Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Banking your tax refund to combat poverty
  It's tax season - and a Minnesota program that offers low-cost tax refund loans is bracing for overwhelming demand, as more people face financial insecurity.6:20 a.m.
• Hoping for Gopher success, all over again
  After a decade of heartache and disappointment, the University of Minnesota men's basketball team is flirting with success... and teasing its fickle-but-long-suffering fans back into love. Morning Edition commentator Peter Smith warns, "Let's be careful out there."6:25 a.m.
• Obama's action gives clean car backers a boost
  Minnesota environmentalists are cheering President Obama's decision to reconsider California's request to set strict standards to control greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks.6:50 a.m.
• Author Neil Gaiman's spooky book wins Newbery honor
  Local best-selling author Neil Gaiman has received the top prize for children's literature: The John Newbery Medal, for "The Graveyard Book."6:55 a.m.
• Medical residency money on the chopping block
  Minnesota's teaching hospitals and clinics are anxious to find out today what Gov. Pawlenty intends to do with state money used to pay for residency programs.7:20 a.m.
• Local governments look for ways to save money
  Cities and counties in west central Minnesota cooperate to save money. Some say it's a model that could be expanded in Minnesota.7:25 a.m.
• Judges request Coleman team to resubmit evidence
  Day two of Republican Norm Coleman's election contest trial gets underway this morning, but it's unclear what will actually happen. That's because Monday's testimony took a peculiar turn when the three-judge panel stopped the Coleman campaign from entering into evidence copies of absentee ballots.7:40 a.m.
• Minn. native killed in Iraq
  A Minnesota native was killed in Iraq in a helicopter accident on Monday. Philip Windorski Jr. was one of four Americans killed7:45 a.m.
• Future Tense with Jon Gordon
  The Electronic Frontier Foundation begins a campaign to make unlocking phones easier.8:20 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• A Colony of Screechers And Wailers
  Manx shearwaters nest and hatch their young in burrows in sand and dirt. Adults forage all day over the ocean. In the evening, as flocks of parents return to their underground homes, the cacophony of their screechy, whiny calls fills the air.
• Immigration Debate Roils Children's Health Bill
  The Senate is debating a measure that would extend and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The bill passed the House on Jan. 14, but it may be hung up in the Senate because Republicans are outraged that it repeals a waiting period for the children of legal immigrants to qualify.
• Shrinking Music Videos: More Thrills, Less 'Thriller'
  As MySpace, iPhones and YouTube allow music videos to be seen anywhere and anytime, directors are discovering that viewing habits aren't the only things changing. The best new videos are superfast, supervisual and superclever.
• Blagojevich Misses Trial, Pleads Case On TV
  State senators in Illinois are deciding whether to remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office. Impeachment proceedings began Monday. The governor says the rules are biased against him, and he's refusing to take part in the trial. Instead, Blagojevich has been offering his defense on national television shows.
• 'The Graveyard Book' Wins Newbery Medal
  The American Library Association has given the prestigious Newbery Medal for children's literature to Neil Gaiman for his novel The Graveyard Book. It's the story of a boy raised by the ghostly inhabitants of a cemetery.
• Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Could Be Broadway Show
  A Broadway producer has acquired the rights for a stage version of Michael Jackson's music-video for "Thriller". The show will include songs from both the Thriller and Off the Wall albums.
• 'Lipstick Index' Glosses Over Spotty Data
  One theory holds that sales of lipstick go up during a recession. After all, it's a relatively affordable luxury in times of low consumer confidence. But The Economist magazine takes a swipe at the notion, noting in a recent article that historical data are spotty. There's another reason why the "lipstick index" is suspect: The term was coined by an executive at the cosmetics firm Estee Lauder.
• Switch To Digital TV May Be Delayed Until June
  Just three weeks before the switch to digital TV, the Senate has passed a bill delaying the transition by four months. If the House agrees, viewers would have extra time to prepare for the shift. The government mandated the change to give public safety officials more room on the airwaves and to improve viewing quality. But many households are not ready for the Feb. 17 transition date — particularly poor, elderly and rural families.
• Obama Gives First Interview To Arab Network
  President Barack Obama spoke to the Saudi-owned, Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel for his first formal television interview since taking office. The president sat for the interview after dispatching special envoy George Mitchell to the Middle East. Mitchell will visit Egypt, Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
• French Perfume Museum Offers Whiff Of History
  In the south of France, the city of Grasse has been the center of the French perfume industry since the 16th century. After four years of renovations, a museum dedicated to explaining and celebrating perfumery has reopened in this historic city of scent.
• Cal Finds Roughest Road In 50 Years Of Car Sales
  The unforgettable "Go See Cal" jingle turned Cal Worthington into one of the nation's top car dealers. At 88, he's still appearing in ads with his "dog" Spot and strategizing about how to give the foundering industry a boost.
• Ding Dong: New Sales Reps Answer Avon's Call
  Avon was the perfect job for many of America's homemakers back in the bucolic '50s. Now, a new generation of women hopes Avon, as well as Mary Kay Cosmetics, will offer some financial stability in this hard-hit economy. During a downturn, customers still spend money on personal care items.
• Obama To Hear From GOP On Stimulus Plan
  President Barack Obama will meet with Republicans on Capitol Hill Tuesday. He's trying to get their support for his $825 billion economic stimulus plan. The president has promised to listen to GOP ideas. However, most Republicans are still in the "no" column.
• Are British Banks Sound As A Pound?
  The phrase "sound as a pound" traditionally has meant something is as reliable as the British currency. After all, the government stands behind its currency. But, a number of British banks have been at least partially nationalized by the government at a time when they are not inspiring much confidence. Philip Coggan of The Economist magazine says the banking system is a mess.
• Karaoke Videos Teach Safe Water Techniques
  Drinking water in Cambodia carries many risks. Many of the nation's wells and rivers contain bacteria, parasites and pesticides. However, there are ways to avoid unsafe water. Villagers are learning about safe drinking water through karaoke videos that combine stories of love with information about the dangers of arsenic and bacteria in some hand-dug wells.

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