Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• First-time director changes his homeland -- and gets an Oscar nomination
  First-time film director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck may well have changed Germany. His film, "The Lives of Others," is the first drama to delve into the way the Stasi, the East German police, spied on ordinary citizens during communism.4:50 p.m.
• Lawmakers aim for 2007 "energy session"
  Minnesota has a new law establishing one of the most aggressive standards for renewable energy in the country. The governor and lawmakers say it's just the first of several energy-related proposals they hope to pass this session.5:20 p.m.
• Co-generation makes a big comeback
  With Minnesota's new renewable energy standard, utilities are turning to some surprising places to make renewable power.5:25 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Nearly Silent Hybrid Cars May Endanger the Blind
  Hybrid vehicles may pose a deadly threat to people who rely on their hearing to navigate streets and crosswalks. The National Association of the Blind is calling for hybrid manufacturers to make their cars sound like traditional car engines, so that blind people can hear them coming.
• The Day the Wind Lured Me to Walk Into Traffic
  Stephen Kuusisto is a blind poet and writer. He describes how he was almost killed by a bus on a Manhattan street corner because the wind masked the sound of traffic.
• Attention Shoppers: Bring Our Cart Back
  February is National Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month. A new proposal in Oregon calls for a 24-hour, toll-free number for residents to report abandoned carts. Grocers would have 72 hours to retrieve their wayward carts or face a fine.
• Raids Target Cleaning, Maintenance Workers
  The federal government announces an immigration raid on a company that contracts cleaning and grounds maintenance services for the hospitality industry. Agents in 20 states have picked up hundreds of workers. Three company executives face criminal charges.
• Whole Foods Looks to Grow by Adding Wild Oats
  The Whole Foods supermarket chain says it will buy Wild Oats, its smaller competitor. The buyout would allow the new company to better compete with traditional grocery stores as they increase the amount of organic and health foods on their shelves, Whole Foods says.
• Israeli Envoy Calls for Resolve on Iran, Hamas
  Sallai Meridor recently arrived in Washington to serve as Israel's ambassador to the United States. His tenure begins at an important juncture: The Middle East peace process is in a multi-sided stalemate. And the region is adjusting to the news that Iran has defied the United Nations in enriching uranium.
• Egyptian Blogger Sentenced to Four Years in Jail
  A young Egyptian blogger has become the first person in Egypt sentenced to a jail term for opinions expressed on the internet. Human rights groups condemned what they called the "chilling precedent" set by an Alexandria court when it sentenced Abdel Kareem Suleiman to four years in prison for insulting Islam and President Hosni Mubarak.
• Padilla Is Unfit for Trial, Attorneys Say
  A federal judge in Miami is holding a hearing to determine if Jose Padilla is competent to stand trial. Padilla is a U.S. citizen arrested nearly 5 years ago and accused of being an al-Qaida operative. His attorneys say that Padilla, who was held in almost total isolation in a Navy brig, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Letters: Illinois Mascot; Tiny Preemie; and Bowling
  Melissa Block and Robert Siegel read from listeners' letters. Among this week's topics: our story on the retirement of the University of Illinois' mascot, Chief Illiniwek; also, our interview with a doctor who cared for Amillia Taylor, possibly the tiniest premature baby ever to survive; and a correction about a SoundClip that came from Windsor, Ontario.
• 12th-Graders Lag in Competency Tests
  New test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress on 12th-grade reading and math show little progress, despite improvements in the kinds and levels of courses students are taking.
• Human Cloning May Be Just Around the Corner
  Ten years after Dolly the cloned sheep was introduced to the world, scientists have yet to successfully clone a human embryo. But even mainstream scientists say it's still only a matter of time.
• U.S. Soldiers, Iraqi Police Unite to Redeem Ramadi
  American soldiers try to improve their counterinsurgency strategy in Anbar province by joining with Iraqi police and getting buy-in from local sheiks. There are signs of improvement, but insurgents continue to plague the city center, and they constantly adjust to U.S. tactics.
• Colleges Want to Cool Admissions Frenzy
  College presidents are trying to reduce the frenzy surrounding the admissions process through small changes. The goal is to reduce anxiety among applicants and offer more help for low-income students who want to go to selective schools.
• Measuring the Iraq War's Toll: Life at Fort Hood
  Next month, the United States will enter its fifth year of war in Iraq. The conflict has had a deep impact on communities across the country — and perhaps nowhere more than Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, home to two active military divisions.
• Exhibit Explores Latin America's Colonial Past
  The largest exhibit ever assembled of Latin America colonial art is on display in Mexico City. The show offers fresh perspectives on the wide-ranging cultural influences –Spanish, Dutch, Middle Eastern and more — that went into the melting pot that is Latin America.

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