Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Winter road salt ending up in lakes and streams
  A new report from the University of Minnesota says we're slowly turning our fresh water lakes into salt water.6:50 a.m.
• Promised job numbers don't always pan out
  Supporters of the federal economic stimulus plan are promising it will create thousands of jobs in Minnesota. But if the past is a model there's no guarantee that promise will come true.7:20 a.m.
• Puppy mills targeted in proposed regulation
  A bill being considered at the Minnesota Legislature attempts to improve the conditions at so-called "puppy mills." The bill would limit the number animals per farm and require that they socialize and exercise regularly. Some animal breeders contend that the proposed regulations are too restrictive.7:25 a.m.
• Surveying college freshman on Darwin
  Tomorrow is the 200th anniversary of the birth of English naturalist Charles Darwin. Each year, University of Minnesota biology professor Randy Moore surveys his freshman on what they were taught in high school about evolution.7:45 a.m.
• Alternative ideas for marking Valentine's Day
  Valentine's Day is Saturday which means some of us will be spending the next few days hunting for the perfect token of affection for that special someone.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• Historic Jewish Haven In Shanghai Faces Demolition
  Part of Shanghai's Jewish history is under threat from bulldozers. The White Horse Inn, a restaurant and nightclub for Jewish refugees in the 1930s and '40s, is among a number of buildings inside the city's Jewish district set to be knocked down to make way for a widened road.
• Muzak, Seeking Bankruptcy Protection, Plays On
  Best known as the maker of elevator music, Muzak Holdings has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Its business is more focused now on creating playlists for use in retail stores, installing professional sound systems and other services. Based in Fort Mill, S.C., Musak was founded in the 1930s.
• Wal-Mart Cutting Jobs At Arkansas Headquarters
  The world's largest retailer is eliminating up to 800 jobs at the company's headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., where it employs about 14,000 people. The poor economy is crimping Wal-Mart's sales growth. However, the company still is profiting as consumers flock to its stores in search of lower prices.
• Star Trek Fans Could Win June Wedding
  The Science Center in Detroit opens a new display on Saturday: "Star Trek: The Exhibition." The opening coincides with Valentine's Day. Couples who visit that day could win a contest for a June wedding. The winning Star Fleet Lovers get private use of the exhibition and reception space for 200 guests.
• Beijing Fireworks Display Sets Off Deadly Inferno
  One of the most visually stunning landmarks on Beijing's skyline is the new headquarters of state broadcaster China Central Television. CCTV had organized a fireworks display to celebrate the new complex, but it went terribly wrong. The fireworks set off a fire on a side tower and it became a raging inferno. One firefighter was killed. CCTV acknowledged it never obtained the special permit needed for the fireworks.
• Investors May Need Incentives To Buy Toxic Assets
  Many major banks are still crippled by bad investments on their books. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says he wants to set up an investment fund to buy up a lot of those toxic assets. Details aren't clear, but it appears Treasury wants to use public money to entice private investors to buy up those problematic assets.
• Democrats Push For Vote On Solis As Labor Chief
  Democratic Rep. Hilda Solis of California seemed headed for confirmation as labor secretary, but a Senate committee put off a vote when it was revealed that her husband had unresolved tax issues with his business. Republican lawmakers also say they worry about her association with a pro-union organization. Republicans want more information. Democrats say it's time to vote.
• Israeli Election Results Set Stage For Negotiations
  Israel faces political uncertainty as the leaders of both the Likud and Kadima parties have claimed victory. With neither party winning a clear majority, neither can govern alone. Coalition negotiations could take weeks.
• Atlantic City Lures Gamblers With Train Service
  Casino revenues in Atlantic City are down. Visitors are defecting to new gambling halls in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York. Some Atlantic City hotels have teamed up to start a new luxury express train from New York City.
• Lincoln's Bicentennial Turns Into Lovefest
  Celebrations across the country Thursday will honor the bicentennial birth of Abraham Lincoln. There are new Lincoln pennies, postage stamps and books. The greatest private collection of Lincoln books and artifacts might be in Chicago. The owner of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop says it's been a media frenzy leading up to Lincoln's 200th birthday.
• Energy Executives Adjust To Price Swings
  Oil and gas executives are meeting this week in Houston to discuss how to survive falling demand, $40-a-barrel oil and evaporating investment in new projects. Most of the company chiefs who are attending the annual conference organized by Cambridge Energy Research Associates have been through some of these cycles before, but not at this dizzying pace.
• Japan's Economy Suffers As Exports Go Unsold
  As the U.S. economy slumps, Japan's economy is also sinking. Consumers everywhere have stopped buying Japan's cars, electronics and other exports. The Japanese still remember the long recession of the 1990s. Reporter Lucy Craft tells Linda Wertheimer this slump may be more painful.
• House, Senate Work on Reconciling Stimulus Bills
  With the Senate's passage Tuesday of a massive economic stimulus bill, the legislation heads to a House-Senate conference. Reconciling the different chambers' bills won't be easy. The Senate took the House bill, added tax cuts, cut spending and overall increased the cost. The three Republicans who helped approve the Senate bill hold most of the cards.
• Bush National Security Policies Under Review
  The Justice Department is reviewing nearly all of former President Bush's national security policies — from interrogation to domestic spying. Many of the people President Obama has tapped for key jobs in the department have spent the last eight years criticizing those policies. Their public statements could give a sense of where the department may be headed.
• Wall Street, Congress Unsure About TARP Plan
  Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has outlined plans to increase consumer lending and remove toxic assets from banks' balance sheets. But analysts said they were disappointed by the lack of details in the plan. The much-anticipated speech left out how much the plan would cost.

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