Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Foreclosures costing suburbs time and money
  Suburban city leaders say they are spending more time than ever before keeping track of properties left vacant by foreclosures.6:50 a.m.
• St. Olaf students get up-close look in New Hampshire
  Students in a St. Olaf College political science class have been in the thick of the presidential campaign in New Hampshire. For the past couple of weeks, they've been in that state volunteering for presidential candidates.7:50 a.m.
• Monday Markets
  Minnesota Public Radio's Chief Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell discusses the latest economic news.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Clemens Asserts Doping Charges Are False
  Baseball star Roger Clemens tells CBS's 60 Minutes that allegations he used steroids are "totally false." It was his latest attempt to salvage his reputation after the release last month of the Mitchell Report on doping in baseball.
• Laptop Project for Developing Countries Hits Snag
  An ambitious project to create a cheap laptop for the developing world is running into problems. Intel, one of the major sponsors of the "One Laptop Per Child" project, is pulling out. The project and the company could not agree on how a rival product from Intel would be marketed.
• Supreme Court Takes Up Lethal Injection
  The Supreme Court hears arguments in a lethal injection case from Kentucky. Two death-row inmates say that the way lethal injection is practiced by the state amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. This is the first time in more than a century that the court examines a method of execution.
• Independent Voters Respond to Weekend Debates
  A group of undecided voters in New Hampshire work their way toward being decided. New Hampshire holds the nation's first presidential primary Jan. 8. The voters were paying attention to ABC News and Facebook debates over the weekend.
• New Technology Makes Mobile Phone Smarter
  A group of Japanese companies and universities at the Consumer Electronics Show demonstrate an iPhone application that allows a user to switch the lights on and off in an apartment in Tokyo. The technology also allows the phone to control home appliances from afar.
• Big Gadgets Mark Consumer Electronics Show
  The Consumer Electronics Show opens in Las Vegas with some 140,000 people in attendance. They will be able to get a glimpse of the world's biggest TV screen, the smallest computer and solar batteries. And they will review a lot of things that connect to each other without wires.
• Republicans Spar Before New Hampshire Primary
  Five Republican presidential candidates square off for their final debate before New Hampshire voters go to the polls Jan. 8. At the Fox News forum, they spar on taxes, spending and the buzzword of this year's campaign: change.
• Laziness Museum Displays Couches, Hammocks
  The Museum of Laziness has been open for a week in Bogota, Colombia. Among its exhibits is a couch set before a TV, hammocks and various beds. Its curator says the city-sponsored museum is aimed at exploring the idea that "laziness is the enemy of work."
• Defiance Lengthens Woman's Jail Sentence
  You could give Judith Law style points for defiance. She pleaded guilty to grand larceny and burglary, and received a five-year suspended sentence. Then she violated her probation. So the judge reinstated the jail time.
• Lassie: The Perfect Dog Sets High Bar for Real Pups
  In books, radio, movies and television, the history of the dog Lassie is long and illustrious. In fact, some real-life pet owners expect their collies to perform like Lassie. Lassie lovers, historians and an acclaimed animal behaviorist discuss what it takes to create a great character.
• A Closer Look at Musharraf, U.S. Ally Against Terror
  In his first televised interview since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf tells CBS's 60 Minutes that Bhutto took too many risks and is responsible for her own death. There is criticism that the White House may be making too many allowances for him.
• New Hampshire Campaign Goes Door to Door
  Even in these high-tech days of voter profiling and targeted e-mail, there's no better way to reach out to voters than by standing on their front stoop. Knocking on doors puts campaign volunteers face-to-face with voters. The key, according to a volunteer for John Edwards, is to "be nice, be friendly and don't bug people if they don't want to be bugged."
• Supreme Court to Scrutinize Indiana Voter ID Law
  The Supreme Court is poised to hear Indiana's Voter ID Law, requiring voters to present a government-issued photo ID. Critics claim that having to show an ID to vote makes it difficult for the poor, elderly and minority voters who, for the most part, vote Democrat.
• McDonald's Plans Coffee Bars
  McDonald's plans to set up coffee bars in its 14,000 locations. The Wall Street Journal reports details of the plan, which involves hiring "baristas" and selling espresso drinks like lattes — or McLatte's — perhaps at a lower price than Starbucks.
• Obama Leads; Clinton, Edwards Vow to Persevere
  With the New Hampshire primary a day away, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is edging out Hillary Clinton. His surprising victory deals a blow to the other leading candidates but they pledge to press onward. Clinton has the money to keep going.

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