Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Judge critical of Par Ridder's conduct in ruling
  Ramsey County District Judge David Higgs ruled Star Tribune publisher Par Ridder violated Minnesota law by taking confidential information from his former employer, the St. Paul Pioneer Press.5:20 p.m.
• Minneapolis bridge closed for safety inspection
  The span, connecting North and Northeast Minneapolis, will be closed during the day, most of this week while officials inspect it.5:24 p.m.
• Despite subprime woes, Minnesota banks in good shape
  There's a lot of talk now about lenders getting hurt by bad mortgage loans and the slowdown in housing sales, not to mention the subprime crisis. But Minnesota's three largest banks --TCF, US Bank and Wells Fargo -- seem to be in pretty good shape.5:54 p.m.
• Traffic congestion keeps getting worse
  Drivers on average spend nearly 38 hours a year crawling through traffic on their way to work, according to a new traffic study. The cost of all that traffic congestion is estimated at $78 billion per year.6:20 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Steamy Southern Soul on 'Motel Lovers'
  The CD Motel Lovers is a collection of Southern soul music from the Chitlin circuit. It's a compilation of American music put together by a German record company. The music is honest... and full of sex.
• Artist Works Quickly to Put HUD Chiefs on Canvas
  Artist Daniel Mark Duffy is hard at work on five portraits of Department of Housing and Urban Development secretaries. He has eight weeks to complete all five. It usually takes him two months to complete an individual portrait.
• Staying in School Despite an Uncertain Future
  It's a paradox: Youths in the United States illegally can earn high-school and college degrees, but after graduation are likely to find themselves confined to the underground economy. Christian, 15, tells his story.
• Questions Swirl Around Blackwater Shooting
  There are still many more questions than answers about Sunday's fatal shooting of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad by Blackwater security contractors. Blackwater says its employees acted in self defense when the U.S. embassy convoy they were escorting came under attack.
• Farmers Worry About Immigration Crackdown
  The government wants to hold employers accountable if they can't show that their workers have valid Social Security numbers. Farmers say doing so could put them out of business — an estimated 70 percent of agricultural workers in the U.S. are undocumented.
• Top Litigator Faces Potential Prison Term
  Bill Lerach, perhaps the nation's most influential class-action lawyer, is expected to plead guilty Tuesday to a conspiracy charge. He faces a year or more in prison. Lerach allegedly took part in a scheme that involved illegal payoffs to clients.
• Plan for D.C. House Seat Awaits Vote
  The Senate takes a key procedural vote Tuesday on whether to give Washington, D.C. its first full-fledged member of the House of Representatives. The House seat from D.C., which is heavily Democratic, would be balanced by one more seat for Utah, which leans Republican.
• New Papers Defy Egypt's Harsh Media Climate
  Egypt's government is in the midst of another crackdown on independent media. But a new independent paper has been launched, and another is in the works.
• Sarkozy Outlines Plans for Economic Overhaul
  French President Nicolas Sarkozy's blunt speech to the Senate criticizes provisions in the French pensions system and attacks the 35-hour work week. He seems headed for a confrontation with French unions.
• Combing Oakland for the Top Taco Truck
  Taco trucks are a new destination for gourmands. They are celebrated in blogs with maps of where the best trucks park. In Oakland, Calif., many fans embark on late-night taco treks.
• Time for Renovation at the FHA?
  Addressing rising defaults on home loans, President Bush recently noted several proposals of ways the federal government might be able to help. One key proposal: modernize the Federal Housing Administration.
• House Panel Questions Eavesdropping Program
  The House Judiciary Committee questions the Director of National Intelligence and other witnesses about whether civil liberties are protected when federal agents eavesdrop on terrorism suspects.
• Fed Makes Bold Cut in Key Rate
  The Federal Reserve cuts the federal funds rate by half a point. It's the first reduction in more than four years and it's twice as large a cut as many economists were predicting.
• What Are the Odds O.J. Will Be Convicted?
  O.J. Simpson is expected to learn Wednesday if a judge will set bail on charges stemming from a Las Vegas confrontation over his sports memorabilia. Gamblers are already speculating on his chances of beating the rap.
• Poll: Views on Iraq Largely Unswayed by Petraeus
  Americans' attitudes toward the Iraq war are mostly unchanged in the wake of last week's testimony by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, according to a new poll.

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