Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Minnesota wants changes in South Dakota power plant
  Minnesota officials including Governor Pawlenty are weighing in on a proposed coal power plant in South Dakota. They're concerned the plant would add to global warming.7:20 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Black Voters Aren't Fully Sold on Obama
  Sen. Barack Obama may be the first African-American candidate to enter a presidential race as one of the front-runners. But can the Illinois Democrat command the black vote? That remains unclear.
• A Late Love That Burns Brightly
  Jo Ann and Bob Chew have been married for nearly 12 years. In December 2004, Jo Ann was diagnosed with dementia. Then, one year later, she was told she was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. As a result, Jo Ann says, "my doctor told me he did not want me to cook, and that was music to my ears."
• Spanish Bullfights May Face Uncertain Future
  Spanish bullfighting fans are upset at the nation's environmental minister, who says her government is thinking of banning the killing of bulls in the bullring. But despite Spain's traditional passion for bullfighting, polls show that fans are shrinking in number.
• Pentagon Ramps Up Training to Cut Language Gap
  The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have highlighted a critical gap in U.S. military preparedness: personnel who can speak foreign languages. The Pentagon has dramatically increased language training, as sessions held in Monterey, Calif., illustrate.
• Hope Seen at North Korean Nuclear Talks
  Six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program, under way in Beijing, yield optimism that North Korea will cooperate. The reclusive regime is hinting that it may accept in principle the initial steps of a Chinese proposal to rein in North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
• Autopsy Set in Death of Anna Nicole Smith
  An autopsy will determine the cause of death for Anna Nicole Smith. The actress and former Playboy playmate, 39, collapsed Thursday at a hotel in Hollywood, Fla. She inherited millions after a legal battle over her wealthy, elderly husband's estate.
• Reconstruction Teams at Premium in Iraq
  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Iraq needs more "provincial reconstruction teams," which administer aid in Iraq. But staffing them is a problem. The State Department lacks the people needed.
• Hamas, Fatah Reach Accord on Government
  The Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas reach an agreement on a unity government they hope will end Gaza clashes and invite resumption of Western aid. It's not clear that Hamas will accept Western demands to renounce violence and recognize Israel.
• Libby's Defense to Begin Monday
  The prosecution has rested at the perjury trial of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney. The defense begins presenting its side of the story on Monday.
• Florida Storms Batter Whooping Crane Colony
  The destructive storms in Florida last week killed a colony of whooping cranes. One lone male survived. Researchers will leave him in the wild, where he's mixed in with a flock of sandhill cranes.
• 'Lives of Others,' a Glimpse at East Germany
  The Lives of Others is set in communist East Berlin in the days before the fall of the Berlin Wall. It focuses on a police captain who is forced to put a wire tap on a famous playwright.
• Many Big-Name Schools May Miss NCAA Tourney
  In one month, the NCAA selects 65 teams for its men's Division I college basketball tournament. Competition is tougher than ever and some traditional powers may be left on the sidelines.
• A New Look at Pre-War Intelligence on Iraq
  A new Pentagon report reveals more about how the Defense Department analyzed intelligence before the Iraq war. Critics say top war planners twisted intelligence to support an invasion.
• Will Coverage of Smith Death Be Larger Than Life?
  For years, celebrity magazines and TV networks seized every chance to cover a model and actress who seemed to understand the absurdity of her own celebrity. It's likely that every detail of the investigation of her death will be as closely followed as the details of her outsized life.
• Strategies Available to Fight Credit-Card Fees
  Credit-card fees have been rising in recent years. But what many people don't know is that you don't always have to pay those fees. And if your credit is good — and you know who to ask — you might not have to pay any interest either, for months or even years.

Resources

• Future Tense®
• Marketplace Morning Report®
• Mark Seeley's WeatherTalk

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor