Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Twins sign Mauer through 2010
  The Minnesota Twins have signed allstar catcher Joe Mauer to a $33 million contract that will keep him playing in his hometown through 2010.6:42 a.m.
• Minnesota considers plan to keep Great Lakes water in the Great Lakes
  Minnesota could be the first state to adopt a new agreement to keep Great Lakes water in the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Compact is intended to head off attempts to remove water for use elsewhere.6:45 a.m.
• Mind exercises offer hope to seniors worried about dementia
  Some Minnesota House lawmakers are pushing a bill that would give tax credits to seniors and their families who purchase independent-living technologies. These are products that are designed to help seniors live on their own for a longer period of time. One mental fitness tool, called cognitive training, is just beginning to catch on in the senior market.7:20 a.m.
• Smoking at the Capitol
  One Senate committee will meet to talk about a statewide smoking ban, another will meet to discuss the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.7:50 a.m.
• Thinking about Fatimah in America
  An Arab artist examines her religion in an exhibit at Gustavus Adolphus College.8:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• North Korea's Aid Requests Hold Up Nuclear Talks
  Six-nation talks aimed at shutting down North Korea's nuclear program may be extended. The countries involved in the negotiations in Beijing say the level of aid North Korea insists upon receiving remains a sticking point.
• Katrina Compensation Case Goes to Court
  A federal court in New Orleans is hearing the first of thousands of lawsuits filed by homeowners against their insurance companies after Hurricane Katrina. Most who are suing say they didn't get enough money to cover the damage to their houses.
• 'Nice' Reward: Five Grammies for Dixie Chicks
  As the political climate shifts, Natalie Maines and The Dixie Chicks go five-for-five at the Grammys, including best song for "Not Ready to Make Nice." Mary J. Blige and Ludacris are among other popular winners.
• Officials Go 'Off the Record' on Iran-Iraq Arms
  The Bush administration continues to make a case that Iran is arming groups inside Iraq with sophisticated weaponry used to kill Americans. Who is getting the weapons and are they to blame for a sudden increase in downed U.S. aircraft?
• Nintendo Tennis, Anyone? Wii, Wii
  As a new style of video-game console, the Nintendo Wii is exceeding sales expectations. The device is controlled with body movements, not just thumb work, making games such as video tennis more active.
• Work a No-Go in Nine Feet of Snow
  Bad weather had not kept Chris Ulanowski from work for more than 25 years. Then Oswego, N.Y., was hit by more than nine feet of snow last week. Ulanowski is news director at public radio station WRVO.
• Jerusalem's 'Rosa Parks' Fights 'Modesty Patrols'
  Writer Naomi Ragen and other women of Jerusalem go to court against Jewish fundamentalists who they say have harassed, taunted and even physically assaulted women on public buses. In ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, some men try to force women to sit in the back of buses and make them abstain from wearing immodest clothing.
• MasterCard's Plan: Phone Home, Send Cash
  MasterCard and a group of wireless companies are developing a way to allow migrant workers to send money back home, using mobile phones. By one estimate, U.S. workers sent $45 billion to their native countries in Latin America in 2006.
• Royal Seeks to Regain Lead in French Race
  Polls indicate the front-runner in the French presidential race — Socialist Segolene Royal — is losing momentum to conservative rival Nicolas Sarkozy. Royal unveiled a package of key policies Sunday in a bid to regain her footing.
• Mom's a Wii Bit Apprehensive
  Children who spend too much time playing virtual sports on their new Nintendo Wii are getting a false sense of what it's like to compete in the world. That's the view of one mother who is watching her children "excel" at video sports.
• Dollar Coin to Make Debut
  A new dollar coin goes into circulation this week. The U.S. government says coins are cheaper to make than bills, and they last longer. But the Associated Press says half of Americans surveyed don't want a dollar coin AND a dollar bill.
• Eggs Over Hard
  When a tractor-trailer carrying 165,000 eggs overturned on the Capital Beltway outside Washington, D.C., it created a very big omelette. Some of the broken eggs dripped into a drainage ditch, producing what one witness called "a yellow river of yolk." Road crews used Kitty litter to soak it all up.
• Iraq Vote Looms over Clinton New Hampshire Visit
  Sen. Hillary Clinton made a campaign trip to New Hampshire over the weekend, her first as a presidential candidate. The New York Democrat heard a lot about her vote to authorize the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
• House Prepares for Debate on Iraq Policy
  The House will spend much of the week debating U.S. policy in Iraq. The product of all the talk is likely to be a mild, nonbinding rebuke of President Bush's plan for troop increases. Meanwhile, the White House is talking about Iran.
• A Love Not to Be Forgotten
  A man named Ralph Dial met a woman, and knew that he liked her. But afterward, he could not remember her name. He kept remembering that face and forgetting that name. This went on for more than 60 years — and then it hit him. Vinita Anderson was her name. He went through old newspapers in Knoxville, Tenn. He found her address. He called her up. And a little more than a month from now, they'll be getting married.

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