Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Coleman launches re-election bid
  Republican Norm Coleman formally launched his bid for a second term in the U.S. Senate Wednesday morning from his St. Paul campaign headquarters.5:20 p.m.
• Declaration of Independence coming to Minnesota
  Minnesotans will soon get a chance to view an original copy of the Declaration of Independence from May 6-18 in St. Paul.5:25 p.m.
• NTSB examines St. Cloud's DeSoto Bridge
  Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were in St. Cloud today to examine the steel truss bridge that state officials closed last week after they found distortions in the bridge's gusset plates.5:47 p.m.
• Minnesota farm income soared last year
  New research indicates 2007 was the most profitable year for Minnesota farmers in more than three decades.5:51 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Justices Weigh Definitions of Competency
  The Supreme Court heard arguments today on whether a defendant who is competent to stand trial must be considered competent to represent himself. The justices seemed doubtful that the two types of competency are the same.
• 'Wolf Totem' Eulogizes Mongolian Culture
  A captivating English translation of Jiang Rong's award-winning novel chronicles a Beijing student's immersion with nomadic farmers of the Mongolian grasslands just before China's Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and '70s. The story becomes a passionate eulogy to a ferocious and far-flung way life, and to the wolf, the foremost predator of the grasslands.
• New Century's Risky Lending Practices Detailed
  A report commissioned by a bankruptcy court finds New Century — once the second-largest sub-prime lender — had a "brazen obsession" with selling more loans without due regard to the risk. The report also alleges negligence by the company's auditor, KPMG.
• Baghdad Neighborhood Reverts to Militant Stance
  U.S. troops in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood in southwest Baghdad are seeing sporadic and unusual attacks by a Sadr-backed militia against Iraqi forces. The attacks represent a turnaround for the militia, which was once working with the national police.
• McCain Urges 'Global Compact' to Resolve Conflicts
  Disavowing unilateralism, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) clarified his foreign policy views on Wednesday, promising, if elected, to consult and work more closely with allies overseas than the Bush administration has.
• The Banker Who Predicted Mortgage, Credit Crises
  Many people, with the benefit of hindsight, say they saw the credit crisis coming. But Charles Morris can prove that he knew what would happen long before others did. In his new book, The Trillion Dollar Meltdown: Easy Money, High Rollers and the Great Credit Crash, Morris lays out pretty much exactly what would and did happen.
• Ode to My Sturdy Rubber Boots
  My wonderful, brilliant, intelligently-designed, calf-high rubber boots are a piece of industrial genius. They are real and vibrant, and make my life more worth living.
• U.S. Uneasy with Pakistan's New Direction
  Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte visits Pakistan on the day the newly-elected prime minister is sworn in to urge Pakistan to keep military pressure on Islamist militants in tribal areas. The new government wants to negotiate and use force only as a last resort.
• Elite Iraqi Task Force Probes Sensitive Crimes
  The Major Crimes Task Force is Iraq's first professional investigative agency. It takes on the politically explosive cases no one else will touch — and what some members of the U.S.-trained task force have learned has put their lives in jeopardy.
• Photographer Trains a 'Complicated' Lens on Teens
  Photojournalist Robin Bowman spent four years driving across the United States, photographing and interviewing more than 400 teens. Some of those pictures — and the teens' words — are included in her new book, It's Complicated: The American Teenager.
• Clashes with Militants Test Iraqi Security Forces
  Intense negotiations are under way to end fighting between Shiite militiamen and government forces in Iraq's southern oil hub of Basra, as well as in Baghdad. The fighting, kicked off by the Iraqi prime minister's decision to go after militias in Basra, has high stakes for both Iraq and the U.S.
• Bush, China's President Discuss Tibet
  President Bush called Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing crackdown in Tibet. Meanwhile, a group of Western journalists has been allowed into the region, including Callum Macleod of USA Today, who says there's a police presence in the Tibetan capital Llasa, but not a complete lockdown.
• What's in a President's Name?
  An English professor says political candidates whose names follow a "strong-soft" pattern are more likely to succeed. Musical qualities are said to influence voters' choices, and "Clinton" supposedly has better musical sound than "Obama," with its middle syllable stress.
• Zimbabwe's Hyperinflation Poses Unique Challenges
  Zimbabwe's government estimates its inflation rate was 66-thousand percent for 2007. The African nation suffers chronic food and fuel shortages and rampant joblessness due to its dizzying economic condition. Harvard economist Ken Rogoff explains what causes hyperinflation and what can be done about it?
• Sarkozy's British Visit Closely Watched
  French president Nicolas Sarkozy's two-day state visit is intriguing to media on both sides of the English Channel. The British are interested Sarkozy's pro-Anglo-Saxon stance. The French see the pomp-filled visit as a chance for Sarkozy to burnish his tarnished presidential image.

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