Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Former St. Cloud State student dies; possibly from excessive drinking
  Police are investigating the death of a 20-year-old former St. Cloud State student over the weekend. The student's brother suspects he died from excessive drinking.6:40 a.m.
• Counties seek a solution to repeat drunk driving
  More Minnesota counties are trying a new solution to the problem of repeat drunk drivers. DWI courts use a carrot and stick approach to convince drunk drivers to change their ways.6:45 a.m.
• Rybak launches program to stop youth violence
  Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak says youth violence is a public health problem that can be prevented.7:20 a.m.
• Coleman calls for U.S. to play a new role in Iraq
  Just back from his fifth trip to Iraq, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman says the U.S. goal should be to play a "secondary" military role in Iraq by the end of this year.7:50 a.m.
• Supreme Court to hear voter ID case
  This week, the U.S. Supreme Court hears a major case on voter identification. The court will be asked to rule on an Indiana law that requires voters to show a government-issued photo ID in order to vote. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with David Schultz, a Hamline University professor who is also teaching election law at the University of Minnesota this spring.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• French Snag Shipment of Fake Anti-Impotence Pills
  The French president says he is dating a supermodel. And French customs officials intercept a massive shipment of fake anti-impotence pills. Authorities found 224,000 pills. They are copies of drugs like Cialis or Viagra but have different names.
• Late-Night Comedy Returns Without Writers
  Two of Comedy Central's most popular shows, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report, are back. They've been off the air since screenwriters went on strike two months ago. They returned without material from their writers.
• Kansans Call Grand Jury Over Abortion Clinic
  A grand jury in Wichita, Kan., is due to investigate whether a clinic that performs abortions is breaking the law. The grand jury was not called by a local prosecutor. Kansas is one of six states where citizens are allowed to call up grand juries.
• 'Parking Wars' to Debut
  Producers of the show Parking Wars follow the men and women of the Philadelphia Parking Authority as they ticket, boot and tow thousands of cars. The reality show tries to present a sympathetic portrait of this sadly misunderstood profession.
• LSU Wins Bowl Championship over OSU
  Louisiana State University is the winner of the national college football championship. The second-ranked Tigers beat top-ranked Ohio State University 38-24 at the Superdome. It was the second straight loss in the title game for the Buckeyes of Ohio State.
• Bagpipes Jeopardize African Blackwood Tree
  The sound of bagpipes is music to a Scotsman's ear, but some environmental groups want them to change their tune. Conservation groups say over-logging is endangering the African Blackwood tree used to make part of the instrument.
• Excitement Fuels New Hampshire Primary
  With the New Hampshire primary coming less than a week after the Iowa caucuses, there's a different atmosphere in New Hampshire. A party is going on in front of the statehouse, it's warm, crowds wave signs and cars honk horns. It's all so much unlike previous primaries.
• Summit Seeks to Bridge Political Divide
  A panel of former and current public officials gather in Norman, Okla., to urge presidential contenders to pledge a new spirit of bipartisanship if elected. Participation by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gives the conference an added boost.
• Sarkozy May Consider Marriage, Again
  French President Nicholas Sarkozy, who only three months ago announced he was divorcing his second wife, may be on the verge of a new marriage with Carla Bruni, a former Italian supermodel turned singer. Sarkozy answered questions about their relationship during a press conference.
• Zardari, a New Face in Pakistani Politics
  When the White House reintroduced Benazir Bhutto into the political arena in Pakistan last year, the intention was for Bhutto to form a partnership with President Pervez Musharraf. Now the U.S. is facing a very different picture with Musharraf, his cohorts, and Bhutto's husband, Asif Zardari.
• Supreme Court Seems Split Over Lethal Injection
  The Supreme Court heard arguments in a case testing whether lethal injection is constitutional. Opponents say the three drugs used, and the way they are administered, create the potential for a tortuous death that would amount to cruel and unusual punishment.
• New Hampshire Begins Presidential Primary Voting
  The election spotlight is on New Hampshire, which convenes the nation's first primary. Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain have early leads in the state's primary after two small towns cast ballots around midnight.
• Combining the Refrigerator and Internet
  Whirlpool is among manufacturers showing gadgets at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. It is hoping for a hit with its new fridge, which has a docking station where you can put an iPod, slide in a digital photo frame or attach a touch screen computer — wireless of course.
• Economic Policy Reshaped in Face of Slowdown
  President Bush cites "increasingly mixed" signs of the U.S. economy's health as a reason to make permanent all the tax cuts enacted since he took office. While Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says the economy was basically healthy despite strains in the housing market.
• Warner Bros. Backs Blu-Ray
  Hollywood movie studio Warner Bros. says it would back the Blu-ray Disc format in video. More and more content is being produced for Blu-ray, which yields better picture quality on high-definition televisions.

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