Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• How long are Minnesota children waiting?
  Minnesota's court system cannot provide accurate data on whether judges are moving foster care children into permanent homes according to state timelines.4:50 p.m.
• Statewide smoking ban hits snag at Capitol
  A business-friendly committee of the Minnesota Senate altered the bill by adding an exemption for bars that install air ventilation systems.5:20 p.m.
• The Institute for Justice aims to make a mark on Minnesota
  A national libertarian law firm is focusing on Red Wing in its campaign against government intrusion. The Institute for Justice calls itself "a merry band of litigators" taking from the government and giving to the average citizen. Institute for Justice or I.J. representatives say they're here because Minnesota is ripe with regulation.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Former Army Arabic Translator Eluded Several Filters
  The Arabic translator who pleaded guilty last week to possessing classified defense documents got past several security hurdles. Noureddine Malki lied about who he was — first to get U.S. citizenship, then to get a job as a translator doing military intelligence work in Iraq, and finally to get a top-secret security clearance.
• In Talk of Chrysler Spin-Off, Firms Angle, Stock Rises
  For a week now, there has been talk that DaimlerChrysler might want to sell its poorly performing Chrysler division. DaimlerChrysler's chairman has refused to rule out the idea. At least one newspaper quotes sources indicating the company really is moving to sell. DaimlerChrysler's stock is way up on the news.
• Mideast Talks End, and Rice Is Terse on Outlook
  Three-way talks between the United States, Israel and Palestinian leaders have ended with little sign of reviving the stalled peace negotiations. After Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, she issued only a 90-second statement.
• XM and Sirius Agree on a Merger of Equals
  XM Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio, the two main satellite radio providers, have reached a deal to merge. Both companies were in negotiations over the weekend. XM and Sirius have both been losing money since their inception. But merging the two companies will face stiff anti-trust scrutiny, and opposition from local radio stations.
• JetBlue CEO Promises to Improve Cancellation Plans
  Flights on JetBlue are still not back to normal, after six days of chaos and long delays triggered by a winter storm. A quarter of JetBlue's flights were canceled today — the airline promises that all flights should be back on schedule Tuesday. The CEO of JetBlue says the company has drafted a Customer's Bill of Rights.
• Heart Group Upgrades Risks, Tips for Women
  The American Heart Association issues new guidelines for cutting heart disease and stroke risks in women. Medical evidence shows more U.S. women at risk of heart disease and stroke than had been thought. Some women may be advised to take daily aspirin, but only after consulting a doctor.
• Using Digital Tools to Repair Analog Audio
  Robert Siegel talks to Jamie Howarth about the next step in audio restoration: ridding analog-era sound of its inevitable speed variations by writing software that virtually recreates the original device on which a recording was made from the existing tape. The sound is then digitally fed back through that machine to correct errors.
• China Will Allow AIDS Activist to Get Award in U.S.
  In central China, an elderly AIDS activist is preparing to travel to the United States to receive an award from an American non-profit group. Until Friday, the 80-year-old retired Dr. Gao Yaojie was under house arrest.
• China Embraces Reggae; Will Its Message Follow?
  Bob Marley's classic album Legend is now on sale in China, nearly a quarter century after it was released in the West. Now the search is on for a Chinese reggae superstar. We meet some hopefuls. The question: will reggae retain its political underpinnings in China, or is it all about the rhythm?
• Film Leads Ugandans to Confront Amin's Legacy
  The Academy Award-nominated movie The Last King of Scotland had its official premiere in Uganda this weekend, complete with red carpet, paparazzi, the star Forrest Whittaker and the presidents of Uganda and Tanzania. It was an unusual confluence of fact and fiction.
• U.S. Army Hospital Reported to Be in Poor Shape
  Conditions are bleak at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which has been overrun with mentally and physically wounded soldiers returning from Iraq. Those are the findings of Washington Post investigative reporters Dana Priest and Anne Hull.
• Insurgents Use Fuel Truck to Attack Outpost
  Iraqi insurgents launched a coordinated attack on a joint U.S.-Iraqi combat outpost north of Baghdad, an area primarily occupied by Sunni Arabs. The strike, in which a suicide bomber drove a fuel tanker, killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded 17 others. It ranks as one of the largest insurgent operations in recent months.
• Should Clinton Stand Firm on 2002 Iraq Vote?
  So far, Sen. Hillary Clinton has not apologized for her 2002 vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq. How that will affect her chances in 2008 remains to be seen.
• The American Way: Campaign for Votes, and Dollars
  Politicians have raised campaign money as long as America has had political campaigns. We review some of the high points in the history of U.S. campaign finance.
• Backstage Pass: Setting the Pins
  Listener Wendy Rose Bice of Detroit, Mich., takes us backstage at her bowling alley in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, to hear what pin-setting machines sound like from that vantage point.

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