Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Proposal would require police to collect race data in traffic stops
  The bill would require police officers in Minnesota to record the race of every person they pull over in traffic stops.4:44 p.m.
• Tax talk heating up at the state Capitol
  A bill introduced today would expand the state sales tax to clothing. And a new report on the state's tax system is expected to add fuel to the idea of raising taxes as part of budget fix.5:20 p.m.
• EPA tests the 'green' value of ethanol
  An EPA ruling expected soon could have a major impact on the future of ethanol. The agency is looking at ethanol's contribution to harmful greenhouse gases.5:24 p.m.
• Somali teens share thoughts on disappearances
  The investigation continues into why a dozen or so young Somali men disappeared from the Twin Cities and are believed to be fighting in Somalia. MPR's Michael Caputo talked to several Somali teens about their take on these disappearances.5:52 p.m.
• Minnesota Poetry Out Loud champion performs
  MTS Technology High School senior Thandisizwe Jackson-Nisan won the Minnesota Poetry Out Loud championship todat at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. Eighteen students from across the state were judged by a panel on seven criteria, including physical presence and level of difficulty. In her final round, Jackson-Nisan read a poem called "Booker T and W-E-B" by Dudley Randall.6:26 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Iraq's Marshlands Face A Second Death By Drought
  Iraq's southern marshlands were once as famous as the Florida Everglades; they supported a vibrant culture based on fishing, water-buffalo herding and reed gathering. The Marsh Arabs were on their way to restoring their old lives, but now a drought and government inaction are threatening the marshes.
• New Book Dissects Reagan's Role In The Cold War
  The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan details how Reagan's attitude toward the Soviet Union was transformed during the 1980s. Author James Mann describes how many politicians, including contemporary ones, were wrong in their views of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
• Web-Based Program Maps Sunday Worship
  Southern Baptists are trying to make life easier for music ministers, who are expected to create custom arrangements of hymns and praise songs each Sunday. A Web-based tool, SongMap, lets users rearrange and transpose popular church songs with a few clicks of the mouse.
• Examining If Banks Are too Big To Fail
  Why are the big banks said to be "too big to fail" while big auto is not too big to fail? Economists Kenneth Rogoff a professor of economics at Harvard University, and Adam Posen, deputy director and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, offer their insight.
• Community College Eyes Health Care Training
  Community colleges are training workers for jobs with better long-term prospects. At Ivy Tech in Indiana, laid-off RV workers are learning how to make orthopedics. Educators are betting that this mix of manufacturing and health care will help the area's hard-hit economy recover.
• Man Wins Conch-Blowing Contest With Sinatra
  A bicycle tour operator from Key West, Fla., played a Frank Sinatra classic on the conch on his way to be crowned "Conch King" at the 47th annual Conch Shell Blowing Contest on Saturday. Lloyd Mager's rendition of Strangers in the night helped win the judges over.
• Stem Cell Move Fulfills Obama Pledge
  President Barack Obama's decision to allow federal funding for stem cell research represents the fulfillment of a campaign promise. Both Obama and his campaign rival, John McCain, vowed to repudiate the Bush administration's willingness to let policy imperatives invade science.
• Job Seekers Eye Conventions For Work, Tips
  Pop culture conventions are becoming places where artists can get their portfolios reviewed by professionals in the industry. George Lucas' company held a portfolio review panel at WonderCon recently.
• Netherlands Edges Out Dominicans In Baseball
  The Netherlands nine delivered a shock this weekend at the Baseball World Classic. Their team, with a grand total of one MLB player, beat out the highly favored Dominicans, a team whose roster reads like an all-star lineup. Jaap De Groot, chief sports editor of De Telegraaf , offers his insight.
• Merck, Schering-Plough In $41B Merger
  The pharmaceutical giant Merck announced Monday it is acquiring rival Schering-Plough in a deal valued at $41 billion. Merck will pay a hefty premium for Schering in the cash and stock deal, which has already been approved by both boards.

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