Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Lou Bellamy and "The Invisible Man"
  Lou Bellamy is the founder and artistic director of the African-American Penumbra Theater in St. Paul. Bellamy talked with us about Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man," a novel featuring an unnamed African-American narrator whose race makes him "invisible" to others.6:50 a.m.
• Coleman on Iraq: Politics or principles?
  Sen. Norm Coleman been a strong supporter of the Iraq war but is a vocal critic of President Bush's latest plan.7:20 a.m.
• Inflation may send Minnesota's transportation spending off a "funding cliff"
  After years of big budgets for road and bridge construction, state spending on transportation is headed for a sharp drop off.7:24 a.m.
• Monday Markets
  Minnesota Public Radio's Chief Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell previews the week ahead on Wall Street.8:24 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Moscow Sweats the Balmy Winter
  Unusually warm temperatures around the globe this winter have hit Russia. It's hard to believe for January, but there's no snow in Moscow, where residents are complaining about balmy temperatures — even after last year's record freeze all but shut down the city.
• O.J. Didn't Do ItÂ… Confess, That Is
  O.J. Simpson says he did not write his supposed confession in an unpublished book that includes a chapter describing his wife's murder. Simpson says it's a "fictional creation" mostly dreamed up by a ghostwriter. The book describes the former football star having an argument with Nicole Brown Simpson. Simpson is quoted saying, "Then something went horribly wrong."
• Not Just a Car, But a Friend
  Americans love their cars, and a new poll shows just how personal that love affair can be. Almost 40 percent said their car has a personality; 30 percent said it has a gender, and 20 percent said it has a nickname.
• Snowmobiles Likely to Keep Access to Yellowstone
  Critics of allowing snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park say they're noisy, polluting and stressful to animals. Advocates say the vehicles are getting quieter all the time. The National Park Service is likely to make permanent rules that grant snowmobilers limited access to the park in winter.
• Federer, Mauresmo Advance in Australian Open
  In Melbourne, Australia, Roger Federer and Amelie Mauresmo advance to the second round in the Australian Open; each won the contest in the men's and women's division, respectively, last year.
• Business News: Talk of an Asian Free-Trade Zone
  Leaders of 16 Asian nations meeting in the Philippines discuss creating an Asian free-trade zone. The leaders signed an energy pact on Monday aimed at reducing oil dependency and greenhouse-gas emissions.
• Saddam's Half-Brother, Top Aide Executed
  Saddam Hussein's half-brother and the former head of Iraq's Revolutionary Court are hanged before dawn for crimes against humanity. Sunni Muslims are denouncing the executions, which come two weeks after Saddam's chaotic and widely condemned hanging.
• Rice, Olmert to Hold Three-Way Summit with Abbas
  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agree to meet in a three-way summit with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Rice is touring the region in an effort to restart the Middle East peace process and deepen American involvement there.
• Congress Can't Stop Troop Boost in Iraq, Bush Says
  President Bush and Vice President Cheney went on the offensive this weekend, selling the administration's Iraq policy on the airwaves, despite mounting criticism from the American people. Both say Congress can't stop the plan to boost troop levels in Iraq.
• Airport Attacks Cloud Basque Peace Talks
  Basques and Spaniards held rallies over the weekend to condemn the Basque separatist group ETA for an airport bombing two weeks ago that left two people dead in Madrid. The bombings have left the future of peace talks between ETA and the Spanish government in doubt.
• Iran's President Courts Latin American Leaders
  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is meeting with leftist leaders in Latin American, in an effort to win allies in his battle against Washington. The objects of Ahmadinejad's courtship include the leaders of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia.
• Bush Defends Iraq Plan on CBS' '60 Minutes'
  President Bush says his decision to send more troops to Iraq is going forward, even if Congress tries to stop him. The president discussed his new Iraq strategy in a interview on CBS' 60 Minutes.
• Surprise Winner in the Video-Game Console Wars
  Three new video-game systems are battling for dominance: Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii. Who's on top? None of them. It's actually the older PlayStation 2.
• Iran Facing Dangerous Brain Drain
  An increasing number of young Iranian professionals are emigrating in search of work, despite the obstacles to obtaining work permits in developed nation. It's a brain drain with significant economic and social consequences for the Islamic Republic.
• The Latest Gizmos to Spur Your Tech-Toy Lust
  New York Times technology columnist David Pogue reviews the gizmos on display at two major technology trade shows last week: the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco. Pogue says Apple's iPhone tops the techie lust list.

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