight Panel, says it is hard to say how the money was spent because the Treasury handed it out without preconditions.
• Questions Loom In Chris Brown Case
  Over the weekend, the 19-year-old singer was arrested in Los Angeles on a felony charge of making a criminal threat after the LAPD responded to a report of domestic violence. The alleged victim was reported to be Brown's girlfriend, singer Rihanna. Richard Winton, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, talks about the latest developments in the case.
• House, Senate Strike Deal On Stimulus
  Senators announced a compromise between House and Senate negotiators on the economic stimulus package. Some House Democrats are upset that money for states and schools had been removed from the measure, but backed the deal.
• Israel's Parties In Coalition Talks
  Israel held elections Tuesday and preliminary results show both Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu and Kadima's Tzipi Livni claiming victory. The results are a sign of the difficult coalition government talks to come.
• Congress Can Probe Bush Administration
  President Barack Obama may be reluctant to investigate past actions of the Bush administration, but Congress can do it on its own. Congress initiated the investigation into Watergate as well as the Iran-Contra scandal.

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