Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• UnitedHealth's stock drops after announcement of McGuire's departure
  UnitedHealth Group's stock dropped almost 2.5 percent Monday, the first business day after the company announced that its CEO, Dr. William McGuire, is stepping down.5:20 p.m.
• Election battleground in the western suburbs
  Republicans and Democrats are targeting suburbs that used to be safely Republican, but where Democrats have been gaining ground in the last couple of elections.5:50 p.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Options Backdating Claims UnitedHealth CEO
  A spreading corporate scandal over stock options has claimed the chief executive of the nation's second-largest health insurer. William McGuire will leave UnitedHealth Group after an independent investigation disclosed serious problems in the way stock options were granted at the company.
• Demographics of the United States in 2006
  Robert Siegel talks with William Frey, demographer and visiting fellow at the Brookings Institute. Frey talks about why the 300-millionth American is an important landmark in modern society.
• Cultural Landmarks Tied to Population Marks
  A quick pop-culture survey of what was going on when the U.S. population hit 100 million in 1915, and 200 million in 1967: What were people reading? What were they listening to? What were they naming their babies? And what constituted a musical hit in those years? It's far different from today's No. 1 single in the United States.
• Today's Saints, Yesterday's Excommunicants
  The story of Mother Theodore Guerin feels a little familiar to Peter Manseau. Mother Guerin came into conflict with the Roman Catholic Church leaders and was threatened with excommunication -- just as Manseau's parents were when they married, because his father was a priest and his mother a nun.
• Population Mark Underscores Change, Diversity
  On Tuesday morning, America's population is predicted to hit 300 million. Who are we? Increasingly we are: a single mom; a centenarian; an immigrant from Mexico; an Asian business owner; a baby boomer; someone named Jacob or Emily.
• Nuclear Test Confirmed, Rice Urges Enforcement
  U.S. intelligence has confirmed for the first time that the explosion set off by North Korea last week was indeed a nuclear blast. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice prepares to visit Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing to urge robust implementation of the new U.N. Security Council resolution punishing North Korea for its nuclear weapons test.
• Tijuana's Drug Boom Reflects Mexico's New Problem
  Despite headlines devoted to bloody battles between Mexico's drug cartels, there is something even more dangerous happening in Mexico's cities: a booming drug trade. With drug dealing inside Mexico up drastically, the effects are obvious in Tijuana, where the chief of police says arrests of petty drug dealers are up more than 400 percent.
• Has Kim Jong Il Stocked up on His Cognac?
  Among the sanctions against North Korea that were approved over the weekend by the U.N. Security Council, is a ban on luxury goods. Kim Jong Il, for example, is said to be a fan of the expensive Hennessy cognac Paradis. Robert Siegel hears from some experts about whether a ban on such goods might have any effect.
• In Britain, Veil Issue Sparks Islamophobia Debate
  Britain is in a heated debate over Muslim women who wear face-covering veils, and whether the practice hurts communication between communities. A Muslim teaching assistant has been suspended for refusing to take off her veil while teaching at a school in the north of England.
• On New Release, Mayer Shows New Promise
  John Mayer has sold millions of CDs with his sensitive, wistful songs. Music critic Tom Moon has been listening to Mayer's new album, Continuum. He says Mayer is growing as an artist, his songs are better and he is utilizing one of his strengths, in playing guitar.
• Resigned FDA Chief to Plead Guilty on Disclosures
  Former FDA chief Lester Crawford will plead guilty to two misdemeanors for failing to disclose a financial interest in companies his agency regulated, according to his lawyer. The Justice Department accused the former head of the Food and Drug Administration with false reporting.
• Once-Controversial U.S.-Based Nun Canonized
  French-born Mother Theodore Guerin was canonized Sunday, an event that would have seemed unlikely in 1840, when the nun's arrival in Indiana sparked clashes with her church's leadership. But Mother Theodore went on to establish a community that is now a women's college.
• Stem Cells, Iraq, Security Top Issues for Missouri
  A group of women voters in Missouri say stem cell research, Iraq, national security and civil liberties are the most important issues to them. The state's hotly contested U.S. Senate race could help tip the power of balance in Washington.
• Rahman Attorney Stewart Gets 28 Months in Prison
  Civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart is sentenced to 28 months in prison, despite facing a penalty of up to 30 years. Stewart was convicted in 2005 of aiding terrorists by allowing her imprisoned client, the blind Sheik Omar Abdul Rahman, to communicate with the outside world.
• GOP Faithful Gloomy About November Elections
  Robert Siegel talks with Jennifer Duffy, an expert for The Cook Political Report, about Senate races in the upcoming election, and Chuck Todd, editor-in chief of the Hotline, a political blog, about the House races. Duffy and Todd report that with November elections looming, Republican activists are dubious about holding their congressional majority.

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