Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• New study limits TV time to prevent weight gain
  U of M research is trying to pinpoint what it takes to keep families from gaining unwanted weight.7:20 a.m.
• Gov. Pawlenty to appoint new chief justice
  Gov. Pawlenty will appoint a new chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court this morning. The selection comes just a week after the current Chief Justice, Russell Anderson, announced that he would step down in June.7:25 a.m.
• Investment bank rescue worries investors
  U.S. stocks appear headed to a sharply lower open this morning as Wall Street reacts to a stunning buyout of Bear Stearns by JPMorgan Chase. Minnesota Public Radio's chief economics correspondent Chris Farrell discusses the latest economic news.8:25 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• SXSW: Where the Strange and Soothing Collide
  Last week, 1,700 bands converged on Austin, Texas, for the annual South by Southwest music festival. From a Chinese woman who sings AC/DC covers to a singer whose songs are like foot rubs at the end of a long night out, the music brought out power and beauty in unexpected places.
• Clinton-Obama Battle Rages; GOP Immigration Gap
  It will be weeks before the Democratic presidential nominee is decided, and that time lag is hurting the party. The battle between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama seems to get nastier every day. Meantime, the immigration debate haunts McCain and the GOP.
• McCain Faces Hurdle in Uniting Party on Immigration
  Steve Inskeep examines tension within the Republican Party between presidential hopeful John McCain's stance on immigration and the position of House candidates running for election in November. Clinching his party's nomination early is an advantage, but he may need the time to address issues dividing conservatives.
• Supporters of Iran's President Claim Election Win
  Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has declared victory in parliamentary elections. His hard-line supporters won the largest share of the votes in last week's election.
• E-Mail 'Spam King' Pleads Guilty, Faces 20 Years
  A man known as the "spam king" has pleaded guilty to federal charges of mail fraud, wire fraud and failure to file a tax return. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors say Robert Alan Soloway, 28, sent millions of junk e-mails around the world. The most serious charge he faces is one for non-electronic mail fraud.
• Spamming by Text Message On the Rise
  E-mail spam is an annoyance of modern life, but now spam is creeping onto mobile phones. This year, there's more of it than ever before, which has many in the industry on high alert. How much gets through to cell phones, and why is it even more annoying than e-mail spam, and what are wireless carriers doing to block it?
• Winners and Losers in Bear Stearns' Downfall
  When the dust settled from the dramatic downfall of Bear Stearns, one of Wall Street's most storied investment banks, rival JP Morgan Chase wound up taking control of it. The stunning collapse marks a significant loss for some investors, like Bear Stearns employees, who owned 30 percent of the bank.
• Stock Prices Fall Around the World
  Major U.S. stock indices started the trading day lower Monday — a lot lower. Investors reacted to the emergency sale of investment bank Bear Stearns, as well as drastic actions by the Fed to shore up confidence in financial markets. Investors around the globe were also nervous after the weekend news from Wall Street.
• Raleigh, N.C., Bans New Garbage Disposals
  Starting Monday, new garbage disposals are banned in Raleigh, N.C. Officials say the appliances allow grease to accumulate in sewers, leading to sewage spills. But a lot of homeowners, and a company that makes the kitchen appliances, consider the ban invasive and misdirected.
• Woods Comes from Behind for 5th Straight Tour Win
  Golfer Tiger Woods has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational by one shot. It extends his PGA Tour win streak to five and keeps his perfect season intact. Woods is now tied for third place on the all-time win list with one of the greats, Ben Hogan.
• N.C., Memphis, UCLA, Kansas Top NCAA Picks
  After a regular season of highs and lows for college basketball teams around the country, the NCAA on Sunday gave 65 teams the opportunity to compete for the ultimate high — a national championship. Some are consensus front-runners to go all the way, while others hope to play the lead in this year's Cinderella story.
• Smithsonian Picks New Chief to Build Trust, Funding
  The nation's "attic" has a new chief. Wayne Clough has been named secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He is currently president of Georgia Tech, where he has a proven track record of running a large public institution. Now more than ever, the Smithsonian needs an adept leader who can restore the public trust.
• Carbon-Trading Exchange Opens in New York
  The New Green Exchange, part of the New York Mercantile Exchange, launches Monday with an offering of futures contracts tied to the cost of pollution in Europe. A company can reduce its carbon emissions and then make some cash by selling the right to pollute to another company.
• A Mammoth Spring-Cleaning Project
  Nancy Fiddler is trying to get a mastodon out of her garage. It's the skeleton of a giant prehistoric animal, similar to an elephant, that turned up years ago on her family's property. Now she's trying to sell it on eBay for $115,000.
• Police Blast Suspicious Package, Find Turnip
  An employee of a law firm in Fort Wayne, Ind., called 911 after discovering a suspicious package in the mail. The bomb squad brought a robot to carry the box outside. X-rays showed no explosives, but police took no chances. They blasted the package with a water cannon — and found one raw turnip inside.

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