Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Stopped on red
  The halting of Minneapolis' Stop on Red program is creating headaches for Hennepin County's court system. A district court judge ruled that the city's use of remote cameras to ticket drivers who run red lights is unconstitutional. The county is now trying to notify some 7,000 people with unpaid tickets not to send in their money. Plus, pending legal action may cause the city to pay back some of the more than $1 million it's already collected from the program. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports.5:18 p.m.
• U of M research offers new hope for Alzheimer's treatment
  Researchers at the University of Minnesota have identified a key cause of memory loss in mice which they say could lead to new treatments to prevent and possibly reverse the effects of Alzheimer's disease in humans.5:22 p.m.
• Voting bill stirs strong emotions at Capitol
  Supporters of a proposal to tighten registration requirements says it will prevent voter fraud. But critics say the bill is an attempt to keep people of color, the poor and the elderly from voting.5:45 p.m.
• Minnesota bands descend on South by Southwest
  Some 22 Minnesota bands have been invited to perform. For local musicians, South by Southwest is a chance to reach wider audiences and if they're lucky, impress influential players in the music industry.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Saddam Takes the Stand, Praises Iraqi Insurgency
  Saddam Hussein takes the stand and launches into a political speech, praising the insurgency and urging Iraqis to halt sectarian violence. Reporters are ordered out of the chamber when Saddam ignores the judge's orders to confine his statements to the charges against him.
• Ambassador to Iraq Weighs Country's Future
  U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad talks with Robert Siegel about the deepening sectarian violence in the country and the prospect of a government of national unity there.
• Politicos Await Katherine Harris Announcement
  U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) plans to make an announcement Wednesday night. Her campaign for the U.S. Senate has been in such disarray, many are expecting her to announce that she's dropping out of the race. Anita Kumar of the St. Petersburg Times talks with Michele Norris.
• Trial Latest Example of Government Incompetence
  Daniel Schorr, a senior news analyst for NPR, says the bungled campaign to obtain a death sentence for Zacarias Moussaoui is the latest example of government incompetence in the war on terrorism, and an unfortunate turn of events for the families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.
• Enron Whistleblower Testifies Against Ex-Chairman
  Enron whistleblower Sherron Watkins testifies against former chairman Kenneth Lay. Watkins met with Lay four months before the company went bankrupt, and warned him about accounting problems. Prosecutors hope her testimony will show that Lay made intentionally misleading statements to investors.
• Scientists Find Protein That Causes Memory Loss
  Patients with Alzheimer's disease show clear damage to their brains as they age. But some have wondered whether this damage is a cause of the disease or a result of it. Scientists at the University of Minnesota have found a protein that appears to cause memory loss before brain damage appears.
• Fun with DNA
  DNA isn't just for building life. Chemists have worked out how to use DNA to make microscopic art, from a tiny map of the Americas, at left, to snowflakes. Of course, there's a serious side to all of this, too. The technology could lead to DNA scaffolds for nanostructures.
• Great Views, Troubled Characters in 'Drift'
  Lisa Fugard's new novel, Skinner's Drift, takes place in South Africa's Limpopo River Valley and contrasts the area's breathtaking landscape with the main character's troubled past.
• Review: 'Black.White.' Furthers Cliches of Black America
  Commentator John McWhorter is the author of Winning the Race: Beyond the Crisis in Black America. He thinks the new FX TV show "Black/White" is full of stereotypes and cliches about what life is like for black America.
• Christie's Tries to Recreate Black and White Ball
  As Christie's prepares to auction paraphernalia from the Plaza Hotel, it also attempts to re-create Truman Capote's legendary 1966 Black and White Ball. The original event was the party of the century. The re-creation, not so much.

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