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

• Darwin's Theory: Too Big To Publish
  Imagine having a revolutionary idea, and then sitting on it for more than 20 years. That's what Charles Darwin did. His theory that nature — not God — was responsible for the marvelous variety of life on Earth was heretical. But then a young butterfly collector forced Darwin's hand.
• Counting The Dollars, One Paint Job At A Time
  Because body shop workers are paid by commission, not by the hour, paychecks go up and down with the volume of cars out the door. At Quality Colors, an auto body shop in Dallas, one painter is trying to keep his life on track despite the drop in business.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Iraqi Security Forces Work In Often Uneasy Alliance
  As U.S. troops draw down in Iraq, the country's U.S.-supported security forces will have to assume control. Eventually, the Iraqi police will replace the Iraqi army in providing security for many cities. But for now, tensions are simmering between the different security branches.
• California Veterinary Tax Plan Draws Opposition
  California's effort to close a $41 billion budget gap includes a plan to tax a number of services, including veterinary care. Many fear the proposed tax will create a hardship for pet owners and result in more animals being abandoned.
• 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.
• 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.

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