Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Athletes scrape by to fund Olympic dreams
  Most athletes competing in this year's Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver are forced to scrape together their savings, ask for donations and put together a few modest sponsorships to pay for their training. Caitlin Compton, a cross-country skier from Minneapolis, is a case in point.6:20 a.m.
• Drivers frustrated by snow piling up on streets
  Cold temperatures have kept much of the snow from melting, and big piles of plowed snow have popped up on seemingly every corner in the Twin Cities, where they can block the view of oncoming traffic, and frustrate drivers.6:25 a.m.
• Faster Wi-Fi headed for Twin Cities, but will people sign on?
  A new wireless internet option is on the horizon for some Twin Cities residents.6:50 a.m.
• Chess teaches kids life lessons
  Over the weekend, the Minneapolis School District hosted a district-wide chess tournament, in hopes that the centuries-old game will teach kids some of the skills they'll need as adults.6:55 a.m.
• Pawlenty to unveil budget fix today
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty unveils his proposal today for fixing a $1.2 billion deficit in the current two-year budget. The Republican governor has said he will provide a solution with spending cuts alone. MPR Capitol reporter Tim Pugmire previews the speech.7:20 a.m.
• Service clubs struggle with rising costs, aging members
  The American Legion in Worthington demonstrates how much times have changed for service organizations like the Legion and the VFW. In the 1970s, you couldn't find a seat in the lounge.7:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• U.S. Afghan Forces Push Deeper Into Marjah
  In Afghanistan over the weekend, U.S. Marines started an offensive targeting the southern Taliban stronghold of Marjah. The going has been relatively slow because attack routes have been saturated with roadside bombs.
• A Test For Saudi Arabia's Terrorist-Rehab Program
  Despite some setbacks in its rehabilitation program, Saudi Arabia says it will continue re-educating terrorists in the nonviolent principles of Islam. Of the almost 300 men who have completed the program, 80 percent have gone on to normal lives. One of them, Mohammad al-Awfi, did not.
• Vatican Summit Addresses Irish Sex Abuse Cases
  Pope Benedict has summoned more than two dozen Irish bishops to the Vatican for meetings on Ireland's sex abuse scandal. Two months ago, an investigation into the Dublin diocese known as the Murphy Commission Report, revealed the Irish Church had been covering up crimes by priests against young people for decades.
• Scientific Tinkering Leads To New Cell Insight
  Scientists in England have found a way to trick bacterial cells into making compounds that aren't found in nature. Those compounds are proteins, and proteins are the basic building blocks of everything a living organism needs to survive.
• Get This: Warming Planet Can Mean More Snow
  With snow blanketing much of the country, the topic of global warming has become the butt of jokes. But most scientists who study the climate don't see a contradiction between a warming world and lots of snow.
• Smokers Need More Than Motivation To Quit
  It's been nearly half a century since U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry declared that smoking was linked to lung cancer and was hazardous to health. Since then, smoking in the United States has been on the decline. How have most smokers left the habit behind? Some need medications like nicotine gum and patches to kick the habit.
• Program Helps Low-Income Smokers Kick Habit
  Even as the nation has made big progress in reducing smoking rates, the rates remain high among the poorest Americans. A program in Massachusetts shows that providing counseling and quitting medications can help: Smoking among low-income people in the program decreased by 26 percent.
• Japan Sees Growth In 4th Quarter
  Japan's economy has grown more than expected in the fourth quarter, fueled by growing demand for exports. The government said Monday that real gross domestic product grew at an annual pace of 4.6 percent in the October-December period, beating even the most bullish of predictions.
• Time Management Is Key To Getting Work Done
  With distractions constantly popping up in the workplace — from emails to telephone calls — it seems hard to get any work done. Also interfering with getting work done is trying to multi-task and memory. Renee Montagne talks to Financial Times columnist Lucy Kellaway about time management — or the lack there of — in her life and in the lives of workers everywhere.
• Wine Drinkers Benefit From Calif.'s Grape Crop
  People have given up many luxuries during the recession, like a fancy bottle of wine. But a huge grape harvest across California means that bottle is likely to cost less. A new report says last year was the second-biggest harvest in the state's history.

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